The night coughed up more horrors. Killing fogs. Murderous insects. A beginning glow of magma such as we had seen at the Stair of Tear. And all this in just minutes. Once the Circle responded, the terrors faded, though some it took hours to neutralize. They never took the offensive. The Taken were too strong.

By midnight all was quiet. The Rebel had given up everything but fill work at the far trench. The storm had become a steady rain. It made the Rebel miserable but did him no harm. I wriggled down amongst my companions and fell asleep thinking how nice it was that our part of the world was dry.

Dawn. First view of the Takens handiwork. Death everywhere. Horribly mutilated corpses. The Rebel labored till noon cleaning up. Then he resumed his assault on the trenches.

The Captain received a message from the Tower. He assembled us. Word is, we lost Shifter last night. He gave me a look meant to be significant. The circumstances were questionable. Weve been told to stay alert. That means you, One-Eye. And you, Goblin and Silent. You send a yell to the Tower if you see anything suspicious. Understand? They nodded.

Shapeshifter gone. That must have taken some doing.

The Rebel lose anybody important? I asked.

Whiskers. Roper. Tamarask. But they can be replaced. Shifter cant.

Rumors floated around. The deaths of members of the Circle had been caused by some catlike beast so strong and, quick even the powers of its victims were of no consequence. Several score senior Rebel functionaries had fallen victim as well.

The men recalled a similar beast from Beryl. There were whispers. Catcher had brought the forvalaka over on the ship. Was he using it against the Rebel?

I thought not. The attack fit Shifters style. Shifter loved sneaking into the enemy camp....

One-Eye went around wearing a thoughtful look, so self-engrossed he bumped into things. Once he stopped and smashed a fist into a ham hanging near the newly erected cook tents.

He had it figured out. How Catcher could send the forvalaka into the Bastion to slaughter the Syndics entire household, and end up controlling the city through a puppet, through no cost to the Ladys overextended resources. Catcher and Shifter were thick then, werent they?

He had figured out who killed his brother-too late to extract revenge.

He went around and beat on that ham several times during the course of the day.

I joined Raven and Darling later. They were watching the action. I checked Shapeshifters force. His standard had been replaced. Raven. Isnt that Jalenas banner?

Yes. He spat.}

Shifter wasnt a bad guy. For one of the Taken.

None of them are. For Taken, As long as you dont get in their way. He spat again, eyed the Tower. Whats going on here, Croaker?

Eh? He was as civil as he had been since our return from the field.