Hi all :)

I kind of imagine the ballroom a large rectangle, the outer couple yards ringed by pillars, while the candlelight directed inwards leaves the edges in shadow. In the middle of one of the long sides of the rectangle, the indoor garden begins, spilling outside into the patio and real garden. The alcoves off to the sides have their entrances shrouded in shadows.

I realize I didn't explain this well, but wanted you to have the imagery now rather than when I can re-work the description. It's more fun to write the dialogue and action...

So without further ado:

Chapter 21: More Questions

When Karigan managed to corner Tharin in a dark corner, he kept glancing away all twitchy-like, she though uncharitably. Before she could speak, he said, "Don't be mad at me!" It came out almost like a squeal. It was funny, really. The man was 2 years older than her, and was blushing like a waif.

"Don't be silly; I'm not mad at you."

"Really?" His hope was almost pathetic. "I mean, are you sure? 'Cause I'm really sorry and -"

Karigan narrowed her eyes. "Well actually, yes; I am mad. But right now, I'm trying to figure out the reasons why I should be so I can decide what best to do to you for abandoning me in there."

"Oh! Oh. Well, you see, there you were talking to that Avery fellow and I was just keeping myself on the low-down, like. The General pops up and when he looks around for a servant...well by god, there was Sal. So off she went."

Karigan nodded. That was fine. It was the disappearing part she wanted to hear. The disappearing part she wanted him to explain away.

"So I followed you, like I should. Then all of the sudden, some lady in a pink and blue dress pinches my arm. I swear, that dress looked like spun sugar during a festival, the kind you eat. But her face was all nasty-looking. She says 'Attend me! Cheese and fruit!' and gives me a shove off towards the banquet table. Just as I left, I saw a server come by with a plate of what she sent me for. So I figure, grab it, and I don't have to walk, see?"

Karigan smiled. That was the Tharin she knew. Brilliance in flashes where laziness wanted to prevail. "So...?"

Tharin continued, his voice going more strained. "So I brought it back to her; hadn't been 30 seconds! I tried to get away because I saw you heading over towards the grove thing, and it looked rather secluded. But this woman standing with her, Ugly Yellow Dress Woman, she says 'Hold now, get me wine. Red.' and gives me her empty goblet. I look around for another server, but none with coffee in sight.

'Well, as you can imagine, I'm getting a little vexed at this point. I'm obviously not a palace servant, I'm a personal one. Plus, I'm imagining you and Mapstone taking turns with poking holes in me. So I used my ability." He saw Karigan's odd smile and misinterpreted it. "Well, I know we're not supposed to in casual circumstances, but you're always having these opportunities, and here I was in dire straights!"

"No no," she protested, "I agree with you. What did you hear?" Tharin's ability was hearing things acutely when he focused on the persons speaking. It was of limited distance-eye sight only-but infinitely valuable when gathering information.

"I don't know who said what, because I can't recognize their voices. One said, 'Red wine...but you only drink white.' Another said, "It's at the farthest table. If he gets back too soon, I'll have him fetch me some hot tea from the kitchens direct. Then I'll say it's too cold and make him fetch it again.' So I stopped listening because it was obvious they were trying to delay me for some reason and they started talking about someone's dress and you know Icouldn't care less about that were it my own sister. If I had a sister."

"Tharin. You're babbling." He shut his mouth. "Now, you said one was wearing a pink and blue dress, the other a yellow...can you see them now?"

He crinkled his nose in thought and his eyes swept the room. "There were more than two, but I can't remember the others. I was intent on getting back to you. I can't see either of them now..."

"Well it's still awfully perplexing." she mused. "I wonder why they didn't want you over there. What could you possibly have enabled...or prevented..."

"Who did you talk to?"

She numbered them off. "Only Sora, Vyllord, Halkins-"

"Vyllord?" Sal wriggled into the conversation. "What was he doing here, after all?"

"Doing his people watcher thing I guess."

"Why'd he need to talk to you here?"

"I'm getting to that. But first, where were YOU? You both practically jumped ship the minute anything started happening."

"Ah." Sal flushed with embarrassment. I followed you and Sora to the bench, and when Vyllord came and I did my 'one with the shadows and the tree' thing, he gave me this look that suggested that I leave the premises."

"Nice try, but he left alone." Karigan crossed her arms with the disbelief apparent by the tightness of her lips.

Sal snorted. "Like you would have noticed anything with his Inspectorness, who noticed me coming some distance away. I kind of stopped a little out of eye sight because I didn't WANT that to happen. I figured, Tharin could listen, and I could take notes."

"Sal!" Tharin pretended betrayal.

Karigan threw her hands up. "Did anything happen like we planned? Back to you, Tharin...and it'd better be good."

"Well, after I figured out what those ladies were up to, I pulled fake rank on another server and had him get the wine. I saw Sal beckoning from behind that little potted birch tree, so I went over to her. I just started to listen in when Sal pinched me-"

"It wasn't a pinch. It was a light poke."

"-and it hurt and you know I can't hear well when I'm distracted so we started to leave and, you know, sort of circle back when no one was looking." He looked to Sal, indicating it was her turn.

"So we creep around by where the door to the outside it. There are shadows there, I figured we could blend in better, and all of the sudden, our feet won't lift off the floor. I couldn't even open my mouth. It was like we had become living statues; couldn't turn my head or anything."

Tharin contributed a final fragment. "I thought I saw something moving in the shadows, so I listened really hard at them."

"And what did you hear?" Karigan was justifiably impatient.

"Footsteps," he whispered. "Just...footsteps. Then they were gone. A song or so went by and no one noticed us just standing there. It started feeling like pins and needles in my feet and I could slowly move again."

"It took me longer," Sal confessed, "So Tharin was able to get to you first."

Karigan was frankly aghast. "Sorcery?" she whispered, "Here? And after the last time too. Mapstone has to know."

"Wait.." Tharin asked, "I mean, one of us will go, but why is it such a big deal? We have magic, don't we?"

"It's complicated. Simply put, yes, we do. Where WERE you guys the last year or so?"

"Infirmary." they chorused. Sal continued, "I was laid up with a bad bout of the flu. Apparently, I infected a good fourth of the Riders before they put me away. Including Goldenlocks, who wouldn't let up with his incessant chatter until I started answering back." They grinned at each other, current struggles momentarily forgotten in a flash of camaraderie.

I was like that with Alton...she shook her head. It wasn't to be. Not now anyway. Maybe not ever. "Riders!" she barked. "One of you needs to go to Mapstone, let her know what's happened. Tharin, it'd better be you, you can tell her about the women and what they said. Let her know as well that I've been invited to a brunch thing with Halkins and his aunt. Maybe I'll get some intelligence there. Sal, with me. We've got about 2 hours before this party starts breaking up. Let's move it people! And..." she said, in a softer, wry voice, "thanks guys, it's been fun."

They both gave small laughs that wheezed into shallow coughs as they entered 'polite' society.

Karigan scribbled out a short note letting her Aunts know she'd been invited to a brunch. "Here" she said, handing it to Sal, "give it to my aunts and get out. This should placate them into not looking too hard for me."

"Where will I find you?"

Karigan's eyes danced and she licked her lips. "All this intrigue...I could eat a horse. These ladies are all so finicky with their little fruit cups. I've got my eye on some roasted quail."

Sal laughed. "Don't spill any on your dress." She left, head swiveling for any sign of her targets.

A rumble of her stomach caused Karigan to look down alarmingly. She had been too distracted to eat before she came, and now all that punch was sloshing around. As much as she would like the skill, Karigan knew that bellies do not quit their noises in polite company, and it would be unrefined to allow it to do so.

She leaned back to brace herself on the pillar, then lifted her foot off the ground, bending her knee and flexing her ankle. It ached so! Pity about the crutches...it would have forced people to give her a wide berth. Karigan sniggered while thinking of "accidentally" leaning on Duke Lamphrey's foot with the tapered end. Pontificating boor.

She was just running through a last little stretch when she caught sight of someone out of the corner of her eye en route for collision in the dim lighting. Normally, her wide skirts would be soft, shifting to the side; but the man darting in from behind her would be crashing into her concealed, extended leg.

Karigan put her arm out to grab the pillar. Missed. Began to fall.

"Got you!"

The King's voice was triumphant as he steadied her on her feet, supporting her. "I thought I saw you lurking in and out of the shadows, and here you are, hiding."

Karigan was mortified. Hopefully her blush was hidden. "I wasn't lurking. I was resting. And I wouldn't have fallen, I was just about to catch myself." "He's found me!" An inside voice started to gibber, "Run! Run away!" The calmer side of her brain admitted the truth. I was hiding, and he caught me.

"I need to get better at hiding." she mumbled.

"What was that?" he asked.

Karigan opened her mouth to lie shamelessly when her stomach rumbled loudly. Zachary just started laughing as Karigan frowned at him.

Whew! Now I'm ready to start writing new chapters. Also, if you read back, you'll note that I fixed a couple of the REALLY pernicious problems (as well as almost unnoticeable ones) like the fact that the aunts were from Stevic's side of the family, page breaks, and my hang up over the spelling of "brooch". Thanks for all your patience in this.

And now, as I jump wholeheartedly into two weeks of vacation from court reporting school, I plan on writing like mad. How can I leave Shawdell, everyone's favorite evil Eletain drifting aimlessly in the fogs of semi-death? (I even named my computer after him *sigh*)

'Till the next update then!

~Bethany