Chapter 15.

I will say it now as I have said it before.

I did not sanction the action taken, though as her Meister I had little choice but to support her decision. I certainly understood her motivation for taking the initiative and catching many of us by surprise, though Falken Claymore proved more insightful than I expected—just one of many reasons why I prefer dealing with his brother.

The gods knew the Khan Wilders had given us enough problems to contend with that year. In dealing with the various issues that cropped up, I believe I flew over the continent a distance equivalent to the circumference of our world. As such, I needed the support of a special Khan, and Iris was that Khan.

Iris Dirac Korvinus was special because she was one of the few Wilders blessed with a Seal of Arcala that did not harbor the ‘curse’. However, she was gifted with a unique Warlord named Akasha, which translates from an ancient language to aether or ether. Though classified a Sharkhan, Akasha possessed the ability to jump the rankings, and to do so in a significant way.

As a result, Iris and Akasha were uniquely suited to dealing with the Wilder threat…and the rebellious elements within the Orden.

Ravinia Claudia Eldridge

Secretary of the Quorum of Khans

Excerpt from The Women Who’ve Shaped Our Times

(Falken)

I stood on the rise bordering the valley, and I felt betrayed.

I had trouble accepting what I was seeing.

Through field glasses, I watched the battle unfolding near the middle of the valley. Its pace and ferocity made it impossible to think of as a test. It was a battle that moved about in the blink of an eye as the two combatants exchanged blows that flashed with emerald light and made the ground tremble and the air shimmer.

I lowered the field glasses and chose to watch the scene through my own eyes.

Why had Fallon lied to me?

She and her Warlord, Andraste, moved quickly, darting from side to side, forwards and back, blocking Iris’s spear with talent that lacked training. It was a skill that would be earned in time and through constant practice, but there was talent behind her every move – raw talent that could be nurtured, molded and sculpted into a razor sharp skill that would rival if not surpass Chiren’s.

Thus, as I watched Fallon and Andraste fend off Iris Dirac, it was clear to me she was not the girl that had trouble fending off the Jotnar in Gaellen Forest. Nor was she the girl that had trouble saving me when I jumped off Calandor.

This was a Khan Wilder with the talent and basic skills to defend against an army.

The question in my mind…was why had she lied to me? Why had she shown me a weaker side to herself, rather than demonstrate what she could truly achieve with her Warlord?

In thinking all that, she was having a difficult time defending against Iris, who manipulated her Warlord’s spear with masterful skill.

I watched that spear cut the air, narrowly missing Fallon as the girl chose to jump back. Andraste landed less than lightly on its feet, but its footing was steady. In a heartbeat, Fallon was charging again, parrying the spear with one sword, and slashing at Iris with the second. Weeks ago, such a downward slash had almost cleaved in two a Kuraman Jotunn in Gaellen forest. Iris avoided the shimmering blade by turning her body and that of her Warlord aside, but it was a near miss. A heartbeat too late and she would have met the fate of the Kuraman pilot Fallon had killed when she chose to save me from certain death.

This demonstration – this test – was beginning to make sense to me.

Iris and Eldridge wanted me to see what Fallon was capable of achieving when pushed hard by a serious opponent. They wanted me to see Fallon could operate her Warlord with a degree of skill that could pose a serious threat to Caldera and her people. They wanted me to understand the danger of harboring a Khan Wilder. If I thought of this test in those terms, then I appreciated their efforts. However, I had chosen to believe in Fallon, which was why I was more preoccupied with enduring the feeling of betrayal roiling within me, than in considering the risk she posed to the safety of Caldera.

A sequence of staccato booms reached my ears, and I watched Andraste roll backwards end over end, and come to a stop about a hundred feet from Iris and her Warlord. With some effort, Fallon willed Andraste back to its feet, but she swayed noticeably. She was also trembling as though wracked by frustration that bordered on anger.

I watched her scream in rage, her cry muted by distance.

Andraste’s feet began to glow as a halo of blue-white light surrounded them, similar to the halos of light around the Impulse Wings of Iris’s Warlord. Widening her stance, Fallon again charged at Iris, and this time Iris was forced to defend herself while being pushed back. Andraste appeared to float above the ground, yet I could clearly see it taking steps and pushing off as it executed brisk movements over the valley floor.

With Fallon having closed the distance between them, Iris was forced to use the spear like a quarterstaff, parrying each strike from Andraste’s twin swords in a blur of motion that was difficult to follow. The guard extending over the middle of the spear came into play, as Fallon’s blades more often than not struck near the center of the spear. Iris and her Warlord were being pushed back, probably because she was trying to gain distance on Fallon, but the latter was pressing hard to keep that distance to a minimum.

Though I felt deceived and betrayed by her, I also experienced a twinge of pride for Fallon. She had found a weakness in Iris and was exploiting it. However, simply hammering at the spear wasn’t sufficient. She needed to get past Iris’s defense that was proving to be impervious to everything Fallon employed against her.

She needed weapons training, and that was something Iris undoubtedly had in spades.

My gut clenched uncomfortably when I realized I was thinking of this as a life-or-death encounter. The more I observed, the more my realization began to weigh heavily upon me. This was supposed to be a test, not a fight to the death. It was a sobering realization and one that needed addressing.

I turned to Eldridge standing beside me on the rise, and pointed at Iris and Fallon in the distance. “I thought she was going to be tested. That doesn’t look like a test to me. Ah—”

Eldridge was staring at the battle without her field glasses, and clutching her chest as though in pain. Her breathing was deep and slow, and her tightly drawn face poorly masked her distress.

I stepped up to her and touched her shoulder. “Madam Secretary? What’s wrong?”

Eldridge gasped and shook her head. “I didn’t know…I didn’t know…this is what she wanted.”

“What who wanted?”

She shook her head again. “I didn’t know she would take things this far….”

“What are you talking about?”

I felt myself frown. The hurt I felt from Fallon’s deceit and betrayal was slowly being iced over by a cold dread. I remembered that Iris and Eldridge shared a bond through the Seal of Arcala, one that allowed them to feel each other’s feelings. It was what I wanted for Fallon and I.

Swallowing hard, I asked, “Are you talking about Iris?” Throwing a glance at the two combatants darting about on the valley floor, I then asked, “This isn’t a test, is it?”

Eldridge’s discomfort grew but she didn’t answer me. Her pained attention was on Iris and Fallon out on the valley.

The field glasses I carried hung on a lanyard around my neck, so when I dropped them they fell against my chest. Using both hands, I grabbed Eldridge and spun her around to face.

Leaning into her, I snapped, “What is Iris planning on doing? What does she want with Fallon? Tell me now!”

“I—I didn’t know how far she was planning to take this.”

“To take what? Start talking sense!”

Eldridge’s discomfort was now clearly distress.

Before she could reply, I heard Alleyne yell at me. “Falken, let her go.”

Ignoring my sister walking toward us, I shook Eldridge harshly. “Tell me what she is planning!”

Alleyne snapped, “Falken. Calm down. You’re hurting her—”

“Quiet, Alleyne.” I leaned close to Eldridge. “And you—start talking.”

Eldridge eyes focused on me and she released a short gasp. “To—to take her Seal.”

The cold dread I’d been feeling chilled my innards. “What?”

Eldridge swallowed uncomfortably. “It’s possible for one Khan to take the Seal of another Khan.”

“To take it? How?”

Eldridge began to breathe quickly. “By—by extracting the Seal with the command authority of a Khan.”

I released her harshly, almost pushing her away, then half-turned to glare out at the two Warlords locked in what I now saw as a struggle for Fallon’s Seal of Arcala and Andraste.

Alleyne addressed the Quorum Secretary. “Lady Ravinia, what reason has Fallon given you or Sharkhan Iris for removing her Seal.”

Eldridge spoke between hasty breaths. “Iris…she wants to remove Fallon from being a threat to your lands.”

I clenched my jaw and snarled at the figure of Iris clad in her Warlord. “I decide if she’s a threat.”

“She’s just trying to do what’s right for Caldera.”

Alleyne asked, “By taking the Seal and Andraste from Fallon?”

Eldridge nodded weakly. “By taking it from her before Kassius can grow any stronger.”

I shook my head and threw her an angry glance. “Fallon won’t roll over and give it to her.”

The woman nodded. “That is understandable. However, it is only possible between Khans, but one of them has to submit to the extraction process. It cannot be forcibly removed. The Seal will not relinquish its residence within the host body unless it’s by consent from the host.” She bowed her head briefly. “Or if the host is soundly defeated.”

I clenched my hands, and held back the urge to lash out. “You agree with her. You want Iris Dirac to remove Fallon’s Seal.”

“Your Grace…Fallon Kassius is a risk you can ill afford.”

“That’s my decision to make.”

She shook her head, still weak as she struggled against the feelings flowing into her from Iris battling Fallon. “Your Grace, look at them. Look at that girl and tell me her talent and skill doesn’t surprise you.”

What she spoke was true, but it wasn’t surprise I was feeling but anger and dread caking the pain of betrayal and deceit upon learning Fallon had been holding back on me.

I heard Alleyne’s somber voice. “Falken, she does have a point. I didn’t know Fallon could use her Warlord this well—”

I spun half way around to stare in dismay at my sister. “You’re doubting Fallon as well?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. Listen to me before making snap conclusions.” Alleyne folded her arms under her large bosom. “I was asking if you knew she was this capable.”

I clamped my mouth shut before exhaling loudly through my nose. “No. I had no idea. When she saved me the first time, she had trouble moving her Warlord.”

“She said she was exhausted. But if she could operate Andraste this well, then what kind of battle was it that left her exhausted?” Alleyne sounded fearful. “What truly happened between her and the Reinvald army pursuing her?”

I didn’t know, but speculating was dangerous. I needed Fallon to tell us more of her time on the run. Until then, I chose to divert the conversation.

Pointing again toward the valley, I asked, “So what’s taking Iris so long? Why hasn’t Fallon been defeated yet? That girl is a Khan Wilder with no training to teach her how to use her Warlord—”

“That isn’t true,” the Quorum Secretary retorted. “Are you blind? Aren’t you seeing what everyone else is seeing? Look at her. Does that look like someone without training?”

Inwardly, I agreed with her. “No, it doesn’t. But if she’s been out there in the wilds all alone, how could she have gained any training.”

I glimpsed my sister nodding in agreement. Alleyne said, “He does have a point.”

Eldridge exhaled loudly but only after taking in a very deep breath. “It’s the dream. The dream of Ragnarok. Some of the Wilders experience the dream. In that dream they are fighting a great battle—a battle to end all battles. It is a struggle against an enemy that they slaughter in countless number. Hundreds of Warlords and Khans raging across a desolate land—a fiery land—killing an enemy they can never remember upon waking from the dream.”

I knew of the dream.

I’d read it in the journal my grandfather had left me – a journal that recounted his conversations with the Khan that had once served Caldera for many, many years.

“I know of the dream,” I admitted to her, then turned to face the battle that was drawing further and further away from us. Though it shifted about madly, it was moving north along the valley, toward the forest carpeting the base of a short mountain.

I could feel Eldridge’s gaze on my face. She sounded cautious. “You knew about the dream…yet you didn’t ask her?”

I swallowed tightly. “No…no, I didn’t….”

“Why not?”

“There’s a great deal I haven’t asked her. However, it’s not as though I’ve had the luxury to do so.”

On the journey from the northwest lands to the mountain-Citadel of Calandor, I’d been concerned by the reaction of the men toward Fallon so I’d kept her hidden for the most part in General Meyren Milerna’s carriage and in the company of the two maids, Silvia and Marina. Since arriving at Calandor, my chances to speak with her had been limited by the amount of work heaped upon me by the affairs of the land. I was certain the longest we’d spoken or spent in each other’s company was during her recounting of the events that followed the destruction of her village more than a month and a half ago.

Eldridge leaned toward me. “You knew about the dream, yet you didn’t ask her? All the time you’ve had with her, and you didn’t ask her about the dream?”

I glared at her. “I told you already—I haven’t had that much time with her. A lot has happened since she saved my life!”

Eldridge pointed into the depths of the valley. “That is the answer Iris and I were seeking. To know whether or not Fallon Kassius was receptive to the dream. By pushing her hard, Kassius has been forced to reveal the extent of her abilities. The only way for her to demonstrate this much skill operating her Warlord is if she had received training and gained experience from the dream.”

“Why is that so important?” I asked bluntly.

“Because Khan Wilders that experience the dream are prone to succumbing to the darkness it carries.”

I held my breath, as I recalled the words I’d read in my grandfather’s journal.

Alleyne stepped closer. “What darkness?”

Eldridge winced as she pressed down upon her chest. “Damn it, Iris. Why did you choose now…?”

Alleyne’s voice grew harsh. “Answer me. What darkness do you speak of?”

Eldridge swallowed and threw her a pained glare. “The darkness in the dream and in her Seal. That darkness that drives them to turn against us. The whisper of madness that they struggle against, and that many give into.”

Alleyne breathed out loudly. “That is just a myth.”

I threw her a glance. “You’ve heard of it.”

She nodded. “Yes. I heard it from Grandmother. When I was child, she and I went to visit Lady Eloise against Mother’s wishes. She told me of the darkness that Lady Eloise had fought against all her life while she was a Khan. But when I asked her, Lady Eloise told me the darkness was nothing more than her own dark feelings brought into light by the Seal. She struggled against it like we do against the darkness in our hearts. She said that was all there was to it.”

It was more or less what Lady Eloise had recounted to my grandfather.

Eldridge exhaled heavily. “You play down the danger it presents. Your Lady Eloise may have been an exception to the norm.”

I faced Eldridge. “So because of your fear of this ‘darkness’ you’ve decided to take Fallon’s Seal from her.”

“Iris made the choice. I didn’t. That said, we’re doing you a service. We’re protecting your lands.”

“No, you’re interfering.”

She folded her arms. “Your Grace, Khan Wilders influenced by the dream more often than not develop into problems for the Orden, for the authorities, and into dangers for the people.”

I frowned at her. “So you say. However, we hear very little from the Wilders themselves, now do we? And Lady Eloise served Caldera for many, many years before choosing to give up her Seal willingly so that she could bear a family.”

Eldridge winced sharply, but then recovered and narrowed her eyes. “What are you implying?”

“How do we know it’s truly the Wilders bringing harm to people and property?” I narrowed my eyes at her. “The Wilders never declare responsibility for destroying anything. They never post anything in the village or town squares to claim ‘they did it’. They never stand and shout before a crowd and point the finger at themselves. It’s always the Khan Orden that points the finger at them.”

She pressed her lips tightly for a long, long while during which I kept my gaze trained on her. Swallowing visibly, Eldridge said, “May I remind you, that you asked us to come here.”

I turned bodily toward her. “I didn’t ask you to remove her Seal. I asked you to help us with her.”

“And that is what we are doing.”

I exhaled in frustration. “By removing her Seal of Arcala without my permission. Without even giving her a chance to prove herself or her intentions. You are judging her unfairly.”

“We have learnt from our mistakes in Kapernia.”

I raised my chin at her. “What really happened there? What really took place in Kapernia?”

She averted her gaze. “Kapernia is a closed matter.”

“Hardly. You’ve brought your troubles in Kapernia here by choosing to act against someone under my guardianship.”

“Although Iris made the decision, I agree with her. As the Secretary of the Quorum of Khans, I have witnessed the calamity the Wilders have wrought. I have seen the carnage they can wreak. This is for the best.”

I clenched my hands, restraining myself with all my will from striking her. “You don’t make that decision on my lands. Not while I am the Archduke of Caldera. I invited you here on good faith, and this is how you repay me.”

Eldridge tightened her jaw. “Quite frankly, your Grace, the Khan Orden doesn’t need your permission to carry out what it believes is the best course of action.”

“Is that so? Then you leave me no choice. Consider my previous offer of co-operation rescinded.” I stepped back from her. “And consider yourself detained until further notice.”

She blinked sharply as her eyes widened. “I beg your pardon?”

I waved at the guardsmen nearby. The guard-captain, Talus Torin, a tall fair-haired man a few years older than I, had been watching us closely so he was prepared for my signal. In moments, a handful of my men surrounded Eldridge who looked about in disbelief.

She laughed softly. “You cannot be serious. Your Grace, what are you thinking—?”

“Captain Torin, escort the Secretary of the Quorum back to the citadel. She is to be placed under armed guard in a holding cell.” I looked at the man and added a solemn, “However, before then…she is to be collared.”

Torin’s eyes widened briefly, but then he bowed quickly at a shallow angle. “Aye, your Grace.” He snapped his fingers, and one of the guardsmen standing beside an enclosed wagon hurried over with a black box about a foot in width and half as thick.

Eldridge’s disbelief turned to shock as she watched the guardsman approaching with the box in his hands.

The man walked over to me, and then offered me the box with rounded corners and smoothly beveled sides.

The Archons referred to it as a case. To open it, I had to enter a key code, a sequence of numbers that represented a lock on the case. Few people in Calandor, let alone Caldera, knew the code to this and the many other Archon devices left in our care. However, according to the documentation provided by the Archons, this case and the many others, was instructed to recognize a handful of the members of House Claymore, and a select number of the citadel senior staff. I was one of those it should recognize, but Captain Torin wasn’t.

When I placed my palm on the top surface of the case, I felt a tingle run through my hand, and then the numbers from zero to nine appeared on the box in glowing squares. I entered the sequence to unlock the case, and a moment later it opened up with a hiss that was quite dramatic. I wondered if the Archons hadn’t deliberately made it so to either impress or frighten people.

It certainly had an effect on Eldridge whose eyes bulged then narrowed in disagreement. “Your Grace, I urge you to reconsider.”

I opened the box lid, revealing a black collar of interlocking chevrons lying in a cast made of a soft material that wasn’t fabric.

Looking at her sidelong, I asked, “You know what this is?”

She drew her lips into a thin line before replying. “It’s an Archon device that repels the Ether.”

“Correct. It’s used to prevent strong Ether Empaths or Ether Kinetic talents from using the Ether to escape their captors.” I reached into the case to pick up the collar. “I’m not taking any chances with you.”

“What?”

“I suspect you’re a rather talented Ether Empath, so my duty is to safeguard the guards watching over you. I don’t want you using the Ether to mess with their emotions.”

Alleyne quickly cut in. “Falken, allow me. You don’t have to collar her.”

I kept my attention on Eldridge. “Yes, I do.”

“Falken, this is taking it too far.”

Eldridge smiled weakly. “You see, your Grace, even Lady Alleyne agrees.”

Alleyne huffed and it sounded like she was sneering. “Oh, I agree that you should be tossed into a cell at the base of the citadel. Your decision to judge Fallon unfairly has my blood boiling. You know nothing about that girl yet you’re already passing judgment. I was merely thinking of sparing my brother the use of a precious Archon item—especially one that can deliver a killing shock with a word.”

Eldridge’s eyes bulged again. “What?”

I nodded. “She’s right. These Archon collars are able to incapacitate or kill a person with a command issued by voice.”

The Quorum Secretary looked faint. Casting her gaze down, her shoulders slumped and she began to laugh in surrender. “Yes. I know all about them. Trust me. We have quite a few of those as well in the Orden’s estate.”

“Good to know. Now be good and hold still.” I removed the collar from the case, and stepped toward her.

Alleyne snorted. “You should have let me handle her. I’m a stronger Empath than she is. I can watch over her on the journey back to Calandor.”

“Are you planning on watching over her while she’s in a holding cell?”

“No. I can have the Lamfir Knights keep guard over her.”

Eldridge glanced up at me. “The Lamfir Knights?”

I shrugged. “They deal with troublesome Ether Empaths. Other than the Girl Scouts—”

“The what?”

“Other than the girls of the Scout Army—the Fifth Army—the Lamfir Knights are the most highly trained Ether Empaths in all Calandor. They are heavily involved in the handling of Empaths or Ether Kinetics arrested for criminal activity. The saying it takes an Empath to battle an Empath is quite true.” I pressed the diamond shaped link in the middle of the chevron collar. Within a heartbeat the Ether was forcibly pushed away, and a void formed around me and Eldridge who was standing within the collar’s effective range. “Ah, so it does work.”

Alleyne asked, “Why didn’t you bring them along?”

“The Lamfir Knights?” I didn’t bother throwing her a disbelieving glance. “And give Madam Secretary a reason to suspect she was riding into a trap?”

Eldridge arched an eyebrow at me. “You planned ahead?”

“I planned on you planning this—taking Fallon’s Seal.”

She looked back down and sighed heavily. “You certainly are as troublesome as they say.”

“I aim to please. Now, hold up your hair, Madam Secretary.”

Eldridge did as I instructed. “Before you collar me. Might make an observation.”

I hesitated with the collar only inches from her neck. “What might that be?”

Eldridge made a point of looking over my shoulder. “Your Khan and mine are gone.”

In a heartbeat, I wrapped the Archon collar around Eldridge’s neck. As soon as I felt both ends lock together without the need for a clasp, I quickly stepped back a few feet then turned my head to look out across the valley.

She was right.

Iris and Fallon were nowhere to be seen.

“Wonderful,” I muttered in disbelief and disappointment. Turning to Captain Torin, I hastily said, “Get the Secretary of the Quorum back to Calandor. Oh, and make sure nobody sees her. Wrap her up in something.” I jutted a thumb toward the valley. “I need to deal with this.”

Torin looked faintly confused. “Ah…how, your Grace?”

Sweeping my gaze over the forests and mountains to the north, I shook my head weakly. “I have no idea. I have to find them first.”

“Your Grace, you’ll need an escort.”

“Fine, pick out a handful of your riders.” I started walking toward my stallion.

Eldridge called out loudly from behind me. “Actually, I know where she is. We are bonded after all.”

I stopped walking and cast a glare at her from over my shoulder. “How convenient.”

Eldridge shrugged and wagged her slender eyebrows at me. “Well?”

Alleyne wildly waved a hand to gain my attention. “Falken, what are you going to do if Sharkhan Iris comes looking for her? It’s not like we can stop her from tearing down the citadel.”

“Even she should know that’s not an option for her.”

Alleyne exhaled curtly. “Falken, you know that she can create those ‘barriers’ just like Fallon. And she can use them to push people and objects away. She doesn’t need to summon her Warlord to get into the citadel, rescue the Secretary, and then make her escape.”

“You make it sound like we’re doing something wrong.”

“Well, are we not?”

I stared in thought at Ravinia Eldridge who was glancing northwest every so often with a faint grimace curling her lips now and then. I was certain she was still in pain, and believed she was doing her best to hide it. However, it implied the battle between Fallon and Iris was still in progress, and though I didn’t know for how much longer, I knew something had to be done to protect Fallon from Iris.

I inwardly debated calling in the scout flyer keeping an eye on the ground from on high.

The scout flyer?

I blinked sharply as I realized I’d forgotten all about it, then turned quickly to search for it.

The flyer was circling to the northwest in the direction Eldridge was casting glances.

I took that to mean that Fallon and Iris were somewhere over there – somewhere in the forest.

With the flyer keeping a watch from overhead, I would have little trouble finding them. But what would I do when I arrived there? Also, I ran the risk of getting caught up in the fight, possibly injured if I strayed too close, but how close did I need to be to gain Iris’s attention.

I turned my head and regarded Eldridge, bothered by what I saw.

Why was Eldridge in pain? Did it have something to do with Iris’s feelings in conflict with Eldridge’s? No, that couldn’t be. The Quorum Secretary admitted she agreed with Iris’s course of action, so there had to be another reason for her intense discomfort.

I watched Eldridge bite her lip until it turned white and bloodless. A heartbeat later I walked up to her, then reached out and grabbed her by her dress. The act of pulling her close to me distracted her for a moment.

“Why are you in pain?” I asked bluntly. “You feel what she feels through the bond established by the Seal of Arcala. So I’m asking you—why are you in pain?”

Eldridge swallowed with some difficulty. “I do believe…cooperation between you and I…is at an end.”

I searched her eyes. “She’s injured, isn’t she. Something happened either in Kapernia, or somewhere in Mierna or Reinvald, and Iris was injured. Seeing as that pain is feeding into you, I can only assume it’s because Iris has chosen to summon her Warlord, and that’s aggravating her injury.”

Eldridge reached up and tried to shake off my grip on her, but all I had to do was clench my fingers that little bit more and her efforts proved futile.

She hissed in frustration. “You really are troublesome.”

“You’ve pointed that out already, so I presume my guess is correct.”

Again she averted her gaze to the northwest. “Yes. Iris was injured when she tried to subdue and neutralize Fallon’s sister.”

Again, I forgot to breathe. “What did you say?”

Eldridge snorted in contempt. “You really are a fool. Then again, you’re like any other man, blinded by the woman he fancies. You have made poor choices so far regarding that girl. You didn’t asked her about the dream, and I presume you ask her little of anything else.”

“You’re testing my restraint, Madam Secretary.”

She met my gaze with an icy stare that lost its edge from the pain she was enduring. “Fallon Kassius has a twin sister who was also gifted with a Warlord, a Seerkhan very much like Andraste.”

She took a couple of quick breaths, and at sight of her wincing loudly, I released my grip on her dress.

I took a step back. “I’m listening.”

“A week ago, we encountered the girl tearing a village to the ground. Iris stopped her, but in the struggle she was wounded.”

“A fully trained Khan wounded by a Wilder?”

“Let’s just say, there were circumstances we did not anticipate, and one of them got the better of Iris.”

I had a suspicion I knew what she meant, but I chose not to voice it. Instead I asked, “Her injury hasn’t healed, and she was hoping to subdue Fallon in a short amount of time before it prevented her from achieving victory over Fallon.”

Eldridge nodded very shallowly. “As I said, you’re quite troublesome.”

“Fallon is proving to be more of a problem than she expected.”

“Fallon Kassius is a problem just like her sister.”

I started shaking my head slowly, then eventually turned away. I didn’t want Eldridge seeing the dark expression I was making, because it was probably much darker than it felt.

However, Alleyne saw it, and in response I saw concern and despair in her eyes.

“Falken…what will you do?”

I shook my head. Quite simply, I didn’t know. But standing here doing nothing was not going to resolve the current situation.

I started walking toward my stallion once again.

“Your Grace,” Eldridge called out. “Convince Fallon Kassius to relinquish her Seal. Do it before she is hurt. I know Iris is committed to her path. She won’t stop. She will not allow Fallon to keep her Seal.”

I sensed someone walking fast at my side, and realized it was Alleyne. “What do you want?”

“Did you plan for this?”

“To a degree, but I didn’t know Iris was injured, and I didn’t know about the encounter with Fallon’s sister.”

“It could be a lie.”

I shook my head very faintly as I climbed onto my horse’s saddle. “I don’t think so.”

Alleyne stepped closer and touched my leg. “Falken, how can I help?”

I looked down at my sister, and a troubling thought crossed my mind. It circled back and became an idea, a slender thread tied to a slender hope.

I swallowed and took a deep breath. “Can you influence Eldridge? Can you use the Ether to influence her—?”

“And have that influence flow back into Iris?” Alleyne glanced away thoughtfully. “I could, but if Iris is already in pain, I’m not sure what feelings I could feed into Eldridge.”

“Pain.”

Alleyne blinked and stared at him in disbelief. “Pain?”

“Could you amplify it enough to incapacitate Iris?”

I watched her open and close her mouth a few times before she uttered, “It would—it would leave Ravinia unconscious. I don’t know if we would lose our connection through to Iris. It’s possible the Seal would continue to allow feelings to flow between Eldridge and her Khan.”

Restraining the urge to grind my teeth in frustration, I looked over at the forest to the northwest, a kilometer or so in the distance. The scout flyer riding the strong Etheric currents high above, was circling farther and farther in a northerly direction. I had to assume the battle was moving farther away from us.

I turned around at the sound of horses approaching me from behind. Half the detachment of guardsmen rode on horseback and acknowledged me with a deep nod.

Alleyne grabbed my attention. “Falken, what if I try something else?”

I looked down at her, and saw the thoughtful look in her eyes, and the faintly wicked smile she wore.

“What do you have in mind?”

Her smile deepened. “Leave Eldridge to me.”

I chose not to glance at the Quorum Secretary who was once again pressing her hand to her chest. Instead, keeping her in my peripheral vision, I focused the rest of my gaze on Alleyne.

“What are you planning?”

Alleyne stepped back. “Falken, have a little faith in me. Besides, things have progressed this far. There’s no turning back now.”

A dozen thoughts ran within my mind, clamoring for my attention, each one a possibility of what Alleyne was plotting.

Each one a danger in their own right.

But my sister was still smiling, and I noticed it wasn’t wicked but confident.

She had something in mind, and I understood that she needed to know I trusted her.

Taking a deep breath, I gave her a firm nod. “Do what you must.”

She returned the gesture by confidently tossing her blonde hair that shone golden in the morning light, and planting her hands on her shapely hips. “Go save Fallon.”

Nodding to her once more, I glanced at the guardsmen behind me, each man awaiting my order with caution in their eyes.

“Ride with me,” I said, then turned and snapped the reins.

The stallion snorted once, then tossed its mane before setting off at a brisk gallop down the gently sloped hillside that flowed into the basin of the broad valley.

Using the circling scout flyer to guide me, I rode northwest toward the forest of trees that partially encircled the short mountain a couple of kilometers ahead of us

The sound of a dozen horses followed me, as the guardsmen fell into a wide formation that soon flanked me. I glanced at them. Now that we were riding I noticed their expressions had become severe yet determined.

I promised myself, I would not lead them into harm’s way.

If the situation became too dangerous, I would ride into it alone.

Ahead of us, the forest of trees beckoned, and for the first time in many minutes, I heard the sound of Warlords clashing.

Swallowing down my fears, I gripped the reins tightly and rode onward.

#

(Alleyne)

I watched Falken ride across the valley, feeling him and his men disturb the Ether flowing over the land.

Through the Ether, I sensed the captain of the detachment of guardsmen approach my right shoulder and stop a few feet away.

“Lady Alleyne, we should head back to the citadel.”

I shook my head, and turned away from the valley. “No. Not yet.”

He gave me a look of concern. I could sense he was conflicted between his duty to Falken which was implicitly to protect me, and his duty to serve me. “My Lady—”

“I have matters with her,” I replied. “And I will finish them before my brother returns.”

Ignoring the veiled looks of doubt and apprehension from the guardsmen around us on the rise, I walked with even strides over to Ravinia Eldridge who was looking wearier by the minute as she struggled against the agony flowing into her through her bond with Iris Dirac.

I stopped a couple of feet before her.

“Madam Secretary, I cannot forgive or condone the decision of your Khan. Since you’ve chosen to support her, I will add you to my black list.”

Eldridge laughed weakly. “Oh, how troubling.” She winced as she struggled to remain standing.

“However, you can make things easier for yourself. You can help turn the situation around.”

She shook her head. “Lady Alleyne, I would not be much of Meister if I did not offer my Khan her support in her time of need.”

“True. And I wouldn’t be much of a sister if I didn’t offer my brother my help in his time of need.”

Eldridge gave me a half smile that was almost a grimace. “Then where does that leave us?”

I bestowed upon her my coldest smile.

“Let me show you why I’m considered the strongest Ether Empath Weaver on this side of the Northern Continent.”

The woman laughed again, but it was short and bitter. “You’re not going to make this pleasant, are you?”

I stepped closer to her, and peered strongly into her eyes.

“That depends on how much of a fight you put up.”