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on.
    “Well, he’s tall, with reddish hair. Eyes a real bright
blue. I remember his smile. My mother says he’s handsome, but all I remember is
that big smile, and how tall he was. Things at the castle were fun. Then the
old king—my grandfather, that is. He finally died. I don’t remember him much at
all—”
    I was descending into the personal memories I’d wanted to
avoid, and so I shook my head. “He died, as I said. Next thing I knew we were
traveling. Then we were on the run. The grownups didn’t tell me much, just that
we had to be very quiet, and careful. We hid in a forest, we hid on a smuggling
ship. My father got us to that old castle. I remembered some of it, though it
was at night, during a heavy storm. He sent us through the Gate. Said he’d come
for us. Never did.”
    I paused when we reached a forked path. Elva scowled,
running her fingers along her scabbard. She was clearly tense with indecision.
    Zathdar said, “Keep to the right, is my suggestion.”
    “I agree. Left looks like it goes back toward the old
castle.” Devlaen turned around in his saddle. “That all?” he asked me.
    “That’s what I remember. Here’s the basics of what I know.
My mother said Canary began flirting with her as soon as my father brought her
over from Earth. Dad was sent to Earth to see other worlds and gain
perspective, since he was a second child. Canary had urged him to do that. Mom
and I think now that he, Canary I mean, thought Dad would never come back.”
    “Magister Glathan thought so, too.” Devli nodded slowly.
    We’d reached another branch of the trail. Elva cast a quick
look back. Devli shrugged in non-answer.
    Zathdar said pleasantly, “Left-hand trail goes down to the
river. I feel obliged to remind you that if War Commander Randart is anywhere
behind us, his searchers will find that cave retreat by morning. If not
sooner.”
    Elva sent a darkling look at her brother, who said
defensively, “How was I to know our rescue party would turn into a war party?”
    Elva muttered, “Hold my spot on ship defense, that I can do.
Not against the king’s entire army.”
    “Let’s go left, sis.” Devli gave an anxious look at the
mountaintops.
    I could have pointed out that Randart’s searchers wouldn’t
be stupid enough to make silhouettes if they were really up there, but kept
quiet, and Elva reluctantly headed to the left.
    “Would you continue?” Zathdar asked me. “You had gotten to
King Canardan and your mother and father.”
    I shrugged. My story wasn’t all that exciting. Maybe he
thought my natter was better than sullen silence from up front. “Dad didn’t die
on Earth. Nor did he carve out a new kingdom, or whatever it was Canary thought
he’d do. Along the way on his journey through California, he met my mom, at a
Renaissance Faire. Um, never mind what a Renaissance is. Just think of it as
people dressed up in costumes. Mom didn’t know he was a prince. She was a
hippie activist because it was romantic and exciting and seemed destined to
make the world better. Anyway, they became friends. Same sense of humor. Then
they fell in love, and he wanted to marry her. So he sprang the prince business
on her and said that getting married over here in this world would make her
being a princess more official in the eyes of the people of Khanerenth than a
marriage back on Earth.”
    A distant shout rang through the woods. Zathdar’s hand
smacked to his blade. He twisted in his saddle, alert as a greyhound, while
Elva was still looking around saying, “What was that? Where?”
    A voice answered from much closer—a little kid. “We’re still
berrying, Papa!” and another even younger voice added, “Our baskets are almost
full!”
    I stayed quiet until we’d rounded the bluff away from the
unseen berry pickers, then looked back uncertainly.
    Zathdar made a polite gesture to continue.
    “Mom didn’t know anything about being a princess except what
we get in stories, but she loved him, and