Alain stooped down and took up a small vial and held it up to the light of the faire. “Hmm. . ocherous dregs inside.” He handed the vial to Luc. “Mayhap this contained some sort of potion Hradian used to fool you.”
As Luc looked at the container, Borel turned to Alain and asked, “Brother, think you the Bear can winnow her spoor from the others?”
Alain turned up a hand. “Mayhap.” He frowned in concentration, and a darkness gathered about him, enveloping him, his shape changing, growing huge, brown, with long black claws and ivory fangs, and it dropped to all fours, and where Alain had been now growled a great Bear.
Back to the entrance shambled the Bear, and he snuffled at the ground, then he lumbered out to the side of the tent, and, nose to the ground, took off at a lope toward the dawnwise entrance of the arena, but the moment he got there, again he turned, and he made his way toward the stalls and tents of the merchants. Through the lantern-lit midst of the faire went the huge dark brown creature, Borel and Luc at his side, the pack of Wolves ranging aflank and arear, and people, some screaming, others crying out in fear, scattered this way and that to get out of the path of this monstrous animal and his grey savage escort, as well as the two princes.
And riding across the grass and toward this strange assortment came a gallop of horses, some with torch-bearing riders thereon, still other steeds trailing on tethers. And they angled toward the Bear and the Wolves and the two striding men.
The Bear broke free of the faire, and with its nose yet to the ground it headed toward a distant stand of trees as stars began glimmering above.
Roel and Laurent and Blaise and Regar rode nigh, but the horses reared and skittered and belled out at the reek of the Bear, and it was all the riders could do to retain control of the animals-all but Deadly Nightshade, that is, for that horse was inured to the scent, having campaigned against the Changelings in the presence of the Bear.
And still the animal lumbered on, now entering the forest, trees darkly looming up left and right and fore. In a stand of wildflowers, the Bear came to a stop, where it cast its nose this way and that, only to roar in rage and then plop down to sit among the blossoms.
A dark shimmering came upon the beast. Luc marveled as swiftly it changed, altering, losing bulk, gaining form, and suddenly there before them sat a man, a prince: Alain.
“This is where the oldest scent lingers,” said Alain, gaining his feet. “And indeed it is Hradian’s, for the Bear remembers her from the time the mages came to try to break the curse, for she was among them. I followed the trail backwards, or rather the Bear did so, and this is where it begins. It ends there beside your tent, Luc.”
Borel glanced at Luc and said, “Then she flew her besom to this place, and walked through the faire to the arena, but then turned and went to your pavilion, where she became Liaze and fooled you into turning over the amulet.” Luc clenched a fist. “But why did no one see her passing through the faire, and why did she go to the arena before coming to my tent?” Alain frowned, and then his face brightened. “She needed to see what Liaze was wearing; that’s why the stop at the arena.”
“Glamour,” said Borel. “She must have looked like someone other than herself to slip through the faire unnoticed. I mean, had any one of us been on the faire grounds then she would have been in jeopardy. A spell would conceal her true form.”
“But I embraced her,” said Luc. “It was Liaze, I vow. Could a glamour transform her into my truelove?” Both Alain and Borel shrugged.
Roel came striding into the forest, his torch held high. He looked at the trio. “Well?”
“Here’s where she entered the faire grounds,” said Alain.
“Here the trail begins. It ends at the side of Luc’s tent. I fear she is no longer in this demesne.”
“The crow?” asked Roel.
“Most likely,” said Borel.
“Come,” said Alain. “Let us go speak with Father, for now Hradian has the key, and, if she knows how to use it, then all of Faery is in peril, for with it she surely will set Orbane free.” With Wolves ranging fore and aflank and aft they strode toward the sward where Laurent and Blaise and Regar waited with the horses. With the Bear now gone, the animals had settled by the time the four men emerged from the woods.
“The witch has flown,” said Borel to those three as he mounted. “We go to see the king and break the ill news.” Even as they set out for the castle, through the dark from dawnwise a tiny Sprite came winging.
Affirmation
“And you think it was Hradian?”
“Papa, we are not certain of that at all,” said Camille.
Valeray shook his head and sighed in resignation. “Still, who else would be after the key?”
“Indeed,” said Liaze, “who else?”
“And she took on your shape?”
“Oui. Luc thought it was me and gave over the amulet to keep it safe.”
“And this crow. . Hradian, too?”
Camille nodded. “You saw Scruff pursue it, Papa, and Regar said it had a dark aura about.”
“Still, it might have been a Changeling,” said Valeray, “dark aura or no.”
They sat in a side chamber off the grand ballroom, did Liaze, Celeste, Camille, and Valeray. The room itself was appointed in blue and served as a private chamber for intimate gatherings of the king and a handful of his guests; hence it wasn’t as if the royalty had rushed off in panic, but instead had momentarily retired, perhaps simply to talk over their echecs matches and relax.
“And this Regar, he’s the grandson of the Fairy King?” Camille turned up a hand. “So he implied.”
“Then that would make him a prince.”
“Borel introduced him as such,” said Celeste.
From beyond the closed door there came muted applause as, no doubt, someone had achieved a clever victory.
Valeray stood. “Let us return to the matches, for I would not have our absence noted. Besides, there’s nought we can do until the scouting party returns, and that might be awhile, for they could be on a long chase.”
Camille got to her feet. “You go, Papa, and Celeste and Liaze, too, for since I lost my first match, I will keep watch and let you know when Alain and the others get back.” Valeray looked at her in mild surprise. “You lost?”
“Oui. After Scruff’s agitated display, I could not concentrate.” Liaze nodded and glumly said, “Had we only known what upset him so, mayhap we would still have the key.” Camille made her way to one of the upper balconies. She stood in the warm summer night and looked out over the faire and the people within.
Camille frowned, for the usual sounds of laughter and music did not ring. Instead she heard excited chatter- So much for keeping them calm. I wonder what got them so stirred-and many stood on the far edge and peered toward the forest.
Camille looked beyond the grounds, and, there at the verge of the woods, torches cast light on seven horses and three riders, and they seemed to be waiting. Deeper within the forest itself, a light gleamed, yet dark boles of trees and cast shadows obstructed the view, and so Camille could not tell what was occurring therein.
It must be Alain and the others. Oh, please, Mithras, let them all be safe.
Even as she watched, the glimmer within the woodland began to move, and shortly a borne lantern and a high-held torch showed four men and Wolves emerging. Who they are I cannot tell, though with the pack at hand, one of them must be Borel.
The four mounted up, and they slowly rode back toward the castle, the Wolves ranging fore and aflank and aft.
They do not seem to be tracking ought. I think they return from a fruitless search.
She watched as they rode through the gathering, and the crowds gave way before them, especially before the Wolves, and voices called out, but the men rode grimly on and did not reply.