Oooggg!  Icky.  Just as bad as she thought it would be.

She finds herself at the Castle gate, still outside the wall. The portcullis is open, but the guards are on high alert. Robin can tell by the way their crossbows are pointed at her. "Halt! Who goes there? And who sent you?" one of them calls down from the parapet.

The Ranger stumbles slightly as the relocation pounds through her.  Still, she manages to hold her arms out to her sides, well away from her weapons and showing her peaceful intentions.
            "Robin of Arden.  Sent by the Warden."  She returns the hail, wincing at the loudness of her own voice as she lists back to center.
            A dark part of her chuckles.  Yep, tighter than a bug's ass.  Good thing she told Daeon not to try and sneak in here.

The guards confer for a moment. "Prince Martin will want to see you."  They gesture her in through the gate and two guards fall into step with her, as much guarding from her as guarding her.

Robin frowns, shades of her first meeting with Prince Martin running through her head.  But then, as now, she has no intention of arguing with the Prince.  And so she steps through the gate.
            When the two guards step in place around her, the Ranger's frown deepens.  And in the depths of her never-peaceful mind, an oil-slick glimmer of fear wonders just what kind of Amber she's 'returned' to this time.

From inside the room there comes the sound of an official type knock at the door.

Cambina goes to the door and opens it.

Outside in the hall is one scowling Robin, carefully allowing herself to be watched by two of the Castle guard.

Cambina looks back at the others, and ushers Robin into the room, sending the guards on their way. Her expressions is concerned and somewhat disconcerted. Martin is standing with his hand on the back of a chair, dressed as formally as Robin has ever seen him except for the coronation and the masquerade. He looks like he'd like to get out of those itchy clothes, and his expression is grim.
            Solange and Brennan are also present. There's a generous spread of cold meats, cheeses and bread on a side table. Someone has been digging into it.

Solange is dressed in court attire. Her hair is shorter than Robin remembers, closer to Robin's own length. She closes her eyes when she sees Robin, taking a few seconds to compose herself.

Brennan is the one popping the second half of a ham-swiss-ham roll in his mouth when Robin enters.  Rather oddly, he's dressed in a black silk robe, black and red silk pants, and has one-- but only one-- of his blade in a swordbelt buckled over the whole thing.  There's a change of clothes in his colors sitting on a table behind him.
            When he looks up and sees it's Robin at the door and coming in, his eyes lock on hers and he stops chewing for a long moment.  Then he chews rapidly and swallows, expecting to need his mouth clear.  He sends a lot of glances around the room, but without the prior context of the conversation, they might not be Robin-decipherable.
            The first, to Martin:  Aw, crap.
            The second, to Solange:  You?  Me?  Martin?  Cambina?
            What should be clear even without context, is that he's not looking forward to what comes next.

Solange's return look at Brennan is very direct: Me. I will do this.

Martin comes to greet Robin, his expression also turning concerned as he approaches. "Robin. We've been worried about you and your father.  Are both of you all right?"

As the Ranger enters the room, the observant can notice that she's slightly off-balance.  Literally.  The girl is leaning a little as though having difficulty finding her center of gravity.
            As her bright green eyes track the various looks and takes around the room, her brow furrows.  Brennan and Solange, both back, and eye-talking.  Has something happened to Brita?  Robin's brow furrows even further.  Cambina disconcerted and Martin solicitous.  What's going on?  Dammit!  She still has a bit of a hush where her Hearing should be.  So the girl guesses that she'd just better ask.
            She starts to nod in response to Martin's question, then thinks better of it with a wince.  "We're okay, sir, though we definitely felt it.  Still a bit head-achey.  And... bedazzled."  Robin has trouble finding the word and waves a hand by her ear in way of demonstration.   "What happened?"
            Her voice is slightly louder than it strictly needs to be.

Solange cuts in before Martin can answer. She turns to Martin and says,  "Sir, may I take Robin aside and explain things?" She gestures to the side room she just came from.

A momentary flicker of emotion passes over Martin's face at Solange's use of the formality, but he hold's Solange's gaze and, seeing that she is determined, he nods his assent. "If either of you need me, or if you have to contact--anyone--I'll be here," he tells Solange.

Solange nods her thanks.

His hand comes up as if to offer a reassuring touch to one or the other of the women, and ends up uselessly suspended in space.

Robin watches the currents around her, her brow furrow faltering away to a look of sheer bewilderment.  Martin's aborted gesture brings a -- gentle and slow -- nod of acknowledgment.  While far more 'touchy-feely' than the Prince, Robin understands and sympathizes with the limits of her more reticent kin in that regard.

Already preoccupied by the forthcoming conversation, Solange turns from Martin and looks significantly at Robin. Come with me? her expression asks.

Meeting her stranger-sister's eyes, Robin nods again.  Whatever's going on, between Martin, Brennan and Cambina, this is not a good time to raise a stink. She starts moving in the general direction of the door, her pacing still a little loose-jointed and off.

Brennan realizes that he has little or no place in the conversation that's about to happen.  Assuming Robin goes with Solange and passes close enough, Brennan says with a firm but surprisingly gentle touch to Robin's shoulder, what Martin had said with words.
            It probably doesn't do any good, either.

Brennan's touch brings a start of surprise from Robin but then she covers his hand with her own in thanks.  Green eyes meet blue ones in confused acceptance.... of whatever.  With a final pat, the Ranger moves off to whatever fate seems to await her.

Cambina has a glass of whiskey that she's produced from somewhere, and she hands it to Martin, but it doesn't quite disguise the unnaturalness of the gesture as he steps  back and lets the two women pass him as they go to the side chamber.

As the door closes behind Robin and Solange, Cambina tells Martin reassuringly, "You did the right thing."

Martin glares balefully at his drink. "Then why do I feel like such a s**t?"

As Martin's words are cut off by the closing door, Robin looks at Solange with eyes shifting from bewilderment to resigned fear.  "Solange?  Am I under arrest?"
            The Ranger knew this day would come, but the actual proximity of Amber's dungeons terrifies her.

Solange blinks, caught completely off-guard. "Under arrest? Gods, no..." The noise escaping her throat is some cross between a strangled cry and a choked laugh, and she wishes regretfully that she'd taken Martin up on the offer of a drink.
            Taking a deep breath, Solange knits her fingers together and holds them loosely in front of her. She looks up at her half-sister and holds her gaze. "Robin, Adonis is dead."

"WHAT?!?"  Robin's yell is probably loud enough to be heard through the door.  And by the way the girl immediately grabs her head, she already regrets the outburst.

"You all right? Robin?"

"Headache."  She grits out through clenched teeth before looking back up at Solange.

"H-how?  Show me!"  Robin's green eyes are tearing up even as she clumsily shoves her way toward the door.  'Can't be.  It can't be,' her soul murmurs to herself.  She worked so hard, armored him with love, warned him, taught him... "can't be."

Solange positions herself between Robin and the door. "There is no body to see," she replies gently. "Robin, please...sit down and let me tell you what happened."

Robin's face crumples.  She doesn't want to push through Solange.  And beyond Solange are Martin, Brennan and Cambina.  And beyond them, the damn maze of the Castle itself.
            The girl's body follows her face and Robin half-falls into a sitting position on the floor, right where she was previously standing.  (Solange would remember from previous encounters and seeing Robin around the Castle, that Robin is not all that wed to using furniture.  Even under the best of circumstances.  It's her Ranger heritage showing through.)
            "Wh-what happened?"  She looks up, her face already growing blotchy.  Robin is not a pretty crier.

Solange kneels beside Robin, then sinks down to sit on her ankles. She rests her hands in her lap and gazes at Robin sympathetically.
            "As near as I can piece together," Solange tells her, "Adonis's grandmother psychically possessed a Ranger and two castle servants and Paige's two children. It's believed that the attack was against the children. Brita and Conner tracked the Ranger to Paige's quarters. When I arrived..."
            Solange pauses and swallows, remembering all the blood. It's not a detail necessary to the story now, however.
            "Soon after I arrived, the grandmother left the five and entered Adonis. There was a struggle for control, which it appears Adonis won. I trumped Father, intending to send people through to be examined. That was when...that was when Adonis poured brandy over himself and stepped into the fire. Brita tried to stop him, but he burned too quickly. It was all over in half a minute."

Public self-immolation.... a dark part of Robin nods.  That sounds like her brother.
            However it's a different part of her that asks, "Was anyone else hurt?"
            A terrific snort-snuffle is indulged in as Robin wipes her running nose on her sleeve.

Solange conveniently finds a handkerchief in the folds of her dress and hands it to her half-sister.
            "Brita was burned," she answers Robin, "but she'll recover. The two servants are dead. The Ranger and Paige's children seemed mostly coherent when they went through the trump to Father.
            "I tried to trump Uncle Julian right after, but I couldn't get through.  He was there, but not answering."

"Headache."  Robin explains.  The girl eyes the cloth in Solange's hand for a moment without comprehension.  A little 'oh' light goes off in her eyes.  She takes the handkerchief, blows her nose and wipes her eyes with the other side.

Solange narrows her eyes in concern. "Yes, you mentioned to Martin that you both had headaches when you came in. After...well, after Adonis finished burning, there was a whoosh of energy that rushed through the room. I hear a cry and I almost lost my trump connection. Perhaps you're feeling the after effects of that. If it continues, I would strongly suggest letting Father take a look at you."

"The Scream didn't hurt you then?"  Robin looks at her sister in confusion.  "Or anyone else?"

Solange shakes her head slowly. "It didn't affect me. I haven't heard that anyone else was affected, either."

"Anything else?" Robin still has tears streaming down her face, a red nose, blotchy cheeks, etc. and she is shaking, but she is also obviously gearing herself up for something that requires calm.

Solange reaches out and takes Robin's hand, wanting to offer comfort.  "No, nothing much else after that. Just cleaning things up." She pauses. "We still need to inform Uncle Julian and Jovian. Do you think your father will take a trump call now?"

"From me, yeah.  I need to report right away."  Robin starts to nod again and then stops with a wince.  She looks down at her hand within Solange's, then back up to her sister's eyes, a little wondering.
            Suddenly Solange is enveloped in a rather messy hug.  "Thanks, Solange."

Solange smiles and returns the hug. "I'm glad to see you again, but I'm very sorry it was under such dire circumstances." She breaks and sits back, studying her half-sister. "Would you like me to tell Uncle Julian?" she asks Robin softly.

"No.  But if you could stay nearby in case he has any questions?"  Robin can't bring herself to smile at this time so she contents herself with a look of gratitude.

Solange nods. "Of course."

Then she disengages herself from Solange and reaches into an interior pocket to withdraw her Trump case.  It is made of intricately carved dark wood and hinged into two opening wings.

Solange pauses and looks up at Robin strangely. "When you first came in here, you thought you were being arrested. Why would you think that?  What have you been doing?" She smiles, and Robin can see Solange is half-teasing, half-serious.

"Uhhhhh..."  The Ranger squirms guiltily.  "Guards," she murmurs.
            "And I've been good since the oath, Solange.  Really.  It's just... before that.... dark days..." Robin turns away.  She can't meet the eyes of the former council member and first liaison to the Rangers.

Seeing that she's making Robin uncomfortable, Solange changes the subject. "Martin wanted to be present when we contact your father," she reminds Robin. "Are you ready to go back in?"

"He did?  Verde."  Robin curses dispiritedly.  With a shrug, she snorts and wipes herself back together.  Slowly -- and somewhat painfully -- the girl hauls herself to her feet.  "Guess so."

Solange rises as well. "I take it you'd rather not have Martin present?" she asks curiously.

Robin peeks at her sister from behind innocent eyes.  And decides to edge a little more into the light.  "Yep.  But my druthers don't count where his are involved."  She doesn't sound mad about that, just resigned.

Solange smiles. "May I ask why?" Her expression is not condemning, merely inquisitive.

The Ranger's brow furrows, almost like she can't quite believe that's a serious question.
            "He's...." Robin spreads her hands a little helplessly, "he's alpha.  Driven, focused... dangerous.  And since I'm not, it's better if I stay out of his way."  She shrugs, knowing she's not explaining it well.  "I ain't saying he's wrong.  And I ain't saying he's bad.  I just..." She shrugs again.

"It's all right," Solange says, taking her sister's arm in hers and leading her toward the door. "Let's go and get this over with."

"'K." Robin twines her arm around Solange and might, just might, be leaning on her sister a little as her slightly wobbly steps head for the door.

When they open the door into the main chamber, Solange and Robin see that Brennan and Cambina have departed. Martin is alone, pacing, and more of the lunch on the side-table has vanished.
            He comes forward to meet Solange and Robin, gauging things by their
respective demeanors. "Robin, please accept the condolences of the Crown on your loss, and my own."

"Thank you, Your Highness... and Martin."  Robin's brow furrows a little as she tries to figure that one out.  She's still somewhat disoriented but if Martin's going to talk as two people, she supposes she can answer him that way.  It's not *that* far of a stretch, considering both of her brothers are... were multiple souled.
            The girl's eyes are liquid and red.  Her cheeks are flushed and her nose is blotchy as she stammers out,  "I-I need to report to my father... and Jove."

Solange fishes out Julian's trump--still on top of her deck from trying to contact him earlier--and hands it wordlessly to Robin.

The Ranger looks somewhat surprised but takes the Trump with a grateful nod.  And a somewhat finicky touch.

"Of course," Martin says in the sort of reassuring tone Robin might use with a skittish hawk.
            "I'll be here to do anything you and  your father need, and if there's not a trump of your brother to hand, we should have a sketch of him in the trump booth. If you need something to steady your nerves, I can fetch it." A wordless glance extends the offer to Solange.

Solange nods. "That would be welcome, thanks."

Martin's tone brings a rueful tug to one corner of Robin's mouth.  Yes, she is being skittish, but she doesn't know any other way to be under the circumstances.  So she just nods.  And winces.  She's *got* to stop doing that!
            "I... uh, have a sketch of Jovian with me.  Guess this counts as an emergency.  Do... do you know if you can use them more than once?" she asks the room in general.

Martin says over his shoulder as he moves to the bar and pours three stiff drinks, "It depends on the sketch and how long the artist spends making it.  Sometimes they last through several uses, but if you leave them long enough, they can go bad without you ever trying them."
            He returns to the women with three tumblers of strong whiskey, offering one each to Solange and Robin.

"K."  Robin drawls in thought.  Then looks up in surprise at the glass Martin is offering.  The corner of her mouth tightens again, not quite a smile, and for some reason the thought of firewood dashes through her already scattered thoughts.
            Robin's eyes are warm beneath the wet as she takes the tumbler.  Not waiting for a toast -- please Green no! -- the Ranger kicks back her whiskey in one chug.  Certainly not respecting it the way she should, but definitely using it as needed.

Pausing while lifting her own tumbler to her lips, Solange watches Robin slug hers back, impressed.

Martin takes a long drink from his, but doesn't match Robin's pace.

"Thank you," she murmurs to Martin the person as she wipes her mouth on the back of her hand.  Then sniffling and straightening, she holds up her father's Trump and gazes into its cool image.

Solange takes the empty tumbler from Robin and smiles in quiet amusement at Martin. She gestures to Martin with a small flick of her head and a raising of her eyebrows, wondering if he'd like to take a few steps away and give Robin a little privacy.

[Oh, would he like to. Sadly, that's not in the job description.]
            Martin shakes his head, frowning, as he puts down his glass. But he doesn't touch Robin in any way that would draw him into the forming contact.

Solange nods in acknowledgment. Inappropriate to start a conversation with Martin, and not wanting to stare at Robin, she slides her attention down to study the tips of her shoes, her drink temporarily forgotten. A part of her is relieved Robin offered to tell Julian about Adonis's death, but another part of her feels guilty that she wasn't more insistent to do it herself to spare Robin the trauma.

The contact opens after a brief delay where Robin can feel her father but he hasn't turned his full attention to her yet. When she can see him, Julian is sitting astride Morgenstern. Concern washes across his slightly-too-pale face as he takes in Robin's condition. "Robin. What news?" His tone suggests he's bracing for the worst.

Robin delivers it like the Ranger she is.  "Solange reports from inference that Adonis' grandmother possessed a Ranger, two of the Castle staff and Paige's children.  From eyewitness she reports that she, Brita, Conner and Adonis were involved.  The possessor left the other four and entered Adonis.  They fought within Adonis.  Adonis took control and... immolated h-himself."
            Fire, fire.  Robin remembers her brother's rhymes when last they faced the Dragon's creature.  Her lip quivers but she keeps speaking despite the water filling her eyes.
            "Brita was injured trying to extinguish him, but was... unsuccessful.  Solange reports a Scream accompanied his death, but indicates that none here were injured by it.  She reports that the Ranger and Paige's kids are with Gerard. Staff dead."
            Robin finds herself gulping air as her heart screams out to her father.

Solange suddenly remembers the drink in her hand. She turns partly away to gaze out the window and gulps it.

Solange catches Martin doing the same thing as she turns away.

Through the contact, Robin can feel her father's shock, horror, and sudden white-hot rage. He extends his hand and says, "Bring me through."

"Yes, sir." The Ranger's voice is clipped and professional.  And the hand that she extends to her father is as strong and steady as she can make it.

Julian steps through and draws his daughter into his arms.

Solange turns toward them but her eyes suddenly mist over at the tender embrace. Lest anyone notice, she once again drops her gaze to study her shoes.

Robin cradles herself into her father's embrace, hugging him back as hard as she can.  Her face is hidden against his chest, but her shoulders are shaking with silent sobs.

Julian holds Robin close long enough for her to master herself and stop crying. His own face, which Solange can see over Robin's if she looks up again, could be carved from stone. There's something a little wild in Julian's eyes and his jaw is set in a way that bodes ill for someone.
            Martin has his trump deck out and is flipping through it for a card. If he can get Solange's attention, he mouths "Caine!" at her. Martin's expression is by no means panicked, but he's clearly worried.

Solange nods and turns partially away from Julian and Robin to flip through her trump deck and bring out Uncle Caine's card. She concentrates on it, seeking to establish a contact.

When Robin has calmed enough to be rational, Julian releases her and says, "Jovian must know." He pulls out a sketch of Jovian from a belt pouch and unrolls it, concentrating on it to make contact.

Despite her tears, Robin gets herself under what passes for control with her.   Julian's posture, his voice... still on duty.  This is not the time.  She nods and steps away from his embrace.
            An enormous snort and another swipe at eyes and nose has Robin merely blotchy and moist as opposed to sopping.  It seems as though she's caught some of Julian's wildness as well, for a hard eerie green is beginning to burn in her eyes.

Martin has found whatever trump he's looking for and is using it.

Evidently the card Martin was using was Fiona's, because first Brennan steps through and then Fiona.  He nods to Martin, but says nothing.

Martin nods back, but keeps silent. He puts his trumps away by feel; his attention is on Julian and Robin.

Brennan sees Julian; opens his mouth to say something, then sees him looking down at a Trump; works out who Julian is likely to be calling, and looks down, briefly.  He settles for a position behind Fiona, waiting for the next arrivals.

There is a moment before Caine accepts the contact from Solange, after which he accepts it fully. "Solange. What is it?"

"Uncle Julian is here in Amber. Martin requests your presence," she replies succinctly, extending her hand.

Caine draws in a breath, and his eyes widen. "Bleys!" he says to someone outside Solange's field of vision. "Julian's here!" He takes Solange's hand and at the same time takes Bleys', and both of them are in the contact, then they're in the room.

Meanwhile, Julian's trump contact seems to have been successful.  "Jovian," he says, by way of greeting. "Your brother is dead. Come through." He extends a hand, as if to draw Jovian through.

There's suddenly a lot of Trumpy-style appearances happening, and it's evident that Robin is not all that happy about it.  Her brow furrows and her eyes are starting to move around the growing crowd suspiciously.  She's not mantling yet, but there's a definite fluff to her feathers.

Suddenly Jovian is standing in the room, too. Julian thrusts the trump in his belt, stroking Robin's hair with his free hand. He looks up to see the suddenly-crowded room and says in a voice as harsh as a hawk's cry, "Clear this room so I may speak with my children."

Martin steps up between Julian and his children on one side and Brennan and Solange and the other recent arrivals on the other. "I'm afraid I can't do that," he says, without a trace of apology in his voice. "Not until I have your word that you will remain in the castle until you have the King's leave to depart."

With respect and regret, Brennan follows Martin's lead rather than Julian's command.  He wears the casual wariness of a man who doesn't really expect trouble... but just can't afford to take the chance.
            In the midst of all the Trump-flashes, he's quietly moved to a position where he can step in front of Fiona, if need be.  He remains there.

Bleys falls in with him, his stance casual, but Brennan doesn't doubt Werewindle would be out in a flash if anything went wrong. Behind the two redheaded men, Robin and Jovian can see Fiona, perhaps the slightest trifle amused by all the masculine posturing. Then her gaze falls on Julian again, and her expression softens.

Solange stands where she is, tacitly offering support for Martin's position, her expression carefully neutral.

Caine stays with Solange.

Bleys!  It's only her father's hand in her hair that keeps Robin from hissing as the Prince Trumps into the room.  But her eyes narrow despite herself.
            Tearing her glare away, Robin greets her brother with eyes that are red-rimmed and green burning.  There's too many of them in here.  Even with the hush where her Hearing should be, there's too many.  Can't they feel the cheese-cloth world straining beneath their feet?  Soon the walls will tumble and, and, and....
            The Ranger swallows.  And forces herself *not* to step into a flanking position beside and behind Julian.  *Not* to keep her hands loose near her weapons.  *Not* to mantle.  But she's just waiting for the fight or flight command from her father.

In front of all these others, Jovian is as motionless and impassive as if he were carved of stone.

Julian looks at the suddenly impressive array of family behind Martin and his eyes narrow slightly. "You have my word that I will speak with Random ere I leave. I assume you will be contacting him  at once, nephew?"
 
Now that he's gotten his way, Martin is all easy grace. "As soon as I can brief him on what my aunt and my uncles have learned, I will do so.  In the meantime, the Crown extends its condolences on your loss." He turns, affording himself a good look at both camps. "Let us withdraw," he suggests to the redheads and Caine and Solange, "and let our kin mourn in privacy."  And he moves toward the door.

As they file out of the room, Bleys, Fiona, and Caine all stop to murmur quiet words of condolence to Julian.

As they pass close by, they may notice a certain tension in Jovian's jaw, a hard containment to his expression about the eyes. If the elders direct a look or word his way, he acknowledges with the barest nod - the most perceptive may realize that thus far, he does not trust himself to react further.

Before Brennan leaves, he aims for a moment of eye contact with Jovian.  There's no point in saying anything, but Brennan does nothing to disguise his own sympathy or even his grief from Jovian.

Solange slips into file behind her aunt and uncles, waiting her turn.  When it comes, she snaps to attention in front of Uncle Julian.
            "Sir, I was an eye witness to the events. Please feel free to contact me if you require further...elaboration. My condolences to all of you on your loss." Solange is crisp, all business, falling back on her Ranger training.

"Thank you. I shall speak with you later," Julian replies.

She nods somberly to Julian and her two cousins, then follows the others through the door. Once past the doorway, she steps off to the side, sighs deeply, and finishes off her drink.

Brennan leaves as well, staying relatively close to the Elder Redheads in the crowd.

One by one as the others leave, Robin's tension settles away.  She returns Solange's nod with a gentle incline of her own head, but is still too... well, freaked to do much more.
            Once the door is closed, the girl draws a deep shuddering breath.  Too close, *way* too close!  She has *got* to find a way to deal.  But not right now.  Right now,  things are needing to get done.  The Ranger turns her eyes toward her father.

Julian, meanwhile, turns his attention to Jovian. "The Dragon assaulted the Castle by means of  possession, and spread its taint among the servants. The goal was presumably to remove Paige's children to Arcadia. Adonis interfered and Dragon possessed him instead. Adonis regained control of himself and immolated himself," he says, not sparing his son the details.

Jovian winces, his eyes tightly shut, but holds silent.

"As you heard, Solange was a witness. Robin and I encountered what I now suspect was psychic backlash from the incident in Arden. I sent her to investigate and she learned the details and called me to the Castle.  We then contacted you."
            The rote repetition of the story seems to have given Julian time to master his temper.

"He got what he wanted," Jovian murmurs, shaking his head slowly, looking down.  "But not the way he expected it. I suppose I own a piece of this," he adds, meeting his father's eyes. "Some of the things I said to him...probably prodded him up the mountain."
            His expression, now that he's letting it show, is stricken - but a resigned calm is already taking hold.

Robin shakes her head, *gently!* as she speaks to the floor.  "No.... no.  *No* one should borrow any guilt for this.  Daeon was an adult.  His choice.  Better to honor that choice than live in 'would-have, could-have, should-have.'" 
            She presses her lips together, remembering that the last time she said something like that she was told that she was being naive and didn't understand.  That still might be true, but... there are train-wrecks ahead.

Julian strokes Robin's arm lightly as he responds to Jovian. "It doesn't matter now what we did or didn't do. Robin is right--as little as we would have it so, your brother chose this in the end. If I had urged him to take the Pattern more strongly, perhaps he would have lived, and his children been taken. Or perhaps he would have perished in flames as Mirelle did. We cannot know." He takes in a long breath, lets it out. "All we can do now is move forward."
            Julian's eyes come to rest on Robin. He looks at her for a long moment, and both Jovian and Robin can see him come to a decision. "I have a new task for you, Robin. If we are to destroy the dragon before it kills another of our kin, we must be better prepared. The methods I have tried in the past have failed me. You must leave Arden, and find out how the dragon may be slain."

A deep frown pulls at the girl's lips but Robin nods her acceptance.  She knows she hasn't been able to keep her eyes on the prize in Arden, what with all the Goddess-cousins talking so politely and brothers pleading for their children and stuff.  And ever since she asked her father to stand by his side when his children fought one another, she's suspected that she might not be the one to fight this war.  No matter how she wanted or didn't want to.
            But the Dragon?  Robin's eyes narrow.  She's pretty sure she can keep her hate pure in that direction.
            "Do you have a vector, sir?  Or at least a no-go synopsis?"  Something - anything - to do, instead of wailing about Daeon.

Jovian holds himself taut, taking in what Robin and his father have said without real reaction. Processing all this is for another time - Julian's focus on forward action lets his son retain his own. He seems for a moment about to add something, but with Julian's warnings ringing in his ears, the dragonrider waits.

Julian looks deep into Robin's eyes. "I had thought--as we discussed--that you might start with the priestesses of the Isles, and go from there wherever your discoveries lead you."

Robin's eyes fly open in surprise and, despite the horrible, horrible day, a flare of joy shoots skyward therein.  Vere!
            Then the avalanche of thought hits the girl square in the forehead.  Is her father trying to get her out of Arden?  To protect her?  Or to shield her from something final he intends? Can poor Gerard and Vere's homeland take anymore of her heavy wingbeats?  Mother's ghost?  Gulls for priestesses, upsetting an ancient order just 'cause Robin can be snotty about things?  The Dragons are in Danu too!  And she's missed Canareth.  But will Arden still be there when she gets back?  After Danu, what?  Corwin?!?  Ick-ptui!
            About there, Robin decides she's had enough thinking.  With a fierce ruffle and a quiet self-annoyed squawk, the girl shakes herself and nods to her father.
            "Yessir."

The corner of Julian's mouth quirks up, and he looks, if not happy, satisfied.

"Dad..." Jovian starts, not without discomfort - but this time it's discomfort for Julian, not for himself. His own reactions are locked in, put firmly in a quiet corner by the Warden's own forward thinking. "While Robin's about that, well...the way things are going in the Isles, I have some downtime. I could contact Reid and see if his father told him anything of use from Finndo's time as Warden. And, I suppose--" He shrugs, as if it's no big deal either way. "I could contact Corwin as well, if you'll lend me your Trump of him."

Julian fishes out his card deck and shuffles Corwin's card to the top, passing it to Jovian. "The role of dragonslayer is one for which Corwin is neither interested nor fit. But he may have some useful insights to offer amidst tales of his exploits. Reid will probably be more forthcoming, but his information is likely to be second-hand."

Jovian takes the card and closes his eyes briefly.  "I need to get back to Canareth, Dad.  He'll be worried."

"Of course," Julian replies, only the faintest of lines around the edges of his mouth betraying the loss that marks a dragonless man when he speaks of dragons. "Clear skies."

Jovian sways slightly.  "It's like being drunk, with none of the upside."  He looks at Robin and smiles.  "I'll tell Vere you're coming."

"Thank you, Jove."  Robin manages a smile back to her hero brother.
            Suddenly the girl throws herself on Jovian, squeezing him tightly, despite the pain.  Tears leak out of her eyes once more as she whispers in his ear, "Don't hold it in too long, braveheart.  It'll kill you if you do."
            With a pat on the arm, she steps back to let her brother go.
   
Jovian turns and heads out of the room and off towards the trump booth.  When the door closes behind him, Julian turns his attention back to Robin. "Sit," he tells her, and does so himself, sprawling gracefully as if he were in a chair in his command tent in Arden.

Robin drops to the floor once more in a comfortable crouch, listening to her commander as she has for decades.

"There is so much--the family will want a service, and there should be one, but there's the slight matter of a war, one which I must plan without you for the nonce. And I must see to Brita, who took wounds trying to save Adonis' life. I cannot be sorry that Jovian will speak to Corwin; even if I loved him best of my brothers, it would be one less task only I could do."
            Before Robin can object, Julian puts up a hand. "I will not reconsider sending you. There are legends of dragons in the Isles--old, old legends--and there is truth behind them. I need the truth from the priestesses, if they have it, and they will never give it to a mere man, god or no. Only a daughter of the line can weasel it out of them. It must be you."

Weasel?  Robin's brow goes up.  She's more likely to use a beat it out of them with a brick.  However, given what Vere has said and Siege's behavior, she understands the titted angle of the thing.
            Dung.  Another talkin' job.  Robin blows a fluff of breath out that lifts her bangs slightly.  Maybe she can get some weasel hints from Vere.
            "Think Floaty Moon-lady is involved?  First time I saw her was in Danu.  Then... well, maaayyybeee I saw her again in Arcadia."

Julian frowns. "I don't know. There are legends that connect damsels and dragons, but I don't know what legend that woman lies behind, if any. Tell me what you saw, and under what circumstances, and I will tell you what I think."

"I'm not sure it's relevant, sir.  But it's in the mix and I thought you should know."  Robin remembers to not shake her head this time.
            "Back in Danu, shortly after Jove and I met up, we were holed up in the caves and this woman appeared in the moonlit sky."  Robin proceeds to give another of her law-enforcement style descriptions of the apparition.  "She was looking off into the night and didn't react to any of us.  But there was this sense of... longing?  Searching from great distance?  Something like that.  Me and Jove saw her. A native Danaan saw her. The mammalian Calusans saw her.  The draconian Calusans did *not* see her."  A wry tick snags the side of the Ranger's mouth at that.
            "When I hucked a stone at her, it flew right through her right shoulder.  No reaction.  Thing disappeared when a bank of clouds drifted across the moon.  No more excitement that night."
            "Later, in Arcadia, in the caves where you and Adonis met up with me...  I'll admit I was tuckered sir.  But I didn't think I was fallin'-asleep-on-watch tired.  Anyway, it was moonlit before... it should have been.  There were two kids - feral types" Robin describes the pair, "stalkin' the same floaty moon-woman out on the green.  I came out to play, hopin' for a snag on the kids."  Okay, not a terribly bright idea, but one takes one's shot when one can get it.
            "Floaty moon-woman zoned in on the girl.  Held her pinned in her gaze.  Me and the boy stalked around one another and floaty moon-woman while she was occupied.  I... got too close?  Next thing I know, moon-woman's got me in a big dark-eyed enveloping soul-searching thing."
            A pause.
            "Then Rain's shakin' my shoulder letting me know you've been spotted.  And it's all gone."
            Robin finishes with a shrug.  She's not sure what to make of the whole thing.

Julian shakes his head. "I don't know what to make of that, Robin. Let me think on it, and we can consult someone who might know more about this woman. In Amber, that would be your kinswoman Cambina. In the Isles, you would speak with the Lady, or someone she recommends. The children you saw--if they are the ones you may have suspected, I will deal with them myself," he reassures her.

"Thanks, Dad." Robin breathes out in relief as she stands.  She's been worrying about her brother and sister ever since that... vision? experience?... despite her flippant names.
            "Please let me know if there's *anything* I can do to help there.  I... since this..." Robin gestures haplessly towards the hall.  "I'm *really* worried about them."

"I am as well. I can barely imagine what their mother is making of them. When I return to Arden, they must be my first task." Julian frowns. "Also I must look to Adonis' surviving children, particularly those who have served me as Rangers. Most of them have been removed to safety, such as it is, here. Now we know that this castle is not protected, I must find a better shelter for them."

"Yeah."  Robin sighs.  "Iiiiii really should check in on Breeze.  Solange said he'd been injured."
            The Ranger rubs and smears at her face and hair a bit before turning toward the door.  The door beyond which stretch the halls and halls and halls of Amber Castle.  She sighs and a resigned slump comes to her shoulders.
        "Dad?  Do you know the way to the infirmary?"  Verde, she hates this maze.

"I will walk with you," Julian says, rising and offering Robin a hand up from the floor. "I should look in on the boy as well."

"Thanks."  Robin says as she accepts her father's hand.  The Ranger is still slightly off-balance but it seems to be getting better.