Winds Of Fury

Kero gave him a long look, transferred it to Nyara, then caught Elpeth's gaze, and did something she seldom resorted to with anyone but her lover, Herald Eldan. She used Mindspeech.

:Family resemblance, kitten?: she asked.

Elspeth nodded, very slightly. There was no point in going into excruciating detail at this point. Let Kero simply assume that Nyara was trying to make up for the perfidy of a relative, and perhaps, to extract revenge for something Falconsbane had done to her. That was something Kero could understand.

:Ah,: came the reply :l'd wondered.:And she left it at that. Kero was nothing if not expedient. And she trusted Skif's judgment as she trusted her own.

'By the same token, I must go with Elspeth,' Darkwind put in. 'We have worked together successfully, I am the more experienced mage of the two of us, and as Nyara knows Falconsbane, so she knows Hulda. That will give us four agents to target them, two of them mages and Adepts.'

'But you and Elspeth would strike first at Hulda and Ancar,' Firesong pointed out. 'There is some urgency for our people in ridding the world of the Beast, and only an Adept is likely to be able to counter his protective magics. That being the case, I should go with you as well. If you divide, two to target the Hardornens, and two to target the Beast, Skif and Nyara should have an Adept with them. There is no point in dividing those who have worked together.'

Kero nodded. 'I have to admit that Falconsbane is not a priority for us - '

Firesong shrugged. 'He should be - believe me, even more so than the Hardornens. So, let us plan a two- bladed attack upon him. That gives you an Adept that Falconsbane does not know to work upon him, and an Adept each for Hulda and Ancar, Adepts who are also well-trained as fighters. I am by no means certain that an Adept can take the Beast; I suspect I will accomplish more by distracting him, making him think I am his only enemy. This means that the physical attack, which he will not anticipate, can come from Skif and Nyara.'

:And me,: Need said quietly, for Elspeth's ears alone :But the boy will be damned useful. I think I'm going to have to be awfully close to Falconsbane to do any good.:

Elspeth tried not to look surprised at the Healing Adept's speech, but she had not expected Firesong to volunteer for this. She glanced back at Darkwind, who shrugged.

:He is unique,: Darkwind said wryly :With his own will. He does have the mind-set of the Healing Adept, and that means he would not care to see Falconsbane working his twisted will on lands that had been Cleansed. And I suspect that your mutual ancestor may have impressed some kind of sense of responsibility for your continued health upon him. I certainly would not turn his aid away! But for predictability - I would look upon Firesong as a benevolent trickster.:

'What are we going to do for mages if you're all leaving?' Lady Kester asked, a little desperately.

'You have the gryphons,' Darkwind pointed out. 'They are both Masters. You have Heralds and trainees with Mage-Gift, currently being schooled in combative magics.'

'Ah…..' Kero leaned back in her chair, and hooded her eyes with her lids. 'We won't be depending entirely on the gryphons. Since this is all under the rose - I have a surprise for you all. There are more mages coming, and I expect them to start arriving any day now.'

As the Councillors turned as one from watching Elspeth and her group to staring at Kero, she revealed to them the news of the three groups of mages currently being brought at top speed toward Haven, riding pillion behind Heralds and trainees released from the Collegium for the duty. She had virtually denuded the Herald's Collegium of all but those Mage-Gifted and first-year students.

'That's why you sent all those so-called 'training groups' off!' exclaimed the Lord Marshal. Kero nodded.

'So, we will have mages. Will they be Adepts?' She shrugged. 'I can't tell you. I don't know what they're sending us. What I can tell you, since I used mages in my Company, is that a mage is only as good as the tacticians he works with, and his willingness to really use his talents to the fullest. Just because someone is an Adept, that does not mean he is going to be effective.'

'I have, in my time, seen a few completely ineffective Adepts,' Firesong put in. 'I have seen a Journeyman defeat one of them in a contest. Kerowyn is correct.'

'So there you have it. Are we all agreed on the team?' Kero spread her hands to indicate that she was ready to call a vote on it.

The vote was unanimous, though it was fairly clear that there was some reluctance to place the only Adepts Valdemar had access to, and its former Heir, in such jeopardy.

'Fine.' Kero nodded. 'Then as far as I am concerned, this meeting can close. We all have things we need to do. I have to find a way to insert these folk into Hardorn. You have things you need to tell your people. Ladies and lords, you will be in charge of the physical defenses and the evacuations. You should consult with the Lord Marshal about that, and how to organize them to coordinate with his strike-and-run raids. I'll join you as soon as we come up with an insertion plan.' She raised an eyebrow at Talia, Elspeth, and Prince Daren. 'You three have a task I really