'The Heartstone,' Darkwind supplied, at her prompting, feeling sick.
'The Heartstone,' she said. 'Yes. He was to go to it in secret, and change it-he was one who created it, so he would know best its secrets.
Father did not know that his trap would ensnare someone of that quality, but he was so pleased that he had, he forgot, often, to mete out punishment to me.'
'Return to the subject, Changechild,' Treyvan growled. She wilted, losing some of the confidence she had regained.
'What was it Starblade was supposed to do to the Heartstone?' Darkwind prompted her, with a bit more gentleness. She turned gratefully to him.
'He was to make a flaw in it, a weakness, one that would not appear until the Birdkin prepared to move. then he called back all his creatures, to make it appear that all was made safe here. He even sent his creatures to guard beyond your borders, so that you would be prepared to shift your power elsewhere.' Darkwind held up his hand. 'How much does he know-how can he continue to control Starblade, and does he know our strength?' She shrugged. 'I do not know what he knows, but he has long patience and is willing to move slowly, so that each move he makes is sure.
But as to how he controls Starblade, it is with a crow.'
'His bondbird.' Somehow that was simply the crowning obscenity.
To take the closest tie possible to a Tayledras other than a lifebond, and pervert it into an instrument of manipulation' He cannot speak, move, or let his thoughts be known. All that is under Father's control, from compulsions planted when he was broken, and held in place by the crow.' She hesitated a moment. 'There is little, I think, that he can learn unless Starblade goes to him, and that, he has not done. The barriers still in place about the Vale prevent that.
But there is much that he can do with the compulsions already in place.'
'Not for long,' Darkwind said, with grim certainty, heading for the door of the lair. 'Hydona, forgive me-I can't do anything about the younglings yet. But I can do something about this.
'Go,' she replied. 'Frrree thisss placsse of the viperrr, then perrrhapsss we can frrree the little onesss asss well.'
'I will guard the Changechild,' Treyvan said, before Darkwind eve
thought of it.
And before Darkwind could think to ask 'how?' the gryphon turned to face Nyara, his eyes flashing. She looked surprised-And then she slumped over, unconscious.
Darkwind returned to Nyara's side. She was asleep, deeply asleep, but otherwise unharmed.
Treyvan sighed. 'I have not hurrrt herrr, Darrrkwind. But it isss better to have the enemy underrr yourrr eye.'
'She isn't exactly the enemy,' Darkwind said, uncertainly.
'She isss not exactly a frrriend,' Treyvan replied. 'Ssshe isss at bessst, a weaknesss. I will watch herrr, for my magic isss ssstronger than hersss. Go.' Darkwind did not have to be told twice. He was out the door of the lair and running for the Vale before the last sibilant 's' had left Treyvans beak. Dawn's first light flushed the eastern horizon, and Vree shot into the sky from his perch on a stone beside the lair crying greeting to his bondmate, projecting an inquiry. While running, Darkwind tried, as best he could, to give Vree an idea of what he had learned, in simple terms the bird could understand.
He conveyed enough of it that Vree screamed defiance as he swooped among the forest branches, preceding Darkwind and making sure the way ahead was clear of hazard. The bird was angered, but he had not lost his head or his sense of responsibility.
'where?' Vree demanded, his thoughts hot with rage.
'The Vale,' Darkwind replied, as he leapt a bush, and took to the game trail that led most directly to the k'sheyna stronghold.
'I go,' the bird said. 'I go in, with you.' Once again, Darkwind was surprised, but this time pleasantly. 'I go,' Vree repeated firmly.
That took one worry off his mind. It would be a great deal easier to handle that thrice-damned crow with Vree around.
