8 June 2003
The companions have been spending time in Amber, their victory in repairing the Pattern overshadowed by their discovery of the shattering of all the Elder status save Bleys. The room sealed by Meridian, the various members of the group try to find ways to deal with the situation.
Sil Rana has been speaking with his father's ghost in the throne room. He related the companions adventures and his father's phantom seems reasonably impressed by his actions. Sil Rana then brings the conversation to the present and asks if the spirit noticed the shaking when the Pattern was restored. It states that it did, but that the intensity was nothing that should have toppled the heavy stone statues. Sil Rana then moves the conversation to Fiona, unsure of how he should broach the subject of his father's sibling with him. It turns out he has little to fear, Eric has little love lost for his sister. While he didn't see her topple the statues, he's quick to state that it would not have surprised him to find out she had done so, she has always coveted the throne of Amber. He counsels Sil Rana to not be too concerned about it, "No one rules forever". However, he is willing to act the part of spy for his descendant and promises to keep an eye on the Lady Fiona.
Later on, Meridian and Laurent go with Sil Rana to the Pattern room, Meridian unsealing it so Sil Rana may walk the design. After he is finished, they discuss options. There is a dangerous moment when Sil Rana considers simply appearing in Fiona's room and finishing the object of their suspicions, but Meridian convinces him to wait, arguing that any such action should be done by the group as a whole.
He appears, instead, in Nuin's room. After the initial surprise has faded she agrees to talk and seals the room from easedropping. Nuin has none of Meridian's reservations and states quite flatly that Sil Rana should have killed Fiona when he had the chance. There conversation is joined by Meridian and Laurent and the Monitor adds his seals to Nuins. The conversation continues and they come to several resolutions. Bleys, whatever his history, could not have been involved, he was stone at the time. Nuin is still adamant that Fiona should be "taken care of". Meridian finally turns to her and notes, "We will have to kill her, we are putting her on trial here in abstentia. You spoke to me about the dangers of easy power Nuin, yes or no, are you sure enough that Fiona did this that you are willing to kill." Nuin is clearly angered by this questioning of her motives, but relents under the Monitors direct stare, "No" she returns in a small voice, "I am not sure." They decide they must investigate further.
Doing so will require further resources and they Trump Susan. Strangely enough, he is on horseback, galloping through a field surrounded by an army of naked women, also on horseback. There is a moment of awkward silence as the group try to figure out how to address this moment of apparent debauchery until Susan seems to notice their discomfort and states that he's leading the people of K'aran to Parad to repopulate it. He has been investigating the provinces and tells the group that people are waking up, if their statue was undamaged, so are they. If it waswell, that is not an idea that bears a great deal of thought. He agrees to return when he is finished and the connection is closed.
The group agrees and Sand is contacted via Nuin's trump. We go to her and appear in a courtyard, the road out leads to a large castle, with night on one side and the light of day on the other. The companions are far to innured to the strange now and proceed without comment. Sand herself is found in front of a large orb, in the topmost tower of her keep. Meridian explains in length what has happened and what they wish to do, she notes that more than simple reconstruction is required and is willing to help, out of love for Nuin if nothing else, the affairs of Amber are not of interest to her. As to Fiona's guilt she can not speak, there are hints of such actions in her dreams, but people often dream of things they do not necessarily do.
We are invited to look into the orb and it shows us what must be done. First we must reconstruct the statues, this is easily within Meridian's ability. Then magic is needed to "heal" them and convert the stone into flesh, this will require Susan. After this the flesh itself must be healed, Peter's speciality. Then the body must be imprinted with the person spirit using one of their Trumps, the realm of Laurent, and something "real" of theirs, a hair from their rooms will do. This will create a shadowed version of them, but to complete the process they must walk the Pattern in Tir, so their spirit may be fully restored.
The process discovered, now it simply remains to plan. Susan brings them back to Amber and in Laurents room they gather and Meridian explains the process to everyone.
Meanwhile other guests of Amber are making plans of their own. Sirone has decided to return to the provinces, for a time at least, and continue as a Monitor. Laurent gives her a Trump of himself should she ever need any of us for any reason. Sil Rana sends Tetter and Whitlock with her, to make sure her journey is a safe one.
Peter has decided he wishes to walk the Pattern after all and Laurent, Sil Rana and Meridian go down to stand with him as he does so. While they are so occupied, Susan uses the time to enter the rooms of all the elders and obtain hair samples for the restoration.
Meridian has been working on the statues while Peter has been assaying the Pattern and when he is done, Meridian is ready. They bring Susan and Diagoro brings them to Arden via trump. There they begin the restoration. The first is Benedict and when they are done he is whole, if somewhat distracted and distant. The process has severely drained Peter and even with Meridian's enhanced curatives they must wait a good time between restorations. Random is next and is similarly confused and shallow when restored. After spending the night allowing Peter to restore himself, they attempt to return to the Castle and discover they are blocked. Fiona has apparently become aware that something is amiss.
Diagoro, Meridian, Laurent and Sil Rana return in stealth and are able to sneak through Fiona's wards via a small hole Meridian is able to make and maintain. Making it carefully to the Pattern room they again bypass the wards and seal them behind them. Laurent walks the pattern and the others trump the repaired statues to him, he is then able to use the Pattern to evacuate everyone despite Fiona's enchantments. Slowly but surely the others are restored, Julian, then Gerard, then Corwin.
Several days pass with the companions camping protected in Arden. Amber remains blocked but Fiona has made no other gestures, a silence that weighs heavily on all. Eventually the night of the full moon arrives and the companions and partially restored Elders are brought to Tir Na Nogth. The entry is uneventfull but soon after entering the shadow city a curious fog arises and splits the group apart. Tir has decided that each are to have their own encounters and company is not appreciated.
Meridian find himself talking to Talia, the conversation is cordial but Meridian is clearly, and bluntly, of the belief that he is imagining it all. He leaves quickly, their conversation over almost before it began.
Laurent sees Luke, who wishes to accompany him, once more acting as the bodyguard. Laurent is apprehensive, but allows himself to be convinced.
Susan sees a campfire and there finds Maggie. The details are private, but he leaves more shattered than he enters.
Sil Rana's encounter takes place in the throne room, the hearth flaming merrily, the rustle of paper alerting him to another presence. Turning, he sees a tall, silver haired man flipping through maps, a man he quickly recognizes as his father. The man nods to Sil Rana and shows him a map, commenting only "Be careful what battles you pick, they don't have to go on forever and they won't bring back the dead." He then hands Sil Rana a ring, like his own but without the runes. They depart peacefully.
Diagoro sees Justinian at the top of the Pattern room stairs. "Are you still following Sil Rana?" "I follow my own path now." Justinian's manner is still condescending, but he seems to accept what Diagoro tell him. He departs, but not before giving Diagoro a bracer like the one that was lost repairing the Pattern.
Of Peter's encounter we know nothing, and he makes no mention of it when everyone finally locates each other back in the Pattern room of Tir. Anxious to get out of the city before any more strangeness, the Elders are processed through the Pattern as quickly as possible. Most, upon being restored, simple disappear from the center without so much as a word. Only Benedict, once his walk is finished, turns to ask, "Where are the others?" Meridian, who has had his fill of Elder ingratitude, simply states "We don't know, they got to the center, were vaguely condescending and left." Far short of engaging Benedicts temper this actually manages to raise a small smile. "I will be returning to Arden then" he states and disappears.
All prepare to leave, but the night and its city are not finished with Meridian quite yet. He receives a Trump call and, albeit with some apprehension, he accepts. It is Talia again, and resigned to his fate Meridian allows her to pull him through into what appears to be her cottage. They chat for a time and she knows Meridian well enough to allow him to come to terms with the strangeness at his own pace. Her only comment of any mystery is to ask him "What did you learn", to which he can answer a great deal of information, but not on the spiritual levels she is interested to hear. Accepting what is with a Monitor's resignation, she gifts him with an orb akin to that he lost and tells him he can go back. "I'd like to come again, if you will be here when I return." Surprised, Talia laughs and replies "You'd visit an old hallucination? Why Meridian, how impractical of you." "I've missed you Talia, it would be good to speak with you again." "Then do so, and I'll be here when you need me." Seeming satisfied that perhaps Meridian has learned more than he is able to express she send him on his way.
Laurent has a delayed encounter as well, and meets with his grandmother. At first he is petulant, cross with her for not teaching him more as a child. She is unfazed by his temper and points out that she did what she could, skills must be earned, not handed to one on a plate. The eventually come to terms and she sends him off with a trump of Luke.
The companions depart. Luke must remain, he is of this place and can not leave it's confines easily, although the Trump will allow things to happen if the circumstances are right. Eventually all arrive back in Arden and gratefully sleep.
The next morning the companions and some of the more pro-active elders begin their planning. Their first thought is that they must contact Bleys and learn his leanings, one way or the other. He is willing to accept the Trump connection and when asked seems inclined to work with his siblings, even if it means against Fiona. While there is still some suspicion, most are satisfied that he will, at least, not plan with her against us.
Corwin leaves to examine what remains of Amber's standing army and Susan returns to Parad to enlist the assistance of the Sorcerers that rule there.
Susan's trip is successful and the rulers there are willing to send a small number of witches back with him to aid in his fight. Corwin's mission is less positive, the army is alive but has been poisoned and is sick. Meridian is brought in and managed to make an antidote soup, but it will take some days for everyone to be brought in and recover. The castle itself is nearly inaccessible, wards cover every surface and even with Meridian working nearly full time it will take days to clear. When they finally reach the armory, there is nothing left but slag.
The one positive aspect of the Castle trip is that they do manage to get into the library, and the companions now have Trump decks of the Elders.
It is during this time that the companions learn the reason for Fiona's lack of response to their actions. She is no longer in the Castle and has been collecting troops from out in Shadow. She and an army of 10,000 are on their way, their intent obvious.
Peter has decided to make his own plea for assistance and returns to speak with the Priest that helped him so recently. He is concerned, but believes in Peter and sends him back with three of the great cats and a large contingent of healers.
Working to address the destruction of the library, Meridian works to create a new set of weapons, in the process making some improvements on Corwin's origional design. After a few days he has created a master gun that will clone itself and it's ammunition. The army is rearmed, but still small, barely 200 soldiers, to this is added the 500 Rangers in Arden. Fiona's troops outnumber them over 10 to 1, and grow ever closer.
