beginning to pull on his own clothes. 'But if we do not fight,' she continued, 'then we allow the people of the cities to control the woods, and we have failed in our course. So we are at a difficult crossroads.'
At that point, Shinthala turned and looked at Vambran directly. 'You have offered your help to us, Vambran,' she said. 'What do you propose to do to stop this plan?'
The lieutenant paused, considering what he was willing to do. He had offered to help, and he intended to prevent the war, but his methods of doing so might not make sense to Shinthala, who seemed to approach all things in a direct manner. 'I will aid you as I can,' he offered, rising to his feet, 'but I must also look to my own soldiers. They follow me loyally, and I must do what I can to save them. Let me free them from the army camped in the clearing, and I will find a way to diffuse this impending cloud of war that hangs over the Nunwood.'
'And what of your family, back in Arrabar? What of your sister?'
'I don't know,' Vambran answered, frustration and helplessness rising. 'I should go to her, too, but my duty to my soldiers… I am torn. And every moment I spend here, as pleasant as it is,' he said meaningfully, wanting her to know he did not regret their day together, 'keeps me from either one.'
Shinthala considered Vambran's words. 'I believe your sincerity,' she said at last. 'And I wish for you to succeed, on both fronts.'
Vambran reached down and helped her to stand. 'Then let me and my soldiers free,' he said. 'We can stop the killing.'
Shinthala stared at him intently, those brilliant green eyes glowing warmly, then pulled him close in an embrace. 'I actually believe you can,' she said against his shoulder.
Emriana was sitting in the formal room of House Darowdryn. The first to arrive in the parlor was Ariskrit Darowdryn, the woman Emriana remembered from many occasions in her youth, most recently her birthday party. The woman took one look at the girl and came right over and gave her a warm embrace. Just seeing the elderly matriarch nearly made the girl cry, for though she was able to speak with her own grandmother, the magnitude of Hetta's disembodied condition still overwhelmed her.
'It's going to be all right, Em,' Ariskrit said. 'You were right to come to us.'
Tharlgarl entered shortly thereafter. Thankfully, he was not dressed in his immense suit of armor any longer, but was instead wearing a comfortable-looking riding outfit. More members of the Darowdryn family soon followed, none of whom Emriana knew.
Once more than half a dozen of them had gathered in the parlor, Ariskrit said, 'Now, Miss Emriana, tell us what, exactly, has happened to my dear friend Hetta, and do not leave anything out.'
Emriana nodded and began to reveal her tale, including the fact that Hetta's spirit was somehow implanted in the ring she wore. Several times while listening to the girl explain her reasons for being there, Ariskrit's eyes sparkled in anger. When she was finished, the matriarch nodded.
'Hetta has been my friend and confidante for many years,' she said, 'and though I don't know if she can hear me or not, you assure her that we are going to help you set things right. That whelp Talricci will not get away with this, I promise you.'
Emriana smiled. 'Thank you so much,' she said. 'I cannot tell you how much it means to me.'
'Well, there is a lot we must do, but before we formulate any plans, my grandson Pilos here needs to add a little to your story.' The young man sitting just to Ariskrit's right smiled and sat forward in his seat. Emriana had noticed before that he was dressed as an Abreeant priest of the Temple of Waukeen, and she had glanced at him more than once during her explanations of the family's suspicions about Lavant. In the back of her mind, Emriana had worried that she would offend the young man, but each time she mentioned Lavant by name, she saw him grimace, and the girl realized that he found the obese priest as repugnant as she did.
'As everyone is already well aware,' Pilos began, 'Mikolo Midelli has passed from Abeir-Toril, and Lavant has ascended to become Grand Syndar of the temple here in Arrabar.' He glanced over at Emriana and smiled. 'What everyone except Grandmother Ariskrit doesn't know is that Mikolo Midelli's spirit visited me in my chambers at the temple a short while ago.'
There was a unified gasp of surprise from the group gathered in the room, followed by everyone talking at once. Though Emriana was just as shocked as the rest of the folk, her thoughts went to the spirit of Hetta. She knew already that her grandmother's consciousness could hear everything around her, but it still startled her when a surge of comforting emotions radiated through her body.
'Enough!' Ariskrit said, clapping her hands to silence the room. 'Let him continue.'
When order was restored, Pilos went on. 'Mikolo told me that he needed me to stop Lavant from leading Chondath into war. He told me that I would find my path by returning here, to my family.' Again, he looked over at Emriana, and for the first time, the girl realized he seemed shyly attracted to her. 'I think I know what I am here to do, now.'
Emriana smiled back, though she had no idea what a minor priest of the temple was going to be able to accomplish that the rest of his family could not already do. Still, she was grateful for every bit of support she was receiving.
'Well,
'Nonsense,' Ariskrit said. 'You are a very resourceful girl, or you wouldn't be Hetta's granddaughter. You've come this far pretty much on your own, so don't sell yourself short. Now,' she said, considering, 'we must know what is transpiring in your home. You've already told us that Hetta believes something strange and unnatural has a hold of Marga. Grozier may be manipulating her with magic of some sort. We already know that pesky wizard of his is no good and will do anything to curry favor with the man.
'Tharlgarl,' the woman said, turning to the bear of a man sitting off to one side, 'you go speak with our own House wizards and see what we can do about finding out the truth-and about establishing a more useful contact with Vambran Matrell. We need to know exactly what's going on where he is and let him know that we have events well in hand on our end.' Tharlgarl nodded and rose from his seat to do as Ariskrit had instructed.
'And as for you,' Ariskrit said, turning back to Emriana, 'I want you to try using that pendant of yours again. See if you can find your aunt.'
Emriana nodded and took hold of the opal hanging from its chain around her neck. Almost fearfully, she began to envision Xaphira, praying that the magic would work and that she would get some sort of response. 'Aunt Xaphira,' she called out. 'It's Em. Please answer me. Tell me where you are, so I can help you if you need it. Are you there?'
There was a disorienting sound, something like a groan, and Emriana heard,
When she was able to relay Xaphira's pleas, Ariskrit Darowdryn's eyes narrowed. 'So,' she said, 'our own Lord Wianar may have something to do with this. We play a very dangerous game, here.'
The members of the Darowdryn family began discussing the ramifications of the revelation, but Emriana wasn't listening. All she could think about was her aunt's voice, the pain and disorientation in Xaphira's words. She knew what she had to do.
'I'm going to the Generon,' she said, standing. 'I have to rescue her.'
All the conversation stopped, and every pair of eyes turned toward her. Emriana expected them all to argue with her, to tell her that she was foolish, that one young girl could not hope to go up against the might of the Lord of all of Chondath. But they didn't.
Instead, Ariskrit nodded. 'Of course you are, my dear,' she said. 'We all are. We'll visit tonight, for Sammardach.'
Emriana couldn't contain her grateful smile.
