The Eagle And The Nightingales

Bishop solved his quandary by simply clasping it firmly, with no sign that the alien feel of the talon disturbed him. 'Sire T'fyrr, I thank you for your courage and your integrity_and your dedication. Rest assured that there are enough men and women of God in the Church to take the reins of the situation there and bring it under control. I wish that I could promise you help in the secular world as well, but I fear it will be all our forces can muster to cleanse our own house. At least you need not look for attack on one front.'

He let go of T'fyrr's hand then, and turned toward the rest of the Priests. 'My brothers and sisters_it is now our task to go and do just that. Let us be off.'

With that, he strode through the group, which parted before him and formed up behind him, and led the way to the Priest's door at the rear of the choir loft. They were remarkably well organized and regimented; within moments they were all gone, with no milling about or confusion.

He glanced over at Nightingale. 'What was that business with the woman all about?' he asked.

Nightingale shivered, but not from any sense of fear, more of a sense of awe, a reaction he had not expected a Priest to invoke in her.

'Lady Ardis is Master Wren's cousin,' she said quietly. 'Talaysen trusts her more than anyone else in the world, I think. I knew she was a Priest, but I didn't know she was a Justiciar Mage! They may be the strongest mages in the Twenty Kingdoms_and I know that they are the best schooled. Could you hear the power in her?'

Now that he thought about it, there had been a deep and resonant melody about her, though not of the kind he associated with Bardic Magic. Not precisely droning_more like the kind of chant that he recalled from Nightingale's healing magic. But stronger, richer, with multiple voices. He nodded.

'I've never heard anyone like that,' Nightingale continued. 'Never! With power like that, she doesn't need rank; in fact, high rank would only get in her way.' Exultation crept into her voice. 'And she's on our side! Oh, T'fyrr, this is the best thing that could have happened to us!'

Father Ruthvere turned his head toward them for a moment. 'Between Ardis and the Lord Bishop, we do not need to worry about the Church aiding our enemy, I think,' he said, his voice sounding more relaxed and confident than in the past several days. 'As the Bishop said, this means one less front to guard; it means that I have leave to do whatever I can to help you, including offering you the sanctuary of the Church if you need it.'

'And it means one less ally for our enemy,' T'fyrr added. But Father Ruthvere was not finished.

'I do have another concern that Lady Ardis' presence reminded me of. There is one other thing I believe you have not made accounting for,' he said, and worry entered his voice again. 'Magic. Our enemy has not been able to silence you by direct attack, or by indirect. That leaves magic. Ardis and her companions cannot stay for they will be needed in Kingsford, and there are no Justiciar Mages in Lyonarie who can devote themselves to your protection.'

Magic! That was one thing he had not counted on! He had witnessed so little magic in his life, and most of it was of the subtler sort, the kind that Nightingale used. 'But what can they do?' he asked, puzzled. 'Surely anything magical can be countered.'

But Nightingale's hand had tightened on his own spasmodically. 'They can do quite a bit, T'fyrr,' she said hesitantly, 'if they have a powerful enough mage. I have seen real magic, the kind that the Deliambrens do not believe exists. If I told you some of what I have witnessed, you would not believe it either. I think perhaps I had better call in someone I had not intended to ask favors of_'

He shrugged, unconvinced. 'If you will,' he said. 'You know more about this than I do. But in the meantime, I will not be stopped. We have momentum now, and we must keep it going! Any hesitation at this moment will bring everything to a standstill!'

Father Ruthvere nodded agreement, and turned his attention back to the assembled group below. The crowd had thinned somewhat, but those remaining were the leaders of their own little coteries. And all of them, human and nonhuman, seemed inspired to work together.

'We need to get back to Freehold,' T'fyrr said in an aside to Nightingale, as the bells in the tower overhead chimed the hour. 'We still have the meeting there this afternoon. That will be as much your meeting as mine.'

She knew the folk of Freehold, the customers, the staff. She knew them the way he never could, for she had been reading their feelings for the past several weeks. He might be able to make a fine speech to rouse those who were unaware of what was going on around them, but for those of Freehold who knew only too well the rumors circulating, the harassment, and the sabotage, it would take another skill to rouse their courage and show them that they must work together_that they literally dared not stand aside at this moment.

She squeezed his hand. 'I think Father Ruthvere has this end well in hand,' she agreed. 'Let's go.'

Perhaps T'fyrr didn't realize it, but Nightingale knew only too well how much of a target he had made himself. He was the obvious focal point of this new organization; he