A/N: Another long break--sorry about the irregularity of updating. -wince- Uh, disclaimer that I don't own these characters. Yeah. Oh yes, and I've recently obtained Across the Wall, not to mention "The Creature in the Case", so I will possibly be including some elements of that in further chapters.

"Aunt Lirael!"

Lirael couldn't help but smile as her niece swept her into a hug. A bath and clean clothes had done much to recover her well-being from the horseback ride to Belisaere. "It's good to see you too, Ellimere," she assured her. "Where are Sameth and Nick?"

Ellimere let go and stepped back, a frown settling on her features. "Nick didn't show you the way here?" she asked.

Lirael shook her head. "A servant took me," she said uncertainly.

"We should find them--there's no knowing what sort of trouble they could be in--"

The door opened, cutting off Ellimere's speech, and Touchstone entered the solar.

"Welcome back, Lirael," he said, striding forward. They clasped hands formally, and Lirael noted that he showed no signs of surprise at her golden hand. Sameth had probably told his father about it, she thought, taking a step back and smiling at Ellimere.

"Dad, Sameth and Nick--" Ellimere began, but was cut off once again by the door opening. Nick ducked his head as he entered, not meeting Lirael's eyes, but Sameth, who walked behind him, showed no signs of remorse. Yrael trotted behind Sameth, smugness in every line of the little cat's face, his tail waving like a banner.

"Sameth," Touchstone acknowledged. "Nicholas." His eyes widened. "Mogget?" he asked incredulously.

"Your senses as sharp as ever, I see, Touchstone," Yrael said, casting a derisive glance at the King. "Indeed, it is I...though I would prefer the name of Yrael, taking recent events into account."

It was, Lirael thought, a rather sly way of reminding Touchstone that there was no red leather collar now to keep Yrael from destroying Touchstone's wife.

"Indeed," Touchstone responded, his expression controlled.

"Dad," said Sameth after a moment, "when's Mother getting back?"

"Tomorrow, if all goes well," Touchstone said. "She took a Paperwing to Ganel a week ago," he told Lirael and Nick, who hadn't heard this before. "There was a report of three Shadow Hands." He crossed the solar to the wide windows that looked out over Belisaere and rested his hands on the sill beside him, staring out at his kingdom.

"Mother'll be fine," Ellimere said suddenly.

Touchstone nodded, and turned back to them after a moment. "There are still too many Dead, and too much Free Magic, abroad in this land," he said, and though his expression was the same as ever, Lirael heard the exhaustion in his voice. "With Orannis gone, most of them have fled, but..." He shrugged.

"Leaderless, they are more daring. There is no pattern to their attacks, no leader we can destroy to make them all retreat. Thankfully, they are also weaker, and come in smaller groups than before."

Lirael nodded, thinking of the Clayr in their glacial home, trying to See attacks and know when and where they would occur, usually succeeding but failing more often than anyone would've liked.

"But there--there is," Nick said into the silence that followed Touchstone's speech, and all of them turned to look at him. "A leader, that is. Isn't there? There's... there's--"

"Chlorr," Yrael finished for him, his green eyes fixed on Nicholas. "Very good, Sayre. We find a use for you after all."