The barely-there light of the sickly grey dawn was a perfect match for her mood, as she sat, holding Sienna’s saber.

“I’ve been played for a fool.”

“Well,” Honee dangerously lectured, “the master wizard, or whoever, doesn’t need to fight you, when he can outsmart you.”

Caitlyn had found the spot where Sienna had fallen.  She also found the spot where a body – smaller, with human-sized footprints – had crouched, waiting.  “Practically under our noses,” she had commented.

Of course, they had followed the trail to the shroom.

“The city of goodly people, with a traitor’s dagger at our backs.”

“Beg pardon?”

She looked up at Honee.  “She tried to warn me, and I wouldn’t listen.  I wanted too badly to make this battle my own victory.  Now my pride- .”

“Don’t talk about your pride,” Honee cut in.  “You never objected, when others believed you simply stubborn.  You wore that mantle proudly, as you decided your own path.”

As Fawnlum gave Honee her attention, the scout drove the point home.  “Against battles, against your mother, against the belief you were a Child of Convenience.  Your victory is when you overcome.  Your love of freedom is what drives you, not just a wish for greatness.”

“That’s no excuse for losing one of my own,” she replied.

“Bah!  Lass!”  Banacheck barked, as he tromped up.  “Such doesn’t become ye.”

“Now we have to get those doors open, above all else,” Honee said.

“Excuse me,” Lucas asked, “but how do you know she’s still alive?”

“There was no blood on the trail!  Someone went to the trouble of carrying her weapon from where she fell – “

“An’ left it there, to let ye know where to find ‘er,” Banacheck finished.

“So it’s time to outsmart them,” Honee added, standing right beside the dwarf, to further harangue Fawnlum.

“I’m just glad you didn’t hit it,” Nepta said, from where she stood beside Lucas.

“I’m glad you stopped me,” Fawnlum agreed, looking at the shroom.

“We need it intact if we’re going to follow after her.”

“What?!” Lucas suddenly called, looking up toward the red Curse-cloud.

Everyone looked at him.

“I mean,” he said, embarrassingly, “I thought I just heard my mother’s voice.”

“You did just hear my voice!”

Fawnlum jumped.  They all heard it, even the dwarves, and everyone looked skyward.

“Mother!  Where are you?!”

“In Tisane, in the Starlight Tower, ever since – “

“Yes, yes, no time for that!” another voice – that of an old man, to Fawnlum’s ears – suddenly cut in.

“Lucas!” Egress called.

“Lucas!” he snapped again.

“Yes!  Who’s there?!”

“Exedo of the Starlight Tower.”

“Oh!  Thank you for – ”

“Never mind!  Just listen!  We have seen your battlefield,” he said, each syllable precise.  “There is a chance you can get the shroom door open.”

Fawnlum strained her ears, and committed everything to memory as Exedo explained.