She had reached Sewen and Ikan by the end of that mental conversation, which had all taken place in the space of a few heartbeats. They looked up at her approach, and knowing her as well as they did, she reckoned they would have no trouble reading the news in her eyes.
'Time, is it?' Sewen straightened, and rolled up the map they'd been working with.
She nodded. 'He's here.' No need to say who 'he' was -- not when all they lacked for the past several days to put the plan into motion had been Stefansen's physical presence.
'Keth's room. Ready?'
Roth nodded; Ikan signaled Justin, who came to take his place, Sewen did the same with the scout Mala. Within moments the three of them, darkly cloaked and moving like shadows through the ill-lit streets, were on their way to Kethry's room.
Warrl, as always, told the others of their approach; Kethry was at the door before they set foot on the staircase, and held it open just enough that they could slip inside.
Jadrek was already there, seated at the table; beside him, looking somehow far more princely than Tarma had remembered, was Stefansen.
It was Stefansen the ruler who rose to greet them; to clasp the hands and shoulders of both Ikan and Sewen with that same ease and frank equality Idra had always shown, and thank them for their presence and help with a sincerity that none of them doubted. The meeting was, in some ways, rather unnerving for Sewen and Ikan; Tarma knew how much like his sister Stefansen looked, but the others hadn't been warned. And in the soft light from their candles the resemblance was even stronger. Tarma could almost hear their thoughts -- shock, a touch of chill at the back of the neck --
Then they shook themselves into sense.
Kethry gestured, bringing three more chairs into abrupt existence, as Jadrek unrolled the first of a series of maps on the table. All six of them seated themselves almost simultaneously; Stefansen cleared his throat, and the odd note in the sound caught Tarma's attention -- and by the way the other two looked up at him in startlement, Sewen's and Ikan's as well.
'Jadrek has kept me appraised of what's been going on' he said, with a kind of awkward hesitation that he had not displayed before. 'So I know the reason all you Sunhawks are here. I don't -- I don't deal well with emotion, it's hard for me to say things that I feel. But I just want you to know that I -- understand. I have half a dozen reasons for wanting to roast Char over a slow fire, and that one is at the top of the list. But I think all of you have a prior claim on his hide. I was never as close to Idra as even the lowliest of her Hawks. So -- if it's possible -- when this is over, he's yours.'
Sewen's eyes lit at those words. 'The Hawks thank you for that. Highness -- an' I'll tell you true, they'll fight all the better for the knowing of the promise.'
'It only seemed fair....' He looked straight into Tarma's eyes, as if asking whether this had been the wise choice. She nodded slightly, and he looked easier.
