In The Beginning, Gail Daley [red white royal blue .TXT] 📗

have been abuses in the Proctor system. Because you love your subjects, you have decided changes must be made to how they operate. The common people will love it. After all, there is nothing in this document forbidding you from hiring former Proctors to carry out your orders.”

Shahen Rupert sat up. "Yes," he said. "It must be worded so I appear to have come to this decision on my own, not forced by this defeat," he warned. His air of hopelessness and despair was gone. For the first time since Jeffrey had walked in, he appeared alive and interested in the new challenge.

Lewys endorsed the Shahen's proclamation and sent it out through his spy network for approval. Within weeks, it came back from his compatriots as accepted.

Not wishing to inform the Shahen they had the ability to duplicate the Proclamation, several scribes from the village were hired  to make copies of it for distribution to every town and village in Askela.

It took weeks to clean up the mess left by the battle. The dead had to be buried and a list of them for kin notification complied. Trebottom returned to his Trade Station, which surprisingly, had survived the swath of Andre's sword relatively undamaged. Trade Caravans were arriving again, and with them the news about the country's reaction to the curbing of the Proctor's power.

"It's not good, Jeffrey," Rupert said. "The Proctors are ignoring my Proclamation. I need to be back in the capital to control things, but none of my men are fully recovered."

"I agree you need to leave as soon as possible, but traveling without a full compliment of your guards would be dangerous, Sire. We also need a Magi along for protection if the Proctor's attempt to take you hostage."

"You mean I need to hire Merc's."

Jeffrey nodded. "I'm afraid so, sire. Benoit is obviously still in touch with the Guild, and they do say once a Merc always a Merc."

"Alright. I'll speak to Mabinogion and ask if he can arrange an escort."

The next morning, he discovered Andre had anticipated his need. He found Lewys, Owen, Andre and Logan having breakfast with General Richard Kirkorian and his two pet Magi, Fire and Ice. The general was a lean man in his early forties, with a beard starting to go grey. Fire and Ice looked almost identical, with blond hair just beginning to show white, chiseled features and hard muscled bodies.

"General Kirkorian has brought a full troop of three hundred men, Sire," Lewys said.

"Thank you," Rupert said. "I was just about to raise the subject of an escort with you. You have anticipated my need. I do want one of the Wild Magi to travel with us as well," Rupert said. "Jeffrey has pointed out our group might be attacked by Proctors who don't appreciate my proclamation."

"I believe Fire and Ice, and are experienced battle mages."

"That is good, but I intend to contact some of the wild mages along our route, and with all due respect to these gentlemen, I believe they are too closely associated with the Mercs to easily trust them. There is one other thing, Mabinogion. I would like for you as well to accompany us on the journey."

"Why Sire?"

"I need a liaison to the Magi Cadre in the city," Rupert said frankly. "I may need to enlist some of them to oversee the Proctor's school, and the Proctor's themselves to make sure they are in compliance with the new rules."

"I see. It will take me a few days to make arrangements, Sire, but I believe it can be arranged."

In the end, Lewys decided to drag his traveling wagons out of the barn, and had one of them fitted up as a Bird Cote. Owen, he declared could come along to handle them.

"He has something up his sleeve," Rebecca remarked to Andre when she heard about the birds.

"You mean he wants to have a private system to contact the Cadre," Andre agreed. "I spoke to Logan about which of the Wild Magi we could send with Lewys and he thinks it will have to be him who goes."

"You don't want to send Aron or Maegan?"

"No, I don't want the pass unguarded. Kenwyn can't go obviously not with Shynian so near her time. Cedric is a possibility, but his talents are better served where he is. Besides, Logan thinks it will be better for his relations with Land's End if he is absent for a time since it was he who called the storm down on them."

Catrin wasn't happy to find out Logan intended to leave on an extended trip. "What about Mikel?" she demanded. "This is a critical time in his development. He needs you here."

"I know, but there isn't anyone else some of the Wilds will trust. We could exchange those bird avatars of Owens couldn't we?"

"I suppose," she admitted grumpily.

She brought Mikel down to say goodbye to Logan as the wagon's pulled out. "He touched the baby's face with a finger, and kissed him on the forehead. "Take good care of each other," he said. On impulse, he brushed a quick kiss on Catrin's mouth, drawing back before she had time to react.

He mounted his unicorn and rode out. As Catrin watched him go, she touched her still tingling lips with her fingers.

It was a moment before she roused herself to join the family in the War Room to watch the departure of the Shahen and the remainder of his escort as they started out.

"Do you think the Shahen will enforce the proclamation once he is back in Khaso?" asked Rebecca.

"Once it is published, he will have to keep it or look a fool." Andre said. "Constantly changing his mind will make him look weak in his noble council's eyes. He will keep it." He looked over at his wife. "Riding back into Khaso with a full troop of Merc's will do more to announce he intends to enforce the changes than anything else he could do. It is possible he may be hoping