Robin stands outside the door, watching the back of the page disappearing down the leaning hallway of stone.  Slightly woozy, she takes a deep breath and turns to face the door.  Small white teeth appear to bite apprehensively at the side of her mouth.  An action that is quickly followed by a whispered curse.  Deep Green!  *When* did she become so timid?
            The Ranger raises her gauntleted hand to knock firmly on the door.

A gruff man with chiseled features and a scar on his left cheek answers the door. His left hand rests comfortably.  Through it Robin can see Paige and the twins. Paige's now shorter hair is drawn back in a ponytail and she has both the kids with slates and chalk in their hand. There are a few discarded books on one of the sidetables.
            Paige turns and smiles at Robin, "Mace, let the children's aunt in, please."
   
Mace nods and offers the Ranger a slight bow as she enters, like a man not used to such airs, but making an effort for his employer's sake.

Robin returns Mace's nod with more than a hint of approval in her eyes.  You bet, he'd better be prepared to take some one of her stature down.  Bowing is irrelevant but a nice touch for Paige's sake.

"Children, say good afternoon to Lady Robin," she suggests.

The children look over at Robin. "Good afternoon, Lady Robin," Brooke says as Leif sniffs the air at her.

"Good afternoon, Brooke."  Robin says with a smile.  She's as unused to the courtesy as Brooke probably is but they're within Paige's rooms so that's the way it's going to be.
            As Leif sniffs, Robin lifts her head in his direction, acknowledging him.  His scent is already enough in the air for the Ranger to grasp it.  As much as she can in this place of trapped air and lying winds.

Paige ushers the kids to the next room over and leaves the door open so she can see them.
            Paige waves her cousin toward a chair and sits herself, asking, "What brings you?"

Robin walks over to the chair, though she can't help shooting a glance toward the window.  Adjusting her sword, she perches somewhat stiffly.
            Paige's question brings a momentary furrow of her brow.  Now that she's here, what?  The Ranger licks her lips pensively and suddenly Amber's master of small talk strikes once more.
            "Paige.  I've come to ask you if I may be part of the children's lives."  As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Robin sighs and internally rolls her eyes at herself.  Oh, yeah.  Smooth.

Paige sees the unease and stifles the chuckle before her cousin should ever see it. "Robin, you're probably asking the wrong person. I've never let my father dictate my relationships and I doubt my children will allow me to do that for them."
            "Gods, they'll love you. You and Folly'll be the 'fun' aunts, I'm sure," she smiles. "Leif wants teeth and fangs on his clothes because I equated them to a wolf's skin. You'd know how to deal with that a lot better than I do. They're Arcadia's nature incarnate, and I'm a... well, whatever job I've had, it's been in the city."

At Paige's smile, Robin relaxes a little and smiles herself in return.  A happy glimmer shows in the green of her eyes.
            "Thank you.  See, I don't want to contest a mother's territory.  Unless it becomes critically important.  Sooo.... I thought I should ask."  She shrugs one shoulder at her own social awkwardness.
            Robin casually but-oh-so carefully shifts her weight in the chair so that her front is visible from the door while maintaining eye contact with and talking to Paige.  "By the way, teeth and fangs on clothing is called jewelry."  She opens the top of her tunic to reveal a simple and elegant necklace of beautiful carved wooden beads interspersed with the gleaming white of bear claws.  A quick ruffle of the Ranger's hair highlights the glint of carved bone among the typical feather and beads.
            "Something I think you know a great deal about."  She finishes with a warm smile.
            The hand that is on the far side from the children's view drops to her sword in a light interrogative tap.  (ie, she's asking when or if Paige wants to consider the *real* teeth and claws, weapons and weapons training.)

Paige nods. "Yes, I think he's speaking more to real claws, and it'll have to happen."
            "I'd love to have someone to help, but I fear we'll be on our way to Xanadu, to keep a Pattern and as many Shadows between the twins and Arcadia for the moment. I think it will fall to me, or Rides-In-The-Vanguard or Couth, if he accompanies us," the redhead explains.
            "That all rests on them not having their father's aversion to metal."

"Aversion to metal?"  Robin's eyes wander for a moment as she remembers her tossed knife bouncing off of Adonis' chest.  "Oh."
            "Well, as far as claw work goes, you don't strike me as too much of a lightweight Paige.  Besides there also always Grandpa."  Robin just barely manages not to clench her teeth.  And makes sure that her eyes are turned away from kids' view of the angry flash of green.  Because, whatever else she make think or feel about Bleys, he *certainly* knows how to kill and how to defend himself.

"Either of them," Paige answered with a nod to Robin, suggesting her Father. A smile quirks her lips, "And, to be honest, yes, I've been working myself again."

A flash of surprise dances through Robin's eyes, followed by a private warm smile.

"I only wish... Well, if wishes were horses..." She sighs and walks to the windows, opening them to the day beyond.

"Are you off to fight at your father's side?" Paige asks. There's a sense of wistful hope in the question, but not directed at Robin's absence.

Feeling the wind flow into the room, Robin lifts her face to the current.
            "Eventualllllly." she drawls, some of that same wistfullness in her own voice.  The Ranger stands and joins Paige at the windows, unable to keep herself away from the opening.
            "He's dispatched me on an intel mission first.  Our..." her eyes flicker to Paige including her, "opponent is a being of some ability.  Father feels that we should be seeking a method for permanent solution outside of Arden right now."

"Hence the reason I've been working again," Paige admits. "If I knew the children might stay someplace safe like Xanadu without me to keep them there, I'd be at your side, cousin." Her hands ball into a fists and she takes a deep breath to settle herself.
            "You can't imagine the hours I've been fighting myself over this, Robin," she says, looking back past her cousin to the doorway and the children beyond. "Arguing which is best, to ensure that they're as well armed with information as they might be before the day they face their Arcadian heritage or to risk them in another's care while I try to find a way to destroy a being of some ability, that three of our uncles only ever made peace with."

Robin crosses her arms over her mid-section as she turns and follows Paige's gaze.
            "I've fought and am still fighting the same battles, Paige.  Whether to let my brother be as he wished.  Even though I knew it was a lie.  And a lie that would lead to his death.  Or to spend my little and precious time with him engaged in huuugggee arguments designed to save his life.  But almost certainly leading to his emnity as well."  She sighs.  And then frowns fiercely and curses under her breath.
             "Now, these precious little ones.  Having their life cycles warped to the weft of others.  Being told lies about how *great* Arcadia is and how *important* their godhood is."  For a moment, Robin looks like she wants to spit.  "When all it is," those green eyes look to Paige, "is their heritage from King Oberon once again.  Filtered through the mate of Finndo."
            "I... don't know what to advise, Paige.  I tried to walk the middle road with Daeon.  And the bastard went and killed hisself on me."  She shakes her head.
            "You're welcome to join me on the hunt for a permanent answer." Those green eyes turn to Paige, ablaze with a myriad of emotions.  "But as you said, three Uncles..."
            Robin looks back toward the door with a sad ruffle.

"See, you're at least more sure than I am that Arcadia is nothing more than Amber blood that's been 'filtered'. Their great-grandmother... some ability, isn't that what we've been calling it? Whatever that ability is, it's different enough from Pattern to be unrecognizable to me," Paige admits. "And what I can't recognize, I can't plan for."
            "The thought that Artemis might be a willing ally in the fight against her own mother has even occurred." The set of the redhead's jaw makes it clear that she's currently set against the idea of such an alliance.

"Father's currently negotiating with some of her sisters.  If you... care to, you could ask him what you could... do or something..." Robin shrugs.  If Paige doesn't like the thought of Artemis than she's probably not going to go for similar things, but the Ranger thinks she should at least throw it out there.

Bleys's daughter nods, her left hand going to her waist where yesterday Robin had seen a blade.

"As far as abilities, I don't want to underestimate the Dragon.  Tsunamis and volcanoes can kill even if they're just Shadow.  But they can't kill in Amber.  Or at least they couldn't until we were... you know."  Robin's lips press in a flat line as she nods toward the floor.  "So yeah.  Gettin' the kids out of here is *definitely* the first step.  After that... weeeelll, that's why I'm off to Danu.  Without the... backing Father and I need from here, alternatives have to be found."

"Is there a Sketch about of you? Some way I can get in touch once I get them," a nod toward the twins, "settled." She offers a lopsided grin. "Not that I truly expect Adonis's children to settle anyplace."

A distinctly uncomfortable look comes over Robin.  "Theeeeerrrreee's no sketch of me.  Or Card I know of.  Though Reid once asked if he could make one.  But I think there's pictures of Jove and Vere and I know there's Cards of Dad.  Any one of them should be able to get ahold of me."  And that's about as far as she's willing to go in the Trumpy direction.

"I don't know that Danu's the angle I'm looking for," Paige admits.  "My father knows something he's not sharing, hoping that the kids will distract me enough to keep me out of it and safe." If Bleys thought that Paige was that shallow, well... maybe she had been for the last few centuries, but things change, even in Amber.

"I'm not sure that Danu's the angle I'm looking for either.  But Dad knows his stuff and when he says go, I go."  Robin shrugs.
            Then looks over at Paige.  "Would... you be willing to share anything your Dad lets slip?"  Again *very* uncomfortable territory but...  Kids live.  Dragon dies.  That's worth some discomfort.

Paige bites her bottom lip for a moment, before answering with one of Martin's curt nods. "But, I need the same assurances from you. For as perceptive as I like to believe I am, I have no idea what your father truly thinks of me."

"Well, yeah."  Robin shrugs one shoulder as she turns back to the window.  Only fair that Paige would ask that.
            A sigh lifts through the girl.  She turns green eyes to her cousin.  "Dad's easy, Paige.  He says what he thinks and he thinks what he says.  Just because he doesn't punctuate himself with a lot of drama don't make it less true or real.  If you want to know what he thinks of you, ask him."
            Those eyes turn back to the outside.  "But I was mostly talking about draconostrategic things, anyway."  A shudder ripples through Robin.  Great Deep Green!  Does she so *not* want to know what Bleys thinks of her!!

"Oh!" Paige smiles. "So was I. It's just that..." she trails off, not sure herself where she was going with this. "Do you have a Trump of him I might use to ask?"

"But... Paige?"  Robin's brows furrow in confusion as she looks back to her cousin.  "He's still in the Castle.  Couldn't you just, you know, walk over to him and ask?"  Maybe she's being completely naive, but Robin's really hoping the question came from not knowing Julian's whereabouts, as opposed to something icky involving Cards.

"Oh," the redhead says surprised. "So much of the family took off at a run, what with the situation, I assumed... Even sending the King a note last night I didn't get to him before he left."
            "I'll have to see him then, before he goes," she plans out loud.

Robin blonde head bobs in relieved agreement.
            "Speaking of running, Paige.  Would it be possible to talk to the kids, maybe play a little, before I take myself off to another war?"  Cause, you know, things happen in wars says Robin's casual shoulder shrug.

Paige's smile spreads as she laughs at herself. "Of course," she answers as she rises to her feet. She extends a hand to Robin and leads them toward the open door. "I've been so focused on teaching that I fear I might've forgotten how to play."
            "In fact, if you wanted to get them outdoors for a little, I think it would be good for everyone," she admits.

A unconscious happy croon escapes from Robin as her eyes light.  To play with wild things outside of the leaning leering rooms and corridors of the Castle.  That's about as good as it gets here.
            "Thank you, Paige."  The Rangers step is light and with only a slight hesitation she takes Paige's hand and follows to the door.

Robin enters the kids' room with a big smile.
            "Hey, Brooke, Leif.  You want to get outside for a little bit?"

Leif springs up from his lessons. "YESSS!" Brooke follows.

Robin will want to make sure that *everyone* in the Castle knows where they will be - northeast garden, the one with all the yews.  Robin has good associations with that place, despite the walls and stuff.  And she certainly won't mind any bodyguards or watchers.  In fact, she'd rather prefer they were there, as long as they aren't *too* intrusive.

One of the bodyguards will come with them at Paige's discretion.

The Ranger is pretty content to let the kids set the agenda though she does have some ideas if they are undecided or don't know.  Hunting squirrels, small birds, the occasional castle cat etc (though, of course, the latter are not for eatin'. ;)  Pounce, wrestling and introductory mauling are always fun, if the kids are up for it.  Or the Ranger could teach about trees, grasses, bushes - how they act, what they are good for, what they are bad for, how to track through them, etc.  (Though the garden is tame enough that one could only do introductory work there.)  Talking about Family is uncomfortable for Robin at this point but if the kids insist - she can do that too.  But mostly, Robin wants to get active in the open air.

The kids want to play rough, physical games. Hunting, hide and go seek, and wrestling are good choices, as are simple stone-tossing games. They don't want to talk about people, which are all boring.
            After about an hour, Robin and Brooke are hunting for Leif when they catch sight of a young wolf in the garden. "Hey!" Brooke yells, "you're cheating!" And she takes off after the wolf, who starts running away at speed.

Robin laughs in surprise.  "That's Leif?!" she shouts happily after Brooke as she leaps into action.  The Ranger's run down more than one four-legged canine in her career and she calls on that experience now.  As well as her familiarity with this particular garden.
            The Ranger's plan is to let Brooke chase the wolf in what looks to be a pretty straight line from Robin's perspective, while she circles around and gets some altitude using the various trees and walls.

Brooke chases the wolf around for a few minutes while Robin uses her high post position to figure out where the cub is going. She'll be able to drop down in front of him or perhaps on top of him if she likes.

Stoop, pounce, roll, wrestle.  Robin's smile is fierce as she snags the young lupine.

The wolf isn't easy to hold, but Robin can pin him with her size and weight. He barks indignantly and squirms a lot. Brooke stands nearby laughing and pointing; Robin can hear her and gets a glimpse of her as she rolls around with Leif.

With a grin, Robin sees if she can't roll the whole wolf-tussle Brooke's way.  After all, a three-pile is even more fun.

Robin moves that way and finds after a moment that she's got two wiggling canines to deal with instead of one. They're loud.

As is the Ranger.  After all, being dirty, rough and loud is part of being young.  And perhaps Robin is just a bit tired herself of being grown up.

After a while of roughhousing, Robin can hear the approach of strange feet--probably the man Mace. The children may be aware of him, but they don't seem too inclined to stop what they're doing.

Robin sneaks a peek out from under one wolf's tail.  She can't always trust her hearing around the Castle and she *never* wants to assume that footfalls are friendly in this place.

It is Mace. He's standing there waiting for Robin to come to her feet, and perhaps to lead him to his charges.

The Ranger fights her way to the top of the puppy-pile and cocks an eyebrow at Mace.

"Where are the children?" Mace asks.

Huhn.  *That's* definitely a security problem, Robin thinks.  But what she says is "Ooof!  Leif," as she drags one muzzle around playfully.  "Annnd this one's Brooke, pfuu."  The last is a comment on blowing out a mouthful of tail fur, rather than Mace's predicatment.

Leif licks Robin, making a loud slurping noise.

Mace looks a little incredulous. "Are you sure, Lady Robin? They're ... dogs."

Robin laughs at Leif's slurp and nuzzles him under the jaw bone before turning her eyes back to Mace.
            "Actually," she corrects gently, "they're Brooke and Leif.  Wearing the shape of wolves.  Like you or I might wear a uniform or a bathrobe or a ...."  Robin's brow furrows.  Other than a uniform or a bathrobe, the only thing she's worn lately is a gown and a chiton.  And somehow she doesn't think Mace is familiar with either one.

Mace still looks skeptical. "Lady Robin, I don't see how those could be children in a dog--wolf--suit." Leif interrupts with a single indignant bark, but Mace rolls on. "I believe you're telling me the truth, but I don't know how children turn into--" and he stops dead, looking at the naked little girl now sitting next to Robin and the wolf-Leif.
            He mutters something under his breath about Lady Paige ought to have mentioned this.

Robin nods with a 'well, yeah' look in her eyes.  And then turns to Brooke.  "Brooke?  Are there any other forms you and Leif wear that Mace might not recognize yet?"

Brooke, while unashamed of her nakedness, looks alarmed at the question. "We were told not to change shapes in front of other people."
            She moves away from Robin, putting her own body between the Leif-wolf and both Robin and Mace. The wolf slips around her, its teeth bared slightly at the two adults--but more at Mace.

"By whom?"  Robin asks with friendly curiosity, noting Leif but obviously not being bothered by his behavior.

"By my mother and our kinsman Merlin," Brooke answers.

Mace, unlike Brooke, has noticed that Brooke is naked, and is trying very hard to look at Robin and not his teenaged charge.

"Oh."  Robin says flatly.  And grimaces.  Then can't stop the giggle and the shrug.  "Ooops.  Guess we'll have to wrestle pink-skinned for a while," she concludes with a sigh, her eyes still twinkling with humor.  "Come on, guys.  Let's go see if we can figure out where you ditched your clothes."

Leif barks, sounding quite exasperated. Brooke giggles and buries one hand in her brother's ruff, wiggling it in some combination of scratching and hugging.

"If your Ladyship will stay by them, I can fetch some fresh ones from their mother's suite," Mace suggests to Robin.

"I'm staying by them regardless, so it's your choice."  Robin shrugs, figuring that Mace knows the parameters of his duty better than she.

"I'll do that now, and be back as quick as I can," Mace promises. He turns and moves away, not light like a Ranger in the faux woods of the garden, but quickly and efficiently nonetheless.
   
Leif barks again and a moment later there's a naked youth flopped under his naked sister's hand on the ground. He shakes himself, still doglike for all that he's a boy now. "Merlin is a rabbit and so is our mother.  We can show Robin our other shapes."

"No." Brooke crosses her arms. "Our mother said not to."

Robin plucks a strand of far too short grass from the ground and chews on it thoughtfully.  "Your mother and Merlin aren't rabbits, Leif," she says softly as her eyes drift over the greenery.  "They're wolves who've tangled with grizzly."

Leif picks apart a blade of grass, his lower lip poked out and his eyes narrowed. Brooke, also picking apart a blade of grass, looks at Robin.  "What do you mean?" she asks.

"I mean," Robin shrugs as she struggles to put it into words, "there's always something bigger and badder than you out there.  No matter how powerful you are.  Paige and Merlin aren't weak.  Nor are they helpless.  If they're afraid, it's because they ran into something that could hurt them.  No matter what they did."

Leif perks up at that answer and glares at Robin. "Nobody could hurt our mother," he says.
            Brooke looks at Robin and then at her twin. "Our father died," she says.

Robin smiles wistfully to Leif. "Don't I wish that a firm declaration made in passion would make it so.  Unfortunately, that's *never* worked for me in the past."  A sad chuckle goes through her.
            "Your father died.  So have many others.  Both of his... ability and those stronger."  She shakes her head sadly.

"What do you mean?" Brooke asks, coming to squat in front of Robin. She looks up at her aunt thoughtfully.
            Leif rolls over and clarifies, "What a-bil-i-ty?"

"Weeeellll,"  Robin drawls as she relaxes on the grass.  "I suppose I mean the ability to shape the universe by sheer willpower.  Though I'm *waaaay* oversimplifying it."

This time it's Brooke who looks at her like she's crazy and Leif who nods thoughtfully, or thoughtfully as a naked boy on the edge of puberty stretched out on the grass can manage. "That's not what our grandmother told us our godly heritage was."

"That's because it's not part of your godly heritage."  She says in a gently teasing voice to Leif.  "It's part of your other heritage."
            Robin's green eyes turn back to Brooke and she shrugs with a smile.  What can she say?  That's the way it is.  No matter how crazy it sounds.

"This is our Ordered heritage," Leif says to Brooke, and her eyes light up. She leans forward and says to Robin, "Tell us how we become initiated!"

"You get older and more responsible.  Then you prove to your mother or Merlin or some other initiated person that you can be trusted with the power to twist the universe."
            Robin sighs as she lays back with her head on her hands.  "That's close to what my father told me the first time I asked him.  And the second time.  And the third through upteenth times I asked him.  At those times I *hated* it!  But, at those times, he was right too.  Sooooo... Sorry, Brooke.  If your Mom hasn't told you, I'm not about to open that can of worms."  She smiles sadly at her niece.

Brooke's shoulders slump, and Leif looks smug. Leif says, very casually, "how old would we need to be?"
            Brooke glares at her twin, then she turns to Robin. "But what does it mean to be of Ordered heritage? Apart from the power to twist the universe once we are initiated?"

Robin sniggers at her nephew's question.  Boy, does he remind her of her.  "Ain't a matter of age, Leif.  It's a matter of maturity.  Lessee."  The Ranger scratches the side of her nose.  "I think Jovian told me that he was initiated when he was fifteen.  Me?  I was older than that.  A lot."  She chuckles ruefully.
            "As far as the meaning of being Ordered, I suppose it means different things to different people, Brooke.  And even then, it's something totally beyond the ability of words to contain.  But... I think to me it means *freedom.*"  Robin smiles as that word gusts out of her.  "I can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone.  The only thing that limits me are the grizzlies I mentioned earlier."
            "Thing is -- absolute freedom without self-discipline is ugly and horrible beyond belief."  She cocks an eyebrow at her niece.  So far Brooke's been catching the heavier thoughts.  Robin's curious to see if she can catch that one too.

"I want to be free," Brooke says, looking at Robin, and she starts to add more, but a heavy tread that Robin is sure belongs to Mace is approaching.
            After a moment, Mace calls out, "Lady? I'm here with the children's clothing."

"Over here, Mace.  Toss 'em this way, and I'll see if I can't get 'em bundled up."  Robin's chuckle is apparent in her voice.  And in the fact that she sticks out her tongue and wrinkles her nose to Brooke and Leif.

A bundle of clothes sails through the trees. Robin is able to catch it handily.
            The children look at Robin suspiciously. Brooke's expression is closer to resigned and Leif looks like he's about to protest.

The Ranger shrugs as she drops the bundle to the ground and squats back down to look at the children.
            "This ain't one I can explain well, guys.  I don't understand the clothes theories here myself.  And the person I was talking to about clothes got eaten by a grizzly like your father, so...." she shrugs again.
            "I know that when I wear the clothes I'm supposed to," one side of her lips twitch, "my father is happy and proud.  So is my brother.  And I like seeing them that way.  Buuuuutttt, then I start feeling weird about doing things I don't like just to please other people."
            "On the other hand, the person I was talking to about clothes?  It got et because it wouldn't do things it didn't like to please other people."  A sad frown pulls Robin's face down.  "Because it didn't act like everyone else."
            "Soooo, I reckon there's no win on this one.  And that I am *definitely* not the one to talk about clothes.  But before you decide about these," she pokes the bundle, "I hope that you'll consider wearing these."
            From around her neck, Robin removes a wooden bead and bear claw necklace for Leif.  And from her hair, a clip of talons and falcon feathers for Brooke.

Brooke takes hers with wide, wonder-filled eyes, running her fingers across them as though she can discern their history by touch. "Thank you," she breathes, and gathers her long blonde hair so she can put the clip in it.
            Leif puts the necklace over his head and, scowling, picks up the clothes bundle, muttering something about his mother and teeth and claws.

"You're welcome."  Robin pats Brooke fondly.
            "Don't worry, Leif.  Your rabbit-mother is arranging the teeth and claws even as we speak."  She winks to him.

He looks sort of sullen, but winks at her at the last second.
            Reluctantly, the children take their clothes and put them on. Brooke fusses with Leif's tunic, straightening it to her own satisfaction, before donning her own.
            After a few minutes, Mace calls out, "Are the children dressed?"
            Leif calls out "no" as Brooke says "yes".

Robin laughs.  "I feel like I should say maybe, but I'll settle for they'll pass," she calls back to Mace.
            "Listen," she smiles fondly to the twins, "I should probably get going.  I'll walk you to your door, but after that I better see if I can hunt down Lilly." Robin shoulders twitch in a shrug.
            "You know, I've really enjoyed being with you guys.  I hope we can do it again."  The girl's eyes are glowing.  It's definitely more than just familial duty she feels for the kids.

The twins nod at her in unison, Brooke enthusiastically and Leif slightly less so, as Mace arrives.
            Robin escorts them back to Paige's quarters, keeping the twins in line with help from Mace. Mace gives her the best directions he can to her next destination before taking the twins into the suite and closing the door behind them.

Robin hugs both Brooke and Leif enthusiastically before reluctantly releasing back in their rooms.  She nods at Mace's instructions, seeming to understand, but even as he speaks Robin can feel them leaking out of her ears.  Damn this place!
            She waves as the door closes.  And then turns.
             Yep, corridors of leaning stone, dead air, and strange, strange odors.  With a gulp, Robin sets her feet in what she hopes is Lilly's direction.