"What must I do, Mother?"she asked in confusion. That was something he never thought he'd see. Spyder was at a loss as to what to do.
I suggest you withdraw your threat and release your power, she replied dryly. If my kitten is this determined, then I say give him his chance. He has proven again and again that he can find ways to accomplish his goals. We must all have faith that this time will be no different.
"I do not like it, Mother. It takes an awful risk."
I don't like it either, she said with a rueful chuckle. But if there's one thing I've learned about my kitten, Spyder, it's that once he truly sets his mind to accomplishing a goal, he finds a way to succeed. Just as he has faith in me, now I must show faith in him. I won't interfere, kitten, she told him directly. I disagree with what you're doing, you must know that. I love Jasana too, but I can think of no way to safely get her out. But I'm going to trust you on this, Tarrin. If you believe with all your heart that you can get her back without giving the Firestaff to Val, then I'll support you, and I'll do everything in my power to make it happen.
"I can do it, Mother," he said confidently. "I swear it."
Then that is good enough for me, she said simply. All you need to do is ask, Tarrin, and I will help you as much as I'm allowed. Because of what Val is doing, he is forcing us to directly interfere anyway, so I'll be able to help you alot more than usual.
"What is he doing?"
"The Demons, Tarrin," Spyder said. "He is Conjuring Demons by the dozens every day. He already has a force of nearly a thousand, and they grow by the hour. The gods themselves must take steps now to prevent another Blood War. It is why I am here. It's why I've shown you what's before us. I am the Guardian, and now I am summoned to execute my duties. To defend our world against incursion from hostile extra-dimensional invaders. That is my purpose."
The weight of that was not lost on him, no matter how adamant he was about rescuing his daughter. The possibility of Val getting the Firestaff was only one of the dangers presented in this very delicate situation. If Val raised enough Demons, he could threaten the entire world whether he was freed or not. And now that the Weave was restored, he would bet that the same lack of magic that kept the dragons trapped in the form of drakes was keeping Val's icon rooted to his spot. The Goddess was animating her icon now, moving it around. Val couldn't move it around the way she did, but he could move. He'd be at least as mobile now as any other living thing with arms and legs.
Even if they kept the Firestaff away from Val, they were going to have to deal with him and the army he had amassed.
"You already have a force at hand to deal with Val," Tarrin told them both absently. "I think the battle at Suld showed how effective it is to bring the Wikuni, Ungardt, Knights, Selani, and Arakites together. Assemble them again in greater numbers, and you'll have an army that even Val is going to fear."
I already realized that, kitten. I'm already starting to make some arrangements with their gods. The Younger Gods have a stake in this too, and they'll help. They rule as patrons of the mortals, so it is through them that we must act. Karas, Dallstad, Kikkalli, and Fara'Nae have already pledged their children to the cause. I'm even asking Neme for her Amazons and for the outworlder god that commands the Wizards to release them to my charge. Every Elder and Younger God both are going to be devoting a block of their priesthood to the cause to serve as magical assistance along with my Children and the Wizards. We may even get assistance from the Druids and Fae-da'Nar, this is so serious. I've yet to approach Shiika over her Legions, though. Because the Arakites really have no one god that could force such a large empire to mobilize, it forces me to deal with their Demon Empress. Tarrin could sense the intense distaste present in her voice.
"Shiika's actually not bad for a Demon," he said in defense of her.
"Truth be told, I have an odd fondness for her," Spyder admitted. "At least she is old enough to understand me."
I hate Demons, the Goddess said with a shudder in her choral voice. I still say it was a mistake for us to allow her to remain on Sennadar.
"You know, I remember Allia and Camara Tal saying the same thing about Jula," Tarrin said pointedly.
There was a startled silence, then the Goddess laughed, a symphony of silvery bells. Point taken, kitten, she said. We should break this up. Were I not shielding us, Val would be hearing every word we say with us so close to him. I think it's time for us to withdraw and start making plans for what's to come, outside of his earshot. As it is, he knows we're here, and you can bet that he knows that we didn't come just for the view.
"As you say, mother. I will come visit you in Suld presently, my brother," she told him. "What comes requires my direct intervention. When the army marches, I will march at its head."
"I'm looking forward to seeing you," he said in a grim tone. "And Mother, thank you for your confidence in me."
Ayise and the other Elder Gods are going to thrash me over it, but it was long ago decided that in this particular area, my word is absolute. I accepted responsibility for this, and it also allows me to act with absolute authority. Not even my parents can gainsay my decisions. So don't worry about Ayise or Shellar coming along behind me and unmaking my decision for me, kitten.
"Thank you," he said again. He felt much calmer now. He needed to think about what had to be done, and the need to destroy that army would change his plan around a little bit, but everything was still more than workable.
He was glad they were going to help, but he didn't need it. He had been deadly serious when he threatened to destroy the world. He would do it to get Jasana back. He would sacrfice anything to recover his daughter, his precious child, and nothing was going to stop him from his goal of her safe return.
She was all that mattered.
It took him a while for him to open his eyes.
The room was silent, empty, and he could tell that Mist, Jesmind, Allia, and Eron remained in the room. Talon's scent was also present, and he heard his son giggling slightly, along with the inu 's throaty growls. He did open his eyes and turn his head towards that sound, seeing the inu playing with the Were-cat child, nuzzling him on the belly with a foot holding him down while the boy laughed. The inu was tickling him!
"Tarrin!" Jesmind said quickly, standing up from the couch in which she'd been fidgeting.
Tarrin pushed himself to his feet without ceremony, looking down at them. He knew what was coming, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy on any of them.
What was coming was a war, a war of a magnitude not seen since the Blood War. Val's endless hordes of Goblinoids and his force of Demons had to be stopped, no matter what happened with the Firestaff. But their presence was going to interfere with his own plan, and it meant that he was going to have to make certain arrangements with those who made the plans.
Maybe it was good that Val and the armies were at Gora Umadar. That way, the battle wasn't going to threaten any cities or centers of population. That barren tundra was uninhabited by men, not even by the small tribes of barbarians that were common in the empty lands north of Ungardt.
He took Jesmind's paw, then allowed her to embrace him. He put a paw on her shoulder and took in her scent, but inside there was too much turmoil for his love for her to establish itself.
"Did, did you find anything?" she asked, looking pleadingly up into his eyes, a look that said to him that even if it was a lie, she wanted to hear good news.
"I know where she is," he told his mate. "It's going to be… difficult to get her out. But it is possible. I'm going to need help to do it."