A/N: I know it has taken forever to get this out, and I hope somebody is still reading it, but that should change soon. I finally have a laptop again, and don't have to share the computer with all the housemates. Plus, due to some serious convincing by Greeneyes, I have thrown out the plot outline that I was using, because it simply doesn't work anymore. I underestimated the sheer amount of words I needed to get my ideas across. (OK, so prior to this, all I'd ever written was term papers, and those are easy.) Anyway, you've waited long enough, here's the first half of the Giantlands Mission.

The Heart of the World

Manticore was moving deeper into the Giantlands, using the terrain to mask their passing from inquisitive eyes. They flew as low as possible, following the point team, who was nearly two kilometers ahead of the main body. No Giants were sighted, either of the Un-aligned tribes, or of the Aligned Clans, and they finished the one hundred kilometers that was the goal a little early.

That night, Manticore bedded down in a grove of trees just below the crest of a hill. With the trees as cover, they could move around without being spotted, and by avoiding the crest of the hill, they prevented the easiest method of spotting people. Sky-lining yourself, or standing on the top of any terrain feature that allowed your silhouette to be seen against the sky behind you is a common error among untrained people, and it had been one of the first things Wolfpack had taught them about moving.

They set up a classic camp, called a "lazy W", with each position slightly offset from the one to either side, forming a W shape, if viewed from above. This allowed every Manticore to have a good field of fire, for both their wands and the Muggle arms, and forced them to depend on each other.

In this pattern, you did not aim to your front, but to the side, using flanking fire to defend the position next to you, while their fire covered your position. The Muggles had long ago determined that most people fight harder, and take fewer chances when other people were at risk from their actions, and this lazy W took full advantage of that.

The night passed without incident until about an hour before dawn. Only one team of Manticores was up at a time, to allow the others to get as much rest as possible, and Debra Valentine's Dragon team were on watch at that time. Debra came over and woke James, tapping him on the foot, and waiting for him to sit up before speaking. "We have a group of Giants coming down the valley."

James got up and grabbed his gear as he followed Debra to the edge of Manticore's perimeter. He took a set of the NVDs from the guard on that side of the camp, and looked down at the valley. (Night Vision Devices. US military speak for any lowlight enhancing thingies. Raven the mostly knowing.)

There was a group of Giants there, going in the same direction Manticore would be going in about an hour, and James sent for the Ranger on duty. When Martin Twofeathers arrived, James handed him the NVDs, silently blessing Jerrick's father, Adrian Clearwater.

Many of the Aurors that worked with Muggles had taken to using some of the Muggle devices, as Wizards could not usually detect their use, and the Aurors had long known about NVDs. NVDs do have one problem, and that is the display, which is entirely in shades of green, allowing movements to be seen, but quite fuzzy about details. The Aurors had created a spell to change the display from green to full color. "What Clan is that?" James asked Martin.

Martin looked through the NVDs, and spoke quietly. "It is the Skydancers, including a Clan Leader, that tall female in front." He continued to watch the Giants as James thought about that.

James frowned as he thought about the map of the Giantlands, comparing their current location with the Clan territories. "Their lands are far to the south and east of here. What are they doing here?"

Martin was still watching the group. "I'm not sure. They wouldn't bring a Clan Leader on a raid, but there are not enough of them for anything else."

James was thinking about the Giant customs that he'd been learning from Blacklegs and Professor Evans. "Could it be an embassy, or delegation of some sort?"

Martin frowned as he thought about it. "It could be, but it would have to be a very important one. Most groups of that nature are ten to fifteen Giants, and there are twenty-five Giants down there. We should look into this." Martin spoke with the years of habits trained into him on the Border.

James grinned at him, hearing the curiosity in his voice as he watched the Giants. "One mission at a time, Ranger. If you want to look into it in four days, I'll let you go."

Martin sighed as he watched the Giants. "They seem to be heading our way," he said, "we should send a team to follow them. We do not need to find out they have stopped for the day on our route."

James hesitated, paranoia warring with caution and fear for the team he would be sending out. "You'll guide the team?" he asked. At Martin's agreement, James sighed. "Will Sonya and two of her team be enough?" Martin nodded again, and James sent one of the Dragons after Sonya.

When she arrived, James showed her the Giants, about to disappear out the end of the valley. "Pay attention," he said, staring at Sonya sternly. "Shadow only. If you are spotted, you will break contact instantly and regroup with us ASAP, is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Sonya said, as she watched the Giants walking around a bend that hid them from sight.

By the time James finished briefing Sonya, Daniel Creevy and Anari Achmed were there, suited up and ready, bringing Sonya's Broomstick and gear with them. The four of them flew after the Giants, after James had one final word with Martin. "Into your hands," he said formally, "I pass three of my kin. Keep them safe."

Martin gave James a half-bow. "I accept your charge. As dear as my skin, I will keep your kin."

James watched them until they were out of sight and went looking for Alexander. Alexander woke when James nudged his foot, and James told him what he'd done. "I have never sent a team off to do a real world mission before, only the training missions. Is it always like this?" James asked, staring off toward the last place he'd seen the small group.

Alexander looked at him. "Let's see, worry for them, some fear, that you have sent them into something too big for them, and a touch of guilt, that you are not there to share their risks, and watch over them? Is that what you mean?" he half asked, half stated.

James looked at him. "That's it exactly."

Alexander sighed as he started to dress for the day. "Yes, it will always be like that. All you can do now, is ask yourself a couple of questions. Did you train them to the best of your ability? Do you believe that they are capable of the mission you sent them on?"

At James' nod, Alexander shrugged. "As long as you can answer those questions affirmatively, there is nothing you can do now, but trust your people."

James was still staring after the team he'd sent out. "I do trust my people, but right now, it doesn't help much."

Alexander smiled thinly as he packed his gear with the ease of long practice. "Good. If you ever stop worrying about your people, you need to step down, and let someone else lead." He sighed. "Of course, by then, you won't give a damn, and you'll be a new problem for us."

James stared at him for a minute, and then slipped away, going to find Tiffany. Tiffany had already packed their gear and had one of the Ranger trail rations waiting for James. "Eat, Teddybear. You're not going to help things by being a grouch."

One of the side effects of the rapid aging of the Soulbond was the energy burned by the couple. As even Wizards knew, when you burned more energy, you had to eat more, to replace that energy. James saw the fact that Tiffany and he had to eat half again what anyone but Hangeld did as a weakness, and had convinced Melissa to keep this fact quiet.

James took the trail ration, thinking about the preparations they'd made for this trip. One of the sticking points between Alexander and James had been about rations. Alexander had wanted to bring just enough rations for the mission, plus one day extra. James had wanted to bring an extra week's worth, just in case. They had finally compromised on three days extra rations. James finished the first of the two fruit and grain bars and started the next while he thought. The mission was already underway, and the preparations that they'd made couldn't be changed now, but thinking about them kept James' mind off of Sonya and her team, out there somewhere in the dark.

He finished the second grain bar and reached for the one he always ate last, a bar of dried meat, similar to jerky, and turned as his hand encountered Tiffany's hand, hiding the bar from him. "I have not had my kiss this morning, and I want it while you still taste of honey."

James smiled at her. "You don't like my kisses anymore? I have to flavor them now?"

Tiffany snuggled close, raising her face for a kiss. "You know better, but the taste of honey reminds me of the letter game."

James' pulse jumped as Tiffany brought up a pastime they indulged in when they had the time and privacy. "Then, by all means, let's remind you."

They spent a few minutes holding each other and kissing, as Melissa watched them with a frown. She'd tried to get them to try an experiment, and been turned down, one of the few times the Soulbonded had rejected learning something new about their bond, but Melissa had been watching them for years now, and she was fairly certain that all the touching they did was in fact, needed, somehow strengthening and renewing the Soulbond.

She couldn't prove it of course, but James was a compulsive worrier, fretting over every detail of everything the Manticores did. Added to that, he was an Alpha personality, who had to be in charge. Put those two facts together, and then place Manticore in hostile territory, where any giant that saw them might attack them, and there is no way he should be willing to stop and cuddle with Tiffany, unless something was driving him to it. Melissa frowned, making another note in her notebook. She wasn't worried about the couple, but this could be a problem if they were forced to remain apart for long.

She turned to her gear and began packing up, reaching out with the Empathy that was the gift of the Healer's talent. Until they started the spell at the Heart of the World, Melissa's sole responsibility was to make sure that none of the Manticores were breaking under the strain of their first real world mission. Rose had not foreseen any of them being unable to handle this, but Professor Evans had warned them that stress could not always been predicted.

He'd been in Chimera's room in the Tower, going over the last minute details with them when the subject came up. "Stress hits some of the strangest people at the strangest times. One person may do twenty missions, and crack on the twenty-first, and others may be great in training, but when it comes down to pulling a trigger that will harm another, they just can't do it, and you'll never know until the moment comes. That is the single biggest problem we have, and it's why we have so many Rangers going with us. I can count on them, and if the worst happens, I have a solid core of fighters that have been blooded already."

James looked at him. "Surely you trust Chimera to do what needs to be done."

Professor Evans had spent a minute examining the eight people before him. "You and Rose have done a couple of things that make me fairly certain that you will act, but I can't say that about the rest yet, and Melissa won't kill, because of her Clan rules."

The eight of them looked at each other. Melissa sighed. "I think the prophecy will make sure we do what is needed."

Alexander had looked at her, smiling wryly. "Pardon me if I prefer to put my trust in more material things, and Ranger skills. You may or may not be protected by the prophecy until the start of the war, but the rest of us are not even mentioned, and don't have that privilege."

Melissa came out of the memory as her ring vibrated with the wake up call for Manticore, and she looked over at her companions. Melissa had to smile as both of them sat up simultaneously. "Good morning Rose, May-ling," she said in an overly bright voice, smiling at her friends. Melissa was usually up early, while Rose and May-ling were less eager to start the day. They were not as bad as Lisa was about getting up, but they didn't like it much.

Two sets of green eyes turned her way, and regarded her blearily. May-ling turned to Rose. "You had to pair us up with a morning person, didn't you?"

"It was either her or James and Tiffany, and do you want to be next to them all night?" Rose said as she sat up and began getting ready for the day.

May-ling thought about that. "Not really, no."

By the time the sun rose, Manticore was packed and ready to go. As the convoy lifted off, James called Sonya. "Hydra one, this is Chimera one."

James smiled in relief as Sonya's voice came back quickly. "Chimera one, this is Hydra one, go ahead." Sonya was nearly five kilometers away, carefully following the group of Giants that had passed through the valley just before dawn, and she was certain she knew where they were going. She had also been expecting James' call, as the Manticores should be moving out right about now, and James would be wanting to know what was going on, and when they would rejoin the rest of the Manticores.

James was watching as Unicorn took the point and led the other teams out of the grove they had stopped in. If everything went well today, Manticore would be in the Valley of the Union by nightfall. Right now, he was far more worried about the four people that weren't here. "Hydra one, give me a SITREP please." (SITREP; Situation Report. Raven.)

"Roger that, Chimera one. SITREP follows. The giants have turned toward the new giant village in Valley 240, and are about to enter that valley. When they do, we will break off and rejoin the main body. ETA the valley, ten minutes." She paused to observe the terrain around them, comparing it to the map. "Scout one will rejoin you near ridge 19, ASAP."

James checked his map, marking the position of the small ridgeline they would be skirting in about thirty minutes. "Roger that Hydra one, CYA." (CYA; Cover your a$$. Not an official military acronym, it's still a common one. Raven, who is fast learning far too much military lingo.)

"Always, Chimera one. Hydra one out."

Manticore was moving a bit slower this morning as the fog in the valleys they were using was decreasing visibility. Hydra linked up with them, and Sonya sent her two back to join the rest of Hydra while she reported to James. James listened to her report and smiled. He tossed her three of the Snickers bars and told her, "share those with your team for a job well done."

Sonya grinned. "You mean I don't get to keep them all?" She threw James a salute as she flew off to rejoin her team.

Martin was looking at James with a quiet smile. "Hey, I brought your kin back safely, don't I get one?" James looked at him, and tossed him one as well. Manticore made good time once the fog burned off for the day, until Unicorn reported a group of Giants crossing their path. Manticore went to ground, hiding and waiting for the Giants to pass, and lost an hour's fight time, which caused them to reach the Valley of the Union just after dark.

Manticore set up a hasty perimeter while James, Mercy, Sonya, and Alexander surveyed the valley. Those decided where they would place each team, and came back. James briefed the team leaders on their places, and which teams he wanted where.

By 2130, all of the linked teams were in place. Sphinx and Hydra had the southern valley entrance, and Griffon and Dragon were the QRF, or quick reaction force. It was their job to reinforce which team needed them, in case something happened that the team on the perimeter couldn't deal with on their own. The last two teams, Unicorn and Pegasus had the northern entrance of the valley. Chimera and Phoenix didn't have positions yet, as their positions would be determined by the actual location of the Heart of the World. A couple of digging spells had the fighting positions of the teams that were digging in finished in no time at all. Commonly called foxholes, each position had cover and concealment for two people.

With the addition of some invisibility spells, you could walk within three meters of one of the positions and not even know it was there. Manticore settled in for the night, getting the last bit of rest they would get until after the Heart of the World was gone.

The next morning, the team leaders, under Wolfpack's supervision, carefully set out the final layer of defense Manticore had brought along. The US Military had been using the Claymore mine for decades, and the addition of a bit of magic only increased its effectiveness. Slightly more than half a kilogram of C4 explosive in a slightly curved casing, it also had seven hundred and fifty steel pellets that was deadly out to fifty meters and capable of causing injury within two hundred and fifty meters. Each of the four team leaders on the perimeter placed six of the mines.

They had their defenses in place by ten, and James started sending a scout team out, half of one of the QRF teams. They would patrol around the valley out to about ten kilometers, providing an early warning system.

Everything was going well, until just after noon. James was walking around, inspecting the positions and talking to the Manticores when his ring sounded. "Chimera one, this is Scout one."

James frowned as he answered the ring. "Scout one, this Chimera one, go ahead." This couldn't be good. The other Chimeras began drifting up, waiting to hear what the scouts had to say.

"Chimera one, we have a visual on a group of giants, inbound to the valley. There are two Clan Leaders, Two Shamans, and four Elemental Mages, one for each element, and twelve others of lesser standing." Ariel Fairstone was leading this group of scouts, which James gave silent thanks for. Conor McCloud was a good team leader, but he was occasionally a little rash. He wouldn't attack the giants, but he might take his team in too close, trying to get a better look. "There are two Clans represented here, the Skydancers and the Stonebenders. ETA the valley, forty-five minutes."

James thought about that for a minute. "Scout one, break away, and regroup. Chimera one out."

James gathered the team leaders and told them what the scouts had seen. "Chimera and I will deal with this, and I want all of your people out of sight. I want to have hidden reserves until we find out what they are here for, and if they're violent."

Manticore went to their positions, covering them with invisibility spells and settling in to wait. James, Tiffany, and Sonya waited for Mercy and Alexander to get there, and James explained what he wanted to do, after filling Alexander in on the approaching giants.

Alexander frowned. "Two clan leaders and shamans? With four mages? Something important is going on to have that many giants of those ranks coming. I wonder if they know that the Heart of the World is coming somehow?"

James shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know how to find out."

Alexander considered James' plan. "It's a little risky, but it might work, if they are curious enough." He thought about it some more. "On the other hand, with them coming here, the only other choices we have are to capture and hold them, or kill them outright, and either of those choices would result in the Clans swearing blood feud, and that would be worse."

"My thinking exactly," James said, "and we might need them in the times to comes."

James, Tiffany, Sonya, and Alexander crossed into the area covered by Sphinx and Hydra, and waited for the giants. Mercy was slightly further back, hidden in a small hollow until they determined if the giants would be hostile or not.

It was not long before the giants could be heard, moving through the forest, and not long after that, the first giant stepped out of the woods. He paused to look around, and James took a good look at the first giant he'd ever seen up close.

It was a male giant, standing just over seven and half meters tall, and dressed in leather armour that closely resembled the Ranger leathers. He was carrying a spear in one hand and had a sword strapped to his side. James was still trying to read the symbols and marking on his leathers when Sonya murmured in his ear.

"A border guard of the Stonebender Clan, with eleven battles and four single combats to his name. He's young, unmated yet, and considered a mid grade warrior." Sonya was a borderer, having grown up on the borders of the human and giant lands, and reading the markings on the leathers was as simple as reading a scroll to her. That her mother, father, and stepfather were all Rangers didn't hurt either.

The giant saw them, and called something over his shoulder as the other members of his group stepped out of the forest. The other giants were also dressed in leathers, except for four, dressed in the robes of Elemental Mages, and the two that James assumed were the clan leaders, as they had on long chain mail tunics, that came nearly to their knees.

The two groups surveyed each other for a minute, and then James and Sonya lifted off, staying about five meters off the ground and moving forward until they were about ten meters from the giants. James made sure that his hands were in plain sight, showing that he was not holding a weapon, and he spoke to the group, looking at the two giants in chain mail. "I would rest, and discuss matters with you. I am but passing through your lands, and would exchange songs with you."

The giants watched James and Sonya, and the two giants in chain mail looked at each other. James watched them carefully, knowing that they would make the decisions here, and he blinked suddenly. James had seen that look a thousand times or more. "Tiffany, is it my imagination, or do they have the look of people using the linkspeech?"

Tiffany's answer came back, after she spoke to Alexander. "I agree, they do look like that, and Alexander thinks so as well."

James waited patiently for the response. Unlike the giants that had joined Voldemort, the clans were intelligent, and they had customs dating back centuries. One of those customs was that they did not hurry often. In speaking to a giant of one of the clans, quick answers were considered an insult, showing the giant you were talking to that you did not think their words were worth thinking about.

James took this time to examine the Clan leaders more carefully. The female was a Skydancer, and unmated, but promised according to her leathers, and she had fifteen battles to her name, as well as seven single combats. She stood a full seven meters tall, with brown hair and eyes.

The Stonebender leader was male, and closer to eight meters tall, with a wide chest and muscles that pushed his leathers and chain mail out. He carried an iron bound mace, in counterpoint to the female's sword. He had twelve battles and five single combats to his name.

The male Stonebender spoke after he finished looking at the giantess. "Your request is fair. I would know why you are here, in our lands at this time."

James waited, thinking about just how he wanted to phrase this. (Right. I'm not going to mention the pauses anymore; you can just imagine a two to three minute pause between each speaker. Raven the hasty.) "I have meat and salt. Will you partake, and share songs?"

The giants agreed, and James motioned the rest of his party forward. As he did so, he sent back a hand sign for Mercy to approach. The giants looked around when Mercy came out of the hollow, trying to see if there were any more humans about.

Mercy laid out a cloth, and placed some meat on it. Taking out her wand, she cast the spell "Engorgio", returning the meat to its original size. They had planned for this; just in case they did get to talk to any giants, and the meat had been shrunk for the same reason people shrunk their trunks, to make them easier to carry. She also placed a bowl of salt, large enough for the giants to use, filled nearly to the brim.

Mercy bowed, first to the giants, and then to her party as giant custom dictated, before withdrawing as silently as she'd come. Alexander was watching the giants, and noticed the Skydancer female looking at the patches on the Manticore uniforms. James and Tiffany were wearing the same patch of course, but everyone else the giants had seen so far was wearing a different patch.

"Shall we sit and talk?" James said, waiting for the Clan leaders to sit before his party sat down. He took a bit of salt and sprinkled it on the meat before him. "I share meat and salt."

The giants did the same, and everyone at the cloth took a bite of the meat before them. James waited, knowing that the giants would speak first, as was their right. James was far less worried about this meeting now. Sharing meat and salt was another of the Clan customs, and with the sharing, both sides had agreed not to harm the other side for a period of six hours after they finished talking. Of course, Manticore had to be here for seventy-five hours, but this was a start.

"I am Treebreaker, and my companion is Shadowstalker," the male giant finally said. "Might I know how you are called?"

James nodded. "I am called Moondancer, and my companions are Greeneyes, Blade and Hydra."

The two giants looked at each other, and this time James and Tiffany were certain that they had a link of some sort. As they discussed it, Rose spoke to James. "James, Eagle says that is the Skydancer female that he and Sonya tracked near valley 240 a couple of days ago."

Before James could answer her, Treebreaker spoke again. "I know of you, Blade. The Riverwalker Clan still sings of your actions."

The flash of pain in Alexander's eyes was quickly hidden as he looked at Treebreaker. "Well do I remember the Riverwalkers. They were wrong in what they tried to do, but the attempt was honorably done, and valiant."

Six months before the end of the Voldemort war, the Riverwalker Clan had become the only clan of giants to join Voldemort, and they did it not for belief in anything Voldemort was saying but because he promised them the Magicrystal mines in Drakenoir. They had made their attempt to overrun Drakenoir, but Alexander, Martin and another Ranger known as Sable had rallied the people of Drakenoir and held the town through three days of heavy fighting, until reinforcements could arrive.

The fighting had created several songs. Blade had faced a double hand of giants in single combat, and he was here to talk about it. Sable stood as the only woman to face three giants at once, and walk away from it. The three of them, along with twenty-six scared civilians, had held out against an entire clan for seventy-seven hours, and given rise to a dozen songs in the process.

The clan leaders asked Alexander a couple of questions about Drakenoir, and then looked at the others. "You we do not know," Shadowstalker said to Hydra, "although your leathers name a fine lineage."

Sonya bowed slightly. "My parents have such names as to make me doubt I can grow into them."

They looked at Tiffany and James next, and James had the feeling that the giants knew about their link as well. "You have the look of Blade, but we know you not."

James smiled slightly. "I am of Blade's line, and all of us are his students in the ways of the Ranger, but my Mate is only slightly related to him, being of the Lightning marked one's line."

The giants looked at each other again, and James spoke to Rose. "Sister mine, are Tiffany and I going crazy? Tell me you think they have a link as well."

Rose's answer came quickly, even as James could feel her talking to May-ling. "If you're going crazy, James, May-ling and I will meet you there because we both think they have a link also. I think it's a tight link as well, allowing speech, and I would love to know what kind of link it is."

Shadowstalker was watching James, and he had the sudden thought that she was thinking the same thing about him, that he was thinking about her. She spoke, in a musical soprano that sounded deeper, simply because of the sheer size of the person it came from. "Truly, the song that brings you here will be a long and glorious one. Will you share this tale with us, that we might say we were there, in the start of this song?"

James looked at them. "It is a long song, and until it is finished, none may say how long it will be remembered, if it is even sung at all." He looked at Tiffany, asking Rose and Melissa about these two giants.

"Sorry, brother mine," came Rose's soft reply. "You'll have to use your own judgment here. The spell and Sphinx's knot have the future paths so knotted that I cannot see anything at all. Melissa says that they are as honorable as any giant she's ever heard of."

James sighed and looked at the giants. "Three years ago, Greeneyes and I met, and Soulbonded."

The two giants sat up straighter. "You are truly Kal'drath?" Kal'drath was a giant term, which translated roughly to "One person in two bodies", although it meant far more than that.

James nodded. "We are, and in that fact lies the seed of our song." James told them about the aging of the Soulbond, and how the Book of Life seemed to offer hope. "Here then, is the crux of the matter. Tonight at sunset, the final element we need for this spell will appear in this valley. The Heart of the World is coming here."

The two giants hissed in surprise. "The Earthstone comes here? Great tidings this."

James explained about the requirement that he and Tiffany be touching the Heart of the World during the spell.

"I see," said Treebreaker, "that does explain why you are here, and should you lay hands on the Earthstone and live, it will be a matter for song indeed. No one has ever touched the Earthstone and survived with their minds intact."

James and Tiffany looked at each other. There had not been anything in the Book of Life about insanity, or danger in touching the Heart of the World. James turned back to the giants. "Such as that may be, we shall try it, for we have a task ahead of us that may take more years than the Soulbond allows. That tale though, is for another time. Might we inquire what bring so many names to the valley?"

Treebreaker started talking. "It has been many years since our Clans started, and those years have been good. Two years ago, the Elders decided that it was time to spread out, and mix the blood of the Skydancers with the Stonebenders. To facilitate this, a gathering was held of both clans, and the Mages cast a spell, seeking those who would be best for the new clan, as we have done for centuries."

Alexander looked up. "The new village, south of here is the first village of the new clan."

Shadowstalker took up the story. "It is, and we shall go there after we have been mated. Fifteen generations of Stonebenders have been mated here, in the Valley of the Union, and my beloved asked that we be mated here, before we left for the new lands. Since the Sitka did not seem to care, we came."

Alexander and Sonya looked at each other, and then back at Shadowstalker. "Pardon me," Sonya said thoughtfully, "but I do not recognize that term. What is a Sitka?"

Shadowstalker frowned, and her pause was long even for those of the giant blood. "It is a gift, and a spell. It is a curse, and a blessing. When a new clan is started, its very survival depends on good leaders. Without good leadership in those first few years, a clan can be destroyed in many ways. Eight Elemental Mages and four Shamans get all the people of the new clan together, and cast a spell over them all. When they finish, each person of the clan must look at each other person."

Shadowstalker looked at Treebreaker with a quiet smile. "The ones that can best lead the clan in its early years will be connected, able to speak and know what the other wants. This way, the new clan leaders are not separated by misunderstandings or malice."

Treebreaker reached out and placed his hand on Shadowstalker's shoulder. "It is not always given that those chosen are compatible, but over the last two years, we have grown close, and I asked her to Mate with me before we left for the new lands."

He looked at the humans. "We will, barring any unforeseen problems, have a nice village next year, and the beginnings of a good clan in three years."

The group sat and talked awhile longer, exchanging news, and then the giants excused themselves to go to the small grove of trees that was the site of the Mating Circle.

James gathered Chimera, Alexander, Sonya, and Mercy for a long talk. "I note," he said, "That there was no mention of a peace between us. Ideas, anyone?"

Alexander frowned. "That was odd. They didn't even mention it, as if they hadn't even considered it necessary."

Sonya smirked at them all. "Hello… doesn't anyone remember Giant Mating Customs 101?"

Alexander groaned. "It has been too long since I attended a giant ritual. Yes, I forgot."

James looked at Adam. "I understand what you mean, when you have to stop and ask what something is." Adam was the only Muggleborn wizard in this group, and he quite often had to be filled in about some Wizard thing he'd never heard of. James looked at Sonya. "Would you mind reminding us about whatever we seem to forgotten?"

Sonya grinned. "A Bonding party may not cause violence. They may defend themselves, but they can't start it."

James smiled. "That's good for us, since I wasn't planning on starting anything while we were here." He looked at Sonya and grinned. "I was going to tell everyone at the same time, and most of them should have figured it out already, but you are going to be in charge of Manticore while Chimera is busy."

Sonya sighed. "I knew it. Do I get a ROE, or do I get to make it up as I go?" (Yet more milspeak, Rules of Engagement are the rules laid down by the chain of command for a group's actions before, during, and after combat regarding the treatment of OPFOR, civilians, and others.)

James sobered. "We'll be discussing that before the Heart of the World gets here."

Tension rose in the Manticores as they waited. They trusted Rose and James, but the Book of Life was another story. If the Heart of the World appeared at sundown tonight, then the rest of the book was probably true as well, but no one had the faintest idea yet if the Earthstone would appear or not.

Everything was ready by four in the afternoon, and James was talking to the team leaders, setting the rules he wanted them to follow while he was busy. "You all know your jobs. Sonya is in charge, and I expect all of you to back her up as needed. Jerrick is running Phoenix, and Mercy and May-ling will be with us. Wolfpack will be in the perimeter somewhere, and you need to remind your people about the giants. We are their guests, and they can't start any trouble anyway, so y'all just leave them alone. If they talk to you, be polite, but don't tell them anything about Manticore. Refer them to Sonya."

James looked at the sun when he was finished. It was just a finger's width above the horizon, and the Heart of the World should be showing up soon. James sank into the meditation that allowed him to touch the Manticores he was linked to. He found a lot of tension, but surprisingly little fear.

He came out of the meditation to find three sets of green eyes regarding him impishly.

Rose: "Checking on the children?"

Tiffany: "Did you leave a number with the babysitter?"

May-ling: "Is everything ok, Mommy?"

James stared at them as Alexander and Chimera laughed. "Wolfpack one, did you ever get this much grief when you led?"

James's uncle grinned at him. "No, but I never invaded the Giantlands with my wife and sisters either."

James stared at Rose. "I seem to recall," he said thoughtfully, "that I wasn't given a choice. I seem to recall mention of me being here in chains if necessary."

Rose shrugged, unrepentant. "We're doing all the work, brother mine. You just have to stand in front of the Heart of the World, touching it."

As Rose finished her statement, the sun slid below the horizon and the feel of the valley changed. Chimera, Phoenix, and Wolfpack watched in awe as a massive cylinder of rock appeared in the center of the valley. It was ten meters high and five meters wide, a solid block of some strange black stone with red streaks running nearly straight up and down the monolith. The Heart of the World radiated magic as a bonfire radiates heat, and all across the valley, everyone knew that the Earthstone had arrived, even the giants and Alexander.

James stared at it for a minute, and then looked at Rose. "Somehow, I don't think our part is going to be all that easy," he said, sobered by the presence of something that had existed before any recorded history. Looking at the Heart of the World, Rose had to agree.

Phoenix began setting up their perimeter around the monolith as Chimera assembled for their task. James pulled Mercy and May-ling over to one side. "Mercy, you know your job, and May-ling, take care of them for me."

May-ling hugged James. "You just make sure you take care of yourself. I have just gotten used to having a brother again."

Hangeld and Emma were going to be the first two casters. They had to start casting at the same time James and Tiffany put their hands on the stone. Rose was going to synchronize them all, using the link. Hangeld and Emma took their positions while James and Tiffany stepped up within touching distance of the Heart of the World. This close to the mystical rock, the magic it held was nearly a physical pressure on them, and they looked at each other.

James turned, about to say something, but Rose merely held up a pair of handcuffs. James smiled slightly. "Interesting hobby you have there, Sister mine. Is there something you're not telling me?" Rose blinked, and then carefully, deliberately, stuck her tongue out at James.

Rose sobered, and looked at her brother, and then the rest of Chimera. "Let's get started." The five of them meshed, allowing Rose to control the link. She started a countdown. "On my mark, five, four, three, two, one, Mark."

On the signal, James and Tiffany placed their hands on the warm stone as Hangeld and Emma began the chant that was their part of the ritual.

As the Soulbonded touched the Earthstone, Chimera froze, and only Rose's control of the link kept Emma from breaking her chant off as James and Tiffany disappeared from the links and from sight. A few seconds passed as Chimera realized that James and Tiffany were still there, but separate somehow, as if some force shielded them from touch or sight.

Chimera watched the ritual for a while, while Mercy made dinner for the Chimeras that were not casting, and then bullied them into bed. Over the next three days, each of them would spend twenty-four hours casting in two-hour blocks, and Mercy was certain that they would need all the rest they could get.

Out at the valley entrance, Sonya got the word that the ritual had started, and passed it to Manticore. She walked around the Manticore positions, double-checking everything. She had run Hydra since before the link, but suddenly being responsible for all of Manticore and what they did was vastly different.

As she toured the foxholes, she saw a few of the giants come out of the grove, and she went to meet them. Treebreaker and Shadowstalker had the Shamans and the Mages with them, and they all wanted to see the Earthstone. Sonya escorted them to the center of the valley, and took her first look at the Heart of the World. She frowned as she looked at it, looking around for Mercy. "Where are James and Tiffany? I thought they were going to be touching that thing."

Mercy looked at the stone, and then at Sonya. "They are, or so Chimera tells me. When they touched it, they just disappeared, but Chimera says they're still right here, and since none of them are showing signs of Linkshock, I'll have to take their word for that."

Sonya nodded in understanding. If any members of a link got too far apart, or something happened to one of them, the other members of that link would be affected. Sonya introduced Mercy, Jerrick, and May-ling to the giants. The giants stared at the Earthstone for a few minutes and then had to leave to start their own ritual.

The next twenty-four hours passed slowly, but without incident. Mercy, Sonya and May-ling met as the first day of the ritual passed. Sonya looked at Mercy, seeing the signs of very little sleep. "How is the ritual going?"

"They're doing well so far," Mercy said, "but the last day will be the problem. Four hours is simply not enough time to recover completely, and they're beginning to show signs of fatigue." Each of the Chimeras was casting for two hours, and then resting for four hours, while the other two pairs did their casting. Mercy continued, "Emma and Hangeld aren't as strong as the others, and if they start having problems, we'll have to pull them out, which will only increase the strain on the others. If it gets too bad, we may have to use May-ling, pairing her with Rose so they can use their Twinlink to cast."

Sonya went back to the Manticores and turned them over to Daniel while she got some sleep. The rest of Manticore was sleeping in shifts, with one person in four up at all times. The two QRF teams were still running patrols, and as dawn broke on the second day, Sonya switched them out with the teams at the northern edge of the valley, to keep the mission from becoming too routine.

Sonya was beginning to relax, about ten in the morning of the second day, when her ring sounded. "Hydra one, this is Scout one. We have a group of giants inbound your location. There are twenty-six of them, with unknown Clans symbols and they are heavily armed."

Sonya swore to herself. "I should have known better," she muttered. She got a verbal description of the Clan symbols from the scout, and recalled them to camp. She went looking for Alexander with a puzzled frown on her face. She told him about the new giants, and described the Clan markings. "I don't know those markings," she said, "unless they are the markings of Shadowstalker and Treebreaker's new Clan."

Alexander admitted he'd never seen these markings either, and the two borderers went to the grove where the Giant were performing the ceremony. They asked to speak to Treebreaker, as his Clan owned this area, and when he arrived, they told him about the new giants and the Clan markings.

Treebreaker thought for a few minutes, and shook his head. "I know of no Clan that uses or ever used those markings. They are strong markings, naming the Clan the Firestarters." He frowned, looking at Sonya. "That is not a Clan I know. What are your intentions toward these people?"

"I plan," Sonya said, "to keep them out of this valley until all the rituals are done, since they are not guests at our rituals. If I can do that without bloodshed, I will."

Treebreaker looked at her. "And if you cannot keep them out of the Valley of the Union without bloodshed?"

Sonya stared at him. "Then I will unleash these friends of mine, to create songs that will long be remembered." She grinned mirthlessly. "I am asking if you would like to watch. This is your land."

Treebreaker shook his head. "I cannot. The ritual proceeds apace, and I must be there for all the rest of it. I will send you another in my place."

Sonya nodded. "Of course. I believe you are wise enough to send one who can observe without interfering."

Treebreaker smiled faintly as he was politely asked to send a giant that would stay quiet and out of the way during the fighting. The two of them finished their agreement, and Treebreaker headed back to the grove.

Sonya reached with the link, "Daniel, I need you to go to the grove and meet a giant. I don't know which one, but bring him to me, and I'll find a place for him to observe from."

She acknowledged his reply as she flew back to the valley entrance and looked around. "QRF, I need you to join me at point Alpha, soonest." Sonya continued to examine the terrain as she waited for the QRF, which was currently Dragon and Griffon. When they arrived, she explained what she wanted them to do.

When she was done and they had left, she felt a familiar presence. "Sonya, I have the giant observer," said Daniel.

Sonya turned to see Daniel being dwarfed by possibly the biggest giant Sonya had ever seen. She looked up and read the honors on his leathers. Sonya blinked, and read them again. This giant was a Warleader, veteran of more than fifty battles, with more combat honors than Sonya had seen on any one person ever. She bowed to him. "I am Hydra, of the Moondancer Clan, and it would add luster to my name to know you."

The giant stared at her for a minute. "Shadowstalker said that you were young, but I did not know that the Rangers were recruiting children these days."

Sonya blinked, shocked by his insult, until she saw a familiar gleam in his eye. Her Godfather often had the same look, when he was teasing her, or trying to get her upset about nothing. "They had to," she said earnestly, "since the older fighters are getting senile."

The giant smiled at Sonya. "I like you. Your Godfather was right, you'll be a song to remember."

Sonya nodded, and made a mental note to question her Godfather about who else he had been talking to about her. She took the giant over to the position she chosen for him and left him there. It wasn't until she was calling the rest of the Manticores that she realized she hadn't even gotten his name. "Alpha point units, when the OPFOR gets here, I want them all in the open before we do anything. I will open the fighting, and I want magic only unless you have to use the Muggle weapons. Remember the ROE, people, and take care of yourself and each other."

Sonya went back to her position and spent the next few minutes reviewing her plans. She didn't want to start a fight if she could help it, but she also was not going to let a single Manticore be hurt if she could help it. All she could do now was wait and see how the giants that were coming acted.

She didn't have to wait long as the sounds of the giants walking through the forest soon heralded their approach. The first giant stepped out of the woods, and Sonya made her mind up on the spot. The giant already had his sword in his hands, and he was looking around. Sonya was glad her people were all under invisibility and silencing spells, because the posture and body language of this giant said he was looking for a fight.

He started up the valley and Sonya raised her ring again. "On my command, we're starting the song." Sonya was getting excited, and slipped into the Borderer talk she had been raised with. "May your songs be long."

Sonya pointed her wand at the first giant, watching as more giants came out of the woods. An electric tension swept over the Manticores, and despite the fact that the giants couldn't see them, everyone crouched a little lower as Team leaders used the links to assign targets to their teams.

Sonya was waiting for most of the giants to be in range of the spells of Manticore, and took a second to sneak a look at her watch. She rather thought James might like to know that Manticore's first battle would start at 1600, on Midsummer's day. She looked back at the giants, counting them. The scouts had said there were twenty-six of them, and there were that many in sight.

Sonya sighted on the first giant, took a deep breath, and cast Manticore's first combat spell, shouting it out. She was the only person not covered with a silencing spell, since her spell was the signal for the others to start fighting. "Consto vita liquidus," she chanted, holding her wand on the first giant. Her spell stopped the flow of blood through the giant's neck, acting similarly to the chokehold. Sonya watched as the giant staggered, and released her spell as he started to fall.

Around the giants, curses and hexes flew, as twenty-four Manticores opened up from hiding. Stunning spells, impedimenta, and freezing charms crossed the space. The giants were caught flat-footed, and almost a third of them were down before they could react. Manticore was coordinating their attacks, and with every team responsible for a particular area, there was very little confusion about where anyone was supposed to be firing. The team leaders had designated two of their people to cast together, and with two or more people ganging up on one giant, they were falling quickly.

Sonya watched her target fall, and looked around for another one, only to find that all the giants were down. Acting on a reflex drilled into her by years of training, she raised her ring. "Team leaders, status report." She already knew that Hydra was fine of course, and she smiled as the other three team leaders reported that their teams were unharmed as well. She looked at her watch and was surprised to find that only four minutes had passed.

She looked at the giants again, and told the QRF teams to secure them. She went to check on her guest, dropping the invisibility spells on them both. "A most impressive display," he rumbled, looking over at where the Manticores were securing the captured giants with more rope than even a giant could break.

"Sonya," came the voice of Ron Stone, "You and your friend may want to come over here and look at this."

Sonya looked at the large giant. "Before we do that, it would be easier if I knew your name."

"I am known as Longstrider, Hydra. May our songs be in harmony." The two of them walked over to where Ron stood over a giant.

"Look at these Clan Markings," Ron said, "they're different than the others."

"I know this woman," said Longstrider in surprise. "She is of the Stonebender Clan, and is called Iceheart."

Sonya frowned. "Why is she here, with these others?"

"That, I do not know. What are you intentions for the captured prizes?" asked Longstrider.

Sonya thought about that for a minute. When a giant captured a giant, the usual thing was to either kill them outright, or ransom them back to their Clan. Manticore didn't have the resources to keep the prisoners, but killing them while they lay helpless was out of the question entirely. As she thought about it, the female at their feet began to wake up. She struggled silently with her bonds, but the ropes held.

"Longstrider, would you ask your Clanswoman what this is all about?" Sonya switched the two QRF teams with the two teams at the far end of the valley, and made sure everyone went back to the interrupted security plan, with one person in two up.

Longstrider was questioning the female in the giant language, and Sonya waited patiently, knowing it was not good by the malice in the female's voice. Longstrider finally turned to Sonya. "This one is obsessed with Treebreaker, and with leading the new Clan at his side. She left the clan after the Sitka, and in her wanderings, she found these beings. They offered her another path to power. She planned to stop the ceremony and killing Shadowstalker. They would have killed Treebreaker as well, unless he agreed to marry Iceheart and accept these others into the new Clan."

Sonya nodded thoughtfully, watching the female struggle with her bonds. "This one," she said, indicating Iceheart, "is not mine to deal with. She is of your clan, and offers violence to her Clan leaders. By law she is Treebreaker's meat."

Longstrider nodded and said he would send a couple of the giants to collect Iceheart. "I am certain that Treebreaker and Shadowstalker will want to question her."

Sonya made arraignments for Jerrick to watch the questioning of Iceheart while she tried to figure out what she was going to do with the giants they had captured. She remembered something Harry had done when the Voldemort War had started to turn against Voldemort and smiled. A couple of tweaks, and it would work here as well.

Sonya watched as Longstrider returned with two giants, who took Iceheart away. Jerrick had come down to Alpha point while Longstrider was getting the giants and he went with them. Sonya looked at Longstrider. "I would ask for a favor, and if we can come to acceptable terms, these beings will be yours, but only for ransoming back to their own."

Longstrider looked at her. "I will listen, but Treebreaker will make the decision."

Sonya nodded, having expected no less. "I will give you these beings for ransom, if you make sure that the song of Manticore's first battle is spread far and wide." Sonya grinned. "I would have everyone know that in our first battle, we captured all of the enemy, without even a lose or injury on our side."

Longstrider scratched his chin, looking out at the giants. "You ask for very little. Ransom could mean many things, including future favors."

Sonya gestured at the giants lying there. "These beings will not stop struggling, as long as they are in the hands of humans, but they know that you will ransom them properly, with minor loss of honor. I do not have the resources to guard them, but you do. I ask that all know of our feat is all."

Longstrider looked down at her. "And their equipment? Is that for us as well?"

Sonya was about to say yes, when she saw the gleam in Longstrider's eyes. She stopped and thought. Longstrider nudged her memory a little. "You have done everything you should, if you're not a Warleader."

Sonya frowned. She'd never really paid that much attention to the songs of the Warleaders, figuring it would be many years before she earned that title. She looked at the giants again, seeing the one that she had opened the battle with, the first one to fall. She felt a glow of pride, in herself and the Manticores, and that was when she remembered what she had to do.

"I need a memento, something to mark this occasion." Sonya stood up. "I know what I want, too." She crossed over to the first giant, and examined him. She looked at the nearly three-meter length of his sword and nodded. It was a well-made sword, and would be a suitable trophy for Manticore.

Longstrider stood beside her. "Is that your trophy, or your people's?"

Sonya looked up puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Longstrider bent down and unhooked a human sized sword that the giant was using for a dagger. "Three times in your life will you be expected to take a trophy, Warleader. After your first battle as Warleader, after your first victory as Warleader, and one other, which we will not speak of now. I believe you have met both of those conditions today." He handed Sonya the weapon he'd finished taking from the giant. "Once, long ago, this was the weapon of the Ranger called Cutter."

Sonya cradled the sword in her arms, staring at it with a touch of awe. Patrick "Cutter" O'Neill was a Ranger legend. He had been the finest fighter ever to walk the Borders, having been defeated only in his one hundred and eightieth single combat, at the age of sixty-two. "I believe that would be a suitable trophy for you, Hydra. Few are the Warleaders that have such opening songs, and most of them went on to have long songs."

Sonya transfigured the giant's sheathe into a baldric, and slipped the sword into it. She put the sword on, and looked at Longstrider. "This sword will be Manticore's trophy, and I shall choose another."

Longstrider looked at her. "Why then do you put it on?"

Sonya blushed, looking at the ground. "Cutter's sword does not deserve to be carried in a sack, which is what the Phoenix team would do with it, if I gave it to them. They don't understand about swords."

As Sonya finished speaking, she realized that the sword and baldric she had put on were glowing a faint blue and shrinking to fit her tightly. She tried to drop it, but couldn't reach the buckle now.

"I believe," Longstrider said with a smile, "that you might find it a little harder to put that sword down that it was to pick up."

Sonya closed her eyes, having already figured out what she'd done. "Please tell me, that this is not one of the bloody Keep-me swords."

Alexander and Martin had been searching nearby bodies, and Alexander looked up at Sonya's slightly louder comment. He came over and looked at the sword she was still trying to remove. Sonya got the sword and baldric off, and looked at it. The two borderers examined the sword, and Blade looked at Sonya. "When we get back to Hogwarts, I'll start teaching you to use Savignon."

Sonya closed her eyes. "I don't want to know how to use it, I want to know how to get rid of it," she said, staring at Professor Evans.

He shrugged. "Your defeat by combat, the end of your song, or the destruction of Savignon are the only ways anyone has ever found to free someone from one of Fire Worker's swords."

Sonya sighed and rubbed her eyes, only to freeze at Blade's next comment. "Since you cannot be Challenged until you are an adult, I won't let you destroy that sword, and I don't think you're willing to end your song, you will be getting lessons in how to use it, because if you think I'm going to let you walk around with a weapon you don't know how to use for two years, you're completely insane."

Sonya looked at her new sword, and sighed. It looked as though she was going to have a companion for a while at least. This was going to complicate her life no end. Borderers would understand about a sword, but somehow Sonya didn't think the rest of the Wizard world would find it appropriate for a fifteen-year-old girl to be walking around with a sword over her shoulder.

Longstrider gave Sonya a half-bow. "It is a fine weapon, Hydra. May your songs be long and glorious." He went to talk to Treebreaker about her plan for the prisoners, and Sonya levitated the giant sword that she had chosen for Manticore, starting toward the Phoenix positions.

At Phoenix's position, she found May-ling and explained what she'd done. May-ling had been cursed for over two thousand years and knew more about curses than anyone else.

May-ling examined the sword for barely fifteen minutes. "I'm sorry Sonya," she said sympathetically, "but Professor Evans was correct. The only way you can get rid of this sword now are to lose in Challenge, die, or destroy the sword. I will check again when we get back to Hogwarts, but there is nothing anyone can do right now." Sonya frowned but nodded, and headed over to the Heart of the World to talk to Mercy.

Mercy finished preparing for the next shift change over and Sonya got a report on the Chimeras casting the spell. Most of them had simply laid down on their sleeping bags, too tired to bother crawling inside, and Emma wasn't even on hers, having fallen asleep eating after her last shift. Mercy was worried. "We may have to use May-ling and Rose if we lose too many of the Chimeras. Emma is not going to make it the full seventy-two hours, and I don't think Hangeld or Lisa will either. We might have to pair Adam with Melissa and Rose with May-ling for the last part of tomorrow."

Sonya sighed. "Right. You're in charge, Mercy. We trust you to get them through this." Sonya was about to say something else when she was called back to Alpha point.

She returned to find Longstrider and the guards they'd brought waiting for her. "Treebreaker says that we will take this beings off of your hands, and spread the tale of Hydra and the Manticores far and wide. He does not believe that the price is fair though, and asks if you will accept this as the rest of our debt for these beings." Longstrider handed her a small pouch, made even smaller by his hands.

Sonya opened the pouch and looked inside. She gasped, and drew out the jewel inside. It was a ruby, delicately carved in the shape of a half opened Briar Rose, and it was exquisite. It was also the size of Sonya's fist. She stared at it for a minute, and tucked it carefully back in the bag. "This will be more than acceptable," she said.

She detailed the QRF to help the giants move the prisoners, and went back to Phoenix's position. Finding Mercy, she handed her the pouch. "Hold on to this for Manticore, would you please?" Mercy took it and slipped it into her cargo pocket without a word. They talked a few minutes more, and when Sonya was satisfied that the Manticores were as squared away as they could be, she turned control over to Daniel Creevey and found her bed.

Sonya got a couple of hours sleep and woke with Savignon cradled in her arms. She sighed and got up. Putting her gear back on, she told Daniel that she was awake again, and started eating.

She looked up as someone approached. Jerrick sat down beside her and she looked at him while she finished the bite in her mouth. Jerrick was pale, and had a strange look in his eyes. Sonya swallowed and looked at him. "I think you are troubled," she said quietly.

Jerrick looked back at the Grove where the giants were. "I have just spent three hours watching your friends question Iceheart," he said slowly, and looked at Sonya. "The methods they use are very direct and not at all like ours."

Sonya stared into space, remembering some of the darker songs she'd heard over the years. "Is she still alive?"

Jerrick turned from his study of the Grove. "Of course." He watched her for a minute. "You were truly surprised about that," he asked, "why?"

Sonya shrugged, looking out over Alpha point. "She tried to disrupt a Bonding, and she betrayed her clan. The giant punishment for one is having your name stripped from you, and for the other the punishment is the end of her song." Sonya shrugged. "Given those facts and the fact that the giants have far fewer rules about questioning prisoners, I guess I am surprised that her song continues."

Jerrick shook his head. "Every time I think I have you Borderers figured out, I run into something like this, and you become alien again," he complained.

Sonya patted his hand. "It could be worse you know. Wait until you met a Tribesman." She let go of his hand and picked up the last of her rations. "Did you find out anything interesting?"

Jerrick pulled out his notebook as Sonya picked up the last of her ration bars. "I don't know how much of this you know, so bear with me while I fill in some background."

He looked at his notes for a minute and then nodded. "Iceheart desired both the Clan leadership and Treebreaker. She failed to get both, and left the Clan. In her wanderings, she found the Firestarter Clan." Jerrick looked up from his notes. "According to Iceheart, the Firestarters are 'nameless ones' and humans who have no name among humans."

Sonya frowned. To be nameless among the giants meant that you had committed a crime so bad that you were banished from the Clan lands. Nameless humans were Wizards that were running from the law in civilized lands, which meant there was an entire Clan out there somewhere that was made up of criminals from both sides of the Border.

Jerrick cleared his throat and Sonya looked at him. His eyes were cold and worried at the same time. "Also according to her, the Clan was started by 'Snakemen' that were in the Giantlands at the end of the Voldemort War."

Sonya froze as she absorbed what Jerrick had just said. Snakemen was the giant name for Death Eaters. She listened to Jerrick continue with half her attention while she thought about this. "They have been quietly building their numbers and a support base in the northern lands. This was going to be their first big mission since the Voldemort War."

Sonya grinned savagely. "And we made it fail. Good."

Jerrick coughed. "Not yet we haven't," he said quietly.

Sonya looked at him, reading his face, and shivered as the chill of a sudden premonition ran down her spine. "Spill the bad news," she demanded.

"Iceheart and the group we captured were an advance party. Their job was to disrupt the ceremony and keep the other giants here until the main body could get here. They could then overwhelm the party with numbers. Iceheart promised them that if they helped her get Treebreaker and the Clan leadership, she would accept them into the new Clan."

Sonya no longer cared about Iceheart's obsession. "How many giants are coming?" she demanded hoarsely.

Jerrick checked his notes. "Iceheart claims that ten hands of giants and humans are coming, and should be here sometime tomorrow."

Sonya's mind refused to accept what she was hearing for a minute. "Are you telling me that we have nameless giants and Death Eaters coming here? A force one hundred strong?"

Jerrick nodded. "Oh, shit," Sonya said, closing her eyes.

Jerrick smiled mirthlessly. "My thoughts exactly."

Sonya sat there, only vaguely aware of Hydra approaching, drawn by her emotions. Sonya had thirty-six combat ready troops, but twelve of them had to cover the other end of the valley. She also had Phoenix, but they were not as well trained and they had to guard the Heart of the World and the Ceremony going on there. She did have seven Rangers and that was good, but even with them she had just thirty-one effective fighters, against one hundred giants and Death Eaters.

Sonya thought for just a second about disrupting the ritual, and bit her lip. She couldn't do that to James and Tiffany. Sonya looked up to find Hydra gathered around her. They could feel her emotional distress, and she looked at them. She opened the link and poured the story down it.

Hydra blinked, and she felt their mingled shockfearworry as they heard what was coming. They looked at each other, thinking about it, and then they turned back to Sonya. It was her turn to blink as they shunted those emotions away and looked at her. "What are we going to do?"

Sonya leaned on her team for a second, and then got up, treasuring their faith in her. "Daniel, go get Blade. Anari, get me all the team leaders except Mercy." Aloud, she asked Jerrick to find out if Treebreaker or Shadowstalker was free for a few minutes.

When they had left on their errands, Sonya called Mercy. "Phoenix one, this is Hydra one."

Mercy's voice came back over the ring. "Hydra one, this is Phoenix one."

"Is Chimera three able to use her sight?" Sonya waited, praying that Rose wasn't too tired to help here.

"Hydra one, negative. The Heart of the World is scrambling all the magic in this part of the valley, including her sight."

Sonya frowned, but thanked Mercy and dug out her map. She was very worried about the humans with the Firestarters. They were smaller and more agile, with a greater range of magic than the Elemental magic of the giants, and if they were Death Eaters, or Death Eater trained, they would use the Unforgivables as quickly as they would any other curse.

She frowned suddenly. "Scout one, this is Hydra one."

"Hydra one this is Scout one."

"Scout one, be advised we have OPFOR inbound this location. OPFOR will be Firestarter giant with humans. Manticore is going to Omega status. You may lock and load your weapons. The OPFOR is to be treated as hostile at this time."

Michael Weasley, of the Griffon team was Scout one right now, and he took a minute to answer. "Roger that, Hydra one. ETA of incoming OPFOR?"

"Scout one, ETA is unknown at this time. Best estimate is some time between now and sundown tomorrow. OPFOR will number approximately one hundred troops. I say again, one-zero-zero enemy. Do not engage them, shadow and report only."

Scout one was quiet long enough that Sonya was about to send her instructions again. "Hydra one, with all due respect to you, that last was the single most unnecessary order I've ever been given."

Sonya blushed as she realized she'd just told a three-person scout team not to attack one hundred enemy troops. "Scout one, be advised that the humans may be Death Eaters or Death Eater trained."

Michael's voice was wryly sarcastic. "Hydra one, do you have any other good news for us? Scout one out."

Sonya looked up as a giant approached. Shadowstalker looked at the Manticores, reading the tension growing there. "You wished to speak to me," she said simply.

Sonya looked around. All the people she had asked for were here, and she took a deep breath before facing them. She gave all of them a synopsis of the situation and then looked at them, waiting for the shock to fade.

When the group was silent, she faced them. "It is my decision to hold our positions and defend the entire valley. I am aware that we could pull back and defend only the Heart of the World, but there are two major problems with that. First, the valley is narrow enough that we would be giving the enemy the high ground, and I don't think we can stop an avalanche yet."

Sonya waited while the other looked up at the steep valley walls. A couple of them paled as they thought about what could be done from there. "We have the defenses in place already, and they are the best we could do. I see no reason to leave them now." Nobody said anything, although she though about half of them would like to. "This is what we're going to do." Sonya laid out the map with the team positions on it, and the humans crowded around. "Sphinx and Hydra will stay where they are, the QRF will move up to here, and Unicorn and Pegasus will remain at the far end of the valley, both to protect our rear and to make sure that if things go south, we have some way to get out of here."

Sonya ignored the looks that comment received. She had to plan for anything that could happen, not just what she wanted to have happen. "Jerrick, I want your snipers. Put them here and here. They may not fire below this angle here, as the positions are down there."

Jerrick looked at the map, estimating where Sonya wanted his people. He nodded. High on the hill above each of the teams already in place, they would have good fields of fire and if things did go south as Sonya called it, they would have a good chance of getting away.

Sonya finished her instructions and looked around at the quiet group. "People, this is not a war game, nor will your people get back up if their song ends out here. The humans coming here tomorrow are Death Eaters, or trained by them. That means they could use the Unforgivables as quickly as any other curse, and they don't mind killing. The giants coming with them are of the same type, and I would rather not lose any of you. Nobody we face tomorrow has the slightest inclination to fight fair, so stay alert people, and stay alive."

Sonya sent them off to brief their teams, after asking Alexander to stay behind. She looked at him. "Blade, if the Rangers would fill in these holes between Hydra and Sphinx I would appreciate it."

Professor Evans examined the map, and looked up at Sonya. "What about going out on a hit and run?"

Sonya shook her head. "I don't want them to know we're here until the Claymores go off."

Alexander Evans blinked, looking out at Alpha point. He was the only person in Manticore that had ever seen a Claymore used, and he was not looking forward to seeing it again. He looked at Sonya. "Your song has a strong opening," he said, slipping into the Borderer dialect. "Too strong, perhaps?"

Sonya looked out at the ground that would be covered in blood tomorrow, of either her people, or the giants, or both and shook her head slowly. "I don't have to end all their songs, I just need to keep them out of the valley. I hope that a big enough surprise will make them leave."

Alexander nodded, and they examined the map for a minute. He tapped the sniper markings on the map. "It is a good plan, but I would move these people over here."

Sonya looked at the map and frowned. "Why?"

"Remember, this is only a basic representation of the area," he said, tracing a line along one section of the map. "Think about the actual ground out there."

Sonya thought about it for a minute, visualizing the ground from Hydra's positions. She opened her eyes. "That little ravine," she said, "the one that runs along the side of the valley. We ignored it when we set up, because it's too small for a giant to use."

"Correct, but now the enemy has changed, and they can use it."

Sonya nodded. "Blade, would you look over our positions please, and make sure we didn't miss anything else like that?"

Alexander tossed her a salute and moved off. Sonya looked at Shadowstalker. "I apologize for making you wait, but I had to make sure I knew what we would be doing before I talked to you."

Shadowstalker waved that off. "Earlier, you said there were two reasons that you were going to defend the entire valley, but you didn't tell them what the second reason was. Might I know what it is?"

Sonya shrugged. "I didn't say anything because few of them understand the Borders or our customs. Your mate has allowed us to stay in an area where he could have made us leave, or just killed us outright. To repay that debt by allowing this to happen without doing anything would be completely wrong."

Shadowstalker smiled gently. "So you would be a Defender?"

Sonya blinked, and thought about what she'd done. She winced and looked at Shadowstalker. "I don't suppose I can claim ignorance, can I?"

Shadowstalker smiled. "No, not you. From some of these others I would accept that, but not from you. You have placed a debt on us that we must repay. Tomorrow though, is not the time."

Sonya nodded, following the giantess' logic. "I have too many who are not of the Borders, and cannot tell one giant from another. I was going to ask you to keep all your people in the grove tomorrow."

Shadowstalker smiled faintly. "We had wondered about that, since we understood what Iceheart was saying. We had planned to stay close to the grove, but Treebreaker would have a witness to the battles. May Longstrider join you again?"

Sonya smiled. "Only if he can stay in the place we assign him."

"I will insure that he knows that you lead here," Shadowstalker said with a smile, "and I will remind him that few Rangers or Borderers walk this path, and that the young of every race tend to be quicker with their reactions than their thoughts."

"If that does not keep him still," Sonya said with a matching smile, "then it is his song, and nothing we can do will stop him."

Sonya looked at the giantess. "Your willingness to allow us to use the Earthstone, and to stay here while you hold your ceremonies is puzzling me. Many and firm are the songs that say the Stonebenders hold to tradition, and allow no humans here, and yet, Manticore stands here."

Shadowstalker looked toward the grove in a gesture Sonya knew well, and she waited while Shadowstalker and Treebreaker talked. Shadowstalker finally looked at Sonya. "My mate says to tell you that we will answer your question, if you will tell us why so many humans have mind links."

Sonya frowned, and thought about it. "My leader has not given me permission to walk this path with anyone he doesn't know. I could ask you if you have access to human books."

Shadowstalker cocked her head and admitted that they might read a book or two. Sonya grinned at her. "Should you find a book called "Soulbonds Throughout History", you should read it. There is a fascinating story in it about a man named Elric Evans, who just happens to be Moondancer's ancestor." Sonya was watching the Manticores and missed the odd look Shadowstalker gave her. "The song is strange, but relevant to now, and our leader's team has eight people."

The Giantess frowned as she thought about what Sonya had said. "I will look into this," she said finally, "but we would ask one more question. This path you walk, is it a path that might affect our Clans?"

Sonya glanced at Shadowstalker and looked into the distance as she thought about what the Prophecy would mean. She felt the giant waiting patiently, and met Shadowstalker's troubled gaze with one of her own. "This path will almost certainly involve you. If the Singer of Fate turns his eyes from us, it could lead to the Last Song."

The Last Song was a giant term for the end of the world, where all the forces of good and evil would rise and fight one last time, to decide the final fate of every being that had ever walked the earth. Sonya wasn't sure she believed it, but it was enough that the giants did believe it.

Shadowstalker and Sonya stood in silence for a few minutes, both of them occupied with their own thoughts. "Two years ago, after the Sitka, Treebreaker and I shared a dream." Shadowstalker's voice was quiet, almost pensive. "We would not have thought anything about it, for we often share dreams since the Bonding, but this one had two humans in it. They came to us, and told us that if we befriended the Lightning marked one and his family, we would create long songs of honor for our Clan."

Shadowstalker looked at Sonya. "One of those humans was a man who looks much like Moondancer, with the same hair and eyes. The other was a woman, nearly as tall as the man, and blonde."

Sonya frowned, thinking about it. "I know of no one living this song that matches those descriptions."

Shadowstalker raised an eyebrow as she smiled softly. "Living this song? I think not. They gave us names, not having the Borderer ways. He was Elric and she was Cassandra. I believe you said Moondancer's ancestor was named Elric?"

Sonya stared at the giant as a chill ran down her spine. "I do know those names, but the ones they belonged to ended their songs eight centuries ago."

Shadowstalker's smile turned wry. "Ended their songs, or their mortal songs?"

Sonya shivered as she thought about the power that could see far enough into the future to set this meeting up, and sighed. "Moondancer once said that he would like to hit the singer of this song we live. I begin to understand how he feels."

Shadowstalker looked at Sonya for a long time. "The Singer of Fate does not that you like his songs, merely that you live them to the best of your ability."

Sonya and Shadowstalker talked for a few more minutes, until Daniel told Sonya that Alexander was looking for her. Sonya said goodbye to Shadowstalker and headed for alpha point. Sonya and Alexander spent an hour discussing tactics for when the giants arrived, and then Sonya returned to her team.

The day passed slowly as the tension grew among the Manticores, and Sonya sent them to a smaller guard, allowing more of them to rest at once. She wanted everyone as fresh as possible when the giants did show up.

Around sundown, she passed command to Daniel and rolled up in her bedroll. She slept until 0200, when Daniel woke her. He grinned at her as she sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Jerrick's going to be jealous."

Sonya blinked fuzzily, and followed his eyes. When she had gone to bed, she had placed her equipment at the head of the bed, so that she could find it easily if something happened. Sometime during her sleep, Savignon had moved, ending up tangled up with her in her blankets. Sonya closed her eyes. "Daniel, go away before I beat you."

Daniel grinned again, about to say something else when Sonya pinned him with a look. "Me. You. Big Stick." Daniel raised his hands in surrender and walked away, but Sonya could feel her team's amusement.

She stood up and put her gear on thinking about what they faced this day. She made sure her shields were tight and gave in for a minute to the worries and doubts that filled her mind. Warleaders didn't just grow on trees, they were trained after years of battles and war, and she had been in just one battle. They were expecting her to lead this fight, and she'd never even drawn blood in battle. That led her to a memory she shook off quickly. To avoid thinking about it she headed for Chimera's position.

She got to the fire that May-ling was keeping soup on and helped herself to a bowl while she listened to Mercy and May-ling discussing an herbal tea to help restore the Chimeras between castings. She waited until they finished and May-ling had started brewing the herbs they had decided on before speaking. "Why are you using herbals? Why not just give them a "Pepper-Up" potion?"

Mercy grimaced. "The Heart of the World is doing strange things to magic in its vicinity, and it's getting worse as thehours pass. I would hate to have something happen to them because of a warped potion."

Sonya cast a glance over her shoulder at the Earthstone. She could feel the magic in it, and now that Mercy brought it to her attention, it did seem to be fluctuating somehow.

She turned back to the others. "How are they doing?"

Mercy sighed. "Emma is not going to make it. She may do one, possibly two more turns, and then we're going to have to change the schedule around, to pair May-ling with Rose, because Hangeld and Lisa will not be far behind her. Personally, I wish Emma and Hangeld were the two touching the Heart of the World, because James and Tiffany are just a bit stronger, and far more stubborn."

Sonya grinned at Mercy. "Yes, but it is that stubbornness that is helping them where ever they are. After all, James is the only person I know who is as stubborn as a rock."

Mercy giggled, and May-ling looked up from the herbs she was crushing. "That's my brother you're talking about," she said with a mock frown, that quickly changed to a smile, "even if I agree with you."

"What about the valley?"Mercy asked quietly, watching Sonya. May-ling looked up as well, pausing in her task.

Sonya bit her lip. "I doubt Chimera will be able to do anything, so make sure that Phoenix is ready to go as soon as the ritual ends, even if you have to litter-carry Chimera."

Mercy nodded. "Jerrick is taking care of that. I am more worried about the giants coming. What are the chances they will break through the alpha point?"

Mercy and May-ling were both staring at Sonya, waiting for her answer. Sonya looked at them and shrugged. "I cannot say, without know how good they are, or how good their leader is. Tomorrow's songs will be intense, and I cannot say how they will end. I will promise this; whatever happens, we will do our best to insure that your perimeter holds until the ceremony is over and you two can get Chimera out."

Mercy blinked, rebellion flashing across her face. "We're not leaving."

Sonya cut her off sharply. "Yes, you will. Chimera will be helpless tomorrow, from everything you are saying, and they have to get out alive, no matter what it costs the rest of us."

May-ling sighed, her eyes showing her true age as she spoke up. "Sonya's right, Mercy. The rest of us are expendable, as long as they get away."

Mercy frowned and bit her lip. "I do not have to be the one to tell James that we left anyone behind."

The three girls sat in silence, considering the odds that Manticore faced. Mercy sighed. "Nothing personal, Sonya, but I wish we had Chimera for this."

Sonya looked at her. "So do I," she said quietly.

Sonya stood up and looked at her friends. "Take care of yourselves and Chimera," she said as she left.

Sonya was worrying again as she returned to the perimeter and didn't see the person standing under a tree waiting for her until the Ranger spoke. "Hello, Hydra."

Sonya jumped, until recognition caught up with reflexes, and she relaxed. "Hello, Leafstar. You startled me."

The short woman that stepped out from under the tree grinned at Sonya. "An elephant could have startled you just them, Hydra. Would you care to tell me about it?"

Sonya frowned. "I am afraid of what comes this day."

Leafstar nodded. "And you should be. Anyone that is not afraid is a fool, and Moondancer doesn't seem the type to leave his people in the hands of a fool."

"I am fifteen today, two years from adulthood, and leading half-trained children into battle. Not just any battle either, oh no, we have to be outnumbered three to one." She laughed bitterly as the worries she'd been hiding spilled out. "I have neither the experience or the training to fight a battle like this, where many will die." Sonya stopped, biting her lip as she struggled to relax.

Leafstar stepped up close to Sonya and touched the Manticore symbol on her uniform. "You have the training." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a braided leather strip. Sonya recognized her own braid that she wore on her clothes at home. Leafstar braided it into the collar and of the Manticore uniform, passing the other end under her arm and braiding it into itself.

When she was done, she stepped back and reached out. Touching the braid, she spoke again. "You have a fine lineage, training, and history in this place. You have earned the knot of a battle won, and of one who led a battle won." Leafstar looked at Sonya. "You have the trust of those who follow you, Ranger and Manticore alike, and your first battle was a victory."

Leafstar looked at Sonya. "You can feel the emotions of your team. Are they afraid?"

Sonya concentrated for a minute. "Yes."

Leafstar nodded. "I thought they would be, for they are not fools either. Now, are they afraid of losing with you leading them, or of disappointing you?"

"I don't know."

Leafstar stepped back into the shadows of the tree. "Maybe you should talk to them," came the ranger's disembodied voice. "Until you do, know that the Rangers will follow you, Warleader."

Sonya stood there for a few minutes, thinking and fingering the braided leather on her uniform. She made a decision as the sun crested the hills on Manticore's last day in the Valley of the Union. "Hydra," she sent, "I would talk to you."

Hydra popped up almost instantly, coming out of a small fold in the ground. Sonya blinked, but before she could say anything, Daniel spoke up. "The Rangers have our positions, as Leafstar said you would need us."

Hydra crowded around Sonya, and opened all their links to her, holding nothing back. She felt their emotions, the faith and loyalty, and in a couple of cases, love. They crowded around, all of them trying to hug her at once. Sonya stood there, lost in the images and emotions.

Sometime later, Hydra pulled back, and Sonya could finally reach up and wipe wet cheeks and eyes. "You people need to get back to work."

Hydra turned, heading for their positions, feeling the emotions that Sonya was expressing, and ignoring the words. They all stopped at her next sending though. "Thank you, my friends. I will not let you down."

They turned and looked at the girl with the sword. Anari spoke for them. "We know that, Hydra. We just had to make sure you knew it."

Hydra headed back as Sonya watched the sunrise, thinking about her team. She smiled. That had been the finest birthday gift she'd ever gotten.

The day seemed to take forever to pass, with the tension slowly ratcheting up. Around ten, Mercy reported that Emma would not be taking another turn, and that Hangeld would only be doing one more, and then May-ling would take over.

Just before 1300, Sonya jumped as her ring sounded. "Hydra one, this is Scout one."

"Scout one, Hydra one, go ahead."

"Our guests are inroute, roughly twenty klicks out. We are shadowing, and will continue to follow. They are acting strangely. Scout one will call again when we have more details."

Sonya thought about that, and raised the ring to tell the rest of the Manticores what was going on. She waited after she passed the information on. Scout one finally called her. "Hydra one, this is Scout one," Michael Weasley said, and they was a strange note in his voice.

"Go ahead, Scout one," Sonya said, as she looked at her watch. She was trying to estimate how fast the giants were traveling, but the next report drove that idea out of her head.

"Something is hunting the OPFOR. Since the last report, four humans have fallen to arrows, but the giants can't find the shooter. OPFOR is eighty-three giants and one." The ring cut off suddenly, and Sonya stared at it for a second.

Before she could call Scout one, he was back. "Correction, the OPFOR is eighty-three giants. The last human just took an arrow in his head." Sonya frowned, a flickering memory in her head, but she pushed it away to listen to Michael's report. "The giants are moving faster now, we are ten klicks out."

Sonya frowned. "Scout one, break away, and rejoin the main body ASAP."

Sonya told the rest of Manticore that the giants were about forty-five minutes away, and had half of them stand down to eat a quick meal, so that the other half of the group would have time to eat before the giants arrived.

She watched Scout one rejoin their people and when everyone had eaten and were back in their positions, Sonya keyed the ring for a general call to everyone except Chimera. The last thing the casters needed was to be worrying about this.

"All units, this is Hydra one. You all know the plan. Stay alert and stay alive," She took a deep breath and her manner changed, becoming more formal. "Manticore, you may lock and load your weapons."

Across the perimeter, everyone except Sonya cast invisibility and silencing spells on their positions and started to load their weapons. M-4s were loaded with twenty-eight round clips, and M-240Bs had the feed tray opened, and the first round of a belt fed into it. The M-203 gunners opened the tubes to place 40mm grenade shells in place, and then everyone set those weapons down and checked their wands and the pouch of disks that each one had.

Sonya settles into her position and cast the invisibility spell over her position. She would not be covered with the silencing spell, since her first shot would open this fight. She pulled the M-4 off her shoulder and looked at it.

It lacked the grace of a wand, or the workmanship of a sword, being built purely for lethal function. Sonya sighed as she shot the bolt back and checked the chamber for obstructions. She would never tell anyone, but she hated these Muggle weapons, and the mindset they represented. That would not stop her from using them, however. She finished loading her weapon and waited.

Just before 1430, Geri Newson was the first to hear the giants, and soon everyone could hear them. "Manticore, take your weapons off safe, and prepare to fire at my signal," Sonya said, the last verbal command she would give until the battle started.

The giants appeared at the edge of the woods, and Sonya chose her target. She had already chosen her target point, the point she wanted the giants to get to, where most of her side would have effective shots at them. In addition, she wanted as many as possible in the Claymore kill zone as she could get.

An errant thought crossed her mind as she settled in behind her weapon and took aim at the first giant in line. "Daniel, did Longstrider make it here?"

Daniel's mind voice was tense and distracted as he concentrated on the giants. "Yes, he's up the hill by the snipers on our side."

Sonya thanked Daniel absently as she examined the giant she had chosen as the first one to fall. He was a young giant, without any sort of honors, and Sonya felt a moment's pity for him. He would die without a name, doomed to wander the world as a spirit forever, seeking anyone who knew his name.

She decided there were enough giants in sight and aimed. She took a breath and squeezed the trigger.

A/N: Chapters will not take as long to get out after this, as Greeneyes has decided that they will only be 5,000 or so words long. (She has reminded me that not everyone reads 300 pages an hour, and might like to be able to read a chapter of Prophecy in less than one sitting.) For those of you that have stuck around, Greeneyes is the main reason this is here. I was trying to finish the entire Giantlands mission in one chapter, and the death scene is kicking my butt. Greeneyes has convinced me to just end the story at certain points, and worry about getting everything I want done first, rather than reaching a point and stopping. Anyway, I have things to do, and hopefully, some of you will review this, so that I know someone is still out there, despite the amount of time this chapter took.

Raven the obsessed.