Descent into the Depths of the Earth

Tielle emerged from the crowds and looked her sister up and down. “They want to see you. Do you care to dress properly first?”

“Just tell me why I’m here.”

“Oh no! Little surprises are always such fun.” Tielle gave anasty smile. “This way to daddy-kins. Hop hop! And do tell your mortalsnot to scuff the rugs.”

Today Jus’ boots had trampled through muddy streets, foreststreams and dirt, and he could not care less about the rug. Escalla girded herself and flew through the parting crowds, finally finding herself confronting her mother, her father, and a host of unfamiliar faces.

Her father turned. Powerful and solid-for a faerie-his poisewas somehow similar to the Justicar. His hair was long and steel gray, his beard pointed, and his eyes sparked the same green fire as his daughter. He took one look at Escalla, split his face into a rough smile and crushed Escalla in his arms.

“Honey blossom!”

He wrestled the girl from side to side, making her eyes bulge. With a great bass roar of a laugh, the lord of Clan Nightshade hugged Escalla for all that she was worth.

Trapped in her fathers arms, Escalla struggled upward until she could catch Jus’ eye. “Guys, this is my dad.”

Overjoyed, Escalla’s father ruffled the girl’s hair. “Andthis, this is my Silly Scellie!”

Cinders sniggered, thump-thump-thumping with his tail. Silly Scellie!

Jus looked amused, and Escalla spiked him with a snarl.

“Just keep laughing, Evelyn.” Escalla gave a longsuffering sigh. “Gang, this is Charn, Lord Nightshade, my father. Daddy, this isPolk, a transport consultant; Cinders, a sentient hell hound skin; and here”-thegirl cast a look longing for help toward Jus-“is my friend, the Justicar.”

Big, solid, and rough cut out of pure honesty, the Justicar bowed to Escalla’s father. The faeries scarcely came up to his knees, but hemanaged to bow toward them with vast dignity.

“My Lord Charn.”

“Capital! Capital to meet you!” Escalla’s father took onedaughter under each arm-Escalla suffering patiently, and Tielle coldly smiling.“So you are the ones who have served my daughter so loyally while she roamed inthe worthless wilds!”

“They’re not servants, dad.”

“Of course not, dear!” The man gave his girl a shake. “Butshe’s home! She has returned to home and duty at last.”

A silken movement came from the crowds. Escalla’s motherappeared, cool as ice and regarding her prodigal daughter much as she might regard an insect specimen.

“Escalla.”

“Mother.”

“You decided not to dress.” Escalla’s mother took a drinkfrom a tray proffered by one of the scantily clad orc servants. “No matter. Forour purposes, nothing could be better.”

“Purposes?” Escalla’s voice lowered the temperature of theentire hall. “Someone tried to kill my friends this morning, then some imbeciletried bribing me with candy and flowers.” The girl ignored her father and facedher mother. “Do tell me all about your little purposes.”

“It is called obligation.”

“I don’t care to be obliging.” Dusting herself off, Escalladisengaged herself from her father’s arm. “Dad, why am I here?”

“You are here because a great day is here! A familyday!” The faerie lord beamed. “The court has rescinded our exile. ClanNightshade is to be brought back into the fold!”

The news hardly hit Escalla like a thunderbolt.

“Oh whoopee.”

“It’s provisional.” Escalla’s father took hold of her elbowand propelled her through the crowds. Scowling faeries made way as Jus and Polk lumbered in Escalla’s wake. “But here, you see? Old comrades all together onceagain. Old faces to rediscover!”

Escalla made a wry little expression. “I’ve never seen any ofthem before, Dad. We were exiled about a zillion years before I was born.”

“But comrades still! Kith and kin! Even representatives fromthe inner court itself!” Charn spread his hands to show his daughter that thepalace halls were filled to overflowing. “Many of them will be staying here withus while a few formalities are handled, but it’s a new beginning for you. Theywant us to take the lead in wonderful new plans. It will be time for you, girl, eldest child of the clan head! Think of all the changes you can make!”

“Nothing changes, dad.” An old bitterness and nightmare shonethrough Escalla’s words. “You make castles out of clouds, mountains out ofmolehills, and nothing ever happens.”

Lord Charn looked left and right, used a spell to shield him from prying ears, and whispered cautiously in his daughter’s hair. “There hasbeen a change in the power balance, and Nightshade holds the key. The clan that defeated and imprisoned the Faerie Queen of Wind and Woe, the clan that knows where she is hidden… we are about to become a power once again.”

The man clamped Escalla on the back, his voice picking up as his spell faded. “And so! Faces for you to know! New relatives! Kith and kin!Here is Faen, Lord Half Moon. Lord Faen is knowledge-keeper to the Seelie Court and advisor to Queen Titania herself.”

A thin faerie with a long wisp of a goatee gave Escalla a courtly bow. Several mages of the Half Moon clan stood with him, all sharing a conspirator’s smile with Escalla’s father before appraising the girl. Heroutlandishly stark clothes and aggressive air seemed to meet their secret needs. They inclined their heads and turned to one another with significant little smiles as Escalla passed.

Jus trod carefully behind Lord Charn. Escalla was aware of him covering her back; she could feel the ranger watching her mother and her sister. Cinders’ tail wagged. Towing her through the room, Escalla’s fatherdragged her from one knot of courtiers to another.

“Ah! Escalla, here is Fareel, Lady Mantis.” A sorceress andher entourage bowed in a rattle of outlandish insectoid costumes. “Here is thepriestess of Corellon and her acolytes. This is Jenna, princess of Clan Raven.”Suddenly his eye lighted on his true quarry. Escalla’s father seemed to swellwith new energy. “Ah, and here is someone just for you!”

Waiting at the foot of a fountain stood a faerie cavalier, a youth eel-slim and armed with a delicate silver rapier. His black silk shirt had ribbons bound about the upper arms-kill ribbons from a dozen duels. The cavalierlooked Escalla up and down. Her leathers were tight as a second skin and showed an astonishing amount of breast and thigh. She half turned, her figure svelte as a velvet cobra, and raked her audience with a haughty glare. The faerie cavalier preened his moustache and whispered approvingly into a neighbors ear, reaching out to take a tiny goblet of wine.

Jus had seen the faerie cavalier before. He had worn a blue silk cloak torn by Jus’ sword.

Beside the cavalier waited a dark haired faerie, the same flame robed lord she had noticed in the park outside. Kneeling orc slave girls made a bizarre, outlandish backdrop as they awaited their master’s word ofcommand.

Lord Charn brought Escalla forward to the flame robed man.

“Ushan, Lord Sable, I present my Eldest Daughter, EscallaBrightflower, the Heiress Nightshade.” Escalla sniffed, looking dangerous,disdainful, and positively alien amidst so much splendor. “Escalla, Lord Ushanis chancellor to Queen Titania. Clan Sable is the right arm of the throne.”

Escalla shrugged. Her father happily dragged her past Lord Ushan and into the middle of Clan Sable. The young cavalier posed, smoothing his moustache as he awaited to greet her.

“Finally Escalla, the best comes last! This is the valiantTarquil, cavalier of the Order of the Sunset, scion of Clan Sable, and nephew to Lord Ushan.”

Eagerly paternal, Lord Charn faced Escalla and Tarquil off against one another.

“Tarquil of Sable, I present Brightflower Maid, PrincessEscalla.” The man gave a vast, expansive smile. “Your bride to be.”