breakwaters because in a sense, I've done it before. I can work with two Masters; you don't have to pair me with Firesong.'
Firesong paled but said nothing.
Elspeth's mouth formed a silent 'oh,' but she wisely bent her head over her list. 'Right, then—let's think about how we get the Adepts in place.' She bit at the end of her quill, and looked at the map. 'For obvious reasons, at least to some of you,' she said, finally, 'I think that Firesong and I should go north. We can Gate there—'
'We'll probably have help,' Firesong muttered. Elspeth's mouth quirked, although Karal had no idea what he meant; evidently this was a private joke.
'Hydona and I arrre Masssterrrsss,' Treyvan said. 'Darrrkwind can Gate parrrt of the way, then we can carrry Darrrkwind in the basssket. We have done ssso beforrre.' He cocked his head at Hydona. 'Ssso, sssouth orrr eassst forrr usss?'
:You will go south.:
Everyone's head came up at the imperious mind-voice. Altra jumped into the center of the group, landing right on top of the location of the eastward key-point. The Firecat posed like a statue, holding a folded and sealed parchment packet in his mouth—with the exception of An'desha and Firesong, the rest of the group gasped, and Karal guessed that they were finally seeing the Firecat as he really was, and not in the guise of a household pet.
:You and the gryphons will go south, Darkwind,: Altra repeated. :For reasons I am not permitted to reveal at this time, Karal and I will accompany An'desha to the east.:
'Karal and you?' Elspeth said incredulously. 'But he's not even a mage! He's not even an envoy!'
:He is an envoy now.: Altra dropped the parchment packet on the table. :Solaris has decided. Karal will replace Ulrich. He is a full Sun-priest now, and a channel for magic as Ulrich recognized when he was a child. I am a mage. Karal, one Companion, and I will accompany An'desha.: Altra stared her down, and she finally dropped her gaze.
'So that's how all those miraculous documents of Ulrich's were getting here!' Prince Daren exclaimed.
Altra favored him with a faintly approving look but said nothing.
'Wait a moment. You said one Companion,' Elspeth objected. 'Who is the Herald?'
:There is no Herald. Florian is unpartnered. He, too, is a mage and will use Karal as his channel as well,: Altra shot back. :Although we may not work magic as a human can, we are mages and can support as Masters with Karal as our channel.:
Elspeth looked back up at him, her face showing nothing but disbelief. 'This is impossible!' she cried. 'You're breaking all the rules!'
:And who made those rules?: he countered, just as swiftly.
Karal cleared his throat. 'This is Altra,' he interjected mildly. 'He is what we call a Firecat; and he is— something like an Avatar. I don't think any of you are aware that there were four of those Imperial weapons targeted for Ulrich and myself. Altra dealt with two and deflected the third.'
Everyone in this room had seen the swiftness and deadly power of the weapons at firsthand; they stared at Altra with surprise and growing respect.
'We of Karse generally consider it wise not to argue with a Firecat,' Karal concluded as the silence grew. 'They are often acting on orders.'
:As I am now,: Altra stated. :There are reasons for what I have said. Those reasons do not yet concern you, and may never concern you. The future is fluid and subject to change.:
And you are being your most inscrutable and infuriating, Karal thought hard at the Firecat. Altra turned his head slightly in Karal's direction, and dropped one eyelid in a quick, but unmistakable, wink.
Elspeth was clearly fuming. 'Look, you—Avatar or not, I won't be manipulated on some grand playing board of—'
She stopped in midsentence as Altra turned to face her directly.
