Ynnead's Dream, The Webway

Twenty-four holographic figures lounged in chairs arranged in a horseshoe, beverages at their fingertips. Blue smoke rose from circular dishes and grey powder, organised in to lines, lay on trays within easy reach. The Eldar in the violet robe shifted a yellowish stone from beneath his tongue and sucked on the smooth body. Bliss took him in its embrace and his eyes rolled in to the back of his head. "Come forth."

Murmurs hummed through the watchers. A few smirks broke up stony faces. Bidding cards remained facedown. Is this it? The Eldar spat the stone out and opened his hand. A goblet filled it. Not even the Commorrites would barter such poor stock. An implant flashed in his wrist. Time. The Eldar in violet set the goblet aside and surveyed the slave from toes to crown. Bruises covered her thighs and blemishes her flat breasts. Dead stock, nothing more. The Eldar severed his connection with the auction. A falling sensation gripped his body. His stomach jumped.

"News, Saranyik?" A spherical chamber rose from a basin, dripping water. Once clear, the pod opened and the Eldar in violet stepped out. His shoes – slip-ons with curved toes – stood together at the basin's edge.

"Master." An Eldar clad in a robe of identical hue bowed. The yellow sash tied around his waist bore the crescent of Alaitoc and the six prongs minus the teal blade, denoting the League of Merchants. "Our pilots do declare our passage concluded. We are aboard the Dream and await your word."

"We disembark. Alert Koen Gribek. Bring all of his mercenaries down. I want an entrance."

"Master."

Eight Nar-Gabbor mercenaries, bulky in white, plated armour, formed up on either side of the Eldar as he descended the skiff's boarding ramp. All but Koen Gribek wore smooth, glossy helmets devoid of decoration. A red tear ran from the tiny indent where Gribek's eye was. Beyond the mercenaries, Biel-Tani Aspect Warriors made a corridor for an Eldar in gold-trimmed robes.

"Dockmaster Orryn Narloch at your service." The Dockmaster made the Heart of Biel-Tan. "We of the Reborn extend our warmest greetings to the League."

"Ellorias Culcassian, Broker of Wares." Ellorias made the Crescent. "Likewise, Dockmaster."

"As precaution, we require you to undertake a medical examination and decontamination. Prints, retinal scans and a physical signature are also required, sir."

"But of course." Ellorias shifted his cape to his left shoulder and fell in beside the Dockmaster.

"Business calls you? I fear there is little entertainment to be found aboard a warship, sir."

"Neither, I say. A personal matter drew my attention. One of great importance to me."

"An object or a being, if I may inquire?"

"Reunion, one long overdue."

"Well, that is good news. What with the great scouring tearing apart so many families, a long-awaited reunion is a good sign. Please step this way, sir. We must have your biometrics."

"My bodyguard…"

"They will be seen to. If you would follow me?" The Dockmaster led Ellorias away from the honour guard and through the hangar network. Whole frigates were housed in the Dream's kilometre-long berths. Fighters, flying far above Ellorias, patrolled through a circuit inside the ship. Crew blinked in to and out of portals, seven of which stood in a row against a bulkhead.

"Dockmaster?"

"The third."

"From the left…?"

"The right, sir."

"Ah, gratitude. I can see myself from here, Dockmaster."

"Very well. I will sign you in. Have you cargo to declare?"

"Only my major-domo and my bodyguard."

"…Very well."

Ellorias blinked away from the hangar and appeared in a facility with white walls and a blue stripe on the floor. Please step this way. Runes rolled alongside the stripe. Ellorias followed the directions around to a Healer sitting inside a sealed pod. "Good day."

"And good day to you. Before we start, could you sanitise your hands?" The Healer indicated a dispenser outside her pod.

"Ah, of course." Ellorias squirted a dollop in to his hands and rubbed. "Matron knows best." He grinned.

"Yes, I do. When you are ready, step up to the machine to your right and look directly in to the lenses."

Twenty minutes later, Ellorias blinked away from Decontamination with stinging eyes. "Proper procedure, sir." An Eldar in violet rose from a bench beside the portal. "No prejudice, I assure you."

"Comforting." Ellorias rubbed a damp patch behind his ear. "Ellorias."

"Ramanaus, Steward to her highness Yvraine, Herald of Ynnead. I regret to inform, but the Prophet is away on business. Had she known of the League's arrival, I assure you she would have accommodated you in to her schedule."

"I am no broker of significance, Steward. Mine is an inconsequential venture also. Your prophet need pay no heed to me."

"You shuttled over to us during Webway transit. I gather this was of some significance to you, sir."

"Your prophet may be able to assist me for that matter. Though preoccupied, would she pay me but a moment to answer a question?"

"I may be able to pass a message on to the Prophet. Whether she choose to reply promptly is another matter. How can she assist you?"

"This is a familial matter. I would ask for your confidence."

"This will be kept private, sir. You have my word."

"Gratitude. I would know the whereabouts of Izuru Numerial."

"What relation is she to you?"

"She is my bondmate."

A pale, short-haired being lay in the centre of a desolate chamber on a reclining bed. Gods, what did they do to you? Ellorias hand touched the bubble surrounding the chamber. It flexed and sent out a ripple. "Why is she alone?"

"Your bondmate requires special care, sir. Only the Healers may see her."

Ellorias lifted his hand from the bubble. "That is my right. She is my property and I will approach her."

"For her health and for yours, sir, I must protest…"

"Is she contagious?"

"I…"

"See me inside, then see yourself off, Steward. I require no audience."

"Your bondmate sleeps, sir."

"Unseal this chamber. The Prophet would know otherwise."

"Very well. Please wait."

Cool air rushed over Ellorias, blasting his hair back. A square section of the bubble faded. So many years. Ellorias approached the grey-clad body. I have found you at last. Ellorias laid his hand on Izuru's wrist. I never broke faith. You and I were meant to be together, and here we are. His thumb stroked Izuru's palm. "With all my heart." Ellorias bent down to Izuru's head. "Agh!" Izuru's hand clamped around Ellorias's wrist. "AGH!" Ellorias wrenched his arm free and shook it. "Gods… Gods…" Red marks coated the skin. His fingers tingled.

"You never saw the steel within, did you?"

Ellorias lurched back, clutching his wrist. "Out! Get out!"

Two young children stood with a wizened Eldar in a hover-chair just inside the gap in the bubble. "They have just as much right to be here as their father," the aged one said.

"Ulthranwé." Ellorias fell to his knees. "Forgive me. I was ignorant to your presence."

"It is not me you should be apologising to, barterer."

"Ilic?" Ellorias held out his arms. "Ilic, my son. Gods, you have grown. You have grown so much."

"I am Korsarro." The child's eyes remained on the floor.

"Come. Come to your father."

Korsarro scampered over to Ellorias. "My son." Korsarro instead hopped up to his mother's bed and, little legs wheeling, scrambled on. Ilic followed his brother and climbed up the other side.

"Mother?" Korsarro clung to Izuru's arm and nestled his head against her shoulder.

"Mother?" Ilic laid his arm on Izuru's swelling chest. Izuru's head shifted. Her fingers curled around Ilic's arm.

"Your mother's memories will return in time, children." Eldrad moved to them. "You must be patient. I promise she will never again be separated from you." Eldrad looked past the children to Ellorias. "Never again."

"May—may we speak, Ulthranwé?"

"We may. Children, your father and I are just stepping out for a word." Ilic and Korsarro, snuggling up to Izuru, did not reply.

"What are you doing with her?" Ellorias hissed, jerking his thumb over his shoulder once he and Eldrad were outside the chamber. "My soulmate – shaven and on death's door! How could you let this come to pass?"

"Captain Numerial was active on combat operations in the Cadian System. We have the humans to thank for her return."

"…Humans? Humans!"

"Their fight is ours."

"Fit for slaughter only! Gods, Ulthranwé, whose ideals do we follow that approve the collaboration with the damned humans!"

"Take issue, do you? By all means, bring it to the Prophet's table. But your business is not with the Prophet."

"Madness, Ulthranwé, madness!"

"Your bondmate would disagree most vehemently. Your sons also."

"Much has changed." Ellorias stroked his chin. "And not entirely for the better."

"If you love your mate and sones, you will respect their decisions and support them, no matter their values."

"I love them. I love them so."

"Then turn a new page." Eldrad gripped Ellorias's arm. "Begin anew. Youth still lends you its favour, Ellorias. Let go of what you were. Your sons need a father, not a warden. If you love Izuru, accept her as your equal. Let go."

Ellorias pulled his arm free. "They will be coming with me."

"That is your right."

"I am their legal guardian – it is my right."

"Provisions will be made to quarter you here for the duration of your mate's convalescence."

"Thank you, Ulthranwé."

"You may see your children once every five cycles, for a supervised period of no more than one hour."

"Hmph." Ellorias smirked. "You are prohibiting me from seeing my own children?"

"Your bondmate and her sons are under Ulthwé protection. We will be watching, Ellorias. We are not as blind as you would like to believe."

"I have nothing to hide, Seer." Ellorias laid his hand on his heart. "This day is the happiest of my life. We are a family again." Ellorias wiped at his eye. "Look at them. Happy in there."

"And do you wish to keep them happy?"

"Always."

"Then keep your distance. 'Tis not wise to come between a mother and her children."

"My own family?"

"You of all beings should respect that."

"And they should respect me."

"You were a stranger to them! Does that not speak volumes as to your past conduct? Ellorias, I have little to ask but for you to become a father and mate worthy of their love and companionship. Take time away, reflect on your past transgressions, be better. All beings have the propensity for change. When Izuru remembers, it will be of a wholly different being she fled from all those years ago on Alaitoc."

"You counsel is most appreciated, Ulthranwé." Ellorias made the Crescent.

"I hope to see a happy family soon." Eldrad made the Eye. "Farewell."

Back to the ship then. Ellorias blinked through the portal back to the hangar. "Saranyik, how did our sale go?"

"Seventy per cent of our stock is still in our holds, Master. There is precious little demand for disposable bodies at this present time."

"And our return?"

"Forty kilograms of Tophor – in bricks – and seven crates of Absalom Wine."

"Any Gladstones?"

"None on our roster, Master. Have you any luck in your mission?"

"Some. Call your contact and arrange a gift of courtesy for him. Wait for me aboard."

The white blanket cradled in the woman's arms cooed. Tiny hands waved. An infant began to wail before a breast placated it and it suckled away. Whose child is this?

"Hush, my son." A male Eldar rocked another child and paced about the room. "Shu-shu-shush."

I am not a mother. How can this be? The eyes the woman occupied gazed down at their child.

"Greedy little one, aren't you?"

"Do you think you can do both at the same time?" The other Eldar kissed the infant's forehead. "Ilic is becoming restless."

"Uh-huh-huh, one at a time, my love."

"It might help with the soreness." The male tapped his son's nose. "At least we are learning together."

"Hmm. And the worst is behind us."

Twins. Remarkable. Truly, this couple were blessed by the Gods. The walls fell away and the floor turned brown. Light shone through a pink canopy in shafts, reaching down to the misty floor. Two little children, laughing, chased one another through the trees. The woman's feet crunched through leaves. Sharp points pricked her bare skin. The children scurried in to a glade and chased each other around a tree. Sweet things. The woman laid her hand on a tree trunk and watched them tumbling over and over in the grass.

"Ow, Korsarro, ow!" One of the children pummelled at the other's legs wrapped around his head and dragged himself free.

Korsarro? The woman leaned against the bark. Ilic, the other?

"Got you, Ilic!" Korsarro slapped Ilic's ears. Ilic reeled around on the ground, his eyes tight shut and his hands over his ears.

"Iiilic! Korsarroo!" A voice echoed through the forest. It came from the woman's own mouth.

"Mother."

"Mother." The children disentangled themselves and toddled over to her. Her knees bent and she stretched out her arms.

"Never run off on your own. If I cannot see you, I cannot find you."

Who are you? You are not my children. The twins rushed in to the woman's arms. Get away!

Trees around her bent and snapped. The grass browned and withered. Mud and ferrocrete burst from the ground. Giant, grey fingers cast shadows across her muck-plastered figure. A rough iron pipe grated across stone. "Embrace this mother's light." The woman raised the pipe above a mud-splattered Eldar begging for her life.

No! I will not look! Iron shattered bone. Stop! Blood crystals coated the length of the pipe. Please no. Please no. Red fingers let go of the pipe. The woman tottered away from the body and collapsed. Murderer.

"Not passing out on us, I hope." A hand patted her cheek.

The human tongue?

"Really ran you through the mill, didn't they?"

"This will not be forgotten." The woman swayed and fell in to a human's arms. The sky turned from grey to pink. A shovel blade plunged in to the earth. The boot above it stamped down. A red-haired Eldar lay on the ground next to the grave the woman dug. A black cord, broken, surrounded a tiny red gem on her chest. Whose grave is this?

"I will not cast this soul to the void." The gem dangled by its cord from a closed fist. "She shall not have you. Time will not weary your body, Voice of Jain-Zar. At the going down of the sun, I shall listen for your cry, Banshee, and hear the Ranger you were not allowed to be. Sleep now, sister. You are not of my blood, but you are family."

Banshee? How could this have happened? I remember nothing, nobody.

"Will you tell me what Avsgard means?" A human, naked from the waist up, sat inside a derelict house. Every standing structure around lay in ruins. The woman's hand – scabbed and dirty – settled on the human's knees and spread his legs. Gods, no! A human?

"I want to take you before my master," a different human purred in her ear. Hairs rose on the woman's neck. "Then I want to take you to bed."

"N…NO!" The woman's elbow shot out. Her shoulders bucked and she flung out her fist. A body thudded. Light blazed down on a raised gurney centred in an empty chamber. Where…? The woman kicked back a thin sheet. Two young children huddled together on the floor below the gurney crying. Blood crystals wept from a cut on one's lower lip. A section of the chamber parted and Eldar in blue rushed inside and seized the woman by the arms and forced her down. A needle hissed and pricked her arm. Colour dissolved and shapes blurred, leaving only the sound of the two children crying quietly in her ears.

Long shy the breaking of the fleet's dawn cycle, Ellorias held conference with Eldrad Ulthran and a counsellor within chambers lent to Ilic and Korsarro. Though three glasses sat before them upon a low table, not one had been touched.

"I will accept custody of the twins," Ellorias said. "Full custody."

"Full custody will be granted upon their guardian's consent. As their guardian is currently indisposed, all you can do, sir, is await her recovery," the counsellor said.

"Counsellor, my mate struck her own children. I want them as far away from her as they can be, and in my custody."

"Fault – before you fling it – lies in my hands," Eldrad said. "Captain Numerial's body and spirit came to us still and silent. Through the goodness of Ynnead's heart, she returned to us. When the Prophet turned her back, I took the Ranger's wellbeing in to my hands. Allowing her offspring in to such closeness was a mistake. You cannot lay blame on her."

"Why call her that?"

"Ranger?"

"Captain. My bondmate Izuru. My property." Ellorias flung himself against the back of the couch and spread his arms out. "If blame you ask for, I will gladly hold you accountable for my mate's treatment. What say you, Counsellor?"

"I stand by what I say, sir. In the House of the Reborn, the guardian must consent and be of sound mind before blood is offered."

"Blood? Not how we do it on Alaitoc, Counsellor."

"We are not on Alaitoc, sir. A Blood Mark is given alongside the guardian's signature. A waiting period of fourteen cycles must also happen between the signing and when the agreement comes in to effect."

"Fourteen cycles…" Ellorias twisted one of many rings on his fingers. Business will suffer.

"A chance to build a bridge between you and your sons, Ellorias."

"Where you said before to keep my distance, Seer. Is the kindly uncle not closer to them than I?"

"No, this is your chance to retie those binds. Fix what was broken."

"Fix a broken heart?"

"This is a private matter, Ellorias, between you and your mate."

"If I am no longer needed…" The Counsellor made to stand.

"Gratitude for rising at this early hour, Counsellor."

"All mine, great Seer."

"Your counsel will be needed again, once matters turn legal."

"Ulthranwé." The counsellor bowed and left the chambers.

"Might I entertain an early breakfast?" Ellorias spun a fruit bowl around and plucked a prickled fruit from the pile.

"See your sons' slumber is undisturbed, merchant." Eldrad steered his chair over to the portal. "Now is the time to listen and to understand. Heed my words."

Left alone, Ellorias twisted the head and ripped it free. Tell me not how to run my own family, withered thing. You cannot hide those growths on your body. Juice stained Ellorias's chin. Why, Izuru, why? What horrors did Ulthranwé show you?

Uncreased sheets covered the twins' beds. Both sat in a corner holding on to each other. "Oh, children…" Ellorias came over. His knees touched the carpet and he shifted closer. "Ilic, Korsarro." Ilic whimpered and hid his face. "Papa's here. I am here."

"Mm-Mother."

"Ssh. Sssshh. Let me get you to bed." Ellorias found Ilic's shoulder. Ilic flinched. Ellorias pulled his hand away. Poor things.Ellorias took a blanket from one of the beds and wrapped it around the twins. "It is alright, my sons. I am here. I will not leave you ever again." Both hid their faces from him. What do I do? Ellorias lay down on the bed nearest to his sons and slid his arm beneath a pillow. A fine edge cut in to his fingertips. Parchment? Ellorias drew a piece of crumpled paper out and unfolded it. What are you hiding, my sons?

Gothic letters, scrawled to the point of near-illegibility, trailed unevenly across the paper. Dear Ilic and Korsarro Numerial, read the letter. Who is… Yamez? Ellorias squinted at the name signed in the bottom corner of the letter. Gods, Izuru, what have you done?

Red orbs cast soft light on to the woman. Her hand closed around the edge of the sheet and lifted it away from her body. The rough skin on her soles pressed against the floor, sending a shiver through her body. Tiny crystals stuck to the back of her hand. Gods, I struck them. The woman's knuckle touched her lips and she rubbed her elbow. What is this place?

A pale being marked with faint scars and fresher, redder scars took tiny steps towards her. She lowered her arm. It lowered its arm too. The woman cocked her head. It cocked its head too. Whose body is this? The woman's eyes travelled down the shadowed torso to the feet. White and hairless, a leg lifted from the floor. The knee bent then straightened. Toes curled and made a fist. The body twisted at the waist. A finger pressed against weakening abdominal muscles and moved upwards. The woman pinched soft skin and ran her finger around a brown circle. Isha's tears, to whom do these belong? The woman pulled on her forefinger and heard a click. She squeezed her thumb and bent it backwards. Her fingers walked up the lumps of her ribs. Muscles stretched in her back.

"Murekhalir." A finger slid over her shoulder. A hooked nail glinted.

The woman's body twitched and she awoke. Blue orbs shone down on her. Beneath her sheet, a robe covered her body. Gods, that hand. The woman rubbed her shoulder. A bright red lump swelled on the side of her hand. They called me Mother, and I hit them. The woman massaged her shaking hand. "No… Please no. Please no." Swaying, the woman wandered around the chamber. Ripples swept the mirror. "My children? My children." The woman's back touched the boundary and she slid down and rested her head against the humming surface. "My. Children."

Light faded in and out. Figures flitted across her. A being in a face-concealing robe kneeled before her. "Water." Water seeped from the ladle and down her chin. "Who…? Who am I?"

"Murekhalir." Claws dragged down her cheek.

"AGH!" The woman lurched upright with her fist balled.

"Izuru!" A decrepit Eldar in a hover-chair flitted over to the bed she lay in. "Izuru Numerial." The Eldar's wrinkled hand brushed the woman's arm. "Ease your storm. Kind walls house you, young Ranger. You are safe." The woman's shoulders jerked up and down. "Breathe in… And breathe out. In. Out." The woman exhaled. Her jaw quivered. "Eurgh…"

"No—!" The Eldar inverted a container, shook the folded clothes out, and thrust it at the woman's face. "Use it." Grey scraps stuck to the woman's chin. A hoarse growl rose from her throat. She coughed in to the container and screwed up her face. "There. Welcome home, Izuru."

"Mmmph." The woman collapsed against a line of pillows, holding her stomach. "Who. Am. I?"

"Your name is Izuru Doria Luminita Numerial, daughter of Amonther Numerial of House Numerial of the Craftworld Iyanden."

"…S-s-sons."

"Ilic and Korsarro are in good care."

Izuru's lips folded inwards and her eyes narrowed. "I struck them. Gods, I struck them. I s-s-s-struck…"

"You were not of your own mind." The Eldar unfolded a square piece of silk and dabbed at Izuru's cheeks. "Fault lies in my camp, not yours."

"Who—who are you?"

"Neither name nor house shapes the being. Their deeds, etched in Wraithbone and forged in solar-flame, gives the loudest shout, my spark. And you, Izuru, burn so very brightly."

Izuru rubbed her elbows and laid her head on her shoulder. "Answer me…"

"Eldrad. Proud companion and friend of Amonther Numerial. I carried the oath I swore to him so long ago. I carry it still, and Amon smiles down on us."

"I want…" Izuru sucked in air through her nostrils. "I want to see them."

"Patience, child. Let body heal itself. Sleep beckons."

"No! It comes for me at night. Murekhalir."

"Do not speak that name!" Eldrad lunged for Izuru's arm. "Let our minds connect. I will ward off your terrors, but only as long as you reside here. It is yours to face alone when the time is right."

"I am frightened."

"As am I. We control our fear, we wrap it up, and we store it deep inside our consciousness. Let us dictate our actions, not our fear."

"Let me see them."

"In time."

"I—I want my sons back." Izuru's wet chin pressed against her trembling breast. Mucus crept from her nostrils. "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry!"

"Sleep." A cool palm came in to contact with the burning skin on Izuru's brow and she collapsed upon the pillows. "Be at peace."

Pins danced up Izuru's left arm. Her sticky eyelids parted. Dried tracks coated her cheeks. Undisturbed in her slumber, Izuru shifted off her numb arm and lay on her right shoulder. "What is the time?" Runes formed on the wall beside the bed. "Where am I?" The runes shifted and re-formed. Ynnari?

Izuru propped herself up on her elbow. Wraithbone, the sentient material familiar to all Eldar, pulsated gently around her. Soft light came from orbs hovering near the curving ceiling. Whose chambers are these?

My own. Eldrad Ulthran, astride his seat, entered the bedchamber through a hanging veil.

"My children." Izuru moved across to the edge of the mattress and planted her feet on the floor.

Grey-faced and hunched-over, Eldrad turned to a wardrobe. "You will find garments to your size in there. When you are clothed and washed, come down to my study. Tarry as long as you wish." Eldrad left the bedchamber. Not once did his eyes meet Izuru's. She let go of the scrunched-up sheets. A gnarled hand gripped her stomach and squeezed.

The hem of a white, ankle-length dress swished down a twisting flight of stairs hugging a tree. The colour of the trunk matched Izuru's dress exactly, and clung to her figure. Beneath the boughs, Eldrad sat at a desk, the body of which sung from the living tree itself. Pink leaves littered the aisles of his study. Dust had gathered on many shelves. A transparent display housed a tall-crested helmet and a breastplate the colour of bronze, embedded with sapphire gems. Swords, taller than Izuru, sat inside bejewelled scabbards hanging from the wall. Her feet left the smooth steps and crushed the green blades beneath her.

"Why dress me in white?" Izuru approached Eldrad. Her hands were folded over her stomach, bare of sash or belt. "Was my crime one of dishonour?"

Eldrad's quill scratched across parchment until the nub ran dry. "You have the fortune of answering to no master, wanderer, freeing you from the Followers' shackles." Eldrad laid the quill down and twisted an ocular free. His eyes settled on a point over Izuru's shoulder. "The storm hides your purpose. I know not why you were sent back—"

"Love. The Mother's strength sustained my spirit. This mother cries her children's names. Ilic Numerial. Korsarro Numerial. Your mother has returned, and will never leave you again. Take. Me. To them."

Deep lines separated Eldrad's greying brows. The colour had left his lips. "Over breakfast, we shall discuss your family's future. Come, my lady, we will not be alone."

"I don't care. I will mend that which was broken now!"

"The Whispering God was gracious enough to resurrect a seasoned warrior, not a petulant maiden!" Eldrad's nostrils widened. "Find your manners. We are for polite company in short stead. You will smile and be as gracious as the deity you owe your life to." Eldrad turned his chair around and moved down an aisle. "You are very fortunate you recovered in such a short period. How is your stomach?"

Izuru's hand rubbed the front of her dress, just beneath her ribcage. "There are others all over my body. You called me Ranger, but no Ranger would hurt their loved ones, would they?" Izuru pressed the back of her hand against her mouth.

"Take a moment."

"No! I'm—I'm fine." Izuru reached up to her hair and ran her fingers through the buzz. "Corpses are shaven. How long was I…?"

"Does it matter? You are here, alive, and ready to mend what was broken. Straighten up. Shoulders back and raise your chin. Will you allow me to escort you?"

Izuru's smooth, pale hand closed around Eldrad's darker, rougher skin. "To my judgement?"

"First, you have bonds to fix."

Violet mist shrouded a lake bordered by willows with spiralling branches dangling over the water. A white bridge in the shape of an iris reared before Izuru and Eldrad. "Tarsus, if you were wondering," Eldrad said in the middle of the span. "Where I lived in my youth. Then Fulgrim the Betrayer saw the beauty of this world, realised it could not be his, and committed it to the pestilence." Eldrad smiled. "Trust not in the word of the human however honest their intentions appear. There is always another side to them."

The lake was almost out of sight before Izuru and Eldrad entered a glade. Branches and leaves entwined, forming a ceiling above a table filled with food. Two chairs, one occupied, hovered on one side. An Eldar in a robe not dissimilar to the colour of the mist leaned back far enough to defy the chair's stabiliser. Blond hair, scraped back across his crown, was tied in place by a knot above his neck. Rings bulged on his fingers and jewellery glinted at his throat. A spoon handle poked from a dish in front of him. He did not look up when Izuru and Eldrad approached.

"Please be seated. I do you hope you have brought your appetite with you." Eldrad steered himself over to the table. Izuru's eyes strayed past the seated Eldar and settled on a tiny opening in the canopy, so far away it was nothing but a shapeless blur. Broken branches with torn-off leaves ringed the opening. Within, a figure huddled behind an optic. "My lady?"

"W-where are they?"

"Please, sit."

Izuru smoothed her dress and sat stiff-backed on the left of the blond Eldar. A hooked nose looked down at honey and yoghurt inside the dish.

"Breakfast is… sparse out here, but I am sure you will find it delectable." A platter holding fruit rose from the tablecloth and set itself down next to Izuru's bare plate. "The Ro'Kani is just on the cusp of ripening." The silent Eldar dipped his spoon and rolled it. "You know of the Ranger Caste, do you not?"

"Sharpshooters?"

"Specialists in guerrilla warfare. Sniping is among their many talents, as well as knowledge-gathering behind enemy lines, the neutralisation of foreign installations, and the like." Honey dripped from the spoon and landed on the tablecloth. The Eldar wet a square piece of cloth and dabbed at the stain.

"You could say they are our 'special forces'. While it irks me to use a human term, the Rangers are the best of the best, second only to the Pathfinders. Where the Dark Reapers and the Fire Dragons are our hammer, the Rangers are the scalpel. You do not need skill to swing the hammer, only muscle."

Izuru leaned forwards. "Beg pardon? I do not follow."

"Your brothers and sisters wear the cameleoline."

"My…?" Izuru unknotted her hands and swallowed on a dry throat. "Tell me all."

"Your mind will recall yourself, your associates, and past operations when it wishes." Eldrad lifted a jug of water and poured Izuru a goblet. "All this is yours. Drink."

"Is it his too?"

The spoon clinked against the edge of the dish and froze.

"What do you know of the Ynnari, Captain?" Eldrad filled his own goblet.

"The… Ynnari?"

"Under many banners they fight, many castes, many different beings walking a treacherous path towards salvation—"

"—Wait-wait, Captain?"

"For your previous assignment, you were—ah-hmph—you were granted the rank of captain, and a posting commanding a company of Rangers."

"Where is this company?"

Eldrad met the other Eldar's eyes. He left his spoon in the dish and wiped his mouth. "Craftworlder, Commorrite, Exodite, Harlequin. Such a gathering, this galaxy has never witnessed. There are humans among us as well, if you believe such a phenomenon."

"Humans?" Izuru shivered. "This cannot be."

"Beyond your wildest imagination, I know." Eldrad slid a finger up his temple. "The times – or rather the destruction of Cadia and the spreading of the Great Rift – compelled our races to fly their respective banners beneath the Phoenix."

"Cadia… Where the skies are pink? I b—I buried one of us there; a Banshee."

"You will remember all," Eldrad said. "In time."

"I do not think I want to."

"Beneath pink skies, Ynnead stole your fate. It wants you for something."

"Ynnead, humans, Cadia…" Izuru reached for her goblet and drank. "I do not deserve this waking nightmare of a human-Eldar alliance. I am a mother bereft her children. That is nightmare enough!"

"Safe." The blond Eldar's eyes moved across and settled on Izuru's. "They are safe. Free of peril."

"Your face is unfamiliar, sir. Your eyes betray otherwise. Keep them to yourself."

"By your leave, Ulthranwé?"

"Mm."

"I hoped we might converse discreetly, free of other's ears and eyes." The Eldar stood and offered Izuru his arm. A yellow sash coated in runes was tied around a broad waist.

"I do not accept the arm of a stranger. If, indeed, I am captain you will convey a respectful tone, merchant, and make constructive use of my time."

"Time spent in warm company is constructive, I find."

Upon a winding path, Izuru and the merchant walked, her out of arm's reach of him. Izuru's eyes roved the trees and bushes. "Does one merchant really require marksmen posted for his protection within a sealed biosphere?"

"Ah, you noticed. That is quite an eye you have there, my lady."

"Two eyes. Passing the veil has neither softened them, nor body."

"I noticed you did not eat. When you sit at the table of the great Eldrad Ulthran, you accept all he has to offer with humble gratitude."

"Now." Izuru stopped and faced the merchant. "No more pretending. How did you find us?"

"I… W-word found its way to my ears. How could I not come after hearing of your passing? The children need a parent to—"

"—If you came near me or my children, I swore to inflict such pain upon you, you would feel it to your dying day. You do not know pain as a mother torn from her offspring does. Pain shall be your constant companion, as it is mine." Izuru closed the gap between herself and Ellorias. "Cowering under a cloud of pain and terror, you shall meet your reckoning, and know that horror resides behind these eyes, and then you will fear them."

The merchant's eyes fell to the path. "I am… I am not the being you once knew. My own fear was that you would perish under your own cloud and leave our sons without guidance on an orphaned path."

"You may continue down this path for yourself, as you always have." Izuru turned and began walking back to the glade.

"I stayed faithful! I never gave up hope." The merchant trotted after Izuru. "Hope of reconciliation kept me strong, kept me faithful. I want for us to be a family. Let us become a family again."

Izuru whirled. "Kept you strong? This male obsession with strength, dominance, possessiveness. Is it all you live for? To own a trophy-mate and raise perfect children for your dynasty?"

"Had I those designs, I would not have asked your hand."

"You never asked."

"I loved you then. I loved you when you had the twins, and I love you and them to this day, this I swear upon The Mother, bless her eternal soul." The merchant got down on one knee. "I, Ellorias Culcassian of the Craftworld Alaitoc swear loyalty to Izuru Numerial of the Craftworld Iyanden, and her sons, Ilic and Korsarro."

"If you truly did, there would not be optics trained on my chest." Izuru walked away from Ellorias. "If a being fears for his safety in the company of his bondmate, we have nothing more to discuss."

A half-dozen warriors in bulky, plated armour surrounded the glade. Gauntlets gripped short swords sheathed at their waists. All wore full-face helms with smooth, bulbous visors. Eldrad sat alone at the table.

"Nobody brings muscle unless they are trying to say something without talking." Izuru planted her hands wide apart on the table. "What do I not know?"

"What you do not know keeps you alive." Eldrad grasped a pinch of a fine powder and inhaled.

"Is this it then? Driven back to the gilded cage, or is your ultimatum forthcoming?"

Eldrad snapped a jewelled box lined with velvet shut. "Yours and Ellorias' paths shall remain separate, that I can guarantee. Your children are being turned over to your bondmate's custody. This is out of my hands."

"So, he is afraid of me."

"And so are they." Ellorias approached. "Madam, for the children's safety, I am forwarding a request to be instated as their legal guardian. You may appeal…"

"And the blades are bared." Izuru's head drooped and her shoulders hunched. "Why could you not let me sleep? I won my battle, yet I still lose!"

"And you call it a male obsession. That temper of yours…"

"Enough!" Eldrad pushed away from his chair and leaned upon the table. "This is now a Ynnari matter and will be decided by a committee."

"You had custody, Ulthranwé. You must keep them away from him!"

"A temporary measure overturned upon their father's arrival. My hands are bound to matters of Ulthwé, Izuru. I risk all to keep us in the Prophet's good graces, and to keep you with the fleet."

"So, I am being stabbed in the stomach by you, and the back by you, mate-of-years-passed. You could not let me pass with dignity, as a warrior, could you?"

"The decision lay not with I! Take your issues to the Prophet."

"Shall we call it a morning perhaps?" Ellorias rubbed inside his tight collar with a cloth. "Let the wounds of the past heal a little?"

"I expect your ultimatum before the day is out, Seer. No, mate-of-yesteryear, they will never heal." Izuru paid no glance to Ellorias. None of the plated warriors moved to accost her. Artificial sunlight blazed through the pillars on the bridge, warming the burning skin on Izuru's brow.

Ellorias slumped in a chair and laid his snuffbox next to his empty plate. "There was no reconciling, Ulthranwé. With that temper burns a passion for the little ones." Powder trickled from his fingers. "A passionate hatred for me." Ellorias inhaled. "And my trade."

"Let that be you first and last meeting before the signing then."

"But if I—"

"Stay away from Izuru. You are better kept apart."

Ellorias wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Alaitoc forbids annulment."

"Custody shall go to you, but Izuru shall not be barred from seeing them."

"Let us see how the council resolves this matter first." Ellorias closed the box lid and tucked it away. "Legally, Izuru should not be barred. In the interim, how will you keep her mind occupied?"

Eldrad spread his hands. "As Ranger, Izuru's past operations involved cooperation with human military forces—"

Ellorias brought his fist down upon the table. "A monstrous assignment! How could you force her to stoop so low?"

"Let me—let me finish. It is my intention to offer Izuru the chance to raise auxiliaries from the displaced humans and command them as the T'au do with their human subjects; Gue'vesa, they call them. Many will scoff and fling insult at such a prospect, but a minority will see the advantage of living a life free from the shackles of draconian law."

"Not a single human will serve."

"That is an outcome. If Izuru does not wish to return to the field, she will enter politics as my apprentice."

"The former, without question. She has too much of her father in her. And she had the nerve to condemn conflict and inner strength as a male infliction!" Ellorias jabbed a finger at his breast.

"Do not twist her words for your own gain, merchant. Dominance and possessiveness were spoken of too."

"So, I am far from perfect. So is she! I will take what is mine and leave. I have no use for a burnt-out Ranger with head filled to the brim with shattered glass."

"Patience! It must be a legal agreement. Do not cross Izuru Numerial. You of all should know."

"Hunh. She is one Ranger. One being."

"The very same thought no doubt crossed Princess Saarania's mind."

"Princess—? That name I vaguely recall from somewhere."

"The former matriarch of the Corsair band known as the Void Dragons. She also mistook beauty for softheartedness."

"Ah. I need not enquire her fate then."

"If you fall, I will not be there to cushion your landing."

"The human matter…"

"Izuru acted under my orders. Long have I pushed for a warming of relations between our races. Long have stubborn beings, mired in dogma, repulsed a working relationship with the lesser species, choosing seclusion on their world-ships, fearful of the Dark Prince lurking in the shadows. The Followers of the Seventh Way choose a different path."

"You sent my bondmate to Cadia."

"I did as the council bade." Eldrad plucked a purple grape from a bunch.

"You sent my bondmate to Cadia to die…"

"Ellorias—"

"Was it at the hand of a human? I would know she fell at the hand of a brother, not at the hands of the lesser species."

"I do not know. What I do know is we owe the lesser species for returning her body. Without the actions of a—an insignificant—your bondmate's body would never have left Cadia."

Ellorias closed and opened his fist and twisted a ring. "Like daughter…"

"More than my own blood. It fills me with equal pride as it does shame to see her body and mind return from the other side. If only her… spirit came home too."

"I would be ashamed too if I knew that a close one had consorted with a human." Ellorias drew the letter from inside his robe and held it aloft.

"Ellorias, be very careful who you show that letter to."

"Proof of my bondmate's infidelity. A fumble was had on Cadia, quite obviously from this bastard-tongue. This will grant us annulment." Ellorias got up to follow Izuru. The letter whipped from Ellorias's hand. Eldrad snatched it and folded it inside his robe.

"Follow her, you twist the knife further. Remain here in my company for when the Prophet arrives. We will speak then."

"…The Prophet is coming here? Well, why did you not say to her. The matter might have been resolved here and now!"

"Izuru and the Prophet are the very last beings in the galaxy I would have together at this table."

"What harm befell the Prophet? How was my bondmate responsible?"

"Careful, merchant, that is no business of yours."

"What did Izuru do to earn the Prophet's ire?"

"If you stay, you may ask yourself."

Bulkheads formed around Izuru. Heat from the portal kissed the back of her neck and cooled. Boots drummed in the corridor outside the chamber and Aspect Warriors in white and green filed in. Izuru strode down the steps, swinging her arms, and glaring at the gathering warriors.

A baton whipped from a warrior's belt and tapped Izuru's shoulder. "Who are you?" Izuru's eyes fell to the deck and she stepped around the warrior. The baton flicked out and struck her breast. "I asked you a question, girl. Why do you not look me in the eye?" Biel-Tani surrounded Izuru. "Look me in the eye." The baton slid up to her chin. Izuru's arm flicked up and she gripped the baton. "Let go—LET GO!"

Izuru's arm twisted. Her foot lashed out and struck soft flesh behind the knee. The baton slammed against a faceplate, cracking an eye lense. The chamber spun and the back of Izuru's heel bowled the Biel-Tani over backwards. A lasblaster filled her hands. The muzzle covered the two Biel-Tani lying still on the deck.

"Drop it! DROP IT!" Biel-Tani spread out, their longarms aimed at Izuru. "DROP IT NOW!"

Izuru twisted her wrists and stared at the sidearm. Her forefinger curled through the trigger-guard and caressed the firing stud. How did I…? Her taught arms bent. The shouting faded and the Aspect Warriors' tight cordon loosened. Those nearest the entrance raised their muzzles, pivoted, and held their longarms against their chests.

A pale-skinned woman in a corset and a wide, violet dress swept in to the chamber. A felinoid with blue fur padded along next to her. Behind, a monstrous, helmeted warrior in red rested gauntlets upon the pommel of its greatsword. "We of the Reborn welcome thee, Izuru Numerial."

The lasblaster dropped to Izuru's side. The fallen Biel-Tani crawled away from Izuru and picked themselves up. The felinoid's ears folded back.

"Such spirit, such fire." The pale Eldar drifted through the warriors' cordon. Longarms behind her shifted upwards. "All that pain, let loose in one blast of violence." The lasblaster jerked up and pointed at the pale woman's nose. She danced forwards and caught Izuru in an embrace and whispered in her ear. "I too have been beyond the veil. I too have seen the void. You are not alone." The pale woman squeezed Izuru's shoulders and leaned back. "Come, let us discuss you with Ulthranwé." A white hand plucked the lasblaster from Izuru and passed it back to an Aspect Warrior. "Well, come. I do hope you have an appetite." The pale woman led Izuru by the arm back through the portal. The felinoid and the warrior in red followed close behind.

Biel-Tani and Ellorias's bodyguards formed an impenetrable perimeter around the glade. The crimson giant, a mute, stood behind the Prophet's chair at the head of the table. Stiff-backed and with her arms tight against her sides, Izuru gazed at the blue floral pattern on the rim of her empty platter. Ellorias sat on her left, Eldrad opposite her, and the Prophet at the head. Ellorias's eyes remained fixed on the Prophet, his body turned slightly away from Izuru.

"…Izuru? Izuru?"

"Oh, um, f-forgive me. My mind wandered." Izuru brushed a non-existent strand of hair behind her ear.

Ellorias leaned over. "You have been formally invited to sit in the Prophet's box at the next gladiatorial spectacle."

Izuru pushed her seat a few inches away from Ellorias. "If I accept, I will be permitted access to my children. They must know of my health, Prophet."

The Prophet, leaning forwards with her slender forearms resting on the table, nodded. "Of course. Such a woeful crime to keep a loving family separate."

"Hear-hear." Ellorias flashed a smile at Izuru.

"You—you say nothing. I have a right to see my children—"

"Given my bondmate's present condition, I feel I must step in—"

"There is nothing wrong with me!" Izuru shunted her seat backwards. "You are a stranger, sir! A stranger I do not, will not recognise as anything but. Meddler!"

"Please. Let words not become weapons at such a young hour." The Prophet signalled her bodyguards to back away. "Ulthranwé and I have broken our fast many mornings here. You would not bring conflict to this sacred glade now, would you? Here is one of the very few places I have left to myself. Tarsus, was it not? Few remember the Maiden Worlds." The Prophet picked up a plate of cheeses with her own hand and passed it to Ellorias. "Would either of you care to sample the Gokoriegias? Such delicacy, I would hate to waste on lesser mouths."

"Gratitude, Prophet." Ellorias skewered a piece by the rind. "Mate-of-mine?" Izuru stared down her nose at a bit of the bluish cheese stinking on her platter.

"I see you take your tea with honey, sir. Most unusual." The Prophet said to Ellorias while passing the Gokoriegias over to Eldrad.

"Not from where I come—we— come from, Prophet."

"Oh…" The Prophet offered a faint smile. "Alaitoc, I gather. Many Rangers start their journey from there."

"Yes. All the sweetness without the presence of sugar. Do you take it like that?"

"Mmm-hmm." The Prophet linked her hands and rested her chin on them. "I am sweet enough without."

Izuru wrung her warm hands in her lap. Gods, how long must I endure this? I must see the children.

"…Izuru? Izuru?" The Prophet and Eldrad were staring at Izuru. Ellorias touched Izuru's arm. A cold knife shot at Ellorias.

"PEACE, NIGHT-STALKER!" Eldrad's voice boomed. His towering form grew monstrous and cast a long shadow over the table. "TARSUS SHALL SEE NO WEAPON DRAWN!"

The knife clattered against Wraithbone. The Prophet's face, impossibly pale, had grown whiter. "Never have you used the Voice inside our sanctuary, Ulthranwé." Behind her, the crimson warrior's sword returned to its scabbard. "I ask you keep your tongue mellow."

"Never have two young bondmates set themselves at each other's throats with so little provocation!" A hoarse voice rose in Eldrad's throat. "This will be your first and last meeting before the declaration. Custody of the twins will go to Ellorias. Izuru, permission will be granted for you to see your sons at times decided by committee."

"Mm. Mmm." Ellorias's hand covered his mouth. "Yes. A—agreed."

"Thank you for your company. I find my appetite deserting me." The Prophet rose and straightened her headdress. The felinoid stretched its long legs, yawned, and followed its mistress. "I expect you in four cycles for the games, Ranger. Word will be sent. Good day to you both. Good day, Ulthranwé." The Prophet rose, straightened her headdress, and left the glade trailed by her bodyguards.

For four days, Izuru remained shut inside Eldrad's study, away from Ellorias and the children. Platters came and went untouched. Scrolls and slates piled on the desk around her. What of Eldar involvement in the Cadian System? I can find no record of their planetary operations.

No Eldar set foot upon Cadia. Eldrad glided down the aisle. You were never there.

I buried one of our own beneath pink skies.

Eldrad rubbed Izuru's shoulder. No Eldar died on Cadia.

"Believe what you wish!" Izuru shook her shoulder. "I know my feet trod Cadian soil."

"Some things are better left buried, Izuru. Let it lie. Will you not cleanse your body before you join the Prophet's company? My shelves cannot stand a second ransacking."

"No, I must—"

"Wash the Ranger away. It will be a lady joining the Prophet's company, not an unclean warrior."

"I was never a lady."

"Then please, please become the Lady Numerial. Do it for me. The Prophet will not ask, she will order it."

"If it grants me audience with my sons." Izuru scratched at a warm patch of skin on her nape and rose and stretched her back. "Aahhh."

"Will you accept my counsel?"

"I will not open my mouth too wide, I will not yawn, frown, or scratch."

"Smile, relax, use opportunity to ingratiate yourself with the Prophet."

"You want me to lick her feet, is that it?"

"No!" Eldrad snapped. "Find your manners, Izuru. Observe patience and basic niceties at all times around the Prophet. You must not fuel her desire to expel you from the fleet. Sheer slopes border the path you and I tread. Gods, you were so very, very close to expulsion. I threatened to break faith with the Followers if the Prophet banished you. That is what you mean to me."

"What does she know that I do not?"

"Cleanse your body. I will walk you to the arena." Eldrad slipped around Izuru and drifted away. Izuru leaned back against the desk, gripped the rounded edge, and let her head hang to one side. Gods, let me awaken soon.

Clad in her white dress and with clean hair and skin, Izuru journeyed hand in hand with Eldrad down through the Dream's decks. Multi-coloured Craftworlder, black-clad Commorrite, and even the brightly-patterned Harlequin made the journey through the portals linking the decks. Whispers followed the pair. Commorrites leered at Izuru's body. Harlequins chattered. Warmth spread across Izuru's back. They whisper your name, Ulthranwé.

They wonder the name of the accompanying lady.

Less than noble intentions accompany those eyes.

Look up. Smile. Show them you are at ease, that you care not for their eyes. This is the life of the politician. You are under scrutiny your every waking moment.

If it is a perfect specimen they want, they shall be sorely disappointed.

"Salutations, noble Seer!" An Eldar in a violet wrap, waiting beside Eldar queuing to enter a portal, raised a bony hand. "And to you, Lady Numerial."

"Beg pardon, sir, we have not met."

"Ramanaus, Steward to her highness Yvraine, Herald of Ynnead." The steward offered Izuru his hand. "I believe I had the pleasure of meeting your bondmate."

Izuru drew a breath. Eldrad cut across her. "The Prophet is expecting us?"

"That she is, Seer. You may enter. Lady Numerial, it was the Prophet's wish for you to be seen by her handmaidens before you enter her private box."

"For what purpose?"

"The Prophet has kindly invited the lady to sample her cosmetics. She would have the lady look her best before making a public appearance."

"I am not for the public's consumption. I cannot—"

"Lady Numerial accepts with humble gratitude." Eldrad shot Izuru a look. Go willingly. Accept everything the Prophet offers.

That is my decision to make, not the Prophet's! Whores wear paint on their face.

No, Izuru, it is not. When your betters grant you morsels from their table, they do not care how it tastes. If the Prophet commands you kneel, your knee will touch the deck. Now, go.

Eighteen veiled handmaidens in violet robes bustled around Izuru. Two guided Izuru over to a screen, whereupon the surface deformed and became a reflection, showing all the scars, lines, blemishes, and discolourations beneath harsh light.

"Be still, my lady." A blue beam shot through the air above Izuru's shoulders. Runes blinked out a measurement. Izuru dipped her head and shut her eyes at the light warming her face. "Raise your arms."

Measurements were taken from head to toe. Hands stripped Izuru of the dress and left her naked. Freezing white paint slathered Izuru's skin. Her teeth clamped together and her abdominal muscles tensed. A sun-yellow dress clenched Izuru's stomach. Sheer, bulging pads covered her shoulders and long gloves ran up her arms. A choker squeezed her throat and stinking paint coated her nails.

"Ahh." Blood crystals stained a thumbprint identifier. "Why is my blood—?" A handmaiden forced a wig of deep brown hair draped with silver chains on to Izuru's crown. Clips held the hair out of Izuru's face. "Ermph." Izuru lifted her foot. The material tightened around her knee. How does one move quickly in this?

A pale-skinned being with red lips and black outlining her eyes trailed the Prophet's steward along a colonnade. Far below, Eldar packed tiered seating surrounding an arena. The rumble of chatter seeped through the pillars. A flight of stairs twisted up and to the left and led inside a wide box holding seating for thirty. White banners displaying the Phoenix rune hung from the awning covering the box and partially obscuring the occupants from the spectators.

The crimson warrior's head followed Izuru on her way down to the Prophet sitting alone at the front. "Gentlebeings, allow me to introduce Izuru Numerial, the House of Numerial of the Craftworld Iyanden," said the steward. Dignitaries and other beings of high office made the signs of their respective craftworlds. A few smiled.

House of Numerial? No such house exists. Gods, I feel like scum up here.

"A picture of beauty." The Prophet flourished her arm and held it over the seat on her left.

"Thank you, Lady Prophet." Izuru winced at the dress squeezing her stomach when she sat. "Your invite came at a most welcome time."

"Mm-hm. Males, ah?"

"Males." Izuru tugged her dress's neckline up.

"Leave it, leave it." The Prophet brushed Izuru's arm. "You have the eyes of every being here. Do not spoil it."

"Beg pardon, Prophet. I am a Ranger. The politician's ordeal is utterly alien to me." Izuru shifted forwards and looked down at the empty sand. Eldar of high standing took up the lowest seats. The moderate and the lower-ranked beings occupied the tiers above.

"Ah, Good Valenshi." The Prophet twisted and thrust her hand at an Eldar Fleetmaster.

"Lady Prophet." The Fleetmaster kissed the Prophet's hand.

"Sit, sit. I believe a space is free beside the Lady Numerial."

"The Lady Numerial is unfamiliar to these old eyes." The Fleetmaster took a bow. "Valenshi. I command the Host of Altansar. Twenty-eight warships. It is an honour to make your acquaintance."

"Yes…" Izuru grasped a rough hand and let go.

The Fleetmaster sat down next to Izuru, smiling. Other dignitaries and high-ranking military officials entered the box and found their seats. Food and drink materialised.

"Sylandri." The Prophet offered a masked Harlequin her hand.

"Prophet."

Where is Ulthranwé? Izuru gripped the arm of her chair and scrutinised the late arrivals. "Fleetmaster?" The Fleetmaster stared at Izuru's neckline.

"Good Valenshi." The Prophet leaned around Izuru and gripped the Fleetmaster's wrist. Her voice grew quiet. "How is that twitching hand syndrome treating you? Are you still sleeping on your couch?"

Colour exploded in the Fleetmaster's cheeks. "Can we—can we not discuss that here, Prophet?"

"Oh, the Champion of Altansar, Vareena, takes to the sand." The Prophet gave the Champion a wave. Clad in deep crimson and black, the champion raised her fist to cheers. "You would not depart while your champion fights for you, Fleetmaster."

"I stand at your command, Lady Prophet."

"Good."

Izuru scowled at the Fleetmaster in the corner of her eye. Perverted old bastard. Gods, I would have my cameleoline back in an instant if I could.

Vareena paced the sand and flicked a segmented whip with curving blades attached. "And lo, the Champion of Biel-Tan emerges." The Prophet stood up and clapped. A tattooed warrior in a white bodyglove blinked from a portal. "Saladin, my champion." Blades attached to Saladin's forearms extended. An energy targe shimmered on his left arm. He aimed a blade at the Prophet and roared her name.

Where is Ulthranwé? Izuru alone looked behind, but no chairbound being entered the box.

"We commence on blood." The Prophet drew a folded fan from her headdress and flicked it open. She stood and held it to her palm. Blood crystals poured from the cut and fell to the sand.

Vareena whipped her chain above her head and lashed out. Spikes bounced off Saladin's targe and he skipped inside Vareena's chain and rolled his back across hers and spun away. Laughter and oohing surged through the spectators as the fighters performed their dance. Chatter buzzed amongst the box's occupants. Crumbs poured from full mouths and wine dripped from goblets.

"Now we may speak," the Prophet said in Izuru's ear. "It pays to have a hook in every being you deal with."

"Hook?"

"I know with whom the Fleetmaster spends his off-hours. Observe those beings in ochre. The far side of the arena. Your kin."

"I am as alien to Iyanden as you, Prophet. I left at a very early age."

"They are your kin, Nephalem, as the Biel-Tani are mine."

"What did you just call me?"

"Parsor Cheikha, the whitehead in the centre of his flock. Do you see? He hopes one day for his son to assume his title. What he does not know is his son was sired by his brother, and that he will not be Parsor for much longer. Poor old fool."

Nephalem… Izuru's hands slid from the broad arms of her seat and clenched in her lap.

"And how does a Reborn return the favour of his Prophet?" The Prophet made the Shrine of Iyanden at a one-eyed Iyanda in a deep blue robe. "Prince Yriel, animal that he is, gets down on his knees and swallows everything I feed him." Izuru clapped a hand over her stomach. "Now tell me…" The Prophet braced her elbow on the arm of her seat and leaned close to Izuru. "Why should our union include the lesser species?"

A whine seeped in to Izuru's ears, drowning out the hubbub. Her eyes strayed through the seated Eldar and settled on a thick, crimson mane. Beneath it blinked two red eyes.

"My lady?" Izuru jumped. The Prophet's steward shied away. "Oh, please forgive me. I did not mean to intrude."

Izuru placed her hand over her hammering heart. "Speak."

"Ulthranwé has arrived."

"Oh, do invite him up, Ramanaus." The Prophet lifted her goblet. "Where are your manners?"

"Er, begging your pardon, Lady Prophet, this is for the Lady Numerial only."

My sons? Izuru followed the steward down from the box and along the colonnade. The crowd outside remained mesmerised in the champions. Many stood on their feet and hooted and cheered. Only Ulthranwé watched in silence.

Once the steward had departed, Izuru fell on Eldrad's chair and gripped the arm. "Please, I must see my sons. They must know I am well."

"Are you fit to make that assumption, child?" Eldrad's gaze remained on the gap between the pillars.

"I have seen the political game in motion. If all I am is a target for lechery, I will damn well take my skills elsewhere to places where they and I will be offered the respect we deserve – with my sons by my side."

"Your sons are now in your bondmate's custody." Eldrad's gnarled hand turned Izuru's over. His fingers pinched the cut on her fingertip. "Your blood signed the agreement. I am sorry." Eldrad squeezed Izuru's hand. "It was agreed earlier this morning."

"Your body fell on Cadia," said the Prophet. "There it should have remained." Izuru pulled her arm away from Eldrad and swayed on her feet. "Accept the Prophet's sympathy." The Prophet turned the grey-faced Izuru around by her shoulders and hugged her. Izuru's arms hung limp at her sides. "It was for the best."

"Your bondmate bears no ill will towards you, Izuru. When your offspring have returned home, and spirits have settled, arrangement will be made for your visit to Alaitoc."

"I know about the affair," whispered the Prophet. Half-smiling, half-sneering, she let go of Izuru and wafted a fan at her neck. "The Reborn hope your stay is a pleasant one."

Izuru backed away from Eldrad and the Prophet. Head drooping, her vacant eyes followed the floor. Dry lips parted and her mouth slackened.

"Izuru?" Eldrad pivoted his chair. "IZURU!"

"Waste no further affection on her, Seer. I expect you in my stand."

"Izuru!" Eldrad caught up with Izuru. "Your bondmate would have you read this." Folded paper with curling corners bent against the back of Izuru's hand. "And I would have you think on your future."

"Brave, burying the knife in my back so soon." Izuru's chin trembled. "Do you feel brave, Seer, or is it a coward that still refuses to meet my eye?"

"Peace, I beg thee." Eldrad made the Eye. "Let them go."

Izuru's fingers crumpled the paper. "Writhe in eternal torment, Seer. May you never sleep ag-g-ain." Muscles in her jaw tensed and her dry lips pressed together.

"Isha, mercy. Carry her soul in your bosom. Lead it not in to darkness. Grant her salvation from her torment." Eldrad's nails dug in to the skin around his heart. "I have not the strength."

Eldrad's murmurs faded from Izuru's ears. Her feet carried her until the skin on her heels broke and blood crystals wept. Blurred beings strayed around her mumbling incomprehensible dialect. A buzzing filled her ears. A body thudded in to her and her shoulder smacked against a wall. How she found her way back to her chambers, she knew not. Slippers, bits of jewellery and bracelets fell on the carpet. Cracks split the paint on Izuru's cheeks. She wrenched at the wig and hurled it at the wall. Paper crackled beneath her bare foot. Izuru picked the paper up and brushed the broken skin on the back of her heel with her thumb. Dried crystals grated.

Pillows pressing in to her back, Izuru unfolded the paper. Letters instead of runes covered the paper. Dear Ilic and Korsarro Numerial. Izuru smoothed the creases and rested the letter on her knee. Her throat tightened. "Ah-hmm." You may not remember or may not want to remember Grendel, where your mother Izuru saved you from those who wanted to hurt you. Either way, I wondered if you remember the human you met at the pier that night? The one who helped you, played with you and did his best to keep you safe. Though you do not understand my words, I hope you find someone who can help you understand. A language separated us then as it does now. Our common ground came from the kickabout we had. You beat me fair and square, boys, and I wish we could play again and without a barrier between us. When I find a ball at my feet, I will think of you and the fun we had in that short time.

Izuru rubbed her nose on the back of her hand and blinked. A barrier separated your mother and I too. We only knew the language of hostility and suspicion during the short periods we found ourselves in each other's company. It was at Cadia where our hearts warmed, and we broke the barrier between us and formed a bond very, very few beings would understand. Enemy or not, we warriors, soldiers, and grunts are all bound to the battlefield together. This bond we shared grew strong and I grew to love your mother and hoped she returned the feeling, but I am young and naïve and I am afraid that I don't truly understand what compassion is. All they teach in the Guard is how to hate and how to destroy, never to build. That is why we will never win.

I swear now, swear upon my mother's and father's lives that I was there beside your mother to the very end. It was peaceful and it was above all dignified, worthy of the most stout-hearted warrior, though she would not want to be remembered as a warrior, she would want to be remembered as a kind, compassionate mother. Your mother, Izuru, lives forever in your hearts now, little lads, and she will not be forgotten.

A name was crammed in to the bottom corner: James.

Izuru's chest shook and gasps burst from her lungs. Grey lines trailed down her cheeks. White paint stained Izuru's palms and hair when she ran her fingers across her scalp. Black smudged her eyes. Drops landed on her shift and stained the material. Izuru tore at the bedsheets and bunched them up and kicked them away. Damp patches spread across the letter lying next to Izuru and the pillow she laid her head against. Twisting, Izuru buried her head in the pillow and howled.