After checking the stables to make sure that horses are available for herself and her prisoner, Robin turns her steps for what is hopefully the last time in the near future back into Amber Castle.  On her way to the dungeons, Robin takes several deep steadying breaths.  The girl has no desire to display her... lack of fondness for the stone depths to the castle guard.
            As the Ranger approaches the first guard she sees, she is very conscious of jurisdiction and conducts herself in the way she hopes a guardsman finding himself with business in Arden would.
            "Excuse me, sir.  I'm Robin of the Rangers.  I'm to be picking up a prisoner for transfer to Arden.  Whom should I speak to?"

There are two guards near the entrance to the dungeons. One of them says,  "Come down and we'll see." He's a tall fellow, but weedy-thin, and reminds her a bit of Vista in that respect.
            He leads her down into the dungeons. Everything seems very new to Robin, which is a little odd until she remembers that parts of the dungeons collapsed in the Sundering. Much of this area must have been rebuilt under Cambina's supervision.

Well, thank the green.  Robin blows a lock of hair off her forehead.  Bad enough to be under the stone.  At least it isn't crumbling over her head.

Robin speaks to the watch captain, who has the man Turf fetched for her. He explains carefully that Turf has had the best medical care, which Robin has no trouble translating as "it's not my fault."

The Ranger nods her comprehension to the watch captain.  This combined with Reid's concerns mentioned in that... room, lead Robin to wonder if she shouldn't have arranged for a travois along with the horse.

When Turf is led in, he can walk, but he's leaning heavily on one of the guards. He's a nondescript fellow of middling size, neither short nor tall nor thin nor fat, and Robin doesn't recognize him. What she does recognize is that Turf has had the crap beat out of him within the last week or so, and that his shirt is spotted with blood.

As the prisoner is helped in, Robin stands.  One eyebrow goes up.  Not in judgment but in calculation.  She purses her lips as she considers the trip in front of her.
            Turning to the watch captain, she nods slightly.  "Thank you, Captain.  I formally take charge of the prisoner Turf."
            And steps forward to take the weight of the man off of the guards who is supporting him.

Turf starts when Robin says she's taking charge of him, but once he has taken a good look at her, he relaxes a little and sags against her. "Who are you?" he asks her.

Robin takes his weight easily, she's helped more than one injured man get where he needs to be.  "Robin.  Ranger of Arden."
            Julian's daughter leaves it to Turf to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  In fact, though her face doesn't show it, she's kind of interested in what answer Turf will come to on that one.

Turf is both frightened and relieved by her words.

Robin is able to help Turf out to the courtyard. He's slow and doesn't move easily. He'll need to sit with someone to make it into Arden. Fortunately there are a number of Rangers, so Robin doesn't have to take him herself.
            Vista is waiting for her. He has been marshalling the Rangers in anticipation of Julian's arrival. He takes a look at Turf and frowns. "What happened to him?"

"Prisoner.  Interrogated."  Robin shrugs one shoulder to indicate that she doesn't know what form that interrogation took, though it certainly looks adequate enough.
            "Is Nowise or Kilderkin here?"  The girl looks over the gathering Rangers for a medical specialist.  Despite the gravity of the situation, and her desire to appear dangerous or at least all business to Turf, a warm smile spreads across her face at the familiar faces, the familiar voices, the familiar routines.  Every chuckle or quiet curse, the dance of horse, equipment and men, the fondly remembered routine of Vista's marshalling, they are music to Robin's ear.

"Nowise," says Vista. "NOWISE," he says, turning halfway around to be sure the Rangers can all hear his voice.
            The aforementioned Ranger presents himself momentarily. He offers Robin a pleased smile that fades as he sees Turf's state. "Robin, I think I'll need him to ride down with me." He stretches his arm out to take Turf off her hands.

Robin can't help the delighted grin that spreads over her face at the sight of Nowise, the man's very face conjuring up the smell of green growing things and the feel of dirt under her fingertips.
            "Merci beaucoup." She says as she gently shifts Turf over to the medic's sure arms.  "Oh, Nowise?  Professional talk only, ca va?"

"Yes ma'am," Nowise replies, and takes Turf away.

Robin and Vista wrangle the Rangers into shape and by the time Morgenstern appears in his usual mysterious way, they are ready. After a few more minutes, Prince Julian himself emerges from one of the castle buildings. He reviews his motley troupe and approves the preparations with a brief nod.
            "We ride to Arden," he says, and mounts up.

A jubilant whistle that bursts forth from Robin's lips as she swings herself into the  saddle.  The girl's enthusiasm communicates itself to her mount, who prances a bit in excitement.

The Rangers do the same. Then they stream out of the castle gates and start down the side of Kolvir, away from the castle and the city, with Julian in the lead. He pulls ahead of the knot of riders, as is his wont, and Vista and Robin fall in behind him.

Passing under and out of the Castle gates surrounded by Rangers led by her Father is a wish come true to Robin and the girl begins to beam and glow.  Laughter fills the air around her as she trades glances and gestures with her friends.  The wind ruffling through her blonde hair seems to lift her almost out of the saddle, she's so light.  Bubbling and happy, she is quite the contrast to her companion.

Vista is wearing a sort of scowl that suggests he's been masking an underlying annoyance all morning to avoid taking it out on the rest of the Rangers.

Robin's green gaze darts over to her friend in fond sympathy and she tones it down a bit.  Pulling her dancing mount over until she is riding knee-to-knee with Vista, she leans over and murmurs quietly.  "Anything I can help with?"

Vista drops back a bit from Julian. With the distance the rest of the Rangers are keeping from the three in the lead, this gives Robin and Vista a bit of privacy. "Not unless you're gonna hold your brother down while I give him the pounding he deserves for what he's putting your father through."

A dark chuckle is Robin's answer. "Wouldn't work," she says.  "Though I've contemplated it, beating on Jovian will only get his stubborn up."  She adds with a wry smile.  Her brother's not unlike some other people she knows.
            Robin shakes her head as her eyes wander off into the woods.  When her gaze comes back to Vista, her green eyes are concerned and worried.  "Vista?  Dad's hurting.  And Jove's hurting.  And they're hurting each other.  And... can we get some honey on the waters before we end up with something like Dad and his Father?"

"Your brother could go a long way towards fixing it if he'd keep his burning mouth shut," Vista says angrily. "He bloody well knows what he's doing. Where he comes from, what happened to your father is the greatest tragedy that can befall a man. Worse than some of the scarred folk from the Burning. And--verde!--your brother just rubs your father's nose in it!"
            He looks sideways over at Robin. "You don't even have any idea, do you? Nobody ever told you."

"He's dragonless." Robin whispers as her gaze falls to her reins. 

Beside her, unseen, Vista nods.

When she looks back to Vista, her green eyes are wet.  "I... I'm only starting to understand what that means.  I don't know how it happened.  Or why.  But... I think it means he's more alone than I can ever imagine.  Or that I can ever fix."  The girl bites her lip.

"I was there when it happened," says Vista grimly. "Just about broke him.  We held Arden together for him while he went abroad and healed up. He came home better, but he's never been quite the same since."
            The lanky Ranger lets out a quiet string of curses. "And *your brother* just keeps ripping his scars open. He's been through hell in the last month or so, around all those dragons. They just remind him of what he lost. And now those Arcadian bitches are on the move again."
            He looks over at Robin. "Their mother killed it. That's where I'd seen that fog they told you about--that came over Heather Vale. It wasn't Artemis. It was the dragon's breath."

The girl watches her horse's ears for a moment as she digests Vista's comments.
            "Is that why," her green eyes turn to her friend as she murmurs quietly, "the Arcadian trails are still solid?  Why the Vale was overwritten?  Because Daeon's grandmother has stolen the life of Father's bonded?"

"I dunno about stuff like that, but that dragon was a mean bitch before it ever killed anything of your father's. He's been hunting that damned thing for as long as I can remember," Vista says. "It's responsible for half the troubles we've had in Arden, the half that Eric and Bleys and Corwin didn't make."

"Oh."  Robin blinks a little in that re-string, re-nock way.  But she's definitely acquired the target now.  Dung, the girl thinks, we definitely need to get Brita back.  Because she's gonna be soooo po'd if she misses taking on the world serpent.   
            "K."  Robin nods grimly.

"Oh, no you don't, Robin," Vista says. "If your father's not ready to take on that thing, you certainly aren't. Don't you even think about it."

"Not even with a really big bees' nest?"  Robin asks.  Even though she knows the answer.  And Vista happens to be one of the few people in the world who gets to tell Robin no.

"Not even," says Vista, and that is that.

Robin pouts mightily at Vista with a teasing gleam in her eye.  But that *is* that, and the Ranger isn't about to go against Vista's suggestion.
            Robin will spend the rest of the trip doing whatever she can to ease Vista's mood; cajoling, laughing and making jokes, sympathizing, strategizing... whatever it takes.  However, she *won't* disrespect Jovian or cut him down.  Even for Vista.
            If Vista's going to get or stay angry whenever the subject of Jovian comes up, Robin will steer the conversation away from that tender topic. 
            If Vista shows any sign of being interested in solving the problem, Robin will explain that she'd bet her left tit that while Jovian was in Chaos, something *yelled* at him really loudly.  Because right now, Jovian is obviously deaf as a post and she doesn't remember her brother being that way.  (Vista would be well familiar with Robin's hearing metaphors for sensitivity.)  It's also obvious to Robin that Jovian doesn't think of himself as deaf normally.  And that he's doing his best to be understanding, sympathetic and supportive toward herself.  He's just having a little trouble hearing other people right now.
            Robin doesn't think it's a permanent situation.  *And* she thinks it's one that Jovian is working on/healing from.  She's unhappy that people are feeling pain - Vista, Julian, Kourin, Jovian - but figures that easing *everybody's* pain is the way to go.  As she can't really see any good coming from an 'intervention.'

Vista doesn't think there's any intervention to be done, and he's only personally offended because Jovian's behavior is so disrespectful to Julian, particularly by the lights of Jovian's own people.

Well, Vista certainly has the right to be personally offended if he wants to be.  Robin loves the onery guy.

It's Vista's considered opinion that Julian should have followed his original impulse and waited until Jovian's dragon passed to take Jovian on as a companion.  And Vista damns the necessities of this war that forced Julian's hand the other way.

Oo!  Yeah.  Robin agrees.  That would have been good. 
            Poor Dad.  All his plans for his children in ruins.  But Robin harbors a hope that Julian's children will rise to the occasion.

"One of 'em did," Vista says.

Like many things that don't directly or indirectly affect Arden, Jovian's troubles with Kourin merit little consideration from Vista, although he notes appreciatively that Kourin's a fine-looking woman and Vista wouldn't turn her out from his blanket for snoring.

Robin finds herself hoping that Kourin is as strong as she is fine-looking.

Oh, somewhere on the ride can we assume that Vista fills Robin in on the highlights of the Masquerade that she missed?  Dara and the cards, Martin and Aisling's 'words' and that some Noble had more champagne than was good for him? ;)

The latter she can hear about in great detail, particularly the gruesome details of Reid's questioning of Harper. Vista mentions in passing that he was rude to Julian, but Julian put up with it for reasons he doesn't fathom. Julian's getting mellow in his old age.
            Vista has less to say about the cards--"weird magic s**t"--and a moderate
amount to say about Martin and Aisling, mostly consisting of thoughts along the lines of, "if a rattler's rattling, don't poke it with a stick". But as with many things that don't directly concern the Rangers, the prospect of the duel doesn't bother him.

Even with a wounded prisoner, the Rangers make good time under Julian's lead. No-Sun is too far to make the first night, but Robin expects them to arrive there easily the next day.
            They camp for the night in the foothills of Kolvir, and there is merrymaking after the tradition of the Rangers. Vista persuades the Rangers to lean on Julian long and hard enough that he consents to join in the music. He even leads the Rangers in The Green Wedding.
            It has been years since Robin has heard her father sing.

Robin listens to her father's voice with eyes closed in contentment.  The wood smoke, the hush of the wind through the leaves, the familiar movement of her friends around her are like elixir to the girl.  Color comes to her face, the tentativeness of speech and movement disappears and the fires of life stoke up in her to high cheerful bonfire.
            She laughs, she sings, she dances.  But if any ask about her ocarina, Robin indicates that she no longer has it.  End of story.

They sleep under the stars, and in the morning, break their fast on waybread. Robin checks on Turf, who seems to be doing better, unsurprisingly, out of the dank dungeon and under a clean sky. Then they mount again, and Julian leads them onwards. They leave the foothills for the edges of the forest, and then they are under Arden's green canopy.
            By midday, they arrive at No-Sun. Robin is home at last.

Wahooo!  Robin's joy is brilliant and infectious.  She greets old friends with hugs, tears, jokes, and delighted wrestling.  She takes a few moments to talk to everyone and get a feeling for how they're doing, how they're adjusting to the changes that occurred while they were gone.  And then she metaphorically rolls up her sleeves and throws herself back into her life.
   
Robin's agenda:

#1)  Consult with Julian, Vista, Modal & Study about the reintegration.  While Robin is open to the idea of forming the newer rangers into a different 'branch of service' within the Rangers, she... sees potential problems with that.  She'd rather cull out those with potential and see if Modal & Study can step up the training regimens in No-Sun. 

Julian agrees that those new Rangers who can be integrated should be, and not as a separate group either. Modal wants to know whether Julian and Robin think some of Brita's innovations should be kept and taught to everyone. The visual representation of the camps is useful, but he thinks the new names won't stick.

Robin shrugs.  The Rangers'll call the camps what they call 'em.  Personally, she's gonna call them by the names she grew up with.
            As far as Brita's innovations?  Robin doesn't think too much of the pins-and-maps.  She's concerned that any Ranger encampment overrun has a road map to the other encampments in Arden, but she's willing to admit that that concern flirts more with paranoia than practicality.  *And* she's also willing to admit with the paths as shifty as they're getting, it isn't a *bad* idea to know where a patrol was supposed to be and when they were supposed to be there.  In short, Robin doesn't like 'em, but she suspects she's being reactionary so the call is up to Julian.
           
And then there's the question of staffing Brita's Watch.

Staffing?  Brita's Watch?  Robin was kind of thinking that since Brita's Watch was the Deepest encampment and, in it's way, one of the more central camps (it's pretty much equally far from everyone ;), that Julian and Vista would be basing the war effort out of there.  Thus the 'staff' would most likely be the support and supply for the Arcadia Sweep-Up crew.

Julian expects to be on the move. Vista will be his war leader and Robin will also be senior in that effort as soon as she has her other duties under control.

Robin can't help the grin at that.  Though she's not going to rush her other duties just to get to the war quicker.
            Hmmmm.  Maybe they should staff Brita's Watch with the old timers that were formerly based out of Girth's.  For a little while?  Until some issues are cleared?

Then whom does Robin nominate for the leadership of Girth's?

Weeeelllll, right now Girth is in charge of Girth's.  Robin looks over at her father.  How does he want to handle the PR?

"Until we are sure of what has happened, there will be no change of command. I do not give heed to unsubstantiated rumor," says Julian. "But I would rather have seasoned men at Brita's Watch. Are there any among the Returnees whom you deem fit to second Girth?"

"Cranny, if you can spare him from the Deep.  How'd he do on the Road?"

Vista starts reeling off stories of Cranny and then of other Rangers, and then the jug starts passing around, and the managerial business of the seniors' meeting evolves into a pleasant evening among old friends at home.

Aaaaahhh.  Robin stretches out her legs, leans back, accepts both jug and pipe.  And enjoys the drinkin' and smokin' and belchin' and fartin' and talkin' 'bout guns and knives.  ;)

(And speaking of culling, Robin will let it be known that *someone* had better get Sticks *out* of Arden before she runs into him again.  She considers the man's lack of discretion a menace.  And doesn't want him getting anyone killed.  Even if she has take him out first.)

Vista agrees 100% about Sticks.

Those that don't make the 'ranger cut' might be useful as a border guard - on the Garnath / Amber side of the border - for keeping the general populace out of Arden now that the borders are closed.  Course that would be for the crown to decide, since they are under crown jurisdiction.  :-P

Julian will take that up with the Crown.

#2)  And speaking of patrolling the borders of Arden, Robin suggests that some of the more competent (those that don't need extensive training) new Rangers be mixed with old school - perhaps at a 2/3 new, 1/3 old ratio - and be set on a series of loose perimeter patrols on the shallows of Arden.  Again, to limit the incursions of civilians into the Green.  Communications and spotting to be done by the Hawks.  That would leave a majority of experienced Rangers to deal with the shifting paths and the threat of Arcadia.

Julian and Vista agree that this is a good idea. Julian puts Robin in charge of arranging this, with her choice of second to handle the detail work.

Hmmmm.  Gonna need a diplomat.  Robin will look over at Study and ask him if he can spare Totter.

Yup.

#3)  Have a good long talk with Turf about his little adventures.  Robin would be full out *listening* on this.  (Maybe semi-summary on this?)

I think so. We can start that at the bottom of this thread.

#4)  Listen to what the others' agendas might be and see how she can fit them in around hers and/or assist.

A lot of this will have to do with the reintegration. The biggest question, and one that Julian and Vista think must be immediately addressed, is how to tell people about what happened to Brita.

Robin's not really sure she understands.  She thinks they should be told what happened - that at the Masquerade, Brita was captured by a non-Arcadian-related enemy, despite Robin and Julian's best efforts.  And that to the best of their knowledge, she's still alive and the Red-Headed Brigade has formed up to get her back.  As to how the message should be spread, <shrug>, Hawks to the various posts?
            Robin doesn't get it, though if those two think it's important, she'll try her damndest.

Most of the Rangers who went with Julian will believe the weird magic shit even if they haven't seen it themselves. It's more a question of the newcomers to Arden and the delicate question of how it will affect the integration.
            Needle is particularly worried about this question.

Robin looks around at the other seniors, her brows furrowed in bewilderment.  And then does a take.  "Oh.  Oh!"
            Looking at Needle, she remembers Rain's eyes when they first met.  The girl blinks rapidly for a moment, then her eyes turn back into her head as she reviews her own thoughts.  The results of that search send a series of *very* rueful chuckles shaking through her.
            "The way I see it, Needle?  The Rangers of Arden are heroes, every last man-jack of them."  Robin says with conviction.  "Those who fought for weeks in *hell* for king and country.  Those who held the line in a siege that went on for *five years* after the bottom on all Reality fell out.  And I don't aim to see *any* of them shuffled off into the darkness.  Or go without the thanks and honor they deserve."
            "Now, I'm not Brita and I never will be.  But if the Lineholders of Arden need an advocate in the times to come, then I'm the girl for the job.  Verde.  I'm going to be in charge of most of them.  And I *don't* let *my* men get screwed."  Robin is very definite about that.  'Course it helps that she's got the ultimate 'in' with the Returnees and the Warden.
            "And one thing I'm serious about is that I don't want what happened to Spar to happen to anyone else.  None of *my* men are going to end up as cannon-fodder because there hasn't been time to train them adequately or because they don't yet have sap running their veins instead of blood."  Robin half-cocks one lip in an ironic smile.
            "*When* Brita gets back," not if but when, "I'm going to do my damndest to see the girl turned into a Ranger.  And then she'll have her shot to criticize *my* organizational foibles."  Again that smile. "But until then, rest assured that neither you or Rain or any of the others is going to get the short end of the stick on my watch.  K?"

"I'll let them know that, Robin," Needle says, sounding much happier than he did before.

"Good."  Robin nods.  Anything else on the table?

Nope.

Turf Time -

Once the big pow-wow is over, Robin will hunt up Nowise and Turf.  Still a little uncomfortable with closed-in spaces, Robin would rather not talk in any of No-Sun's caves.  Electing instead to take Turf to a secluded glen near the Small Falls where the rush of the water should work against eavesdroppers.  If Nowise wants to come, that's fine.  But it's a true no-talking situation.

Nowise trusts Robin. He does make sure she has medical supplies--not that she's likely to need them, but Turf was in pretty bad shape when Robin brought him in.