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The following night, I was not content to remain indoors, so I paced restlessly by the lake. I was so absorbed in my thoughts that, again, I was unaware of Krolaun's approach."Kat?" he said, as he came up to me, "Can I talk to you?"
I nodded and he fell into step beside me. He paced on my left, watching me carefully with his grey eyes. We walked quietly for quite some time, not needing to fill the silence. As we turned, he spoke.
"Kat, what would you say if I told you I had a plan to get back your Amulet?"
"I would say that it is an impossible task."
"Why?"
"The Amulet that I posessed was retaken by Bast. It exists no longer upon this plane of existence."
Krolaun fell into silence, his grey eyes reflecting the depth of his thought. Finally, he looked at me, his eyes filled with some sense of purpose.
"How difficult is it to get past the Border?"
"For you?" I said, "It is not possible. Outsiders are not permitted within the Nation unless invited by the Queen."
"Hmm. . ." he pondered, "How difficult would it be to lure a Tyberan out? One in posession of an Amulet?"
"The only person permitted beyond the Border without the Queen's consent, in posession of such Power is Sharidia herself."
The elf's eyes glinted dangerously, "How? What will lure her out?"
I glanced at him, a growing sense of unease filling me, "It is best to leave Sharidia in Tybis; she is a dangerous adversary."
The elf was undaunted, "How do I flush her out?"
"It must be something of great import. The Nation must have a great deal to gain or lose if they are to send the Queen's Own."
"A scout held hostage?" he offered.
I shook my head, "Scouts are dispensable and easily replacable."
Krolaun fell once again into deep thought, rubbing his chin in his preoccupation. When next he looked at me, his eyes were lit with some fiery anticipation.
"A war."
I looked at him incredulously, "What? How do you presume to start a war?"
It was his turn to shake his head, "No, not start one. Spread rumors of one. If the Tyberan heard of a group of humans and elves banding together to invade Tybis, they would surely investigate, right?"
I nodded, "Even more so, because it is rare for Outsiders to band together for any cause. But how...?"
He raised a hand to silence me, "Leave it to me, I will depart later tonight and hopefully be back by tomorrow evening."
He extended an arm to me, "But for now, might I be able to enjoy a glass of wine with you?"
I placed my hand on his arm, smiling, "Of course," I purred.
Table of Contents
See also: The Trial by Krolaun the Defiant
© 1999 E. Angeli Mansfield
