The three lizards have grown visibly almost every day, in the way the young do, and Robin learns how to feed and care for them while in the woods. They're both more independent and less intelligent than the dragons her brother and father had lived with, but they're definitely telepathic.  They can make feelings and emotions clear to Robin even without using body language.   It's also clear they learn and remember about people as individuals.
            It's clear that Peep is the alpha dragon of the fair.  They like to sleep atop Robin and they rest on her shoulders when they're not flying.  They're young, so they have great energy for bursts but tire quickly.

Which brings a lot of chuckles and playing from Robin, she loves young critters - being mostly one herself still.  Sleep, though, is even more marvelous as huddled up with sleepy lizards in the forest, Robin's habitual nightmares give way to lucious dreams of warm sunlight, full tummies and joyous flight.

Robin finds herself all too soon on the verge of Arden.  The trees soaring above her and the sounds of the fire-lizards new to this ancient place. The wars of Arcadia must have entered some new phase, because Robin would have expected to see signs of it this close to Amber and she doesn't.  Not recent signs, anyway.

Hmmmm.... Robin's eyes narrow suspiciously and she will be checking the level of Pattern vs Green in the nearby landscape almost constantly.

It's ... odd.  Like it used to feel as if it was all moss on the north side of the trees, assuming that Amber was north.  Now it's like it's stretched.
          If she keeps going in the way she's going, she'll end up at one of the posts [her choice!] or intercept a patrol soon.

Robin's going to steer for where she thinks Vista's most likely to be.

Vista will be with Julian, or else on patrol or near a far forward post.

So yep, she’ll head for Brita’s Watch.

Peep peeps and Robin sees her sitting on a rock, next to something Robin hasn't seen in months.  Firelillies.  Peep has a stem sticking out of her mouth.

Robin raises a non-plussed eyebrow at Peep, before bursting into laughter.  "Does that taste nummy?" she croons to the fire-lizard as she walks over to scoop her up.  While the girl suspects that there are probably a number of earth-shaking implications to be considered here (not the least of which is the Firelillyovore answer to the problem), mostly she's just concerned about Peep's tummy.  After all, the guys have seemed pretty much carnivorous up to this point.
            "How about we try just that one for now?"  Robin keeps it warm and loving, but is definitely going to be on the look-out for unfortunate side-effects.

Peep gulps down the rest of the firelily as Robin approaches her.  When Robin scoops her up, she hiccups, and a small jet of flame comes out of her mouth.

Robin’s whoop rings out joyfully through the forest at the same time as she makes sure there are no scorchable bits of herself in front of Peep.  She laughs again and croons to her little firelizard, wordlessly assuring Peep that she is the bestest, most awesome friend a girl could have.  Breathing fire!  To keen for words!!
            Meanwhile – if she can – she wants to keep an eye out on the boys.  Just to make sure that neither of them are getting any ideas about the firelillies.  Let’s keep the experiment to one critter at a time for right now.

[Note that Kourin would have told Robin that chewing Firestone (the phosphine bearing rock that lets dragons breathe fire) causes sterility in female dragons and thus is not allowed for Gold Dragons.  However, this isn't firestone and Peep isn't a giant gold dragon.  Still, it might be a concern.]

[Oooorrrr eating something born of Daeon might have the exact opposite effect!  Yeah, there’s so much potential for trouble.... silly lizard.  Love her.]

Robin spots a hawk in a treetop some distance away.  It's definitely a Ranger's bird, so someone who hunts them is nearby.  It hasn't seen her, although her fair seems to have picked up on it from her.  They're both curious and protective.
            Robin thinks they could take it.  Or perhaps they think they could take it.

The girl chuckles to herself.  Maybe so, maybe not.  Either way, it’s not really a fight Robin wants to see, so she asks her darlings to be respectful.  After all, if it’s a Ranger’s hawk, Robin probably grew up with its ancestors.  Fond childhood memories of the Mews flow through the girl.
            Gathering her fair to herself, Robin whistles a clear staccato burst of Cadence into the familiar green air of Arden.  ‘Robin, inbound.’

The reply is a lazy 'Report to Camp'.  If it's not Vista, it's someone whose Cadence is like his.  Which could be lots of people since he taught it to half the Rangers.  But it seems like him.
            The hawk takes off from the tree and heads back towards the post.

Mmmmmm.  Home again, home again.  A little croon of delight ripples through Robin.
            She strokes her leathery friends fondly.  “Okay, let’s go meet the guys.”  Robin heads down the familiar paths toward Brita’s Watch.

There are no signs of recent fighting in the area as Robin makes her way toward Brita's Watch: no burnt areas, no warning marks for traps, and no clusters of markers where Rangers fell. There's a sentry on the camp, but if Robin is moving at all stealthily, she and her dragons spot the other Ranger first.

She’s moving stealthily alright, though somewhat confused by the lack of warsign.  After spotting the Ranger, Robin quietly croons to her little trio, letting them know it will be alright but that maybe they should stay close for a while.  That done, she steps boldly out and raises a hand in greeting to the sentry.

The Ranger acknowledges her presence; he's expecting her and he's alert, but she's better at stealth than he is.  He grins when he sees her.  Robin thinks she remembers him as a child from before the Sundering.  Aspen is his name.  The camp behind him seems relaxed, but not slack.

“Aspen,” she grins back as she approaches.  “All’s well?”

"Robin. Good to see you. All's well on this front--the fighting's moved off from here. Vista will be mighty glad to see you."

The Ranger nods her understanding to Aspen and opens her lips to answer when she’s distracted by...

And coming out of one of the pavilions is the man himself, who breaks into a quick stride that can't be called a run but is too fast for a normal walk. "Robin!" Vista calls. "Thank the Green you're here. You heard from the Warden?"

Robin doesn’t stand on ceremony.  Instead, she runs to Vista to throw her arms around him in a warm hug.
             “Noooo.  Not since I left.” She shakes her head.  “What was the last you heard?”

Vista returns the hug, his leathered face wrinkling as he grins at her.  "He went out into Shadow with one of the ladies from the castle. Folly."

“Oh.”  Robin nods as she remembers the letter her father had her read, and the implication that she had yet another brother out there in Shadow somewhere.
            “Did... has... Jovian.  Did word about Jovian get here yet?”  She asks tremulously, her hand reaching up unconsciously to stroke Peep’s soft skin.

Vista drops his voice, so that they can't be casually overheard. "Yup, that was the other thing he went for. He took Jovian with, to let him run safe away from Arden and the war."
            He raises his voice again. "What'd'ya bring us, Robin? Who are your little friends?"

Robin nods her understanding, though a flash of her green eyes indicates that she’d like to pursue that subject somewhere more private-like when it can be managed.
            “Oh, this is Peep.  Peep, say hi to Vista.”  The delight that trills through the girl’s voice is unmistakable.  These are two very great people that she’s happy to introduce.  “And this is Chirrup.  Annnnddd... oh, here he is.  This is Ooot.”  Robin proudly presents all of her new friends to the older Ranger.
            “When I was in Calusa, seeing the Riders home, these little darlings figured out that I was an endless source of food.  And how could I say no to these adorable little faces.”  She finishes with a happy croon to her fair.

Vista holds out his hand dubiously. "Seem awful little to grow up to be two hundred feet or more."

"Naw."  Robin chuckles.  "These are little cousins.  They won't grow up to the size of C-Maranth or Hoshith without... a little push."  The Ranger wrinkles her nose, she doesn't know how much her father's confided in Vista regarding some of his breeding programs.
            With little peeps and kissie-noises, Robin encourages the lizards Vista-ward.

Vista holds up his arm as he would for a larger hawk--a few inches higher than Robin's.  Chirrup seems hesitant, but Peep leans her head over and nudges him and he goes.  Ooot apparently does not wish to be less-impressive than Chirrup and takes the opportunity to land on Vista's other shoulder.
            Vista doesn't stumble under the sudden load.  "Lizard-hawks, they seem like.  Stoke will either hate 'em or love 'em."

A bright grin lights up Robin's face at the sight of Vista and the fire-lizards, all sorts of goodness in that vision.  "Probably both," Robin chuckles at the thought of the crotchy old mews-master.
            "But he won't have to worry about it for a while."  The Ranger presses her lips together.    I'm not plannin' on takin' 'em into the mews right away.  They're still awfully young.  And kind of... bonded to me.  Not as... deep as Jove or Dad.  But still."

"I think you and I'd best go inside and discuss that, if you think Peep and Chirrup and Ooot here are safe to go inside." He eyes them a bit skeptically, as if he expects them to do something about the idea of going indoors.

"I haven't tried it yet, but I don't see how there'd be a problem.  They really are clever little darlings.  Remind me to tell you about the lillies."  She chuckles as she heads toward the pavilion that Vista emerged from, chirping for her little buddies to join her.

The three fire-lizards take off from Vista's arm and follow Robin.  Vista, with his long stride, has caught up with her within a couple of steps.
            Once they're inside, Vista pulls the tent closed as the fire-lizards settle on the furniture near Robin. Vista eyes them skeptically again, as if expecting them to breathe fire all over the tent and its fittings. "You want to report first, or you want me to?"

Robin chuckles at Vista’s look.  After all, it’s not like she needs fire-lizards to unintentionally-like burn down a tent, as Vista well knows.
            “You first,” she says as she plops herself down on the floor, “I’m mightily curious about the lack of warness I saw comin’ in.”

"War front's moving off from here. Shadow paths are moving again some--not the paths themselves, but the shadows." He drops into a chair and leans forward, arranging his long, lanky limbs so he can look at Robin. "Think it's moving toward the new place. Xanadu."

“Dung.” Robin says with a wry twitch to her mouth.  “Does the Warden know this?  Does the King?”

"Nope, and yup." Vista's answer is succint. "Warden figured it might happen that way, but I haven't talked to him to confirm it, because of him taking your brother off. You taking charge in his absence?"

A sigh ripples through Robin’s frame and she absentmindedly scratches Ooot under one wing.  “I can stay the night.  Then I should head up the Hill to check.  Assuming nothing spectacular happens,” the girl’s lips twitch ironically, “then I’ll head back same day.  And then, yeah, if you want me in charge, Vista, I’ll be in charge.”  The Ranger smiles to Julian’s second in command.

"And if we need to split? You take forward and I stay here?" Vista asks by way of confirming the expected answer.

"Work for me," she says with a grin.  Robin knows who's more anchory and who's more flightly in this pair.

"All right. Now tell me 'bout your adventures," says Vista, settling comfortably into his chair for what he clearly expects to be a long telling.

Robin chuckles at Vista's easy familiarity with her ways.  But then her hands start to flutter as she considers what to say.  Deciding that burnishing cloths, oil and squirmy fire-lizards make for good use of twitchiness, Robin settles herself to both her tale and her friends' skins.
            "It's like this.  The Warden sent me off Danu-ward to... weeeeellll, it's more like Dad kicked me out again," she admits with a blush.  He said something about checkin' with the Priestesses of Danu regarding Dragon-lore.  But they didn't have much to say other than that there was this Smith-type in their ancient history who was somethin' special, maybe a dragon.  I'll admit I didn't get that deep into itt.  A lot of other shit was happening and I was fightin' just to keep my head above water."
            "First thing was watching Vere accepting a surrender from some of the locals."  Despite herself, Robin's eyes glow warmly as her gaze drifts off.              "Damn, he's fine!"  She murmurs to herself in wonder.
            An impatient bump from Peep brings her back to the present and the girl ducks her head with a grin to Vista.  Yep, that's the way it is.
            Then she's back to business.  "Anyway, then I got to meet Vere's mom -- the Lady Corvis.  Uncle Gerard's love.  And ummmmm, yeah.  Not my type.  Nothing bad happened.  But, I.... dunno.  Maybe I'm just not cut out for being bowed and scraped to.  Especially not while being patronized at the same time.  Weird...."
            Robin shakes her head in befuddlement.

"The Warden didn't like that place much, I think. He's not much for bowin' and scrapin' neither," Vista observes.

“Heh.” Robin chuckles to herself.  “But he can do it.  Me? I was like a bear dressed up in a tutu.  Ah well.”
            "Corvis had one of the Family Decks for me."  Robin 's nose wrinkles in distaste though her eyes are smoky with mixed emotions.  "Said it was my Mom's.  I... dunno."  She shrugs.  "It's handy and I've already given some Cards out, but... don't like those things." Robin ends in a mutter.
            "All this time, Kourin's lookin' a little off her feed.  I think it was that the religious and vengeful war thing was getting to be less like a rescue and more like an ongoing free-for-all.  Big surprise.  And those guys aren't cut out for that any more than we are."  Robin quirks her mouth to Vista.
            "Oh! One bit of an ‘ain't that something.’" Robin perks up and grins down at Peep and Chirrup.  "Hoshith *talked!* to me.  I *heard* her!.  The best!  Absolutely..."  The Ranger breaks off into a giddy reverie complete with a little squirm of joy at the memory of Hoshith's bell-like tones.
            “Anyway, then me, Vere and Kourin head over to a third party warmonger's place and things go from uncomfortable to dung heap pretty quick.  Seems this Prince Bran’s guys have joined Vere’s enemies mostly due to pressure on their other front.  Pressure in the form of an army wielding cannon and rifles and answering to one Huon.  Family.”  Robin’s lips press into a thin line.
            “Bran had managed to capture one of the rifles.  And damme if it didn’t remind of that rat-bastard Corwin’s little treasures.  I start seeing red right then.  Rifles, armies, a march through Shadow.  Yep, just a few of my favorite things.”  The girl’s eyes narrow in frosty green anger.
            “I light out of there and en route...” Robin’s anger is quickly replaced by grief.  “Hoshith gets the call.  Canareth’s been downed.  We’re on the scene instanter.  But... but... Canareth.  Cannon shot.  He’s tore up real bad.  And screaming.”  She swallows a few times.
            “And Jove is just... tearin’ at the world to get him to live.  Tearing it.”
            “I... I do what I can, but it isn’t nearly enough.  Soooooo, I do something real, REAL stupid in place.  I pray.”  She finishes in a shamed whisper.
“And ooooohhhh, do I get an answer.”
            “Vista?”  She looks up at him.  “Are we secure here?”  Robin’s eyes are filled with pain.  And Vista is just about the only person she knows who would actually understand it all.

"Ain't nobody gonna come in here without saying somethin' with you and me in here." Vista leans forward, his face creasing in concern. "I'm listenin'"

“Oh, Vista!”  Robin’s voice drops to a whispered wail, balancing her distress against the canvas walls.  The girl starts curling into an unhappy ball as the words continue.
             “Bitch-goddess Danu shows.  Riding Kourin.  Unicorn knows what that’s doin’ to Hoshith.  Mate mind-screaming.  Soul-sister possessed....”  Robin shivers but knows she’s avoiding the subject and pushes onward.
            “Bitch says.... bitch says... she’ll save C-canareth if, if, if I... let her rape me, impregnate me and s-s-steal my child.”  Robin is white-faced and shaking.
            “Daaaddddd....” she whispers in horror.  White round eyes turn to Vista.  “Same deal. Again.  And again.  And again.”
            “Ah, Vistaaaaaa.  I said no.”
            Her face squeezes in revulsion and self-condemnation and her body heaves.  Grabbing the nearest potential container, Robin is noisily sick.

When she looks up again, the tent is chaos. Ooot and Chirrup have tried to claw their way out of the tent, one by clawing through the dirt where the canvas meets the ground and the other by tearing an exit wound in the roof of the thing.
            Peep is between Robin and Vista, who's backed off and holding an defensive posture with clawmarks on his arm and one on his face. He looks like he's been on the business end of a quarrel with an angry cat.
            "Your little friends don't like it none when you do that," he observes calmly.

“Oh, oh, noooo.” Robin whispers as she looks around.  “Poor babies, oh noooo.”  Immediately her thoughts are off of herself and full of concern and worry for her darlings.
            “Peep, sweetling, it’s okay.  It’s okay.”  Gently she gathers up the little queen, hugging her to herself.  Comforting croons, solicitous hisses and loving strokes are heaped upon the firelizard.
            Though there are three lizards and Robin only has two arms, shortly the entire fair is wrapped into her hug.  Tears of contrition trickle down her face as she nuzzles the squirming bundle.  “Sorry, sorry.  Beautiful ones.  Brave ones.  Best ones.  Love you.  Love you,” are the few words mixed into the conglomeration of fire-lizard like sounds that emerge from Robin.

Chirrup doesn't want to be held, but is willing to be stroked as long as he can sit on a table next to Robin. It takes Ooot a moment to settle as well, and his tail keeps lashing. Peep sits on Robin's shoulder and her head snakes around Robin's neck, where she watches Vista from behind Robin's ear.
            Vista watches the whole process without words, and once he's convinced he can do so safely, moves to take the container Robin vomited into outside. She can hear him order a basin of fresh water from one of the runners.

Robin gives Chirrup and Ooot all the space they need.  For a moment, her mind races frantically, trying to think of something that will calm them – and herself – down.
            The sight of Vista, scratched and bleeding, moving carefully around a volatile Robin brings a quick rueful smile to her lips.  She’s seen Vista like this before.  Several times before.  A wave of fondness sweeps through her as one of her most versatile ‘uncles’ goes to work.
            The sound of his voice from outside is comforting too.  Forever ago it seems, Julian asked Robin who she would trust absolutely.  Vista was fourth on her list.  Coming in behind Julian, Vere and Morgenstern true, but beating out Jovian or any of her other relatives.  And it was a very short list.
Closing her eyes, Robin breathes deeply in the scent of Vista’s tent backed by the vibrantly vital and green scent of Arden and lets herself relax into home.

It takes a few minutes for Vista to come back. The noises outside suggest that someone is caring for his injuries while they fetch fresh water for Robin.
            When he does return, there's no coughing and hemming and hawing to get her attention. "Robin, I got you a basin to wash up in," the familiar voice says.

"Thank you," she says sheepishly, ducking her head and opening her green eyes to look up at him.  Carefully, she re-arranges herself and her little buddies and reaches for the basin.
            She looks over the care he's received, just to make sure it's up to her standards, then sets about cleaning herself up.

Vista's been patched up and bandaged. The cut on his face has been stitched expertly closed, and probably without anesthetic. He waits for her to clean up, staying out of reach of the fire lizards.
            When she's done, he sits down again, and asks, "You up to telling me about the rest of what happened?"

Robin casts a weather-eye at her three little buddies.  "I'll try," she says.  And deliberately forces herself in a more whimsical mood, one given to more  of her own peculiar dialect, knowing that Vista is up to it.

"Soooooo.... Bitch-Goddess departs with none the wiser.  Except maybe Hoshith.  Vere's off seeing to the incoming.  Kourin's kind of blank-eyed and dislocated.  Jovian and Canareth are... busy."
            She shakes her head.  "He's tearin' up the world bad, Vista.  And from what I can tell?  It don't have a good chance of workin' anyway. So I decide that Jovian doesn't want to end up a world-killer so I climb up there to stop him... luckly it only took words."  Robin's quiet for a moment.  She reaches for her oiling supplies again and starts back in on whichever firelizard is willing to forgive her enough to get oiled.
            "C-canareth dies.  Jove passes out."
            "I try to call Dad with one of those damn Cards, but no-go.  So I get Vere to steady me up a little and we call the King.  And he pops right over.  I wasn't making much sense by that time, but I think..." her brow creases in hard thought.  Then she shakes her head in annoyance.  "Nope.  All I remember is Shadows like music.  Him saying it might heal if we all got the verde out of there and that I shouldn't kill Uncles, no matter how much I want to."
            "Anyway, he takes Jovian outta there.  Guess he got him to Dad, hunh?"

Vista nods. "Ayup. Warden took him and yer cousin Folly off to find him a safe place to run. Things have been quietening here. Ain't losin' people to the Green no more. I think they done took all they can.  Arden's still closed to folk from the city and the Castle, though it'll be hard to enforce without the Warden if one o' his brothers comes down." A twist of Vista's mouth indicates he thinks this unlikely but possible.

Robin grimaces and mock shudders at the thought of one of her uncles clouding the already-confused Arcadia situation.

"I think it's movin on. And I think the flowers got somethin' to do with that."

“Flowers, hunh.  It’s a little outta sequence but just before I got here this precious one,” she scratches Peep’s eyeridge, “ate one of them.  I’m waiting to see what happens before allowing the boys,” she gestures to Chirrup and Ooot, “to have at.”
            “But I’m glad to hear it’s calming down.”  The skeptic inside her forces her to add.  “I think.”
             “Anyway,” she continues, getting back to her story, “I’m pretty fey by that point.  Aaannnddd I ain’t trackin’ well.  Kourin rounds up the riders after only a little more collateral damage.  And Vere and me decide to visit this temple in Mothersport, Ladystown, whatever.  Place is mostly drowned by then and I’m feeling a might guilty about that.  And the Temple itself always gives me the heebie-jeebies because of...” her eyes dart to the trio of fire-lizards, “well, because of things that happened a while ago,” she finishes quickly, steering away from the yawning darkness inside her.
             “We get there and Huon the cannon-wielder has gotten there before us.  Ah, Vista....” she sighs.  “I, I, I was right.  But really, really wrong.  And I got violent.  And Vere got brilliant.  And then got hurt.  And Huon got away.  And even though I tried really hard and stupidly, neither of us drowned.  And... it was just bad.”  She strokes Peep, trying to dance away from those memories.
            “But I tell ya, Vista.  The Unicorn was watching over me when she put Vere in my path.  That boy....” a warm smile spreads across her face, slowly growing to an arclight bright grin.  “He...” a low whistle  of wonder and joy sings forth from Robin as she leaves the place of words.

"The Warden likes him," Vista says, and that's enough of a recommendation for him.

Robin nods her understanding.  That’s enough of a recommendation for anyone with sense.
             “So after that Vere cross-shadow lifts what we later figure out is Prince Martin’s boat.  Weeee’lll probably have some explainin’ to do about that, but it can wait.  Meanwhile, just the attempt shows how bad off Danu is.”  Robin gives another low whistle as she shakes her head.
             “Anyway, we get back to his folks.  More blah, blah, blah.  Reaaaalllyy awkward as Vere tries to get a unified direction out of us and I can’t figure out where he’s steerin’.  So I... start pokin’ at him a little.  I keep figurin’ that this is his land, regardless of me being the Goddess and all, so he should lead.  And I think he’s figurin’ that since I’m a woman and the Goddess and all, I should lead.  So we make quite a display of tryin’ to get behind one another.  Oh, well,” she sighs, “it’s something we’ll probably work out as we track together more.
            “Then we get word that a delegation from the other sides are nearby wanting to talk.  We jump on that right away.  It’s sooooo much easier talkin’ to enemies than family.  Any day.
            “Off we go.  Interesting bunch.  I particularly like the oracular bitchy sorceress.  The righteous ‘wounded’ priestess just leaves me baffled.  Aaannddd I guess I poke at Vere a little more.” She shrugs.
            “Conversation goes in circles.  Like several others I’ve had in Danu.  I guess I just don’t get it and am too stubborn to learn.”  Robin shrugs.  That’s just the way it is.  “And by this point, I’m getting lost.  There’s dire predictions, all sorts of plans, shifting priorities, directives from Kings and everything’s just spinning for me.  Especially since the Huon debacle.  I’m staring to double and triple think everything, and just gettin’ woosy.  So I definitely step back and Vere definitely steps forward.  Thank the Unicorn!
            “We get outta there and proceed with stupid plan D.  Which didn’t turn out so bad.  See what happens when Vere leads in the land of Goddesses and miracles.”  She grins.
            “Ummm, Vista?  Stupid plan D was really, really stupid.  I know that the Warden comes first – absolutely -- but if there’s no need to bring this up.... well, please use your best judgement, okay?”

Vista gives Robin the sort of look he used to give her when she was a little Rangerling getting into more trouble than she had any right to.  It says without words _what did you do this time_?

“See, while Vere and me were in Danu, land of Goddesses and miracles, we... uh, we figured we could try talking to the dead.”  Which is technically true.  “And the most likely candidate to help with the circle finger-pointing was, well... Dad’s sister.”  Robin grimaces.  “Worse, we decided to drag in Vere’s sister, Avis, and... ummmm, Solange.  For various reasons.”
            “For other various reasons, we decided to do this in the Temple of Drown.  Verde, I hate that place.”  The Ranger shakes her head.
“Though this time it wasn’t that bad,” she adds with a shrug.  “Summoning went down and what answered... well, I didn’t know Mom but I kinda figured she had more spirit than that.  This thing was sorta... washed out.  Pale.  More like an echo than a daughter of The King’s who pissed him off so much he banned her name.”
            She shakes her head.  “And what was talking was pretty smeared into the Bitch-Goddess as well.  So I dunno if talkin’ to the dead is the right... way to think of it.  I mean, it was interacting with us.  Kind of.  But I got the feeling that it was... I dunno... less rather than just being stubborn.  I can’t explain it well.”   
            “But Solange?  Bright sky... well, let’s just say she was extremely dissatisfied with the conversation.  And, and, and because I couldn’t talk about... what went on with the Bitch and me... I think I might’ve come off as all... Unclely.  You know, vague warnings and hints of doom without saying much and without being very comforting at all.  But... Solange’s got enough on her mind thinking that she killed Mom at birth without thinking that she might be the child of r-r-rape as well.”  Robin swallows.  She knows she’s starting to get worked up again so she decides to stop and think happy thoughts for a while.

"Talkin' to dead folk ain't a good idea no matter how you go about it, Robin," Vista says, but he's taking it all in stride. "Prob'ly wise of you not to tell yer sister that, though. The Warden ain't gonna like none o' this."

“I... Verde, Vista.  I... don’t think I can face him right now.  What with Canareth... and J-jov...” Robin finds that she’s starting to gulp again.  Her eyes round on her precious trio and she desperately steers her thoughts away.
            “A-as far as talkin’ to the dead goes, it’s worked out so well the last few times, I don’t think I’m going to be makin’ a hobby of it.”  She finishes wryly as she strokes Chirrup and Ooot.

"What's done, 's done. How do we go forward, that's the next question."

Robin nods unhappily and starts gathering herself for the next round of horrific consequences.

Something is happening outside the pavilion; it sounds as if a runner has come in. Vista lifts his hand in a gesture remarkably like the Warden's 'bide' for a Trump contact, and goes to the flap of the tent to check it out.
            A moment later, a young Ranger, one of Brita's, has come in, looking like he's ridden hell-bent for leather from the Castle.
           "Begging your pardon, sir and ma'am, I have news for the Warden from the Castle."
            "This here's the Warden's daughter," Vista says, "And I'm his deputy."
            The new Ranger looks a bit worried. "Runner from the castle came down to the perimeter. News is from the King and the Regent in Amber. They say Lady Cambina's dead."

Robin’s eyes go wide.  Cambina!?!  But, but that’s a cousin she actually likes.  Brennan!  Oh, shit!  And Jerod... with his bag of consolation for Daeon.  “Ar-are they saying how?”

"They say she fell from Tir and was found this morning, in Xanadu harbor," the young woman says to Robin.

Vista shook his head sadly. "Not an act of war, at least. Does the Regent need anything from us?"

"No," the Ranger replies. "Just to know you've heard. Any word to send back up to the Castle?"

“Maybe,” Robin says to the Ranger.  And turning to Vista, “Regent?”

"Caine." Vista sounds resigned. "I got mail call to pass up," he tells the Ranger, "but if Robin's got something, you take that and mail can go later." Then he turns his attention back to Robin and the suddenly twitchy firelizards.

“Caine?  Verde.”  It just keeps gettin’ better.  From the devant, Caine was on their side of the Brothers War.  But from the arriere, Robin suspects that she’s a strong candidate for Caine’s niece-in-a-box trick.  And with the Warden away and the King in Xanadu, now might be his chance.
            “Who else is in residence?”  If she’s really, really lucky there might be someone who can run interference on the sneaky and highly-agenda’d front – like Jerod or Brennan or Martin.  In a pinch, she’ll settle for the shield of someone else’s sense of fair play – like Folly or Lilly or Brita’s.  Hell, even a wild hair like Ossian or Marius or Lucas might distract her Uncle long enough for her to get in and get out.
            That’s right, Robin, focus on the positive and keep the lizardy guys under control.

Vista shook his head. "None o' the Warden's brothers, nor his sisters. I don't know who of yer cousins is. People come in and go out. Verde if I know what the King was thinking." He sighs, still eyeing the lizards. "If you want, we can call the Warden."
   
The young Ranger stands waiting for the message, whatever it is, silent by Ranger custom.

“Noooo....” Robin sighs.  This Family dung is just a bigger, much darker forest and she’s going to have to figure it out on her own without running to Daddy every time she’s scared.  “But if I don’t show back up or send word by tomorrow night, I’d appreciate it.”  She nods to the senior ranger.
            Turning to the runner, she says, “When you take the mail back up, will you.... uh, convey my respects to the Regent and let him know I’ll be up sometime tomorrow morning?”

"I'll do that," the Ranger says. Vista gives a sign of dismissal, and the girl leaves, the tent flap closing behind her.

"You think it's gonna be that bad?" he asks after a moment.

"Probably not." Robin's shoulders lift in a shrug.  "I'll admit I've been pretty skittish since..." her green eyes dart to her little flying friends, "well, for a while.  But, I only got downstream sludge on what happened to Aisling.  And from what little I heard – it bothers me.  It bothers me a lot."  She finishes with a frown.

"Caine's a right bastard, for all that the Warden likes him. Maybe that's why." Vista extends his hand to the nearest of the firelizards, as if to let it sniff him the way a dog would.  "You don't have to go up and deal with him today, though. Stay here and rest overnight, and see how things look in the morning."

“I’ll do that.  Thanks, Vista.”  She nods as her heart warms with Vista’s gesure toward the lizard.  Despite the rocky beginning, she really hopes that the four of them will get along.

After a comfortable pause to let Vista and the Firelizard get to know one another, Robin gets away from the personal trauma-storm and back to Ranger business.  How’s the integration doing?  What posts are still stable?  Who’s still on the roles, who’s missing, who’s dead?  And why Vista thinks that yummy, yummy firelillies might be leading Arden’s troubles away?  And any guess as to where they’re going?

Integration's going passably well. It would be easier if they had Brita, Vista thinks, kind of regretfully, but it'd be easier if Robin were here or the Warden, too. Needle, who worked with Brita, is doing a lot of good work, and Vista is going to commend him to the Warden when he gets back.

Robin absolutely backs that.  Though she's only seen Needle in action a little bit, what she remembers was decent.  And Robin can be kinda tough on new Rangers.

Vista talks about the posts, who's in charge, who's doing well and who badly. Some people have been injured and a few retired in the war; in general things seem to be going all right, but the fighting has died down lately, and the troublesome Arcadians have been attacking less often.

As for the firelillies, Ranger Palm took a patrol out chasing them down. She followed them all the way to Broceliande, and ended up in the town of Xanadu. Random sent them back via Caine.

That troubles Robin a little.  She sure doesn't want Arden's troubles dropping on Xanadu.  Of course, Xanadu might be better equipped to handle them these days.  But mostly, she's of the opinion that the firelillies leading to Broceliande is just the way the wind is blowing these days.

That night, around the fire with pipes out and talk of belchin’ and fartin’ and knives and guns, Robin reestablishes herself within her home and the men she’s served with all her life.  If she’s a little more Daughter of the Warden and Hill Dweller than she used to be, and perhaps a little less one of the Ranger guys, well... perhaps it’s time for Robin to stop hiding and start growing up.
            Robin is happy to answer all questions about her little darlings and, if they’re up to it, to introduce them around.

The Rangers take their time deciding to cozy up to the firelizards, but soon enough, they're treating them like hawks or hounds--just another part of Ranger life. There is singing, and passing the flask, and soon enough dancing. Vista offers Robin his hand; as senior, he's one of the few Rangers with status to ask the Warden's daughter without presumption.

Robin dances with Vista with a will.  Good ol' Ranger dancing instead of that stuffed-up ball stuff.

Robin knows any of the younger men would dance with her in a heartbeat, and more if she desired it.

And they'll get their chance - for dancing.  And some good natured flirting.  But nothing more than that.  Robin throws herself into the dancing, singing and flask-passing.  It's good to be home.  She'll let the morning worry about itself.