Ryde, Ash, and Llwyd are sitting around the breakfast table. Somewhat unusually, neither Alain nor Mariam has arrived yet, though they are typically early risers. This is something of a relief to Lwyd, who has made quite a dent in the croissants.
Ryde: So, Llwyd, have you given any thought to what you'll do when the snows melt?
Llwyd: Says nothing at first, as his mouth is full.
Llwyd: Well, not really. I've been following Alain's story, so I suppose I'll leave with him when he goes, but he's a knight, you know? Not too big on careful planning. I don't think he has any idea where we're going next --
Alain and Miriam enter the room, both very excited.
Alain: Kesh-Necht!
Llwyd: What?
Mariam: Kesh-Necht! We're going to Kesh-Necht!
Llwyd: What? Why?
Alain and Mariam both begin to speak, then stop as they realize they are interrupting each other.
Alain: No, you first.
Mariam: I had a dream, and Alain was in it. But it wasn't a dream, it was like when I saw the brownies, because when I woke up, Alain said he'd had the same dream too. And Sagron put a mark on his sword, and she said we'd find friends along the way. And -- Stops short as she realizes everyone is staring at her. -- Oh. Sits down suddenly at the table. Llwyd, you could have saved me one of the croissants. Is there any coffee left?
Ryde: Aylefirth! More croissants, please. A double platter: Alain is here.
Alain: Anyway, about last night. Dag woke me up. At least, he didn't wake me up, but I was . . . call it dreaming, and Dag was there, and Mariam was there, only there was no there there. We were just standing on this big, dark plain, looking pretty normal (odd in itself, since there was no light at all) with these pale silvery cords running off into the distance. And Dag said to come with him, and we did, until we came across this odd little pool. There were lots of them around, and each pool had a different scene in it. He said something like "This is your last chance to turn back." Why do they always say that, do you suppose? I mean, does anyone ever turn back at that point? It's a mystery to me. Is it some kind of necessary magical ritual --
Mariam: Anyway, of course we went in. It wasn't wet, though it wasn't exactly dry, either. And we heard a sort of roaring in our ears, and then we were stepping out of this fountain into a hall filled with statues. I think they were statues of church saints. I recognized at least one from my studies with the priests. Drinks coffee and makes a face. You call this coffee? It tastes like colored water! Now my dad, *he* could make coffee. Everyone at the table rolls their eyes; they've heard this speech before. I'll go brew another batch, I'll be right back. But first -- ha! She snatches a croissant from the platter being brought in by Aylefirth, and waves it triumphantly at Llwyd as she heads for the kitchen.
As folks look at Alain, he pops a croissant into his mouth, then another.
Ryde: Enough with the chipmunk act, Alain: Talk!
Alain: The workmanship was the same as the vision I was telling you about the other night - the stonework, I mean. Hey, the fig butter is fantastic on these things. Anyway, big hall, closely fitted stone blocks, interlacing serpents on the floor, the whole nine yards. Nobody in sight, a warm gentle light without a special source filling the air, quiet, and peaceful. Quiet as a tomb, except it was as alive as a horse at full gallop.
We went through a long hall of relics, then through a large set of doors that opened as we approached. Dag hadn't come with us, by the way: he said it'd be trespassing. We turned left --
Mariam comes through the doors with a fresh pot of coffee.
Mariam: We turned right.
Alain: I haven't gotten to the top of the stairs yet: it was left, then right, wasn't it?
Mariam: I think it was two rights, actually. But it's not important. Nobody had been in there for a long time, the floor was covered with dust. But -- I just remembered -- we didn't leave any footprints. So maybe other people had been there, and they were dreaming too. She looks startled. That's kind of creepy. We could have bumped into anybody in there! Thinks for a minute, absently stirring her coffee. She takes a sip. Ugh! Where's the sugar? Adds far too much sugar, and stirs again. Cautiously sips. Much better.
We kept winding into the heart of the mountain. I don't know how I knew it was a mountain, but I did. The rock seemed to press down on me. At the heart of the mountain, we came to a room, a big one, with three doors. And phoenixes, two of them at each door. I thought they were made of stone, but then one of them turned and looked at me, like it could see right into me. It seemed to know everything I'd ever done. I ... I didn't like that part. Falls silent, staring at nothing with her cup halfway to her lips.
Alain: Me either. Shakes himself. And then -- And then -- She was there. She looked like -- no, no, I can't describe Her. Falls silent, and looks at Mariam, who is still staring at her coffee, as if for support. She spoke to us, though. Sagron Herself spoke to both of us. She recognized us, and called us both by name, and said that she was glad to see us. She also said she hadn't expected us quite this soon. I said that Dag had given us guidance, and she seemed to approve.
She was -- well, quiet and gentle and utterly, utterly dominating. I know you don't know what I mean: perhaps you'll find out some day. She mused a bit, about the history of the Church, and Albidar's failure, and how he wanted to try his solution again, only it hadn't worked last time, and how we needed a better answer, and how the two of us were part of the solution. It all made sense at the time, but now . . . Alain sits silently, in front of the croissant platter, unmoving.
Mariam: Starts as Aylefirth puts a platter of pancakes stuffed with dried fruit in front of her. Fire and blood, that's what She said. "If Albidar has his way, it will end in fire and blood, and that will be too much like the last time." Frowns fiercely. I just don't understand all this. How can She still be alive? We saw Her sarcophagus, it was huge! And there She was, sitting and writing for all the world like She was doing accounts in Her chambers. She looked very busy.
But She was kind, and I'm sorry She has to spend all Her time in that stone tomb, with only phoenixes for company. That would drive me mad. It must be hard being an Avatar.
Alain -- Pokes Alain, who looks up and automatically reaches for the pancakes. Alain! Show them your sword.
Alain: It was just after we got there. She'd asked how we got there, and when we told her Dag had guided us, she seemed pleased, then she asked for my sword. She took her pen, which was made of silver, and drew the sword from its scabbard, and jotted a little note on the blade. Look!
Draws his sword. The blade is engraved with an elaborately carved phoenix, rising affronty, wings addorsed. Individual feathers are shown. The eyes of the phoenix have the trick of looking at you, wherever you are standing. The engraving appears to be quite deep, deeper than the sword blade is thick, in fact, but does not go all the way through the blade, and is too fine to receive any sort of probe.
And it didn't take her more than ten seconds to draw that! She said it was a gift. Looks at Mariam. She gave you a gift, too.
Mariam: She drew it with walnut ink. I'd like to get hold of some of those walnuts. But wasn't that at the end? I ... I can't quite remember any more.
Aylefirth has been standing unobtrusively at the side of the room. Now he steps forward eagerly.
Aylefirth: But what did She give you?
Everyone turns to look at Aylefirth. He blushes furiously, mumbles an apology, and frantically gathers together some of the plates. Alain rescues the last pancake just as Aylefirth turns and rushes out of the room. A loud crash is heard in the hallway outside.
Mariam: Giggles. Poor Aylefirth. Don't be too hard on him, Ryde, he's all of, what, 47? Hardly more than a boy!
Ryde: Hmph.
Mariam: She did give me a gift, but it's not something you can hold, like Alain's sword. She said I would always find friends along the way. Because we have to go South. And -- and -- I don't think it's going to be much fun.
Alain: No, I don't think it will be. May the Light protect us. . . . Then she said it was time for us to go, and she looked forward to seeing us again. We took our leave, and walked back down the stairs and through the hall to the double doors, stepped through them, and came climbing back up out of the pool.
Dag was still there. He was staring into another pool, only this one had dried up, and he looked very sad. I wonder what had been in that one, once? He looked up at us, and smiled, and took us home. We went floating back along those silver threads until we got close to a mountain -- it was hard to tell in the shadows, but I think it was this one -- and he said "Your path is uncertain, but it runs through Kesh-Necht. Remember that." And then I woke up in my bed. I came out of my room to see if Mariam remembered the same dream, and almost ran into her -- she was heading for my room for the same reason.
Mariam: The pool wasn't quite dried up. I could see little people with feathery wings. Odd little things. Yawns. I feel like I've walked twenty miles tonight. Maybe I'll give Ilse and Elise the morning off and take a nap. Pushes her still half-full plate away.
Alain: Reaching. Ah, pancakes!