The accusation that Plecot collaborated with the Raiders to have his male offspring killed hung in the air like a thunder clap for all to clearly hear and tremor beneath. There was Bok, head of the guard and Plecot's accuser; Ray and Weann, Huldergas and Jillani. And there was Plecot himself bent low now under the weight of his crime. Gulldune's refugees crowded at the open gate, stunned and confused by the idea of an alliance forged in blood between Ray's father and the Raiders, who had driven them all from their gatherings. The inhabitants of Rensk filled the staircase and balcony above them. They muttered about the charges made against their leader and of the high price possibly paid for their comfortable lifestyle.

Plecot stood over his former partner with a flattened headdress, limbs at his sides, claws retracted and dull plumage-the solemn posture of a guilty old fool. His treachery had been exposed despite great efforts to hide it all these seasons. Ray was back from the grave to avenge his older brothers' deaths. The status quo could have gone on forever if not for his return.

"Why?" Ray asked simply.

Plecot gave his son no reply. He smiled down at Briola, amused by the sudden realization that he outlived the stronger male if only just.

"It cannot be true," Jillani protested. "I will not believe it. Bok had no right ordering Briola killed without a hearing. Father, have him punished for overstepping his authority. Hand him over to the Raiders before they bring others here to attack us." But even as she spoke the words she knew the truth, for an honest young shepherd had already told her about it in a dream.

Plecot ignored the naïve pleas of his nobling. He contemplated his own execution as well as his legacy.

"Well, I believe it," a glib Huldergas remarked. "And you would too if you were old enough to remember how things were around here before those two sly ones struck a deal. Being his daughter has clouded your objectivity, my dear."

Jillani stifled a hiss. Her previous anger with Huldergas did not need further fuel. This new situation coupled with her growing ambitions were all that kept her mouth shut about his earlier conduct. And her initial shock of mating for the first time had past. Now she felt only regal contempt for the spoiled ruler for having taken liberties with a high born female, who surely deserved better treatment than that. Besides, rape charges could always be made against Covera's leader at another time. She saw no real benefit in doing so now. Covera. The rich lands of Southern Theor awaited her coming, for a leader without a mate had no future. She was their future. She would not allow him to leave Rensk without her. In fact, he would make good his proposal of marriage, or die by Ray's claws.

Plecot shrugged. He remained silent while Ray circled him. The old one's sunken cheeks seemed to drain the color from his eyes. He was decidedly glad that Ray was still alive and that he had become a strong leader, even if it were only dirt clansmen that followed him. He came home victorious and with a beautiful mate at his side. His son would take over Rensk, open its gates to outsiders, and deal with the wretched Raiders as he saw fit. Good. Jillani was still young, but Huldergas clearly wanted her with him in Covera. Better him than Briola, who also had his eye on her. "So be it," he said at last.

Ray faced his father now.

The tunnel map suddenly appeared from inside Plecot's tunic. He offered it to Ray. "You asked me why. Your older brothers would never have agreed with the alliance, and so I had you all attacked. It's true."

The entire assembly hissed and clicked claws at Plecot's calm confession. Neck bands turned red with disgust at his brutal arrogance.

The old male held up a talon in his defense. The buzz subsided. "But this new discovery may help you to find a better way of doing business with our friends in Southern Theor. All I ask is that you bury my remains within these walls."

Ray was dumbfounded by Plecot's quick submission to his long lost son and by his grim request. This was not the father and leader he remembered. This was not the relationship he sought after such a long and trying absence away from his family.

It was Weann who took the scroll from Plecot's surprisingly steady talon and opened it. She and Ray briefly scanned the parchment but with little comprehension of its implications. Weann sensed what her mate was thinking. They had traveled a great distance and suffered much only to find a homecoming marred by sorcery, deception and cruelty. At least Briola was no longer an objective, she noted, and Ray knew where to sniff out the rest of his kind. All was going well for them despite these internal conflicts. Rensk was an impressive fortress from what she could see of it. She would enjoy ruling it at Ray's side once the dust had time to settle.

"What is this?" Ray asked.

"Another way into Covera," replied Plecot, "through the Kamil mountain range. Southern Raiders found the tunnel entrance. A large flat rock hid its whereabouts. The tunnels were not filled in very far from the other side. Our miners should have no trouble clearing away the last section."

Plecot looked pleased with himself, but Ray still did not understand this new bit of information. He was trying to catch up with all the changes made at Rensk since his unceremonious departure over eight seasons ago. Raiders working alongside his clansmen? Unheard of.

"Just think of it, son, no more Flyers needed to fight the cross winds going over those jagged peaks. And if there is no more need for Flyers then there is no more need for Raiders. They were only necessary to capture the wild beasts for us-"

"What?" Huldergas gasped as if waking from a daydream. "They found it? The old tunnels my grandfather, Zari, commissioned? They've been found?"

Ray became suddenly interested in this new event. He pleaded with the mixed crowd to be patient awhile longer. They had been stirring restlessly in their cramp spaces, but decided to oblige him. He addressed Huldergas for the first time. "These tunnels started from your side of the mountains.? And you did not know where they were?"

"No, they were filled in to keep Raiders from getting through. You must understand, the tunnels were built before we knew who occupied these lands. The entrance location was kept secret even from our own family."

Ray understood.

Plecot added, "Years later, Briola and I wanted to know what lay to the south, so we joined our clans' skills to capture and train Flyers in order to make the crossing. I sent a sack of dymes and a letter of greeting over to your father, Teshny."

Huldergas reflected on the occasion. "I was young, but I remember that day when we first saw the enormous wings descending from the hill country. Our flocks scattered all over the countryside, scared out of their wits. The one who dismounted the beast knelt before my father and offered your gift as a humble messenger from a great leader. "Devy, servant of Plecot, leader of Rensk…." My father marveled at the sparkling dymes. He and mother clearly wanted more. Teshny sent your liaison back with fresh fruit, grain, cloth and a letter of reply. Your clansmen were eager to get more of our goods. The rest was inevitable: an ongoing stream of traded goods, letters; and visits, although you never made the trip to Covera, did you?"

"No," Plecot replied feebly. Of all times to come, he wondered why Huldergas decided to visit Rensk now. Jillani must have greeted him in his absence. They must have hit it off. Huldergas hovered too close to her as if they were already mates.

Jillani silently contemplating her father's past actions. She would never have guessed that his own ambitions were greater then hers. Great enough to lead him to murder. He killed her brothers as surely as if he held the blade himself and all because they did not see eye to eye with him. Had he felt any remorse for his deed? She tried to recall that painful day from his perspective. He seemed genuinely alarmed by the incident and saddened by their deaths. She was quite young then, too young perhaps, or blindsided by Plecot's seemingly fitting orders to hunt down the filthy culprits, to realize that dirt clansmen had never been known to attack her flock, nor have they ever done so since. So what reason could they have had for ambushing her brothers? None. It was all a staged performance: Briola's unusually generous offer to help with the search, the dead bodies of the accused villains laid out in the courtyard for all to spit on; Ray's sacrificial departure from Rensk as payment for the old Raider's kindness; the treaty that soon followed the incident and how at ease Plecot appeared to be chatting with his former enemy. Jillani saw it all.

She remembered, too, how happy and alive her brothers Ert, Umber and Frimmy looked that morning. Ray too. They left the protective walls unescorted as they always did . . . and Plecot they would. He warned his offspring countless times to stay inside where it was safe. Safe from Raiders. It would have been all too easy to arrange the ambush, to simply have these shortsighted youths done away with, while keeping his own claws clean. Jillani's soft feathers bristled with a rush of revulsion.

She stared at her brother, the future of Rensk. Why had he not ordered Plecot's arrest? He had more cause to be angry with him than she. Ray and the leaders were still discussing the map when Jillani slowly circled behind her father. She had wondered what could have possibly gotten the old coward to leave the protection of Rensk and now it was clear: Briola wanted to show him the tunnels. Without lingering long enough to change her mind, she shoved Bok aside then buried her untried blade deep within her father's back. "Your remains will be carved up and tossed into the sewers," she vowed. Plecot's eyes opened wide for a moment.

The crowd screamed as one, both residents and strangers.

Bok quickly regained his footing and prevented a second lunge by Jillani. "Ray, I never meant for this to happen." Bok thought it would have been too hard for Ray to accuse his own father of murder, so he did it for him, convinced by the evidence. He took away the knife as Plecot fell to the floor. Already dead, he did not require another wound.

Ray took his sister's small face into his claws and studied it carefully. She tried to look away from him to Plecot and Briola. She was clearly hurting inside, betrayed by a father she had trusted. Her misplaced admiration for Briola only added sting to the revelation. Ray understood her vulnerability during all that had happened. He was grateful she was spared that morning and spared, too, of the truth until now. 'Plecot is dead," he announced. "I am the leader of Rensk now. I will say how my father's remains will be disposed of. My sister acted within her rights and will not be punished, neither will Bok for his part." He released her then.

Huldergas pulled Jillani back from the two corpses. He contemplated the dramatic scene and wondered if his body would be next to fall, making the triangle of leadership complete. The thought oddly amused him. Jillani spun around with a wicked sneer. Her neck plumage turned bright red. She was burning mad with the males in her life. This one was her next big dilemma, one who had already proved he could not be trusted. She was about to hiss at him when he handed her his knife. "You would be within your rights to kill me, too, for forcing you to mate with me on a dirty floor," Huldergas stated without shame. He was taking a huge gamble here, especially with her blood up, but he liked the adventure into the unknown. It was one of the reasons why he made the trip to Rensk.

"You did what?" shouted Ray. "You bastard!"

"Stay out of this," Huldergas demanded. "She obviously needs no help from big brother. So what's it going to be, little one?"

Jillani was stunned sober. Huldergas not only admitted to his insult for all to hear but gave her leave to seek justice her way. That took guts, but why would he risk it? Love?

"Go ahead. I won't try to stop you. They won't either. But my proposal is still good, that is if you still want to rule at my side in Covera. My clan would revere you after they hear of your deeds here. They would say, 'this is no female to trifle with.' And I would indulge your every desire."

Jillani stared down at the ornate blade for a moment. Power surged through her limbs from its handle. But power came in many forms, some more practical than others. "I do wish to see Covera, so I reserve my right to kill you at a later date. Leave this knife with me. Go and get yourself another one."

"Yes, there has been enough death here," agreed Ray.

Huldergas let out a bellowing laugh. Jillani had made him nervous there for a moment. "Yes, my dear, you will see Covera, and more. Very well, I'll just learn to sleep with one eye open then." His mood was unsuitably gay. The two dead rulers, Ray's unannounced return and rise to leadership, the discovery of the missing tunnels, and his young bride's death threats did nothing to dampen his usual nonchalant demeanor one bit. In truth he could not recollect a more eventful or stimulating day.

Ray gave orders for the bodies to be prepared for burial. The Raiders were placed under arrest. Bok was allowed to resume his duties as head of the guards. The refugees were brought inside the walls and tended to. No one opposed Ray's commands. Huldergas was handed a new warning by Ray to treat his sister with the respect she deserved, or else.

Weann managed to take Ray aside at one point for a private chat. "This was not exactly what you expected, was it?" she asked.

"Not at all. I thought my father was worried for me, maybe even looking for me, having been abducted by Raiders. But I was supposed to be killed along with my brothers. He had handed me over to them, because he needed me out of the way, needed me silenced. I was a witness to what really happened."

"I know, it's incredible. And your sister?"

"Oh, she only did what I didn't have sufficient bitterness to do myself. I need my clan to accept me as their leader now . . . and so soon too, without even knowing me."

"They seem agreeable enough. Jillani troubles me," Weann added.

"Me too. She has odd abilities that could prove harmful to us all. I love her . . . and I know, that is, I think she loves me, but she clearly has her own agenda. Let Huldergas keep her in check for the time being. He seemed both alarmed and elated at the news of the tunnels. And I didn't like the way he kept staring at you. Did you notice?"

Weann fanned out her richly colored headdress. She laughed. Her shapely figure was barely concealed by her clothing. "Oh Ray darling, all males stare at me that way," she stated as a matter of fact. "Are you jealous? He rules the better half of Theor after all-"

Ray pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. It was only the second time they had been given the opportunity to be truly alone since they left Gulldune with their rebel army. "I love you, Weann. I will marry you."

She liked how his strength welled up inside him and poured into her. She rewarded him with a tender kiss. "Huldergas is an immature child who wants to marry a child, your sister. Well, he has to now, doesn't he? The deal has been sealed. She is beautiful too. A brother would not see her as he does."

"I see it. She is as beautiful and strong-willed as you. That's not what worries me most."

"Let me speak to her as a sister about these abilities she possesses. We will need to be good friends if we are to be related, the sort of friends who confide in one another- "

"Don't think for a moment that her youth makes her less clever than you, my love. She knows whatever she tells you will eventually come to me. No, I will speak to her plainly on the matter. And if she defies me I will threaten to disown her entirely."

"What? You can't do that. We need, that is, your clan needs the goods from Covera. Don't cut ties with Huldergas- "

"Stay out of it. I intend to bluff. I'm her only surviving brother. She will tell me what I want to know rather than lose me all over again"

"As you wish. When can we be together?"

He knew what she meant. "Soon enough. Right now I have a few hundred weary refugees to reassure that everything will be fine; their families will be sent for. The remaining Raiders will be rooted out and destroyed. Come with me. I'll need you to look after them while I tend to these other tasks that await me. Once this storm subsides, we'll be wed."

They kissed once more before seeing to their followers.

Huldergas let Jillani lead him to the rooftop where the Flyers were firmly tethered for the night. The business at hand had nothing to do with them. Besides, she needed to breath in the open air above the sand waves, although it still reeked foul of burnt jupe. She needed to start over with him as a nobling being courted properly by a ruler. They stood together at the Southern battlement. The way she played with his talon and stroked the feathers on his forearm made him understood her desire to begin over again. He put a limb around her waist and kissed her cheek. She blushed. "What is it like?"

"Covera, or flying?"

"Both."

"You will love flying, so exhilarating."

"We will go together on the same beast?"

"No, you'll have your own."

Jillani flushed with disbelief. "My own Flyer? But how will I ever control it?"

He laughed at her as well as his own inexperience at traveling in this manner. "I'm told there are docile ones that know only to follow the others. They are not used for defense, like the ones that killed Briola."

"And Covera?"

He turned her to face him. "Like a dream, lush green plants, blue skies, soft breezes, ripened fruit and shade trees, clear streams of clean water. All yours." He bent down and kissed her mouth greedily. She let him. Her mind wandered to a land she had only imagined seeing one day, a land she once traveled to in a dream. Now she was nearly there. Her boldness at sending the offer of marriage and the drawing of herself to Huldergas had paid off. If she had refused him, or had him killed, her future would not have looked so promising.

Weann was a worthy competitor for his affection, one Jillani was grateful for not having shown up sooner. She arrived with Ray. Huldergas would not challenge Ray for her. Still, Ray would be wise not let her out of his sight. Huldergas took note of her with blatant stares. Spying on them all would be easy enough for Jillani. One drink from her potion and her mind would take flight. Huldergas released her. "Tell me more," she insisted.

He definitely enjoyed her more when she was willing to be held by him. "Well, there is no one there like you," he continued, diplomacy being one of his only strong suits. "You will have servants and elaborate gowns. Your feathers will be groomed and adorned with dyme dust. A barge will carry you along a lazy river that loops around our fortress-"

"A barge?"

"Yes, a barge. It is a broad raft that floats on the water-"

"Water? Above ground?"

"Yes."

"We have only deep wells here for drawing up drinking water."

Huldergas looked around. There was nothing but desert as far as the eye could see and beyond. In the courtyard stood a well, the source of life for Rensk inhabitants. "I am amazed at how your clan has managed to survive in such a place. It's so ugly, so barren." For a moment he wondered if his bride would also be as barren as the land from which she came from. "But you're not ugly, you're beautiful."

She understood his apprehension. "And our offspring will be beautiful too. They will ride upon my barge?"

He laughed. "Oh yes, and they will toss flowers in the water, feed the fish and blow horns to annoy the lumbering beasts pulling your craft by rope along both shorelines."

"It sounds wonderful there. But will we be married there as well?"

"I should hope so. My clan expects it. Well, you don't want a dreary ceremony held here, do you?" He made a wide gesture with his limbs meant to encompass all of Rensk with Northern Theor as its backdrop, a place he found to be pitifully lacking in ascetics, finery and appropriate offerings. All the food he ate, in fact, came from Covera. All the clothes worn here were made from fabric from his flocks. What did they eat or wear before they found us, he wondered, sand and weeds?

Jillani thought about a grand wedding in her new home, a shining fortress, how she might look older and more regal, how the onlookers would seem more polished than the citizens of Rensk; and how the painting made of their wedding day would awe those who looked upon it. "I will want a painting made of the ceremony to send to my brother," she insisted.

"Naturally, and there will be one for us as well. But Ray will be there, of course, along with his own bride. I do not intend to steal you from your clan without having them properly represented. This place has sufficient guard to keep it safe while its leader is away. If it were not so than Plecot would never have left."

"Was I wrong to kill him?"

"No, you did what your heart dictated. Even Ray could not chastise you for your actions. But I think your father would have been pleased to see you well married. You are a jewel among common stones. Better I take you some place where you can truly shine."

"What about the tunnels?"

Huldergas felt this topic was best discussed among males, but he wanted her to be at ease with him. "They will not be opened until the Raiders are taken care of."

"And then?"

"And then perhaps we will use wagons pulled by my beasts to transport goods back and forth. I don't know the dimensions of the tunnels yet. Relax, our marriage will unite our two lands. Everything will be better." But he was in no hurry to share all his wealth with these poor cousins, or for these intruders to start poking around his lands.

"And all you want from us is dymes?"

Huldergas almost said, what else does your clan have to offer, but decided to be kind. "We shall see." The brilliant dust was used to adorn every corner of his domain. Years ago his mother insisted that Plecot was hiding an enormous dyme, or at least saving several large ones for himself. Huldergas wanted to know if this was true. He was in no rush to leave.

Jillani thought of her secret potion. Why hadn't his scientists learned of the dymes' mind enhancing properties? Or had they? "You must have many creatures in Covera? I've drawn all the ones that live here and wrote about them in my nature journals."

"Have you? I'd love to see them. Every noble female should have such gentle hobbies."

She hissed. "Our scientists have said that they are quite well done and insightful."

Huldergas realized he offended her. "Sorry, I'm sure my scientists would agree, especially since the species living here are probably not the same as those living in Southern Theor. If you wish to document the wildlife of my lands I give you leave to do so with a proper scholarly escort." She would have an escort always to keep her from seeing Covera's real riches, things kept from his Northern friends all these seasons.

Jillani was beginning to like this liberal-minded leader who wanted her to fly and explore nature. He said he would indulge her. But more importantly, he was where she wanted him now, on the subject of science. "Come to my chambers. We'll have refreshments and talk more."

Again he let her lead him where she wanted to go. The encounter was not ruined by his earlier stupidity. She was wise beyond her tender years, sporting his blade at her hip.

Morning was marked by a double burial ritual within the Southern gate, the final resting place chosen by Ray for the two leaders. He decided not to hide their treachery from his descendants. Once his army was through rounding up the Raiders there would be no other place to keep Briola's grave from being vandalized but within the walls of Rensk. "He was a great leader in his own right," he stated. "I was his slave for eight seasons. I ought to know." The ceremony was purposefully brief. Too much bad sentiment toward Plecot had festered during the night among his own clansmen. Better that they remember him as a leader who meant to do well for the whole of his clan than a male who could not compete with his own offspring for power by less drastic means than murder.

"You spoke well over the graves," Tumee remarked afterwards. Ray's old body guard was his shadow once again. It seemed there was no shaking him off. Ray knew he felt partly responsible for what happened to him and his brothers.

"Thank you, old friend. Do you think our clan wants to see a new order, a world without Raiders?"

"I don't think they ever got accustomed to them savages strollin' up and down our streets, eyein' our wares and females. They'll raise no objection to your army going after'em."

"Well, that's good to know. I want you to look after Weann whenever I'm away. Will you do that for me?"

Tumee accepted his new duty joyfully. "Of course. And your wee ones?"

Ray didn't understand the question at first, not until he saw the near toothless grin on the old guard's face. "Yes, in time."

"Thank ye."

Bok had already assembled his entire guard in the exercise arena by the time Ray arrived with his own handpicked rebels at the mid afternoon bell. They would waste no more time on internal affairs until they discussed the whereabouts of the Raider outposts.

He ordered two of the refugees to go with Flyers and trainers to Gulldune in order to arrange for the safe migration of the remaining refugees to Rensk. They would travel overland rather than risk the dangers of the Myovian Sea. His army would escort them south once they cleared the area of Raiders at outposts 3 and 6. Part of the forces would start heading north. Another strike force would head East to outpost 7 while still another one would go South to outposts 4 and 2 where they would secure the tunnels for Rensk and Covera. The scholar named Hodel Si would be spared as were all well educated clansmen. "He signed his name on this tunnel map. He could prove useful, Raider or no Raider." The largest group would head North by North West to outposts 9, 8, 5 10 and 1.

All the strike forces were a mixture of Ray's clansmen and refugees. Their flank leaders were also of mixed species. It only took one night of getting drunk and mingling for the sheltered guards of Rensk to warm up to these less fortunate outsiders. Ray was pleased at the warm welcome and cooperative attitude. The ranks of Rensk grew six fold overnight. A new order was about to emerge. No longer would his clan need to hide behind tall walls and locked gates. No longer would dirt clansmen need to run for their lives in the open desert. That was indeed something to celebrate.

They drank toasts to Jillani for her upcoming marriage to the ruler of Covera. Theor would be united despite the mountains that divided it in half. They drank to Ray and Weann. Ray wondered how long he could put off these ambitious females while he got his domain in order. He could not leave Rensk until more important things were settled and the land was quieted. As a safety precaution he instructed the trainers not to allow unauthorized flights. Huldergas was going nowhere for awhile and certainly not without Jillani. Besides, he would no doubt want to inspect the tunnels with Ray. They would both have to wait until it was safe. Huldergas was next on his list of males to meet with.

Knowing where they were going, each division left the confines of Rensk with a winged escort of battle ready Flyers. The inhabitants, both new and old, watched the long columns of cloaked figures march out of four gates. The heavily armed males' high-spirited cries were quickly muffled by the relentless sand waves that engulfed them.

Jillani and Huldergas watched from the East gate balcony. They spent the entire night together lost in pleasant conversation and mild affection in her chamber. They were on their way to find Ray when a messenger intercepted them. Ray would speak with each of them alone, first Huldergas then Jillani.

Jillani was annoyed by the idea of waiting, but females were never placed before males, so she said she'd be along after a relaxing bath. They were both at the funeral that morning, of course, but not for long and not together so as not to draw stares from everyone. She was relieved by the shortened ritual. Neither males deserved her tears anyway.

Ray had waited patiently on the leisure deck for Huldergas to join him. The conceited leader strolled in unhurried, he stopped to stare down at the spot where he had taken Jillani and snickered at his own impudence. Ray understood the moment and nearly pounced on him, but held back his instincts for reasons of diplomacy. His clan only accepted him as their leader after Plecot's funeral if he was going to give them the security and supplies they had grown accustomed to having. He promised them that and more. He quickly got to the point. "I wanted to speak to you about the tunnels and my sister."

"Indeed, but of course, one is more important to you than the other."

Ray had no use for clever banter so he added, "Oh, and I insist that you remain here until the Raiders are dealt with. Only then will I be free to attend your wedding. One of my Flyers will deliver a letter to your clan explaining the delay in your return." He held out a blank sheet of parchment and a pen for Huldergas, who hesitated to take them at first.

Huldergas smiled. "I understand the situation. I will remain. My clan will be instructed to make preparations for the wedding in the meantime. Any idea how long this will all take? Your territory is large and visibility is so low. The Raiders could be anywhere-"

"Actually, I know exactly where they are. Briola kept me on a short leash while we traveled from one outpost to another. There are ten in all. They never move around. The dirt clans posed no threat to them. How do you feel about me doing away with them - the Raiders?"

"You need to protect your own, and I would not have wanted Raiders to get through the tunnels to Covera anymore than my grandfather did. You are doing us both a favor."

"Good. Now about the tunnels-"

"I will not allow them abused by your mixed flock either. Trade would continue, naturally, but I would not allow any sort of migration into my territory. I want my species to remain pure." He finished up with the letter and placed his seal on it.

Ray paused a moment to consider the social impact of unrestricted interaction between their clans from this snob's point of view as well as his own. He had to agree. "Look, I only want to keep our business relations strong. If you just want to authorize a small group of transporters to-"

"To go to a designated exchange point the way we do things now, yes, that is acceptable."

Ray began to wonder what Huldergas was so afraid of. His home? His females? What was he hiding on the other side of those mountains besides the comforts that came with prosperity? "Very well. I'll instruct the miners to stop dyme digging in order to work on the tunnel debris once-"

"No!"

Ray was startled by Huldergas' panic-stricken face. "It will only be a temporary shift of resources."

"The dyme mines must continue to operate. They are already behind on the pre-agreed shipments." Huldergas realized his voice was getting loud. He did not want Ray to know how much the precious mineral meant to him. He took a deep breath and shrugged his shoulders. "I understand that digging for a natural substance is not as predictable as harvesting crops or as steady as the manufacture of cloth. It's hit or miss. Is there any way to send a small group of miners to the tunnel project while the dyme mines keep running? Are all the miners really needed to clear away the debris?"

Ray wanted to keep business flowing. How could he have suggested that dyme mining stop? He would need to learn how to think like a leader. "Nothing will be done on the tunnels until the Raiders are dealt with. That will take months. Once they are all accounted for we will survey the tunnels ourselves. Perhaps the passages are not as blocked off as all that. The map shows several unobstructed tunnels. The debris may only be small rocks that can be piled onto carts and wheeled out. The scholar Hodel Si will be able to tell us more. In any case I will not send all the miners to work on the tunnel project."

Huldergas was visibly relieved.

"Now about my sister."

The two males knew what the usual procedure was in the case of a noble female being compromised by a male, any male, even a rich ruling male like Huldergas. Ray reached out one talon, it searched for the longest feather in the other male's headdress. Unopposed by Huldergas, he plucked it out swiftly. He saw the blood emerge from the hole left behind in his soft skull. The feather would be worn by Jillani as visual proof of the oath Huldergas made to marry her.

Then, for his own satisfaction, Ray cut the smooth cheek of Huldergas with his blade. Not deeply. Not enough to leave a hideous scar. But enough to leave a scar so that his face would always be less than perfect. This small cut would serve as well as a broken leg, Ray thought. Surely it was better than being killed outright. Better in fact, for here was a vain male who desired to look his best.

Huldergas barely flinched. He felt the sting of his best feather being pulled out and it made him wince, so he never noticed the other talon coming around with the blade.

Ray could not relate to such a self-centered creature. But he needed him to keep his clan well fed and dressed. "There. That wasn't so bad, was it? By the way, I hear this is your first trip to Rensk. Why did you come without an invitation and while my father was away with Briola?"

Huldergas pressed a clean cloth against his bloody cheek and smiled. "I was compelled to come here … by your sister, the clever dear. She sent me a marriage proposal with your father's seal on it, along with a rather enticing sketch of herself. I assumed the offer came from Plecot, so I came to see him on the matter."

"Oh?" Ray paused. "I will, of course, ask her if that's true."

"Go ahead. Jillani still has the sketch and letter in her chamber. I started to tear them up but then I gave the pieces back to her, and decided not to tell Plecot anything about them." He added, "she and I have come to agreeable terms. Jillani is a remarkable and beautiful female. She belongs in Covera."

Ray wondered if Huldergas knew of all her remarkable skills. He decided not to bring that up now but to wait until he had the chance to speak to her first. "Then our business is done for now. I will send for her next."

"Very well." Huldergas left the leisure deck as nonchalantly as when he came in, the fresh scar on his face already congealed.

Weann reclined comfortably beside Jillani on an oversized finely woven hammock, a delicate white perch for two colorful song birds. She recounted the mad dash for Promise Point after the Raider attack at Fleet's gathering and their escape to Gulldune aboard the tiny skiff; how Ray organized the refugees after divulging his unique knowledge of the Raiders' whereabouts and tactics. "Because he was Plecot's son, we placed all our trust in him and pooled our meager resources together to fashion rafts and weapons. He trained us how to fight, at least, to defend ourselves should we be ambushed. Though many of us wanted to go across land to Rensk, Ray said it would be impossible to pass by the Raider outposts undetected. He did not want us to confront them without support from your guards here, who are better trained in such matters. However-" She spoke of the horrors they encountered on the Myovian Sea. "Ray could not be blamed for not knowing how treacherous it would be. Many died or were badly hurt."

Jillani listened quietly while the older female's astonishing tale unfolded. "So that foul odor we've been smelling all this time has been coming from fires on Mount Lepo?"

"Yes. Ray explained to us how the Raiders used scent signals to exchange information on the wind to each other. The root they get from Covera gives them that ability."

"Fascinating, and so their communication lines were contaminated by jupe."

"And still are. Ray hopes that this mass attack against all the Raider outposts at once will do them in. With no orders from Briola and no chance of warning the others, each small group will have to face our army alone rather than as one unit."

"Do you love him?"

Weann realized she was beaming with pride. "Yes."

"Enough to live contentedly with him here in Northern Theor rather than in Covera?"

Weann, lost in thought about her time with Ray, was surprised by this challenge at first, but she could tell how alike Jillani was to herself: too beautiful for a common male, too ambitious to settle for second best. "I know very little about Covera, but I already know enough about its leader not to be tempted to mate with him."

Jillani allowed herself to laugh loudly in the privacy of her own chambers. "He's a selfish and conceited brute, I will admit. But I can handle him."

"But could you ever love him?"

The younger one paused to consider the question. She refilled their glasses, stroked her feathers, pleaded with one of her father's fidgeros to sing something soothing. "Perhaps," she said, "if he gives me all the things I want."

"Well, you're honest at least. But don't think material comforts can make up for a bad marriage. Be sure this wedding is what you want. Are you so eager to leave the confines of your father's fortress that you would fly off with the first male who shows an interest in you?"

Jillani's feathers turned bright red. She had mentioned nothing of her own life so far and yet this stranger seemed to know a great deal about it. Earlier, Weann had admired her detailed nature journals, as did Huldergas, only to remark that they must have taken many long hours to produce and that only someone with an unlimited amount of free time could have amassed such a large catalog. And the numerous sketches, including several large ones, were of the highest quality, but such scale and meticulous works also took an unimaginable amount of time. In short, she was calling Jillani a talented prisoner. "And you say the fish were brought to you from the coast? You've never been there yourself?"

Jillani stiffened. "That's right."

"Oh, but you have. I saw you standing along the shoreline just before we landed the rafts."

"You must be mistaken," was Jillani's terse reply.

Weann let it go. She decided to confide in Jillani in order to make her feel more at ease. They would have months to chitchat while the Raiders were being dealt with. Perhaps, soon, Jillani would return the gesture. "Let me tell you how I met Ray…."

Ray's and Weann's jaws both dropped when Jillani offered them a taste of her potion. She answered Ray's summons and insisted that Weann go with her. The bottle was casually snatched up on her way out the door. "I won't tell you what's in it, only that it allows me to travel out of my body and to wherever I wish to go as if in a dream. But it's more than a dream. Much more." She told him about the yellow hairs she returned with from the flocks of Covera, then the beach sand from where Weann had seen her, and then the white flower given to her by Gad. "It all proves that I left Rensk each time."

"Gad? You actually spoke to someone?"

"Yes. But you already knew I could do that. I spoke to you inside the gate when I asked you to kill Huldergas." She laughed. "I was angry with him then. I'm not now."

Ray remembered the eerie event. "You also managed to open and close the massive gates. No one else was in that corridor."

Jillani looked overly pleased with herself. "Yes, I did. I am small and weak as you see me now. But when I dream travel I can will things to happen, things too difficult for me, for anyone, to do ordinarily."

Ray looked obviously concerned by her boast knowing it to be true. He eyed the jug of liquid in her tiny talons as if it contained highly volatile material, which in theory it did. "Do you have more of this dream travel potion?"

"No," she said truthfully then gave over her one and only source without being ordered. "We should explore its possibilities, don't you think? But you have enough on your plate right now. Still, if you get impatient for a report on your army, I can always fly out and check on them for you."

To Weann's surprise, Ray said he would consider the offer but only as a way of witnessing firsthand how his sister could leave her own body. Flyers were scheduled to report to him on the progress of the assault. He did not need her help there. He kissed her cheek, then told her that he missed her and loved her. She beamed with joy, genuinely happy with his return.

"One more thing. Does Huldergas know about this?"

"No."

"Good. Leave it that way for now."

"As you wish."

Later that night he told Weann that he would regard those things important to Jillani with the same care as he needed to use with Huldergas and his prized dymes. "I can't make slight of such a dangerous matter. She's no hatchling anymore. After all, she came to me with the information, all but the recipe, without my demanding it. And she gave me the potion, intuitively knowing I would ask her to refrain from using it in the interest of security. My tale feathers are on the line now. Our clan watches every move I make. If anything goes wrong-"

Weann curled up closer beside him. "Shhh. Be patient. You are doing a fine job all considered. Jillani won't do anything to ruin what we have now, a new beginning for all of us. We should invite Huldergas and Jillani to breakfast tomorrow."

Ray was tired beyond belief. His head swam with thoughts of his army scouring Northern Theor, engaging the unsuspecting Raiders on ten battle fronts; his little sister, a sorceress, sleeping with that swaggering ruler of Covera; his father and archenemy both dead and buried; the remaining refugees awaiting word from him in Gulldune while keeping the jupe burning day and night. "Yes, we should ask them to join us, but sit close enough to me to nudge my knee under the table in case I get into trouble. I love you, Weann. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

. . . to be continued . . .