The castle courtyard was a hive of activity when Takuya, Kouichi and Kouji finally returned to Lyndora a full two weeks after setting out from Greenfields. Their arrival caused some interest among the servants, who were busy packing supplies into several carts. Takuya dismounted and started to lead Chess towards the stables, only to be met half way by a smiling Tomoki.

"Takuya! You're back!" The grinning boy almost threw himself into a hug around Takuya's waist. "You kept your promise!"

"Hey there!" Takuya grinned, then hugged Tomoki back. "You on stable duty or something?"

"Uh-uh." Tomoki shook his head. "We've been out riding today. We just got back a bit before you, and we've been brushing down our horses."

"How's everyone been? How's Junpei, and the Prince Raoul?"

"And Izumi?" asked Kouichi, who blushed as Kouji looked at him curiously. "We spent time together when Takuya was ill, that's all. She's my friend too."

"If you say so," replied Kouji, leading his pony off to the stables.

"Kouichi's go a cruuuush," sang out Takuya, earning a strange look from Tomoki.

"You can speak like them, Takuya?" asked Tomoki. His face split into a grin. "That's so awesome! Everybody here has been fine, I guess. I haven't seen Izumi around much since her parents left to go back to Emeritile. Lady Tomoko has been keeping her pretty close, and Junpei far away from them both."

Takuya nodded, and started tugging Chess towards the stables. "We should get ourselves cleaned up, and then go to see the king I guess. Even if he doesn't want us to leave on our mission just yet, we should tell him that we've come back."

"The king will expect you to present yourselves soon. You should go see him from the stables. He won't care that you're still covered in dust from the road. You can let the stable-hands look after your ponies." Tomoki kept grinning. "I'm glad you're back, all of you. I missed having friends about, and Yutaka isn't here for me for too much longer, so its good you came back." A bell sounded within the castle, and Tomoki's head turned towards the sound. "Oh no! I'm going to be late again!" He took off running towards the castle, waving over his shoulder. "See you later, Takuya!"

Takuya shook his head, then continued on to the stables.

*****************************

Presenting themselves to the king was a somewhat less daunting task than the first time. The king was receiving visitors in a small antechamber, as opposed to the grand throne room that Takuya and the twins had been shown to before. They filed in silently, and waited for the king to acknowledge them.

King Elbert continued to work at his desk for a few moments, before looking up and smiling a little. "So the travellers return? How are you feeling, Master Fire-mage? Have you recovered as well as my son has?"

Takuya grinned and bowed. "Totally better. I was glad to hear that Prince Raoul was recovered, after I tried so hard to help him."

"And your own family is well, I take it?"

Takuya nodded, but looked a little sad for a moment. "Well enough, your highness, but they have not taken my new status very well, nor the company I keep."

The king nodded, and then turned his attention to Kouji and Kouichi. "And what of you, twins of the Tree-folk? I hope that you are willing to stay in my service a while longer in these perilous times."

Kouji tilted his head. "Is that why an expedition is planned?… Sir?" he added as Kouichi glared at him.

Elbert nodded slightly. "You have a sharp tongue, boy, but you are right. Raiders have been attacking the north of the kingdom, near the fiefdoms of Snowshead, Icelake, and Whiteplains. My son is leading a band of knights out to enforce the law, and drive these raiders off. There is even a rumour that these raiders are in the employ of Emeritile, and are there as a precursor to invasion."

Takuya looked worried. "Greenfields is only a little to the south of Whiteplains. Are the raiders expanding their range much?"

Elbert smiled. "Your family will no doubt be safe. The raiders cannot control much more land with their numbers, and they will be soon driven off." He tapped a piece of heavy parchment on his desk. "You'll be pleased to know that this is the amendment to the law that treats the Tree-folk as criminals. And it's why I was hopeful that you would return."

Kouichi tilted his head. "Why is that, Honoured-Elbert?"

The king smiled. "I need ambassadors to take this news and a request for diplomatic channels to be opened to the rulers of the Tree-folk. I do not understand how it is that you govern yourselves, but there must be a central group of law-givers to your people."

Both Kouichi and Kouji looked stunned at the request the king had made. Finally Kouichi spoke up.

"Honoured-Elbert, we were declared to be outcast. We are no longer welcome in any of our peoples' homes. We could not bring your message, as no one would see us."

"Ah, but you will try," replied Elbert. "No doubt you wish to return to your home as much as Master Kanbara did, and this will let you. How else will I send my message? Your people are resistant to outsiders, and we do not share a common language, so I must send someone who speaks theirs."

"That doesn't mean that they will listen to what we say," countered Kouichi. "To them, we do not exist anymore."

Elbert shook his head. "If, as I fear, Emeritile has plans on invasion we need allies who will fight with us, as the Tree-folk of Emeritile would fight with the Emperor."

Kouichi sighed. "We can try, but you must understand that there is no certainty that they will even speak to outcasts like us."

The king nodded. "All I ask is that you try. My people and yours have been enemies too long for no reason other than what the priests tell us to believe. I have yet to see you curse us, or act as animals, or kill, so I have doubts that the whole truth is given by them, and even in what they call the word of the Goddess." He touched the gold token around his neck. "May She forgive me for saying so, but much of what the priests give as Her word works to their own advantage. If our peoples were not separated, they would lose their elite status as healers and people with magic. I have already expelled one such fool, the Mage Goodwinson, who clearly impressed my simpleton of a son with cheap trickery."

Kouichi frowned. "That does not sound correct. Honoured-Joshua does not strike me as someone who would suffer fools gladly."

"Is this your opinion?" asked Elbert, "Or does your sight tell you this?"

"My sight tells me that his face can say one thing while his mind says another, that is all. But when someone practices deception, it is usually for a reason."

The king nodded slowly. "Then I shall keep a closer eye on my wayward son, and thank you for your caution. I'd like you to set out in a few days, once you are rested, for your old home, and at least try to spread peace."

*************************

The group wearily made their way up the stairs to their apartments in silence. Both Kouji and Kouichi were deep in thought over the request to return, and Takuya gave them as much space and peace as he could. Through his own homecoming he had learnt that it could be painful to return when so much mistrust was present, and that he would most likely be at best an oddity, and at worse seen as an object of disgust. Their contemplation fell apart, however, as they entered their common room.

"Kouichiiii!" Izumi threw herself in a bundle of gold and purple into a surprised Kouichi's arms. "Thank the Goddess that you're back, I was so worried with the raiders and all that you'd be carted off somewhere, and that you'd never come and rescue me, and leave me in her care, and…" Izumi was cut off as Kouji placed a hand over her mouth to gag her.

"Be quiet."

Izumi froze in fear, then started struggling and squeaking indignantly under Kouji's grip, before elbowing him in the stomach. Kouji held her a moment longer, then let her go. "I wouldn't try that again."

Izumi glared at him. "You're lucky I'm unarmed."

Kouji folded his arms and glared back. "Right." He picked up his things, which he had dropped in the scuffle. "I'll leave you with your girlfriend, brother." He went into his room.

Kouichi blushed. "She is not my girlfriend!" he yelled at Kouji's door.

Takuya grinned. "Does she know that?"

Kouichi rolled his eyes, then moved to soothe Izumi who was obviously fuming. "Please, Izumi, just calm down. Kouji just forgets that I don't mind people touching me as much as he does. He's been on edge ever since we got into Lyndora."

"People make him nervous, he's been twitchy ever since we rode in the gate," added Takuya, flopping into a chair. "Just give him some time and space to adjust and he'll be less grumpy, I'm sure."

Izumi shuddered. "Can't see how he could be more." She grinned and hugged Kouichi. "I'm glad you're back. Mother and Father left me behind to learn 'How to be a Lady' so I'm stuck under Lady Tomoko's thumb. I can't even see Junpei or Tomoki or the squires much anymore, and any time I do, she's always there to make sure I act 'proper'." She sighed and flopped into a chair. "I only managed to get away to see you because of your status as ambassadors. The whole court more or less is talking about it."

Kouichi looked surprised. "We were the last to know?"

Izumi nodded. "The king didn't want to scare you off before you agreed to help, and the situation has become all the more urgent with the raiders pressing in from the north." She shrugged. "Maybe it will calm down when winter comes and the mountain passes become harder to cross, but for now, we're in a bad position. We have more open farmland than Emeritile, and they're even trying to suggest that my family tried to assassinate Prince Raoul to help them." She looked cross. "My father has served this kingdom's interests for twenty years, why won't they trust him now?"

"Why do they blame you?" asked Takuya. "I thought it was a random fire or something?"

"It started in a collection of pottery that the Emperor sent as a gift when we returned this year." Izumi shrugged. "No one thought much of it until the raids get worse. And I couldn't tell them about what I saw then, because everyone would think I was making it up to protect my family. Something is going on here, and I can't do anything about it."

Kouichi frowned. "Maybe we should stay longer than a few days. No one seems to see what Honoured-Joshua is like apart from us."

Izumi shook her head. "You won't see him. He's unwell at the moment, and nothing the healers do seems to help dislodge this cold. I would think he wouldn't leave his apartments until you're gone."

Kouichi sighed. "Then will you investigate these things? There isn't much we can do now as there's no way to speak to Honoured-Joshua."

Izumi tilted her head. "Maybe not. He'd been spending a while with Mage Goodwinson just before you came. He would get drunk and talk about how difficult young demons could be, and how anything could set them off on a violent attack. Maybe they were going to frame you."

"Me?" asked Takuya, surprised. "When the soldiers took us I couldn't do anything. I certainly couldn't do something like make a fire start somewhere I couldn't see. I can't create fire now, I think."

Izumi grinned. "You know, with him gone, we could break into his apartments. I don't think they've cleaned out his workroom yet."

"Where will we get a key?" asked Takuya.

Izumi grinned. "I know people who know people. We'll be in tonight."