"Was that your stone that sailed through our guest, Robin?" Jovian asks good-naturedly, without a hint of a dig. "What was your impression of her?"

Robin snorts.  "Yep.  See something strange?  Throw a rock at it."  She grins.  "Was that your storm?"

"Thought I'd kick up a wind and see if her image reacted. Apparently it did - she faded out of existence as soon as she lost moonlight."

"Moonlight... yeah.  I was noticing that too.  Otherwise..."

The Ranger shrugs.  "I didn't get much of an impression, Jove.  It reminds me of some of the stuff I saw on the Black Road."  Robin's definitely not happy about that, but letting it slide until more information becomes available.

"I got the impression that she was kind of... off-watching me.  Like she was tracking an emanation or some such?"  She shrugs again.  "But I'm not sure."

"Oh, and hey," her eyes get mock sly, "do you think we could... steal that fleet instead of hit it? Or maybe get it as a ransom? I know someone who would *really* like a fleet. Especially one from here."

Jovian gets a sly grin at this thought. "Kidnap Vianis and ransom her for her own fleet. The idea is definitely attractive. And historically validated, even," he adds with a wink to Kourin.

"But," he reflects Robinward. "She was 'off-watching' you, you said? She never took her eyes off us, or through us as may be."

At the 'kidnap/ransom' plan, Robin's green eyes light up with delight.  "Thanks, Jove!  You're the best."  And the wingleader is treated to a quick hug.

Then, with one arm around her brother's waist, the Ranger considers the rest of his statement.  "Maybe it's like one of those paintings where the eyes follow you?  Because when I was out throwing stones I had the distinct impression that she was looking past me.  Not into the cave anymore."

"No such luck," Jovian responds ruefully. "It doesn't look good for keeping our position secret. Which may mean taking some risks I am none too happy about."
            The bronze rider turns to draw Siege back into the conversation.  "What do you think, Siege? Do you still know enough of your grandmother's habits to gauge our chances at a smash-and-grab?"

Siege seems a little dubious. He looks at Robin and speaks, slowly at first, then at a more normal tempo. "If it were me and I catch her, she's either going to die quickly or be taken to the Lady. I would not trust her enough to bargain with her, but you might be able to do so. I prefer to be a direct fighter, I'd just go in and start smashing them up while a few of us hit the temple. At least we'll decide when we're fighting that way."

"Hmmmm."  Robin crosses her arms while she thinks about it.  "Jove?  I don't think that floaty lady had anything to do with Vianis and crew.  Which doesn't mean that we shouldn't be on guard.  But I think it's a different set of problems rearing their ugly heads."

"And Siege?  Is there anything else we can smash up as a distraction?  Other than the fleet?"

Siege says, "There's the fleet, the Temple, and the citadel. If we're trying to rescue Avis from the Temple, we hit the fleet or the citadel, of course. But the real problem is the defenders, and they'll come up no matter where you strike, Lady."

"I agree that the airy redhead's likely a separate problem," Jovian begins with a nod to his sister, "but I don't believe strongly enough in coincidence to count on it. I'd prefer to hit the fleet as our diversion; the citadel's going to be a harder target for a force of flyers, and damaging the fleet is on our objective list anyway, which the citadel isn't." His knitted brow forms a deep shelf, darkening his eyes as he stares intently at the milling saurians.

"Oh, alright.  But if there's any fleet left, I want it."  Robin gives in good-naturedly.  And then scrunches up her nose like a hound who's found out just what is in that hole.  Boats!  She's asking for a whole lot of boats!  There's definitely something not right in the world.

"The dragons could use more rest, and they're about due to feed. Not in top form. And hardly any *stone,* damn it...we need to buy...." The bronze rider's voice trails off, gazing at the senior of the three golden queens.

"Time?" He pauses, peers into the middle distance as if studying calculus equations etched into the cave walls. "Damn. I don't like the idea of letting a day pass. On the other hand, if I time it tomorrow night back to tonight, and whoever's trying to sense us finds us in two very different places at once...that ought to screw 'em around, make them uncertain enough not to know where to hit right away...." Perhaps surprisingly to outsiders, the dragonriders within earshot of this musing do not seem to think their leader has taken leave of his senses.

Jovian's green eyes go argon laser sharp and bright as his head snaps round toward Siege. "Limestone. Do your people quarry it?"

Yep.  Robin keeps quiet.  She knows better than to interrupt J'rim when he gets all sharp and green.  Most of the time.  Well, okay some of the tim... how about this time.

"It's not common in these isles, mostly we buy it if we need it. Why?"

L'tarn, who has been listening to his leader's noodling, stands, looking off into space for a moment. His eyes unfocus and he sits down, rather quickly. "Hmm. I, uh... I think we're following your plan, J'rim. I think we're probably keeping them too busy over there to look for us over here..."

Kourin looks closely at him, then up at J'rim. "OK, if that's the way it's going to be, put the sentries back up and lets those who can sleep."

"Nng," Jovian articulates, wincing a little at L'tarn. "I had thought only to steal time to pick up some limestone, but then...you said noon tomorrow would be an auspicious time for Vianis to kill Avis.  Looks like we're committed. As you were, people," he calls out to the riders generally. "Looks like we're in for double duty, so get your rack time while you can."

He turns back to Siege and Robin. "I've just ordered something risky enough to be barely tolerable. Siege, these dragons need limestone so they can breathe fire. About...." He looks the warrior up and down. "Half your weight per dragon, in chunks a little smaller than a man's head. If the battle isn't too protracted that should be plenty.

"The risky part is that we're going to be in two places at once. I'll need to stay put until tomorrow night to have a good enough feel for this place to do it, but we are then going back in time - back only to tonight, to grab the stone and then hit the fleet hard. While you, Robin and whatever support you can raise quickly get into the temple, find Avis and retrieve Robin's... property." He spares a quick smile for his sister. "As long as we don't get too close to *ourselves* along the way, we should be fine."

As L'tarn sits down and J'rim winces, Robin's eyebrow raises in a movement that proves her and Jovian's shared heritage. The Ranger's green eyes dart to Kourin noting her stoicism.  Hmmmm, it seems that, for male dragonriders, thought itself is uncomfortable.

The girl's face remains quiet throughout J'rim's planning speech, though her brows furrow a little in thought.  And she crosses her arms over her chest as she listens.  In the end, she just clears her throat, perhaps a little nervously and says, "'We' who?"

"That's a problem, isn't it?" her brother replies. "I don't really like to propose something with these risks, but with noon tomorrow a likely time for the sacrifice... if we wait and do this normally, we could be too late to save Avis, and with the kind of force and weirdness we're up against, the attacks have to be coordinated. Unless you have another idea, we're *all* going to have to cheat time, together."

Jovian looks over at L'tarn and studies the lines of the younger man's troubled face. "And it looks like some of us at least already have.  Are. Will.  He sighs, shaking his head. "He's time-stressed, that's all; fatigue is probably the worst of it. I'm not *positive* we're standing to battle right now, but the signs point that way. It *may* just be a milk run to pick up the limestone. Suggestions?"

"Straight and steady on course, weyrleader." says M'hall.

"Short watches, so nobody gets too twitchy." puts in Kourin. L'tarn nods at this.

"Rest." says Siege. "Mayhap we'll stop seein' things, even if they're there."

Robin notes the consensus around her and drops her arms with a shrug.  "Hunh," a non-committal grunt is followed by,  "I'll certainly vote for the 'rest' part.  As for the other bits, can thee and me parlez en privé, mon frère?"

Robin smiles sweetly at Jovian-which, from her, is not necessarily a good thing.  There are flickers of green fire deep in her eyes.  She's a little angry, and a little scared.  And probably a little angry at being scared.

Jovian arches a brow at the phrasing, working on it a moment, but getting the point even though they don't have French (or, fortunately, Frenchmen) where he's from. As the others set about settling in, he guides Robin with a nod over to an out-of-the-way nook.

"You're right, Robin," he pre-empts. "I should have consulted you before making the call, but the circumstances do seem to demand the extreme measure. If you're dead-set against messing with Time yourself, fine - but the dragons need at least a full night's rest before taking on a battle fleet, and I don't want to be late for Avis' execution. And I'm not sanguine about staging this raid in daylight. Still, that call for suggestions was meant to elicit your views on the plan, not to round up support."

He takes a deep breath, blows it out in a sigh. "So what's your take on this?"

Robin opens her mouth, her eyes flashing.  Then closes it and rethinks.  She blows out a breath, strides around a little and shakes her arms out.  She starts again.  And stops again.  Eventually, she asks quietly,  "Jovian?  Are you fresh from the field or something?  Because you are really jumpy.  And this is coming from me!"  A half-smile pulls at the corner of her mouth, though the twinkle in her eye is tinged with concern.

"Thanks for noticing, Robin." The edge in the dragonman's voice is softer with her than it would be with anyone else, of that she can be certain. "I am on my way home from *Chaos,* see, where two of our godlike relatives got very dead and a whole mess of barely describable horrors tried to kill a lot more of them. So yeah, I'm still thinking like a battlefield commander. It's a survival thing."

"Ooooh, J'rim."  A croon of worry lifts from Robin's lips and she steps forward to envelope her brother in a warm embrace (if he lets her, that is. :)

"I..."  She squeezes him tightly.  "Welcome home, J'rim.  You're back.  The only indescribable horror here is a bratty kid sister with her stubborn up."  The Ranger keeps hugging Jovian for a long as it seems he wants to be hugged.

"If you're the worst I have to deal with here, kiddo," he admits, "I think we'll get through this." He does let himself be hugged for a suitable while.

"Okay, my take." Robin makes a thinking popping sound with her lips.  When she speaks again, her voice is calm.  "I don't see the need for extreme measures.  Especially ones that are dangerous for your men.  There's a lot of assuming going on.  We've only heard from Siege on this.  And while I don't think he could lie to us... even he admits he's flying mostly on guesswork.  We don't know that Avis is going to be executed tomorrow.  We don't even know that Avis is a prisoner of Vianis!  And you're willing to risk those wonderful men?"  She gestures back toward L'tarn and M'hall.

"If you want to pull some stunt with time, why not wait a little to make sure it's needed?  I mean a day or a week, is there some ferocious difference?  And you're right, I'm... uncomfortable with the idea of being in two places at once.  I'm having enough trouble being in just one."  She mutters that last darkly under her breath.

"And I while didn't want to state this too strongly in front of the others, I'm telling you right now that that fleet is worth a LOT more to Amber than some non-Blood half-sister!  And you're planning on burning it as a distraction!"  She takes a deep breath.  "Look, originally we were thinking of a few quick hits.  My Trump, Avis.  That's good.  I can back that."

"But engaging in full-out warfare in a shadow that Vere and Gerard might be fond of.  And that's going through a civil religious war..." Robin shakes her head.  "How would you like it if Jerod and Cambina wandered in and did that to Calusa?"  Robin reaches for two cousins that J'rim might actually have heard of.

Jovian takes a moment to digest his sister's points, closing his eyes slowly and opening them after a few seconds.

"First. We may be putting more faith in our assumptions than we should, optimally. I'll give you that one. But two points militate for timing it. One, it's a great way to confuse all hell out of clairvoyants, some of whom you said we're up against here. Two--" and here he looks back at L'tarn, "we're already doing it. At this point, if L'tarn at minimum and probably many others who aren't showing it *don't* go back...it's impossible, we have to because we already have. Paradox is simply not possible." He struggles momentarily for further explanation, shaking his head in consternation mainly at himself for being unable to discuss it in easily digested terms.

"But that's also why we can't risk waiting. I don't have a trump of you, nor you of me, so we can't stake out the Temple - thirty dragons are hard to hide. We can't just watch and wait, we have to know *exactly* when to hit - if we let the execution proceed, we can't go back and change it. Without instantaneous communication, that's going to be damned difficult.

"Besides, the main risks of timing it are fouling up the temporal coordinates so you come out at the wrong time - or worse yet, nowhen - and coming physically too close to your normally-timed self. The former is flat out not going to happen - you know I've always had a thing about time. The latter we can scrupulously avoid."

He gathers himself with one more deep breath. "If Jerod and Cambina showed up and raised hell in Calusa, I'd want them to be pretty damn sure what side they're on, I'll give you that. Preferably the side protecting my mother, which is why stopping Vianis' movement before it progresses further is on the list as a potential objective.

"If we can capture the fleet with a minimum of fire damage? Sure, we'll do that, make the attack a feint only. If you have ideas on how we can get Vianis' followers to hand over the boats without a fight, I'd love to hear. I'd like to just walk in and tell them the war's over, but Siege seems to think that'll get us dead."

"Yeah."  Robin sighs, "I wish that'd work too.  But I can see Siege's point.  This war may have started ten years ago 'cause Uncle Gerard wasn't available to sacrifice.  But that's not what's kept it going all this time.  By now it's into good ol' 'I want my neighbor's stuff' and 'the way you live your life is perverted.' You can't cure that with a quick speech."  Robin ticks her tongue sadly.

The Ranger rubs her chin as she continues.  "Okay.  Right now all we know is that L'tarn is... 'timing it.' We don't know who-if anyone--else, why or what he's doing.  We're assuming it's an attack on the fleet, but really... we don't know.  He alone could be timing it right now because he's on a scouting mission, n'est pas?"

"It's doubtful that he alone is. I don't sell any of these guys short, but I'd never let them time it outside their own home shadow without me." He snorts softly. "I can see where you're headed. 'OK, L'tarn, you go to the temple and make note of exactly when we arrive, then come back and tell us....'" He closes his eyes and chuckles softly to himself.

"And I still feel don't need to stake out the Temple, we need to scout out the Temple.  If me and my birds (and possibly L'tarn) get there and it turns out there's an execution in the offing... what's the range on draconic telepathy anyway?  And how quickly can you, uhhh, 'go between' to get there?  Surprise might save us the need for a distraction.  Though..." the girl rubs her chin, "I'll grant you that moving around in time is probably pretty confusing to a clairvoyant.

"Dragon telepathy is planetwide in Calusa. In Chaos...well, there doesn't seem to be a measuring system in Chaos, so I can't say, but it's pretty far. Didn't seem able to measure time, either." Jovian looks a little uncomfortable contemplating this. "As for passage *between,* it's nearly instantaneous - just eight seconds between any two points on Calusa. I'd want to test myself here before trying to lead anyone. The catch, though, is that a dragon can't go *between* to a place his rider has never seen. It's not like shadowshifting, where I can get approximately there and then tweak it - the visualization has got to be dead solid perfect the first time, or you don't come out of *between* at all."

Jovian considers for a moment, with an odd, thoughtful look in his eyes. "Dad always told me not to try going *between* shadows *yet,* as if it could be done when I was ready. But whether I feel ready or not," he concludes with a head shake as if to clear it, "I can't risk my people on that."

"The thing is," Robin raises her shoulders in a shrug, "Me and Vere-we're not exactly sympathique."  A rueful chuckle goes through her frame.  "If we've traded more than 'nice weather' or 'pass the salt', I don't remember it.  So I don't know how he feels about his mother or his sister.  And Siege obviously didn't feel that it was his place to tell me.

"That's why I'm walking on eggs, Jovian.  Cause no matter what I do here, it's going to be wrong by Vere's lights.  Normally I wouldn't give a damn, show me a good fight and I'm there.  Bring on the dragons and torch them all, no problem.  But Vere... could make my life miserable in ways I don't want to even think about.  So I want to get this little action as least wrong as I can."  She finishes with a weak smile.

"By which you mean...what?" Jovian asks when his sister winds down.  "Take the minimum action possible to meet our minimum objectives, then go back and find out what he would have wanted? If leaving his mother facing a major threat turns out to be the wrong thing, what then? And what," he finishes, an edge creeping into his voice, "is this Vere holding over you?" Big brother plainly is not too happy with this Vere person intimidating his kid sister.

"Yes.  Minimum action to meet minimum objectives is exactly what I'm suggesting, Jovian.  And if we take the fleet with us, his mom won't be facing a major threat.  Just the same one she's been fighting these last ten years.  And  Vere and Gerard can decide if, when and where they want to throw in their weight.  Not us."  A flat smile lines her lips.  Robin isn't exactly happy about it, but... family courtesy.

As the edge in Jovian's voice creeps into her attention, her smile becomes actually happy, though a flicker of mischief twinkles in her emerald eyes.  One bandaged hand reaches out to thump Jovian gratefully on the upper arm.  "Jovian," the girl sings the name in a purr, "that's so sweet of you.  And I admit that there's a part of me that would love to see you kick Vere's ass.  But... that wouldn't be fair.  To either of you."  She shakes her head with a rueful chuckle.

"Vere isn't holding anything over me.  See..."  Her eyes wander as she reaches for an explanation.  "Imagine a good and conscientious scion of Amber who is - in every other important and fundamental way - my exact opposite. Vere's the son of the Regent and a heavy on the Council, but mostly... give him a few more decades and he'll have Uncle Caine's boots filled nicely."

"I cross him and I will never eat warm eggs again.  I'll be issued only left boots for the rest of my life.  Annnnddd if he ever thinks I'm a threat to Amber, the chambermaid will discover a nicely written note that says I've gone hunting off in shadow and not to expect me back for a while..."  The Ranger turns her palms up in a 'there you have it' gesture.

"'A fratricide will never take the throne,'" Jovian quotes, then adds with a reptilian toothy grin, "and a soricide will never approach it on his own feet. Besides, with most of the family returned, everyone will have to be a bit more mindful not to get too big for their *own* boots. I don't expect Dad will put up with much nonsense in your direction - he's counting on you, you know." He lets that hang in the air a moment, his smile growing more gentle.

"Really?"  Robin knows that the hope that flickers in her eyes and in her heart is more pathetic than anything else.  But still she can't help herself.  It's been so long since she had anyone she could talk to, anyone she could trust.  And the hope that her Father still might... a quiet smile spreads across her face.

Jovian snorts a brief laugh. "If you think Daeon's going to be useful keeping the Rangers organized, you haven't met Daeon. I, obviously, have my own major commitment." He smiles with all the warmth you can imagine of an Amberite at the great bronze hulk settling in somewhere behind him. "That leaves you, li'l birdie," he adds, sharing the warmth with his sister.

As J'rim glows, Robin casts a fond glance at the bronze herself.  Anything that can do that to an Amberite is a good thing in her book.  And if it's an anyone?  So much the better.

"Oh, from your lips to the Unicorn's ears, Jovian.  Pleeeaase..." she whispers fervently.  And hugs her brother firmly.

"But the thousand-mark question now, me proud beauty, is *how* do we take the fleet with us? I don't know the Temple from Theran Weyr; that raid will have to be your bailiwick, though I'll consult. I still think the best opportunity will be to interrupt the sacrifice, but you'd know whether the layout of the place offers others... anyway, that objective can be handled by a small team. But sailing a significant number of ships the hell out of here is not a job two of us - or thirty - can handle, even if we can unburden them of their hostile crews."

"Hmmmm.  That's a fair question...."  Robin swings her arms as she thinks.  "I'm not that worried about the fleet, Jovian.  Siege went down on knee damn fast with just a little of the family oomph.  I figure between the two of us we can oomph up the skeleton crews, no problem."

"The raid's more concerning.  I'm wondering if we're not grabbing the wrong person.  Look, if I gave you bad weather cover, do you think that you and a couple of the boys could do a quick flyover of Mothersport?  Just to get a feel?"

"You with me, L'tarn carrying Siege...and why use a second storm when the first one will serve? It fits. We'll have to have Siege along, of course, to integrate our observations with a native's understanding of what's normal activity in the city."

Robin nods, the green beginning to glow in her eyes.  "Good.  This is getting good."
"Then Siege and me and a ground team head for a good observation point.  I shake the ground a little..." Robin gets a bit pale at that thought, "and when the termites scamper, we call in a snatch on Vianis.  Once we have her, we can get my Trump, Commander Avis and the Fleet in one fell swoop."

Jovian looks a little less than sanguine about this part. "You mean 'shake the ground' literally, Robin?"

The dragonrider squints at Siege over his sister's shoulder while he considers her answer. "For that matter, are we sure Vianis' movement will collapse without her, or has her force got its own momentum? If they do not want to abandon their fleet so quickly, and some subcommander or witch-princess gets too big for her boots...." He trails off with a shrug.

"I'm not expecting her movement to collapse without her, just stumble enough for us to get an upper hand.  Of course, this is just stupid idea number one.  Give me some time and I can come up with others."  She grins to her brother.

"I suppose Plan B is where we don't do anything stupid." This, delivered with both eyebrow workout and a twist at the corner of his mouth. "Me, I'm getting visions of dragon flyovers dumping out sacks of itching powder, an inhalant soporific, maybe something poisonous, so that tells you what my ideas are worth."

"Oh, damn Jovian!  That's even better!"  Glee leaks into her voice and the girl claps her hands in delight.  "Much safer for the infinks of Mothersport than a  tremblor.  But... you know, Thistledown would work really, really good.  But it's a ways from here..." Robin looks around through the walls, "I think."

"Of course, then I'd be signed up to both 'time it' and go wandering in shadow far from my Trump."  She taps her fists nervously against her thighs.  "Gaaah.  What kind of airborne irritant can we get closer?"

"I don't know," Jovian shrugs. "I haven't been to this shadow before tonight. Siege?" The dragonrider waves over Robin's shoulder to the Dannan warrior. "We could use your input here."

Robin turns around to look at Siege.  Her eyes are sparkling like a child who's figuring out just how many firecrackers she can tie to the cat's tail.

Robin and Jovian look up and notice that the fires are mostly banked and most of the riders have bedded down. Jovian notes that Kourin has an empty blanket next to her and sees her eyes shining in the firelight. The riders, a disciplined lot, have settled quickly and more than half are already asleep.

Siege has not fallen asleep, but it is clear that he has gone without longer than he should. His wounds, old and new, may be slowing him down a bit. "Lady, Lord." He yawns. "What was the question?"

Robin recalls that she also took something of a pounding and considers the advantages of Juliani heritage.

After Jovian explains, Siege says. "I can't think of anything they can't spell away easily, unless you can do something to the rain. It is not our side that is known for trickery and deceit. If it were, we might have won by now. But not in a way I could be proud of.

"Seems to me that you're in the same boat that we're usually in. You can beat anything they throw at you, except for a handful of very special, very dangerous opponents. Their numbers are greater, but you have strength and speed.

"I'd use cavalry tactics. Up and down the field, disorganizing them. When they expose the witches, hit 'em hard. And don't get bogged down. Do they have ducks in Amber? You'd be sitting ducks."

Jovian gazes downward and his expression darkens with consternation.  "That still leaves us no plan for driving back the defenders without destroying the ships," he complains half to himself, then looks up as if about to ask something more - then catches himself as he really *looks* at Siege for a moment. "Further discussion can wait for a full night's rest, though," he forces himself to admit.

Robin nods to herself, her green eyes turned inward.  "Something with the rain, hunh?"  She murmurs to herself.

Looking around at the retiring riders, she chuckles and fondly smacks her brother on the forearm.  "Well, we at least know we're staying here till tomorrow night, right?  To give you a feel for the land before we pull this time stunt?  That gives me some time to see what I can cook up."

"It looks like your lady is waiting, mon frere."  Robin's grin is quick in the darkening cave.  "And you should get some down time too, Siege."

"I'll be just outside the main door."  Robin hugs her brother good night.  A quick wave is tossed to Siege as she heads for the opening.

"OK, but you get some rest too, understand?" her brother calls after.

Robin raises her hand in acknowledgment as she continues on her way.

Jovian turns then, spends a long moment looking at his people and their dragons...a moment of reflection upon this strange situation he's led them into, with a little luck the last of such an array.

Surely he *must* be becoming a true scion of Amber, if he could think of himself as having the *right* to fly them into one predicament after another, where they were never meant to belong....

Then he meets Kourin's eyes, their calm strength, the quality they have always had for easing anxiety and doubt. And with that, as well, such a glowing *belief* in him.... He could reconcile himself to his fate, he reflects, if it were to include that sort of look now and gain.

He goes to meet his fate, walking slowly and softly, stepping out of his boots as he reaches the blanket. As he settles in beside Kourin he studies her face, his look inviting her to voice her thoughts if she wishes.