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enough to have the ability to be “tuned” to the sails. It was hard to explain to others, but the sails, once created, would only react to the Weaver who created them and someone that their creator had essentially introduced to them. The Warrior was trained to use the Elemental Interface to interact with the sails. It was a delicate process and took a great deal of skill. Tristan often wondered why some of the Warriors felt inferior. What they did was highly skilled and very important. The Guild was symbiotic, and all parts had to function for it to work effectively.
    “Um. Sir?” Alden asked, his voice less sure.
    “Yes?” Tristan looked up.
    “I’ve heard a rumor.”
    “What?” Tristan waved him to sit in the chair in front of the desk. “What kind of rumor?”
    Alden sat, glanced at the door to make sure it was closed and looked back at Tristan. “I was invited to the Naval Mess the other night. There was a dinner and ball in honor of the First Rim War.”
    “Yes?” Tristan nodded.
    “One of the officers I know—I hate the man, he’s a flogging captain—but I served with him once when I was young, anyway, I heard him talking.” Alden leaned a little closer. “There is something going on with Winged Victory. ”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to hear the conversation. They had all kinds of… entertainment to distract me, but I heard them talking about the sails and testing them.”
    “What?”
    “It was strange, the way they were talking about it, like they weren’t sure the sails would fly. I know that there is always a worry that the sails won’t bond with a ship, but no set of sails you have ever created has failed to bond. I assumed that’s why they wanted you to do it. There was something in the way they were talking that made the alarms ring, you know?”
    “We’ve heard rumors too, Alden,” Tristan said, realizing that he hadn’t been paying attention. “I am not sure what it means, but I know the dragons have asked for me personally to do these sails.”
    “So that rumor is true!” Alden said, his eyes getting wide. “I’d heard that, but it is unprecedented.”
    “I know, and it makes me nervous.”
    “And I understand there was an attempt on your life, the Guild Master briefed me about that. While you were out gathering the Elements.”
    “I am not sure what it was, I know someone risked following me into the Wilderness Area that is part of the Sanctuary.”
    “You can’t take that as anything less than a threat,” Alden said, all business. “If they are willing to risk that, then they were there to stop you. Getting caught there is death without trial, so whatever they wished to accomplish had to be worth that risk.”
    Tristan opened his mouth, then stopped. He hadn’t thought about it that way, but it was true. “You’re right,” he agreed reluctantly.
    “It’s a good thing I am here, if they will risk that, who knows what else they will risk. We have our differences, sir, you know it, I know it, but I know my duty as well.”
    Tristan regarded him steadily. Alden was telling the truth and no matter how egotistical he was, he was loyal first and foremost to the Guild. The watch bell chimed the beginning of the forenoon watch. The Weavers’ Guild had reinstated the Navel practice of watches governed by bells and the entire Guild and Navy was set to “Guild Mean Time” so that no matter where they were, they would be on the same time as the rest of the Guild. The Navy didn’t like it, but the Guild called the shots. When Tristan had first joined the Guild , learning the series of watches broken up into “Bells” was one of his first memories of his days at the Guild Compound.
    “Thank you.” Tristan stared at his computer for a moment, wondering if he was ready. “Let’s do this.”
    The Elemental Interface was already waiting for him on its pedestal under the huge dome of the Weaving room. The willowisps sparkled in the