Meldranea, Sriven's mother, asked calmly of her son, "What reply should we bring to the Counsel?"

Sriven looked down at the paper in his hands, which promptly burst into flame. "There is no need to

take a reply, I shall go myself." He turned and headed out of the room.

Behind him, his parents surprise at his departures was evident in her voice, "Now?"

Sriven did not slow as he called back, "Yes, the sooner this business is handled, the better."

The doors shut of their own accord as he left the chamber. Meldranea turned to ve'Fradeich, Sriven's

father, and asked, "Should we warn the Counsel?"

ve'Fradreich considered for a moment, then chuckled, "No, I do not entirely agree with their actions, so

why make it any easier on them?"



Jade and Melliea left the tower, and headed for the stairs. As they reached the first landing, Melliea

turned to Jade and said, "I've shown you about, lets see if you can find our way back to the entrance hall,

you'll need the practice."



Sriven stopped as soon as the doors behind him closed. Unlike the other servants and visitors, who

often had trouble getting around, this was his castle, and the stones knew their master. Sriven simply thought

of the place he wanted to be. The walls creaked and shifted, and outlines became fuzzy. Everything jerked

back into clarity and Sriven walked across the area Jade and Melliea had just vacated. He walked down the

passageway, and up a flight of stairs, heading toward his own private portal. Sriven waved his hand and a

hole appeared in the wall beside him. The full fury of a blizzard roared in to greet him; with wind that could

freeze a mortal in seconds, but Sriven was unfazed, since storm clouds always covered the highest peeks of

the mountains. Barely visible in the driving snow was a circle of glowing runes. The portal had been costly to

install, and even now it had it limitations, but it removed most of the normal hassles of transportation between

plaines. As Sriven stepped into the circle, his eyes glazed over. Lightning arched through the storm clouds,

and met with the energy from his fingers. With a flash and a clap of thunder, he was gone.



Jade spent the rest of the afternoon practicing getting around the castle. Melliea left her after lunch on

errands of her own and, by dinner time, Jade was confident she could find her way to most of the places she

would need to go in the castle. She even wandered about the side passageways, and took time to explore the

rest of the castle. Melliea found Jade in one of the smaller halls were a dozen passageways came together,

looking at some of the statues and the fountain that decorated the walls and floor. As Melliea led Jade back to

her room for dinner, Melliea mentioned Sriven sudden departure that morning.

"I wonder were Lord Sriven went?" Melliea pondered, as much to herself as to Jade. "Usually he

leaves instructions with the castle staff."

"How did you know he left at all?"

"There were several ways. Insiyni are more sensitive to magic, so an immortal as powerful as Lord

Sriven is easy to locate or track. Second, the castle servants must know Lord Sriven's movements and moods

to best serve him, and so the castle alerts us directly."

Jade was thinking about what Melliea had said and almost walked into her when Melliea stopped

suddenly.

Jade glanced around, and looked at Melliea questioningly. "Uhm, I didn't think we'd reached your

room yet."

"We haven't, but there is one more thing I must show you about the castle. You may have noticed but

there are no locks in the castle, at least none that you would recognize. Lord Sriven has developed a better

method." Melliea motioned to a door by her side, saying "This is just a storage room, but one that you would

have no reason to enter; try to go in."

Jade turned to face the door, and cautiously reached for the handle. She paused as a tingle ran up her

spine. After a brief pause and nothing further happened, Jade moved to touch the handle. Lightning crossed

in front of her eyes, and she felt as if some one had zapped her with static electricity, except it hurt everywhere

at once. Jade jerked her hand away, and the pain stopped. Jade turned to Melliea, rubbing her wrist and

demanded, "What was that?"

"That was part of the castle's defense system. There is an enchantment on the clothes that will activate

if you try to go somewhere you shouldn't."

Jade looked at her shirt, trying to see any sign of magic. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"It's better than trying to make keys to all the doors in the castle, and it can be used to cordon off whole

areas, should the need arise."

After their return to Melliea's room, Jade was quiet throughout dinner and the rest of the evening. As

she crawled into bed, thoughts swam through her mind, as she tried to think of a way around the enchantment,

so she could explore the rest of the castle on her own.



Sriven returned to his castle in the same manner he had left. Since any visit to the plaine in which the

Counsel existed left the traveler with excess power, Sriven simply used it up, transporting himself directly to

the chamber he had left several hours ago. His parents were still there, apparently unruffled after waiting

nearly all day.

Sriven leaned against the table, and grinned. "We reached a compromise," he announced.

His parents frowned, knowing that Sriven's usual idea of a compromise was not going to war to get

what he wanted. They hoped however, that their son would not be so brash as to get into a direct conflict with

the Counsel.

ve'Fradreich asked, somewhat apprehensively, "And the terms of your agreement were.?"

"I will teach the girl magic and anything else she shall need, but only if she can learn at least some

degree of control and caution."

"From some one else, undoubtedly, since you are hardly one to teach caution and control." Fedlt had

returned, and he stood in the doorway, with a thin sword held loosely in one hand.

Sriven, without even turning to face him, commented, "Your perceptions are as sharp as ever, and your

quickness of mind is matched by a smart mouth, keep it up and you'll lose your tongue."

Trying to forestall further arguments, Meldranea asked, "Who, did you say, is to teach her?"

Sriven grinned, "Lady Allustrel, though I doubt even she may be equal to the task."

Meldranea was incredulous, "Allustrel Morningbloom?! But she has not accepted an apprentice for

over 500 years!"

"First, Allustrel will not have to teach everything, only enough that the girl can keep from killing

herself, and second." At this, Sriven held out his hand, and a scroll bearing the Counsel's seal fell into it.

"She does not have a choice, since who can disobey the Counsel's orders?"

Feldt was swift to answer, "Only you, brother."

In a flash, Sriven snatched the sword from Fedlt, and pressed it to his lips, saying "You shall keep your

tongue this time, only because I can interpret that as a compliment." Sriven twisted the sword

sideways, driving it into the wall, leaving a small cut by Fedlt's ear.

Meldranea, upset by the bickering of her sons, stormed out of the room.

ve'Fradreich, who was more practical, inquired, "Who shall take the girl, and when shall they leave?"

To this Sriven replied, "I shall take her myself, and we leave in the morning."