Guess Who: Stoneriver

Cahira went to the middle of the room where the luggage had been stacked. Kady added hers. Then the four bitches linked hands around their things and Cahira Jumped.

Larena gasped and put her hand to her lips. "Oh my gods, what is this place?"

Kady had never been there before, but she had read descriptions of it and immediately started looking for landmarks. "Ishladrim Castle. We're standing in the quad."

The quad, a large green and gardens located in the center of the compound, sparkled with light from oil lamps hanging from tall poles along the winding paths. Kady realized that it must get dark earlier in Creeya, for it had still been daylight in Wolffgard. Myn bustled around them: Assassins' Guild students in bright colors, Guildsmyn in their black uniforms with the book and the blade embroidered on the left shoulder in gold, guardsmyn in brown, and nobles in elaborate dress that made the best that Aisha Redhand owned seem shabby.

The city of Havensword had been chiseled into the side of a tall peak in descending walled levels wrapped around and around it. Ishladrim Castle sat at the highest point. The castle grounds held the palace on the north side, forming a quad with the Guild school and university to the west; the library and the high temple of Hadjys to the south; and the Guild training grounds to the east. The training grounds included a substantial bit of forest called the Stalking Grounds, an equestrian section with lists and a salle as well as several obstacle courses.

They stood facing the Palace of the Grand Master, its base built like a jutting five spined star, thrust into the mountain. A circular floor supporting the parts that actually showed had been laid atop it in a long flare of seven wings, five small sub-wing additions with dozens of spired towers and multiple staggered stories and onion domes in bright colors, and a whorled maze of other edifices that could only be reached by spans and bridges from the topmost towers and spires or flying creatures, had been endlessly added onto it over the centuries until no one alive knew all of its secrets.

"Cahira!" a mild-looking mon in his late forties, clean-shaven and dark approached them in a Guild uniform with two young myn at his heels. He had nothing to set him apart as special except for his chestnut eyes.

"Aramyn!" Cahira embraced him.

"I see you've just arrived. Can we help with your things?"

"It would be much appreciated. Aramyn, this is my granddaughter-in-law, Kady Maguire. And you remember Mary Sinclair."

"A pleasure."

"This is my sister, Larena." Kady knew that Cahira disliked Larena, but was surprised by the rudeness of not introducing her.

Aramyn gave Larena a polite nod as he and his companions took charge of their luggage and headed for the palace.

"We're staying in the palace?" Larena whispered to Kady as they followed Aramyn across the quad.

"Cahira always stays at the palace."

They stared into the Great Central Hall with its maze of arches, forested with columns, and filled out with couches, chairs, and tables in little clusters as a casual meeting place for the aristocracy and other inhabitants of the palace. The stairs to the Cloverleaf below were in the very center with a half-moon rail around it; while the path to the Guild Wing lay at precise diagonal to the West Wing, which was the best wing of the palace for guests.

Sofas, chairs, and tables formed small alcoves throughout the room. In the middle stood a half rail around a descending stairway that led to a cloverleaf of shops and cafes beneath the chamber. People were spread throughout in small chatting groups.

"Aramyn, if you do not mind, I would like to go introduce Kady to Lord Channadar."

"We'll take your things to your usual suite. Then I'll come back and we can chat."

"Thank you."

Cahira led the way to a sofa where a black-haired Fae with streaks of fiery orange in his hair held court to a rapt audience of both Fae and humans. He wore a long blue silk tunic and pants embroidered with birds. One sleeve of his tunic was pinned up.

"He's only got one arm," Larena whispered.

"Shut up, Larena," Kady snapped. "Don't embarrass me. That's Lord Channadar ruler of Hell's Guard.

Larena flushed. "You've met him before?"

"Cahira described him."

While Channadar spoke in lilting terms, a Fae with pale yellow hair wrought illusions with her pair of flashing fans and dancing steps.

Larena saw a little white-haired Fae in elegant mauve breeches and tunic carrying a sword at her shoulder and a pair of golden fans in her sash. "She's tiny."

"Be polite. That must be StealsThunder. She eats vampires for breakfast."

Larena frowned. "I don't believe you."

"She roasts them with garlic and onions and eats them."

"If you say so."

Channadar noticed Cahira and smiled at her, an impish turn at the corners of his lips. "Cahira, welcome back. And who are these lovelies you have brought with you?"

Cahira made the introductions and this time she included Larena.

Channadar tilted his head to the side, focusing on Kady. "Lady Maguire, I have heard many fine things about you."

Kady flushed. "Your legends pale before your presence, Lord Channadar."

"Your beauty is as the sun and moon, and the blue skies of summer, Lady Maguire."

The color heightened still more in Kady's cheeks. "You are too kind."

Larena's expression turned petulant and she stared at a point on the floor with her head lowered.

"If you have questions about your gifts, young mage, just ask me." A dark-haired human with doves resting on her arms smiled at Kady. "I'm Chucomei the Mage of Wings."

A tall golden skinned and golden-eyed Fae came to stand beside Chucomei with a smile. "Welcome to Creeya, Lady Maguire."

His hand rested on one fan as he regarded Kady.

She extended her hand to him. "You must be Tiderider, First of Thirteen."

His eyes slewed toward Cahira with a tiny bow. "You've taught her well, Cahira."

The lycan mage turned a fond eye on Kady. "She learns easy, studies hard, and is a joy to work with."

Larena's expression shifted from petulant to bored.

"What brings us such intriguing company?" Channadar gestured at Kady with a closed fan, although the question was directed at Cahira.

"Shopping. I have an appointment with the High Patriarch to discuss a medical text I'm translating. So I thought it an excellent excuse to bring Kady and Mary shopping."

Channadar gestured with his fan at the white-blonde Fae who had been dancing his story for him. "Would you like to go shopping?"

"Yes." She started to say something else, paused and pointed across the room at a knot of uniformed myn. "There's Stoneriver. I'll fetch him."

Channadar's lips formed an impish smile. "My Dragonfly. My wife."

Kady dipped her shoulders to him politely. "She's beautiful."

"Yes, she is."

Engrossed in further conversation with Channadar, Kady did not take note of the mon that Dragonfly returned with until he spoke.

"I'm from Red Wolf," said a basso profundo voice so deep and masculine that Kady was instantly forced to look at the newcomer. "I assume you're the Lady Maguire everyone is talking about?"

He wore the uniform of the Netherguard. He had the strangest eyes that Kady had ever seen, amber with flecks of sparkling silver. She wondered if there were a horse in creation that could carry a mon that size. He stood six seven, carrying himself with a casual arrogance. He had rugged features, craggy and handsome. Black hair and pale skin.

"Yes, I am." Kady accepted his hand and sniffed his fingers. "Lycan."

He nodded. "They call me Stoneriver."

Larena stared at him with a hungry bitch look that embarrassed Kady.

Kady pointed at each of her companions. "My sister Larena. My aunt Mary Sinclair. My grandmother Cahira Sinclair."

He gave each of them a courtly dip of his shoulders and then focused upon Kady. "I've heard that there is trouble in Red Wolf. I'd like to discuss it with you over dinner."

Kady eyed him. "Well I suppose we could�" She glanced at Cahira.

"That'd be lovely," Larena said, moving closer to him.

He gave her the merest glance and then turned back to Kady. "In private. Just you and I."

"Well, I don't know." Kady felt flustered. Her developing mage senses were tingling, telling her that he was not all he seemed and he seemed a lot.

Tiderider stepped close to Kady. "You can trust him, Lady Maguire. Stoneriver is a mon of honor."

"Well then, of course I accept."

GODWAR CENTRAL

Guess Who: Stoneriver