(Leisha n'ha Ursula: Laura Lulli; Emelda Lanart-Hastur & Diego Storn: Jim Caccamo;

Frank Barber:[email protected]; Rakhail the Drytowner, aka Delleray: Jay, [email protected])

Ah, Thendara at last! It seemed like ages since Emelda boarded the aircar for Serrais. Well, first things first! Emelda went directly to Leisha's Sweet Shop. "Leisha, my dear, everything smells heavenly. Cream puffs! I must have cream puffs. And some of that imported Terran coffee. Tell me Leisha, you were once--involved--with Marcello Ridenow. I must find him to conduct some--urgent business. Have you heard anything of his whereabouts?"

"Emelda!!" Leisha left the dough she was kneading in the back room, to face her best custom on the whole Darkover (and probably in the whole Terran Empire). She cleaned her hand in her apron the best she could and laid two little kisses on Emelda's fat cheeks.

"I've been missing you, dearest. The volume of my business suffered from your absence" she grinned.

Imposing Emelda grinned her back and answered "So what are you waiting for! My cream puffs!! And my coffee as well!!"

Leisha laughed, and went for what she had been asked.

While sipping her coffee, her mouth showing traces of the many cream puffes eaten, Emelda stared cunningly at Leisha, and reminded her:

"You didn't answer my question about Marcello"

Leisha raised her eyes "I wonder why everyone seems to think that I still have something to do with him!! I haven't been seeing him since...since the Council time, when Lady Cristilyn was brought to the Guildhouse. As for the last thing I know about him....well there are the effects of a certain sort of chocolates..." She couldn't end the sentence, since she was laughing too hard.

Emelda shared the laughter wholeheartedly, and kept on wolfing through Leisha's cream puffs.

Emelda then said, "Leisha, dear, you've outdone yourself. These are the best cream puffs I have ever had and I've had *so* many. But think of this: you did Marcello a favor, since it probably was the first time in his life he wasn't full of crap. But let me tell you about the *wonderful* nickname a Terran pilot came up with for him....Marshmallow! It fits, don't you think? Pale, sickeningly sticky, and no substanitive value." She reached for the coffee pot.

Leisha nodded, with a polite smile. She didn't think appropriate to remind

Emelda how dangerous and vindictive Marci could be.

"Leisha, dear, what are you doing for Midwinter Festival? I've been thinking of avoiding the parties here in Thendara and going back to Edelweiss for a while. Edric has gone on a long trip with his new lover so the house is mine for a while. Why don't we arrange a party of all the really "fun" people from the city and travel to Edelweiss for the holiday? You can bring the cream puffs."

Leisha laughed. "Is this an invitation or a business commitment, Emelda? You pay me honour, in both cases, anyway. I still can't give you an answer, since I still haven't heard anything from my sisters, about the festival...You can rest assured, nevertheless, you'll have your beloved cream puffs for your party"

And Emelda replied: "Well, ask the whole Guildhouse. Renunciates certainly know how to have a good time."

Leisha laughed: "We do, don't we? You should have become one of us, Emelda!"

Emelda went on "Will Eliadha be back in time for Midwinter? I truly miss her at the bookstore. The erotica collection just hasn't been the same recently. Dear girl, please try to come and I assure you that while I adore your creampuffs, I'd ask you anyway."

Leisha smiled. "I'm flattered, Emelda dear....how can I refuse such a kind invitation? I'm afraid, though, that Eli won't be able to come, since she's in training at Dalereuth, right now"

Emelda smiled back to Leisha "Will my dear sister be done with her housebound period by then? Certainly I'd like her to come, even if we haven't been close."

"Well, there have been some exceptions in the past....and since her housebound period will end about a tenday after Midwinter, and, which is better, _I_ am her Oath Mother....I think she could come to your party, provided that she wants to, of course" Leisha grinned "One never knows with Lorina" Again, the two women laughed together.

Emelda turned to Leisha, custard still oozing from the corners of Emelda's lips. "Who else should we invite to the party? How about some *Terranan*? Wouldn't a group of Renunciates, Terranan, and other nonconformist types make for a great Midwinter party? Oh, Leisha, I can hardly wait to read the Darkovan Inquirer after that one! The only thing that worries me is that I can't find my friend Frank Barber. Now Frank, there's a boy who likes a party, especially if chains and handcuffs are involved."

"Let's go for the Terranan, even your Frank, Emelda dear, but...chains? handcuffs??? Any Renunciate of sense would rather kill herself than even _play_ with those horrible ...things!!" Leisha seemed truly horrified, and vaguely disgusted.

"Oh, yes, Frank is disgusting. That's part of his charm. Rest assured, dear girl, his love of handcuffs is related to a practice of his called "S/M" He doesn't like to cuff and chain others, but to have others cuff and chain him."

"This doesn't change my disgust!!" Leisha's voice sounded a bit shrill.

Emelda ignored her friend's remark "As far as I know, he only gets enjoyment from it if other men do it to him.Who can understand the Terranan? As for becoming a Renunciate, I probably won't just because it would let my "dear" estranged husband off the hook. And actually I can be of more use to you from within the Comyn. It doesn't hurt to have a Hastur daughter on your side. Now, let's try some of that carrot cake..."

Relief ran through Leisha's thoughts. She hadn't realized how seriously Emelda had considerated the possibility of becoming a sister...

In the meanwhile she just nodded politely, and reached for some more cakes and sweets for Emelda to wolf through.

Finally sated with Leisha's pastry, Emelda left for Comyn Castle. She immediately went to her father's bedroom and told old Danvan Hastur about her adventures. She smiled when he became enraged over Marcello Ridenow's treatment of her. Lord Serrais would find it *very* difficult in Council as long as her daddy was presiding.

Emelda then went to her suite in the castle, had the servants draw her a bath in her oversized bathtub and allowed herself to marinate for over an hour.

Dressing comfortably in a flowing green kaftan, she went in search of her niece Marisela Hastur to talk about Danvan's health. Yet Mari was nowhere to be seen. Her nephew Jorik was still gone, too, it seemed. Ah, well, off to the kitchen to grab a snack and then she needed to get down to the orphanage.

Those young boys had probably thought she had abandoned them when she didn't show up for her volunteer hours.

It was so good to be back in Thendara.

The day should have been busy. After browsing for erotica at Eliadha's, Emelda spent the morning at Leisha's Sweet Shop, sipping Terran coffee and eating pastry while bothering poor Leisha to tears with incessant chatter. She had lunch at the Thendara Women's City Club, catching up on all the gossip from the time she was away.

After lunch, she went to the Thendara Guard Hall, where she volunteered for a few hours handing towels to young Guardsmen on their way to the showers. She tried to visit her sister Lorina at the Guild Hall, but Lorina was too busy with housebound chores to spend time with idle gossip. Quite honestly, Emelda was bored. Most of the Comyn had left the city on holiday or on adventure.

Things were even slow at the Darkovan Inquirer office. While she hadn't planned to travel to Edelweiss for a few more ten-days, she decided to pack up and go early. Wouldn't the household staff be *thrilled* to have her stop by unexpectantly!?

Ah! Edelweiss! Emelda almost felt a tear in her eye as she approached her country home. How many tendays had it been since she had been here? As she munched the last of the coffee cake she had purchased from Leisha, Emelda approached the manor.

There in the kitchen stood Doria the cook. Same old Doria! When Emelda walked in the door, the poor woman almost fainted. "Milady!" What are *you* doing here?" "I live here, you silly fool. Get to work. Call Paolo at the stables and tell him I want a horse saddled for a ride this afternoon. I will warn you now, in a tenday, I am expecting friends from Thendara to come here for a party. We must make preparations."

"Does Dom Edric know you are here?" "I could give a damned what my husband thinks. I am the Lady of Edelweiss and I will do as I please. Now, make me a batch of pancakes and some jaco. I am very hungry." Emelda smiled at Doria's reaction. It was indeed good to be home.

Emelda Lanart-Hastur was fretting. The big party at Edelweiss was only days away and none of the guests had arrived yet. The big house was quite lonely and quiet. Emelda looked forward to crowds of people and mounds of food. (Yes she intended to leave some food for her guests) Poor Doria was at wit's end and wished the Lady would go back to Thendara.

Leisha was in the Sweetshop, oberated with work. Chocolate sauce everywhere (just like after Eli's last visit, she giggled), flour, sugar and all the other ingredients needed for large amount of her best sweets were scattered all around the place.

She was trying to fill all the requests from her customers, and to leave something for her sisters to sell as well, since she was going to be away for a while.

Oh, and she shouldn't forget to make some more cream puffs too. Her host was going to love them.

Looking out the window of the aircar, Diego spotted the rooftops of Edelweiss. Frank began the descent as Diego asked, "Are you sure Domna Emelda won't mind that I come along? I have only met her once." When Frank assured him it would be okay, Diego picked Jasper up in his lap and waited for the landing. His mind wandered and he thought about the unpleasant encounter with Cristilyn Aillard over Marcello. "Well, I guess vacationing in Valeron any time in the near future is out of the question." Diego sighed. Well, this party was supposed to be good. And he heard his old friend Leisha n'ha Ursula was going to be bringing the pastries....

Emelda Lanart-Hastur breathed a sigh of satisfaction. Having a party to relieve the doldrums was *such* a good idea. Everything was going according to plan, and some guests had already arrived, including darling Frank.

It was too bad Congratulatia was unavailable, for having her sing to the crowd would have been wonderful. But with Diego Storn here, that wouldn't be a good idea anyway. And where was Leisha and the rest of the folks from Thendara? And she wondered if anyone from Armida was going to make it. It could go on for days and days, as most Darkovan parties do, so she was resolved not to fret and to enjoy herself.

Emelda said: "Oh Holy Avarra! What a combination! Purple spidersilk blouse with a green plaid wool skirt slit all the way up her chunky thigh. Dolorosa...they certainly named her right." Emelda went on. Frank had left and now poor Diego was hearing Emelda's catty fashion remarks. Then Emelda said, "And look at poor Seamus Moray! If the man can't afford a realistic toupee, then he'd be better off letting us all see his bald head. Dom Diego, I'm so glad you came to the party...Dom Diego? Dom Diego? Now where did he run off to?"

Leisha did arrive a bit late, of course. It couldn't help it, having all that food to bring along, all alone.

When she arrived at Edelweiss, though, everyone cheered her, and they gave her just the time to get a proper attire from her bags...of course after asking her where the cream puffs Emelda had been asking all the evening long were.

Anyway, there she was. ready to take part to the fun.

When Emelda spied Leisha n'ha Ursula, her eyes lit up, and not just with the promise of pastries. "Leisha, dear! How wonderful you look! Come! There's a lovely fire in the hearth. May I bring you some refreshments? Shalla? Firi? Jaco?" Taking the Renunciate's hand, Emelda led her among the party-goers, chitting, chatting, and gossiping the whole time.

"Oh I think that some firi would do, Emelda dear. I'm so terribly tired!" Leisha chirped in a way unusual to her *It must be the air of this manor, I guess* she thought. "And what do you think of my dress? Spider silk! I've had it made expressely for your party"

Emelda made plenty of polite compliments ot her guest attire, and presented her to a lot of elegant ladies, everyone of which seemed to be delighted to make the exotic acquantaince of a Renunciate *and of a woman who has to WORK, I suppose* added Leisha mentally.

The party was good, though. Emelda has always had a particular touch of style, and it did show in the whole organization. Soft music, good drinks...Leisha missed Cormel's loving arms, and the dance they had together at the Ball....

Since the Council was out of session, Donal Lanart took leave from the Thendara Guards to go home. But once there, his father insisted that he should stop by Edelweiss to visit his foster-parents, Edric and Emelda. Donal agreed, hoping that he might find his beloved Gwenneth there.

Reaching the estate ny evening, Donal was surprised to observe that it was brightly lit, and that loud music could be heard. The servant who opened the door told him that there was a party going on..

The party was full of the sort of people Donal didn't usually associate with- Amazons, Terranan, and wasn't the girl over there that tramp Dolorosa Leynier?

On seeing her foster son, Emelda beamed. "Donal, my sweet, sweet boy! What an unexpected delight! Come in! Come in! Let me introduce you to my dear friend Leisha n'ha Ursula." Frank Barber came over, but Emelda wasn't sure if the infatuated look on his face was for Leisha or for the newly-arrived Donal. Frank had, rumor had it, rather peculiar tastes.

"I'm always glad to meet any friend of yours, dear foster-mother," said Donal politely. "And how is Dom Edric, and Cousin Gwenneth?" he asked innocently.

"Dom Edric is off on holiday in the Kilghard Hills with his barragana. You know, that Darriel woman who was flirting with him the Council session before last. As for Gwenneth, we had a parting of the ways. She told me she was going off to become a Renunciate, but none of my friends in the Guild have heard anything about her." Then Emelda turned serious: "Donal, if Gwenneth has disappeared, Edric needs an heir. You are our foster son, and your father and Edric are cousins. When Council opens its new season, I am going to pressure him to naming you his heir. You are, after all, a Lanart, and you grew up in this house."

Diego watched intently as Frank approached his intended victim. Moving quickly, he got between Frank and the guest and said, "Frank, what in Aldones' name do you think you are doing? Either you start behaving in a civilized manner, or I'll make you stay in the aircar for the rest of the party, which may, judging by the look of things, take days. Now do you want to eat and listen to the music and be a good boy, or do you want to freeze your ass off in the car?" He grabbed Frank's elbow and dragged him away from where Emelda, Leisha, and Donal were standing. "Look. There's Dolorosa Lenyier. Let me introduce you to her."

Leisha could breathe right again. Oddly, any other man look had managed to make her feel so deeply uncomfortable. She realized that she was holding tightly Emelda's wrist -the woman was actually looking at her, trying to find out what was wrong- while trying not to look in that blasted Terranan's direction. *Blasted terranan! I never used such words! There must be something wrong with him* she thoughts. She sent a thankful thought to Diego for bringing the man away.

Yet, in a strange way she was fascinated by that...Barber?

Diego had one of those incredibly nauseous feelings that occasionally accompanies the Aldaran Gift. Congratulatia...Mabry...a fork...

A *fork*? What in Aldones' name was going on? All Diego knew was that there was in incredible sense of danger to two of the important women in his life.

The blurring feeling left him, and Diego once again found himself in the midst of the party, the incredibly slutty Dolorosa Leynier talking nonsense to him in that high-pitched squeaky voice of hers.

Emelda noticed Diego's stressful conversation with Dolorosa Leynier and came over, hoping to wrest him loose. When she heard him raving on again about Regis Di Asturien, she pulled him aside and told him: "Look, get over it. Regis isn't all that bad. In fact, he's kind of cute, and one of these days I hope to dine with him when I'm in Caer Donn. Diego, this bitterness isn't healthy, especially at a party. Excuse us, Dolorosa." Taking Diego's arm, Emelda pulled him into a corner and calmed him down. That did not alleviate the animosity that Diego would probably always feel for Regis, but Diego slowly began to see how futile his grudge actually was.

He then told Emelda: "I just had a frightening vision about Congratulatia. Edelweiss is less than a day's ride from Neskaya. Do you think I should ride over there and find out if she's all right? It would certainly set my mind at ease."

When Diego indicated that Congra was distressed, Emelda showed great concern, for while she barely knew Mabry and found Myria a bit "much", she had a deep and abiding love of Congratulatia and could not bear to see her in danger.

"Dom Diego" she said, "It is not wise for you to go alone. If Frank flies us to Neskaya in the aircar, we can get there, find out the problem, and be back here at Edelweiss before anyone misses us." She turned to Frank, "Frank dear, Dom Diego and I need you to do a short run for us. Get your jacket, dear, it's chilly."

And Diego, Emelda and Frank left, with the party in full swing.

Read more about this in At Neskaya Tower - part II

Few of the revellers at Edelweiss had noticed that their hostess had left.

Indeed, the party was getting rowdy, with Dolorosa Leynier surrounded by a group of hangers-on laughing at her bad jokes. They all hoped that she would invite them all to her next party at Highgarth, the estate which she had recently purchased to facilitate "entertaining".

How Dolorosa came by her wealth has been the subject for gossip among the Comyn for years. Some have even accused her of running a house of ill-repute.

In any case, in spite of her screechy voice and hideous clothing, Dolorosa was the center of attention--at least until Emelda and Diego returned from Neskaya.

Peering through the window, Rakhail finally spotted his cousin Leisha at the party.

As she drew near a window, He knocked lightly on a panel and caught her attention. He gestured for her to come outside.

Giving her a kinsman's embrace, Rakhail told her how beautiful she looked and then asked for her help.

"Leisha, I'm in trouble. I don't know where to turn."

Leisha answered gladly to her cousin's embrace. She was happy to meet him again...they had spent too little time together, last time they had met...which also had been the first time, actually.

Still, even if she didn't know him very well, Leisha felt Rakhail very near to her heart, so she did worry when she heard his plea for help.

"What happened, cousin? If there's anyhting I could do for you, I will...and there's always Castle Delleray, don't forget."

"I have not eaten in days. Could you smuggle something out to me? I don't dare let Emelda see me. By the way, what is Donal Lanart doing here? Stay away from that one, cousin. He is no good."

Leisha gratified the young brother of Lady Myria of a distracted look.

"Mmmh. Really? I hardly know Donal, and it must be the second time I see him. Looked nice though. Has he done some kind of wrong to you, that you are hating him this way?" Leisha had perceived some deeper feelings from his cousin, through her long unpracticed laran.

Rakhail went on: "Castle Delleray is probably a good idea. But I'll never make it unless I get some nourishment and some rest. There's an abandoned shed over by the fish pond. I am going to stay there tonight and on the morrow will start my journey to see your parents."

"I can write you a couple of lines, if you really want to leave immediately...and it's true, there's that shed. Anyway, if you go ahead towards Castle Delleray, you're very likely to find a travellerers' shelter, with plenty of food and wood for the fire. It must be a few miles from here, if memory serves me right. Though, I wish you could stay some longer, cousin...are you chased?"

Rakhail said, "I am a wanted man in the Dry Towns. I have "betrayed" my father and he has put a price on my head. I sought refuge here, thinking the place was unoccupied. What I truly need is a chance to start over and change my identity so that father's agents can't find me."

"You did WHAT?" Leisha was startled. She knew how hard could be Drytowns laws to those who didn't respect them. As long as she knew, there weren't even precise laws, just the damned kihar of the single men to be defended.

"You can't stay here. Not only the place is not free, but there's also Emelda here! I don't think she coild be any happy to meet you again. Though I can't see her, now...and now that you mention, I haven't been seeing her for the last hour. Probably she found something more interesting to do." Rakhail grumbled.

"Listen, cousin. I was about to go soon, anyway. Why don't you wait for me to pack up my things and we go away together? I was going to Dalereuth soon, anyway."

"Cousin, the gods were with me when I found you here. I will gladly go with you but I need a disguise. If you help me, I will cut my hair short. Can we find something to dye it? I'm too blond to fit in. Can't disguise my height, but some Comyn are tall, aren't they?"

Leisha sighed, a tall dark haired man's image flashing behind her eyes. *Cormel!*

"They are. And yes, it's better to dye this blond lionmane..."

"Now for a name: when I was little, I was called Rikki. So I can masquerade as your cousin, Rikki Dellaray. And I'm pretty good at hiding my Dry Town accent, don't you think?"

"Your accent is good as anyone else's among the Halym'in, cousin...for your name, I'd rather call you Ricardo, since Rikki sounds a bit too much like a child nickname. But now come, I know Emelda's cook pretty well, and if I ask her some herbal dye she won't question. I sometimes use it for my -few!- white hairs, and she knows it. We can arrange all in a couple of hours, and then we may leave"

Continues in Rakhail and Leisha

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