She swore. So at the moment it was all in the hands of Siegfried and Leopold, and whatever other searchers went out.
"Lily, the cat was not the only friend that Siegfried has made." Jimson paused, his head cocked to listen. "The animals he has helped saw Desmond pass, and they are showing Siegfried the way. A wolf is tracking him, and a bear is tracking the wolf and leading Siegfried." He smiled wanly.
"He is?" Lily nearly went limp with relief. "Desmond won't have thought of that."
"No, he won't. Typically that sort doesn't think much of animals except as something to eat and something to hunt." He paused. "Also, may I point out that if the wolf can track them, they are on the ground and not traveling by any other means. That is good for us."
It was, very good news. It meant that one or the other variation of the "Pass Unhindered" spell was likely what he was using. Unfortunately, she could not leap ahead of the young men and join the wolf, because she didn't know the wolf herself.
"He's a sorcerer or a wizard," she said aloud. "He knows magic. He never let slip a hint of that while he was here except for the simple charms and spells that anyone could have gotten. He probably knows about mirror-scrying, as you pointed out. We have to assume he has defended his stronghold."
Jimson nodded grimly.
She drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. There were so many ways that he could defend that stronghold...but there was one that was very, very likely. Especially if he kept Rosa asleep. The Tradition would only aid him. She could get through almost any defense that wasn't an army. But..."I can't do anything until they get there and lay out a mirror."
"Exactly so."
She needed to give him an aid, a very special helper. Short of a dragon or a unicorn, this would be the best possible help he could get. "Except...one thing. And I hope that I can do this at a distance."
When the bird had taken a bath, a single brown feather had been left in the saucer. As any magician would, Lily had kept it safe. Just in case. Well, this was just in case...and the spell was very, very complicated.
At least it would keep her mind occupied. But when it all came down to it, everything rested on Siegfried. Exactly as The Tradition required.
"We have...to rest...a moment," Siegfried's horse puffed. Beneath his legs, the poor beast's sides heaved. He suspected that the Godmother's magic had finally run out, which was hardly surprising, considering the pace they had set. "Please. And water."
The bear looked over his shoulder at them. He was not in nearly as bad a case, but then, as Siegfried knew, bears could go for immense distances at a fast pace. "I need the same. There is water ahead."
Siegfried would have very much liked to tell them to press on, but — no. Desmond might be willing to kill his mounts, but Siegfried was not going to exhaust his friends. Never mind that they had not yet caught up with the villain. They would. "We'll pause there until you are ready to go on," he said, trying not to feel as if the words marked defeat. They were not defeated; they hadn't even fought yet. They would find Desmond, and Rosa, and they would rescue her.
At the promised water, a small forest pond sheltered by trees, green with algae and tasting of old leaves, but otherwise good, he dismounted, to let the bear and the two horses slowly sip, pause for a moment, then sip again. They needed the water, but — thank goodness — they were all three intelligent enough to know not to drink their fill at once. Their sides heaved, and the horses were dark with sweat.
He put a comforting hand on his horse's rump — and jumped as he heard a muffled voice not a handbreadth from where it rested.
"Siegfried, we must talk. Open the saddlebag, Siegfried. This is important. I'm speaking for Godmother Lily."
"What the hell — " said Leopold, staring wide-eyed.
"You've been saying that a lot." Siegfried cautiously opened the saddlebag. A glowing green face looked up at him from inside.
"Yah!" he yelped, and jumped back, dropping the flap.
"Oh!" said the bird, flitting down through the branches to land on his shoulder. "That's just Jimson. He's the Godmother's Mirror Spirit. It's all right."
"Mirror — there's a mirror in that bag?" Siegfried blinked.
"There's two, in case you drop one," said the muffled voice. "Leopold has two, as well. Please open the bag."