dye or bleach.' Kero nodded. 'I like it. You know, I can even show you some things that will make it look as if Nyara's - ah - attributes are all makeup and costume. We could shave thin lines of her body-fur to look like seams.'
'And I shall dress as flamboyantly and tastelessly as Skyseeker k'Treva!' Firesong crowed. 'We call him 'Eye- burner' to tease him, for he has no taste! A pity I cannot dye Aya a brilliant pink as well - '
The look the firebird gave him, of purest disgust, only sent him into another fit of laughter.
Darkwind shrugged. 'For that matter, there's not a reason in the world why we can't bring the dyheli along as another one of your 'captives.' There isn't anyone in all of Hardorn except Falconsbane who'd recognize a bondbird, a dyheli, or Nyara, and Falconsbane isn't likely to be patronizing a carnival.'
'Also an excellent point.' Kero pondered a bit more. 'But there is the problem that you are all going to have magic associated with you...hmm. Can any of you lot do what Quenten could - layer illusions?'
Elspeth nodded quickly. 'All of us can, it's really very simple.'
Kero smiled slowly. 'Good. Then here's what we'll have. You - ' she pointed at Firesong, ' - are a very minor mage, too minor for Ancar to recruit, but able to cast illusions. You put them on the Companions, the dyheli, and possibly yourself. Only you layer the Companions; top is a pair of glossy matched bays, under that is what any other mage will think is the reality, an illusion of a pair of nasty, old, spavined geldings. You layer the dyheli the same way; top is the way it really looks, under that is a donkey. You leave Nyara alone - '
'Right, that was exactly what I was going to suggest.' Kero was grinning. 'Gods, we are a deceitful bunch! It's a damn good thing we're honest, or no one would be safe!'
Firesong looked supremely content. Elspeth reached for Darkwind's hand under the table, only to find his seeking hers. They exchanged a quick squeeze as Vree, with a very self-satisfied gurgle, returned across the table and leapt back up to Darkwind's shoulder.
'Once you get into Hardorn, you'll have to make it up as you go along,' Kero said. 'But the way I'll get you across I think can be pretty simple. The bastard can't watch the whole border, but drop a lot of what he thinks are Heralds in one place, and you bet he'll watch that spot pretty closely! So I'll turn out a bunch of the Skybolts in fake Whites - send them someplace that looks as if it might be strategic, and you cross wherever else you want. Put what looks like a million Heralds anywhere, and Ancar will be certain something is up. Hell, I might just give him something - '
Now she began to laugh, wearily, but after a moment, Elspeth realized it was not out of hysteria.
'What is it?' she asked.
'Oh, just something that occurred to me. I'll get one of the Blues to build me some kind of complicated war engine out of broken bits, something that can't possibly work but looks impressive enough to take out a city wall with one blow. I'll have my pseudo-Heralds escort that to his fortification, and let him take it. He'll spend forever trying to figure the thing out!' She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, as the others began to chuckle. 'Oh, gods, it is such a good thing for the world that we're honest!'
'Speak for yourself!' Firesong replied, with mock-indignation. 'I intend to persuade as much coin from the pockets of the unsuspecting as possible!'
The firebird only snorted and resumed its preening.
Falconsbane sipped at a goblet of fine spiced wine and sat back in his chair with a wonderful feeling of pure content. Or, at least, as content as he could be while he was still someone else's captive. Everything was proceeding as it should, and completely in accordance with his plans.
His strategies on the border had succeeded so well that Ancar had sent him several more prisoners to dispose of, by way of reward. He had managed to determine that it was not the coercive spells that were keeping him from access to the local nodes and ley-lines, but a set of complicated keying spells that led back to - surprise! - Hulda. And those spells were keeping Ancar away, too, without a doubt. The only real power that Ancar would be able to touch, other than that derived from the death of underlings, would be through Hulda now. The keying spells would even make it difficult for Falconsbane to access those nodes were he not under coercions.
That made him all the more determined to rid himself of the bitch. He certainly didn't need her, and her overblown and overripe charms had long since lost any attraction for him; her promiscuity was appalling. She could have offered him the key; she had not. Therefore, she had no plans to share her power with anyone.
This put Ancar's inability to access power outside himself in another light altogether. If Hulda had locked that power away from him, he might not be altogether incompetent after all.
She was playing some kind of deep game, that one.
Falconsbane was not going to play it, either by her rules or anyone else's.
