Packing for the Journey (27 Dec 2002) Alice packs supplies for the trip to the Palace of All Seasons, while Redmane rests in preparation for her own separate trip there with Ahearn.

The Black Boat
A mid-sized boat of dense black wood, about the size of a yacht but with a long, flat deck. A door in the deckhouse leads into quarters large enough for four, or six if they squeeze in and share the bunks, when the nights on deck turn so cold that icicles hang from the rails.

Rachel, Sir Lefallon, and Nashita al Zephyr are soon located and returned to the boat, while the hastily-erected camp is dismantled and Sir Theodore's knights prepare to move out. Since Ahearn's mission is less speed than simple warning, he and Redmane elect to remain shipboard for a little while longer, giving Redmane a chance to speak with the princess.

"Angel, can I ask you something?" Redmane says to theprincess while she packs for her ride to the Palace.

The princess has managed to erect a half-circle of various piles of supplies around herself as she sits on the deck sorting. "Certainly," she answers, pausing in her placement of what looks to be a poultice bag. "What is it, your ladyship?"

"It's about the way you woke up Sir Theodore and his men," Redmane says, smiling to the girl. "What exactly did you do? I mean... I saw a big cat playing in the snow, and then they all just appeared!"

"Oh!" The little girl places the poultice in a larger bag with other medical supplies. "Well, first we sneaky-snuck around the army and -- did you know a Glamour can make you hard to see too? It can! -- then when we got to the Siege, I walked across it. But that didn't go very well because I was trying to walk poor Caradoc across too, but it was too hard. And then on the other side was a Bible on Sir Theodore's chest! Isn't that clever of Lady Nymuae? Lord Eoin could never touch a Bible. So I read the passage the bookmark was on and Sir Theodore woke up. Then I asked him to hurry because everyone was in trouble and, poof, there we were!"

"Ah, so you know how to operate a Siege, then?" Redmane remarks, then asks, "But what about the cat? Was that part of it, or just... a cat that happened to be playing in the snow?"

"Yes, the Royal family can often walk Sieges. That's what I was told, anyway, and those kinds of tellings are usually very right, to be sure," answers Alice to Redmane's first question. The girl looks puzzled as she considers how to answer the second. After a moment of thought her eyes light up and she giggles. "Oh! The big white kitty. Oh, he was chasing us because he saw past my Glamour. So I took all the catnip out of my pouch and gave it to him. I hope he wasn't a confused House April kitty." She turns to gaze across the deck and calls out, "Uncle? Uncle! Were any House April cats at Elysia today in the other army?"

Redmane's jaw drops open for a moment, but she soon recovers. "Following you? It could have been a shape-shifter from House April then, or some other spy. Good thinking on how to distract it, by the way. That was pretty clever," she says.

Lord April doesn't seem to be in earshot, or at least, if he is, he doesn't answer to the summons.

The girl turns back. "That's kind of you to say. And he wasn't following us like that really. He was, um, oh, a guard I think. Guarding Elysia from us. We tried to sneak past him but he could smell us," she explains. "Say, do you think my uncle is a shape-shifter?"

"If he is, he didn't change shape during our escape from the Destroyer's Keep," Redmane notes, tying up a small bag of provisions. "He might have been too weak, though. I wonder where he's gotten to? With the Palace no doubt in a state of high paranoia, I have no idea how to get in to deliver the message about the rest of you showing up, or who to tell it to."

"I can help you see it delivered when we arrive," the princess offers. "Who do you need it to go to?" She casts another look around the deck for her uncle and shakes her head. "I'm sure my uncle is all very busy. Lords are very, very busy. And soon he has to be king too. That seems even harder."

"Well, I suppose I should tell the Queen herself if at all possible," Redmane says. "Until Sir Theodore arrives with the rest of you, there isn't going to be any central military authority, and the various Lords will still be busy trying to cooperate and figure out who gets to feed the soldiers and who will do their laundry and so forth. And if we succeed here, Angel, then maybe King Marc might return... but I wouldn't suggest that to your Uncle, alright?"

King Marc has to return, Ahearn, who has been standing in atypical silence while Redmane gets things staged, notes. Otherwise, there is no succession.

Angel looks momentarily uneasy at the mention of her father's return but manages to return smiling in short order, saying, "Yes, my father will return and I'll get to see him again. I want to meet him. I mean really meet him, knowing it's him." She makes a face. "This is all very confusing sometimes. But anyway I'm sure even if her Majesty is busy, we can see Counselor Garrett gets the letter."

"If the cycle is broken, then there may not need to be a succession," Redmane points out. "At least... not a traditional one. Do you think there will be anyone at the Palace likely to recognize us, Ahearn? Ah... a letter! Did the Queen give you a seal or signet to use for something like that, Angel?"

"Oh you don't have a letter?" asks Angel, blinking. "Well yes. I do have a Royal seal. But I'm sure we can see a letter or your message arrive safely. After all when we return there won't be any more need to hide who we are and Lord April and Sir Theodore will be able to speak for us even if we still need disguises. And you know Sir Theodore will be the commander of the army of Mirari. So he just might be who you want to speak to if you're looking for the military leader."

Angel turns to digging through her nearby purse until she produces a ring-shaped signet of a unicorn's head. She shows it Agatha and Ahearn before adding, "I don't have any wax though. And I'm not allowed to play with matches and candles -- especially not on boats!"

"That's not the point of my going on ahead, Angel," Redmane tells the princess. "With everything being so topsy-turvy at the Palace, anyone who sees the boat coming is likely to sound an alarm or shoot at it. We don't want to cause a panic by our arrival." Remembering about the last time Angel had candles on a boat, Redmane can't help but grin. "We've got candles inside the cabin. Does this Counselor Garrett know who you really are, so that he'd understand about getting a letter with your seal on it?"

"I don't think he does. Only her majesty, Kuon, Lord October and Lady Yseult know. But if you bring it to her majesty as an urgent message from 'Lady Jill' with this signet on it, I'm sure she'll get it. Or you can ask to see her Majesty yourself if you really want to be careful. She's very pretty," Angel offers. The girl sets down the signet in her lap and picks up another bag of supplies to sort and sniffs it. Her eyes cross. "Ew."

Nodding, Redmane finishes her packing, and says, "Thanks. I'm sure I can get to Lord October if needed, and I'll use the 'Lady Jill' route with Counselor Garrett otherwise. I doubt Kuon would recognize me right now, even if I found him, but I imagine he can get the note to the Queen as well. Now I just need to have the note written up, preferably by Lord April or Lord Mel."

The little blonde girl sets the apparently smelly bag down and looks up again. "Lady Redmane?"

"Yes, Angel?" Redmane answers, smiling to the princess.

The princess fidgets with the ring in her lap. "Have you thought about what you want to do after this is all done? I mean, when we defeat Lord Eoin and if the Rules turn out the way we want them to?" she asks curiously.

The knight lets out a long breath, then answers, "I'm just borrowing this life, Angel. When the time comes, I'll give it back to Agatha."

Nodding a little the blonde asks, "So you're going to go home to Ainigton?"

Redmane nods. "I -- Agatha -- have responsibilities there, and a family, and a future. It's where I belong, just not where I'm needed the most at the moment."

While the two girls are talking, Lord April emerges from the hold. He offers a smile to Redmane and his niece. "My ladies. I've taken the liberty of composing a letter for my sister, which I trust you will be able to provide. I am certain she is either terribly worried about - or furious with - me. Most likely both. I have tried to cover the generalities of our position, as well. Are there any details I should be sure to include?"

"Well, beyond letting her know to warn the Lords and their soldiers about the means of your arrival, I can't think of anything else," Redmane says, smiling to the fey Lord. "Angel has a seal to use for it, since I imagine the Destroyer made off with your own?"

"I think I understand." The princess smiles a bit more. "I was thinking when we're done that I'd like to see my home. I want to travel around Mirari and help everyone who was hurt during the battles, or who lost a home, or -- oh, hi, Uncle!" She gives her uncle a big wave. "Or, or ... oh, yes, just need help. That's what I want to do. But um, well, you see ..," she leans close to Agatha so as to whisper, sparing a momentary glance at Ahearn before seemingly deciding to trust him with whatever she's about to say and continuing in whisper, " ... well, if Lord Thomas makes Mirari stable then maybe we won't be able to come and go from Mirari anymore."

Turning to Angel, Redmane whispers, "Well, that may be so, but sometimes it's necessary to sacrifice personal things for the greater good. Even if it means not being able to come back."

April nods to Redmane. "That, and everything else of mine," he says with a grimace. He does a fairly convincing job of pretending not to hear the whispered conversation.

"That would be goodbye," whispers Angel in a tone as sad as the frown that forms on her face. "Because just like you said about being needed now I think I need to be here. I know it's silly to say so, but I want to help and I think Mirari needs me now and later more than Ainigton does. But maybe I'm worrying too much. I guess I worry too. Just a little. Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"Oh, not everything, your Lordship," Redmane says to April. "You've still got your determination and nobility, after all." The courtly compliment helps to cover Angel's words, the knight hopes.

A wry chuckle from the lord answers Redmane's compliment. "You are too kind. If I may borrow your seal, Angel?" he requests.

The princess leans away from Redmane so that she may pass the seal to her uncle. "Did you really tease her Majesty when she was little?" she asks him as she hands it over. Her smile returns as she puts the question to him.

Lord April gives another chuckle, and raises his eyes. "Let's say that if I was asked to declare three times that I hadn't, I would not be able to oblige," he admits. He accepts the seal. "Thank you."

Angel lifts her hand to cover a giggle. "I don't think anyone would ask that of you, uncle!" She beams. "And, oh, Uncle? Were there any House April shape-shifters in the other army at Elysia? Lady Redmane and I saw a large white kitty."

"I am afraid I cannot say for certain, but I should think not." Lord April frowns in thought. "Do you mean the one, ah, playing in the snow? I do not recall any in my service who were of the size and color of that cat."

"Well I'm glad. Though I don't think I like the idea of having to trick anyone, even someone who's supposed to be bad," says the princess. "Is the big white kitty hurt? I didn't see him again after I walked the siege."

"Once Theodore and the others showed up, I lost track of it," Redmane admits.

The girl turns her smile to Redmane. "Once I came back I couldn't see anything! Knights are very safe to be behind, but they're very hard to see through."

April shrugs and shakes his head. He calls down below deck for sealing wax, and a few moments later, some floats back up, courtesy of the djinn's magic. He thanks the air, and proceeds to seal his letter.

Redmane chuckles at Angel's comment about the thickness of knights, and then looks up to see how much daylight is left.

"Hm." Angel follows Redmane's gaze to check the height of the sun. "It looks like we'll be going soon. I think our packing time is almost up, and I was almost done here when you arrived, Lady Redmane. Do you want to know what Lady Angelique's mirror does as I finish up here? After I'm done I think I'm going to the front of the boat. I want to be there when we take off."

April delivers the sealed letter to Redmane, with a bow. "Thank you for your aid in this matter, good knight," he says. "I will leave you and my niece to your farewells. Godspeed, Lady Redmane."

The princess gives her uncle another big wave. "Bye, Uncle!"

Redmane bows to April, and then secrets the letter into her cloak. "What does the mirror do now, Angel?" she asks the princess.

April leans over to give Angel a kiss on the forehead, then descends into the hold again.

After her wave Angel returns to her sorting task. She begins reducing what remains of her to-be-sorted pile in to appropriate containers with increased speed. "Oh why it's terribly simple," she explains as she tosses a red bag in to a left pile. "It reflects things! Like dragon's breath. I saw a tapestry of it in the Queen's Hall."

Blinking, Redmane asks, "You mean like a shield? Does it reflect magic as well?"

"Well I'm not really sure just what all it reflects," the princess clarifies. "The tapestry just showed it doing that with a dragon's fiery breathing. And I don't have the mirror right now to see what it might do. It's at Lady Nymuae's spire. We should probably try and get it back when we reach the Palace."

"Well, that might explain why we recovered it in a dragon's lair," Redmane says, looking thoughtful. "I really could have used that when the wyvern attacked, I suppose. Do you have it with you?"

The princess gives a shake of her head which causes her next toss to be slightly askew. She fetches the wooden vial she missed with and answers, "Oh no. It's at Lady Nymuae's spire. I left it there for safe keeping."

"Gah, I must be getting sleepy," Redmane says. "Just as well. Ahearn and I had better rest up so we're fresh to ride before take-off. I must admit that I prefer his brand of flying to that of the boat."

"I'll just be glad to be able to sit down for a while! It feels like I haven't stopped moving since I arrived in the Palace. Being a princess is very hard work. Being a healer is even more hard. But I like being both, so it's okay." And with that she tosses the last of her pile away to sorted completion. "There! All the herbs and remedies have been sorted. It got pretty messy when we were trying to go around the battlefield and help everyone. So," she draws herself to standing and pats her lap a few times, "-oh! So I'd better find my uncle and get the signet ring back before I miss something!"

Redmane gives Angel a quick hug before straightening up and hefting her pack. "Well, I'll probably see you next at the Palace, unless we get attacked in the next few minutes or so. Take care now, and don't let Tommy do anything outrageously reckless, okay?" she asks.

Angel returns the hug and seems more than glad to have done it. "I won't! Well, I can tell him 'Tommy, you shouldn't do that,' but he won't listen to me anyway. But I'll try. Tell her Majesty that I'll be there to see her soon along with her brother, and that we're both fine! Bye!" She gives the woman a big wave as she had her uncle and the hurries off in the direction the blonde man had gone.

Redmane carries her pack over to the side of the boat, where her lance is resting, and sits down to take a quick nap before riding off. I don't care for the idea of Alice staying behind here in Mirari, she thinks to herself. Hopefully the King will be able to convince her to go home.

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