In an instant, everything disappears: all light, all sound, all touch.  The only thing the passengers can feel is the pressure of their own heartbeat.  Three beats later, when most people might be starting to panic, they reappear, in the air above Fair Isle.  "I'll bet Padraig won't like that!" Kourin shouts.

Vere laughs, completely unconcerned about controlling his reaction.  He glances over at Robin with a huge grin and winks.

The Ranger's laughter intertwines with her love's.  Robin's cheeks are rosy and her eyes glimmering.  And she can't repress her own grin as she throws her arms out to the sides, sliding through the rushing air.
            At Vere's wink, she laughs again ending into a piercing rapture's call of sheer exuberience.

Soon, the Hoshith comes to rest on the green meadow above the gathering place, not so close as to disturb The Lady, but a close walk to her quarters.  After they dismount, Kourin says "I'll wait here."

Vere bows his head to her, then takes Robin's hand.  He kisses her quickly, smiling, then turns towards the camp.  By the time he has completed turning his expression is once more completely controlled, giving no clue as to what is going on in his mind or heart.

Robin nods to Kourin.  "Okay," she chirrups.
            Then presses herself against Vere for a fierce, though fast, kiss.  Still holding Vere's hand, the girl waves to Hoshith's eyes.  "Thank you sooo much, Hoshith.  That was *wonderful!*"
            And though she tones down the laughter, Robin's fires are still burning high as she follows Vere toward the quarters.

Outside of a small tent, away from other structures and gathering places in the area, is a chair.  The Lady sits in it, with a blanket over her legs. She's writing.  Or she was until she saw Vere and Robin.
            She stands, slowly and smiles, quickly.  To Robin, she seems too old to be Vere's mother.

Vere leads Robin to where the Lady stands.  "Mother," he says, with a bow of his head.  Then he turns his head towards Robin and waits for her to speak.

The Lady seems to have eyes only for Robin.

"Ma'am." Robin nods respectfully. "It's a pleasure to meet you.  I'm Robin.  And, uh, I've fallen in love with your son."
            Robin winces slightly, realizing that the segue-master has struck again.  But she doesn't let go of Vere's hand.  Nor drop her gaze.

"You are Robin, daughter of Ysabeau, daughter of Rilsa?"  The Lady drops to her knees.  "My Goddess, you honor us all with your presence."

Vere stands quietly, watching the meeting without interrupting.

"I'm honored to be here."  Robin lets go of Vere's hand to reach down and help The Lady to her feet.  "That can't be good for your knees.  So why don't we pass on it for a while?  Unless it's really necessary for you.  K?"  Her eyes are sparkling and friendly.

She looks up, her eyes glistening.  "I am happier on my knees before a Goddess than in all the years I have stood as Lady without an incarnate Goddess to worship.  You come at a time of great need, my Goddess."

Robin cocks her head to one side as she looks at the kneeling Lady.  And folds down neatly to sit on the grass in front of her.  "So I've gathered.  And things are moving at a pace."  She looks up at Vere with a smile before turning back to the Lady.  "What did you want me to know of these times?"

Vere returns Robin's smile without speaking, then also sits on the grass, off to an angle from his mother and his beloved.  He listens to their conversation silently.

Her face is placid.  "I hope you can forgive us for not recognizing you immediately, Goddess.  It has been a long time since your Mother walked these isles with us, and her Mother beforehand.  Following the black war, there has been unrest in the Order.  I did not know how deep it ran, until my Chancellor,  Vianis, led a revolt, and we lost...perhaps half the Order.  They have returned to the ancient ways, the practices my mother turned from many years ago.
            "Now our sons fight their sons, and they slowly push us back.  The Witch-Queens of the mainland, our old foes, have allied with them."
            She leans closer.  "I need your guidance and wisdom to help return the Priestesses to their duties, Goddess."

One casual hand waves away the need to forgive.  Robin certainly wasn't in the 'look at me, I'm a goddess' mood the last time she was here.  But if someone's going to ask her for -- of all things! -- wisdom and guidance, the girl's going to do her best.
            "Unrest..." Robin tastes the word.  It can mean so many things.
            "What was so unpalatable about the Priestesses' duties that it led to open revolt?"  She cocks her head to the other side as she scootches a little closer to Vere.

Vere unconsciously leans towards her, but otherwise maintains a calm and expressionless demeanor.

"We had stopped the practice of human sacrifice.  I suppose that I should have predicted something, after the black war in the forest.  Our people are strong followers of tradition and they assumed that the innovation was a cause of the troubles.  On the other hand, our people are strong followers of tradition, so it didn't come to a head until there was a leader to follow.
            "The Spider had a cause, but if conditions had not been ripe, she would not have been able to take half the Order with her."
            She looks at Robin.  "She claims to have had visions of your mother, who told her to reconcile the faith with the mainlanders."

Vere opened his mouth as though to speak, but then closed it once more, with a slight shake of his head, and remained silent.

The Lady smiles at Vere, and reaches out and pats his knee.

"Hunh."  Robin thinks about it.  "This before or after her tomb was 'desecrated?'"

"Before, I assume.  She didn't control My Town until after the schism, Goddess.  Do you know what they might have been looking for in it?"  She doesn't seem particularly upset about the desecration.

"Noooo..." Robin shakes her head.  If she knows, she doesn't know she knows.  "But I'm gonna guess the thing of hers that Vere says you have for me?"
            Scootch, scootch, scootch.  Robin wriggles close enough that her knee is brushing against Vere's.

Vere smiles very slightly and remains silent.

The Lady reaches into a pouch at her side and smiles.  "Hoshith told me you were coming, so I had them fetch this from the grove."  She pulls out a leather pouch, well-worn and covered with decorative beads in the shape of a stylized bird.  It's tied closed, but Vere thinks it could have been what was in the package he found.  It looks to Robin as if it would hold a normal horse's shoe, but not Morgenstern's.

Robin reaches out to take the pouch, her head cocked in curiosity.  The beads, the design, the material all bring a smile to her face.  "Do I get to open it here?" she asks.

Closer examination shows what may be writing in the beadwork, but it's not in any language Robin can read.

Vere watches quietly, considering the implications of his mother's casual mention that she could communicate with the great golden dragon.

The Lady looks at her, meeting her eyes.  "You are the only incarnate daughter of the Goddesses of the Danú.  No thing you wish will be denied you."

Vere reaches out and strokes Robin's arm casually, still silent.

Robin looks over at Vere with a big grin and sparkling eyes.  Not that Vere's a thing mind you, but when it comes to wishes in Danu there's only one answer.  She bumps him fondly with one shoulder.
            "Lady," she says turning back, "the only thing I wish is the chance to make your son happy."

She nods, solemnly.  "Let us hope none of our duties interfere with that desire."  She looks back at the package.

Vere closes his eyes momentarily at his mother's words, but shows no other reaction.

"Hmmmmmm...." Robin taps the pouch against her lips contemplatively. 
            "Lady?  Would you excuse us for a moment?"  The Ranger gracefully unfolds to a standing position.  "My love?  Can we talk?"  She smiles down to Vere and makes a little 'my hand is there if you want it, but I know you don't need it' gesture.

The Lady nods.  "Of course, my Goddess."

Vere reaches out and touches her fingers with his as he rises smoothly and
unaided from a sitting position.  He nods to Robin, and waits for her to lead him away.

Robin smiles as she takes Vere's hand and meanders off in a random direction that takes them out of easy earshot of just about everyone.
            Once there, she snuggles up against him, then pulls back.  "K.  Time for the duty and agenda talk.  Your Mom has correctly discerned one of the levers that could be used to pry us apart.  I'm guessing that it won't be hard for others to figure it out either.  Sooooo, what do we do?  How do we make Vere's duties and Robin's duties into Vere and Robin's duties?  'Cause frankly, it's already been too easy to be in the same shadow as you, breathing the same air as you, standing *right* there beside you and *STILL* be pulled apart."
            "I don't like it."  She finishes with an enormous pout.  "At all."

Vere sighs.  "No more do I, love.  As to what can be done ... that I do not know.  We both have duties, and no matter how much we might wish that we could be with each other to aid in completing them, they are none of them such as can be put off.  It is ... most annoying."

"Veeeerreee," she hugs him comfortingly, "we're both pretty bright people.  We should be able to figure this out.  Look, this time out, my charter is pretty broad.  I can go with you if I deem fit.  But I think we should work out compromise strategies pretty darn quick -- ranking systems, traded withdrawals, rock-paper-scissors -- anything that will allow to pursue both our goals *together.*  Cause if we don't, we'll never be."
            "The thing I'm worried about short term is Kourin's statement that the Priestesses have already suffered a crisis of conscience that's cost them half their number combined with the fact that my bbrrrootherrr has obviously sided with them.  On the other side, you still have enough respect for Vianis that you're squirming to find her an excuse combined with the fact that I, the Goddess Incarnate, don't really care one way or the other about human sacrifice."
            Robin frowns mightily.  "And then when your mother tells me our duties may keep us apart, my first childish mean reaction is to pull my brother's world-wearied heroes out of here and let her stew in her own juices."  The girl sticks out her tongue and wrinkles her nose.

Vere smiles at her.  "In point of fact," he says, "I had already considered the advisability of sending the dragonriders home.  They are used to defending people against threats, not killing them as part of a civil war.  I do not wish this war to change what they are, and I fear that it will.  It is one of the reasons that I am seeking a nonviolent resolution to the conflict."
            "I wonder...." he says.  He pauses, then speaks delicately, "I know you have reason to hate her, but I must say that I have been considering whether a certain rebel leader might see you in a different light, once she knows your true parentage?"

"If you're asking whether I still want to feed her her own intestines, yeeeessss...." the last word is drawn out thoughtfully, with a noticeable lack of Robin's earlier fire-eyed vehemence.
            "But I'm right there with you on the other non-violence.  I just think this whole thing is so stupid.  I'm pretty sure that more Danu souls have been lost in this little spat than have ever bloodied the altars or whatever of wherever."  She flaps her arms in bemused indignation.

"I agree.  I'm thinking..." he paused again.  "If we can make some form of peace with the Witch-Queens, there is abruptly no logic in the rebels continuing to oppose Mother's rule.  It is one of the reasons I want to investigate these invaders.  A mutual enemy is a useful prod to ending hostilities."

A wry tick tugs at one side of Robin's mouth. "I'm not so sure about that, my love. While you say it was the threat of the Black Forest that first brought your people and the Witch Queens together. It seems that whatever has Vianis' panties in a bunch broke not only that tentative alliance but the ranks of the Priestesses as well. Or rather...." Robin's eyes wander as she reshapes it. "it carved your mother and her supporters out of that alliance...."
            The girl raises her brows to Vere to see if that thought tastes right.

Vere nods.  "Yes," he says thoughtfully.  "I believe you are correct.  We had demonized the Witch Queens as totally unlike us, and to some extent that difference had aided my Mother in moving us away from the Old Ways.  When we fought together, I suspect that the more traditional of the Priestesses were surprised to discover that in some ways they had more in common with the Witch Queens than with the more liberal of the Priestesses.  Again, I keep coming back to the desire to find out exactly what it was that caused the split.  And to wondering whether it is a reflection of the struggle between the Goddesses of Arcadia."

"Hunh.  Me too.  The split, I mean.  Reflections of Arcadia run the risk of getting themselves spitted and slow roasted."  Robin blinks away the sudden flare of angry green her eyes and smoothes the snarl off of her face before continuing.
            "Me?  I find myself wondering what kind of Goddess all three factions could serve together.  Only one way to find out, I suppose."  She dusts off her thighs.  "Your Mom seems fine with me as Goddess, if not as daughter-in-law."  Her lips twitch wryly.  "We need to see what Vianis and whoever speaks for the Witch Queens think.  Which does preclude entrail suppers for a while, dammit."  There's no real vinegar in Robin's curse, but she hasn't given up on entrails eventually.
            "You think the presentation would be better in person or by sending my beloved emissary to arrange a meeting?"

Vere considers the question.  "It is a tricky matter," he says.  "The Chancellor wants to sacrifice me, in lieu of my father, for the healing of the Land.  Failing me, she'd offer up Avis and/or my mother.  I believe that your presence changes all the equations, but I cannot be certain exactly how..."  He pauses, spinning out scenarios in his mind.
            "This is what seems best to be," he says after a few moments.  "We seek information on the invaders.  Then we find an isolated outpost of the Chancellor's or the Witch Queen's forces, take them, and discover where the Chancellor currently resides.  I go there ahead of you, to announce your presence and your wish to speak with the Chancellor and the current leader or leaders of the Witch Queens, at a meeting place of your choosing.  Assuming they agree, I lead them to a pre-selected point, where someone will be waiting to tell us where to meet you.  That way they cannot make preparations beforehand.  If they do not agree to attend upon you then we have an answer as to whether they are still devout, and you can come rescue me and we shall make it our business to destroy their leadership without mercy."

"That plan makes sense.  Especially the we bit.  But I'll live with the I bit too." 
            Robin thinks about it.  "Is there some kind of token-thingie I could give you that clearly says if anyone sacrifices you, I'll boil this world away to nothingness?"

"Possibly," Vere says with a smile.  "Perhaps you should open it and see?"

The sound Robin makes is somewhere between a snicker and a snigger as she bumps her genius man fondly with her shoulder.  With bright curious eyes, Robin opens the leather pouch in such a way that Vere can see the inside too.

Inside Robin and Vere see what look to be medieval style playing cards.  The back of the deck seems to be a very familiar green with a very familiar device on it.

"Now that, I did not expect," Vere says.

"Oh."  Robin's voice is small as she bites her lip.  Though she was prepared for some "precious" thing -- necklace, baby spoon, something personal and designed to break through her barriers -- this sad remnant of a Princess of Amber gets to her as no personal remnant of a stranger would.  The girl finds herself blinking eyes that are suddenly moist and she leans into Vere for a hug.

Vere wraps his arms around her and hugs her silently.

Robin snuggles up against Vere for a long moment, hugging him as waves of sadness, of sorrow, and perhaps even of grief ripple through her.  Eventually an undignified sniffle/snort is muffled against his shoulder and Robin shakes herself back to the world.
            "Sorry, love," she murmurs as she wipes her nose with the back of one wrist.  "It's just... these... there was a time when not every other cousin could Draw.  And a Card, much less a Deck, were really *important.*"  Robin knows she's not expressing it well, and hopes that Vere can hear past her mere words.

Vere doesn't answer in words, but Robin can feel a sudden tenseness in his arms, which passes almost instantly.  "Very important," he says softly into her hair.  "Possibly the most important thing to her, other than her daughters."

She nods, comforted by his words.  Then looks up at his eyes questioningly in response to his tension.

He smiles down at her.  "Why don't you look through them and see who is there?  I am sure it will be surprising."

Robin smiles back at him and snurfles away her sudden mood.  Taking the Cards, out of the bag though, she still can't resist a small nose crunch.  Despite what she just told Vere, the girl's still pretty sure she doesn't like these things.
            A quick check is made to make sure that the design on the back of the cards is what she thinks it is.  Then Robin fans the Cards out.

The back holds the traditional design (vert, a unicorn rampant), while the fronts are as expected.  The traditional deck, plus cold trumps of Oberon and his children.  There is no castle trump, but the deck is otherwise complete.  The cards for Oberon, Eric, Brand, and Deirdre are not cold. There is a half-completed trump as well, in a different hand.  It has no power and neither Robin nor Vere recognize the man.

(A full Elder Trump deck contains Trumps of: Prince Benedict, Prince Bleys, Prince Brand, Prince Caine, King Corwin, Princess Deirdre, King Eric, Princess Fiona, Princess Florimel, Prince Gerard, Prince Julian, Princess Llewella, King Oberon, King Random and Castle Amber.)

"Interesting," Vere says, looking at the unknown trump.  "Did she meet another trump artist after being exiled?  And was that here in the Isles, or during her journeys before returning?"  He shakes his head.  "So much of your mother's life is a mystery to us," he says quietly.

"Mystery, indeed.  Enough so that I wouldn't assume she *met* an Artist."  Robin murmurs, thinking of the Artists she knows; Paige, Ossian, Reid, Brita -- all people of great passion and each with a somewhat... unique turn of mind.  Something she's heard her mother described as as well.
            A little shudder runs through the girl as the Cards' innate ickiness get through to her.  Tapping the corner of the Trump of Gerard, she says "You already have one of these, right?  I should save this for So-meone else, yes?"

Vere nods.  "Indeed," he says.  "Or hold onto it along with the rest, in case of need.  You never know whom you might need to contact."  He tilts his head to one side.  "I have never done a reading with a full deck," he says speculatively.  "I wonder if that might prove instructive at this point?"

"Reading?"  And suddenly the reason for Vere's earlier tenseness becomes clear to Robin.  "Oh, my love.  I'm *sorry.*  I just.... I don't really like these things.  Don't even know why honestly.  But I'll try.... Here."  She holds the Cards out to Vere as the words fumble out of her mouth.

"Shh, love," Vere says, holding a finger to her lips.  He makes no move to take the cards.  "There is nothing for which you should apologize.  It was a mere thought.  If it is of interest to you, I am happy to take this opportunity.  But if you are uneasy, then I trust your instincts."

"Beloved... "  Robin kisses his finger and then holds his hand tightly.  "My instincts on certain subjects are... scrambled."  She drops her eyes.  "It's not these particular Cards that I don't like.  It's all of them.  I'm not sure why and I *know* that it doesn't make sense.  But they... make me ill at times.  The colors... the motion..."
            She looks back up at him.  "Please.  I'm sure a reading with her own deck would probably be a good thing.  I'm just... too loose from... well, not anchored enough to... help.  Much."

Vere squeezes her hand.  "When things settle down," he smiles at the jest, "we shall investigate the reasons for this reaction.  I am certain there are reasons why you feel this way about the cards, perhaps Dworkin can aid us in finding them.  For now..." a strange look passes across his face.  "I have a question I would ask, but I am... hesitant to speak it aloud.  Would you trust me to do a reading, without telling you what the subject is?"

"Of course!"  Robin says with supreme confidence in her man.  "What would you like me to do?"

"Simply... be who you are." Vere takes the cards from her and sits. motioning her to sit next to him.  He holds the cards in his hands for a few moments, framing the question in his mind.  And then he deals the cards.

Robin collapses into a comfortable cross-legged position on the ground.  And simply is.  Watching her love with the cards, feeling the wind and the sun, the life around her.  Letting the words and the worries drift away.

The Reading -
    Bottom Row:
        Gerard, reversed
        The Priestess
        Striking the Dragon's Tail, reversed
Middle row:
        Spring
        The Cockatrice, reversed
Top row:
        Julian

Vere's eyes narrow.  "Indeed," he says.  He watches the cards for a long moment as though expecting them to do some sort of trick.

Robin looks back and forth between her man and the cards.  She recognizes all of the people and the sight of her father at the top of the pyramid brings a smile to her face.  It's all the picturey ones that she doesn't understand.

Vere looks up at her, his face guarded, and then a smile breaks through in response to the one on her face.  "There is much to say," he says.  "Where to begin?  I overanalyze, my love, as I have told you before.  And I have the habit of keeping secrets, which I should strive to break in regards to you.  And, truth be told, I think I was hoping the cards would tell me to put this thought away from me.  But that they did not do.  No, indeed, they did not."

Robin purses her lips as she thinks about that.  Eventually the girl nods.  "Horrendous consequences.  I'm on board, Vere.  For whatever."  She leans forward and kisses him.  Then sits back and waits for her man to tell his story as he would.

Vere sighs and sits silently for a long while.  Then he says, "There is a thing... a gift, I suppose some would say.  It is not consistent.  Sometimes it comes will I or nill I.  Other times naught comes of it, try though I will.  And understand, I have ne'er dared attempt it with any of the blood of Amber before, so I know not whether it will e'en work..." he falls silent once more, looking down at the cards.
            After another long pause he whispers, "I can speak with the dead.  Sometimes... I can call them forth."

"Hunh."  Robin's brow furrows as she blows a little breath out.  Then her brow furrows more.  Until eventually, she's practically scowling in thought.  Though not at Vere.  Obviously two universal Robin truths have just come into conflict.
            After a while, the scowl lifts to just thought.  "I... know someone who can talk to rocks."  She murmurs.  Her green eyes dart over to Vere.  "Really.  He can.  And a couple of bodies who talk to trees....  Trees and rocks usually have less functional neurons than the dead, I suppose.... Vere?  How does that work?"  Not that she doubts him at all.  If Vere says he can do it, then he can do it.  She just can't figure it out.  It's like levitation (Dara), not eating (Aisling), shapechanging (Brooke and Leif), and tearing holes in reality (Clef.)  It's a big universe, and she's curious.

Vere smiles at her.  "It varies from case to case.  Sometimes there is nothing more than a voice.  Sometimes the person seems so alive that I do not realize at first that they are not.  Sometimes they do not even know they are dead.  Sometimes they do, and often in that case they have something they want done."  His smile grows rueful as he says, "Of course, in that latter case it is often something difficult or impossible to do.  Demond Hargar'el wants his murderer brought to justice, but he did not bother to notice who was murdering him."

Robin raises an eyebrow.  She remembers Vista saying something about somebody in the champagne fountain.  Boy, and here she thought she was the 'haunted' one.  Her lips tug in a rueful and sympathetic twitch.
   
He looks back at the cards.  "In any case, I have been considering since before I returned to the Isles that it might eventually be necessary to see if I could contact the spirit of Ysabeau.  Something of a doomsday weapon, really, since even if it does prove possible I do not really know what will result from raising the ghost of a member of the Family.  Perhaps that uncertainty is one of the things that attracts me to the idea - curiosity and caution are constantly at war within me."

"Well,"  Robin hugs her legs to her.  "I thought Avis said that someone had already raised that particular ghost.  And if I share my non-Dad-like traits with my mother - then the raiser probably has her hands full."  Again that ironic twitch tugs at Robin's lips.  "So you've probably already ducked that bullet."
            The girl's green eyes stick to Vere.  Not only because he's great to look at, but also because it seems she's had enough of looking at Cards.  "But yeah, talking to her... I should probably be there for that, huh?"  Robin doesn't quite know what to make of that.  Probably something that should be better handled on the fly, rather than over-thought.  At least on her part.

Vere nods.  "If they have actually managed to call her up, then that makes me think that summoning her to speak with me would be possible.  And the presence of both her daughter and her trump deck... ah, that confluence raises my hopes as to the probabilities."  He taps the card of Gerard with a forefinger.  "Would you hear my thoughts on this reading, or would you prefer not?"

"Sure.... but before you tell me, let me know whether I'm supposed to just listen or you want crazy opinions from me?"  Robin turns toward Vere.  She's definitely not-looking at the Cards now.

"I always value you opinions, my love," Vere says seriously.  "Reading the cards is an art, not a science.  What we bring to the cards, what thoughts they trigger in our minds, is as important as the mere fact of their presence in the pattern.  And in this case, where you are so closely involved in the matter, your opinions are at least as important as mine. "
            He turns back to the cards.  "The bottom row is temporality, past, present and future.  This can represent events, or it can refer to forces that shape those events.  In the past we have Gerard, reversed. To me, this represents two things.  First, Father’s injury.  Without that, we would not find ourselves in this position at all, for he would have been the one to come here when he heard of the rebellion.  Secondly, the card can represent Ysabeau, who is so closely related to him and yet so different.  And most certainly Ysabeau’s influences on the Isles have led directly to the situation in which we know find ourselves.  And she is herself the foundation of the question I ask."
            He taps the Priestess.  "In the present, we have that which stands between the mundane and the miraculous, the Priestess who intercedes betwixt gods and humanity.  It is the card of understanding mysteries, of seeking and mastering the sacred knowledge.  This represents the way in which all sides of the current war believe themselves to be acting as the Goddess wills, and also relates to my question – to seek to breach the barriers betwixt death and life."
            "In the future, we have Striking the Dragon’s Tail, reversed.  Actually a good sign for what I consider, if it were not reversed I would be very concerned.
Striking the Dragon’s Tail normally represents a danger underestimated or unseen.  But reversed it means that one can see the danger in time to avoid it, or to prepare against it."  He smiles.  "Of course, it could mean that I should realize the dangers posed by seeking to summon your mother, and turn from that path.  But it could as easily mean that I see that it is impossible to reconcile the various factions without some drastic action, such as summoning her."
            Vere looks back at Robin.  "The amusing thing about the cards, of course, is that in most cases one can argue equally compellingly that they mean totally
different things."
            He returns his gaze to the reading.  "The second row are the Virtue and the Fault.  They represent forces supporting and opposing us.  Alternatively, they are the benefits and dangers of the course I propose.  The Virtue is Spring.  New growth, rebirth.  A new life for a land torn by war.  A mother reborn in her daughter, perhaps?  It is a hopeful card, and one I am pleased to see."
            "In the position of the Fault, we have a very interesting card.  The Cockatrice is a card of corruption and poison.  But reversed, it represents Recovery.  Properly applied, waste is fertilizer, and venom can be made into anti-venom.  If it were in the position of Virtue, I would say that it means that we could use the very beliefs of the Traditionalists that led them to rebel to once more reunite the Isles.  And yet, it is in the position of Fault.  What could such a beneficent card mean in such a place.  Perhaps… that there will be a healing, but that the results will go against us?  That whatever your Mother may say or do when summoned, it will result in aid to our enemies?" He shakes his head.
            "I am confused by this card," he admits.  "But I cannot bring myself to regard it as an ill omen."
            "And now, the final card.  Fate.  The result of our actions."  He looks once more at Robin and smiles.
            "Julian," he says.
            And then he laughs, "Perhaps," he says in a teasing voice, "It means that we will so badly bungle things here that your father will have to come and save us?"

Robin sticks out her tongue at Vere's teasing.  "Been there, done that."  She says with a twinkle in her eye.
            The girl considers the sky beyond Vere's shoulder.  "Okay, given that I still only know the generals of your question.... I agree with you about your Dad's card.  But if your question was just about Ysabeau, than I'd go with the second thought and not worry so much about your Dad, here or not here.  If your question was about us and Ysabeau then maybe..."
            "Priestess though.  That's definitely us."  Robin meets Vere's eyes with a exultant smile.  "You understand mysteries and seek and master sacred knowledge, while I do tend to stand between the mundane and the miraculous and am about to step between gods and humanity in a big way.  So yeah.  Okay."  Robin finishes with a nod.
            "I'm probably feeling a bit literal with the Dragon thing.  Mostly 'cause I'd love to see a Draconic ass-kicking in the future, so we'll leave that one up to whatever you want it to mean."  She grins at Vere.

He returns the smile.

"Spring would be nice.  But that Cockatrice card.... Vere?  Have you ever seen a healing go horribly, horribly wrong?"  Robin's eyes take on a haunted tinge.  "We'll have to be very careful with her spirit, I think."
            "But, at the end?  Yay Dad!"  Robin brings herself back to the present with a happy chirp.  "I'm really glad to see that there.  'Cause I've been really worried about getting too side-tracked.  And him in the Fate?  Think it'll be okay."  Robin beams to Vere.
            "How's that for amateur two-cents?"  Robin scootches over so she can snuggle under Vere's chin.

"Brilliantly done, my clever lady," Vere replies, gathering her to him.  "So.  I think we agree then, that we will make this attempt.  The next matter, obviously, is when and where.  Do we wait until we gather more information about the invaders?  And do we want to consider going back to the temple?  Or do we want to push this as far as it can go, and try to arrange a grand meeting between Mother, the Chancellor, the leaders of the Witch Queens, and you, and then have me attempt to call her up in the midst of all of them?  A cast of the dice where we stand to gain or lose the most?"

"Hmmmm."  Robin snuggles in deeper as she thinks.  "How's this?  You already told Padraigh that you would go meet his leaders.  So let's do that.  *And* keep an eye out for the Witch Queen base to hit and 'invite' Vianis to a meeting while we're out there?  But before we go, we ask your mother if she can prepare a time and a place for when we get back to do 1 - Priestess meet-and-greet with the new Goddess and 2 - Dangerous meeting stuff involving ghosts and enemies."
            "Cause while I'm all for advising *other* people to get intel before they jump into stuff, myself - I'm all for just jumping."  She chuckles as she looks up at Vere.

Vere nods, matching her smile once more.  "This sounds like an excellent plan.  Left to myself," he confesses, "I will continue gathering information until long after the time to act has come and gone.  This is just one more example of what an excellent team we make."

"We do make an excellent team."  Robin croons happily.  "But don't sell yourself so short, marvelous man.  Left to myself, I'd melt down into an emotional mess."  She nudges him playfully.
            "Okay, let's gather up the heirlooms and go talk to your Mom before Kourin and Hoshith get too impatient and leave without us," says Robin as she straightens up with obvious reluctance.

"Aye," Vere agrees.  "The Queenrider is not a woman to wait patiently upon a tardy goddess."  He gathers the cards and returns them to Robin, along with a kiss on the tip of her nose.

The giggle escapes from Robin before she can stop herself.  Being a goddess, even a tardy one, can't be too bad if Vere's there to kiss and tease her.  The girl tucks the cards back into their pouch and further tucks that away in an inner pocket of her vest.
            With her green eyes merry, Robin catches up Vere's hand, bumps him fondly with her shoulder and starts strolling sssllllowwwwly back toward the Lady.  "I think they must be pretty patient.  After all, they hang around Jove."

Vere nods.  "Indeed.  Not all of Prince Julian's children are as easy to get along with as his highness."

"We're a pretty hard-headed bunch," Robin admits with a snicker.

Vere squeezes her hand.  "True," he says with a serious expression as they walk towards his mother.  "I believe this explains your odd choice of a paramour."

She looks up at him with glowing eyes.  "*Damn* straight."