Noah had, in the end, gone to his quarters and it was not long before Basch followed him there.

'Ffamran told us what happened,' he said. 'I am sorry.'

'Good. Now leave me be,' said Noah. He was seated on his bed, and did not look up. Basch's shadow fell across him as he came closer.

'I wanted to apologise,' he said.

Noah shook his head. 'I no longer care what you want. Now go.'

'If you had been in my place and seen-'

'If I had seen you in such a position it would never have occured to me you were doing other than helping,' Noah interrupted.

'I'm sorry.'

'Stop apologising. If you do not trust me, then that is how it is. Being sorry changes nothing.'

'When, in the last fifteen years, have you trusted me? Since Nabudis fell you have been waiting for me to leave you.'

'That is not true!' Noah stood to face Basch, there was barely a foot between them and their eyes were exactly level.

'Do not deny it. You believe I will abandon Dalmasca.' Basch had never needed to raise his voice when he was angry, and he did not do so now. As always it made Noah want to shout in his stead, push things and see if Basch's reserve would break. He had a right to be angry, and now Basch was making it sound as if he was in the wrong.

'Wouldn't you? You do not believe we can win, you do not want us to win. You would sooner cling to your precious honour, as if there was no shame in abandoning Landis, that use the one thing that could assure our victory. For you there are always other lands, what's one more home left behind? But I cannot move on so easily as you, Dalmasca is the last home I will have.' Noah was shouting now, his voice had risen as he spoke.

'Then do not talk to me of trust. I have changed, even if you have not.'

'You do not seem different to me,' replied Noah.

Basch's eyes narrowed, but he walked out without responding. Noah sat back down, feeling hot with anger and shame. It took a while for the anger to fade, but once it had he realised he had not asked how Vaan was doing. He may as well find out for himself.

On the way to the infirmary he met Ffamran, striding purposefully in the opposite direction.

'If you're going to see Vaan, I'd leave it until later. There's a family quarrel going on in there,' said Ffamran. He didn't pause for longer than it took to speak, so Noah fell in beside him.

'What sort of quarrel?' he asked.

'Penelo's parents want to leave with her and Vaan, neither of whom wishes to abandon Larsa. I'm staying well out of it, myself.'

'Penelo's parents are right. I should never have brought them here.'

'I thought Larsa had.'

'They came for him, but I made the offer.'

'Not the brightest thing to do, but it would have been a poor look out for Larsa if you hadn't.'

No point in getting angry, Ffamran hadn't said anything untrue. They were coming to an open doorway onto the palace grounds, right into the gardens if Noah knew where they were. He paused. 'Where are we going?'

'I'm checking out a hunch, I don't know where you're going,' said Ffamran. 'But if you want to learn something, maybe you could come along?'

The glade where they had found Larsa earlier in the day looked mostly unchanged. They were approaching it from the opposite side, Noah could see the curved wall of a higher garden which had blocked him from view. There was a line of trampled bushes, two lines, between it and the clearing. Ffamran and himself, running to Larsa's aid. Ffamran walked over to the apple tree and, producing chalk from his pocket with a flourish, marked a large X over the bullet hole.

'Can you remember where Vaan was standing?' he asked.

Noah followed his own trail back to the wall and looked from there. He could recall the scene from earlier in startling clarity, like stained glass waiting to shatter.

'Two steps to your right,' he said.

'And Larsa?'

'Half a step left.'

Ffamran nodded. 'Could you come and stand where Larsa was? I'm going to get an assassin's eye view for a moment.'

Noah obeyed, a little impatiently, while Ffamran lowered himself into the bushes. 'There's quite a hollow here,' he said, disappearing from sight altogether. 'Please concentrate on where Vaan was standing.'

Noah obeyed, focussing on the spot he thought was Vaan's although it was harder to tell with his angle changed. Nor did it seem likely to help. 'Is there any use to this -' The whistle and crack of a bullet, about a foot and a half from his chest, caused him to swallow his words in shock.

'Gods cursed Archadian skypirate! I should wring your scrawny neck!'

'My neck is not scrawny,' said Ffamran calmly, rising from the bushes. The effect was a little spoiled by the leaves and twigs stuck all over him. 'And I think I've made my point.'

'You came close to shooting me. What point was that supposed to prove?'

Ffamran started brushing himself down, taking an infuriatingly long time about answering. Noah was seriously considering hitting him by the time he spoke. 'The shot was nowhere near you. Nor near Larsa either.'

Noah turned back to the tree, Ffamran's shot had hit the middle of the X prescisely. The original shot had been closer to Vaan than Larsa.

'So our assassin shoots poorly. That's some comfort, but hardly worthy of demonstration.'

'And the second shot hit Vaan.'

'He pushed Lord Larsa out of the way. It was a difficult shot.'

'It would have been an easy shot had he taken it before Vaan arrived.'

Noah paused, the assassin had been in the bushes before they arrived. Penelo and Larsa had both been easy marks. Why wait?

'He hoped that Penelo would leave,' suggested Noah.

'Why? If Larsa fell her first thought would be to go to him. Our man got away while I was standing over him with a gun. Penelo couldn't have caught him.'

'So what then?'

'I'm not so sure he was shooting at Larsa.'

Noah stared at him for a moment to be sure he was serious. 'What sane man would shoot at Vaan?'

'A good question, and not one I can answer. Perhaps you should ask Vossler, once Lady Ashe is done with him of course.'

'Lady Ashe is questioning Vossler? But he cannot be the one who shot. He would not have used a gun, nor would he have missed,' said Noah.

'Mmm. Guns aren't common in Rabanstre, are they?'

'Ffamran. If you have the slightest idea what you are talking about, then consider making it clear to me as well. I am fast losing patience with this game.'

Ffamran tapped the X marking with his index finger. 'Sorry. Nothing to tell.'

'Then I will go and find Lady Ashe, and you may find someone else to use for target practise.'

Noah left Ffamran inspecting the bushes and headed back to the palace. Vossler had not been the assassin, he might have done nothing more than talk carelessly in front of others not even planning to cause this. Noah wished he could truly believe that were true.

Noah found Lady Ashe standing in front of a cell, Vossler was inside it. He looked annoyed, but not afraid or guilty, and he turned to watch Noah's approach. Noah stopped to salute Ashe.

'Noah,' she said, coldly. 'I trust you have come to make your report?'

'Lady Ashe, if I have angered you then I regret it,' said Noah, wondering what he had done. Surely she could not blame him for the attack on Larsa?

'You failed to report to me after an assassination attempt on my guest. Nor did you remain on the scene to protect him, nor let anyone know where you had gone.'

'I was in my quarters, Lady Ashe.'

'I should not have to go and fetch my own knights to hear what I need to know.'

Noah saluted again, fist to chest, bowing his head. 'I am sorry to have failed you.'

'Report.'

Noah did so, telling every detail of the attack as he remembered it. Out of a mixture of concern and pique he stole Ffamran's thunder and reported his investigation as well. Ashe listened calmly throughout, Noah kept his eyes on her and refused to look at Vossler. Even so he finished with his reasons for thinking Vossler could not have been the one shooting.

'Dismissed,' said Ashe. She turned and walked away, leaving Noah standing by Vossler's cell. He watched her depart, upright and fragile as a lily.

'You are not the one she is angry with,' said Vossler.

Noah turned to look at him, the prison bars between them striping Vossler's face with shadow. 'I know. Vossler, what have you done?'

'I intended to recommend to Lady Ashe that we keep Lord Larsa as a prisoner. If Vayne were killed then we would have a hold over Archadia. I was looking for support among the knights.'

'Vaan said you spoke of Larsa's death. And do not tell me he lied, what reason would he have?'

'I spoke of that as a second possiblity, if Lady Ashe refused to hold him hostage. Execution would still gain us more than letting him go free.'

'And if Lady Ashe agreed to neither then assassination would be the remaining choice? He is a child.'

'And you are the one to tell me so.'

The two knights stood staring at one another. It felt like a duel, their words clashing on one another's defences. Look for a weakness, an opening.

'At best you are defying Lady Ashe's authority,' said Noah, testing for a reaction.

'I intended to speak with her before I acted,' replied Vossler, calmly.

'Not before you decided whether to act?'

'I hold her safety higher than her orders.'

'Her safety? You were protecting her from Lord Larsa?' said Noah, his tone incredulous.

'From Archadia. Lord Larsa in the hands of the senate would be a figurehead to continue conquest under. How much power do you truly think he would have?'

True, Larsa himself might easily be reasoned with. Any regent he was assigned was likely to hew closer to Archadian ideals. To Noah's mind this did not justify killing someone they had offered protection, but he could understand Vossler's view better than he would have liked.

'How much power does Lady Ashe have if her knights undermine her?' he tried.

'You do not ask her approval before you act.'

'I have never attempted to assassinate her guests.'

'No more have I!' Vossler stepped forward, standing almost against the bars. 'I speak of something I was considering, not a deed already done.'

'Then do you know who took your words as a suggestion?' Noah stepped closer too, almost hissing the words.

'No, I do not,' said Vossler. He looked straight out at Noah, still with all the pride of a Dalmascan knight. 'I intended only to protect Dalmasca.'

'I understand,' Noah admitted. 'Far better than I would like.'

Noah found Ffamran eating dinner and joined him there. The knights and foot soldiers eating there had avoided him, not out of malice but because he did not belong in any of their groups. He smiled at Noah and asked how finding Ashe had gone.

'She is angry with me for failing to report,' said Noah. 'I told her about your theory, but she has told me nothing of her thoughts.'

'Too bad, my thoughts are all over the place. He can't have intended to shoot Vaan to begin with, Vaan would never have been there if you hadn't realised something was up,' said Ffamran.

'So we are back to him shooting at Lord Larsa,' said Noah. 'Where is he now?'

'Under guard, and he's promised to stay there too,' said Ffamran. 'Vaan and Penelo are leaving tomorrow, if you want to say farewell you'd better hurry.'

'Will you miss Vaan?'

'A bit. Who else would believe all my stories? But there's no point in getting too attached to people when you don't know where you'll be tomorrow.'

'A skypirate motto?'

'A motto for life.'

Noah thought it could be, nobody ever truly knew where they would be tomorrow. But he had never been any good at not getting attached. Even Vaan and Penelo would be missed, they had been a bright presence in an increasingly hopeless situation. When he had eaten he would say farewell.

Vaan was asleep when Noah reached the infirmary. He looked very young, and the grey of the undyed wool blanket made him look even paler than he was. He was also alone, which was worrying after Ffamran's earlier conjectures. There were injured soldiers in other beds, but they too were sleeping and would not be much use if Vaan was attacked. It was not likely, but Noah pulled up a chair and sat down anyway, he could miss a night's sleep easily enough.

Vaan woke by degrees, screwing up his eyes against the light in the ward at first then gradually relaxing until they opened. The other patients in the ward seemed more able to sleep through the dawn, or perhaps they were held under by spells. Vaan looked up at Noah and smiled before looking puzzled.

'What are you doing here?'

'Ffamran had a theory that yesterday's assassin was aiming at you. I thought it best not to take chances.'

'Uh, thanks. Hey, I don't see Ffamran here.'

'I suppose he thought better of the theory.'

'Yeah?' Vaan looked mutinous for a minute before relaxing into a smile. 'It seems pretty unlikely, with all this royalty about who'd shoot at a nobody like me?'

'Hardly a nobody. I'd agree there is no reason to target you, but your presence has been a relief to everybody.' Ffamran had gained someone to talk with, Larsa an unquestioning ally. And for Basch, as much as for himself, they must have been a ray of light in a very dark time. Vaan and Penelo were all the things about Rabanstre that Noah most wanted to protect, brave, optimistic, resilient.

'You know I'm leaving tomorrow?' asked Vaan quietly.

'Yes, I shall be glad to see you safe. Remember we will not stay here much longer ourselves.'

'Where are you going? Ffamran won't tell me, nor will Larsa.'

'Lord Larsa doesn't know. And Ffamran is right, we cannot tell you.'

Vaan grinned. 'Told you I was a nobody.'

'It would be dangerous for you to know, and for us too.'

'I wouldn't tell.'

'Even under torture?' Vaan went pale and Noah regretted saying that at once. 'Sorry. It will not happen, you have nothing they wish to know.'

'I could come with -' Vaan began, only to be interrupted when the door flew open. A young soldier appeared there and saluted.

'Report to Lady Ashe outside in the east cell block, captain,' he said.

Noah went at once, and found both Ashe and Rasler in the cell block. Basch had either not been summoned or not yet arrived. There was a body on the floor in front of them, a knight. Face down and with the hair hidden under congealed blood it could have been anyone, but stepping closer Noah knew him.

'Klaur,' he said. 'What happened here?'

'We know not. Yet he was one of the knights set to guard Lord Larsa, and Lord Larsa is nowhere to be found,' said Rasler.

'Dead?' asked Noah.

'There is no body,' replied Rasler.

Noah bent over the body, the blow had been struck with a bladed mace and the whole back of the head was crushed. A blow from behind, an assassin's blow despite its crudeness. Knights should not die like this.

'I have spoken to Vossler, Lady Ashe, Lord Rasler.' Basch had approached from inside the cell block. 'He tells me that Klaur brought Lord Larsa to speak with him early last night.'

'To what purpose?' asked Ashe.

'To ask him of his connection to the assassin. He told Lord Larsa that he had none, and they left him quite soon. He was grieved to learn of Klaur's death.'

Ashe bowed her head. 'I fear Lord Larsa is dead too, this is the same as yesterday's attack.'

'It is, and as such I do not believe he is dead,' said Noah. Ffamran's theories came together with the body on the floor and he saw, now it was too late, why the assassin had never aimed at Larsa. 'Ffamran spoke to me before, he was convinced the assassin had aimed at Vaan. They must have wished to take Lord Larsa alive.'

'Vaan was not alone there, the assassin cannot have meant to take on three of you. And Ffamran held a gun,' said Ashe.

'Ffamran and I may not have been seen, Vaan ran ahead and entered the clearing alone,' said Noah, seeing the scene in his minds eye with the clarity of the sunlight it had taken place in. 'The assassin was likely hoping for Penelo to leave so he could take Lord Larsa without bloodshed, when Vaan entered talking of a threat to Larsa he acted before Lord Larsa could be placed under guard.'

'Then who has taken him?' asked Ashe.

Noah shook his head, feeling helpless. 'I do not know. Indeed, I have guessed this much only when it is too late to be of use.'

'He was to be delivered to the Rozarians,' said Rasler. 'That leaves our own people, or Archadia itself.'

'He was quite sure his brother wished to kill him, I wonder if he could have been mistaken,' said Ashe. 'I shall need to see Ffarman. But first I must see Penelo and Vaan.'

Ashe broke the news of Larsa's disappearance to Penelo and Vaan not unkindly, but with an icy dignity that both masked her awkwardness and prevented her words being much comfort. Basch stayed with them to attempt to offer greater reassurance. Penelo's parents might have been more comfort to their children had they not seemed slightly relieved that Larsa was gone from their lives so completely.

Afterwards Rasler was needed for a conference with his captains so Noah was the only one with Ashe when she saw Ffamran. They spoke in the outermost room of Ashe's suite, with Ffamran uneasily divided between treating Ashe as a queen and a travelling companion. He could add nothing more to his theories, and knew little more of Archadian politics than Ashe. Both seemed to feel that the fall of House Solidor could cause the Empire to crumble, but were divided on whether that would be a good thing. Ashe was thinking of Dalmasca, Ffamran of Archadians caught in a civil war.

Noah felt too tired to think of either. He thought of Klaur instead, an acquaintance more than a friend but still gone where he would be seen no more, and of Larsa alone and scared somewhere. Vossler in a prison cell, although he would be acquitted now. Vaan and Penelo going home safely, as if their home was any longer a safe place to be.

'So Vayne may have wished for an heir, if he expects to be in danger,' said Ashe.

'Possibly,' said Ffamran. 'It would be wise to keep his brother on hand, if so.'

Ashe nodded. 'You may leave. Both of you,' she said.

'Lady Ashe, if there is a traitor in the palace then I cannot,' said Noah, and Ashe looked at him with faint surprise then nodded.

'Stay then. I need to arrange for our journey, I will be doing nothing but paperwork.'

So Ffamran left and Ashe bent over her desk. Noah remained silent, feeling that his presence was irritating her. The sound of airships drew him to the window, although he stayed where the door was on the periphery of his vision.

Rabanastre was falling, slowly building by building. For a moment it looked so like Landis half way through the war that Noah felt himself in a waking nightmare and had to shake off dazedness to see what was really there. An Archadian ship flew in close to one of the roads that wound through the air around the palace, a much larger Rozarian vessel follwed it down and shot. The road, already damaged, cracked, men tumbling from it like tin soldiers knocked off a shelf as it crumbled under them. Landis had fought alone, and wholeheartedly. Rabanstre was under attack by allies as well as enemies, just a convenient excuse for a war between empires.

'Lady Ashe, might I ask a question of you?' he said.

'If you wish.' Ashe did not look up from her writing, and Noah could still hear the scratching of the pen.

'What does Rozaria think of our pursuit of nethecite?'

'I do not know, yet I doubt they would approve. They wish to take Archadia's lands as their own, not render them beyond habitation.'

'Then Al-Cid -'

'Was genuine in all that he said, or so I believe.'

'Did the Dynast King render lands beyond habitation?'

'The Dynast King knew what he was about, as we do not. If you have questions about ancient history ask a storyteller, and not me.'

Noah fell silent once more. Tales of the Dynast King were not what he had grown up with, he had very little idea of what was known. Normally he would have asked Vossler, a Dalmascan by birth, but presently there was little chance of asking Vossler anything. Or of asking Ashe any further questions, she was still angry with him it seemed. Best to wait for it to pass, he was her sworn knight before he was her friend and could not press her on the issue. Perhaps Basch was right that they had grown used to her allowing them to overstep their bounds.