But they are notas I am certain even you are awarewhat they were. Some of them recognize and accept this fact; some do not. It is those who do not who are the biggest danger. And no, dont make that face. Annarion is a threat, with no intent, no desire to be one. His eyes narrowed. Do not let them interfere with Helen, he said, which was not what shed expected.
They cant.
He said, after a long pause, You rescued them, in a fashion. You believe that the Hallionne Alsanis sheltered them because that was the purpose for which the Hallionne were constructed. You believe that they were forced to change their nature to better slide between the bars of a very forgiving cage. You have correctly divined that the Hallionne, being sentient, have some access to living emotion; you have even correctly understood that the Hallionne are subject to isolation and loneliness.
But you have failed to understand the subtleties.
And youre going to explain my failure.
Yes, now that youve asked.
It wasnt a question; Kaylin shrugged.
Annarions friends didnt just reform or reshape themselves. They created subtle changes in the Hallionne as well. Before you ask, no, I do not know the specifics. I am not Hallionne. I have access to the Hallionne in a fashion, because I am Keeper, but the language of the Hallionne is notoriously difficult to learn, let alone master. Were I Barrani, or High Barrani, I do not think it would be this difficult; I am not. Nor is Grethan.
The Hallionne Alsanis was altered by the children who were themselves altered by the green. This will likely make their passage through the portal paths safer for them. It will make any presence in Hallionne other than their own more difficult. I do not think the changes they made were made immediately. I am less certain that they were made unintentionally. I am not, he added, at some twitch of Kaylins expression, blaming them; it serves no point. They were captives, they were children, and they desired freedom.
It is possible, however, that their sense of what home is or means is radically different from your own. They were captives for far, far longer than they were Barrani children. Helen can create living quarters for Annarion. She is therefore confident that she can create those same quarters for the rest of Teelas friends. She was, if I understand her history correctly, equivalent to the Towers that guard the borders of the fiefs, but the commands at her core were not the same.
Discuss this with Teela. She will better understand the dangers. He looked at the cooling tea. What did happen this morning?
Kaylin explained. She left out names, with the exception of Teelas. Severns expression made clear that he didnt think this was an appropriate discussion to have outside of the Halls, but he didnt actively try to shut her down.
Evanton looked vastly less pleased when shed finished. I am almost sorry I asked, he said, pushing himself up from his chair. But politics are entirely political. Meaning they are not my problem.
Neither is my home, Kaylin pointed out.
If things go awry in your home, it could well become my problem, and I would like to avoid that. I am old, Kaylin. In the past decade I have seen more threats and upheavals than in the previous century, with one or two notable exceptions, neither of which can be blamed on you.
None of them can be blamed on me!
Grethan!
Evantons apprentice appeared before the last loud syllable had died out. The familiar on his shoulder sighed and squawked before leaping off to land at his home base, Kaylins shoulder.
Evanton headed out the door into the rickety hall that led to the Keepers Garden. He turned in the door frame. Understand, he said softly, that the world and the Keeper will almost certainly continue to exist if there are no people in it. My job is not actually to choose sides. The elements are adversely affected by Shadow, but not in the same fashion as we are. My job, such as it is, is to stop the elements from destroying the world in their attempts to destroy each other. There are no Shadows in my garden. Do you understand?
Kaylin nodded.
I am the Keeper. My power, where it exists, exists because of that. I am, however, partial to people in general. The location of the garden does not change, and I would rather have the occasionally irritating company
Most people call them customers, in this part of town.
than not. I understand what exists beneath the High Halls. Where I can, I will aid you, as I have always done. But the politicaland yes, when we speak of politics with the Barrani it inevitably defaults to assassination or waris not my arena.
Its not mine, either.
Not yet. It will be. Im sorry.
If Im forced to enter that arena, will I have to be diplomatic?
Only if your commanding officers drop dead and someone who has never had to work anywhere near you is then put in charge.
* * *
The first thing Kaylin did when they returned to the office from their shortened Elani patrol was stop by the duty roster to see if the Barrani were once again being assigned their regular patrols. The second was to visit the infirmary. Teela was no longer there.
Moran, however, was, and the long day hadnt improved her temper any. The sergeant was glaring at a small mirror. If looks could kill, that mirror wouldnt be in piecesit would be melted glass with little rivulets of silver in it.
Go home.
Moran
I mean it.
Has anyone else come to visit your Barrani patient?
No one has been permitted to visit, with the exception of Teela. Moran turned away from the mirror to face Kaylin directly. Given how successful I was at getting you to ignore the politics of my entirely personal situation, I am not going to waste breath telling you to ignore hers. But kitling? I wouldnt have broken your arms or legs.
Teela wont
No, she probably wont. Being a Hawk has been a lark for the Barranior at least thats the impression theyve always given. Its the reason that most of the nonpatrolling Hawks find it hard to work with them.
Kaylin nodded again.
It is not a lark at the moment. Teela may take a leave of absence when things get truly tense.
Kaylin did not ask how assassination attempts in the Halls failed to qualify as truly tense. At the Hawklords request?
No. The Barrani wear the tabard. He would not ask them to leave the office; it would send the wrong signals.
Kaylin blinked.
Having Barrani Hawks on the force give the Barrani an accessible public face. People are often terrified of the Barrani.
People are sometimes terrified of the Hawks. But most of those are criminals.
Most yes, but not all. Having Barrani on the street and wearing the Hawk makes them a little less frightening. She was silent for a beat. But surely you already know this.
Did she?
Shed been a Hawk for seven years, unofficially. The Hawk had never terrified her the way Barrani in Nightshade had. It had never terrified her the way the howls of hunting Ferals did. It had never terrified her the way the cold did, the way hunger did. But the warrens were as close to the fiefs as anyplace inside the city could beand if shed been born there, and the warrens were her home?
Would she love the Hawk then? Would she be unafraid of it?
Fear of the Barrani made sense to Kaylin. Outside of the Law, they could kill most mortals on a whim. Barrani against Leontine was not as sure a thing.
I dont know, she finally said. There wasnt a lot of difference for us between Shadows and Barrani when I was a kid. And if Im being honest, most mortals of my acquaintance I tried real hard to avoid as well. You dont understand what its like. If I met me from back then
Yes?
I wouldnt have given me a chance if I didnt want my throat slit.
Bellusdeo exhaled and moved to stand beside Kaylin. Morans glare did nothad never, apparentlyincluded the gold Dragon. Its so hard to have productive discussions with you, she said, but fondly. Most menmost Barrani, most Dragonswhen forced into the space you are standing in now might deflect. They might, if pressed in an unavoidable way, justify. They might give excusesah, pardon, I believe they would call them explanations.
Kaylin shrugged. Look, Im not proud of what I once did.
No.
But I understand why I did it. If I were there now, if I lost everything now, Id make different choices. But I didnt even see the possibilities, then. I saw death. When all you see is death, or probable death, you dont trust much.
And the tabard?
I doubt Idve trusted it, either.
Even before you lived in Barren?
Even then. I believed that paradise existed across the Ablayne. But none of that paradise came into the fiefs, and the Hawks? They didnt, either. Can we drop this?
Yes. But I expect you to accept Teelas leave of absence. She hesitated.
Kaylin stared at her.
Or her resignation, if it comes to that.
6
Kaylin, Helen repeated, in her most patient tone, I cannot answer that question.
You can.
I cannot ethically answer that question.
Yes, you can.
Teela is a guest. Teela is not present. If she wishes to share that information with you, she will.
She wont!
Then perhaps there is a reason for that.
Yesshe thinks I cant do anything. She still thinks Im helpless
She does not think of you as helpless. She has told you so. It is hard for her to make that adjustment, but given your age when she first met you, you must be able to understand that.
She treats me as if
You are mortal. You are not Barrani. You are not a Dragon. You do not, objectively, have her power. Even were she not trained to the arcane, even were she entirely without magic or magical weapons, you would stand very little chance against her. Her enemies, at the moment, are not mortal. Helen frowned. Or perhaps some of them are; I find the politics of your cities confusing at times.
Welcome to my life. Kaylin looked down at her hands. They were fists. Bellusdeo thinks Teela might resign. Kaylin spoke the last word as if it were suicide. Or worse, somehow.
And Bellusdeo is speaking as a former ruler and an observer of Barrani, admittedly in a more martial context. She is not speaking with any certainty.
No, she cant. But you could.
No, Kaylin, I cant. Were I an entirely different building, she added, you could force that information from me, and I would have no choice but to give it to you.
...Thats unfair.
Yes, dear. But it is also fact. Teela is your friend.
And youre my home!
Yes. But I do not think friendship is best served by using that home as a spy.
Kaylin flushed.
You are tired and hungry. I think this is possibly one of the only times Ive seen you refuse food. It was true. Kaylin could eat anything, at any time, because some of her instincts were still those of a starving, underfed street kid. You didnt turn your nose up at food when there was never any guarantee of another meal. In the morning, or perhaps even after youve eaten, I think you will see things more clearly.
She is correct.
Kaylin bit back the urge to tell Lord Nightshade to do something anatomically impossible. And then glared at the Avatar of her house. Helen had fairly granular control of incoming communication; if Nightshade was speaking to her, it was because Helen let him. Yes, he was speaking to her because she knew his True Namebut Helen had proven that she could limit or curtail the connection.
Her house smiled gently.
Youve heard.
I have been speaking with Annarion, yes. I am apprised of all of the complications.
She ate, because talking to Nightshade did not require her to open her mouth when it was full. She also drank spiced milk. Helen clearly thought Kaylin was in a mood because the milk was warm and apparently contained honey.
Tell me what you know about Candallar, Kaylin finally said.
Candallar is a fieflord.
Okay, let me amend that. Tell me what you know that I dont.
This elicited two responses; the first, a sharp annoyance; the second, amusement. You frequently know things I would expect no mortal to know, while being ignorant of things that appear to be common knowledge. If you wish information, you will have to bear with me. Candallar is a fieflord. He is, as I am, outcaste. He had less choice in the designation, and less support within the High Court. He is younger than I, and his fall more recent. You will have noticed, no doubt, that the Consort does not treat me as outcaste.
Kaylin nodded.
She is the only Lord of the High Court to have that option. Ah, no. Her brother could, if he desired
If youre talking about the High Lordas opposed to the Lord of the West Marchif her brother wanted to, he could repatriate you. You could be part of the High Court again.
To do so would implystronglythat the customs of the High Court have no weight; that the decisions of the High Court have no consequences. Do not be angry; I am not.
But...hes the High Lord.
She could feel Nightshades frustration, and was surprised to feel his exhaustion, as well. The only other time she had felt such exhaustion hed been injured.
I am not injured. I am frustrated. He is High Lord, yes. But if AnTeela has not made this clear, his rule is contested, even now. There will be a series of tests, skirmishes if you will, for the remainder of your mortal lifeno matter how long you live. His tone implied that he expected that to be a handful of years, if she were lucky. Even to you, this must imply that his power is not absolute. He is not the Eternal Emperor, Kaylin.
Frustration drove his pause; Kaylin was almost surprised when he continued. When power is not absolute, when it is not guaranteed, alliances are made. They are alliances, often, of convenience, as a majority of alliances are. He is close to his Consort; she does not intrigue against him.
Shes the Consort!
Another full silence.
Nightshade?
I am...attempting to remember how appallingly little is taught to your Hawks. You will speak with AnTeela about this. Or Annarion. Or Mandoran. They will attempt to correct your appalling ignorance.
She is the Consort.
Yes. It grants her immunity until and unless another is found who can fulfill the role she has undertaken. To our knowledge, there is only one who mightbut she is entirely unsuitable in every other way. Before you ask, it is you. You are aware that many families push their children into the Test of Name.