House Kern's fortress was disappointing as always.

Salvaging the Babarassian ruins was a task left to many of Sokar's men and they had to pick through the wreckage of the settlements. Last Tanith had heard, they'd been finding a lot of valuables, though some of it had been destroyed. There had been trade goods focused in a basement below the surface that had mostly survived, now taken as plunder. True to William's prophecy, not one Babarassian remained alive among it, though some had avoided the fire to die of smoke in the basement.

Tanith wondered if Elranor had inspired it, or if William or Felix had just done some of that analysis they had been taught by Vanion. Tanith didn't have the head for that kind of thing. Either way, the dragon had burned them all out, and it had taken some time to find anything. But many weapons and armor were found usable, and the Furbearers were much better armed.

Huzzah for weapons.

So it was that Sokar took them by paths through the hills and up craggy slopes, a decision which was more interesting. But interesting also meant it was a lot harder. The snow only became thicker, and Tanith thought they should have been slowed. Instead, however, they moved all the faster. The very land conspired to give them safe passage. So that now they came within sight of House Kern.

And it was disappointing.

It was a much older variety of fortress, and the walls were not that high. Nor were the towers particularly impressive. It stood between two large cliffs. It was the only entry point to the realm of King Gavin from this side of the mountains. Close examination showed that there had been recent attacks on it.

Snow was beginning to clear, but it looked to have been very heavy.

Through a telescope Sokar had stolen from the wreckage, Tanith saw warriors training. Not all of them were Harlenorians, but none were Babarassian. Dark-skinned but no Furbearer, they had a different hairstyle. The buildings they were drilling in front of were of a different make, the sort Tanith used to burn. The militia were well-trained, and they seemed to be at least a few hundred in number.

There were also a few hundred men of Harlenorian drilling a little ways away. Both were working very hard at it. They were not as well-armed as House Gabriel's men but better than anyone in Antion's militias. Tanith got the impression they did not like eachother, but Lord Kern was walking this way and that.

He was inspecting the troops with keen eyes, and he had short white cropped hair. His garb was white as snow, and he seemed almost like a vision Elranor Tanith had once seen.

Like Elranor, but not like him, he was not above the world but detached from it, and his understanding was lesser. Then again, that was perhaps the understatement of the century. What truly interested Tanith was Edward Kern, clad in armor except on his right side. That wore the same sleeve he always held, and the hand had a glove on it. At his side was a sword, and he seemed to be analyzing everything.

"I could just shoot him," said Sokar, now clad in chainmail with a large axe. "I've got a sling and everything." He spun the length of leather.

"No need," said Tanith. "It's against the laws to harm nobility. These people down here are

Drens.

"Felix taught me the difference between them. Sort of a cultural divide, Medi is smarter and more civilized. Drens are used for drudgework and less intelligent, I think.

"I'd never heard they were treacherous in nature.

"What are they doing out here? They can't be real Calishans; Gavin would never be stupid enough to let them in."

"Some of my people say that they are fleeing from Neseriah," said Kata. "Worshippers of a god called Valranor, I think. I guess Baltoth threw him off his throne."

"No," said Tanith. "Valranor is dead and has been dead for ages.

"They worship the idea that Baltoth and Valranor have a kind of dual nature. And Baltoth was substituted for Valranor because of the sins of the faithful. I learned a thing or two from the villages I burned.

"They have similar beliefs in Fortenex. So it's a good way to transition from one god to another."

"Why did you burn so many villages?" asked Kata.

"They were raids," said Tanith. "You try to destroy as much of the enemy forces as possible.

"Besides, everybody in those towns knew how to fight. And they did exactly the same thing to the satyrs who lived in the domain of Neseriah once. Killed every last one of them because they caused a lot of trouble. No other realms in Baltoth's domain did that kind of genocide, and Argath didn't hit those.

"Come to think of it; I didn't fight any of these guys. Worshippers of Valranor, all of them invoked Baltoth and Calisha. Probably some sort of divine purge or something."

"Is that a thing?" asked Sokar.

"Well, I guess there is such a thing as a society so evil you can't redeem, but I wouldn't know," said Tanith. "I barely even remember anything from those days.

"It was a nightmare. Argath screaming orders. Always threatening the knock on the heads of anyone who showed mercy. Everyone either talking about how they were pure evil or boasting about their kills."

"What did you do?" asked Kata.

"I did my job," said Tanith. "I was first in every charge and last in every retreat, just like Argath. I showed no mercy to anyone I wasn't ordered to show mercy to. Eventually, I took a priestess of Baltoth hostage and enslaved her.

"That was the whole point of the operation. Desecrating Baltoth's people and spreading fear and terror among them. I mean, nobody knew what they were getting into. But after Argath burned our ships, we either had to take more ships or die.

"Anyone we left alive would lead our enemies to us. We had to do it, and there wasn't any other kind of entertainment. So we learned to enjoy blood, and I enjoyed it most of all."

"...You were a slave," realized Kata. "Just like us.

"Just like them.

"You lost your freedom to Argath Marn. That's why you cut down that tree."

"What tree?" asked Sokar.

"Back when Tanith was fighting in Gel Carn," said Kata. "Gail Arengeth tried to help her. He grew a tree and explained that how it was cared for would affect his life and all her life.

"Now, she'd been working with Argath Marn and had been quarreling. He had trained her into what she was. And now he was trying to get her to abandon who she was. Because he had seen too much of himself in her."

They were speaking of her as though she wasn't there. As a figure of quasi-religious significance, a kind of story. Tanith decided she didn't care and remained silent.

Sokar halted. "Right, I remember when you told that story, Tanith.

"That was what all this was about. If you'd left the tree standing, you might have been happier. But it would nullify who you were as a person; you'd just be some stray animal Gail Arengeth tamed.

"Never again to be important.

"Argath Marn refused to give you the respect you wanted. And the table scraps thrown to you out of pity enraged you. So you choose to hurt everyone rather than accept false freedom."

"That's your imagination," said Tanith. "And no, it was just the lack of respect.

"House Gabriel are my allies, and William is my friend. Being 'tamed' by Arengeth would imply Arengeth had authority over them and me."

"That can't be it," said Sokar. "That was an emotional decision Tanith. You aren't that calculating."

"Because I won't be used as a tool," said Tanith. "Ever.

"Anyone who attempts to use me as a tool is going to lose my loyalty."

"I can respect that," said Sokar.

"Where did these worshippers of Valranor come from?" asked Tanith.

"A lot of reserves were mobilized for the fight in Artarq. But the war ended early with Banir's humiliation," said Sokar. "So they got canceled. These ones decided to flee here to Haldren and take up service with Lord Kern.

"Vanion's formed malas business had a side business smuggling troops out for a bit. At least until Felix crucified the crews, who did so by the river."

"Is that legal?" asked Tanith.

"He handed them over to the Calishans to be crucified," said Kata. "We figured it out while you were scouting yesterday. I never thought he'd do something like that."

"He had to," said Tanith. "When you negotiate, your power is based on trust.

"Lord Kern down there, in theory, could make a favorable peace with you right now. But nobody would trust him. So he's going to have to deal with the fact that you don't trust him for his entire life. He made a few minor short-term gains and ripped his credibility to shreds.

"Now, these Drens, they'll need to be killed. All of them, before their families are brought over."

"Isn't that a bit much?" said Kata, looking at her in shock. She looked cute when she was shocked.

"Who do you think was going to be given your lands?" asked Tanith. "If Kern had depopulated you, he could send these in. Start new settlements loyal to him, and he influences a much larger region.

"Their very existence gives Kern a means to enslave the common people. Once he has an organization of slave soldiers reliant on him, he can play them against his own people. The man is replacing his own race for money."

"Are you sure it's just money?" asked Kata, doubtfully.

"Or a throne or power or something," said Tanith. "Whoever they are, they've cleared breached the laws of Harlenor as laid out by Anoa. In spirit, if not in law.

"You look after your own kind."

"Are there actually laws?" asked Sokar.

"More general principle and code than laws," said Tanith. "It was all formalized long after Anoa ascended into heaven. He generally left most places to run their own affairs so long as they did their job.

"We can't miss this opportunity."

"Can you bring your forces in?" asked Kata.

"Maybe," said Tanith. "But that makes things complicated.

"If we can get enough of a force and route these idiots without using support from Father. That gives you bargaining power. If you call us in, you're in our debt."

"I think we'd better go meet Father," said Kata. "They say that he's gathering strength in our main stronghold of Culdash. Anoa laid siege to it once for three days, and we survived."

"You lasted three days?" asked Tanith. If it were anyone other than Anoa it'd be pathetic.

"It was toward the end of the war," said Sokar. "I think he was tired of fighting. Neral Dinis was dead by that point and didn't come back for a long time.

"Those two had a major personal hatred."

"I hadn't heard much about it," said Tanith. "Then again, nobody likes to talk about the Withering days of Haldren."

"Well, I'm going to do some more research," said Sokar. "This is our history, and we're forgetting it."

"Well, you can forget it some other time," said Tanith. "I'm making an appearance."

And she stood up on the ledge. Edward and Kern looked up in shock, and Kata and Sokar stood up as well. Tanith waved and smiled, and the son looked at his Father. Kern motioned, and the men ceased drilling to stand motionless.

What was this, a trust exercise?

"Well," said Tanith. "I'd say that's enough of an appearance.

"We'll head right back to this Culdush place," said Tanith. "Sokar, you command."

"Do as she says," said Sokar to the men as they walked down. "But leave watchers here to ensure no attack is made."

Off they went.

Several ambushes were set up in the snow in case they were followed. But the real battleground was on a bridge. The ice of the river below was melting and would break if anyone tried to cross it. But beyond, they found many high snowbanks that could be hidden within. Here, Sokar set most of his troops on hills and kept them hidden so Tanith could not see them. They wielded spears and slings, and many stones and more were on the hills.

"Explain something to me," said Tanith. "How is it that you haven't been invaded before? You haven't been seriously attacked in generations."

"We had certain promises made to us by Elranor," said Sokar. "Though I only recently read up on them in Ascorn. So long as we are kind to outsiders and good in nature, our security is guaranteed.

"It seems that promise has been broken."

"Gods do not break promises Sokar," said Kata. "Or they are not gods."

"Well then, how do you explain this?" asked Sokar. "I won't deny that he kept it a long time. But clearly, our security was not guaranteed here."

"There is a promise you can't keep," noted Kata. "Yes, we were kind to Tavish and hospitable. But I do not think he had any real will left in the matter.

"An army was already being raised, and we were defenseless.

"We've forgotten our old traditions; Tanith knows more about some of them than we do. You learned about our old culture from a book you found on a slavers desk.

"The people that promise was made to are lost.

"Our soul is lost to our own complacency."

It was too perfect, reflected Tanith as they continued.

It was as though she had been placed into a realm where all the things she believed and knew were proven correct. The foolish but worthy savages were met. They grew stronger under her tutelage and killed her political enemies. House Gabriel grew stronger, and everything worked out.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

And William became in time a mighty King, and Tanith would be a warrior Queen by his side. Their ill-spent youth was long forgotten as they passed beyond the veil of reality. And into myth and legend. Pain would be there, but glory, immortality, and unending battles.

But it was all nonsense.

Tanith was but a vessel by which they perceived the working of their Goddess, the Shark Queen. She stood now in a refounding of old traditions in a culture she never cared about. Religious ecstasy might come for others and great joy. Yet Tanith herself was left outside. A convenient means of getting from one place to another.

The Shark Queen had worked through her, but she was not the Shark Queen, nor even of the Shark Queen. The storm that had been summoned was for Kata and Sokar's benefit, not hers. Tanith had no stake in this venture, no great reason not to depart at once and never return.

Was the purpose of this then redemption for her?

Unlikely.

If there was some kind of redemption for her in this, she'd have seen some sign by now. Some appearance or provided eucatastrophe that demonstrated her sins were forgiven. But, perhaps she did not warrant it.

No, no, no.

Elranor appeared to people all the time. And Tanith was a very accomplished individual who had done many great deeds. Everything she had done had been in the name of Elranor, and yet she'd never felt him near. Not once had she felt a stern sense that what she was doing was wrong. Perhaps she hadn't really believed.

Her gaze turned to the medallion given to her by Kusher.

Had taking this damned her in some way? Ridiculous, any number of other warriors had taken them. Never had she prayed to Kreshlak or any other deity besides Elranor.

What was the purpose of calling Tanith up here?

Why had she been chosen for this task and not William or some other?

Tanith was an accomplished warrior, beautiful and strong, but Suran was nearly as good. He could easily have served here. Tavish, too, if Elranor had pulled the right strings. So why was Tanith the ideal choice? Obviously, her faith was worth nothing to him, so perhaps some unique quality?

Bloodthirsty, vicious, aggressive, and prone to every sin Tavish had committed.

Tanith didn't want to save the Furbearers; in fact, she was sick of it. There was no good reason her personality suited this task. And even if it was changing her, it did not matter since William was doing that already. Others like her could serve.

So, what made Tanith special here?

She was related to Edmund Telus, who had hated Lord Kern for years and shared a border with the Furbearers. Thus making her an ideal tool.

There was real politics in heaven as well as on the good earth.

Disgusting.

Tanith would have liked to think that someone would notice she was troubled. But nobody paid her any more attention. Kata and Sokar were busy leading, and she followed behind, a secondary player in her own story.

Then again, it wasn't her story.

So she moved on ahead and decided to get the miserable thing over with, so she could go back to killing Calishans. "I can't believe the Babarassians just got wiped out by a dragon.

"I suppose the Shark Queen might like the novelty."

Nobody answered.

Coming to a halt, Tanith saw the castle of Culdush. It was... immensely disappointing. They'd taken the fastest route to the border, just in case, and had missed it. On the other hand, they had not missed much, little more than six foot stone wall on a hill. It was well-manned and well-maintained, and an unimpressive-looking man was down there.

He had long brown hair and was handing out blankets while men with spears stood by. But Kata and Sokar ran to him as though reuniting with their god.

"Father!" said Kata, throwing down her spear and embracing him.

And Sokar too.

"Sokar, Kata," said Osris. "When I heard you were back, I hardly dared to hope. We managed to hold Caldush, obviously. And we've been trying to rebuild things as best we can, and I've stepped up training.

"Our men are on watch.

"With the destruction of the Babarassians by a... dragon, we at least one have one front war."

"So what's the plan?" asked Sokar eagerly.

"At present," said Osris. "Survival.

"I've already sent messengers to Edmund Telus informing him of the situation. But we may have to abandon the lowlands entirely if things go badly. Kern has a substantial force, and I believe he is out for blood now.

"Or, what has taken Kern's place."

"What do you mean?" asked Kata.

"Kern has always had two sides to him," said Osris. "Back when we adventured together, he was always kind and pleasant. But as time went on, I began to see another face. It continued to grow, even after our adventures ended.

"I'm afraid whatever it was that has been eating him has taken him over entirely. At least, unless it involves his family. We may be fighting for years."

Sokar nodded.

Tanith had to admit, she was impressed. She'd taken him for weak, but it was obvious he knew what he was doing. The guards were ready and watching, and if an attack was made, there would be a real fight.

And they would lose.

"We can't wait," said Sokar. "I'm sorry, Dad, I know Kern was your friend. But no matter what truce we make, the Harlenorians will come after us sooner or later.

"They respect only strength. We've got to fight a war and win it.

"Now, right now, Edmund and Kern are suspicious. So if we can beat Kern after he attacks us and do some real damage...

"It'll get us respect.

"And once we have the respect, we can make a real truce."

"Well, we have a hostage," said Osris. "Unfortunately, it'll only buy us time.

"Who is your friend?"

And that was how the whole story was retold again, and Tanith enjoyed listening to it even less than last time. The only good bits were when people were killing eachother, and there were precious few of those.

Osris listened. "Well then, it appears we've had a very happy misunderstanding thus far.

"Your brother was selling us for slaves."

Tanith went chill. Anborn was employed here? Had she been fighting her own house? "....Is he dead?"

"No," said Osris. "Nor are any of the men that accompanied him. They were returned to Edmund Telus unharmed.

"But he remains with us. He'd leave for long periods of time and then go into the slave pits and sing. It was absolutely infuriating and made everything worse."

"Which brother?" asked Tanith, already knowing the answer.

"Tanith..." said Kata.

"Which brother?" said Tanith.

Osris went still. "Anborn Telus.

"He has been the representative of your House for some time. Though he spent very little time here."

"Where is Anborn?" asked Tanith.

"We're not giving him up," said Sokar.

"I'm not asking you to give him up," said Tanith, now feeling real rage. "I'm asking you to put me in the same room as him.

"Where is he?"

"I will allow you to go to him," said Osris. "But only if you give your swords to Kata as trust."

Tanith did so, and Kata took them.

"You've both grown up," said Osris.

"We had to," said Kata, smiling. "Tanith, I'm sure your brother is alright."

"I'm worried he'll be dead, and Father will have to avenge him. Unfortunately, that means finding him alive," said Tanith.

"You wish your brother dead?" asked Osris.

"Why wouldn't I?" asked Tanith. "When I was growing up, he was always lazing around. He never put any work into studies, sword fighting, or anything else. He was too much of a coward to go to war, and he didn't want to make his own efforts. Every responsibility he is offered, he runs from.

"He gambles and drinks and wastes his time reading. And he loafs around while everyone else has to work overtime to compensate for his failings.

"...Who got him this job? Do you know?"

"I gather he was given the position by Lord Kern on urging from Lord Rius," said Osris. "Or so he tells me. I believe the go-between was a merchant called Lilas."

"That treacherous bastard!" said Kata. "You were right about him, Tanith! You were right all along!"

"Not now, Kata," said Tanith.

She was led to an enclosure within the fortress, and a door was opened. Inside, Tanith saw her brother, a man older than her by several years. He had slicked-back blonde hair, big innocent eyes, and did not at all look like a bad sort. On the contrary, when he turned, he smiled like some child waiting for a meal. "Tanith?

"You're here; I'm really glad to see you. Did you know that this fortress was-"

"It's not cute anymore," said Tanith. "Anborn, what is going on here? Why are you taking jobs from our political enemies?"

Anborn shifted, putting his hands together as if in prayer. "Please don't hit me, sis.

"I've just been doing some business ventures. Lord Kern gave me some business opportunities. Um, actually, I seem to have lost a lot of my merchant holdings.

"Well, maybe we can work to get them back together."

Anborn had no idea what he was doing. That was no excuse. "Does Father know about what you were doing here? Did you get his permission?"

"Well, I mean, he kept pushing me to go on campaign," said Anborn. "But I mean, all those warriors and such are really mean. And they kept leaving me behind.

"So I thought I'd go and try to make my fortune here. And I mean, Tavish, he offered me a major loan to get started out here and..."

"For how much?" asked Tanith.

"I uh..." asked Anborn.

"How much did you lose?!" said Tanith, starting to lose control.

"Sis, I uh..." Anborn halted. "It was going really well. I mean, I got connected to this guy named Reg Hawkthorne who had plans to take control of Ascorn.

"Tavish asked me to take charge of the operation. And yes, he's technically a criminal, but deep down, he's really a nice guy. And he is actually protecting people from that mean jerk Atravaine and..." Tanith struggled to keep her composure. "It's just money."

"Just money?!" said Tanith. "Do you know what happens when a noble gets put into debt?!

"Did you command the operations? Who were your subordinates? Why didn't your guards do something about this?"

"I uh, there were some mercenary officers Tavish supplied. Originally I was just harping for them, but Lord Kern gave me a better position on the part of Lord Rius. They usually gave me things to sign and I read through them and-

"I did read them, honest! I came here to try and take responsibility because William said I should! Please, sis! Don't hurt me again, please!!"

His actions were those of an idiot, not a monster.

That was why he had stayed alive, walking from town to town smiling and getting everyone into trouble. His companions were attacked, and he ran away only to come back later, expecting to be part of the group. He accompanied a questing knight, and his idiocy saw the man lose everything he owned. He was told to act as a guide to a secret mission, and he blew the whole thing by publically announcing it. Yet no one killed him or punished him, and Edmund Telus was helpless to stop his own humiliation.

And now, he had reached the end of his long journey and lucked out by being given a position of authority he did not deserve. Only this position was in charge of an illegal slaving operation. So now Tanith was supposed to just accept who he was and smile and let him get off. Like everyone else.

As usual.

Tanith lunged, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him against the wall. It broke beneath the impact, and he screamed like a child as he hit the ground. Whimpering, Tanith moved forward and kicked him in the teeth, bloodying his mouth. He didn't lose any to Tanith's disappointment. Then grab him by the hair she smashed him against the stone wall. He fell to the ground and tried to scale, but she grabbed his hand and bit his fingers.

Anborn screamed, and Tanith shut him up by smashing him across the face with her hand. Kicking him again while he was down, he tried to stand up. But Tanith grabbed him and, seeing an altar of the Shark Queen, pulled him along. He pulled out of his cloak, but she was on him, savagely kicking him to quiet him down. Finally pulling him to the alter, she threw him down onto it and drew her knife.

"Please, sis! Please don't kill me!" screamed Anborn. "I won't do it again! Please don't kill me!"

"I'll kill him!" roared Tanith, raising it. "I will kill him!

"ANBORN WILL DIE!!"

But Anborn pulled off the altar in a final desperate move, falling to the ground. She halted her dagger rather than stab into it. Climbing over it, Tanith walked after him, smiling. She'd waited years for this, and now she could finally do it with a clear conscience.

Anborn was in agony. All his inexplicable luck and charm could not save him now. His was bloody; his every limb was in agony. And Tanith was supposed to pity him because mean old daddy expected him to make something of himself.

She'd take her time with this.

She deserved it after all these years. Kata stepped forward but was caught by her own people.

"The Shark Queen is taking vengeance," said Osris. "We cannot interfere."

And not one Furbearer stood in her way. Anborn had nowhere to run to, and the Furbearers regarded her as an avatar of the Shark Queen. Now she was at him, but the miserable creature was at someone's feet.

Tanith saw her and, in some sense, knew she had always known her.

"Get out of my way, Imogen," said Tanith. "I'll kill him over your corpse if I must."

"You can't do this," said Imogen. "You can't use a human being as a vessel to murder their blood. Just because your power is channeling through her doesn't make her your subordinate.

"This a blatant overstepping of the rules."

"Who's using a vessel?" asked Tanith. "I've wanted Anborn dead for years. I have known nearly a decade of hatred for him.

"And now I have the chance to do it!"

"Mother will be upset!" said Anborn.

"Mother is through with you!" said Tanith.

"House Telus has no use for a coward who abandons his friends! You go from town to town, romancing redheads until they realize what a spoiled child you are!

"And so you move on, listless and devoid of meaning, bringing ruin on allies! And now, having taken up with the enemies of our House and turned on your own family, you plead mercy?

"How much mercy have you been given already? How many times do others have to suffer your stupidity before you learn?"

"This is not a proportionate response!" said Imogen.

"Yeah, and you're a trustworthy source here," said Tanith, backhanding her. "The Goddess who is half-responsible for this mess is complaining. You've already killed far better men than Anborn with your backstabbing. If you don't want to be up next, you little bitch, you'd better shut up!" She looked to Anborn, who was quivering in fear. The ground was soaked in his blood. "If I hadn't sworn to Mother that I would not gut you when I was twelve...

"Do you know what you have done?! You've just nearly started a war! You've killed hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed the balance of power!"

"So did you," said Anborn, trying to stand.

Tanith kicked him again and, grasping a stick, hit him repeatedly with.

"Yes, but I did that on purpose out of misguided well-intentions and bloodlust," said Tanith. "You didn't even have the guts to do that! You just flittered away your time and let your talents go to waste! And Sunthred and I have had to work overtime just to keep you from disgracing our family name!

"What were you thinking?!"

"I was trying to make something of myself!" said Anborn.

"What?" said Tanith, incredulous.

"I was trying to prove I could do this," said Anborn. "I... I realized I hadn't achieved anything, and my potential was being wasted. But the Khasmir Campaign ended before I could do anything. I thought I could pay back some of the money I lost for Father."

"So why didn't you take up something smaller?" asked Tanith, throwing the stick away and punching him across the face. "You've been loafing around for years. If you'd started taking up your duties earlier, you'd have been given something small as well. Any humiliation you might have had would have been the price you paid for the delay." Tanith halted and realized that she was about to commit a kinslaying. "Alright...

"You get to live, but only because it could backfire. If you didn't have a Goddess coming out of anywhere to bail you out, you'd be dead on that altar.

"I'm going to give you a quest. You fulfill it; you live. You don't; you die."

"What is it..." said Anborn, pulling himself up. "Anything."

"There's going to be a battle soon," said Tanith. "You are going to fight with the Furbearers. I want you at the front of the battle. And you are not to retreat at all.

"If you flee, I will kill you.

"If you betray them, I will kill you.

"If you are captured, you will not be delivered by my hand.

"And if you distinguish yourself... you will regain your honor like water in sand. Even if you win a great victory, you will not get the respect you want. You will have to fight, from one misery to another! You will have to endure the disrespect and humiliation of those around you.

"There will probably come a time where you curse the very day you were born, that you might yourself and others pain.

"You are not trying to make a name for yourself. Instead, you are trying to destroy the name that was made for you."

"I'm sorry," said Anborn.

"Apologize by future action," said Tanith. "Someone get him a healer; the wounds have stung him enough. Ensure he is not mistreated but given no undue preference.

"Anborn is to be at the thickest part of the fighting."

"He'll die," said Osris matter.

"Or he may find himself stronger than you think," said Tanith. "William did." And she faded. "I don't speak for the Shark Queen anymore.

"Imogen has stolen the role from me. And I must go at once to my Father to learn what has happened.

"Anborn..." She took a breathe and calmed down before looking at him seriously. "Please don't disappoint me. Father is going to need you, you and Sunthred. I can't rule Ran Telus; I'm not cut out for that kind of work. And our power is expanding rapidly.

"I leave at once."

Then she looked to Imogen. "And you... if you ever threaten Harlenor again, I'll kill you and your pantheon! So keep your loveable rogues out of Elranor's territory!"

Imogen stood up, shivering in the cold. "I uh... I guess that's my cue to leave."

Then she was gone in a flash.

Dead silence.

"I gotta say, I think her reaction is perfectly reasonable," said Sokar. "Get the idiot a healer."

For once, Anborn had a decent reason to cry. But he tried not to this time, so that was good. Tanith took her swords from Kata. Kata halted. "Tanith, I'm going with you."

"Why?" asked Tanith, buckling them onto her scabbard.

"I feel I'll be needed with you," said Kata. "And I'd like to see how your story goes.

"...Do you think that Anborn represented something? They say the future is foreshadowed in the present."

"No," said Tanith. "Your people were never that weak.

"And my sins are along a very different path." Then she halted as a messenger came in.

"Chieftain Osris," said the messenger. "Lord Kern's forces are approaching the river."

Tanith took Kata's gaze. "I will watch.

"But I will not be on the field."

Anborn opened his mouth to speak as he was given a knife. Tanith looked at him, and he looked away. It was time to get this idiot killed, so Father didn't have to worry about him anymore.

Or maybe he'd survive and be a hero.

Tanith didn't really care. But, she sort of hoped things would turn around for him.

They'd see.

Either way, she didn't need the Shark Queen to tell her to do all this. Nor did she care if she did.