She moved out of her chair to kneel before her husband, still almost girlish in her fluid grace. She rested her head on his knee, as a child might with a parent, and said, “What are we to do with our newly returned cousins?”

“That is the problem, my love,” said Tomas, stroking her hair. “They are not ‘returned,’ and I think they never will be. Like those of the Ocedhel who remain across the waters, they feel no need to come here.

“We shall endeavor to respect their independence, and we will try to be friends.”

“Friends? You don’t sound hopeful.”

Tomas said nothing. He knew in his heart that since the coming of the Tsurani invaders, when he’d begun his strange and wonderful journey into the life he now lived, more than the army of the Emerald Queen, even more than the Dasati invaders, these Star Elves posed the gravest threat to Elvandar he had ever beheld.

CHAPTER 15

STRATEGY

Pug signaled for silence.

Kaspar, onetime Duke of Olasko and now General of the Army and First Advisor to the Maharaja of Muboya, said, “Pug has asked me to take over conducting this next bit of business.

“As I understand it from what Sandreena, here”—he indicated the newly minted Mother-Bishop of the Order of the Shield of the Weak; somehow Pug had contrived to get her a new cape and surcoat emblazoned with her badge of rank—“and what that dwarf Keandar said about his captivity, we have two tasks at once.

“The first is gaining intelligence, which has to take precedence over any other consideration. The second will be to effect any rescues if we may. Sandreena, explain how, if you please.”

“If any guard or worker is wearing a talisman around his neck, something like a red wolf’s skull on a black background, they are under some mystic control. They are compelled to attack anyone not wearing the same device.” She looked around the room. “When I struggled with Keandar, as soon as I tore it off him, he regained his own volition. My suggestion is we find outlying sentries and quickly overpower and free them. They are not being fed well nor rested, it seems, so it should not be too difficult.”

Kaspar continued. “If they’re up to it, they can help us; if not, we shall direct them up the trail to the abandoned Keshian fortress and from there we’ll arrange safe transportation back to their homes.” He looked at two young magicians, Jason and Akeem, and said, “You will be up at that fortress and coordinate getting those wretches safely away.”