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A Quartet in Rebma

"May we continue our discussions inside? Perhaps in Septima's rooms... if she is willing to play hostess, of course?" he ended with a grin towards his cousin.

Septima smiled suddenly and seemed surprised she had done so. "I have no objections, if our honored aunt has none."

"Indeed, I too would see these rooms of yours Cousin Septima. They must be something quite unique to bring you so far from your home," says Niall with a half smile on his face.

Llewella shrugged. "Very well, we can do that. If you'll follow me, I can lead you to your quarters here at Rebma's Manor."

She led the quartet into the castle, and up some stairs - the layout was close to that of Castle Amber, but also subtlely different. Once at the third floor, she gestured around. "Each of you has a suite here. Your names are on the doors."

"I'm flattered, Auntie, that you would set aside a room for one such as my own self," said Malcolm honestly.

"Mmm," Septima said, gliding down the hallway until she found the door with her name on it. "And how does whoever arranges for the suites know of us?"

Llewella smiled and gave a soft sigh. "Sooner or later, it seems, all scions of Amber come here, if only for a short time. Since the Manor is actually somewhat larger than Castle Amber - not needing to be quite as defensive in nature - we have plenty of room. So, every scion of Amber has a suite here. We might prefer that you stayed above water, but we're realistic, if nothing else."

Septima laughed gently. "Well, in any event, I promise to make no difficulties for you during my stay." She turned the handle and opened the door to her suite.

"Well, I know better then to even attempt to make that promise. I cause more disasters by trying not to cause trouble," Malcolm laughed, "But I can honestly say, Auntie, that I have no evil intensions, or even mischievous ones, towards you or any being in Rebma."

Malcolm followed Septima.

Niall nodded at Llewella's words. "Then I take it that someone at Castle Amber informed you of our existence, or is the knowledge of our existence simply 'reflected' here once learned above?"

Llewella smiled enigmatically. "Don't forget, I'm still a member of the Family." She held up a Trump deck. "I know every member of the Family as soon as Dworkin does."

"He must label yours better than mine," said Malcolm dryly, "Let us proceed to Septima's rooms, since she was kind enough to offer them, to continue our discussion. Otherwise we'll block the hallway and the servants won't be able to get any of the honest work done."

Septima, who had already opened the door, obligingly stepped to the side to let the others enter first.

Niall nodded gracefully and went in, then moved to the left to let others in. He looked around the room to see if he could discern why it was so important for Septima to come here.

The room - to Septima's eyes - looked little different from her chambers at Castle Amber. Stephanie stepped inside, scanned the rooms, and nodded. "It's safe enough - nothing hidden that I can see."

(I'm not sure Septima's been to her quarters in Castle Amber, but I'll just assume she thinks it looks normal... no pulsing items of power left lying around out in the open.)

(With the exception of Niall, everyone's been in their quarters at Amber - even if only for a few moments. For Septima, assume that it occurred in the time before the group left the castle.)

"Please, sit, everyone," she said, gesturing to chairs and a divan. "We were going to talk about walking the Rebman Pattern?"

"We are?" said Malcolm in a mildly humorous tone as he headed towards the most comfortable looking chair.

"Isn't that what we were talking about in the hallway, before the conversation drifted to Trumps?" Septima asked innocently, seating herself with casual grace on the divan.

"Maybe," replied Malcolm cryptically as he waited for everyone to enter and for things to become a little more private, "I have discovered, however, that one should allow the conversation to dictate what is necessary to be discussed instead of labelling it with a Topic Heading so the whole world knows what is going on."

"Indeed?" Septima leaned back a little, crossing her ankles. "That is why I thought my rooms a safer place to speak than the hallway, but I suppose one may listen anywhere. Can I get anyone some refreshment?"

"Actually I'm starving," replied Niall. "What's the procedure here to get a meal? Is there room service or do I attempt to find my way to the kitchens and sweet talk the cooks. If I have my druthers, I'd rather eat in; I'd hate to miss the discussion that's forthcoming."

"Malcolm, do you suppose that fish is on the menu today?" asked Niall with a small smile; then more seriously, "Or is it evening? I've lost all sense of time since our arrival down here."

Malcolm simply sat in the chair and grinned at Niall's comment while every one made themselves comfortable.

"I'll never turn down a meal, but how should we begin to bring Auntie up to speed?"

Stephanie shrugged. "Well, if it's anything like Amber castle, we just wait for a page to come by with an invite, or ask one to fetch us something. Food-wise, that is. The rest, I have no opinion on."

"We'll begin with wine," Septima said firmly, rising and going over to a tray on a sideboard, where she uncorked a bottle and poured out six glasses of deep red liquid. "I'm certain that drinking underwater is a delightful experience," she added as she moved back with two glasses, one for Llewella and one for Niall, flashing her dimple as she did so. Stephanie, Malcolm and Catryzna she managed to get in the second round, by holding two glasses in her left hand. Then she returned to her seat with her own wineglass, sipping it curiously.

"It does take some practice," said Malcolm while sipping his drink in a curious fashon, "But not too unwieldy. So, who would like to begin?"

Llewella sat quietly, drinking without any difficulty at all, and listening to the talk.

Septima did not seem to want to begin either, she was leaning back, sipping her wine with growing facility, and watching everyone's reactions closely.

Niall shook his head, then stood and crossed over to the door. He open it and called for a page; after a page arrived he asked the page to bring dinner for five (just in case Llewella was hungry too). Upon closing the door he stood against and said, "Well I'll begin then since everyone else is reluctant. I'm here to walk the Pattern so as to gain enough power to retake my homeland, the Realm of Fairie and prevent a possible invasion of Amber. Once I've walked all the existing Patterns and found another source of power called the Flame, I should be ready. That's my story in a very small nutshell." With that he drank his wine carefully, watching the others.

"Well, that was succinct," added Malcolm dryly,"Basically, a formally dead relative was found killed again near Amber. Random called all of us 'younglings' together to investigate a possible threat to Amber. Mother thinks he's overreacting but... better safe than sorry.. or dead for that matter."

Malcolm took a slug of wine and continued while unobtrusively watching everyone very closely, especially Llewella.

"In our investigation, we may have contacted ANOTHER dead relative and been given hints about what to do...

"...You wouldn't happen to know anything about the City of Brass, would you...?" asked Malcolm of his Aunt, interrupting himself.

"...anyway, we got some hints about some Elemental Patterns and since the Pattern in Rebma was the closest one we could think of, we decided to come here and poke around."

He finished his wine.

"Did I miss anything," he asked of the group.

"No, between the two of you I think you've summed it up beautifully," said Septima. To Llewella, she added, "As things stand at the moment, cousin, it seems we have something of a mystery on our hands. But I do appreciate the chance to meet my relatives and explore such a lovely city on our way to solving said puzzle."

"Well said, cousin," Stephanie said.

Llewella sat back, sipping her wine. "I can't say that I have heard of the city of Brass - though something about the name does tug at my memory. Maybe if you gave me the context of the message?"

Malcolm closed his eyes and relaxed. He started speaking slowly in a dry rhythm.

"It was a soft voice whispering to me from afar. It reminded me of someone from my youth but whom exactly, I do not recall. The voice whispered: 'Malcolm, seek out the city of Brass. Within your suite, you will find something to aid you.' And then was gone."

His eyes snapped open and he grinned.

"It happened when we went with Cat to try to combine our wills and reach out through a Trump. I think we all heard something cryptic. That's all I got Auntie... any ideas?"

Septima said suddenly, "Had you ever heard Princess Deirdre's voice before, Malcolm?"

"I don't think so," Malcolm said after a moment's consideration, "I was born after the war so I never met her. The voice that I heard reminded me of one of my tutors when I was bit a wee lad."

He turned to his Aunt.

"Does that help jog your memory any? It ain't much but it's all I can offer right now."

Llewella shook her head. "I know I've heard the name somewhere, but I honestly can't recall it. Does it mean anything to any here?"

Niall shrugged, then responded, "In the legends and myths of the Shadows I've travelled, the City of Brass was the home of the Djinn and the efrit, magical beings who granted wishes. They were somehow attached to the element of fire, though I don't know how. I really don't see any connection between Rebma and a city of beings who live in the plane of fire. Except of course that in a philosophical sense the City of Brass would be Rebma's opposite number, as it lies in Fire and Rebma lies in Water. So is there anything in Rebma's history or mythology concerning an elemental opposite?"

Malcolm was a study in opposites. He slouched in his chair just barely holding on to his wine glass practically screaming 'I really don't care.' While his eye seemed to literally follow every word as it drifted through the chamber. Giving the impression that he would be able to recite this conversation verbatim twenty years from now.

"That's an interesting idea," he slurred in a forced off-handed tone.

"I do not think I have ever heard of the City of Brass as such, but I have been to the fire reflection - Acheron... it may be connected," Septima shrugged. "That was where I assayed the Pattern."

Llewella frowned slightly. "I've heard of Acheron somewhere. Not sure where - I think it was during some family meeting, back who knows when or even who I heard it from. Maybe Brand, maybe Fiona. I do know they were talking about Power."

"Which, if I remember correctly, was the only topic that would hold our elders attention. No one ever wanted to talk about fish or had any interest in taking a vacation."

Malcolm seemed a little hurt that no one ever discussed fish.

Septima laughed, a silvery sound. "When you say "Power,"" she said to Llewella, "it has the distinct flavor of a capital letter. What do mean by it?"

Llewella chuckled. "Just that. To our relatives, Power is all. And Power is anything they can use everywhere. That's Pattern, but there were a lot of discussions about others."

"...such as?" asked Malcolm, as he purposely took the verbal bait his Aunt laid out.

She shrugged. "No one ever mentioned specifics. At least, not in the public discussions. I heard Acheron mentioned once. I also walked in on a discussion of mirrors once, but it was the tail end."

"Who was discussing Acheron," asked Malcolm innocently. He did not truely believe that was the extent of Llewella's knowledge regarding the subject. At the moment, however, it appeared that Malcolm was going to focus on the City of Brass and ignore her references to Other types of Power.

Llewella shrugged. "I don't recall. It was one of the redheads, though - they were the ones most interested."

Septima sipped her wine for a moment and then said, "After our sojourn here, I can take you there... We shall see then if it is indeed the City of Brass of which you were told. I believe there to be a trick to it... and perhaps the same is true of each of these... reflections of the Pattern. For I was attempting to attain Amber and arrived instead at Acheron. While there, I thought to assay its Pattern and thus teleport to Amber City. But I was blocked. I felt that there was something there I needed to find to allow me to walk the Pattern, but I did not find it. I... sidestepped the issue by another means. I wonder if... without whatever is here in Rebma, we could walk Rebma's Pattern at all..."

Malcolm flips his fingers around, indicating that she should continue to elaborate.

But Septima did not seem to have anything else to add. She was staring into space, one finger tracing the rim of her wine-glass.

Llewella took the bait, cocking her head at Septima's statement. "How'd you - sidestep - the issue?"

"There are other, quicker ways to get to Amber than by walking a Pattern," Septima replied. "Gerard indicated to me that they were supposed to be blocked, but I did not find that to be true." She regarded the others for a moment, assessing whether or not such a vague answer would be satisfactory. Finally she added, "I use mirrors."

"Well, I'll be dipped..." said a stunned Malcolm, "I didn't know that was even a possibility."

He looked at Llewella.

"Did you?"

Llewella shook her head slowly. "No. I did overhear a few conversations that now make sense, given that information, but they made no sense at the time."

Septima's expression was blank. "Someone knew about the possibility. My reception at Amber after arriving that way was less than warm. Apparently it's been guarded against."

Niall looked lost. "Mirrors? As in a mirror serving as a magic portal? Or a spell Focus? I'm not clear what is being meant by all this?"

"Well, perhaps Cuz' Septima should elaborate in greater detail," suggested Malcolm in serious tones, "Feel free to be as specific and accurate as possible... Use small words if necessary."

He seems a little upset that someone could walk into Amber so easily.

Llewella added her voice to the concern. "I, too, would like to know about this. If one can enter Amber so, then one can enter Rebma so - and I do not like that thought."

"It's no more dangerous than any other Power, and more limited than most," said Septima. She licked her lips. "Mostly one with the knowledge uses the mirrors to scry or to communicate. The mirror must be attuned to the sorceror. Advanced initiates can use attuned mirrors as gateways, yes, but if you have had no difficulty with such in Rebma by this time, I doubt it will suddenly become an issue."

"Whatever, but I doubt anyone will dismiss it that easily. After all, it could become a big problem, someday, maybe, possibly... That's a paranioa for a different day. I'm more concerned about what we are doing today," said Malcolm, who was obviously not completely satisfied with Septima's response but willing to set it aside for the present.

"So, my instructions seemed to focused on the City of Brass. Anyone get an inkling about what we should be doing here?"

Llewella nodded. "What he said. Just because it hasn't been an issue doesn't mean it won't be an issue. For the City of Brass, no. Can you recall the exact phrasing? Maybe there was something in there to tell you."

Septima tapped her fingernails against her glass, pursing her lips.

Malcolm stood and bowed theatrically to the room. Clasping his hands in front of his chest he began:

"I doth quote - 'Malcolm, seek out the City of Brass. Within your suite, you will find something to aid you.' - End quote."

He grinned and bowed again before he slummped into his chair.

"Mum would be proud that I actually used what I learned in those Oratation Classes... My guess is that I MAY have rooms there similar to what Rebma keeps for Amber but that is shaky... Especially considering that I don't know exactly what I am doing, per usual," He grinned, "So, what aid should I expect? Coupled with my inherited paranoia, I am hesitant to leap to this City of Brass. Any comments and suggestions would be helpful here OR I could keep hypothesizing..."

Llewella shook her head. "Well, the only think I can think of is that it should be in this Shadow. Yes, in case it hasn't sunk in, Amber, too, is a Shadow. Rebma and Tir are both here, as is Amber's Pattern. So this city of Brass should also be here, if it holds a Pattern of its own."

"Well, that's more than I had before," he looked at Septima, "Going to the City of Brass may be the next step, but is there anything we need to do HERE?"

"The same thing you need to do in the City of Brass, I expect," she replied impassively. "This evening I shall make a full search of these apartments and see what was left for me here. After that, if you wish, I can take you to Acheron."

"Can we eat first?" responded Malcolm, "I think Niall had it right, food first, quest later. I'm starving Auntie."

Llewella nodded, and gestured towards the sideboard. "Food's there, gentlemen and lady. The pages around here are fiendishly efficient, and very quiet."

After getting the hang of eating in the watery depths of Rebma and finishing his repast, Niall spoke up, "Lady Llewella are you able to give permission to walk Rebma's Pattern? I am not at all sure I will be permitted by Rebma's Pattern to walk it, but I need to try."

Septima ate very little, but she continued to drink up the wine while she listened to the conversation. At this point, she seemed content not to speak for a time.

Malcolm was eating (and drinking) with great relish when Niall made his request. He just about choked. He watched Llewella's response very carefully.

Llewella shook her head. "I can let Moire know that you're Family and that you seem well-aspected, but the decision is hers. She will not let any member of the Blood control her Pattern - and I don't blame her."

"Fair enough. If I'm able to walk the Pattern here, it will make me one step closer to freeing Anwwn and thus avoiding a war between Fairie and the rest o' the Amber universe," replied Niall. "Please let me know when it will be possible to speak with her, so I can plead my case."

"I'll give him points for confidence," Malcolm said to Septima, "Who knows? Maybe it's what we're SUPPOSED to do here. I LOVE being lead around by my nose hairs..."

He took another slug of wine.

Llewella nodded. "I'll let her know that you're interested - though, as I said, she's probably assumed as much anyway. I wouldn't recommend that all of you do so, though - never forget that the Pattern is very dangerous."

"There's very little that isn't dangerous," Stephanie said abruptly, before letting out a deep breath. "But, I am sure that one, or perhaps two of us is probably sufficient."

Septima smiled at Malcolm's comment, then turned her attention to the others.

"Indeed," she said. "I have an interest in what might be gained by walking all four Patterns."

"Not me," added Malcolm, "I'm reluctant to participate in any activity that is likely to turn me into a corpse. For what it's worth, however, I'll back your request to walk it... them... whatever... I'll also be more than happy to Bear Witness to it. Evidently, being found 'unworthy' on the Pattern is a spectacular spectacle."

He looked thoughtful.

"I will tell you that completing it is an undescribable experience."

Llewella got up and left the room, apparently heading to speak to Moire.

Septima rose respectfully as Llewella exited, then turned back to her cousins. "So Niall and I want to walk the Rebman Pattern, and Malcolm doesn't see the need. Stephanie, Catryzna?"

Catryzna shook her head. "I've no desire to walk again. I've done enough of it for some time already."

Stephanie shook her head. "I see no reason for me to walk another pattern, or four."

"Thats where you're wrong, cousin," interupted Malcolm, "I think it is VERY important. In fact, I think it's what is supposed to be done here and we won't be able to move on until the Pattern gets walked on. However, MY instructions, if you want to call them that, never even mentioned Rebma. I believe that walking THIS Pattern is someone else's task."

He laughed.

"Of course it's just a theory. I could be wrong... In fact, I probably am."

He laughed mockingly at himself as he filled his wine glass.

"Anyone else for a top off?"

"I'll join you in a last glass Malcolm, then I'm off for bed; it has been a very long, very strange day. Unless Cousin Septima needs aid in the searching of her suite?" Niall looked quizzically at Septima, a crooked smile on his face.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself, Malcolm," Stephanie said as she stood up. "Your thoughts are invaluable, as are everyone's... but, for now, good night."

"Good evening to you all," Septima said, moving toward the door. "Tomorrow we shall see what is to be done... If Malcolm is correct - and you may very well be, cousin - then it is probably I who must walk Rebma's pattern, as it was I who was told to come here."

Malcolm tops off his and Niall's glass then keeps the bottle as he heads towards the door. He appears slightly "buzzed."

"Well, then," he says mischeviously to Niall but loud enough so all can hear him, "It appears we're being thrown out, dear cousin. Well then... I think I already said that... I will be in my suite and up for..." he looks at the amount of wine left in the bottle, "well, a little bit anyway, if anyone cares to continue discussions of either serious or trivial nature."

"I'll take my leave, if you please," Stephanie said, rising from her seat. "I'll see you tomorrow, cousins."

"Good night, cousin," Septima said. She smiled and rose to join Stephanie. "Sleep well."

Catryzna nodded as she stood. "I, too, will be heading to sleep."

"Good night, then. Sleep well." Stephanie left to find the room or rooms that were undoubtedly waiting for her.

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