As Time Crawls By


Folly and Reid begin implementing their plan to find the unique items that were stolen by getting descriptions and taking them to pawnshops, including, perhaps, a certain shop on Cuttlefish Way. However, before they can act on the second part of their plan, Sir Archer reports that he has caught the thief.

Folly is skeptical, but she tries to hide it when she stops in on Sir Archer to offer her congratulations. "It must've been a challenging investigation," she says. "I know I've been hearing about the thefts for months, and there never seemed to be any good leads or useful evidence. Who was it, and how did you finally catch him?"

"We were tipped off, actually," says Sir Archer. "We caught him with some goods that have since been identified as recently stolen, so I'd say we have our man, unless of course he's a copycat." He frowns. "I wish our tipster had an idea where some of the missing persons who have been reported lately have gone."

"Oh?" says Folly, trying to sound nonchalant. "Are lots of people going missing?"

"I can't tell that there are more than usual, although there could be," says Sir Archer. "We just have some very persistent family members on a few cases. And I can understand why people are frustrated, too. Before, we just assumed they'd gone to sea somehow. It was too easy for people to disappear. But where could they be going now, with the trade all dried up? It's like some of them have just fallen off the face of the earth."

He frowns. "But you didn't come here to hear my troubles, Lady. What else can the Watch do for you?"

"Hmmm?" says Folly as she snaps out of a good deep ponder, "-- oh, nothing else, I think. You're right, the disappearances are troubling; where could they go when there's nowhere to go?"

She turns as if preparing to leave, but turns back again suddenly. "There isn't any sort of connection among the missing persons, is there? Like, might some friends or neighbors have decided to move out of town together, like that religious cult wanted to? Of course, why they wouldn't've bothered telling even their families is beyond me." She shakes her head.

"Some of the disappeared probably left to get away from their families," says Sir Archer with a wince that suggests the idea of getting away from some of those left behind is not unappealing to him, either.

Folly laughs. "I'm surprised that didn't occur to me."

"I don't have any reason to suspect a religious cult, but I have been looking into that angle. That would probably make it more of a criminal or political investigation that the Regent might like. The missing people don't have any obvious connections, except that many of them are young -- the sort I would have expected to come to Amber to better themselves before the war. Now, though ..." and he trails off, looking troubled.

"I hope they have left. I don't want to find a mass grave somewhere."

"Agreed," says Folly, looking disturbed by the idea. "Thank you for the update, and good luck with the investigation." With that, she takes her leave of Sir Archer.

[Does Reid come forward with his information?]

Reid will leave law enforcement to those who make it their occupation. Investigations don't mean much if a handy suspect is already in custody.

[GMs]
[I refer here to the information he has about another case, the one he was discussing with his cousins.]

[Lucas]
Well, looks like law enforcement has suddenly improved. Hurray.

Drudge continues to recover from the attack on him. He spent about a week in bed, but afterwards resumed work on the _Amber Crier_, and did some editing from his bed. At about the same time, the broadsheets almost disappear from around town, and the ones that are available, including the _Crier_, raise their prices. Then, suddenly, the broadsheets are back, and in full force. The _Crier_ is able to maintain part of its price increase.

Are there subsciptions available? I'm certain Lucas is getting tired of sending a servent all the way down to get one.

Paige wants to find which hole the broadsheets fell into. She'll start looking to the smaller sheets as to what happened for that small span of time. Do they keep back copies? Does Nestor archive periodicals. Has this sort of thing happened before?

[Lucas]
"Small hint: You need paper to print a broadsheet."

Paige smiles at Lucas with new found respect.

Lucas accepts it as his due.

Nestor does not archive broadsheets and wonders why anyone would suspect that he does.

"It was common in the Shadow of my birth for such things to happen. I thought perhaps it was reflected from here. They might have historical worth someday, and give future historians insight into our current dilemmas in this period that will undoubtly be labled The Regency, or something."

"Lady Paige, your family has a notable historian who will have first-hand memories of this period. When she writes her memoir, she will rely on actual documents such as the precedents in the rolls and the letters of her family. The scribblings of the rabble will hardly be a matter of interest to her."

"I wasn't questioning Cambina's ability, Nestor." Paige smiles at the librarian. "It's just that sometimes the historians don't get to live through it, or don't survive until they can chronicle it. But thank you, anyway."

Broadsheets are printed in limited runs on a weekly or biweekly basis. There is no one who officially archives them as far as anyone knows, although there are probably some poetry fans who enjoy the satires and collect them. The only people who could tell you what happened to the broadsheets are probably the printers.

As reported elsewhere, business at Kermit's shop picks up due to Royal orders and influence. However, Reid and Ossian have both noticed that, while they are still able to fill their available time with students, that they are no longer having to turn away as many as before.

Paige will commission a new lute for a present. OF course they're told to ensure that Folly doesn't ever see it.

Ever winks.

[Lucas]
What's the vibe of the city? Why are they losing interest in music? Have I simply made a band-aid solution? Speak to me, O Voices in My Head!

How about the quality of the students? Is Ossian forced to accept less talented ones due to this decline in student numbers?

[GMs]
Yes.

One evening after Ossian has given a lesson to one of the less talented students he is in a bad mood. Almost screaming:

"Why on earth does that boy want to learn how to paint? Where are all the good students? There must be some somewhere.

"Is Amber shrinking, or what?"

"I don't know about that," says Vialle, "but you shouldn't take any that displease you. You're a son of the Royal family; you don't need the money, so don't do what you don't want to."

"The City needs good artists, I can't do everything by myself; therefore I need students. Hopefully I can lift the less good ones a level or two too."

"It seems the theory of a zero sum game is very valid", Ossian says one evening, "every time we try to fix one thing, somthing else declines. Does anyone of you have any suggestion of a final test of the theory?"

Members of the Thrush Pack hear that Baron Kaliq's creditors are trying to force him to sell his home to make good on his debts.

[Lucas]
Ingriguing...

Ossian suggests to Gerard that Kailq could be hired to take care of the Golden Circle ambassadors. He is a former diplomat, after all.

Gerard puts the matter before the council, but is inclined towards it. Anything to get the damned ambassadors off his back!

Sounds good to Paige.

Folly likes the idea. She likes Kaliq, and she wants the ambassadors to know that the royals aren't ignoring them (even if Gerard would like to). She hopes Kaliq will help the ambassadors feel that they're being heard.

That should give the Baron another source of income, at least.

Also Ossian approaches his poet friends and asks them to donate some poems.

Then he asks Kaliq if he could be editor for the anthology. All incomes will go to Kaliq.

Kaliq is quite embarrassed (Ossian thinks he is not the sort to accept charity). "It's very kind of you to do that, Ossian, but I'm afraid I can't. I know you mean well, but ..."

Ossian shakes his head: "You are known for your good taste, Leo. Getting one's poem in your anthology is a merit for those poets. You will do them a favour by sorting out the poems you like, and publish them."

"I suggest that you put one or two of your own poems in there too."

"Well," the Baron says, "When you put it that way, I suppose ... who do you think we should have publish it? Stout's such an obsequious worm that I'm inclined to give it to that new fellow, what's his name? Heap? What do you think, Ossian?"

"I think you should consult with my cousin Vere. He has a very good grip on the printers, I think."

So what is Vere's opinion in this matter?

"I think some healthy competition between the printers is a good thing. After all, how could it hurt to give a contract or two to Heap?" And Vere smiles, as if at a private joke.

Ossian suggests to Kaliq that he should choose Heap as the publisher.

_A Selection of Verse in Honor of Sonnet, Lady Kaliq, Edited by Her Husband_ becomes the latest in Heap's selection of works for the well-off. It includes poems by many members of the Thrush Pack (including Ossian), and a new composition by Barenthkov (which one assumes will later be set to music), among others.

[Did anyone else contribute a poem?]

Lucas could contribute a lewd limerick.


Martin and Brita have been gone for several weeks with no word. Needle comes to the Castle and reports to Gerard that some Rangers have found Kina loose in the wild, but there is no sign of Martin and Brita.

[Monica is very pleased for Brita (since she doesn't know yet) to find that Kina is okay. Brita would have been very upset if she had lost Jerod's Kina....]

[Lucas]
Oooo... conflicting emotions...

Not for Folly. She's solidly depressed and freaked out.

Paige is there, reassuring. "Martin used to do this all the time for Grandfather and I'd worry myself sick about him coming home. Just when I figured to be off the deep end, he'd show. Give him some time. Figure Brita's with him and they've got Skilbladnir. They'll make it." Paige seems rather sure. "They're looking for men lost in Shadow for weeks. That means they have to go as far as those men did just to meet them, let alone bring them back."

Folly nods, but she doesn't seem entirely convinced.

Vialle and Solace conspire in a not-particularly-subtle way to have Folly around Baby Hope more often than before, perhaps feeling that the child's presence will cheer her up.

It does -- not completely, but quite a bit. She's grateful to Vialle and Solace for their efforts.

Solace tells Folly privately that she's pregnant again.

Does Solace seem pleased by this turn of events?

Yes, very! She's just telling Folly privately because Lucas hasn't said anything publicly.

In that case, Folly is delighted for her and offers her heartfelt congratulations. "...and you know I'm happy to help look after Hope when you've got your hands full with the baby...."

Paige offers to go looking [for Martin and Brita] if the Coucil decides it's neccessary, but she's pretty sure of Martin's ability to get back. She does try his Trump a few times more often than her once a week "do these work yet" check.

The Trumps continue to not work.

"Finally got rid of him, eh Cambina?" Paige jokes. "Why'd you wait so long, and why with Brita, I kinda liked her."

Lucas, strangely, offers no comment on this whole turn of events to Paige. ;)


The Golden Circle Ambassadors are getting cranky again since the news of the failure of the Bellum path has gotten out. The Court in general seems very anxious for no obvious reason.

[Lucas]
Woot.

Folly does her best to try to soothe nerves and tempers whenever she can, but it's becoming quite challenging, what with her being all depressed and freaked out and stuff.

Paige will do her best to smooth those waters as they occur. To the Council, "Just because there are some issues with the path doesn't mean we can't navigate to their homes. Let them know we understand your concerns, but Amber comes first, ladies and gentlemen. If somehow they've missed that, we nee to emphasize it. Let's be realistic, if we fail in guiding Amber, does it matter if they can find their homes again?"

[Paige]
What seems to be the issues in Court?

[GMs]
The economy's going down the tubes, the one Shadowpath set up for sailing without Royals has failed, the merchants are being charged fees to accompany Royals on trading voyages, four members of the Council are missing, the Golden Circle ambassadors want to go home, etc.

IOW: same shit, different year.

Paige starts pulling out all the stops, wining and dining any and all she can, trying to calm worries. Issues addressed as follows:

o As to economy and the fees, well... the merchants are the life blood of the economy. Perhaps some people would do well to make them think a bit more rationally about backing voyages. Things will only get worse if they allow the Crown to control all the trade without some say. What little power they currently have will slowly erode.

If the merchants are the lifeblood of the economy, then why is the Crown strangling them with the new fees and taxes?

[Paige]
We're not. We're ensuring that the people keep eating. The fees, well, there are other considerations than just food...

The Crown has been supporting people throughout the City and sponsoring the ambassadors until they can return to their Shadows or normal trade is re-established. While deep, the Crown's pockets are not bottomless. The tarrifs are a way of recouping that loss, nothing more.

[GMs]
The sense that Paige gets from the merchants in response to this is that if you all would just finish rebuilding the bloody Shadowpaths, the problem would be solved. There is anger, discontent, and fear about the future.

[Paige]
The merchants were aware that such things were to be instituted from the beginning, and that the last four years the Crown has given preferential treatment to those sho cooperated through the early trying times. Now that we've all become more established, the Crown has decided that it was time to begin normal business again. If the merchants are unhappy with this, you can trust that the Crown will continue to provide food for the people, with or without them.

This line of thought provokes a lot of resentment and fear. The merchants are aware that any of them is dispensable. The further conclusion is inescapable to them.

o The Shadowpath is being looked into by Jerod and Solange. What do you mean they're missing or dead? Do you assume that my father or any of his siblings are dead just because they haven't returned from the war yet? I can assure you that they are doing their level best in trying to remedy that situation.

[Yes, people do assume the elders are missing or dead, even if they are too polite to say so.]

"Anyone here can tell you how long Prince Corwin was presumed missing before he returned. One cannot count out my father and the children of Oberon so quickly without disappointment," Paige responds.

Everyone knows the shadowpath has collapsed by now, so there is reason to speculate about Jerod and Solange.

"Believe what you will, but Jerod was the one to forge that path and knows the way better than any man. Solange? She's the Regent's daughter and a friend to many of you. She's not one to give up a cause. What is a few months, or even years to one of you, let alone a scion of the line?"

o As to Martin and Brita, searching for servants of the Crown is a far cry from "missing". When I go off for a weekend, do you assume I'm "missing"? Both are capable and I have every assurance they'll return with news of the missing Rangers

The speculation about Martin and Brita seems to be half "they're missing" and half "they've run away".

"50 crowns say Martin and Brita'll be back within a month..." [OK, so it's kinda cheating now, but Paige would've made that bet long ago.] If they were gone longer, Paige'll glady pay up the money.

Brita and Martin have been gone for some weeks.

o As to the Ambassadors, well Paige will look to Kaliq for help there other than those she knows personally...

Kaliq is happy to take up the job, but there are limits to what he can do to make the Golden Circle ambassadors happy.

Paige does disaster control as best she can.

There's a lot to do.

[Folly]
So, um, where are we in the Armageddon Countdown? (It was, what, over a year ago when Vere said the world might end in a couple of years?)

Vere gave the Council the exact date when Elder Germaine said Amber was going to cease to exist. It was just over 720 days away when he reported this, so I'd guess we're still about a year away.

[Paige]
If we go look at the broken pattern, has the fissure started getting bigger as the time approaches the end of the world?

[GMs]
No, it appears the same.

Paige turns cards there in the darkness, with naught but a small lantern, contemplating the fissure. Paige stands, rolls her neck, stretches her legs and places her Trumps back in their silk scarf and into the pocket beneath her skirt.

Steping forward with determination, she recalls her first time walking the Pattern, her Father standing by with Aunt Fiona and... and the resolve hardens in her eyes. With purpose she steps onto the begining of the Pattern, having cleared all anticipation of anything happening.

Paige can walk the tracery, but there is none of the familiar difficulty and feel, and no sense of power, nor any sparks in the darkness. Does Paige complete the walk?

Yes. She'll continue as far as possible, just as if re-enacting her first walk, glad that there's no friction to slow her down when it comes time to leap the fissure. Upon reaching the center, she'll sit and remove her cards, laying a spread in the darkness, knowing her cards by touch.

Paige is able to walk the Pattern, although she has to take some care, especially in the places where the fissure is wide.

(Results of the reading will need to be discussed privately.)


Some quick trips to Shadow have improved Crown finances, at least for the time being.

[Lucas]
Yay!

"Let's not store any of our things near the fissure," Paige suggests. She's done a mock of map of the city and in a light transparent color overlaid the current broken Pattern, the fissure in the pattern centered over the docks area, the center laid over the Castle. "Don't ask, it's just a cornball theory."

Lucas duly notes it. "Cornball."

The time for the Spring Festival is drawing nearer. Everyone is arranging for costumes for the Masquerade.

Lucas will begin consulting tailors.

Paige arranges for a tailor to take measurements for both herself and Worth, as while she could do the clothes herself, she hasn't the time.


Martin and Brita continue on the trail, riding hard to catch up to the missing Rangers and whoever (or whatever) is with them.

It's close to sundown when Brita spots the man in the tree. Martin drops back and touches her arm, and Brita knows at once he has seen the fellow as well. He jumps down out of the tree, perhaps thinking he hasn't been seen, and heads off into the brush. Martin leaps from his horse and is into the brush after him like a shot.

[Does Brita follow?]

[Can Brita follow on horse back or at least circle around on horse back? If yes, Brita would do so. If she cannot follow on horse back, she would follow on foot. Was she able to get enough of a glimpse of the one in the tree to determine it is Sticks? How about blood scents?

As a side note, Brita is in her customary red jacket with white fur trim. Her hair is plaited down the sides - pretty much like my trump picture.]

[Sticks, whom Brita doesn't recognize, stinks of man-stink, not Chaos-stink.]

That's a relief!

[Brita will have to follow on foot; there's too much evergreen undergrowth for her to take the horse and the horse path runs perpendicular to the direction Martin and Sticks are heading.]

Brita follows Martin after dropping the reins of her horse over a low branch.

[GMs]
Brita drops her horse's reins over a low branch and follows Martin. He's hot on the trail of the scout, who is apparently headed back to his camp. (This is a real failure of Ranger training, if this guy is a Ranger -- and he's wearing the badge -- and Brita may well be wincing.)

Brita is making mental notes on new training activities entitled Brier Fox and Brier Rabbit...


Robin and her band of ranger-y stragglers have found a camp for the night. It is the turn of the unfortunate Sticks to take the watch, and he stations himself in a tree off the main trail again. Robin has very little hope Sticks will spot anything before it spots Sticks, but at least she won't have to talk to him this way.

As the others are setting up a camp and preparing the evening meal, Sticks runs back into camp, breathless, and says, "Two riders, following our trail!"

And not far behind him is what must be one of those riders: a blond fellow of middling height, garbed in outdoor gear except for what the players would describe as loose-fit jeans. He's not wearing the Crown badge of the Rangers, but he is wearing a sword-belt, and has a wicked-looking blade in his hand. He looks over the Rangers without recognition, although he clearly knows the uniform and the badge. He frowns, as if trying to figure out what the hell is going on and who is in charge here.

[Forgot to mention: the young man also looks familiar, as if Robin has seen him. Recently.]

Immediately behind him is a tall redheaded woman with the look of a warrior, also armed. She is wearing a red jacket with white fur trim, and her hair is pulled into two plaits that streamed behind her as she ran into camp.

[Brita]
AAGH! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! Brita is BLOND :)


Robin long since accepted that to put Sticks on watch was to establish a Come Get Us shift, so she pays the kid's failure no mind. But she sleeps more lightly when he's on watch, and has a weapon to hand.

As he gets into camp, he says breathlessly to his cohorts: "Two riders, following our trail!"

As Martin comes out into the clearing just ahead of Brita, he stops short, and looks around, perhaps trying to get a grip on the situation before acting.

There are five people in the small camp in various stages of dinner and site preparation. Brita recognizes Thorn, Bay, and Avid, who are all Rangers of relative seniority, although she doesn't know Sticks or Rain on sight. The younger Rangers are both wearing the Crown badge, though. The fifth person is a blonde woman who carries herself with a certain natural dignity and to whom all the others are clearly looking for a lead. She smells to Brita like Family.

There is no stink of Chaos.

[Brita will note that she never refers to it as a "stink". It is just a "scent".]

Brita would stop with and place a hand on Martin's arm to draw his attention. Upon scenting family, Brita will look directly at the blonde and say, "You are of Amber." With only a slight pause, Brita turns to Martin, "It is good that we have finally found the lost patrol." although the family hears "...found you."

Robin takes advantage of the not-remotely-redheaded woman's interchange with the blond man to give him a good hard squint, trying to place the face, or body if that's it.

The blond man (man being the real identifier, not blond, since you all are), whom we shall henceforth call Martin, because that's his name, looks at Brita, then at Robin, then at Brita again, before relaxing a little. He does not sheathe his blade.

Robin cannot place him exactly, but she is sure she has seen him, or someone who looks very like him, quite recently.

"Why yes, I'm of Amber," Robin begins quickly. "Arden really. I was a ranger in Prince Julian's day. Milady."

Brita raises her eyebrow at being called Milady.

Robin begins to bow slightly, catches herself and tries a curtsy. It's quite a sight with the crossbow dangling from one wrist. She looks sidelong at her companions for their reaction.

The whole lot of them are looking at Robin and the two newcomers with a range of looks running from alarm to fascination. They all know the woman, although they don't obviously recognize the man.

Brita does neither, although she does sheath her sword. "Thorn, Bay, Avid." She nods at each in turn. "We are glad to find you and the rest of the patrol alive and well."

"Lady Brita," says Thorn. "Avid here says we've been missing for weeks. Is that right?"

[Assuming a positive response on Brita's part]

"We didn't know we'd been gone so long, but things can get funny in the deeps of Arden, I guess," Thorn replies. He's glancing back and forth at Brita and Robin, trying to get a feel for what's going on without much success.

Martin has apparently decided during this exchange that the situation is safe for him to sheathe his blade. "I don't believe we've been introduced," he says to Robin and Rain. "I'm Martin, Martin FitzRandom." And he walks over and offers a well-manicured hand to Robin.

Brita in turn says "And I am Brita, daughter of Lord Vidar of Asgard and Princess Fiona."

Robin can't help evincing an instant of dismay at the condition of Martin's hand, but, familiar with the concepts of both politeness and discretion, she masters it.

[FYI: Julian is also well-manicured. He has calluses, but he never has filthy, ragged nails. Either that or the shadows are lying for him.]

[You are saying that Martin's hands are entirely similar to Julian's in the sort of work that they show?]

[Not entirely, but Martin's hands show the calluses of a swordsman, and at least one other pattern. He is well-manicured in that he keeps his nails clean and doesn't bite them, but rather has them filed neatly. These are traits which he happens to share with Julian, whom I simply can't imagine biting his nails.]

"I didn't give my name before," she says to both visitors. "My name is Robin. I've been gone from Arden these four years. You might say I was lost in the manner that Thorn reports."

There's a momentary flash of distress across Martin's face at that last, but, familiar with the concepts of both politeness and discretion, he masters it, and actually bows over Robin's hand, as if they were at court. "Lady Robin," he says, and smiles as if at an inward joke.

Robin tenses a little, in case of attack. Since none comes, she half relaxes.

Perhaps he caught that, or perhaps he realized that he was indiscreet, because he smiles and says, "The joke, Lady Robin, is on me," before turning to Rain.

Robin and Brita can tell that all of the Rangers are somewhat relieved that that seems to have gone all right.

Martin then turns to Rain, who also offers her hand, saying, "My name's Rain, Lord Martin," and Martin bows over it, too. "Madam," he says to her. Rain blushes.

"Avid," says Bay, "put a little more stew on, since we got company for the evenin'. I'm Bay, this is Thorn, and this here's Sticks, and that's Avid with the pot, yer lordship" He indicates each of the men by thumb to Martin, whom he clearly does not expect to recognize them.

Bay then turns to Brita. "Ma'am, I reckon our patrol needs to report in. You wanna take our report now, or after supper?"

"We can eat first, Bay, but I would like to hear how you came to be lost. Perhaps while we eat, you can give us the story of your travails."

Brita turns to Robin as she accepts a seat around the fire. "I have heard much good about your leadership with the Rangers. I would be honored to discuss the changes we have been implementing to get your opinion. I have been trying to make the Rangers more efficient in these lean times."

Robin has brows too, and narrows one at the word "efficient."

"Milady has me at a disadvantage in a discussion," Robin avers. "I hardly know what these times are."

"Well," Brita pauses,"I and my cousin and mentor Master Reid only arrived at Castle Amber after the events known as the Sundering, but the lean times I refer to are the fact that the Rangers are depleted in ranks while most of the forces are out supporting the elder Amberites. Having patrols go missing for months at a time and losing leaders such as yourself has hardly helped the situation."

"The rangers never had many leaders like me," Robin says, "but it must be hard all the same, just losing men who knew their way around. Arden has always been a tricky place for outsiders.

Here her eyes dart toward Sticks.

"And it sounds like Arden's gotten trickier."

After the meal and whatever stories Bay and the others wish to relate of their adventures, Brita will turn to Martin and suggest "Perhaps we should plan on attempting a return tomorrow. Are we in Arden or not at the moment?"

Martin, who has been polite but distant since introducing himself, nods once, abruptly. Then he says, glancing sidewise at Robin, "Yes, I think we are, but I can get us back if we're not, so it shouldn't make much difference. And I think we should get back to Amber as soon as possible. Who knows how long we've been gone?"

Robin says, "I'd like to hear more about these missing patrols."

Brita glances at Martin with a 'what's up with you' look before responding to Robin, "Well, there is not really that much to tell about the missing patrol. There was only one main patrol that we noted as missing, consisting of Bay, Thorn and Sticks. They did not report in as expected and I began a systematic search for them through as much of the known patrolling area as I could. When we were unable to find any real trace of where the patrol had vanished to, Folly - one of my cousins - suggested using cousin Jerod's hawk Kina to track the area. I wanted one of the more pattern-wise of my cousins to come along as well and thus Martin accompanied me. It is through his efforts that we were able to find the trail. We lost Kina at one point. I do hope she was able to find her way back; I would hate to have to tell Jerod I lost her."

Martin arches an eyebrow at the use of the term "Pattern-wise", and glances about at the others. His eyes rest for a moment on Robin, as if gauging her reaction to the term. "Jerod can yell at me all he likes for losing Kina if he'll just come home."

He looks at Robin again, "The shipping paths have all been closed since the Sundering. Jerod was working to reopen the Bellum way, but he and our cousin Solange have been gone for close to a year now." He doesn't have to say _I'm worried._


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Last modified: 4 Jan 2002