Keish- June 27, 2004

June 27, 2004
Dear Arri,
Just as I was rising to post my last letter yesterday, Malia appeared in the doorway.  She bobbed a quick curtsey.  “Lady Gretel, Mistress,” she announced as Gretel entered.
“I doubt Gretel requires a formal announcement,” as I said dryly.
“You’re married now.  I can’t just be popping in without warning,“ she responded.  Seeing the letter in my hand, Gretel took it and gave it to Malia.  The girl bobbed another curtsey and left.
“I shall have to cure her of that,” I observed.  “It can’t be good for her knees.”
Gretel laughed, as I had intended.  She looked as though she had not slept much.
“How is Imato faring this morning?  I should have been more careful of him last night,” I admitted, slightly worried she was upset with me.
She waved off my concern with another laugh.  “More careful of him?  I dare you to make such a comment in front of him,” she said mischievously.
I laughed as well.  “No, I suppose he wouldn’t appreciate such an idea.”
“Not at all.  He’s up and dressed-- I saw him briefly.  Jace has engaged him in a game of chess and suggested I come up here and do the same.”
“Jace convinced you to play chess?’
She rolled her eyes.  “Don’t be daft.  He sent me to keep you quiet and resting.  He didn’t want to trust Imato to rest, but it wouldn’t be seemly for me to be in Imato’s room,” she said impatiently.
“But no chess?” I teased.  Gretel is a fair player, but she doesn’t enjoy it enough to try to be more than that.
She gave me an exasperated sigh and all but pushed me into the chair at my desk.   She retrieved another for herself and placed a small stack of papers in my hands.
“I’ve been saving these for you.  I thought you’d find them diverting enough to keep you quiet a while.”
The Gazette, it seems, is practically a force of nature.  There were no fewer than nine stories about Jace and I-- one about the wedding, one commenting on the plainness of my ring, six given wholly to speculations as to our “real” reason for traveling to Cruxholm and one newly printed with some absurdity about Imato insulting me upon our return and Jace threatening to throw him out.  As though I’d let anyone else have the pleasure of throwing your brother out.
“Doubtless someone will accuse Jace of having designs on my fortune as well,” I commented after spending some time reading each one.
“Isn‘t it there?”  Gretel called for Emily, who returned a few minutes later with yet another clipping.  “This was before the wedding-- I guess it was still in my coat.”
I saw that it was quite as silly as the rest.
Gretel pointed to the one about my ring.  “I have to admit I was a bit curious about this as well.”
“Oh?” I asked innocently.
“Keish, please.  I know you met with the jeweler again without me and from what Imato has said, Jace must have been at least four times.  You cannot expect me to believe that so much effort was required to choose plain bands.”
I laughed.  “Are you certain?  I can be so terribly indecisive.”
She glared at me.
“Oh fine.  The bands are on loan, you know.  The jeweler offered them as a substitute until the rings are finished.  When I went back, the poor man started apologizing profusely that my ring would not be ready before the wedding.  Then, naturally, he was appalled that he’d let slip that Jace was ordering a very unique custom ring.  I told him he could atone by making a coordinating ring for Jace.  I expect they’ll be ready any day now.”
“And you didn’t say a word,” Gretel pouted.
I shrugged.  “We were all a bit busy.  Besides, if it’s a custom ring you probably needn’t worry about getting Imato the same ring.”
She gave me a withering look.  I simply smiled sweetly at her.
She looked out the window.  “Is it wrong of us to be talking of such silly things when we don’t know if Arri is safe?  Or if she’s found Liop?”
“I’m worried too, but you didn’t feel the strength of Imato’s wards.  I’m sure he’d know if they’d been breached.”
Just as I’d said it, Imato burst into the room.  He didn’t seem to notice my dressing gown as he stood before us.  “Can you seek Arri?  Something happened with the ward I set.”
Jace entered the room behind him, his expression a curious combination of troubled and amused.
“What has happened exactly?” I asked Imato.
He faltered a bit.  “I’m not sure.  I don’t have the experience you do.” He sounded so frustrated.  Gretel held out her hand and he took is absently, frowning as he tried to give me a better answer.  “It’s like it has been… muffled,” he said finally.
“But not broken?”
He shook his head.  “I don’t think so.”
“Then it’s not likely Arri’s in immediate danger.”
The look on Imato’s face could only be described as dangerous.
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t seek her,” I said, somewhat exasperated, “I was just stating the facts.  Be quiet a moment.”
I closed my eyes and sent out a clear call.  Our link opened, but it was muffled, just as Imato had said his ward was.  Puzzled, I let go of our link and sought Liop, encountering a similar feel.
I opened my eyes.  “Imato, what does the ward on Liop feel like?”
He shook his head.  “It hasn’t changed,” he replied, but then furrowed his brow as he considered the question more seriously.  “You think it’s because she has reached the fairies.”
“Or at least has crossed the barrier between our world and theirs.  She may not have actually reached them yet.  I believe it took our mothers longer than this.”
Imato seemed at least somewhat mollified.
“Well, now that that’s settled,” Jace began, amusement having finally won out on his face, “has all sense of decorum been lost in your exhaustion or do you plan to make a habit of bursting into our bedchamber?”
I laughed as Imato finally took note of my dressing gown.  “I don’t believe you’ve ever even been in here before, Imato.  Would you like a tour?”
I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but your dear brother blushed.
Gretel was laughing too, but she took pity on him and led him through the door to the sitting room.
(I’ve decided we must call the formal sitting room the parlor, so as to avoid confusion.  Assuming, of course, that I ever get it suitably decorated and furnished and actually use it.)
Jace and I joined them after I took a few minutes to dress.
Imato began to stammer.  “I… I apologize…”
Jace waved him off.  “You’re worried about Arri.  We all are.”
“But it would take a great deal of power to break your ward from what Keish said,” Gretel added.  “Surely you would feel that.”
“Speaking of wards, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to release the one on your room so that I can see what Liop was up to.  Or have you come to prefer the guest room?”
“You’re sure it’s my magic?”  Imato sounded doubtful.
“Very,” I said firmly.  “And until you release it, no one will be able to go in.  Though I suppose we will have to watch carefully as you release it, to see what Liop’s spell does.”
“Keisha,” Jace began, but I cut him off decisively.  “I am not made of glass, Jace, I did not even lose consciousness.  If you must worry, it should be about Imato, but as you already let him run up here you can’t very well forbid him from going down.”
Jace chuckled.  “I was only going to point out that lunch is ready.”
I suddenly realized I was extremely hungry.  “Well then, by all means, let’s do that first.”  I took his arm and we led the way.
After a lengthy lunch, during which we had to explain everything that had happened to Papa, we headed down to Imato’s room on the ground floor.
Imato seemed nervous, but Gretel squeezed his hand and Jace nodded his encouragement.
“Okay, Imato, go ahead,” I told him when I had checked to see that there was no change.
He nodded and closed his eyes.  I studied the intertwined spells as he released his.
Then I saw it and gasped.
Imato nearly jumped.  “What is it?  Did I do something wrong?”
“Of course not,” I responded impatiently.  I studied the remaining spell a moment longer.  “That  little parrot.  Imato, you tried warding the room while Liop was here, didn’t  you?”  He nodded.  “That’s it then.  He mimicked your spell.”
Imato muttered something about putting a ward around Liop to protect everyone else, but I was too busy figuring out what Liop had done.
“What about the alchemy?” Jace asked.
I shrugged.  “It’s here, but I don’t know enough about alchemy to determine what he was hoping to accomplish.  As best I can tell, Liop tried mimicking Imato’s spell and then when Imato cast the spell again it revived Liop’s and the two intertwined.  Someone really must teach that child not to leave so much residue every time he performs a spell.  The alchemy must be something he tried in connection with that.”
Have you ever felt Uncle W.’s alchemy, Arri?  Magic feels warm, even alive, to me but the alchemy was cold and flat and dead.  I don’t like the feel of it at all.  Like holding a dead snake.
I felt carefully around the edges of the spell.
“Well, aren’t you going to release it?” Imato asked impatiently.
I shook my head slowly.  “I think you’d better do it.  It is originally your spell, after all.  I think it’s safer if you release it.”
He didn’t look pleased by this, but I felt him reach out with his magic tentatively to take the measure of Liop’s spell.  He recoiled almost instantly.  “Is that what other people’s magic always feels like?”
“Well, you’ve felt my magic-- is that what it feels like?”  He shook his head.  “Then you’re likely feeling the alchemy.  It feels very different from magic.  You probably didn‘t feel it before because of your own ward.”
He steeled himself and reached out again, more firmly this time.  His expression became curious.  “I can  tell it was Liop, but I’m not sure how.  It just feels like him and your magic feels like you.”  He deftly manipulated the spell and I felt it release.  “There.  I think that does it.”  He sounded almost surprised.
I moved to enter the room, but Jace caught my arm.  “What about the alchemy?”
I reached out to feel what was left behind and shook my head.  “It must have been fully tied into the spell.  Other than the powder on the floor, of course.”
Imato stepped in front of me.  “I’ll go in first, just in case.”
He entered cautiously and looked around.
I followed, wrinkling my nose.  “I presume the smell has something to do with the mess.”
Jace nodded.  “Sulfur.  Interesting that it seems to have simply appeared with the spell.”
I could see what he meant.  Imato is far too fastidious to not have noticed-- the smell or the powder that nearly covered half the room.
“I’ll have Ryland clean up,” Jace said.  “After all, he gave Liop the supplies.”
“White can help,” Imato replied.  “Ryland feels badly enough.”
Gretel and I left them to get everything sorted only to find Marta upstairs in the library looking for us.
“An express rider just brought this, Milady.  He’d had a hard ride, clearly, so I made him sit in the kitchen with a mug of cider.”
I took your letter from her gratefully.  “Please make sure he rests and eats and tip him handsomely.”
With a curtsey she was gone.
“Wouldn’t Brooksby have dealt with that?” Gretel said curiously, referring to the newly employed butler.
“I think he’s afraid of me,” I answered, eagerly opening your letter.
Gretel and I read you letter and then, of course, Jace and Imato joined us and of course Imato had to read both your last letter and this one.
Imato was shaking his head after only a moment.  “Only Mendel Westridge would have the temerity to teach a Lady to jump.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Imato; she enjoyed herself.  I wonder what kind of a jumper Argentum would be.”
Imato turned to Jace.  “Can’t you keep your wife under control.”
“I doubt it,” Jace replied.  “Argentum was not bred for jumping, but he’s powerful.  He might make a fair jumper,” he told me.
Imato snorted and returned to your letter.  As can only be expected from an older brother, he muttered about it not being safe to wander into strange gardens alone, that friendship was more than Phyfe deserved after the way he treated you and that writing trash like the Fly-By should possibly be a capital offense.  He laughed at Tulson causing carriage troubles and declared that wards around Liop’s room were an excellent starting point but clearly more was needed.
I could tell this new letter was difficult for him because he was silent.  He looked impossibly sad that you had given up Moonstone, but said nothing.

Of course, by then it was nearly time for dinner and we had to give Papa an update.  After dinner, he requested that Jace and I help him in the observatory a while and I had no time to respond myself to your letter.
So I have spent today writing to keep worry over Liop from driving me mad, especially since Imato insists on pointing out that I don’t have far to go.  He’s positively insolent today.  Well, when he isn’t double-checking the wards he set over you and Liop.

I’ve been thinking a lot about your letter and I’m not sure there’s anything we could have done.
We don’t know exactly what your mother did to keep you from being taken and as for my mother…
You know, it’s funny-- when I remember my mother I remember her poise, her confidence, her grace.  And yet, the more we learn about the past and the more I learn of her, the more I see a terrified woman whose confidence was a face she wore.  She was passionate, certainly, but also so very reckless.
As much as everyone says I am like my mother, I am also not like her.
I don’t think I could ever risk Liop that way.  What my mother did to save me was very dangerous.

I am so very sorry about Moonstone.

Later
I have received two rather interesting letters today.
The first was from Uncle W. who is frustrated and desperate and sad.  He wants me to do all I can to find you-- saying that he will not stand in my way.
Imato gave a laugh that sounded bitter when he read it.  “Even when he’s being apologetic Uncle Winthrop manages to sound arrogant.  As if he’s ever been able to stop you from doing whatever you please.”
(I think something must have happened between them… maybe when Imato wrote about the spell Liop left?  Imato’s bitterness is new.)
The second letter was the more interesting of the two; it was from Mendel.
I think he’s a little irritated at being left behind again.  He’s considering keeping pegasi just to keep up with you.
We passed his letter around and discussed his plans at length trying to decide what to do.  He’s coming after you.
It’s a testament to how worried Imato is that he didn’t make any comments about Mendel being presumptuous-- either for taking it upon himself to go after you or for taking Glory to do so.  All he said was, “How do we help him?”
That, of course, was complicated.  With no way to contact Mendel other than writing to Sean, how could we do anything?
“Your ability to create connections, open links,” Imato said to me.  “Can you use that?”
I was already trying to figure out exactly that.  Since that conversation with Trena, I’ve been experimenting with calling spells.  Just light touches to get a sense of where someone is, what they’re doing, and maybe how they feel.  I can open such links easily with Imato and Gretel, Papa and Jace.  Even at a great distance, I can check on you and Liop, though I can’t get a very accurate sense of where you are.  But Mendel?
I bit my lip.  “I don’t know.  I’ve never attempted it with someone I don’t really know.”
“Can you use the letter?” Gretel asked.
I shook my head.  “It’s not enough, I don’t think.”
Jace looked thoughtful.  “Can you use me?  I know Mendel better.”
I considered this a moment before rejecting it.  “I don’t think that will work either.  If you had active magic, maybe, but I’m not sure I want to experiment on you.  Or on Imato,” I added before someone could suggest it.
Imato was looking over Mendel’s letter again.  “What if you try Nysa?  Maybe Mendel is still with her, since he was going to persuade her to teach him that traveling spell.”
I nodded.  “It’s a good starting point.”
Since I was going to try talking to Nysa I took the time to set up properly with my mirror, then started with a simple calling spell to establish a link.
I must have gasped, because instantly Jace had his arms around me.
“I’m alright,” I assured him.  “But something very odd happened to my spell.”  I paused, trying to put it into words.  “It’s like it split and went in two directions.”
“Why would it do that?” Gretel asked, baffled.
“It’s not as though Nysa could be in two places,” Imato added.
We were all silent while we tried to decide what it could mean.
Suddenly, Jace said, “Magic!”
Imato chuckled.  “Well, yes Jace, that much is obvious.”
Jace ignored him.  “The Westridges are not a magical family-- where did Mendel’s magic come from?”
My eyes widened.  “Jace, you’re right!  When Mendel helped Nysa some of her magic went to him.  The calling spell was trying to go to both of them!”
“So they aren’t together then,” Gretel said.
“But can you use that to find Mendel?” Imato asked.
I nodded.  “I think so, but I’ll need something of Mendel to reach him and not Nysa.  Let me try something.”  I rearranged my mirror so that Mendel’s letter would enhance the spell, then closed my eyes to try again.
Nysa must have been able to teach him her traveling spell, because he was certainly farther away than Odsreq or Rousha.
I silently strengthened the spell so it would reach him and suddenly there he was.
He bowed slightly.  “Lady Pren.”
“Keish,” I corrected automatically.  “You don’t seem surprised.”
He shrugged.  “Your first spell was kind of like my tracking spells.  You aren’t really here, though, are you?” he asked, curious.  “I can almost see through you.”
“No, I’m not and we don’t have a lot of time-- our connection isn’t strong enough.  I wouldn’t be able to do this at all if your magic didn’t come from Nysa.  We should really have Brynn take a look at you,” I said absently.
“Fairy taught me the traveling spell, but I’m not far enough south yet.  I need to jump once more to get to the right ring,” he explained.  “Oh, and she gave me your letter to take to Arri.”
The spell wasn’t strong enough for me to really see where he was, so I just nodded.  “The ring is in the prairie.”  I quickly explained what we knew, not that there was much to explain.  The information about Imato’s spells intrigued him and he promised to pass it along to you.
I cast my own ward on Mendel.   Though it’s not nearly as strong as Imato’s I think it will suffice-- after all, I could tell Nysa had warded him also.
There wasn’t much else to say, but I did extract a promise that he would be careful before releasing the spell.
I was dizzy afterwards, but I’m definitely getting better at controlling those spells.
I told Jace, Imato and Gretel what Mendel had said.  “I suppose we should at least write to Sean that he’s safe,” I added.
“I’ll do it,” Jace offered.  “I know Sean fairly well and he sent a letter of congratulations about the wedding that I haven’t responded to.”
I was grateful for this since I still had to write to Uncle W.-- something gentle and reassuring.  Mendel said he didn’t see Uncle W. in Rousha, but Nysa will likely tell him Mendel has gone after you.
I hope to hear from you soon, though I don’t know when you’ll be in a position to post a letter.  In the meantime, this letter just gets longer and longer-- after all, half of it won’t make sense until you’ve read my last letter, but if Mendel is taking that with him hopefully you’ll have it soon.

Jace has just pointed out that if Mendel can communicate with Sean, most likely through the traveling spell, then Sean could relay a letter to Mendel to give to you.  Since Jace has his letter for Sean ready, I will close this letter to be included with it.
Stay safe.

Love Always
Keish

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