After the Council (by various authors)

Rafito & Regis were speaking when Congratulatia reached them and, smiling, interrupted them. "Dom Lindir, dom Di Asturien. I am so glad to meet you both simultaneously. We do not know each other so well yet, but I deem the circumstances call for a deeper mutual acquaintance. I was telling dom Aidan Aldaran-Ridenow there exactly the same thing. How would you like a formal dinner 'à quatre' before you leave for Aldaran? Let me know what your expert opinion is and I will then inform our most respected Keeper, all right?

Meanwhile, know that I will book a slot in my dance card for each of you!"

Regis and Rafi were just about to go discuss the matter of Mabry's training with Domna Myria, when suddenly Congratulatia interrupted them.

Regis was standing his mouth open, just about to say something.

However, Tula had already left. " I wonder what that was about...And dinner with her and...keeper? Did she mean Myria or Aidan or...And why? for what I have heard, she is always aiming for something deeper."

Rafe was astonished too, and also a bit worried about the "dance matter".

Congratulatia was beautiful, actually, but he had the feeling that being near to her was quite... uh...dangerous. Last time she had talked to him, she had succeeded in making him feel like a wonderfully tasting sweet in her hand. Avarra'a sake, she looked like she was trying not to lick her own lips!

He casted his glance around the room, in order to find a safe partner to book ALL her dances, or so...

"I agree with you uncle. I got the feeling that you never can tell what that blonde is up to...Anyway, let's wait and see.

Do you like the idea of a dinner at her?"

"Well, it can hardly harm us. She won't poison us, after all. I just wonder what it is about..."

"Dom Lindir? Dom Rafael Lindir?"

Hearing his name, Rafael turned to see who was calling him, and saw he was a pale guy dressed in black.

He recalled to have seen him in the council, a guest of the Ridenow, except then he hadn't a raven on a shoulder then. Cormel reached him quickly, and this time he chose to introduce himself before starting to speak.

"Dom Lindir? I'm happy I've been able to find you. My name is Cormel Rockraven, you may have seen me this morning at the Council."

"Yes, I did. Nice to meet you, Dom Rockraven. Why were you looking for me?"

"Actually I have a little favor to ask you. I know you'll have to go back to Aldaran when the Council is over... and since I was going to go there too, I was wondering if I could come with you and dom Regis di Asturien. I would like to... pay a visit to Lady Mabry, so maybe you could contact her and ask her if she would mind having me around."

"Do you know Mabry?"

"I don't, actually. I've been in Aldaran once, many years ago, and maybe I've met her but I guess she was very young at that time, so even if I did, I can't say I know her. Except from some comment I heard by a friend of mine, dom Marcello Ridenow, that is."

"I see."

"I guess you may imagine what kind of comments they were, indeed. But I would like to know Lady Mabry personally... I know we have something in common, and we may have also something to speak about."

"I don't need to wait for a written answer from Mabry to know that she would be immensely pleased to meet again a kinsman of hers."

"Well, thank you very much dom Lindir, I promise you'll have no trouble by me during the trip... that is unless... how are you going to go to Aldaran, exactly?"

"I think we will get a chariot. I came here with a Terran helicopter, but I don't think I'll use it again."

"Well. Very well indeed. Actually, anything that doesn't require riding a horse will be just fine for me. Thanks again dom Lindir, we'll meet again soon, I hope."

In the meanwhile, at Castle Aldaran (by Mabry Slemmons)

For once, I was behaving myself. I was sitting in my room sorting application forms which had recently been returned for the post of cook.

Then disaster struck, as happens at Castle Aldaran all too frequently.

Saydwen opened the room in a panic. "Mabry," she shrieked, "IT's out!"

I jumped and stood on my chair. "Lock the door!Where's Tallo? If IT gets him..."

She handed Tallo to me. "He was in the kitchen. But, Mabry what will we do?"

"Hide!" I screamed. "The last time this happened, we were lucky. WE can't expect to be able to be able to cage IT again. Lock every door in the Castle. We're all getting out of here, and going to Caer Donn, until we can be sure IT's starved."

I glared out the window of the inn. It would be at least two weeks before we could safely return to castle Aldaran. My lap-dog would become more starved and more dangerous everyday, until the creature died.

"Zandru's hells! How could the creature have got out of its kennel in the first place!"

Needless to say, I was bored and irritated. Here I was, stuck in a cramped inn, with out any chocolate, while my regents and every other important person on the face of Darkover, was going to go to a ball that evening.

How come they got to have all the fun and I was stuck here with nothing to do? Suddenly, I remembered that someone - I think it was Piedro - had suggested I go. "Well, why not?" I said to myself. The idea appealed, and I immediately packed the few things I had brought to the inn, placed Tallo on his leash, and ran to the seamstresses to pick up the dress, I was having made_ a beautiful long red spidersilk dress completely covered in two-headed eagles embroidered in black, with gold beads sewn on for the eyes. It was beatiful.

In an hour - with or without Marco - I was on a plane to Thendara.

Festival gifts(by various authors)

I had not got to Thendara, until about two in the morning. As always, I woke at five thirty. I yawned. Three and a half hours sleep would not be enough, especially if I wanted to enjoy the ball. I closed the curtains, since if there is any light in my room I cannot sleep.

I could not get back to sleep for an hour, and when I did, my dreams were unpleasant and full of my step-mother's face. I woke scared witless.

I looked out the window. It was nearly noon! I got up, and dressed quickly, and called a servant to bring my some lunch and tell my regents I had arrived safely.

Outside my door, I found a basket from my father. He had come to Thendara, with the rest of the staff of the Darkovan Inquirer, and true to style, he had known the second I was in Thendara. Also true to style was the copy of the paper in it_ my father has a strange sense of humour. I read it while eating my breakfast and a few pieces of chocolate.

I would have to thank him of course, and that meant a visit to the Darkovan Inquirer this afternoon. This was going to be fun, I thought sarcasticly.

Rafael was very busy with the last accomodations for the Ball, and he was nearly forgetting about the traditional festival gifts.

It was a real luck that Mabry had decided to come in Thendara, although he didn't have the time to welcome her personally.

He decided that he would do his shopping himself, instead of sending a servant.

So, he asked Regis permission, and wandered once again in the streets.

He was looking for some nice flowers and fruit for his Lady, and was about to buy some chocolates at Leisha's, too (he just knew how much Mabry would liked them), when thinking of the Renunciate made him think about another Amazon, the one he was desperately wishing to see again.

"Well...maybe I won't meet her again, but I'd like her to think about me for a while...I'll send a little basket to her too."

While thinking of this, his eyes fell on a stall, where a wonderful blue flower, with magnificient golden pistils. The dorilys...the ancient symbol of the love between Hastur and Cassilda....he smiled at himself, and decided he would buy it for the blue eyed Amazon.

Soon, he completed both the baskets, and decided he would dleiver both of them personally. There was no problem for Mabry's one (the young lady should have been now awake in the Aldaran suite), but he didn't know where to find Eliadha...

"But her Guild sisters must know this, for sure, silly me!" Rafe thought, and he headed decisely towards the Guildhouse.

Once he reached it, he knocked at the front door, and waited.

The young girl who opened seemed amazed to see a Comyn Lord in that neighboroughood, but didn't make any comment, and listened (her eyes opening wider and wider, as Rafe's speech went on), to the following words:

"My respects, mestra." he bowed "I'm Rafael Lindir, and I'll be grateful to you and your sisters forever if you could tell me where I can find a sister of yours, whose name is Eliadha. You see, I'd like to give her this little present for the Midsummer Festival, but I don't know where to find her"

The girl at the door was still trying to believe to her ears and eyes, but she managed to say: "You don't need to worry, vai dom. Eliadha is actually in this Guildhouse at the moment..."

"Oh, fine! Would you mind giving this basket to her, mestra?" Rafe smiled

"Of course I would, vai dom"

"Thank you very much, mestra. S'dia shaya" with this words, Rafael Lindir bowed agan to the astonished young Renunciate, and took his way again.

Want to read about Eliadha's reaction to the gift?

Back to Comyn Castle, he went to the Aldaran apartments. He knocked at the door, and had himself announced, but as soon as the manservant said "Dom Rafael Lindir", Mabry was running to him, her arms opened "Rafe!! At last! Where have you been!"

As he embraced his young lady, he sai, smiling: "Lady Mabry....my heart is full of joy at seeing that I was so dearly missed...but you'd like for sure to take a look at my festival gift, before it's all on the floor!"

Mabry blushed slightly, and left Rafe's arms "I'm sorry. You surely thinking that I didn't behave like a proper lady..." but she interrupted as she saw the little basket Rafe had in his hand.

"Oh, thank you! You remembered of my favourite chocolates..." and before Rafe could say anything, she was kissing him on his cheek.

After Rafe had told her most of what had been going on_ though he seemed to gloss over anything that involved renunciates for some reason_, he left, and Mabry finished the box of chocolates, before going out into Thendara to visit her father.

Rafe went to his private rooms, and started to look for what he would wear that evening. He dind't have to search for long.

Someone (he bet on uncle Regis) had put a beautiful suit in the red and black of Aldaran on his bed. Of course it fitted him perfectly.

Sometimes Regis seemed to be diabolic, he grinned.

Some time later, Rafael was ready. A few minutes after he had looked at his reflection, his uncle and coregent knocked at the door of his room, entered, and took a long approvingly look at his nephew (and coregent).

"Well, I guess we can go." were the only words he said.

It would fortunately have to be a brief visit, as I needed to prepare for the ball this evening. I hurried through the streets and knocked on the door to the main of office of the Darkovan Inquirer.

"How may I help you?" asked the young secretary who opened the door.

I stepped in. "I want to speak to Doevid Aldaran."

She looked confused. "I'm afraid I can't help you."

I remembered my father's insistence on the use of his pseudonym. I sighed, "I mean, Camuel Slemmons."

"Oh!" She exclaimed, now comprehending, "come this way."

My father's office was a mess. His desk was littered with paper, and held a plaque stating, "Creative minds are rarely tidy." The walls were plastered with Theatre posters, and the bookshelves held Terran mystery novels.

"Hello, Mabry," he said, scarcely looking up from his type-writer.

"Happy Midsummer," I said casually, and sat down. "Are you coming to the ball? You could write some piercing commentaries on the gowns and so on."

He shook his head. "I know I'm not welcome in Comyn Castle. Danvan Hastur never could stand political liberals. He is still oppressing the dry-towners, and until that stops, I'm boycotting Comyn functions."

I rolled my eyes. My father has been playing political activist - savior of minority groups for years. "Well, I came to thank you for the basket. I have to leave though. I need to get ready for the ball."

He nodded, looking up from his type-writer for the first time.

"Have fun. Goodbye... Oh, I almost forgot there is something else."

He pulled open the drawer the desk, muttered, started browsing the stacks of papers, then stood.

"Oh silly me." He browsed his pockets. "Well, I was sure, I put it... it belonged to your grandmother... a bit fiery... kind of

appropriate..." He sat to think. "Well, stop by next week and I'll remember where I put... Oh, that's right the ball's tonight. Hmmm...Oh! the chair. Stand up. I'm sorry"

Now tucked in the crease of the chair in which I was sitting, was a small elegant, slightly crushed velvet pouch. I turned back to thank him, but he was fencing with the page in the typewriter. I had never seen a quill pen loaded with red ink. Wounds were opening across the page. Such a deadly attack on his own work... The poor minions of this swashbuckling editor.

On the way back to Comyn Castle, my twinge of an Aldaran gift acted up. I knew that someone who would be at the ball wanted me dead. I decided I had better bring my dagger, as if Regis saw me bringing my sword, I'd be stuck doing embroidery for the rest of my natural life.

When I returned to my rooms I opened the pouch. Out fell a glittering fire opal the size of my thumb-nail, set in the talons of a gold two-headed eagle. I gasped. It was the most beautiful jewelry I had ever seen. It even matched my dress.

My dress! I had to get ready for the ball! I had to bathe and do my hair! And arrive fashionably late.

Regis woke up quite late on Midsummer morning. Rafi was just leaving to get festival gift to Mabry. "Mmm, good she made it here in time. I better send her something too."

He started to think what else he should do today while eating breakfast. "I have no close female relatives in Thendara so Mabry would be only one I would send gift to. Who do I have to dance with...? Mabry again, I guess, And perhaps Congratulatia, since I guess I promised her that. They must be the only ones I have to dance with...My hair has grown way too long, I must get it trimmed. And my clothes are hopefully ready, I think I will wear blue and black tonight."

" And of course I must to meet Mabry before ball and we probably should all three go together. I hope she won't be too late..."

I stared at my reflection up and down in the mirror. It was perfect. Congratulatia was going to die a hard painful death of

jealousy. And if she tried to kill me first, well, that was what the slit in the skirtand the dagger were for, wasn't it?

There was a knock on my door. "Come in!"

The door was opened by both of my regents. Two of them, I thought irritably. One isn't enough. I have to have TWO regents, both intent on bossing me around. "I'm ready," I said.

Rafael and Regis made lots of compliments to Mabry's outfit, and indeed the girl deserved their admiration. Rafe caught himself thinking that she looked far more adult than the last time he had seen her in the afternoon...and he liked her even more. He didn't say this aloud, and he kept talking if meaningless things, until the three of them reached the Ball.

Congratulatia was fanning herself, scandalized for having just seen Rahkail the Drytowner present at the Ball. Incredible! How dared he be there?!?

Then, she saw the entrance of the Harpy of Aldaran accompanied by her two co-regents. She immediately put away her fan and went towards them.

"(to Rafito) Dear regent, as handsome as always I see. ... (to Regis) Dom Di Asturien, you wear the Elhalyn colours, you honour me so! And you look so charming. ... (to Mabry, smiling) And you must be the Lady Mabry of Aldaran herself. I am so pleased to meet you, my dear! My darling Jorik always has good words when he talks about his little friend from Aldaran. We absolutely have to know each other a bit better, so I emphatically hope your stay in Thendara will be quite long."

Regis bowed before Congratulatia. "You look absolutely radiant." (How much make up she has used?)

"How gallant of you, vai dom!"

" Oh yes, you two (look first to Congra, then Mabry and then again Congra) haven't met before?"

"I am afraid we will be leaving quite soon to Aldaran. But that is matters of the future, and before that, may I ask you to dance?"

"Absolutely! It will be such a pleasure!"

As they danced, Congratulatia looked attentively at dom Di Asturien and smiled.

"I really am honoured to dance with you, vai dom. I feel that I must add you really are classy and elegant, and let me assure you I am not saying this only because we wear the same colours. Do you see the envy looks they cast at us?"

"They certainly have the reason to envy me, for I am dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room."

"My, oh my!! Your words leave me speechless, vai dom!" Congratulatia smiled from ear to ear.

"It is sad you have to leave so soon for Aldaran, but I hope you have not forgotten our dinner: you, I, the dear regent there and the Keeper of Tramontana. Shall we fix it for the day after tomorrow?"

"No, I haven't forgotten. Where will we be dining?"

"In the private garden of the Elhalyn's section of Comyn Castle. The view is simply enchanting. And the privacy is secured."

"Ah, I have heard about gardens of Elhalyn section...I am looking forward to that dinner."

"Indeed, I had never met the Lady of Aldaran before. Truthfully, I was expecting an ugly girl, a 'harpy-type' if you know what I mean, whereas I was astounded when I found out she is a nice-looking girl (if you happen to like that type of girl, I mean...)"

"Sorry for asking you such a personal question, but I *really* cannot remember: are you married, vai dom? And have you already got children?"

Regis rose his eyebrows (...what an odd question...why is she asking that...) "Unfortunately my wife, Katrine Syrtis has been dead for ten years. And I do have one son, Robardin."

"Oh, sorry! How indelicate of me. I do beg your pardon. I did not mean to bring sad memories to the surface, especially on an occasion as joyful as this. How old is your son? Does he possess his father's charming ways?"

"He is twelwe years old and came some time ago back from Nevarsin. He must soon be tested if he has inherited any laran."

By this time renunciates arrived to the ball, and everyone's attention turned towards them.

"My, there are those too in this ball...dressed like women for a change. Unfortunately they of course have no class."

"Oh, I totally agree! They are always so gross! It looks like you and I share the same opinion about many points, vai dom." Then, she caught a glimpse of Ivan and started shrieking.

"Now, calm down, I Have heard that Daimary MacAran has tamed banshee, and that must be it. I will take you to sit and bring you something to drink." And after that Regis stormed towards Daimary, quite angry.

Mabry scanned the ball room looking for people she knew, and holding the package under her arm. Finally she spotted Diego, her ex-regent. She walked over to him_ he had just finished dancing with a girl a little older than her, who was probably Idriel MacAran from Dalereuth.

"Diego," she said. Then she handed him the package containing the black and white bunny slippers.

When Mabry gave Diego the gift of slippers in Storn colors, he was taken aback. "Mabry, I did not get you a festival gift for fear of offending you and your regents."

"I got enough as it is!" I replied cheerfully. "My father gave me a basket and this" I pointed to the necklace. "And my regents sent me baskets, and there was one from an anomynous admirer!"

"You look wonderful. Have you been spending time outdoors?"

"Hardly. I've been inside working on finding a new cook. Neither of my new regents can cook!"

"You know, I never had the chance to apologize to you in person for my actions during the madness…"

"No apology is needed. I was a brat, and directly responsible for your breakdown. If anything I should apologize to you."

They spent several minutes each trying take all the blame to themselves.

The music began to play again, and Diego asked Mabry for a dance. To his surprise (and that of many onlookers) she accepted. Afterward, she returned to the company of her regents and Diego continued to seek out Marilla.

After dancing with Diego, Mabry went to find Jorik, who she had made a promise to in a letter. Two promises actually. A letter that she would not trust to her regent's hands.

"Mabry!" He said coming up behind her.

She turned in suprise. "Jorik! I was looking for you."

"Your promise?"

Mabry smiled. "Which one?"

"The dance of course," he replied.

Jorik is a great dancer. As they danced past Congratulatia who was dancing with some man in Ridenow colors. I couldn't resist sticking her tongue out at her, childish as it was. After all, she deserved it.

Congratulatia was scandalized and offended by Mabry's childish behaviourand almost stepped on her partner's foot. Luckily, she did not and, instead, smiled at him thinking that that action from Mabry could be used at her advantage later.

When the dance ended, Mabry blushed and fulfilled her other promise.

Congratulatia, who had put up with her dancing with Jorik, charged towards them. Apparently, only she could kiss Jorik Hastur. She screeched, "How dare you!"

She felt annoyed, frightened, and just a bit triumphant.

It was a pleasure to dance with Mabry. And when we finished to dance she kissed me. That nice girl! I sighed: I'm a bit too old for her, but I must admit that she is the only person that makes me wish to be younger!

Anyway I felt a hatewave from Congra after Mabry kissed me. I have the Hastur gift. I was fearing Congra's actions in such a oppressive way...

Now I know why.

Gathering all her self-control, Congratulatia forced herself to smile to Mabry and in a honey tone said: "Sorry, that was uncalled for. Maybe you Aldarans have different customs from us civilized town-dwellers. And in any case, a kiss from one child who sticks out her tongue at a fellow dancer does not mean anything. <then, she addressed Jorik in a soft tone) Jorik, darling, be an angel and get us something sweet to drink, will you?"

Always kind, Jorik bowed to them and said he's be back in a jiff. He was scared Tula could harm Mabry in some devious way.

Congra, on the contrary, reprised her speech in her usual semi-solemn way: "Lady Mabry, now that your Domain is about to rejoin ours, I think we should get to know each other a bit better, do you not agree? After all, you are a 'friend' of Jorik's and I am his beloved betrothed (how allitterating of me!): we could become friends, too. How would you like a cup of tea one of these afternoons? We can arrange something by exchanging messages through our respective servants in the Castle, since we both reside here, currently."

Mabry smiled at Congratulatia nervously. Diego was right! Way to much make-up. "That's a lovely idea." she slipped into the southern drawl she had picked up from watching the Terran movie "Gone with the Wind". Mabry doubted anyone else in the room, but Congratulatia would recognize it, so she made her voice as Scarlettesque as possible. "I really would like to get together sometime, unfortunately, my regents and I are leaving soon. We'll probably be here a few more days. Day after tomorrow perhaps?"

Congratulatia thought as Mabry was thinking: "Why is she adopting that disgusting drawl all of a sudden? What an irritating brat! It will be a real pleasure disposing her corpse!" Meanwhile, she kept on smiling amiably to Mabry, though, and when her turn to speak came, she said: "I am afraid tomorrow and the day after tomorrow I have quite a hectic schedule, Lady Mabry. But the day later would be all right for me. A tea, in the Elhalyn gardens, perhaps? In the middle of the afternoon? Or something different, if you prefer: Jorik has told me about your passion for chocolate..."

"I'm not sure if we will still be here than," Mabry replied, somewhat relieved. "But if my regents don't decide to leave Thendara, before then, I would be glad to to get together. When you find a convenient time, you can send a message to me. See you later." And she walked off as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof.

Again from Jorik's journal:

I thought I had to keep an eye on both Mabry and Congra. After that episode, the same evening, I saw Mabry talking with Corus, the young boy from the Ages of Chaos. He reminded me how I was when I was at Arilinn...

Arilinn. There I was in love with Myria. Where was she now? I feared Congra did harm Myria, but she was in the hall with her fan. I stared at her. My Hastur gift made me feel with her for a while, unwillingly.

Hate. It was so a sad thing a woman like Congra, beautiful, gifted and intelligent was able to hate so deeply. So deep... Those thoughts were thoughts of dead! I returned to reality. She was smiling to Regis. All was normal in the great hall, except for Daimary's banshhe. I had to say something to Daimary about that... But I already knew that it would be perfectly useless. I knew from our time together that not even Zandru himself would be able to make Daimary do something she does not want to do. Anyway I looked for her to say her that a scaring banshee was not supposed to join the ball. I didn't find her.

Congra was calm for the moment, perhaps because Mabry was not interested on me. I saw domna Ylana alone and invited her to dance.

"Vai domna, how could happen that a beautiful lady like you is not invited to dance? Perhaps do people think they are not equal to you?..."

"Perhaps... And you are, dom Jorik?"

"I don't know if I am. But I'm impudent enough to ask!"

Damien and Myria had just finished their dance when he spotted a familiar face entering the ballroom. Making a polite withdrawl from the Keeper of Neskaya, Damien headed toward the main doors.

"Dominic! I'm glad you decided to join us!"

The tall, strongly-built mechanic, formerly of Allain's circle and now a member of Damien's own, smiled cheerfully. "Well, I couldn't just sit around moping on Midsummer night, could I? Especially not when every

beautiful comynara in this time is probably here, just waiting for a chance to dance with me." His eyes were twinkling, Damien saw with relief, and he seemed much more like his old self. "Besides, someone had to drag this youngster out of his hole. Honestly, lad, I'd think you were ombredin, you show so little interest in women, sometimes." Dominic drew Corus Lanart out from behind him, the boy blushing furiously.

"I like them just fine, Dominic. I just--I just don't need to have a different one in my bed every night, like you do." The eighteen year old newly-made mechanic drew his shoulders back defiantly. "I want someone I can respect."

"Or at least remember the name of, in the morning," Damien added dryly. "Don't pay Dom any mind, Corus. I'm sure you'll find the right woman eventually. In the mean time, why don't you get a glass of wine, and try to relax? Festival is supposed to be enjoyable, you know."

The sensitive Corus looked at his new Keeper strangely for a moment, the nodded agreeably. "Maybe that will steady my nerves. I hate crowds like this. I told Braydin I'd relieve him in the relays in an hour or so, all right, Damien?"

"That would be kind of you, Corus. Now, go on. Just one glass, mind you," he called after the young mechanic as he headed off for one of the tables alongside the far wall. "That wasn't very nice, Dom. You know how he hates these types of things."

"A little mingling will do him good. We can't all have the discipline of monks, my friend." He smiled to take the sting out of his words. "Who knows, maybe he really will find the love of his life here. There certainly are enough lovelies to choose from." Dominic's gaze followed on such lady as she strolled by. "Speaking of which, will you excuse me? I do believe I'm in love."

"Who am I to stand in the way of true romance? Go. But I don't want to hear any more stories about angry husbands, Dominic," he added with a laugh.

"That was years ago." With a wolfish smile, Dominic turned and headed after the delicate beauty he'd just spied.

Corus Lanart made his way carefully to the refreshment tables, where he grabbed a glass of wine. Downing half of it quickly, he waited for it to dull his shaking nerves. Not far off a woman laughed a loud, peculiar laugh, her fan flickering wildly. Not liking the looks of her, Corus turned to go and nearly bumped into a very lovely young girl who had come to stand beside him at the table.

"Oh! I-I-I'm sorry, damisela. D-did I spill any wine on you?" He bit his lip, wishing that he had never been born, as the young woman looked down at her skirts.

"No, I don't think you got any on me." She looked up at him in an alarmingly direct manner. "Have we met? I don't remember seeing you in Thendara before."

"N-n-no, we haven't," he mannaged. "My name's Corus Lanart. I w-w-work in Comyn Tower." His blush deeped.

"My name's Mabry. I'm the Lady of Aldaran."

The young man looked a little shy, so to save him the trouble, Mabry made conversation. "Comyn tower? I heard they were fixing the old ruins up. I hear that some of the people from the ages of chaos will be joining you."

"A-actually, damisela, I'm one of those time travelers." He blushed furiously, turning a very interesting shade of red.

"You are?" she was impressed. "I was impressed by what I heard about all of you! I myself couldn't have irritated Danvan Hastur more. You aren't planning on doing anything like that again are you? I wish I could have been there for it, but I left for Aldaran right when the excitement began.

"No, we've promised to obey your Compact, now that we are to re-remain here. Damien says that there's much that we can do to be useful, even without w-w-wars."

Mabry smiled. "Good. I don't like wars. We nearly had one less than six months ago, when I zapped the heir of Hastur."

He nodded, and drew a little further into his shell.

Then Mabry's favourite dance began. She gave him a look that said "ask me to dance or I'll fry you".

He understood and asked her to dance. Towards the end of the dance however, Mabry eyes caught on a banshee. Ivan! It had to be. As soon as the dance ended, she ran over to him and Daimary. "Ivan! It has been too long! The dungeons feel so empty with out you!"

The banshee grinned at her. Corus Lanart seemed a little shocked, but came over to be introduced to that incredibly handsome bird.

The surprise of seeing a banshee at the Midsummer Fesitival ball seemed to shock Corus out of his silence.

"You've trained a banshee? I'd heard that couldn't be done!" He froze as the large bird squinted, then nuzzled lightly at his hand. "You must have the Ridenow donas, damisela," he added to Daimary. "I've never seen anything like this." He looked shyly back at Mabry. "But then I've always heard that they'll try anything new at Aldaran."

"Daimary isn't from Aldaran!" Mabry exclaimed. "My step-mother had a banshee though, but he wasn't nice like Ivan here. He follows Daimary around like a puppy!"

The way he said it, anyway, made it clear the boy didn't mean it as an insult.

"You should have your friend bring it to our Tower, Lady Mabry. Gwynneth loves birds, but I'm sure she's never flown one of these!" Seeing all eyes turn toward him, Corus quickly retreated into silence.

Mabry smiled at him. "Go on. As you were saying."

"Um, well, I actually c-can't think of s thing to say," Corus admitted shyly. "I'm n-not very good around people I don't know, you see. I-It's a lot easier to talk in the relays." He took a deep breath and continued, not quite meeting her eyes. "Can you tell me if the Castle has changed much since our time? I don't like crowds, and th-thought I might go for a walk instead."

"Well, I don't know how it was then, but I doubt this place has changed in years!" Mabry grinned at him. "I'm not a big fan of crowds myself. I feel surrounded, because I can't see a thing."

Corus smiled and dared to look briefly directly into the Lady of Aldaran's eyes. She was very pretty, as well as very titled, and he couldn't believe that she didn't have at least two maiden aunts and a male guardian swarming around her to protect her from unsuitable advances. Apparently she hated crowds as much as he did, which gave him the courage to suggest,

"Then spires atop the Castle look out over the entire city. With tonight being Midsummer, there will be torches lit all over town. Would you like to see a bird's eye view of Thendara, damisela?"

Lady Mabry smiled, her eyes glinting with mischief. "That sounds like fun!"

"Mabry...." Daimary began.

"Oh, neither Regis nor Rafael will even notice that I'm gone! It's not like they've been paying much attention to me lately, anyway. Come on, Corus! Let's go see what the birds see! Have you ever flown in a glider?" Mabry smiled confidingly at Corus, and he bobbed his head shyly.

"No, I've never had that chance. I-I've been in a Tower since I was fifteen, damisela."

The three young people and a middle-aged banshee left the ballroom floor and began to walk toward the main staircase which would eventually let them out onto the castle roof....

Continues in Still at the Ball

More descriptions of the Ball can also be found at Eliadha's stall

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