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musical little hum of satisfaction
as she tore away another bite of mutton.
    “In a few days a group of Tresson
representatives will arrive at a small, recently built border
crossing directly south of Territal. A group of Alliance soldiers,
a handful of servants, and a pair of ambassadors will be there as
well. You are to be host to the Tresson delegation. A short list of
points of interest has been selected, which the ambassadors and
soldiers will ferry you between. During the trip the delegation
will speak to you. You should treat them well and answer any
questions they might have that will not endanger the safety of the
Alliance,” Myranda said.
    “I am to play nursemaid to a gathering of
self-important humans,” Ether said. “This is a task so thoroughly
beneath my status and abilities it baffles me that I am expected to
perform it. But if it will silence Ivy, then I will endure it.”
    “Thank you, Ether,” Myranda said, sincere
relief in her voice. “I cannot express how important this is for
the Alliance and its people. If war sparks between our lands, there
will be much bloodshed and little hope for the Northern Alliance.
Deacon has prepared some notes for you.” At Myranda’s mention,
Deacon leaned aside to his bag and pulled free one of the small
communication books, handing it to Ether. Myranda continued, “Your
tour will take you up to the edge of Ravenwood, across the Low
Lands, and into the Melorn Woods as far as the mouth of the Cave of
the Beast.”
    “Would you require that I lead them as far as
Entwell as well? What are the lengths of this foolishness?”
    “That won’t be necessary,” Myranda said.
    “In fact, we would ask that you not tell them
of Entwell unless pressed,” Deacon added.
    “Why?” Ivy asked, tearing free a hunk of
bread that had been set on the table.
    “With the war at an end, it is entirely
possible that the legend of the beast of the cave will bring new
wizards and warriors, hungry for glory, heading to the cave to
battle the beast again,” Deacon explained. “If near certain death
with the tiny chance of a legendary reputation is enough to send
people to their doom in the cave, imagine what might happen if
people knew that it held a paradise filled with the best trained
and most motivated fighters and spell casters in the world? The
lack of a beast does not make the cave any less dangerous. There
exists no map to reach the other side safely. Dozens could be
killed, even hundreds. To have that happen on Alliance soil so soon
after the war would be unacceptable. In time we can work to
reintroduce Entwell to the rest of the world, but such a thing must
be done carefully. Until then I must reluctantly agree that the
legend of the cave should stand as is.”
    “And there is also the more practical
concern,” Myranda said, cutting into her own meal as it was set
before her. “It is likely that the Tressons would be highly
displeased to learn that a secret village of astonishingly potent
warriors is nestled within the mountains of the Alliance. Knowing a
recent enemy may have access to centuries of accumulated mystic
knowledge and an army of legendary fighters is not something apt to
settle an already stormy political climate.”
    “I defer to your expertise on such matters,”
Ether said. “The logic of such squabbles and their motivations
escape me.”
    “What about me? What should I be doing?” Ivy
said. She swabbed some gravy from her dish with bread, glancing to
Ether. “They made me wait until you showed up before they told me
any details, so we could learn together.”
    “Your task would be much the same as Ether.
Deacon has some notes for you as well. Treat the visitors well, ask
them questions. Because the queen is going to be at a rather
important gathering at the border and conducting her own tour,
there are precious few trained diplomats remaining to handle these
tours. Given Ether’s… history of friction when it comes to delicate
matters such as