Urtho's. There should have been nothing left but a pair of smoking holes. Every trace of Urtho's handiwork and Urtho's allies should have been erased for all time.
Yet, here they were. The Kaled'a'in, Urtho's faithful servants, still prancing about in the guise of the Bird- Fools and the Horse-Lovers.
Sundered, yet still prospering. Half of them guarding what remained of the old magics, half of them removing the scars and taint of the destruction.
Both halves working beneath the eye of that wretched Goddess who took so deep an interest in their doings.
And the gryphons-thriving! Clearly established in the west, and moving eastward!
How? How did this happen?
He flung himself off of his couch, and began to pace the room, like a restless, caged lion. He had been brooding here for too long. He needed to act! He needed to stir his blood, to exact some token of vengeance before his followers lost their fear and began to desert him.
He needed a show of strength that would convince them that he was still as all-powerful as ever. And he needed the sweet taste of revenge to completely heal him.
Nyara. She was the weakest, the most vulnerable-and the most personal target. Yet she was inexplicably out of his reach. He had sought for her ever since he returned to his stronghold, and yet it had been in vain. He searched as far as his strength was able to take him. There was no trace of her.
Or rather-something was hiding her. He would have known if she had perished, for the power he had invested in her would have come rushing back to him. There was someone, or some power, hiding her.
K'Sheyna, perhaps?
A possible, if surprising, thought. He had thought the Bird-Fools of k'sheyna too bound up by long custom to change. Could the Bird-Lovers have lost their hatred of Changechildren enough to shelter her? Was it possible?
After the way she had fought at cursed Darkwind's side-after the way that she had defended the gryphons- yes. It was possible. In fact, now that he gave it consideration, it was likely. the gryphons-The target he longed to strike.
No, the time was not right to exact his revenge upon them. Besides, they too lay under the shelter of k'sheyna. He might ambush them, but he had no major mages at his disposal now. The last of them had vanished during a hunt for spell-components. He would have to go in person to deal the blow. That was too risky; there was too much he did not know about them.
That left-k'sheyna.
The most logical choice, if he was to impress his followers with his still-vital power.
He would have to do something to hurt the Clan, and hurt it badly.
But it would have to be something swift and decisive, and something they had not guarded themselves against.
If he struck at the Clan, his followers would see that he was strong again, and fear to desert him. In striking at the Clan, he might persuade the Bird-Fools to give up the shelter of all those not of their blood. If he were clever enough, he could make it look as if the blow had come through them. K'Sheyna would never shelter them, then. That would put not only Nyara within his reach, but the Outlanders and the gryphons.
The gryphons.
Yes, then he would gather in his dearest daughter-and her winged friends ...And the Outlanders as well, the strange ones. The girl, now-she had all the potential for an Adept. When he saw her last, she had but the most rudimentary of tutelage. It was unlikely anyone in k'sheyna could be persuaded to give her lessons, and the half- taught were the most vulnerable. He would need a plaything when Nyara was dead.
Yes, he would slay the Outland man, but keep the Outland woman.
She might do well to carry his seed for the next generation, since Nyara had proved barren, and turned traitor in the bargain. He might even make the transfer without waiting for the death of his body. Yes. That was a good plan. An excellent plan. It would be good to have a young) strong body again, full of vigor and energy.
That left only one question to be answered.
If I am to hurt k'sheyna, where must I strike?
His lips twisted in a feral smile.
Where else, but at the weakest bird in the flock, the broken-winged, broken-souled Starblade? He will no longer be mewed up away from my power.
They surely think me dead. They must be getting very careless at this point.
An attack on Starblade in and of itself would not hurt the Clan as a whole. But if he used Starblade's link to the Heartstone, and completed the work that he had begun there-Yes, if I shatter the Heartstone-it might not destroy everything in the Vale, but it will surely destroy most of what is important, and at least half of the mages will die in the backlash of power.
It went against the grain to loose all that power.
But if I cannot control it, then I shall destroy with it.
If he were truly fortunate-although his revenge would be a little less-the gryphons would be destroyed with the rest.
Or better, far better, the gryphons would be hurt when the Stone shattered completely. Leaving them weak, and vulnerable.
Yes, that would be the best of all.
