The ranger stands alone.

She blows out of puff of breath, lifting the ragged bangs from her forehead.
            Well, okay.  Still breathing.  Now to get her self out of here.
            The Ranger looks around herself at the darkening wood.  Yep, it's a *great* time to be aboard.  Still, Robin finds herself recalling her brother's words about her presence here.
            So she sets her trail as best as she can for the margin between wood and meadow.  Heading for home by letting her heart lead her feet toward Arden.

Robin sets out.  She doesn't seem to be able to make any progress leaving Arcadia and moving to Arden.  It's as if she's not able to identify the differences between the two.

"Aw, shit," the Ranger murmurs to herself sadly.
            Robin finds a place where the moonlight streams down brightly enough to see well by and pulls out her card case once more.  She takes off her gauntlet and runs a loving finger over the image of her father.  And Calls.

"Who?" her father's voice answers.

"It's me, Dad."  Robin answers.  "I'm done here, but having trouble finding my way back.  Can I get a lift?"

"Come," Julian says, and offers her his white-gauntleted hand.

It's with a great sense of relief that Robin takes her father's hand and steps away from the Arcadian night.

When she steps through, she finds herself in a clearing with Julian and Totter and their mounts. It is evening, and Totter is tending a rabbit on a spit over a fire. The stars overhead, what she can see of them, are Arden's.

The girl's green eyes go skyward and she blows a puff of pent up air at the sight of the familiar stars.  And no goddesses about.
            "Thank you, sir." She says releasing the Warden's hand.

"You're welcome," Julian says formally. "Have you eaten? Our dinner is almost ready, and you can offer your report over it." He gestures toward the fire.
            Totter raises a friendly hand in greeting, and returns to turning the rabbit. It looks close to done, and smells delicious.

Robin nods and grins to Totter.  The man is a whiz for finding food, cooks well too.  The Ranger's glad he's one of theirs.
            Green eyes turn to the Warden.  "Still on task, sir.  Can I make a quick call before reporting?"  Robin knows that's unusual.  But now that she's gotten herself out of Arcadia, she needs to check on the bewildered Breeze and Reid's strange behavior earlier.

Julian says, "Of course." He nods and moves back toward the fire to give Robin privacy for the call if she wishes it.

The Ranger returns his nod.  Pulling off her gauntlet, she retrieves her card case yet again.  An unconscious tchh of the girl's tongue reveals her perturbation at having to use the darn cards so much, but no help for it.
            Opening the case, she runs her thumb over Reid's card, calling to him as she does so.

Reid is really not in a position to answer any calls at this time.
            He'll block, though not in an unpleasant way, as much as he's tempted to be unpleasant with the interrupter.

After a few moments, Robin snorts and shakes her head.  'Bout what she expected, she's at less than a 50 percent success-ratio with these things.  Tucking the card back into her case, she moves to join Julian at the fire.
            "Ready, sir."
            "I backtracked myself into Arcadia.  On the way, me and Daeon had a much better behaved chat."  A one-shoulder shrug indicates that Robin isn't about to set a lot of future store on that, once burned you know. 
                "Skirted a couple sentries and a lot of horse-sign near Daeon's and my original meeting point.  Few hours later I came upon the remains of a *serious* fracas.  Casualties included wildmen, horsemen, centaurs, and ex-Garnath citizens." Robin's eyes get very grim, "The corpses had been left rotting for about two days."
            "Further wildmen tracks led me to an ambush in the making.  Breeze and two others on the make, two centaurs four prisoners on the take.  I intervened and snagged Breeze out of the situation.  He...wasn't right, sir.  Distracted, twitching... answering someone else's call."  Her eyes flicker significantly to Julian's.

Julian nods, but does not interrupt Robin.

"I Trumped him out of there to Reid.  But there was some event on Reid's side and I lost contact.  I can't get a status from him at this time though he knew that I wanted to get Breeze to the Castle."
            "After that, one Lalal - moon-type Goddess - showed up. When pressed, she referred to herself as an interested neutral.  Her message for you, sir, was 'Tell your father that re-binding the dragon will be harder this time, for she remembers how she was tricked and burns with anger over it.' 
            "She also made mention that Calliste's litter, her most recent one, 'grow fur and fangs for their mother' and hunt the forest's edges.  She recommended that maybe I get help before I try to snag 'em.   Lalal was also offered to help me parlay with Artemis."  A wrinkled nose shows what Robin thinks of herself as a parlayer.
            "But I figured my job was to get my big ol' footprints out of there fastest.  So I tried walking my way out... Didn't work."  Is Robin's unhappy conclusion.

Julian frowns. "You were still in Arden, the Arden of old. The paths were unsure and the ground was much more dangerous then. When Corwin was Warden, he and I patrolled almost alone, because there were so few who could travel in Arden safely. The boundaries have broken down, Robin." He shakes his head.

The Ranger purses her lips as she nods and drops her gaze to the ground.  Seems a lot of people have been telling her that lately.
            She cocks her head as she looks back up to her father with liquid green eyes.  Time to go forward.  If the Arden she has known for her entire life is going, what comes next? "Sooo, what do we build in their place, sir?"

"I do not yet know," Julian confesses. "When I was young, I thought I could pacify Arden. I took the bargain the Dragon's daughter offered, and it bought us these last few centuries of peace. But Dione is dead and the binding is broken, and as Lalal says, it will not be remade so easily. I must find another way to ensure the safety of Arden, and of Amber."
            The Warden glances over the fire, where Totter is carving off part of the rabbit. "But let us consider these matters on a full stomach. After dinner I will tell you of our parley with Britomartis."

Robin nods, eating first - talking later.  That suits her just fine.  The Ranger slides out of her backpack and settles herself down on the ground, resting back against a tree trunk.  She blows out a breath as she stretches her tired legs out in front of her.  Smiling over at Totter, the girl removes her gauntlets and starts working her right hand to ease the stiffness out of it.
            Eating happens without much conversation but with much appreciation.

After dinner, while Totter cleans up the plates, Julian tells Robin the story of his encounter with Britomartis: "I met the goddess in the appointed place, near Jones Fall. Totter was with me, but the precaution was unnecessary. It was a parley, not an ambush as your brother feared."

Robin nods with an understanding quirk to her lips.  Jovian *could* get... jumpy sometimes.  Though she sure wasn't the one to throw that particular rock too hard.

"We had what my brother Bleys might call 'a free and frank exchange of views'. Britomartis believes that Arden cannot survive without Arcadia, and she points out, quite correctly, that Arcadia is the Dragon. I could buy time for a new order in Arden by slaying the Dragon, which would give us another few centuries, but I told Britomartis that I am inclined toward peace if such is possible." Julian smiles thinly.
            "I asked Britomartis how much help I might expect from her sisters if I moved to bind the dragon anew. She believes her sisters will see the reason in that proposal, but unless they are sure that the binding will succeed, they will be unable to join. We concluded that it was early enough that such details are negotiable. War, however, will harden our hearts and our resolves, and if we wait too long to strike a bargain, peace will be difficult."
            He concludes: "It was long on talk, but short on content, as all such dealings with Arcadia are. Now I am faced with the question of how to bind the dragon without further binding myself, as I did before."

The Ranger snorts in agreement concerning Arcadian loquaciousness.  And here she thought *she* talked a lot.
            "Weellll,"  Robin rubs her chin in thought, "I suppose it's something that they might just stay out of the way while we try something stupid and dangerous.  Do the ever-so-yappy Goddesses have any suggestions for a binding that would involve other things than... " the girl hand-waves herself past a subject that she's still a little uncomfortable with.

"They are from Arcadia. To them, sex and death are the foundations of the universe."

A flat wry line presses Robin's lips as she shakes her head.

Julian strokes his chin thoughtfully. "There are other ways. It would take what the ignorant and credulous call the power of a god to do it. If I could be spared, I would go back to the Isles and learn what I could there; it is the sort of place that understands the mythic symbolism by which I might bind the dragon."

"How long do you think you'll need?"  Robin clamps her lips shut before any of the other thoughts whirling in her head can escape.

"More time than I can be spared," Julian says, and presses his lips together in a flat line. "But let us sleep on that question. Perhaps rest will bring us better answers to it. But now you must tell me of yourself. I have had the bones of your parley--but how are *you*, Robin?"

"Confused, Dad."  The Ranger sighs. 
            "There are so many *things* to take into account.  And it seems like no matter what I do or choose, I'm going to be wrong.  By my own lights."  An unhappy frown pulls the corners of the girl's mouth down.
            "I know that's the way the world is.  But I don't like it."  Robin finishes grumpily.

"I don't like it either, Robin." Julian takes her hand and squeezes it.  "I have made enough -- questionable decisions -- in my own life to understand whereof you speak. And even those decisions which seem clearly right at the time can have unforeseeable consequences. All we can do is the best we can with the knowledge we have at the time, and live as honorably as we can with the results of our deeds. I know this is cold comfort, but I will not offer you soft lies. I have found from bitter experience that the truth is better with our nearest and dearest."

"Thanks, Dad."  She bumps him comfortingly with her shoulder as she returns his hand squeeze.  "I prefer it that way too."
            "I-I guess... I'm worried that my... fears about all the consequences, about being wrong, are going to paralyze me.  Make me unable to make decisions when I need too.  Any advice on that one?"  Robin looks up into her father's eyes with a faltering smile and green eyes swimming with love.

"Only this: there are moments where hesitation in deciding can be fatal. When all your choices are bad, none of them are worth your life. Even if you regret the consequences of your choice, it is better to live and mend them than it is to die with the work undone, passing the choice to others who may heed those consequences less than you. It is a thought that has consoled me more than once as I have worked to cure the ills my own folly has created," Julian says. There's a trace of lightness in his tone, but he is serious.

"Yeah."  Robin nods, the faint hint of a smile crooking the corner of her mouth.  "I can see that.  I... earlier, when I was facing Vianis, I thought to myself, 'If I kill this bitch, I'm going to set off who knows how many deadman traps.  *But* she won't be around to direct them.  *And* after all the fireworks all down, she won't be around to start any new issues."
            "I guess that kind of works in reverse too, doesn't it?  If I stay alive, I'll hopefully have a better handle on whatever fires I started, right?  Instead of leaving of legacy of yuck to some other poor bastard."  The girl cocks an eyebrow to her father to make sure she's understanding.

"It is a thought that has kept me alive more than once," Julian answers. "I cannot give up my duties so easily."
            He glances up to the stars overhead. "But this is dark talk for a beautiful night in Arden. Let us speak of lighter things, or perhaps there is a whistle in Totter's gear."  He arches his eyebrows invitingly at his daughter.

"Deal." Robin says with a firm nod and a smile, putting her fears behind her for at least this night.
            "Hey Totter!  You up for a duel?"  The Ranger laughs.  Pursing her lips, Robin lifts a trilling coruscant of high-spirited notes up to the tree tops in friendly challenge.

Whistled notes come back, and soon Robin and Totter are engaged in making music. Occasionally Julian joins them, adding his voice to the duo.

The next morning Robin's green eyes blink to consciousness among the green dappled shadows of Arden.  The light scent of the banked coals is a faint whisper against the dew enriched odor of life that surrounds her.  A natural happy smile lines the girl's face as she rouses.  Then the weight of the day settles about her.  But even that cannot completely dim her enjoyment of being amidst her woods once more.
            Rolling out of her bedroll, Robin rises, stretches and looks around at her.  A few quick tugs get her clothes back in order and brush off any larger sticks or leaves that might be clinging to her. Then on with the boots and the weapons belt.  Digging around in her pack, the Ranger brings forth a battered canteen for herself and a crisp green apple for Morgenstern, if he's about.

Morgenstern is indeed about, and the great grey horse comes to see what his master's daughter might find in her pockets for him.

Robin chuckles fondly under her breath as she offers the apple to her four-footed 'Uncle.'  And if he allows it, Robin will pat him fondly along the neck and shoulder as he eats.

Totter rises about the same time as Robin, and absents himself for morning ablutions and other tasks. Julian is nowhere to be seen, but he rises early, goes to bed late, and sleeps less than any other man or woman in a corps where hardiness is legendary. Morgenstern's presence and calm demeanor suggest that he's somewhere around and not in any danger.

Once Morgenstern is finished with his treat, Robin thumps him fondly once more and heads over to start the breakfast chores.  Once the fire is stoked, the water on to boil and everything else is in readiness, the Ranger sighs, wrinkles her nose in distaste and withdraws her Trump case.  Opening it, she rubs a bare thumb over Reid's image. Calling.

//Speak.// Reid intones under his breath to his contactor.

"It's Robin."  The Ranger says.  "Are you and Breeze alright?"
            She sits in Arden, the smoke from a low campfire drifting past her on the early morning air.

Reid is sitting in a pub at a table with three others gather around, sharing a meal. "It's Robin," he informs his party in a hushed voice.
            "Breeze?" Reid tries to place the name. "Oh, the person you passed through? He was still breathing last time I saw him, I think. I suppose all of him made it through to the castle. At least I didn't see any bits left behind. I had to deal with him quickly. Local constabulary types, while interrogating a wagon with two riders, don't take kindly to a third being introduced from out of thin air. I would check in with someone at the castle if you'd like to ascertain his current disposition, though."
            "Or, if you don't have a way to reach family back home, you could join us in Abford. Ossian, Marius and I seem to be invading the territory and perhaps abducting a possible new relative. We were thinking of inviting Dworkin." Despite his previous comments to his fellows, Reid seems pleased with the idea of bringing the whole family to Abford at once. It almost seems inevitable at this point.

Robin listens to Reid's recitation with an ironic smile.  A small flare of anger/indignation at the mention of Breeze's body parts is quickly subsumed into an wry appreciation of Reid's phrasing.
            "Thank you for your assistance on that."  /I owe you,/ drifts through her mind as well as an unvoiced apology for any difficulties her situation might have caused Reid in his own awkward situation.  "I can contact the Castle from here."  She shakes her head slightly in response to Reid's invitation.
            "Reid?..." the girl licks her lips.  Her eyes soften.  And through the Trump link comes an unguarded, almost agonizing, stab of sympathy and sadness for the poor SOB about to be inducted into the horror that is Amber and Family.
            "Never mind."  Robin clamps down her lips and her feelings hard.

"Now, now. It's been my experience that the process of one of us realizing that we're part of something bigger is far less painful than the alternative. At least she'll have a support group. We're not, for the most part, out for each others' blood anymore, and I can think of at least a few cousins who are more than capable of aiding in the transition and orientation," Reid suggests.

Images fly through Robin's mind a lightning fast flicker of kaleidoscopic images; a frenzy of flames and swords as her Uncles devour the lives of her blood-brothers, Brita being dragged by Death through a tear in the very air, horrible looming walls of stone tilting precariously upon the shredded cheesecloth of Reality, Bleys' amused snake-stare across a breakfast table, quickly packing as the drums warn of Caine's approach to the camp. 
            With screaming claws of mental effort, Robin pulls herself back from her own abyss.  Vere, wonderful brilliant light of reason.  Reid, patient, patient, patient.  Jovian, warm enfolding hug.  Aisling, fellow stranger in a strange land.   It's not much but it allows Robin to get out.
            "I should be going.  Is there a message you want sent to the Castle?"

"One moment." Reid asks his table of compatriots, "Any messages for the Castle? Robin's either heading home or, at least, checking in."

Robin waits, perhaps a little less than patiently.

Reid tells Robin, "No messages. Ossian sends his love." Reid anticipates the fluster and confusion this will cause Robin, but decides not to let her off easily. Or maybe he does... "Don't hesitate to contact me again if you have further concerns. My door is always open, as it were."

Ossian... her nomad who enjoys dancing with women bearing steel.  Flustered and confused about covers Robin's reaction.  To both the name and Reid's further courtesies.

And with that, Reid breaks the connection.

The Ranger blinks a little as her mind returns to the verdancy around herself.  A minor curse sparks from her lips, lacking in any real power.  Damn cards.
            Shaking herself, Robin gets on with the business of making breakfast.  Even though Totter a damn sight better at it than herself, she still can't let him shoulder *all* of the chores.  Besides, her fluttering hands need something to do.

Totter provides something that, with work, makes breakfast. About the time breakfast is ready, the Warden of Arden appears. He looks not exactly tired, but certainly he has expended some effort doing something from the way he moves and the precise but speedy manner in which he inhales his breakfast.

Robin gulps down her meal as well, not eager to break the wonderful companionable silence of the forest morning.  Though she does mention to Julian around a mouthful that she got ahold of Reid, and that he reported moving Breeze on to the Castle.

Julian does his share of cleanup and soon the three rangers are ready to move on. Three horses are present: Morgenstern, Totter's horse, and a new one for Robin. She doesn't think that it's the only thing that Julian did, but certainly it was on the list.
            The trio rides back to the east, out of the heart of Arden. The day is sunny and the ride is pleasant. After several hours of riding, not long before Robin expects to stop for a quick midday meal, something strange and frightening happens.
            Robin doesn't see it so much as hear it and feel it. There's a sudden scream of pain and rage that Robin can't fix a locus for before it's over, and a sudden gust of hurricane-strength wind that threatens to buffet her off the backside of her horse. She hears Morgenstern's answering scream and, out of the corner of her eye, sees the great grey stallion rear.
            Then it's over and the horses have halted in their tracks. Julian is leaning forward and shielding his eyes from the sunlight like he has a splitting headache of some sort, probably the mate to the one Robin suddenly feels coming on. Totter, by contrast, just looks confused.
            "Robin, are you all right?" Julian asks.

"In the saddle, sir.  But hurtin'."  Robin's voice sounds faint and fuzzy to herself as she fingers one throbbing ear.  "What was *that*?"
            In her heart, the Ranger wonders if that was what it was like when the Pattern split.  To those... on the outside that is.

"I'm not quite sure," Julian answers her, slowly and precisely.

Totter is looking around anxiously. "What was *what*?" he asks Julian.

Julian looks up sharply, then winces. "You didn't sense it?"

"No, Warden."

Julian's expression grows grim. "I mislike this. Let's dismount and investigate, and take a little willowbark before we start moving again." He swings one long leg over Morgenstern's flank and carefully lowers himself to the ground.

Robin accepts Julian's aid as she gingerly slides out of the saddle.  Her balance seems to be a little off as she fights to keep from tipping forward.  Or backward.  Or to the side.  Slowly the rush in her ears is being replaced with a ringing sound to go with her headache.  The Ranger finds herself unconsciously shrugging her shoulders up and rubbing her ears against them.
            Despite the pain, Robin checks in with the blue fire in her veins.  Still there?

Whatever it was doesn't seem to have moved them out of Arden.

"Totter," Julian says, "Willowbark for Robin and me. A lot of it."

"Yes, Warden." And Totter produces some, and a canteen with water to wash it down.

Not riding sounds like a very good idea for the next little while, and after some discussion, Julian and Totter decide it's time for a lunch break. Totter goes to work preparing a little lunch, and Julian sits.

Robin works on getting the bark and the water into herself.  And not moving around a whole lot.  After a while, the girl's natural restlessness gets to her and she starts whistling quietly to herself.  Something abstractly tuneful, that speaks of the place they are at.  Horses stepping gently or blowing to themselves as they graze, the wind lightly dancing through the foliage, sunlight -- gentle sunlight! -- dappling through the shifting boughs overhead, Rangers sitting around quietly in the sleepy afternoon, the drone of insects, the little scurryings of underleaf mammals, soft wingbeats both high and low... Arden.  Home and happiness.

Julian also takes his time ingesting the medicine. At one point Robin sees him wince and bow his head, but when Totter stops to come to his aid, Julian waves him off. "Trump," he says to Robin. Robin thinks it would be painful to try to take a contact, and painful to try to block it. In any case, the attempted contact is not repeated.

His daughter nods at the aside with a quick flick of a distasteful tongue.  Of all the things to deal with when one is feeling icky already.

Julian and Robin are both made of stern stuff, and by the time Totter sorts out their lunch, both are of them are ready and able to eat.  Lunch is a quiet affair, except for Robin's little tunes, and afterward Julian takes her aside.
            "Are you ready to ride again? I find myself worried about that Trump contact. I was cautious and blocked it, but now I feel certain that it had something to do with that--power--we experienced. I think we should get back to the nearest post as quickly as possible."

The Ranger nods.  Riding she can do, as well as whatever else is needed.  Mentally Robin gears herself up for horrendous consequences.  Shit like that doesn't whip through the wind without there being some serious cleanup afterwards.

The nod reminds Robin that her head still isn't in perfect shape, but she's still much better off than she was before. Julian measures her expression as he asks, "I could contact one of my brothers instead. Or perhaps we could use one of your Trumps, if you have any of your cousins."

Robin steadies herself from where her nod has unbalanced her stance with a muttered "Shit."
            "Do you think we can get from the Castle to No-Sun quicker than to Brousailles from here?"  She asks.
            "I mean, now that Breeze and Adonis are out, I'd really like to take a stab at snagging Fur and Fang.  But I'm guessing all I'd make right now is a great cat-toy.  And you're right, we need to find out what the Scream was about."

"Perhaps I should send you ahead to the Castle and I should ride to Brousailles. If I am needed in the Castle, you can call me, or give me any news. And when I reach Brousailles, I can give whatever orders are needed and join you at the Castle--or you can contact me to return, and we can proceed to No-Sun from there." Julian waits to see what Robin thinks of this suggestion.

The Ranger wrinkles her nose and sticks out her tongue quickly at the thought of returning to the Castle.  But after, a mildly pained wince of acknowledgement to her headache, she shrugs agreement.  It's a good division of labor and allows her father to get his daughter somewhere *he* at least considers safe while getting the information he needs.  And maybe, just maybe, she can help Adonis as opposed to getting them both in deeper trouble or having yet a different over-the-top emotionfest with her brother.  And there's Breeze to check in on too.  That's a good and three ands so...
            "Okay.  I don't have a Card of anyone at the Castle, though."

"I have a card of the Castle," Julian answers. He pulls his deck from a pouch and begins to shuffle through it.

"K."  Robin stands, almost straight, gets her gear together, dusts herself off.  And tries to... well, mental centering has never worked for the Ranger.  So instead, she lets her thoughts flutter a little more freely so that she won't tense up at the joy of being passed through the Damn Cards with a headache like the one she's packing.

Julian finds the card and takes it in hand. "Be safe," he tells Robin, and embraces her for a moment.

Robin returns the embrace, gently -- for her -- given the fact that they're both still hurting.  "Love you, Dad.  Be safe too."  She murmurs into his ear.  Then thumps him lightly on the upper arm as she reluctantly releases him.

Then he concentrates on the card and passes Robin through.