“WE KNOW THE PROBLEM IS A DIFFICULT ONE, PRINCESS,” Wigg said. “But we have to decide soon. The repairs to the ships are nearly done. Tomorrow we must be either on our way home, or headed toward the Citadel. There is no middle ground.”
Gathered in Faegan’s quarters, the Conclave members had been meeting for the last two hours. Tyranny had just reported that the four surviving Black Ships would be ready to sail soon. Most of the severely wounded warriors had been sent by portal to Tammerland. Aside from waiting for the return of Duvessa’s patrol, by dawn there would be no valid reason to tarry.
No fresh replacements had been sent from Eutracia, and that worried everyone. Had Faegan’s portal malfunctioned in some way, Shailiha wondered, causing the wounded warriors to somehow go to their deaths? Despite the princess’s worries, Faegan firmly insisted that his portal was working normally. Or perhaps the palace had been attacked by other forces, Shailiha worried. Those considerations and more plagued her as she considered what to do.
“I say we forge ahead,” Faegan said from the other side of the table. “I for one haven’t come so far and lost so many brave warriors just to turn tail and run!”
Wigg gave him a hard look. “And it is for those exact reasons that I say we must return!” he argued. “Clearly, Serena knew we were coming! Our advantage of surprise is long gone! We must go home and regroup!”
“Every day we wait, Serena grows stronger,” Jessamay added, siding with Faegan. “We need to take the Citadel soon.”
Suddenly an urgent pounding came on the cabin door. Shailiha scowled. She didn’t wish the meeting to be disturbed. But if there was an emergency, she needed to know.
“Enter!” she called out.
An unfamiliar warrior strode briskly into the room. He held something in one hand.
“Approach,” Shailiha said.
The warrior hurried to the table and looked at Shailiha. “Please forgive the intrusion, Princess,” he said. “My name is Kratos.”
“What is it?” Shailiha demanded.
Kratos handed her a letter. “I was told to give you this,” he answered.
Shailiha saw that it was addressed to her. More important, she knew the handwriting. When she turned the letter over, she recognized her brother’s seal, and her heart jumped for joy.
“It’s from Tristan!” she shouted as she tore it open. She unfolded the parchment and cast her hungry eyes down the page. As the other members waited and wondered, the princess was overcome with happiness. Pressing the letter to her chest, she closed her eyes and let go a deep sigh of relief.
“Don’t keep us on tenterhooks!” Tyranny blurted out. The privateer blushed at her outburst, then regained her composure. “What does he say?” she asked.
Looking at the letter again, Shailiha read it aloud.
Dearest Sister,
I have returned to the palace, and I am well. Also know that although no replacement warriors were sent to you, we are not in danger here. For reasons of security I cannot explain my reappearance further, nor can I come to you. You simply must trust me.
Because of the fleet’s significant losses, I order you to return to Eutracia at once. Wigg and Faegan will surely wonder whether I have truly come home. After seeing me vanish with Xanthus they are right to be suspicious; they might even doubt whether it was I who penned this missive. With all my heart I tell you that it is me. Should you or the wizards doubt that I have returned, I ask that you follow the instructions written at the bottom of this letter.
Come home soon. Much remains to be done, and time is of the essence.
Your loving brother,
Tristan
Wigg raised an eyebrow. “What are these instructions he mentions?” he asked.
Shailiha handed the letter to Wigg. Not to be left out, Faegan quickly wheeled his chair close to Wigg’s, then rudely read the letter from over the First Wizard’s shoulder. Scowling, Wigg sighed and shook his head.
Each wizard read the addendum twice. As Wigg sat back in his chair he looked at Kratos. “Did theJin’Sai give you this letter personally?” he asked.
“Yes,” the warrior answered.
“How did he seem?” Wigg asked. “I mean, was he himself in every respect?”
“Without question,” Kratos answered. “I watched him write the letter. I met with him in the Redoubt, along with Abbey and another man.”
Wigg scowled. “What other man?” he asked.
“He was about your age,” Kratos answered. “His name is Aeolus.”
Pursing his lips, Wigg placed his hands flat on the tabletop. “Well, well,” he mused.
“It seems that some things have changed while we were away,” Jessamay said.
Wigg nodded. “If Aeolus has agreed to join the Conclave, then so much the better.” He picked up the letter again. “The handwriting looks like Tristan’s,” he said, “and the envelope carries his seal. More important, Kratos hasseen the prince. But I still have my doubts.” He handed the letter to Faegan. “In your opinion, did Tristan write this note? If the person Kratos saw is some kind of impostor, he could be ordering us right into a trap.”
Faegan held the page to the light. “I can’t tell from this alone,” he said. Then he seized on an idea and he cackled softly. “But there’s a way to find out.”
Reaching across the table he took up a piece of blank parchment. Then he closed his eyes. Everyone wondered what he was up to, but knew better than to interrupt. With his eyes still closed, Faegan lifted the parchment higher. The Conclave members were surprised to see words start forming on the page. After several lines had appeared, Faegan opened his eyes.
Faegan grinned. “I just called on my gift of Consummate Recollection,” he explained. “As you know, I am able to perfectly recall everything I have ever seen, heard, or read. I used the gift to reproduce one of the many parchments the prince has signed of late. I then used the craft to duplicate it onto this fresh sheet. This document has to do with recent taxes levied against the province of Ephyra. But it’s not the text that interests me.” Then the wizard smiled again. “It’s the prince’s signature I’m after.”
Faegan lifted the two pages, then held them side by side to the light. After a time he nodded, then placed them on the table. “As best these old wizard’s eyes can tell, the signature on Shailiha’s letter is genuine.”
As Shailiha looked around the table, she saw that everyone seemed convinced except Wigg. “What’s wrong?” she asked him.
“You seem to have forgotten our conversation while we were on the way to the Serpent and the Sword,” Wigg answered. “I told you that if Tristan came home, we would have to take measures to ensure that he wasn’t under the influence of the Vagaries. That possibility still concerns me. But out here at sea, there is no way to tell.”
Faegan thoughtfully cast his eyes to the bottom of Tristan’s letter, then smiled. Wigg knew that look. This time it worried him. “What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I’m looking at these instructions Tristan left for Shailiha,” Faegan said. “I believe she should follow them.”
“And I don’t!” Wigg shot back. “The last time we saw Tristan he was being taken away by a creature of the Vagaries! There’s no telling what sort of disaster these instructions might produce! For all we know the entire fleet could go up in flames!”
Faegan looked over at the princess and gave her a wink. “What say you, Your Highness?” he asked. “Will you give it a go?”
She reached out and took up Tristan’s letter. As she reread the instructions, she had to admit that she couldn’t guess what might happen. Do as I ask, Tristan had written, and my reason will become clear. It seemed that he was referring to the craft. She had not been trained in the craft and possessed but one usable Forestallment, allowing her communion with the fliers of the fields. But she desperately wanted to believe that it was Tristan who had penned this note, so she decided that she would try.
She looked at Wigg. “I’m sorry,” she said,” but I agree with Faegan.” After putting the letter on the table she closed her eyes.
Following Tristan’s instructions, Shailiha imagined the gold medallion hanging around her neck. Then she imagined Tristan’s medallion hanging alongside hers. To her surprise they combined to form one disc. Shailiha heard people around the table gasp. Worried that Wigg had been right, she opened her eyes.
At first she thought nothing had happened. Then she saw everyone looking at her chest. When she looked down her mouth fell open. A soft, nearly undetectable glow was seeping out from beneath her medallion. She picked it up and turned it toward her face.
The medallion’s underside had changed amazingly. On its surface she saw Tristan sitting in his palace quarters. Abbey and Aeolus were there with him. All three seemed to be waiting for something. The Paragon lay around Tristan’s neck, but his medallion did not.
Suddenly Shailiha saw her brother’s face light up. He just noticed that we’re watching, she realized. He has placed his medallion across from him, so that we can see him and the others. Our medallions can reach across space and time! How marvelous! But how, why…?
She saw Tristan stand. Entranced, Shailiha watched as he came closer to his medallion. Then he held something up for her to see. It was small, made of gold, and twinkled brightly. He smiled at her and nodded. Understanding, Shailiha smiled back. Having seen all she needed, she ended the spell the way the letter’s instructions suggested.
“Amazing,” she breathed. She dropped the gold disc back to her chest.
“Indeed,” Wigg said. “The medallions you and your brother wear have been enchanted in some way. But what did you see when you turned yours up to your face? At that point, the rest of us could no longer view the scene.”
Shailiha smiled again. “I think he was counting on that,” she said. “I also have no doubt that it was truly him.”
“Why?” Faegan asked.
“He showed me a gift that I gave him when he graduated from his Royal Guard training,” she answered. “Since then it has been our little secret. Even our parents never knew about it.”
“What is it?” Wigg asked.
“A small, golden image of Pilgrim, the stallion mother and father gave to him on the same occasion,” Shailiha answered. “I would recognize it anywhere.” Smiling, the princess looked around the table.
“As soon as Duvessa’s scout patrol returns,” she said, “we’re going home.”