kushiel's scions

[marrinikari]

Deep in the wilds of Camlach, a horse is picking its way through the forest trails. The rider is wrapped in his cloak, long and luxurious and well-made, to protect him and his satchel as they brave the mountains to Skaldia. The road from Kusheth is long indeed, and they are tired; they will be glad enough to stop for the night. But not just yet. Ahead is the river, and the little wooden bridge that spans it. It is but a few leagues past the bridge to the clearing he is seeking, and there they can rest.

Comments

[children_of_elua]

"And do try not to die," Barquiel adds sardonically. "You're too damned useful to drown."

[sicaria]

Sarafiel causes the ring to disappear.

"Thank you," she says, with a gesture that includes all three of them in the courtesy. Barquiel in particular gets a dry not-quite-smile in acknowledgment of his refreshingly practical viewpoint.

[children_of_elua]

Their planning runs well into the night. Percy de Somerville is cajoled into agreeing to the marriage of his son Ghislain and Bernadette de Trevalion; should Ysandre recall her and her father from exile, forgiving their silence in Baudoin de Trevalion's treason, she will buy unquestioning the loyalty of Baudoin's old troops. These will be sent to Camlach, as Isidore d'Aiglemort has oft requested; but, knowing the redemption of their house rests entire upon their discretion, and despising Isidore for his role in Baudoin's arrest as they do, they will do Ysandre's bidding. They are to guard the southern passes, should Selig split his forces; if necessary, they will block them outright.

(Sarafiel has no few suggestions on how that last might be achieved.)

The northern passes they dare not move upon, lest they alert the lady Melisande. At length, it is decided that the army shall move eastward as late as is reasonable. One company of Baudoin's Glory Seekers will stay with d'Aiglemort's forces, to send word to de Somerville and the Army when they must move. No one expects that they will succeed in stopping the Skaldi there; Alban support or no, thirty thousand Skaldi are not easily halted. They will do what they can, and fall back to the city of Troyes-le-Mont.

Gasper Trevalion volunteers to venture into Siovale in search of the Comte de Toluard; though well trusted, his estate lies well in the west of Siovale, and he could not reach their council in time. Scholarly and with a knack for all things mechanical, he will be invaluable in planning the city's defenses. Ysandre asks also that he come up with a large civil project for the city; it is her aim to remove as many of the surrounding villagers from the path of the Skaldi as she may, without attracting Melisande's eye.

They are not ready; they cannot truly be ready. But they have done what they can.