Arri- April 12, 2005

April 12, 2005
Dear Keish,

The morning was clear and crisp, the sun still a good half hour from breaking the dense line of the forest on the southwestern side of Rousha. We met just out of sight of the main road to Green Lake, avoiding the early passage of peddlers and journeymen. Nysa has still not come to terms with cold weather, having never experienced it in the land of the fairies. She shivered and Father worried about her health which caused her much embarrassment.
“She was not so delicate as a fairy,” Father commented to me later, his voice thoughtful, “I do wish your mother could look at her.”
“She survived weeks on her own in the Arrellan forest when she first left the fairy ring,” I responded, feeling that Nysa needed some defense, “It’s more that she doesn’t like cold than that she can’t handle it.”
Mendel had arrived before us as was waiting with the two horses. I noticed traveler’s saddlebags. From the top of the one on Tattheus rose the hilt of a short sword, which surprised me. I didn’t know Mendel owned a sword. He had a saddle basket for Lexie, but at that moment the half-grown pup was prancing around the horses’ legs with a large bone in her mouth. Mendel offered Father his pick of the two horses. However, much to my surprise Father turned down the offer and insisted again on riding Sprigs.
“I know Sprigs,” Father said simply, “He hasn’t changed nearly as much in five years as the rest of you.”
We said our goodbyes. Father reminded each of us of the tasks we had been assigned, making sure that we were each impressed with our own importance.
“This part of the quest is only to find Nuicui,” Father reminded us, “After that we will reconvene in Rousha to determine our next step. Winthrop, I have no intention of taking my children across the Grestian border if I can help it.”
Uncle W. hadn’t said much, but Father’s lecture seemed to make an impression and his attitude was less surly than it had been the previous day.
“Master Mendel,” said Father turning to him, “I’m very grateful for your assistance in this part of the quest. I understand that your skills are invaluable. I’d like very much to compensate you. Arri mentioned that you are attending the university. Is there anything I can do in that direction in your service? Or if you have another suggestion, I’d be happy to hear it.”
“Compensation?” asked Mendel, “For a quest?” His smile widened, “I get to choose my compensation in advance?”
“Yes,” said Father, confusion flickering across his face, “I usually agree upon the terms before the quest. Are you accustomed to the opposite?”
“It’s much more practical, Sir,” said Mendel. Uncle W. groaned—we all, except Father, could hear a joke coming.
Mendel waved us aside and made a great show of considering. Father’s confusion turned to a frown.
“So far,” said Mendel, “My quests with Arri have involved leaping griffons, winged lions, and angry fairies. Adequate compensation, you’ll agree, but somewhat lacking in the kind of ferocity adventurers such as myself crave—no offense, Banquo. For my compensation on this quest, I believe I am entitled to a dragon—one of the larger species, if you please, Captain Etautca.”
Father’s eyebrows shot up, and he considered Mendel.
“That can be arranged,” he said seriously.
Mendel’s smile widened. “Brilliant,” he said.
Liop’s delight at discovering he was to ride Banquo—since obtaining a horse so late at night without attracting attention would have been nearly impossible—could hardly be contained. Banquo was very humble and patient about the whole situation and I think it helped that Liop could talk to him directly. Still, it seemed advisable to get Liop a pony at the next possible opportunity.
Finally, we were on our way. Banquo cast a detecting spell so that we could follow the road for a while without concern for encountering anyone. Mendel led the way on the tall chestnut Tattheus with Liop and Banquo at his side. It still amazes me that the horses are not afraid of Banquo. I remember from my childhood that the horses were never afraid of Noralt, but still it seems incredible. Winged lions are so much larger than ordinary lions. I asked Banquo about it, but his response through Liop was: “I’m not hunting horses. They have nothing to fear.” Next I had Liop ask the horses why they weren’t afraid of the lion. They responded that the winged lion was not hunting. They could not, however, communicate how they knew this. I suppose I should just be satisfied.
Father and I on the gray-dappled Sprigs and more evenly gray Asus made up the rear of the party. Father didn’t seem to mind. It gave him an opportunity to ask me questions about everything that had happened in the last five years. I told him about going to live with Uncle Winthrop. I told about Uncle W.’s disappearance, the griffon trap, and going to rescue Uncle W. I told about your journey to the Solutun Mountains and the caves. I told about Gessair and the other Narls. It was a good thing Father was riding Sprigs, because he paid very little attention to the road. Sprigs knew to follow Tattheus. Asus, although unafraid, was not so content to simply follow Banquo. I had to pay attention or Asus would have tried to move me to the front of the group.
“The first thing I really noticed, Arri,” said Father, “that made me realize how much had changed, was when I saw you handling the doctor’s mare. You were always good with animals as a child, but your handling of that nervous, fidgety mare was flawless.”
“Well,” I said slowly, “I’ve had a lot of practice.”
“So have I,” said Father, “but I’ve never been as confident as you are, and I had formal training as a boy.”
I shrugged, unsure of my response.
“Tell about Aegolius and the reflection makers!” shouted Liop from ahead of us.
“You know Aegolius?” asked Father, smiling, “Is there anyone left that I know and you don’t?”
“Not likely,” said Mendel, “Arri is at the center of every intellectual circle in Rousha.”
I reddened and shook my head. Father looked amused.
“Dragons!” Liop shouted.
We all turned to him. He and Banquo had come to a halt, their eyes on the west.
“Where?” asked Father.
Liop pointed. We all looked, but the sky was empty.
“Banquo can sense them,” Liop told us, “He says there are several, heading right for us.”
Father grumbled something, shaking his head.
“What species?” he asked aloud.
“Great greens,” said Liop promptly.
“I can see them now!” said Mendel, pointing.
Several dark blots could be seen in the distance.
“Arri,” said Father, “Take Liop up on Asus and move deeper into the forest. Can you cast a warding spell?”
“Liop can,” I responded.
“Cast it, Liop.”
“On everyone? While we’re moving?” asked Liop, sounding worried.
“I’m sure you can do it,” said Father, “Master Mendel, how good are you with that sword?”
“I’m brilliant against a dummy,” said Mendel.
“Good, follow Arri into the forest. Keep between them and the dragons at all times.”
“Yes, Captian,” Mendel responded seriously. Lexie was already in her basket, having grown too tired to walk after the first couple of hours. Mendel closed the lid and latched it.
I pulled Liop up behind me and urged Asus into the trees. Mendel followed. We picked our way reluctantly, looking back. I felt Liop cast the warding spell. It flickered uncertainly and then strengthened as he added iridium. A few minutes passed and a dragon roared. Asus bolted, nearly unseating Liop. I brought the horse under control, but not before we had travelled a few hundred feet. Liop’s ward wavered.
“It’s getting too thin,” he said, “It wasn’t meant to cover so much space.”
“Do you have it around the Captain and Banquo too?” asked Mendel.
“And Sprigs and all of us,” said Liop, “I’ve never projected something so large that has to move.”
“I’ll help,” said Mendel. He spoke a few words and I felt a second spell go up around us. It flickered much worse than Liop’s.
“You’re right,” said Mendel, “this is much harder to hold than a stationary ward.”
“I don’t want to leave Father,” said Liop.
Another dragon roared. They were getting much closer. Suddenly, Liop slipped out of the saddle.
“I know! I can talk to dragons! I can tell them to leave us alone!” he shouted, darting away from me and back toward the road.
“No, Liop!” I dropped off Asus and chased after Liop. From the corner of my eye I saw Mendel do the same. The forest was dense and dark, even in bright daylight. Liop didn’t want to be followed. I heard a noise and veered after it. I felt Mendel’s ward quiver and die.
“Liop!”
I was back at the road. In the sky dragons were closing in. Banquo rose to meet them, roaring. I looked around. I couldn’t see Liop or Mendel anywhere. How many dragons were there? They moved so quickly they were impossible to count. It seemed like a dozen, but rationally, that number was too high. I wanted to help but didn’t have the slightest idea what to do.
One of the dragons flew strait towards Father. Keish, have you ever seen a great green up close? Even the zoos won’t keep them. It was at least as tall as the Pren’s townhouse and round: great greens are not long and skinny like desert dragons. Father raised his sword to strike, but it seemed more likely that the dragon would crush him. And then suddenly, there was Mendel. Darting across the dragon’s path. Distracted the dragon turned. Father did not lose the opportunity. The head of the first dragon fell without a sound. It skidded across the ground straight into Mendel, who stumbled, dropped his sword, and kept on running, disappearing into the trees.
Where was Liop? I looked all around, but couldn’t see him. Instead, I saw Mendel creeping back along the trees’ edge. One of the dragons blazed and the trees caught fire. Mendel cast a spell at one, putting out the flames, but on other trees the fire spread.
I had been motionless, frozen in shock, but seeing the trees on fire had a kind of familiar feel to it. I had dealt with this problem before. I used the only spell I could think of: the one I use to put out the fire in the oven. It worked. Together, Mendel and I put out all the fires, although Mendel was too busy keeping track of the dragons to notice me.
I was still pretty well hidden, but a dragon noticed Mendel. It charged toward him. Mendel jumped sideways at the last moment and the beast flew past him. Father was shouting something, but the roaring of the lions was too loud. I couldn’t tell what he was saying. Mendel rolled over and cast another spell aiming it at the dragon. It slowed. I could feel each burst of magic as Mendel cast his spells. Each burst slowed the dragon further until finally it stopped entirely and Father killed it. It screamed as it died.
I felt helpless, and Liop was still missing. It occurred to me that he wasn’t in the road where the fighting was. I backed further into the trees and crept along the road, calling him.
“Err-rri?” The sound was muffled, but it seemed like Liop’s voice.
“Liop?” I could hear something moving just beyond me, out of sight among the undergrowth. I pushed toward it. The voice repeated, still muffled, a little further on. Whatever I was following kept barely out of sight. I heard the dragons roaring and realized I was going away from the road. I stopped and turned back. Then I heard more rustling in the bushes. I knew I should ignore it, but something muddled my brain. I couldn’t tell what direction to go. The dragons were roaring. Then one of them screamed, another victory for Father, Banquo, and Mendel. Liop was not likely to be this far into the trees. I tried to head back toward the road, but something stopped me, a kind of mew like a frightened kitten. I turned toward it.
It was a strange sensation. Part of my brain knew that my priorities were all mixed up, that I was looking for Liop and not a lost kitten. But the mewing was indescribably compelling. I followed the sound. I think I had been half-running for a few minutes when the spell faltered and my foggy brain woke up just enough to realize what was happening. I froze.
It was a kitten. I could see it now, emerging from behind a tree, a little gray kitten, wonderfully sweet with green eyes.
It was not a kitten. Some part of my brain was still rational. I could feel the spell around me, trying to penetrate further into my head. I tried to look away, to step backward, anything to break the illusion.
The kitten mewed. I knew if I didn’t pick it up and take it with me, it would starve or be eaten by some terrible beast.
The kitten was the beast, and it would eat me the moment I got within biting distance. I froze, the rational part of my brain screaming for retreat, but the part of me under the spell wanting desperately to touch the kitten.
We had reached an impasse. My magical resilience was strong enough to prevent me from chasing the gomorph any further, but not strong enough to break me entirely from its grip. It mewed piteously. I closed my eyes, blocking out the illusion with memories of book illustrations showing a small monster with sharp teeth and mottled gray skin. I wondered what would happen when the gomorph encountered Liop’s iridium ward. I wondered which of us would prove to have the more powerful magic. I’m not sure how long we stood there.
I heard a soft sound directly behind me and the gomorph’s spell burst like a bubble. A little disoriented, my first thought was that word needed to be sent to the Master Forrester of Elcaro that a gomorph had been discovered in the forest. They would need to hunt it down within the week before it regained enough strength to perform its illusion again. That, however, was not really my most pressing problem. I opened my eyes to the sound of the monster scrambling away through the underbrush making much more noise than the kitten had. I did not get a glimpse of its true form and was glad of it. In the distance behind me came another dragon’s scream of death. Then the sky flashed blue, a soldier’s victory sign. Father and the others had defeated the dragons. Relief coursed through me.
I turned towards the dragon sounds and came face-to-face with a lioness. Our eyes met and she froze, blue eyes wide in a face so pale it was almost white. Then she darted away like a startled deer.
"Nuicui!" I called, "Please don't go! It's only Arrietta, Jezreel's daughter."
I strained my ears for the sound of breaking branches or rustling leaves, but there was silence. Perhaps she had not gone far. I pushed my way through the bush where I had seen her and into a dense patch of young trees. I looked around, but there was no sign of her. I stepped out into a small clear space. I turned to go back the way I came when a glint of light caught my eye. I looked at the ground. At my feet lay a large cut gemstone, emerald green.
Ta'y.
I picked it up and felt magic course through me. The stone almost vibrated with magic. I put it in my pocket where it sagged heavily, and looked around.
"Nuicui?" I asked.
Silence.
"Please, Nuicui," I pleaded, "You don't have to die to prove yourself."
I crossed through another thicket, calling for Nuicui. She had to be close, watching me. I imagined a young, fragile lioness coming all the way to Rousha, but stopping not quite there, afraid. I remembered what it was like when the griffon left me in the desert mountains, not knowing what to do next. Nuicui had it all wrong. She couldn't prove herself by giving up.
I pulled Ta'y back out of my pocket and hurled it from me as far as it would go, watching it flash through the trees.
"My father gave this to you!" I shouted, "He wanted you to live! I want you to live!"
I turned my back on the stone just as a roar exploded around me. It was so close that the air around me vibrated and I fell to my knees, where I stayed, stunned, in the growing darkness. When I gathered my senses and looked around, I saw the blue eyes of a lioness watching me from the brush.
"Nuicui?" I asked.
She ducked her head in shame. In her mouth was the green gemstone.
"Nuicui, I'm sorry," I said.
She looked very much as if she wanted to say something, but instead she crept slowly closer and set Ta'y at my feet. Then she sat back and looked at it sadly.
"We didn't come to take it from you," I said.
She nodded understanding.
"You came to bring it to us, though, didn't you?"
Another nod, looking away.
"All this time you've been here on the edge of Rousha?"
She turned her eyes back to the stone.
"I think you're very brave, Nuicui," I said.
She shook her head sadly. I thought about that. I didn't know what to say.
In the tree-dappled moonlight, Nuicui looked almost like an angel, her white wings shimmering around her like a halo. She was as beautiful as Banquo had described her. I thought about Banquo, what he would look like at her side: black wings, deep golden fur. They would be like sunset and morning.
"Did you know that Banquo loves you?" I asked, startling her out of her reverie.
Nuicui looked at me with wide eyes and shook her head.
"He's loved you all his life," I said, "He needs you."
Nuicui closed her eyes and lifted her chin. She seemed to be concentrating on something. I felt a surge of magic.
"But what could I do for Banquo?" Her words in my head startled me.
I thought about her question.
"You can support him."
She cocked her head to one side, waiting for me to explain.
"He loves the way you care for the little cubs," I said, "Your gentleness. He just wants to be part of that, to be with you."
A tear started in the corner of Nuicui's eye and rolled partway down her cheek where it soaked into her pale fur.
"I never knew this," she said in my head, and I felt the magic surge around me again.
"He isn't proven," I said, "He didn't feel he could tell you."
She concentrated. It took a few minutes for her to build enough magic for another sentence: "He thought he had to prove himself for me, a lioness who cannot prove herself?"
"Perhaps he thinks you already have."
Nuicui shook her head. She closed her eyes and the magic started to build, but this time the spell failed, so I could not understand what she said next. She lay down on the ground and put her head on her paws. I had a small knife and some of Uncle W.’s fireworks stored in the belt pocket under my skirt. I pulled one firework out and shot it into the sky. Nuicui lifted her head and watched its small red flame rise and fall.
"Now they can come to us," I said.
She nodded slightly and tucked her head into her chest. I sat down next to her. I didn’t really sleep, exhausted as I was from resisting the gomorph. I wanted to look for Liop and Mendel and only the fact that I would probably only get more lost prevented me from doing so. I think maybe an hour passed when Nuicui’s head shot up and I heard the sound of horses.
“We’re here!” I shouted, getting up on my feet. Nuicui slipped away and into the trees.
“Arri?” It was Mendel, “how did you get this far out? You missed everything! Captain Etautca must be the best dragon fighter in the world. And Banquo! How is it that fighting dragons doesn’t count with lions for proving themselves?”
“What about Liop?” I asked.
“Oh, I got him,” said Mendel, “I used a restraining spell—actually, Liop’s the one that showed it to me. He was pretty mad, but we both had a good view of the fighting.”
He rode into view on Tattheus, picking his way carefully through the underbrush. Asus followed on a lead. Excited as he was, Mendel’s eyes were overly large and his face pale, strained and tired. From her basket, Lexie whined unhappily.
“So where’s Nuicui?” Mendel added casually, looking around, “Both of your tracking spells end here.”
I looked around too, wondering if she had fled. I still had the stone in my pocket.
“Nuicui?” I asked.
A pale head poked around the trunk of a tree.
“Nuicui?” asked Mendel. He rose up in his stirrups so that he could bow deeply to her. Her head dropped.
“She’s going to help us,” I said, “but let’s find Banquo and Father and Liop.”
“Arri,” said Mendel solemnly, “you’re as good a tracker as I am.”

We followed Mendel back toward the road and met up with the others before we were even halfway.
“Arri!” shouted Liop, “You should see Father fight! He killed two dragons!”
“The second was immobilized,” said Father, nodding his head in Mendel’s direction, “That was quite a spell.”
“I learned it from Liop,” said Mendel, proudly.
“And I learned it from Keish!” said Liop, “She said it’s very effective on Caden.”
Father started to ask a question, thought better of it, and shook his head. “I’m inclined to think this was too easy,” he concluded.
“Easy?” asked Mendel, staring.
“I’ve been fighting an intangible enemy for five years. It was a relief to sink my sword into something I can understand.”
Mendel rarely looks humble, but he did now.
“I wish I was as skilled with a sword,” he admitted.
Father shook his head, “You’re immobilizing spells were invaluable. Seven dragons is a lot, even for me.”
“The battle was fugacious,” said Liop with a touch of disappointment, “the other dragons flew away when the fourth one fell.”
“Fugacious?” asked Father.
“Short,” Mendel supplied, “fugacious and ostentiferous. Don’t worry, Captain Etautca, being around Liop, your vocabulary will catch up.”
What Banquo and Nuicui said to each other, I don’t know. Nuicui kept her head down and shuffled around Banquo. Whatever she told him, his eyes grew sad. We decided to stop for the night and return in the morning. One reason was the need to clear the dead dragons away from the road. Father doesn’t take trophies from dragons, but Mendel and Liop each collected a horn. We weren’t really all that far away from the city, but we were tired, especially Father, though he wouldn’t admit it.
Liop and I laid out our bedrolls in the center with Father and Mendel on opposite sides of the clearing, Banquo and Nuicui completing the watch. Ta’y was still in my belt pocket.
As he took up his post, Mendel whispered to me: “Arri, if I ever request dragons as part of an adventure again, please knock me on the head. Hard.”

I woke up early the next morning, but not before Father and Mendel. They had their swords out and Father was demonstrating some military maneuver. Still a bit sleepy I watched them from my bedroll. Mendel had a short squire’s sword, very similar to Imato’s. He made several attempts to copy Father’s move, but his motions were awkward. Finally, he muttered something, running his hand along the blade. I caught a whiff of magic. This time his imitation of Father’s movement was near perfect.
“That’s cheating,” I said, sitting up.
Mendel turned very red. “It’s not cheating if it works,” he defended.
“Magic?” asked Father. I nodded. He laughed, then looked sternly at Mendel.
“In a real battle, I see no problem with using magic,” he said, “but during a tournament or when practicing technique, I agree: it’s cheating.”
“Understood, Captain,” said Mendel.
Liop and Banquo were hard to rouse, but eventually we all headed back to Rousha. Mendel and Liop were in high spirits, replaying the battle with the dragons in increasing detail as they rode. Nuicui kept trying to trail behind and Banquo would slow down for her. When we got to the edge of the city Banquo cast a glamour over us so that we could return to Gretel’s townhouse without attracting attention. It was interesting to walk under a glamour, because some people could tell that something was off about what they were seeing, and so would stare at us, but they couldn’t tell what exactly. It made me realize how much more effective the cloaking spell Uncle Winthrop is working on will be.
When we got to the house, we found Gretel and Nysa waiting for us. Uncle W. could not leave his spellwork. Nysa had a town boy waiting at the tree by the gate for her to send him a coded note announcing our arrival.
Gretel’s parlor was simply not designed for two winged lions, five adults and a child. Nuicui crouched out in the hallway and looked in, her eyes nervous. First Mendel and Liop had to be allowed to give their version of the battle. Then Father had to give a corrected version: There were not twenty dragons. We only killed four. The entire forest did not burn to the ground, only the tops of a few trees were lost. The whole thing took place in less than half an hour.
Really, I thought the real version was impressive enough without the embellishments.
Then I had to tell about meeting Nuicui, which caused a whole new round of questions, mostly from Father because I hadn’t mentioned the gomorph till that point. Then I showed everyone the stone from T’ay and how Nuicui had been bringing it to us all along. Here Nuicui growled at me and I was forced to admit that she was nervous about giving it to us, but I stuck to my version about how she intended to give it to us. I did not tell them about what I said to Nuicui to get her to come with us. It seemed like too much.
Finally it was Gretel and Nysa’s turn to tell about their adventure.
“Did you find Sir Raporty?” asked Father.
“Yes, Sir,” said Gretel, frowning, “and he has agreed to help us.”
“Excellent,” Father nodded, “anything else?”
“Are you sure we can trust him?” asked Gretel.
“He owes me,” said Father, “and Sir Raporty pays his debts, the honorable ones at least.”
“He charges for debt repayment?” asked Nysa, skeptically.
“What did he ask for?” asked Father.
Gretel reddened, glancing at me, “He wants Jezreel’s ruby necklace.”
“He can have it,” I said at the same time Father said, “Part of Arri’s dowery.”
“I couldn’t talk him into money,” said Gretel.
“We might be able to pass off a copy on him,” said Father, “However, that’s a lot less than I expected. He is indeed taking this debt seriously.”
Keish, I have no idea what that means.
 “Are you aware of Sir Raporty’s collection of illegal Grestian weapons?” asked Gretel suddenly.
“Yes,” said Father.
We all looked startled.
“There’s a great deal to Sir Raporty’s history which we do not have time to go into today. A lot of pain and healing is bound up in those weapons. We reached a compromise years ago in which Sir Raporty agreed to a very powerful anti-theft spell which would likely destroy the weapons if it were triggered. For his part, he agreed to let us destroy the weapons at his funeral.”
None of us quite knew what to say to this.
 “There’s more news,” said Nysa, “Sir Stoddart has taken a band of elite soldiers. They left for Greste this morning with the goal of rescuing Imato themselves.”
“Good man, Sir Trogan,” said Father, “Anything else?”
“That’s all, Captain,” said Gretel.
“Good work,” said Father, “Now we need to plan the next stage of our quest. I’d like speak to Winthrop. Arri, would you make our guests the Lions comfortable? Master Mendel, I thank you very much for your help this weekend. I’d like to include you in my next council.”
“Do I get to request compensation in advance again?” asked Mendel brightly.
Father paused, smiling. “No,” he said, “I think I’ll choose my own wild beast encounters from now on.”
Mendel laughed. “How about a note of excuse for my professors?”
“That I will arrange,” said Father, “although I don’t want word of my recovery to spread yet. I’m sure I can get the King’s name on one for you when I see him this evening.”
“An airtight excuse, sir,” said Mendel, “See you tomorrow, Arri.” He bowed deeply, slipped around Nuicui and disappeared down the hallway.
After that we all tried to go about our business. Father, Liop, and Nysa went to see Uncle W. Gretel collapsed on a couch and tried to interest herself in her quilt blocks. I took Banquo and Nuicui out to the stable since Winged Lions don’t much like houses. Then I sat down and began writing out this letter.
It was a strange afternoon. Father came back in a couple of hours and shut himself into the parlor for privacy. He came back out an hour later and left in disguise to reveal himself to King Trunsle. Uncle Winthrop went with him. By the time they came back Hermes and Clotho had arrived with your letter. We all—Father, Uncle W., Nysa, Liop, Gretel, Banquo, and Nuicui gathered for me to read it out loud.
Liop is quite certain the whole chicken project will fail without roosters. Banquo, however, thinks that you are quite right in not wanting to be woken up at dawn.
Gretel said the one good thing about no longer living in the Adya tower is that she is going to miss Vanessa being pregnant entirely, which she doesn’t think her nerves could handle.
This caused Father to ask if you have divined Gretel’s due date yet, which you haven’t. Gretel is still a bit sensitive about me finding out before she did, so I’m not sure she intends to ask you, but I’m sure Imato will ask you as soon as he gets a chance, regardless of Gretel, so you can do what you want with that.
Next we had to pause and explain to Father about the girls’ schools in Adya. He is very impressed and offers you his congratulations. (And also belated congratulations on your marriage to Jace.)
Father says we must all have a reflection made, a family portrait, when we are all together.
You are right about Gretel not taking the news about the stable master well, although she admits she hardly knew him. He was hired only a few years ago. Emily is still staying with the Rothes. Gretel sent them all an apology and promised they would still get their wages, but she’s frightened to ask them back.
“I’ll interview them, individually,” said Father, after some thought, “I’d like to do it anyway. They might be helpful.”
“Thank you,” said Gretel.

Uncle W. thought Caden’s assignment to befriend you very funny. Father, after hearing some explanation was amused, but disappointed that the assignment was not more “useful”. He would like to know the names of all the spies and traitors that Caden uncovers, particularly if there is one by the name of H’ma, whom the Elcaran army lost track of several years ago. Of course, Father’s information is outdated, and that spy may already have been caught.
We are all very surprised by the news about White, that he was recommended by Darius. Again Father required some explanation, so he could be surprised too. None of us are quite sure what to make of it. We were quiet for a long time.
“Could he be a Narl?” asked Father.
“What do you mean?” asked Nysa and Uncle W. at once.
“From what you’ve told me of Gessair and the Narls, they were in the habit of controlling people magically, wiping their memories when the spell ended. When Gessair’s power was broken, numerous men were found wandering around with no memory of where they had been.”
“Yes,” said Uncle W., “but White was found thirteen-fourteen years ago.”
“Controlling spells are incredibly hard to maintain. It seems likely that the Narls had a victim escape from time to time over the years.”
We all considered that.
“Of course there’s no evidence,” said Uncle W.
“You’re right,” said Father, “but it bears thinking about. When we find White, he must be interrogated and examined by the palace magicians. Thoroughly.”
“I want to talk to him first,” said Gretel, and even Father looked a little intimidated.
The news that Imato is in Aitero did not surprise Father too much. He said that it would make a surprise rescue more difficult to pull off.
Father wanted to know about Dr. Kondamuri. It seemed like bad timing for that topic though, so I said it had something to do with Mendel and college and he let it go, although he didn’t look entirely convinced.
Gretel doesn’t lace her boots anymore. She just gets help. She says you’ll understand one day. She says that it is very frustrating to study magical theory when she really wants to practice. Father echoed this sentiment.
I deflected Father’s question about Moonstone too.

After reading the last part of your letter we were all silent a long time.
“Sir Quin,” asked Nysa, “do you have any of the memories Keish gave you?”
He shook his head, eyes very wide.
“Why?” she asked.
“His brain couldn’t hold them so long,” I said slowly, reluctantly.
“What do you mean?” asked Father.
“Well,” I said, thinking hard, “there are different kinds of brain cells, and some of them hold memories. And there are different kinds of brain cells that hold memories. I don’t know what they’re called…”
Everyone looked at Liop. He shook his head.
“I found out because of trying to write the spell, and watching my brain cells and comparing them to yours.” I kept my eyes on Father.
“Anyway, some memory-brain-cells hold memories for a long time, and some only hold them for a short time. And the spell was mostly on the long-time memory cells. It locked them up so that you couldn’t get to them at all. The short-time memory cells were only impacted a little. Those cells only had some memories, what you had been thinking about recently, or doing recently.”
“The battle,” said Father.
“Yes,” I said, “And then Keish was feeding memories into you, but they couldn’t go into the long-time cells. They had to go into the short-time cells, but those were already full, so some of them had to be erased. That’s because the memories from the short-time cells couldn’t send anything to the long-time cells.”
Father nodded.
“So some of my memories from the battle must be lost,” he said.
“Yes, it seems likely, probably the most recent ones,” I said, “So Keish kept feeding you memories, but to get them, you had to lose the ones she sent you before, usually the most recent.”
“But what about the Bellington Ward?” Uncle W. interrupted, “You helped Imato with that.”
Father thought about it.
“We had been discussing strategy that morning,” he said, “and I had been thinking how a Bellington ward would come in handy—it was only wishful thinking, really.”
“So you had those thoughts in the short-time memory cells,” I said, “and you could use them to help Imato.”
“So for the last five years, I’ve been reliving the last days of my last battle,” said Father softly, “I must have been…” He stopped. None of us was looking at him.
“Did I hurt anyone?” he asked in a strained voice.
“No,” said Uncle W. firmly, “you saved many lives.”
We all were quiet for a minute.
“Then,” I continued slowly, “when I performed the spell, I broke through to the old memories and together, we pulled one into short term memory.”
“Liop’s birth,” said Father.
“And that erased some of what was already there,” I concluded, “and so now you have none of the memories Keish sent you at all.”
“But she can give them to you again!” said Liop, “That’s what Keish says in her letter.”
We all brightened. Father nodded.
“Yes, I’d like that—the weddings, the birthdays,” he paused, “but not the adventures, please, nothing I might wish I could change.”
“Why?” asked Gretel.
“Jesse could work that spell too,” said Father, “and she fed me one of her adventures from before we met. It drives me crazy, not having been there, to have helped. I could have saved her some pain…” He shook his head. “The adventures I’d like to hear in your words, just as you want to tell them. That will be enough.”
I think I understand.

Eventually, we had discussed everything as much as it could be discussed. Uncle W., Nysa, and Liop left. Gretel went to bed, exhausted, worried, hoping that she could sleep a little. The Lions went down to the stable.
“I’m curious,” said Father, after the door closed behind Banquo, “what are all these intellectual circles you’re in the center of?”
I reddened. “Mendel’s crazy,” I said.
“You’re going to see him tomorrow?” Father was watching me closely. I wasn’t sure I could go any redder.
“Him and Gordo,” I said, “You see with everything I had to learn to make that spell to heal you—it was a lot to learn—and Master Ujifil taught me how to pay proper attention… but what I really needed to know about was cells. Biological cells, I mean. And Uncle W. wanted me to slow down the magic. So it was his idea really—the science. That’s why I enrolled in medical school. Mendel and Gordo are my study group.”
I think I did a better job of introducing the topic to Phyfe.
I suppose it didn’t matter though, because once he processed my long explanation, Father’s reaction was much like Phyfe’s was: consternation. He shook his head in wonder and didn’t answer right away. You know, Keish, it’s funny, but Father had been a lot less surprised the day before when I told him about trapping the griffon.
“You enrolled in medical school so you could help me?”
I nodded.
“And what do you think of it?”
“I like it,” I said, a little awkwardly, “I never knew cells existed before, and they are so fascinating.”
Father smiled.
“I had hoped we would have a scholar in the family,” he said finally, “Arri, I’m very proud of you. Thank you.” Then he gave me a hug.
“What time is your first class tomorrow morning?” he asked.
“Nine,” I said, “but I have a lot of homework to do.”
“I’d better let you get to work then,” said Father. He laughed lightly. “You’re probably already beyond what I studied in the military academy, but if you would like any help, I can try.”
“Thank you,” I said. He hugged me again and I went to my room to study. Although mostly I stared blankly at the wall, thinking to myself how glad I was that Father was home, and hoping the battle with the dragons wouldn’t give me nightmares. Then finally, I gave up on studying and finished this letter, which I’m going to send right away, because even though there will be more news tomorrow, you need to know that we found Nuicui as soon as possible. Tomorrow, I’ll start another letter.

Love,
Arri

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