Chapter Sixteen


	As it turned out, we spent the extra day under the shelf of 
stone on the Great Robe Desert.  The rain had been non-stop, blowing 
in great gray sheets across the landscape. Tarnor was recovered enough 
from his abdominal wound to be up and about, but was obviously weak.  
I got up a couple of times, just to answer the call of nature with 
Mulder or Jourdain by my side for support.  Each time, I returned to 
my bedroll in a sweat and trembling from the exertion of merely 
walking. While we were probably fit enough to ride, we were most 
definitely not in any shape to try to storm the reputedly formidable 
Maalfees Manor.

	Scully wasn't worried. "Another few healing treatments through 
the day and one tonight and you'll be fit, Walter.  Just try to keep it 
in perspective.  In our world, you'd still be on IV's and receiving 
blood transfusions."

	She was right.  Already most of the gaping slash across my 
ribs had been replaced with new pink skin. I guess I just felt guilty, 
watching Mulder prowl around restlessly. Scully noticed my eyes 
following her bondmate.

	"Don't worry.  Urielle's going to talk to him and settle him 
down a bit.  And don't feel so damn guilty.  What with the battle 
yesterday and the healing treatments for you and Tarnor, I'm not 
fighting-fit either.  We need to spend this time here.  Mulder knows 
that, intellectually.  It's just his emotional side that's having a 
problem."

	I cleared my throat.  "I... uh... I don't know if I've ever 
said this in so many words. But you're good for him, Dana. I'm glad 
that you two have what you have together."
	
	Her cheeks flushed an attractive pink.  "Thank you, Walter," 
she said softly.  "Now get some rest."  She seemed as nonplussed by 
my uncharacteristically personal remark as I was.  But she dropped a 
quick kiss on my forehead when she left.

				~ ~ ~ 

	The next day dawned cold but finally clear, and we set out 
early.  Although Tarnor and I were a bit rocky to start, the bracing 
air and the activity seemed to help.  By midmorning, I was feeling 
more like my old self.  Tarnor had been right about the desert - the 
colors were gorgeous, constantly changing with the movement of the 
sun. I found myself enjoying the ride.

	By midday, we had passed out of the desert and began climbing 
to a high green plateau. "We should be close," Jourdain grunted. "Just 
over that rise would be my guess."

	Led by Mulder, who was just about jumping out of his skin at 
that point, we rode into a little stand of trees and dismounted. 
Leaving the horses, we walked part of the way up the hill, then 
dropped to our bellies to crawl to the crest of the rise. Below us the 
valley was a smooth green plain, offering no cover whatsoever.  And 
straight across from us almost a half a mile away on the cliffs 
opposite rose the imposing bulk of Maalfees Manor.

	"Christ, Mulder - Lita wasn't kidding when she said that place 
was a fortress!" I whispered.  "Look at that place!"

	Surely no medieval castle built by the most paranoid or 
trouble-prone of nobles could have had more perfect defenses - not 
even Mad King Ludwig's place in the middle of that lake in Bavaria or 
wherever the hell it was. The cliffs on which we were perched dropped 
nearly straight down some two hundred feet to the valley floor. The 
rock had been polished to an almost glass-like finish by some 
prehistoric river, now long-since dried up, and then by centuries of 
exposure to the wind and rain. Handholds and footholds were pretty 
nearly nonexistent, from what I could see. At the base of the cliffs, 
a meadow descended gently to the bottom of the valley to rise again 
toward the cliff face opposite our position. Set high up into that 
cliff face, Maalfees Manor rose, its smooth facade unbroken by a 
single window for a height of maybe fifty feet. My eyes panned up to 
view what looked like four or five stories of habitable chambers with 
tall, narrow windows. Above that were the battlements, with lookout 
towers at all four corners and two in the center. The flags on each 
tower were the purple and green of Maalfees House. Beside me, I 
could feel Mulder's tension and frustration build.

	"Maybe the Prince isn't there," I suggested.

	There was a scurrying nearby and seconds later Tarnor 
squeezed in between Mulder and myself. "No, he's there. Can you feel 
it, Mulder?"

	"I feel something, some sensation of Mage power nearby," he 
admitted.  "But it feels... different."

	Tarnor nodded. "What you're sensing is untrained Mage energy.  
You don't recognize it because you've probably never been exposed to 
it before. But it's there. And that means the Prince is there."

	I looked over at the agent. His negative vibes were beginning 
to give me a headache. "Well, look at it this way, Mulder. At least we 
know he's still alive." I didn't know about Mulder, but I was relieved. 
It had been bothering me - all the wilderness we had passed through 
getting here, the forests and desert, and the cries and snarls of the 
carnivores that lived and hunted there. Lots of landscape in which 
to lose the corpses of an infant and a small, slim teenaged girl.

	"A lot of good that will do if we can't get to him," he growled 
in return.

	I could see Scully looking up, surveying the black clouds 
rapidly forming overhead. "Let's go back down and see if we can come 
up with a plan," she suggested. She stared at her bondmate and I 
could tell they were communicating again. She was probably trying to 
calm him down. The waves of anger and frustration emanating from him 
were incredibly strong. I glanced over at Urielle and saw she was 
sharing the migraine-like banging that his emotions were causing.

	We pulled back from the cliff edge on our stomachs and began 
trudging down the slope to the copse where the horses were tethered.
Something was bothering them - I could tell from their frightened 
whinnies. I caught Tarnor's expression of fear as he turned to look 
back at Mulder and Scully.

	"Mage Mulder - shield!" shouted the little gargoyle.

	The banging in my head was almost unbearable now, as Tarnor's 
warning served only to make Mulder more furious. I remembered what had 
been said about emotions causing a Mage storm.  It looked like we were 
in for the mother of all Mage storms any second.

	"Fuck my shield!  Fuck my so-called power!" he spat out. 
"They're doing God knows what with Shannon's child, and we're stuck 
over here, powerless to stop the sons of bitches!"

	A wind began to tear around us as the sky blackened. Scully 
grabbed his arms, but he shook her off. "Mulder, do it! Shield 
yourself now!" she shouted against the wind's roar.

	"Everyone - get to cover!" Urielle yelled. Aldara and Jourdain 
had already made it to the copse, and Tarnor and the priestess were 
close behind. I grabbed a kicking, protesting Scully and took off down 
the hill toward the stand of trees.

	The first crash of thunder shook the ground so hard that it 
brought me to my knees. As lightning split the sky, the earth 
continued to tremble, more violently as the seconds ticked away.

	"Mulder!" Scully screamed.

	He had stopped about halfway down the hill, his eyes rolled 
back in his head, his arms outstretched. Mage energy lanced the 
air around him.  I made a move to go back for him, to do something, 
anything, to make him snap out of it before he ended up hurting 
himself or someone else.

	I felt a restraining hand gripping my tunic. "He'll be all right," 
Urielle shouted.  "But we have to get away from him - quickly!"

	I lurched to my feet, one arm firmly around Scully's waist.  
I picked up Urielle with the other arm and staggered down the slope, 
Scully's fists beating a tattoo on my ribcage the whole way. We had 
almost reached the copse when we were thrown to the ground, as the 
once-solid earth beneath our feet undulated in ocean-like waves. A 
heartbeat later, there was a deafening thunderclap and then a roar 
that made the thunder seem mild in comparison. I guess we were all 
stunned senseless for a few seconds. When I picked myself up off the 
ground, the blackness had fled, the wind had died and the earth was 
once again solid and unmoving.

	"Mulder!" Scully scrambled to her feet and flew past me up the 
hill. I followed on her heels. We had nearly reached him when I looked 
up the hill above where he lay weakly moving.

	Jesus. Oh, sweet Jesus.  I made a mental note never again to 
piss off my troublesome agent. The crest of the hill on which we had 
been standing seconds before.... It was just... gone.

	Scully had gotten Mulder into a semi-seated position. Jourdain 
appeared and helped prop him up. The stricken Mage was mumbling, 
but not making a lot of sense. Not that that was a surprise, coming 
from Mulder. Especially in view of what he had just apparently done.

	"Look!" Aldara called, softly but urgently from what was now 
the hilltop. Jourdain got Mulder to his feet. With Scully on his other 
side, they maneuvered him up the slope. We dropped to our bellies 
near the top and crawled the rest of the way. Seven pairs of eyes 
widened in shock as they surveyed the scene below.

	The once sheer, polished cliffs were now raw and scored, the 
downward angle still tricky, but nowhere near the almost perpendicular 
drop it had been. Huge boulders peppered the smooth green of the 
meadow, hundreds of them. Some had even hurtled all the way across 
the valley to thud to a stop against the cliffs opposite.

	"Thank the Goddess," murmured Urielle, to my right. "Now 
perhaps we have a chance."

	Jourdain grunted. "Better, yes. Much better. But we could 
still be spotted coming down the cliff and running from rock to rock."

	Tiredly, Mulder nodded in agreement.

	"Look, let's get Mulder back to our camp so he can rest," 
Scully urged. "We can talk about a plan down there."

	There were murmurs of assent. We withdrew from the newly-
formed summit.  Between his bondmate and the Guard Captain, Mulder 
could barely put one foot in front of the other. Tarnor spoke a few 
words and his aura glowed. Slowly, Mulder's feet rose off the ground 
and Scully pushed him into a reclining position. Sandwiched between 
them, his body was guided down the slope by Scully and Jourdain, and 
into the copse. The rest of us followed, too dumbstruck to speak.

	She unfurled her bedroll and with a gesture from the gargoyle 
Mage, her bondmate's body settled gently upon it. Quickly, Scully 
began to put her healing skills to work once more, as Aldara and 
Jourdain removed supplies from the saddlebags and began food 
preparations.  Soon Mulder had been placed in a light healing trance 
and Scully rejoined us. Aldara passed metal plates of what I was 
beginning to think of as Realm MRE's - bread, cheese and strips of 
dried salted meat. Flasks of lukewarm tea left over from the morning 
completed our repast.

	I gathered my cloak around my shoulders. A hot meal would 
have been welcome in the chill, but I knew that we didn't dare risk 
the smoke from a fire. If the guards at Maalfees Manor were worth 
their salt, the little earthquake and subsequent landslide were enough 
to capture their attention. I just hoped they weren't inclined to send 
anyone over to check it out, up close and personal.

	Jourdain and Aldara were speaking softly to each other, 
Tarnor was napping and Scully had gone back to her bondmate to check 
his condition. Urielle wiped her empty plate and returned it to the 
saddlebags, then came over and sat by me. "He's done it before, you 
know," she commented mildly.

	It took me a second to figure out what she was talking about. 
"He has?  This... this earthquake thing? Is that how you knew he 
wouldn't be harmed?"

	She nodded. "It was when the Dark Queen was creating inter-
species hatred. Of course, we didn't know it was her at the time. 
Mage Mulder and I had been sent with a squad of soldiers to stop 
trouble between humans and elves in a little village north of Fairwoods. 
No one would listen, and bloodshed was imminent. Well, with the powers 
of the Dark Queen...."  She paused, a thoughtful expression on her 
elven features. "I was powerless to stop it. Mage Mulder was not. He 
created a giant fireball which hung over the village square, then 
caused the earth to cleave in two, separating the villagers and 
bringing them to their senses. Then as now, I am not sure it was a 
conscious thing on his part. His emotions are... very powerful."

	I smiled.  "Tell me about it. How's your head?"

	She grinned back, looking most unpriestess-like. "Better since 
Scully put him in a trance - from which he is now awakening, if I am 
any judge."

	My headache, which had abated, once again throbbed gently 
but insistently. I wondered absently how many of the headaches 
Mulder had brought me in our own world had been caused by our latent 
powers, rather than his inability to stick by the book.

	One by one the rest of our party joined Urielle and me, the 
last to arrive Scully, with a pale and shaky Mulder.  He sat between 
Scully and myself, giving me a somewhat shamefaced half-smile as he 
settled into place.

	"We need a plan," Jourdain opened simply.

	"Can the Mages help out here?" I asked. "Maybe turn us all 
into birds or something?"

	Mulder shook his head and Tarnor smiled a little over the 
naivete of my question. "Would that it were so easy, Walter," he 
replied. "Magic isn't the answer to everything. It can help, but it is 
rarely the entire solution to a problem. It is a tool, like any of the 
other powers. With a few exceptions - like manipulation of the weather 
and so on - it only works if there is a tried and true spell, 
especially when dealing with the numbers of people in Maalfees Manor, 
people who have committed treason and are therefore highly motivated 
to resist us. I know of no spell that will either transport us across 
the valley to the manor, nor render all of them senseless to our 
incursion. Mulder's powers are, Goddess knows, much greater than 
mine. But still, if there is no spell...." He flapped his knobby limbs 
expressively and trailed off.

	"If we can't go across the valley, maybe we can go around," 
Aldara suggested. "It will take longer, but perhaps the manor is more 
accessible from the other side of the cliffs."

	"No, it's equally as bad on the other side."

	Six heads turned in my direction before I realized that I 
had been the one to utter the comment.

	Scully gazed at me, puzzled. "How do you know that, Walter?"

	"I... I don't know. I mean, I can't know, obviously." I shook 
my head. I guess everything was starting to catch up with me - my 
wound, Mulder's little demolition demonstration.... "Look, just ignore 
me. I don't know why I said that." But why did it feel so right to me? 
Urielle was looking at me strangely, but I didn't dwell on it. I was 
feeling pretty strange, myself.

	Jourdain spoke up. "Actually, Walter is correct. I had a few 
moments before we set out from Fairwoods, and I talked to some 
troll traders who were there for the Naming Day Ceremony. They had 
travelled extensively in this area. There is a river on the other side 
of Maalfees Manor. Those cliffs on which it is built rise directly out 
of the river, which is under constant surveillance. But even if there 
were no watchtowers and sentries, it would not matter. The cliffs in 
this area are called "The Glass Walls" because of their polished 
vertical surfaces. We could not climb them, even if we approached by 
the river."

	There was a short silence.

	"Disguise, perhaps?" Tarnor suggested. "They must need 
supplies in such a large manor which shelters so many people. Maybe 
if we disguised ourselves as traders...."

	"Maybe," Scully replied doubtfully. "But if I were planning to
abduct the Heir to the Throne, I think I'd stockpile all the supplies 
I needed beforehand. That way, I could both withstand a siege and 
also limit the number of strangers I would have to give access to the 
manor. But that raises an interesting question - how the hell does 
anyone get in there? There are no roads, no paths, no portcullis -  
nothing to indicate an entrance."

	"I don't think we'll know that until we get closer. The entrance 
may be hidden. May it please the Goddess that we are able to get 
close enough to find out," Jourdain concluded with a sigh. He got to 
his feet. "Well, whatever happens, we won't need the horses. I'm going 
to take off their saddles and set them free."

	I watched him leave our circle. "Wait a minute - won't need the 
horses?" I asked the others, confused. "Why not?"

	"If we find the Prince, we'll want to get him back to Fairwoods 
as quickly as possible, so we'll Gate back," Mulder explained somberly.
"If we don't find him...."

	He didn't have to complete the sentence. If we didn't find him, we 
would have died trying. We wouldn't be going back.

	Mulder sighed, and tried to muster up some enthusiasm for the 
seemingly impossible task at hand. "The cliff will now be easier to 
descend, and the boulders will help to provide some cover, but we 
could still be spotted, as Jourdain said. How did that cliff look to 
you, Aldara?  Think we could manage it in a couple of candlemarks, 
after nightfall?"

	Wrapped up in my own thoughts, I didn't pay much attention to 
Aldara's response.  Even now, descending that cliff face was going to 
be a tricky proposition. Yes, it was less steep and had more hand and 
footholds. But there was also a hell of a lot of loose rock. One 
misstep, and the unwary or unlucky would find themselves rolling ass 
over elbows to the bottom. Not something I was thrilled about trying 
in the daylight, let alone after dark. If only we had some form of 
cover....  I was aware of the gloomy silence which had descended on 
us all.	

	Suddenly, Aldara pointed excitedly to the east. "Hey, Mulder! 
Are you doing that?" We all turned to look.

	From a hundred yards away, a fogbank slowly approached. It 
was like a small cloud, some thirty yards wide, suspended a few feet 
above the ground.

	Mulder seemed as surprised as the rest of us. "No, I'm not 
doing that. I don't think so anyway. Tarnor?"

	The gargoyle's teeth were bared in a fierce grin. "No, surely 
you are not, Mulder, and neither am I," he chortled. "But there's the 
cover we need. Jourdain! Jourdain, come here!"

	When Jourdain came running back, we huddled quickly. "Stay 
toward the back of the fogbank and follow it down the slope," the 
Guard Captain advised. "But don't fall behind or you'll lose your 
cover.  When you get to the bottom, keep up with it. Use the boulders 
for further cover. I'll go first, then Scully. Aldara, you bring up 
the rear with Walter. Everyone else toward the middle.  Move as fast 
as you can - that fogbank could disappear at any time."

	I hated to look a gift horse in the mouth, but getting across 
the valley was only one of the seemingly insurmountable problems 
facing us. "What about the rest of the plan?" I protested. "What are 
we going to do once we get across?"

	"Unfortunately we don't have time to discuss it," Aldara 
commented. "If we lose that fog, we'll lose our best chance of getting 
across the valley unnoticed."

	Once again, Urielle had been looking at me strangely since 
the fogbank appeared. "You worry too much, Walter," she smiled. "We'll 
know when we get there. Trust in the Goddess, and trust your 
instincts."

	"I think that's the Realm equivalent of 'drop back ten and 
punt'," joked Mulder in a stage whisper. "Or maybe, 'hang loose'."

	"Some plan," I grunted. Well, Mulder's mood seemed to have 
improved, anyway. At least my head wasn't throbbing anymore.

	The fog enshrouded us, damp but unexpectedly warm and 
comforting. I took a moment to find my center of serenity, then climbed
up the hill after the others.

	One by one we dropped over the cliff edge, scrambling in the 
loose rock. The fog bank cooperated and stayed with us. It was 
undoubtedly just my imagination, but it appeared to slow down while 
we negotiated the more difficult terrain, and speed up as we hit the 
easier parts. Still, our descent was blind. Although I could see my 
feet, I couldn't make out the shapes of my companions. Occasionally 
there would be a soft cry of alarm and the sound of a small avalanche 
of pebbles. But it was impossible to know if we had all made it to the 
bottom more or less intact.  

	I worked my way across the meadow, zigzagging from boulder to 
boulder. Dimly, I could hear Aldara behind me, and someone, possibly 
Tarnor, ahead. It probably took the better part of a candlemark from 
when we started, but finally, exhausted and dripping with sweat, I put 
my hands out and touched a wall of smooth, cold rock.

	Moments later, the fogbank cleared as if it had never been. I 
gazed up in alarm, but high above us the manor house overhung the 
cliff face, ironically sheltering us from the sharp eyes of the 
Maalfees sentries in the towers. I looked to my right, and seeing 
Jourdain's summoning gesture, joined our little group of would-be 
rescuers. I guessed it was time to punt....

	He kept his voice low. "Look for an entrance. They have to be 
able to get in somehow. It may be concealed or disguised in some way. 
Spread out and try to find it - but don't go around the cliff to the 
rear.  We might not be lucky enough to be shielded by the manor on 
that side. We'll meet back here if we can't find it, and try to figure 
out another plan."

		Plan. Yeah, right, sure. We were making this up as we 
went along and we all knew it. But we spread out as Jourdain had 
ordered, feeling along the face of the cliff. I took the extreme south 
end, unaccountably feeling more confident with each step I took. 
Suddenly, my hand was touching nothing but air. I stepped back, 
amazed. From across the valley, it had appeared to be a solid, 
unbroken wall of stone. Now that I was right on top of it, I realized 
that the wall stopped and began again six feet further on, and in 
between, a recess. A recess that blended so well with the surrounding 
rock that it presented a kind of optical illusion. Intensely, I 
scanned the ground and picked up the faint prints of horses and booted 
men. There had been largely-successful efforts to eradicate the 
tracks, but a few remained. I poked my head into the six foot deep 
recess. To my right was an upward slope, something between a ramp 
and a wide, shallow stairway. Here, no one had bothered to brush away 
the semi-dried horse dung or bootprints.  And even more tellingly, 
the smaller prints of women.

	Excitedly I ran back to Jourdain, gathering the others as I 
passed. "Okay, I found it," I said softly when everyone had huddled. 
"There are no guards in sight, but that doesn't mean they're not 
around."

	We were about to set off when Urielle placed a restraining 
hand on Jourdain's arm. "I believe we need to do this with as little 
bloodshed as possible," she said.

	"What!" He stared at her as if she had taken leave of her 
senses.  "Let me remind you, Priestess, that these people have 
committed treason. They are not simply going to turn over the Prince 
to us because we ask them nicely."

	"I am aware of that," she admitted gravely. "But I feel the 
presence of the Goddess demanding that of us - to draw blood only to 
defend ourselves."

	In spite of the fact that logic would dictate that it was 
insane to further lengthen our odds, I couldn't help but agree with 
her. It didn't make sense from a tactical viewpoint, but I was amazed 
to find I felt as strongly as she did. "She's right, Jourdain."

	He looked at me in shock and was about to protest, but Urielle 
stopped him. "Do you really think we would have made it this far 
without the Goddess's help?"

	"Do as the Priestess says, Jourdain," Aldara said quietly, her 
eyes entreating her husband. Frankly, I was a little surprised. Of the 
two, she was the better warrior and had always seemed the more 
aggressive.  But perhaps she also had stronger faith.

	"Well, we're going to need another weapon, then," he 
grumbled. "One that doesn't draw blood. Mages, can you help?"

	Mulder looked at Tarnor. Although the agent's powers were 
undoubtedly stronger - if that earthquake was anything to go by - I 
guessed that the little gray guy was more familiar with the myriad 
spells of his calling than Mulder, who wasn't a permanent resident of 
the Realm.

	"I know of one which will help," responded Tarnor slowly. "It 
will make the objects of the spell sleep deeply for a short time. If 
we're quiet, it may work."

	Mulder frowned.  "I don't know that spell."

	Tarnor grinned ferociously. "I came upon it myself not long 
ago. I can handle it. Save yourself for later. You're still weakened 
from creating your earthquake. And we must both keep some energy in 
reserve in order to Gate back. If we are too drained to properly 
secure our end of the Gate...." He trailed off. I remembered from what 
Mulder had told me that not securing a Gate was A Bad Thing. A Very 
Bad Thing. "Anyway, if we run into no more than five or six guards, 
there should be no problem handling this spell alone."

	Jourdain sighed. "Very well. Let's go. Mage Tarnor, position 
yourself where you must."

	At Tarnor's nod, we set off. Silently, I showed the others the 
recess and indicated the tracks on the ground. We slowly ascended the 
stair-stepped ramp.

	We got to the top noiselessly and without incident. A wide, 
thick wooden door liberally inlaid with iron strips was in front of us.  
Fortunately, the manor maintenance man knew his stuff - the door 
opened without any telltale creaks to a short dark hallway which led 
to a dimly-lit main corridor. From down that corridor and to the left 
came the sounds of two men talking and laughing.

	"That's the third time in a row you've beaten me! You have 
the luck of a damned elf, Rentil."

	"Luck? 'Tis not luck but skill, my friend! Though precious 
little skill is needed to beat the likes of you!"

	"My honor demands a rematch."

	Rentil chortled. "You can't afford a rematch, Erdo. Perhaps 
Blanks is not your game."

	"A rematch!"

	"Oh, very well. Consider yourself warned. Lay out the tiles 
again."

	Jourdain nodded to Tarnor, who closed his eyes and extended 
his arms upward.  His lips moved but not a sound was uttered. After 
what must have been several minutes, the conversation of the two 
guards grew more desultory.  Finally, we heard them snoring.

	"How long will they sleep?" Aldara whispered to the tired 
gargoyle Mage.

	"Long enough, if we don't tarry. Quiet now! They are not 
unconscious, but just sleeping.  A loud enough noise will awaken 
them."

	"Fine. But which way do we go?" queried Scully.

End of Chapter Sixteen



Chapter Seventeen

	

	We had edged out into the corridor. I thought that Fairwoods 
Castle was confusing, but this place was a damned maze. There were 
scores of doors and archways leading from the corridor in all 
directions. I must have been lightheaded from fatigue or our exertions 
in getting this far. All I know is that I felt... weird. As if I were 
removed from the action, viewing it from another place. Suddenly, I 
was certain of the direction to head in, as forcefully as if someone 
were shoving me from behind. I felt a totally inappropriate sense of 
calm suffuse me. "That way."

	Scully's astonishment and doubt were written all over her.  
"Walter!  How can you possibly know?"

	"I suggest we let Warrior Priest Skinner guide us." Urielle's 
tone was soft, almost reverent. She didn't take her eyes off me.

	I felt a rush of love for the tiny priestess, as if she were a 
sweet, favored child. But... it didn't feel right. Much as I liked her, 
it didn't feel as if the sentiment were coming from me. I would have 
been more disturbed by the sensation, but once again I was enveloped 
in a comforting serentity....

	"Can you not see it?" she whispered, awed. "Look - look at 
his aura!"

	They all turned towards me, their eyes widening. I glanced 
down. My hands, my arms were emitting a golden glow which appeared 
to grow brighter by the second. I stared at them, bewildered.

	Urielle's features were beatific in the glow. "Oh, Merciful 
Goddess! Oh, Great Merciful Goddess!  Can't you see?" she smiled to 
the others.  "The Goddess is working through Warrior Priest Skinner. 
She'll lead us to the Prince through Walter!"

	Acutely uncomfortable with the way they were all staring at 
me, I started down the hallway, creeping past where the two guards lay 
sleeping over their game.  From my quick glance, it appeared to be a 
cross between dominoes and mah jong. The others followed, Scully and 
Aldara taking the time to poke their heads into the storerooms that 
lined this part of the hallway. I continued past the first two archways 
and stopped at the third. A stone staircase coiled up to the next 
level. "Up here. Tarnor, stay behind me. If we hear voices, you can be 
ready to do your thing again."

	Silently we went up the twisting stairway. I swear we all 
stopped breathing as our ears strained for the sounds of occupants. 
There were a few faint noises - the scrape of a boot on the flagstones 
of the floor, a low cough - but there was none of the helpful 
conversation we had heard below. There might have been one, or a 
hundred, of our opponents within hearing range. I nodded to Tarnor to 
do his stuff. The caution in his eyes was as eloquent as his lips 
would have been, had he been free to speak. He was making no promises 
that his spell would be enough to ensure us safe passage. I nodded 
again, and he began his spell.

	This time we set out one at a time, to the right and down the 
poorly-illuminated hallway. I went first. Fortunately, the archway I 
felt was the correct one was close by. I glanced up and down the 
corridor, then signalled to Tarnor. One by one our party silently 
scurried the twenty or so feet from one archway to the other. At one 
point I held up a warning hand when I heard a cough, then after 
several minutes of tense silence, signalled the go-ahead. Finally we 
were all together and began our ascent.

	About halfway up, we paused. This staircase was much longer 
than the other had been, which probably meant we were leaving the 
windowless storage areas for the more habitable levels of the manor.  
Unfortunately that meant that our strategy for avoiding detection was 
no longer going to work. We had been incredibly lucky so far. On the 
next level we were bound to run into more of the manor's occupants, 
more than Tarnor's spell could cope with. The little guy was looking 
pretty tired, in any case. "Are we getting close, Mulder?" I whispered 
almost soundlessly.

	He nodded and replied in the same low tones. "Closer - but 
I can't get an exact fix on the source of the Mage energy. It's- it's 
almost like a strobing or pulsating effect. Makes it hard to pin down."
He turned to Tarnor, who nodded his confirmation.

	I sighed. "We play it by ear, folks. Just watch out for each 
other and watch your backs."  Tarnor and Urielle dropped to the rear.  
It was much more likely we would be needing the talents of the 
warriors from now until we had recovered the Prince. We began to 
climb again.

	At the top of the stairs we heard voices and booted feet - 
lots of them.

	"Ranfaus bitch!"

	"Oh, so not even the King was good enough for you!"

	"Perhaps you can spurn that weak excuse of a King, but not 
the nobles of Maalfees House!"

	"You get to be the evening's entertainment.  How do you like 
that, Lady High and Mighty?"  There were nasty laughs from several 
men.

	Beside me, Aldara's hand went to the hilt of her dagger and 
there was murder in her eyes, while Scully's reflected outrage and 
pain. She looked pleadingly at me and Mulder. I nodded. Our mission 
to rescue the Prince might be critical, but there was no way we were 
about to let an innocent girl be raped by a bunch of Maalfees goons.

	I peeked out. The gang approached from our left about sixty 
feet away and coming closer all the time. There were six of them, 
probably sent to 'escort' her to her quarters. It didn't look like she 
was going to make it there - not intact, anyway.

	She was positioned between the last of the two guards, the 
one on her right the Guard Captain, if I read his insignia correctly. 
Her head was held high, though tears glinted in her eyes. An ugly 
livid mark on her left cheek and her torn gown gave evidence that she 
had already been handled roughly by her captors. Apparently she gave 
as good as she got - one of the guards dripped blood from where she 
had raked his cheek with her nails, and another limped noticeably. 
The guards grasped her arms so tightly they would undoubtedly leave 
bruises.

	Behind me, Mulder and Tarnor exchanged a few soft words which 
were lost in the clatter and thump of weapons and bootsteps. They 
quickly fell into 'spell mode'. Whatever they were cooking up, I hoped 
to hell it worked fast. The guards were within thirty feet now.

	"Hey! Hey, Brandnor! What's that? It looks like smoke!"

	The group stopped, only a few paces from where we crouched in 
the archway at the head of the staircase.

	"What now?  All right... Freck, take Kellor and Pranek and check 
it out."

	"But-"

	"The bitch isn't going anywhere. You'll still get your turn at 
her. Now do as I ordered!"

	The three resentful guards thumped unenthusiastically past us 
up the hallway. In seconds, the corridor was filled with smoke.

	"Freck!  What in the name of the Dark Creatures are you doing 
down there?" the leader, Brandnor, called. There was a muffled reply, 
too indistinct to be understood.

	"Horse droppings! That idiot is useless. Maybe he won't get 
his turn at you after all, Ranfaus bitch."  He tightened his grip on 
Livirnea and pulled her along, past our position.  It was time to make 
our move.

	Scully and Aldara had already slipped past me into the 
smoke-clouded hallway.  As stealthy and lethal as poison, they each
chose one of the remaining guards, and quickly and expertly applied 
chokeholds on their unwary targets. I did the same with the Captain of 
the Guards. Jourdain dove past us and, putting a cautionary hand over 
Livirnea's mouth, he grabbed her and carried her to our hiding place. 
Unable to see who was restraining her, she fought like a wildcat. 
Leaving the guards unconscious on the stone floor, we dashed back 
into the archway recess.

	"Lady Livirnea!" Jourdain whispered urgently as he tried to 
control the struggling girl. "Stop! It's us!"

	Her eyes widened in amazement and relief, and her flailing 
limbs relaxed. Cautiously, Jourdain put her down.

	"Oh sweet Goddess!  It *is* you!"

	"Are you all right?" asked Scully gravely.

	"Yes - just barely."  She reasserted her normally dignified, 
controlled demeanor. "But the Prince -"

	"Where is he?" Mulder asked anxiously. "Is he in any danger?"

	"No, he's all right. They're taking good care of him. They 
would - they have plans for him. This way - I'll show you!"

	"Wait! First, are there any guards in there with him now?" 
demanded Aldara.

	"Right now, none. There's just that dragon-woman who came 
with us from Fairwoods. She's the wife of one of the older nobles - 
Granoc, I think. They feel secure here.  Most of the guards were there 
to watch me. They didn't trust me." She faltered and her eyes swam 
with tears. "I think... I think they were afraid I would kill the child 
rather than let him stay with them and figure in their plans. Goddess 
help me, I thought of it... but I just couldn't do it."

	Scully gave her a reassuring hug.  "It's all right. We're here 
now, and we're going to get both the Prince and you out of here.  All 
right, now show us how to get to him."

	Having something positive to do seemed to help the girl 
control her emotions again. She nodded. "I'll take you the safest way. 
It's less direct, but we stand a much better chance of avoiding more 
people that way."

	"Good girl," Mulder smiled approvingly. "That's just what we 
want. All right, let's go before the rest of the goons come back when 
they figure out that you *can* have smoke without a fire."

				~ ~ ~ 

	We crouched in an alcove less than a dozen paces from the 
chamber in which the Prince was being held.  I couldn't even begin to 
remember the convoluted, circuitous route by which we had arrived. 
Now that Livirnea was on the scene, the Goddess was evidently needed 
elsewhere, because my enhanced sense of direction had left me. Speed 
was of the essence now. It was only a matter of time before any of the 
guards we had left unconscious in our path began to wake up and 
sound an alarm. On our tense trip up here, we had run into a few of 
Maalfees' finest. Jourdain, Aldara and Scully had efficiently applied 
chokeholds or banged their heads with the hilts of their knives, and 
dragged their unconscious prey out of sight to clear the way for the 
rest of us.

	I still wondered about my role in all of this. Yes, the Goddess 
had worked through me to help us find Livirnea. Maybe I even had 
something to do with the appearance of that fortuitous fogbank, I 
don't know. But was that all? Was that the reason Daanna had insisted 
that I go with the search party? Or was my contribution yet to come? 
Once again I reached into myself, seeking, and finding, that serene 
core I was coming to depend on more and more.

	"All right," Jourdain was saying. "Livirnea, you go in first. Your 
presence won't be entirely out of the ordinary. Leave the door ajar so 
we can hear what's going on in there. Get to the dragon-woman and see 
that she doesn't call out. Then the rest of us will come in. Think you 
can do that?"

	"My pleasure." The normally quiet, serious girl allowed 
herself a small smile of satisfaction.

	"Good. Aldara, you take over for Livirnea once we get in 
there. See to it that the dragon-woman behaves herself - by whatever 
means you deem necessary. Scully - you get to the Prince. Check him 
out, make sure he's all right. I'll watch the door with Walter while 
Tarnor and Mulder get started on that Gate. Mages, make it as quick 
as you can - we won't have much time. When the Gate is ready, 
Livirnea, you go through first with the Prince, then Urielle, then 
everyone else. It's going to be important to go through fast.  
Everyone understand?"

	Livirnea took a deep breath, smoothed her tattered gown, and 
walked calmly to the door of the chamber and went in.

	"What are you doing back here?" asked a hoarse voice from 
the room. "I would have thought you would have your hands full, 
raising the morale of our troops." There was a nasty cackle, broken 
off abruptly.  "What-!"

	"Let's go," Jourdain said, and in seconds we were all in the 
huge chamber. I looked for a lock, or deadbolt, or anything to secure 
the door before remembering that that wasn't the norm here in the 
Realm.  Livirnea was struggling to hold the noblewoman, her hand 
clamped tightly over her mouth.

	Aldara went right for the noblewoman with her knife drawn and 
nodded to Livirnea to back away. "One word, one sound, and I'll use 
it. Understood?"

	The Maalfees noblewoman nodded, glaring malevolently.

	The infant's aura drew Scully like a beacon in a fog. Cradling 
him in her arms, she quickly did a cursory check of his temperature 
and breathing. "He seems fine," she observed with obvious relief.

	Mulder grabbed for the crystal he wore on a chain around his 
neck and peered into it intently. In seconds, I could hear Hannu's 
voice acknowledging him.

	"We're ready and we need to make it quick, Hannu. Is Reinald
with you?"

	"I just sent a runner for him, Mulder. We've been taking turns 
since dawn, waiting here in the courtyard for your signal. Don't 
worry, I'll start and he can join in when he gets here. Do you have 
my grandson?"

	"Both the Prince and Livirnea are with us and are fine. But- "  
The hallway outside reverberated with the sounds of weapons jangling 
and booted soldiers running. "But I think we've worn out our welcome. 
Tarnor and I will start things from our end now. Be ready!"  He 
dropped the crystal as he and Tarnor lost no time getting into their 
trance. Ringlets of blue-white Mage energy coursed down their arms, 
their legs, their torsos, bright enough to hurt the eyes.

	I began looking for something to do, some way to help. 
"Jourdain - give me a hand." Together we pushed a tall heavy armoire 
against the door. Hopefully, it would buy us enough time to Gate out 
of there. Then again, it might not... Jourdain didn't look happy about 
our situation.

	There was a thump at the door. "Lady Vilga! Lady Vilga, are 
you in there? Are you all right? We have intruders!"

	Aldara pointed the knife meaningfully at the woman's throat. 
She swallowed convulsively, then shouted out, "Go away, Brandnor - 
you'll wake the child!"

	There was a moment of hesitation. We dared to hope that the 
dragon-woman's assurance was enough to send the soldiers away, but it 
was short-lived. "Open the door, Lady Vilga. I want to see for myself!"

	Just then, the Prince let out a lusty squawl at being disturbed 
from his nap. For a split second, Aldara's attention was diverted, but 
it was enough. The noblewoman twisted from her grasp and began 
to yell. "They're here!  They- "

	Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aldara throw an impressive 
hook, and the woman went down like a sandbag. Much as I would have 
liked to remark on her prowess, at that moment Jourdain and I were 
throwing our weight against the armoire in an attempt to keep out the 
squad of soldiers trying their best to get in. A quick glance at 
Mulder showed that the Mages were fully involved in Gate building 
now, a terrifying column of blue fire climbing to the high ceiling, and 
twisting like a serpent.

	At some point Scully must have handed the baby over to 
Livirnea. I found her at my side, adding her slight weight to our 
all-too-temporary blockade. "How much more time, Scully?" I panted. 
"How much more time do they need?"

	She took a quick look. "We're a couple of minutes away. 
Somehow we have to buy them that time!"

	Well, our impromptu blockade wasn't going to do it. I turned 
and caught Jourdain's eyes. He knew it too. Already, the armoire had 
been pushed back a good six inches. Another few seconds and the door 
would be open enough for the goons from the hall to start pouring in. 
"Stay here," Jourdain grunted. "Keep your weight against it. If we can 
prevent the door opening all the way, they'll have to come in one by 
one. We might be able to hold them.  Scully, Aldara - with me."

	I nodded, not wanting to waste my breath talking. I 
repositioned myself at the center of the armoire and dug in. "I'm 
ready." I said, and braced myself. Jourdain, Scully and Aldara 
leapt to the entryway, swords drawn, to meet the first of the 
Maalfees goons.

	Then all hell broke loose.

	In seconds, the trio were battling twice their number. All 
promises to the Goddess were off now - they were fighting for their 
lives. Already three Maalfees soldiers lay on the floor, the stones 
running slick and scarlet with their blood, their bodies ironically 
helping to limit the numbers of their comrades from entering. I was 
heaving so hard the sweat ran off me in rivers and my veins stood 
out like ropes. Frantically I glanced over my shoulder. The roaring 
column of blue-white Mage energy was now bent towards the floor, 
the Mages trembling with their efforts to control it. Livirnea stood 
nearby, poised to dash through the moment it was secured. The area 
encompassed by the near-arch was swirling, coalescing into something 
that was not quite discernible yet, but becoming clearer by the 
second.

	"Aaagh- !"

	My head whipped back in time to see Jourdain's sword dispatch 
one of the Maalfees soldiers - but not before one of his buddies had 
sunk his knife hilt-deep in the big man's lower chest.

	"Jourdain!"

	"It's secured!" Livirnea shouted, and, Heir to the Throne in her 
arms, hurried though the pulsating blue portal. Our job was done. Now 
all we had to do was get the hell out of there alive. 

	I drew my sword. "Scully - you and Aldara take Jourdain 
through." 	

	"But- "

	"That's an order! I'll hold them off and stay with Mulder."

	As the women sagged beneath the burden of the big man's weight 
and pulled back from the door, I dived in. My unconventional 
swordsmanship caught the well-trained Maalfees troops unawares, and I 
probably got in a few strikes I shouldn't have. But they were driving 
me back steadily; it was all I could do to prevent them from flanking 
me. The pileup of bodies partially blocking the door was the only thing 
saving me from being completely outmanned and cut down in my tracks. 
"Mulder!"

	"Tarnor, go!  I'll hold the Gate until Walter gets through. 
Walter, come on!" Mulder urged.  As the gargoyle scurried through the 
archway, I could vaguely pick out the forms of those of our party who 
had made it to safety on the other side of the Gate.

	I got in a lucky slice at my current opponent and he dropped 
to the floor. For once, there was no one to immediately take his 
place, though several goons were trying to clear the bodies from the 
door. Once they did that.... Spinning, I rushed to the Gate. "We're 
out of time! Go on, Mulder!"

	Mulder looked terrible, completely worn out by the fight to 
control the Gate under impossible conditions. He gave me a shove 
toward the portal. "No... have to go last.... Have to keep it... 
secured... until we go through. Go, Wal- aaagh!"

	Brandnor had at last burst through the door over the bodies 
of his comrades. At Mulder's cry, I jerked around in time to see the 
son of a bitch's hand on the hilt of the knife protruding from the 
Mage's shoulder blade. Blind with rage, I slashed out with my sword, 
neatly decapitating him.

	But the damage was done. As Mulder fought desperately to 
remain conscious, the Gate seemed to take on a life of its own. 
Tendrils of energy broke away from the arch, coiling and thrashing 
like high tension lines in a hurricane. I hoisted Mulder over my 
shoulder in a fireman's carry. Beyond the Gate, I could see Reinald 
and Hannu fighting to control the runaway energy from their side. 
But their images were getting less and less distinct.

	I didn't know until later that only a deluded and suicidal 
moron would have tried to go through an unstable Gate. As they say, 
ignorance is bliss, I guess. My eyes on the thrashing ropes of energy, 
I timed my leap. Clutching Mulder, I took a deep breath and dived 
through.

	An unholy roar filled my ears and I landed hard on the 
cobblestones of Fairwoods courtyard.  Fortunately, Mulder was on top 
of me, and not underneath. I yelled... something. Reinald looked 
appalled, but Hannu appeared grasp whatever the hell I said. In an 
instant, just as searing heat and debris blasted through what was left 
of the Gate, it disappeared. Reinald and Hannu sagged to the 
cobblestones.

	It was just a guess, but it occurred to me that back at 
Maalfees Manor, things had just gone from bad to worse.

End of Chapter Seventeen


Chapter Eighteen


	Some of what happened next I was unaware of while it was going 
on, and various beings filled me in later. At the time, I was too busy 
laying stunned and senseless on the cobblestones of the courtyard.

	Apparently Lishla, there to observe Gating under Reinald's 
tutelage, took charge.  As soon as Aldara and Scully stumbled through 
the Gate dragging Jourdain between them, the elven apprentice had 
sent a runner for Kyla.  Fortunately, the Healer was already on her 
way, wanting to check the Prince when he arrived. She soon had her 
hands full.

	Scully had knelt at Jourdain's side to enter his body as a 
Healer, to stop the heavy bleeding from his chest wound.  Kyla joined 
her just about the time Mulder and I made our precipitous arrival.  
What with Hannu and Reinald on the ground, dropped by exhaustion 
and the aftereffects of the uncontrolled Gate, and Jourdain's serious 
wound, Mulder and I lay stunned and almost unnoticed. Finally Urielle 
raised the alarm when she saw the dagger protruding from Mulder's 
back.

	Judging by their facial expressions, the Healers seemed to 
exchange some sort of communication, then Scully ran over to us.  
Two guards lifted Mulder off me and gently set him prone on the 
cobblestones. Scully was... Scully. Shutting away her emotions, 
she set to work on Mulder with spare, economic movements.

	Almost unmarked in all the activity, King Andalor and Queen 
Shannon arrived.  Livirnea proudly handed the wailing heir back to his 
mother, who was close to hysterical with relief.  The King spent a 
few moments welcoming his son home, and then looked around at all 
the unconscious and semiconscious men on the ground.  Hurriedly, 
he sent for litter bearers.  At that point, Tarnor was having a tough 
time even staying on his feet; casting a levitation spell for all who 
needed it was out of the question.

	I dragged myself over to Mulder's side.  His bleeding now 
controlled, Scully had removed the knife.  He twitched and mumbled 
for a few moments before his breathing became the slow and even 
respirations of sleep.  His bondmate sighed, then opened her eyes and 
became aware of my presence.

	"I think it's okay, Walter.  Fortunately, the knife caught him 
in the scapula.  The bone's chipped and hurts like hell, and there's 
some muscle trauma, but it stopped the knife from passing through to 
any vital organs.  At the moment, I'm more concerned with the effects 
of the Gate."

	I nodded. Getting to my feet, I put a hand out and helped her 
to stand.  She was covered in blood.  "Jourdain?"

	She bit her lip.  Hesitantly she admitted, "I don't know, 
Walter.  He's in shock from blood loss.  His spleen was ruptured, and 
I think the very bottom of his left lung was punctured.  He's... I 
just don't know."

	We watched as Kyla directed the first pair of litter bearers, 
gently lifting the injured Captain of the Guards and carrying him off 
to her cottage, a blood-soaked and tearful Aldara at their side.  We 
weren't the only ones watching the drama.  Andalor, his arm around 
Shannon, approached us.

	"Scully, how is Mulder?" he asked gravely.

	"His injury will heal.  But he's exhausted, and the unstable 
Gate....  I'm not sure. Damage due to the use of Mage powers is 
largely beyond the scope of Healers."

	He nodded.  "This isn't the right time or place - but Shannon 
and I want you to know how grateful we are."

	"I couldn't forgive myself if- "  Shannon's tears of joy had 
turned to tears of regret and fear as she gazed at the men lying on 
the cobblestones.  "Mulder... my father... Reinald... and poor 
Jourdain....  Oh, Scully, I'm so sorry!" she cried brokenly.

	She gave the Queen a reassuring hug.  "It will be all right, 
Shannon. Go on back to your chamber.  I'm sure your son's hungry."

	That was putting it mildly.  The kid had been protesting non-
stop and was frantically rooting at the front of Shannon's gown, 
looking for his next meal.

	"Don't worry, Your Majesty," I said.  "We'll keep you and King 
Andalor informed."

	They nodded gravely, and set off back to the castle.

	Scully turned her attention to the litter bearers, who had 
finally arrived in force and were looking for instructions.  "Take the 
Mages to their chambers," she directed.  "I'll be right there."  I 
noticed she had gotten pale and was visibly trembling as she 
watched the bearers move away with their precious cargoes. Livirnea 
and Urielle followed, helping the exhausted little gray guy stay on 
his feet.

	"Scully?  Sc- " I think she would have passed out if I hadn't grabbed 
her.  "Dana? Are you all right?"

	She buried her head against my chest and my arms automatically 
encircled her.  She never made a sound, but from the dampness I was 
feeling through my shirt, I knew she was crying.  I just held her and 
stroked her hair, murmuring incomprehensible nothings.  But I felt it
 - and evidently she did too. That serenity, that calm, that 
comfort....

	She sniffled, then giggled a little before finally pulling out 
of my arms.  "You should bottle that stuff, Walter.  Beats the hell out 
of Prozac."

	A little self-conscious, I smiled down at her.  "You gonna be 
okay?"

	Scully nodded.  "Yeah, I'm fine now.  It's just reaction to... 
everything.  It always happens.  But I'm okay now.  Thank you, 
Walter.  Thank you for saving Mulder."

	Sighing, I frowned.  "I'm just sorry I didn't do a better 
job of it."

	She shook her head impatiently. "You didn't stab him; they 
did.  And you risked taking him through that damned Gate.  Do you 
have any idea what would have happened if you hadn't done that?" 
she asked.  We began walking to the castle.

	"Yeah - we would have been surrounded and hacked to death 
by the Maalfees goons."

	She laughed shortly and without humor.  "They wouldn't have 
had the chance.  Mulder lost control of the Gate when they stabbed 
him. That Gate was built by four Mages, three of them arguably the 
most powerful in all the Realm. Walter, a second after you carried 
Mulder out of there through the Gate, Maalfees Manor and the cliffs it 
sat on were undoubtedly vaporized by the uncontrolled Mage energy."

	My steps faltered for a moment and then resumed their regular 
cadence.  "I guess that explains the debris and the heat that blasted 
us from the arch."

	She nodded. "Furthermore, if you hadn't gotten through to 
Hannu, telling him and Reinald to shut down the Gate on their end, 
Fairwoods could have suffered the same fate."

	This time I stopped dead.  "*I* did that?  I don't recall 
saying anything like that."

	She halted and turned, looking at me strangely.  "You came 
through the Gate, bellowing at them to close it.  You don't remember 
that?"  Concerned now, she held my chin, checking my pupils.

	Gently, I brushed her hands away. "I'm fine, Scully.  I just 
don't remember saying that."

	"Maybe *you* didn't.  Maybe you had help," she said, searching 
my face.

	"The Goddess?"

	She nodded.

	"And maybe that's why Daanna insisted that I go with the search 
party?"

	Thoughtfully, she nodded again. "The fogbank... your directional 
sense in the Manor... closing the Gate.  It makes sense."

	We once more began walking in the direction of the castle.  
"I've been wondering about that myself."  I shook my head.  "Shit, 
Scully. All this is so foreign to me, so unreal.  But it's happening.  
It's really happening, right?"

	We entered the castle through an archway and climbed the 
winding staircase up to our level.  "Yes, it's actually happening, 
Walter," she agreed gravely.

	We strolled in silence through the hallways to our respective 
doors.  "Why don't you clean up and get some rest?  I'll be busy 
with Mulder for a while. Then I suppose I'd better check on the 
other Mages and see how they're doing, even if I can't help all that 
much.  Kyla will have her hands full with Jourdain."

	"Sure you're going to be all right now?"
	
	She smiled, back to the controlled, capable Scully I was so 
familiar with.  "I'll be fine.  Thanks again, Walter."

	I nodded and waited until she went into the chamber she shared 
with Mulder.  Suddenly exhausted, I pushed open the door to my own 
room. I got as far as the bed when the urge to sleep overwhelmed me.  
Climbing fully clothed onto the high bed, I kicked off my boots and was 
asleep before they hit the floor.

				~ ~ ~ 

	"Well, would you look at the state of yourself!"

	I opened one eye to find Lita standing in my doorway with her 
hands on her hips.  She moved aside to let Tilfo enter with hot water 
for my bath.

	"Aye, after all your good works, you must have been exhausted.  
Well, your breakfast is here, and your bath almost ready."

	Stiffly, I slid out of bed, still dressed in my filthy and 
bloodstained clothes from the day before.  I stretched to try to get 
the soreness out of my body.  "What's going on, Lita?  Any word about 
how Jourdain's doing? And Mulder? What about the other Mages?"

	"Sit yourself down, Warrior Priest, and I'll bring you up to 
date. As the Goddess knows, I'm not a gossip, but I do get to hear a 
thing or two in my travels...."

	That was an understatement. While she served breakfast and 
fussed over me, she talked nonstop.  "Mages Reinald and Hannu are 
doing well this morning. Still tired, but well enough to take little 
Daanna for her lessons as usual.  Mage Tarnor is the best of the lot.  
He was on his way to see the King when I last saw him."

	"What about Mulder?" I asked, my mouth full of bread and 
cheese.

	"I was getting to him," she said with exaggerated patience.  
"More porridge?  Bread?  Oh, all right....  Mage Mulder is better. 
Not himself quite yet, but better.  He's staying in bed at Warrior 
Healer Scully's command, but not happy about it.  Still having pain 
between his treatments, but he's had worse before, so I expect he'll 
be right as rain in no time. Scully - she's exhausted, the poor thing.  
She was up most of the night, worrying over her bondmate, then 
checking on the other Mages, making sure all was well.  Then, just 
as she was about to finally get some sleep, Aldara came for her at 
the run."

	"Jourdain?" I asked in alarm.  "Is Jourdain all right?" I both 
liked and respected the Captain of the Guards, admired his values 
and the quiet dignity with which he conducted himself.  Given enough 
time, I thought we could become good friends. But from the shape he 
was in the day before, I began to doubt we would have that time.

	"Drink your tea and have a little patience," Lita shot back 
smartly.  "I was coming to that.  Now, where was I? Oh, yes... Captain 
Jourdain was very ill indeed. I don't think I've ever seen Healer Kyla 
look so worried or work so hard. He had lost so much blood, y'see, 
and even a wonderful Healer like Kyla has limits. Aldara, poor mite, 
never left his side, and all the while her big green eyes showing so 
much fear....  Anyway, Healer Kyla had gotten him stable and all 
seemed to be going well for a while.  Then suddenly, there was some 
sort of a setback, and she was losing him. So she sent Aldara running 
for Warrior Healer Scully. Three full candlemarks they worked on him, 
and brought him back.  He was well on the way to taking the Journey, 
I tell you.  'Twas a miracle they were able to save him."

	"How is he now?"

	"Even here, such wounds are not cured in a day, Warrior 
Priest," she admonished me.  "It will take time.  But he is out of 
danger, Healer Kyla is sure of that now.  Later today, he will be 
moved back to his own cottage, another good sign.  He's strong and 
battle-hardened.  If he has survived Aldara's cooking all this time, 
he'll survive this," she finished firmly.

	"She's that bad a cook, huh?"

	Lita rolled her eyes dramatically.  "The stories I could tell 
you!"

	I smiled, then sobered.  "How's Daanna taking all of this?"

	Sighing, she replied, "She's a puzzle, that little one.  I've 
known that child since the day she was born, and I still can't figure 
her out.  But neither can her parents, nor Reinald or Hannu, so I'm in 
good company. Do you know what she told Reinald?"

	I shook my head in response, but Lita, busy building a roaring 
fire in the hearth, didn't notice. Not that it mattered. It would take 
the powers of five Mages to stop Lita from talking when she was in 
full speight.  She collected so much information, much of it obviously 
first-hand, that I began to wonder if she ever slept.

	"Well, Reinald broke the news to her about her father, fearing 
the worst.  But she was calm as a summer sky.  Just said,  'Oh, I 
know.  I just didn't want to scare them. But Daddy will be all right.  
They said so'."

	"So she knew?" I exclaimed incredulously. "She knew all 
along? Those... those voices in her head told her that her father 
would be wounded, but would survive? And she just accepted it?"  
Christ. And I thought Mulder was spooky.

	Lita sighed again. "Evidently."

	"But why didn't- "

	"Why didn't she say something to them, warn them?"  The 
elven servant shrugged.  "Perhaps it was fated.  Unavoidable."

	"And she reasoned that by telling them, they might have done 
something differently, consciously or unconciously.  Something that 
might have altered the outcome of our mission."

	"That's what Reinald and Hannu seem to think, anyway. Now, 
if you've finished eating, your bath is ready. And if you don't mind my 
saying so," she observed, wrinkling her pert nose, "you are more than 
overdue for it."

				~ ~ ~ 

	I felt a hundred percent better after a bath and changing into
clean clothes.  The door to Mulder and Scully's room was closed. I 
didn't hear any movement inside so I assumed they were asleep.  At 
loose ends, I decided to see if Jourdain was up to a visit. Of course, 
Kyla would be there too....

	The day was spectacular - sparkling clear and cool, with little 
wind.  In spite of the previous days in the saddle, I promised myself 
a ride out into the countryside later.

	I noticed that Fairwoods was still relatively crowded.  
Apparently those who had come for the Naming Day Ceremony had 
hung around, waiting to see what would happen.  The thought of 
sitting through another interminable ritual was enough to make me 
cringe.  

	I also noticed some of the King's troops standing guard around 
an impressively large dwelling.  Although the standards outside were 
bare, I surmised that this was Maalfees' clan headquarters here in 
Fairwoods.  I had wondered about the punishment that the plotters 
would receive.  The crowd at Maalfees Manor, of course, had been 
vaporized by the Gate and were beyond worldly punishment, but the 
remainder of the Noble House here would have to be dealt with.  
Certainly they had known about the plot, if not actively participated 
in it.  Murder, treason, kidnapping... surely capital offences.  
Although not squeamish by nature, I had no desire to end my time in 
this remarkable place by witnessing a mass execution, no matter how 
richly the prisoners deserved it.

	I walked up the path to Kyla's cottage, knocked, and entered.  
In the cot I had occupied on my arrival in Fairwoods lay Jourdain, 
uncharacteristically pale and vulnerable.  Kyla had evidently been 
dozing in the chair by the hearth.  She looked exhausted, her plain 
gown still spattered with Jourdain's blood, and tendrils of hair 
escaping her normally neat braid.  When she saw me, she started 
to rise.

	"No - don't get up," I whispered.  I went quietly to the hearth 
and bent down to kiss her fire-warmed cheek.  "How's he doing?"

	"Better." She smiled wanly.  "It was a long and difficult 
night, and he will need treatments for at least ten days yet.  But he 
will heal."

	"And how are you doing?"

	She waved dismissively.  "Mage Hannu will be here later to 
levitate Jourdain back to his cottage. After that, I will have a chance 
to clean up and get some rest.  Don't worry, Walter," she smiled.

	"Who, me?  I wasn't worried."

	"Yes, you were.  You know, as an empath, you transmit your 
feelings very easily."

	I smiled ruefully.  "Looks like I can't get away with anything."

	"That is correct. And don't you forget it," she replied 
teasingly.  Then she sobered.  "Scully told me you had been injured."

	"Just a cut - nothing serious."

	"Let me see."

	Reluctantly, I pulled my shirt up so she could see the side of my 
chest.

	"Healer Scully does good work," she commented appraisingly. 
"Still, it must give you some pain... it is not fully healed, and there 
are places where the wound edges have pulled apart and you have bled 
again."

	I snorted. "With what's been going on the last couple of days, 
I'm not surprised.  All things considered, I got out of it lightly."

	"Let me- "

	"No. No, Kyla. You've done enough healing for today.  You're 
exhausted."

	"Does it show?"

	I smiled.  "I'm an empath, remember?"

	"When I have rested, I shall expect to see you for a treatment," 
she said with mock severity.

	"When you have rested, I'll be here with bells on."

	She looked puzzled. "With bells on? Why would you wear bells, 
Walter?"

	I laughed softly.  "It's just an expression from my world.  I 
guess it doesn't translate very well."

	She sank back down in her chair.  There was a short silence, 
then she said quietly,  "I did not get much of a chance to talk to you 
after the Prince was taken.  Did you have the opportunity to speak to 
the Royal Priestess? Or to Urielle?"

	I sighed.  "To both, for all the good it did me. Basically, 
they repeated what you and Mulder said. Since my combination of 
talents is unprecedented, no one seems to know what the rules are.  
The Royal Priestess said the Goddess would let me know what to do - 
to 'listen with my heart'."

	Serenely, she nodded, but her eyes shone with happiness.
	
	God, how I wanted to take her in my arms.  I practically had 
to clamp my hands to my sides not to act on the impulse. I shook my 
head.  "But I don't know, Kyla.  I'm not sure what I'm hearing.  Is it 
the Goddess, giving us her blessing?  Or am I hearing only what I 
want to hear?  And there's another thing.... I'm only a visitor here.  
Soon, I'll be going back to my world.  Is it fair to you - is it fair 
to either of us - to act on what we feel?"

	She shrugged. "I can't answer that for you, Walter. I know 
you will return to your world, and I accept that." She looked at me 
straight in the eyes. "And I know that I will be content with whatever 
time we have, whatever time you are willing to give me."

	"You deserve better," I said quietly.

	"That is for me to decide."

	There was stirring from the cot.  I went over and crouched 
down.  The big Captain was awake, his face etched in pain.  

	I took his hand.  "How are you doing, Jourdain?"

	"I have... been better, my friend.  Wh- what happened.. after 
we Gated out?"

	Briefly I told him everything that had gone on, although I 
left out the part about Daanna, and glossed lightly over Mulder's 
injury.

	"The Prince?"

	"He's fine.  Back with his parents, as if nothing had happened."

	He nodded.  "The King... what will happen... about Maalfees?"

	"I don't know, Jourdain.  I haven't seen him since shortly 
after we returned.  Their manor here in Fairwoods is under guard, 
but that's all I know."

	He nodded, and a gasp of pain escaped from his lips.

	"Jourdain...."  I felt his pain and fear, and concentrated as 
much comfort as I could to the place where our hands joined.  Moments 
later, he sighed softly, and the lines of pain on his face became less 
pronounced.

	"You  truly... have the gift, Walter," he said, his eyes 
closing.

	"It's time for a treatment, Captain Jourdain," said Kyla softly.  
"Mage Hannu will be here soon to take you back to your cottage."

	"Aldara- ?"

	"Aldara's fine.  She's just getting some sleep.  She'll be awake to 
greet you on your return."

	"Relax now, Jourdain," I said. "Let Kyla make you feel better. 
You'll be well enough to teach me more about swordfighting in no 
time."

	He nodded.  As I moved away from the cot, Kyla took my place.

	"Will I see you later, Walter?" she asked. She didn't 
elaborate, but we both knew what she meant.

	"I hope so.... I have some 'listening' to do."

	She smiled gravely and nodded, then turned to Jourdain to 
begin the healing treatment.  I let myself out quietly.

End of Chapter Eighteen		



*****R/NC-17*****  Those under eighteen or who object 
to fairly graphic consentual sex, please bail out now.  
Suffice to say, Skinner and Kyla consummate their 
relationship, okay?  Now go on to Chapter Twenty.

All others - full steam ahead... and I do mean steam. 


Chapter Nineteen



	Mulder was awake when I got back. Evidently I had just missed
 a visit by his favorite Protocol Minister.

	I smiled.  "I'm surprise you didn't have a relapse on the 
spot."

	"Tea, Walter?"

	"Please, Scully."

	"I almost did," Mulder replied dryly.  "I think the only thing 
that prevented it was his mood."

	"Which was?"

	"Pissed is putting it mildly."  He took the mug Scully offered 
with a smile of thanks.  "Apparently King Andalor spoke to him about 
the Naming Day Ceremony.  Ballorca, of course, wanted to take the 
whole thing again from the top.  Thank God the King pulled rank.  
Everyone's been through enough in the past few days without having 
to sit through all that again. And I'm not sure how much I would be 
able to participate - I'm under strict healer's orders to take it easy. 
Anyway, Andalor saw no reason to repeat those parts of the ceremony 
that had already taken place."

	I snorted. "Since when did you ever follow doctor's orders?"

	"When it suits my purposes to do so." He grinned back, 
unrepentant.  "And the idea of chanting for hours made me seriously 
think a relapse might be in order. So I lay here looking as pathetic as 
possible while Ballorca vented his spleen, ranting and raving about 
the break in tradition being impossible, unthinkable, yadda, yadda, 
yadda. But the King had spoken - fortunately - so he had no choice 
but to obey.  No doubt he thinks the Realm is going to Hell in a 
handbasket. But tomorrow there will be an abbreviated ceremony... 
well, as abbreviated as these things ever get here."

	I sipped my tea.  "I owe you one, Mulder.  I'm not sure I 
could have sat through all that again."

	"I don't think Andalor was looking forward to it any more than 
we were," commented Scully, perched on the bed next to Mulder.  "I 
think at least subconsciously he blames the long, drawn out ceremony 
for giving the Maalfees conspirators the time to pull off the Prince's 
abduction."

	I grunted.  "He has a point.  Speaking of which - what is 
Andalor going to do about Maalfees?  Have you talked to him?"

	Mulder nodded.  "He stopped in to see how I was doing.  Poor 
kid looked tired.  Bad enough the extremely vocal demands of the 
young Prince kept him up, but he's also losing sleep deciding what 
to do about Maalfees.  I'll say this, he's bending over backwards to 
be fair. He's spent candlemarks conferring with Lord Mandor, Reinald 
and Prince Mavor, trying to reach a decision. Something that will 
punish Maalfees and serve as a deterrent to future plotters, but not 
send the Houses into open revolt in convenient sympathy for their 
noble brothers."

	"How does the legal system work? Will there be a trial?  I 
got a little insight from what Scully told me about Reinald's trial, 
but that hardly makes me an expert."

	Scully fielded that one.  "I'm not sure anyone is an expert, 
in this case.  It was an unprecedented act, at least in scope.  
Evidently the Council of Representatives will meet, but since Lord 
Granoc of Maalfees has already confessed - with a distinct lack of 
remorse, I might add - an actual trial won't be necessary.  It's just 
what retribution to exact that's in question." She sighed.  "Since 
their son is back and unharmed, both the King and Shannon have 
gotten a lot less bloodthirsty."

	"I'm glad to hear that, anyway.  So - how are you feeling, 
Mulder?"

	He shrugged.  "I'll live.  I think I have more of a hangover 
from the damned Gate than anything else.  The shoulder hurts, but 
Scully's taking care of that.  It's getting better with every 
treatment." He paused, then went on, "By the way, thanks for hauling 
my ass out of there.  I was trying to tell you that we had to make a 
hasty exit, but I was" - his lips twisted in a self-deprecating smile - 
"at an uncharacteristic loss for words at the time.  Seriously, Walter
 - thank you."

	Gratitude has always embarrassed me for some reason.  I 
passed it off lightly.  "My pleasure, Mulder.  You have no idea how 
many times I've wanted to sling you over my shoulder and drag you 
out of some of mess you've managed to get yourself into."

	"Well, glad to see I've fulfilled one of your fantasies," he 
replied dryly.  He shot a dirty look at Scully, who was still giggling 
at my comment.  I imagine she'd often felt the same way.	He 
clearly wanted to change the subject.  "Any idea how Jourdain's 
doing?"

	"Yeah - just saw him as a matter of fact.  He looks... well, 
rough.  He's in a lot of pain, looks weak.  But Kyla said he should be 
okay - it will just take some time."  I drained my mug and stood to 
leave.

	"Off so soon, Walter?" Scully questioned.

	"Uh... yeah.  It's a nice day out. I thought I'd take a ride outside 
the walls."	

	Her eyebrow arched in surprise.  "I would have thought you'd 
have had enough riding for a while."

	"I guess I discovered that I really missed it.  I've got some 
thinking to do, anyway.  I always seem to do a better job of it when 
I'm outside, surrounded by nature."

	I'm sure they knew exactly what I'd be thinking about.  Scully 
slid off the bed to plant a kiss on my cheek, then Mulder extended his 
hand.  I grasped it briefly, feeling his emotions - his sympathy, his 
friendship, his unselfish desire for me to find the same sort of 
happiness he had found with Scully. Overwhelmed by their depth of 
feeling and acutely uncomfortable, I beat a hasty retreat out of there.

				~ ~ ~

	I let my horse lead the way, along trails that were no doubt 
familiar to it.  It had gotten a little warmer but the air still 
remained as invigorating as a crisp autumn day in the Pacific 
Northwest.  Except for ducking under the occasional low-hanging 
branch, I had nothing to do but enjoy the out-of-doors and think.

	I kept coming up with the same decision - that I would forever 
regret it if I let this opportunity for closeness pass by.  That what I 
felt for Kyla could be love, no matter how bizarre the circumstances 
I found myself in.  Indeed, the beings of this strange reality had 
proven themselves to be every bit as capable of love and hate, courage 
and cowardice, integrity and duplicity as those in my own world. I had 
even come to the point of developing a real sense of attachment for 
the Realm and its beings - especially one.

	Not that I didn't have some reservations about my decision - 
primarily, the fact that I'd be leaving soon.  I had no idea of what 
the relative timeframes were in my world and this one, but surely the 
day would be arriving all too soon when I would have to leave this 
incredible place. After all, it wasn't like I'd be able to call Kyla 
from my celphone, or drop by for the weekend.  Then again....  I made 
a mental note to ask Mulder about the extreme possibilities....

	The air had grown warmer and more humid, and the vegetation 
more lush - almost tropical, with giant ferns and small palm-like 
trees.  Over exotic birdcalls there was the sound of cascading water, 
increasing in volume as we ambled down the path.  The thick canopy 
of dappled green overhead was broken by a small open area off to my 
right.  I urged my mount onto a narrower path that led in that 
direction.

	The idyllic scene took my breath away - a pool formed by 
hot springs, reflecting the sunlight off the blue-green of the water 
though a mist of iridescent vapor.  Tall trees and rocks ringed the 
pool, which was about fifty feet in diameter.  Directly across from my 
vantage point was a small waterfall, less than two dozen feet in height 
and roughly half that in width.

	I slid down off the huge Realm horse and tied the reins loosely 
to a bush.  It immediately began grazing on the abundant grass nearby.  
Cautiously, I dipped my fingers into the pool, to my delight finding it 
hot, but not scalding.  It didn't take ten seconds for me to strip 
naked and dive in.

	When I surfaced, the sharp tang of the air contrasted 
satisfyingly with the warmth of the water.  I dove again, feeling the 
caress of mineral bubbles sweep the length of my body.  The pool was 
unexpectedly deep and clear, and I played in its blue-green depths for 
some time.  Then I pulled myself out to sit on a sun-warmed rock, 
steam rising from my heated body in the cool air.  A thought occurred 
to me, and I clambered over the boulders towards the waterfall.  The 
spray confirmed my suspicions that the torrent would be significantly 
cooler than the water in the pool.  I intended to have a sauna, Realm-
style.  When I had showered in the brisk cascade until chilled, I 
would dive back into the hot water of the pool, and repeat the sequence 
until I felt thoroughly cleansed and relaxed in mind and body.  Then I 
would ride over to see Kyla.

	I crawled over the rocks ringing the pool to the left, which 
skirted the back of the waterfall to a rocky shelf. Entering the 
chilly flow, I gasped at the power of the cold cascade. Inadvertantly, 
I backed up a little to get out of the force of the torrent, and yelped 
in surprise when my back collided with cool flesh.

	I wheeled around to see who shared my idyllic spot.  At the 
same time, a curtain of long wet blonde hair swung toward me.

	It was Kyla, and once again my breath left me.

	If I had had years in which to concoct a fantasy, it couldn't 
have even come close to this reality.  She was... beautiful.  Her hair 
hung loosely to her waist, waving slightly.  Her midnight blue eyes 
first widened in surprise, and then warmed in welcome as she 
recognized me. Her smile alone lit up the shaded rocky platform on 
which we stood.  The spray from the waterfall pelted her high, full 
breasts, her nipples deep pink and already pebbled.  I made no effort 
to hide the inevitable response of my own body.

	She laughed throatily.  "Well, Walter, it appears you have your 
answer.  Indeed, the Goddess seems to be throwing us together."

	My hand trembled slightly as I reached out to caress her face.  
"It certainly looks like it."

	She almost purred with my touch and stepped closer to me, her 
hands brushing against my chest.  "You have a duty to serve your 
Goddess, you know," she said with mock gravity.

	I smiled.  "My spiritual Goddess - or my earthly one?"

	"Both, I hope."  Slowly, she put her arms around my neck and 
pressed her mouth to mine, opening eagerly when my tongue sought 
entry.

	I moaned low in my throat as her hips undulated against my 
throbbing erection.  Seemingly of their own volition, my hands roamed 
her body, skimming the silk of her back, lifting the weight of her 
breasts, my thumbs teasing her nipples, then returning to squeeze the 
globes of her bottom, forcing her hips more firmly against my own.

	I wrenched my mouth from hers.  "Goddess, I love you, Kyla.  
But are you sure?"

	Two deceptively strong hands clutched at my ass as she 
peppered my chest with small, open-mouthed kisses.  "I was never... 
so sure... of anything... in my life...."

	With a growl, I sank to the stone platform just out of the 
torrent, pulling her down on top of me. Enveloped in her thick curtain 
of hair, we explored every crevice of each other's mouths, then moved 
to unexplored territory.  She sucked my earlobe, nipping playfully as 
her fingers wove through the hair on my chest and toyed with my 
nipples.  While I would have revelled in her touch forever, I decided 
it was time I took charge of the situation.  Rolling over quickly, I 
pinned her to the ground under me, kissing and biting at her throat, 
her shoulders as she moaned encouragement.  In happy surprise, she 
cried out as I took one hardened nipple in my mouth, sucking strongly 
as my fingers taunted the other.

	"Oh Goddess, Walter!  It's so good, it feels so good!"

	Ever obedient to my goddess, I switched to the other side, 
treating it to the same attention the other had enjoyed.  Her strong 
hands traveled up and down my back, from my shoulders to my ass, 
kneading, scratching, caressing.

	I worked my way down, my tongue exploring the pool of her 
navel, licking and kissing her hipbones before moving to the sandy-
colored thatch between her thighs.

	"Wh-what...? Oh Walter.... Oh Goddess, yes!" she cried out, 
her hips rising in reflexive rhythm to meet my tongue.  As gently as I 
could, I slid one finger, then two into her narrow passage, stroking 
in and out in time to the laving of my tongue on her sensitive nub.

	"Oh, Goddess... don't stop.... No, stop.... No, don't.... 
Walter, I want you, I want you *now*!"

	"Patience, my goddess," I crooned, and went back to my 
exquisite torture.	

	"Walter, please....  Oh, Goddess, it's too much!" she panted.

	She was very wet and very ready, and I don't think I could have 
held out much longer.  But I was taking care. Her emotions, coming to 
me in powerful waves, were mostly love and trust and need.  But a 
touch of fear made me believe this was probably Kyla's first time, and 
I was determined to make it perfect for her.

	I kissed her deeply, letting her taste her rich honey on my 
tongue.

	"Please, Walter... now," she begged, caressing my face, my 
chest.

	"Easy, beloved.  I don't want to go too fast, I don't want to 
hurt you."

	"I *need* you!"

	I smiled.  "I need you, too," I replied in a low voice, rough 
with emotion and the strain of control. "But I want to do this right."

	She grasped my head, looking me directly in the eyes. "I love 
you, Walter."

	"I love you, too, Kyla," I whispered, and edged myself into her 
wet opening.

	She gasped in surprise at the unaccustomed sensation. Trembling 
with the effort not to suddenly sink myself into her, I advanced slowly 
as her body stretched to accommodate me.  Somehow I managed to stop 
when I felt resistence.

	"It's all right, Walter.  Now!  Please!"

	I took a nipple into my mouth and sucked hard as I pushed 
through the resistence.  Her inadvertant gasp halted me, and shaking, 
I waited until she panted,  "Yes... more... now!"  Then I pulled back 
and, with a groan, finally sank completely into her welcoming heat.

	Her long legs came up and around my back.  "Yes, more... it's 
so good!"

	Spurred by her encouragement, I began driving harder and 
faster. Her emotions fed into mine and mine into hers, telling us 
everything we needed to know as I pounded away.

	When I had just about reached the limits of my control, I 
felt the rippling of her muscles and knew she was close.  Again, 
there was a touch of fear to her emotions, as the unfamiliar power 
of her physical response began to overwhelm her.

	I drove in hard and fast.  "It's all right, Kyla... just let 
go.... Don't be afraid of it... I've got you..," I gasped, sending her 
as much love and comfort as I was capable of.

	Her moans became staccato screams as her orgasm tore through 
her.  One more thrust, and with a yell I emptied myself deep into her 
body. 

	We lay for some minutes, spent and wrapped in each others' 
arms, until I felt myself slip from her body.  Rolling to the side, I 
enveloped her in my arms and stroked her hair as she slowly came 
back to herself.  Finally, she sighed happily and kissed me.

	"Are you all right?" I inquired anxiously. "I didn't hurt you?"

	"More than all right," she purred sleepily. "Walter, I had no 
idea....  Is it always like this?"

	I chuckled, then kissed her forehead and gathered her close.  
"It's never been this good for me before, Kyla. Never. Possibly the 
empathy thing has something to do with it. I felt your love and trust, 
and it made it so much... more.  More satisfying.  More powerful.  
I love you, you know that."

	She nodded, her eyes swimming with unshed tears.

	"What?  Are you all right?  God, I did hurt you, didn't I?"

	"No!  No, Walter, no.  You didn't, you made me feel... 
incredible... loved... cherished.  All through our lovemaking, I could 
feel your concern for me."

	I relaxed a bit. "Did it bother you?"

	"On the contrary... it made me love you all the more... that 
you would be so concerned to give me as much pleasure as possible, 
as little discomfort.  I guess I'm just a little overwhelmed.  I really 
didn't know it would be so... so *much*."

	We held each other until we shook from the chill of the 
waterfall and the aftermath of amazing sex.  Reluctantly, I got to 
my feet and held my hand out to her, helping her up.  "Let's warm 
up," I suggested.  

	Still holding hands, we circumvented the waterfall and leapt 
into the heart of the pool.  There, we dived and played like young 
otters, surfacing to laugh and kiss and touch in the iridescent 
vapor.  Finally, we pulled ourselves up to a large, flat boulder, 
letting the sun bake our bodies on one side while the heat from the 
rock soaked into us from the other.  My arm was around her. Absently, 
she trailed her hand up and down along my body.

	I could hear her smile in her words.  "The Goddess seems to 
have gifted you, Walter," she said playfully, letting her hand drift 
down to stroke my once-more burgeoning erection.

	I had been trying to ignore it. "Look, Kyla, you're going to 
be sore as it is - " I began.

	She laughed and slipped once more into the pool, tugging on 
my hand.  "Come play, beloved...."

	I needed little encouragement.  Smiling, I slid into the heat 
of the water and swam after her. She was everywhere - diving, swimming 
like a fish, teasing me with touches and caresses, then darting just 
out of reach.  I found a shelf of rock on one side of the pool, where 
I was able to stand chest-deep and look into the depths. Confused and 
a bit alarmed, I lost track of her and didn't see her until she had 
made her move.

	She burst out of the water, her arms around my neck and her 
legs around my waist.  Without hesitation, she sank down onto my cock 
with a happy sigh.  "Oh, Walter, you feel so good!" she whispered.  She 
let her natural buoyancy carry her up and down, up and down, 
enveloping me, stroking me with her tight heat.

	I buried my face where her shoulder met her neck, kissing 
and nipping there.  "God, Kyla - I can never get enough of you," I 
groaned.  My hands went to her hips, guiding her rhythm, as my 
lips continued to work on her face, her neck, her breasts.  When 
I was close, I moved a hand around to the front, urging it between us.  
I stroked her nub, feeling her leap in response, unimaginably turned 
on both by her reaction and by feeling myself thrusting into her.

	"Just a little more...." she panted.

	I clenched my teeth against the overpowering urge to come, 
rubbed her more roughly, thrust more deeply, more savagely.  Kyla 
didn't seem to mind a bit, just rode me all the harder.  Waves 
splashed on the surrounding rocks from the intensity of our efforts. 
Finally, when I couldn't have held out for one more second, I felt her 
muscles grip me hard.  Mindless in her orgasm, she stifled her scream 
by sinking her teeth into my shoulder, and I was lost.  Three more 
strokes and I was coming so hard I thought I'd pass out.

	I stood there, trembling, holding Kyla close until she began 
to rouse herself on my shoulder.  I covered her face with kisses.  
"I love you, Kyla... but I think you're gonna kill me," I said with a 
groan.  

	Her head still on my shoulder, she giggled happily. "Surely 
there are worse ways to go."

	"Every other way I can think of...."

	I felt myself slip out of her and she unwrapped her legs to 
stand on the rocky shelf.  "The sun's going down - take me home, 
Walter."  

	We swam to the side of the pool and got out, taking a few 
minutes to dry in the suddenly chill air before pulling on our clothes.
She had walked to the pool, so I mounted my horse, then reached 
out a hand to pull her up into the saddle in front of me. Fortunately, 
the horse behaved himself and followed the path back to Fairwoods 
without too much guidance on my part.  I was much too busy....

	Maybe it was our activities on the way back.  Maybe it was the 
effect of the horse's rhythmic stride on two bodies pressed together. 
Maybe it was the way time worked in the Realm, that I could recover 
from amazing sex and be ready for more with speed I hadn't approached 
since I was sixteen.  Whatever it was, Kyla and I had no more closed 
the door to her cottage when we were relieving one another of our 
clothes and once more loving each other with all the passion and 
strength we possessed.

	Later, from the hearthrug, I watched the firelight dance on 
Kyla's silky skin as she lay sleeping in my arms. I smoothed her hair 
back, my hands unable to stop themselves from touching her.

	Now that we had admitted our love in the most intimate way 
possible - now what was I going to do?

End of Chapter Nineteen


Chapter Twenty


	I ended up staying the night. I had planned on leaving, had 
tried a couple of times. But one look at her face, her lush body, and 
I was simply not capable of walking the few steps out her door. 
Christ, no woman had ever had this kind of effect on me before. The 
knowledge that I would soon be leaving for my world - separating us, 
perhaps permanently, by more than mere miles - didn't help.  Kyla 
might be able to handle it, but I already had my doubts that I would 
be equal to the task.

	Scully had covered Kyla's healing treatments for the night - 
something they had evidently set up in advance.  Women think of 
everything.  It also meant I would be spared the game of Twenty 
Questions, since it wiould be more than apparent to my agents where 
I had been all night and what I had been up to.  No pun intended.

	I rolled out of Kyla's narrow bed and pulled on my clothes.  
Then I knelt down and kissed her awake.

	"Mmmm.  Leaving so soon, Walter?" she asked sleepily.

	"It's after dawn, beloved.  And if I don't leave now, we'll 
never be ready in time for the Naming Day Ceremony."

	"And I have a treatment to do for Jourdain first."  She sighed 
and rolled over, her hair fanning out across her pillow, her lips still 
swollen from a thousand kisses.  She reached out and stroked my 
head, smiling.  "I love you, Walter."

	"I love you.  But if you keep doing that, I'll never be able to 
walk out of here."

	She laughed and kissed me, then gave me a playful shove.  
"I'll see you at the Ceremony, then."

	We kissed again and I forced myself out of her cottage.

	I went first to Mulder and Scully's room.  I needed information 
and they were my best source.  From the sounds issuing through their 
door, however, they would find a visitor a most unwelcomed 
interruption.  Well, that I could understand.  I was about to move 
away when I noticed the carvings on their door.  Now that I had been 
brought up to speed on their adventures in the Realm, I made the 
connection.  A particularly throaty and blissful moan emanated from 
behind the door.  Feeling the responding tug in my own body, I quickly 
moved off down the hall before things got out of hand.

	I pondered, as I walked, about who else might have the 
information I sought.  After asking directions of several servants, I 
finally climbed the winding staircase up the southwest turret to 
Professor Neumann's quarters.  I knocked tentatively, not wishing to 
awaken him, but was relieved when he called out for me to enter.

	"Warrior Priest Skinner!  This is an honor.  Please, join us for 
breakfast."

	With him at the refectory table sat Reinald.  If I wanted 
information, I had come to the right place.

	"Thank you, Professor.  And please, call me Walter.  I have no 
wish to intrude, but I needed some information."

	"No intrusion at all.  And you must call me Gunther.  That's 
right, sit down and serve yourself. Will you pour the tea, Reinald? 
Now, what can we help you with?"

	Now that I was here, I was worried about how Reinald might 
react to the news of my relationship with Kyla.  I was an outworlder, 
here by accident.  And in spite of whatever services I had performed 
for the Realm, I didn't know how my love affair with a Realm native 
would go over.  I was determined to keep Kyla out of it, if at all 
possible.  I didn't mind taking the heat, but I would be damned if she 
would be stigmatized by our relationship.  

	"I... I've come to understand much more of this world and its 
beings.  I know my time left here must be short.  What I've come to 
find out is.... What I mean is, I'd like to be able to maintain some 
kind of contact after I go back to my world.  I've come to you to find 
how that might be possible."

	"Hmm.  And is there any particular reason for this, Warrior 
Priest Skinner?" Reinbald asked.  His face was bland, but his blue eyes 
sparkled.

	I cleared my throat and avoided his eyes, which seemed to see 
far too much. "Well.. yes, of course. I've become quite friendly with 
Jourdain, and several others. I'd like to be able to keep in touch with 
them, see how Jourdain is doing after his injury, that sort - "

	"And of course, there's your relationship with Kyla," he 
interjected equably.

	I confess, for a moment I reverted to my 'real world' mindset, 
and wondered if it had all been a set-up. When I arrived in the Realm, 
Reinald had been adamant that I keep the knowledge of the existence 
of the Realm a secret.  What better way to ensure my silence than to 
involve me romantically with one of the beings here - to give me a 
cogent reason to want to protect this place.  But nothing in Kyla's 
emotions had indicated anything of the sort, and although I could tell 
that the Royal Mage was pleased by the turn of events, I wasn't 
picking up anything that would lead me to believe it was because a 
carefully-hatched plot had suceeded.

	"Why, Walter - you appear quite astounded!" observed Gunther.

	"Let's just say I wish the Bureau had such accurate and prompt 
informants," I replied dryly.  "Let me guess - Lita?"

	Reinald chuckled.  "Don't blame the lass, Walter.  She noticed 
that your room hadn't been slept in, and saw Scully at Jourdain's 
cottage late last night.  She merely put two and two together.  She 
doesn't mean to be indiscreet.  I think in your case she's just 
genuinely happy for you and Kyla."

	"Then you approve?"

	He shrugged.  "It's not for me to approve or disapprove. Kyla's 
a grown woman and can make her own decisions where her heart is 
concerned.  But why would I disapprove?  You have more than 
demonstrated your honor and your friendship to the Realm."

	"If it makes any difference, I had already decided to keep my
knowledge of the existence of the Realm in confidence, Reinald. Even 
before Kyla. Being here... going through the changes I have...."  I 
shook my head.  "I can't risk the wrong people getting ahold of the 
knowledge of this place.  I know now the Realm carries no threat to my 
world.  I just wish I could say the reverse were true."

	"I was confident that you would come to that decision, Walter.  
All it took was time, and getting to know us better.  I know you, just 
as Mulder and Scully, would willingly sacrifice yourselves rather than 
jeopardize the Realm."

	"In a heartbeat," I agreed solemnly.

	"So!" said Gunther. "You want to know about how to maintain 
contact with your friends here?"

	I nodded.  "I'm not sure of the timeframes, but I'm assuming 
I don't have much time before I go back to my world."

	"Quite so.  I've done some calculations.  I won't bore you with 
the physics, but the backwash of time is almost over.  Let's see, you 
left on Friday, the fourteenth of August.  Mulder and Scully are due 
back on Monday, the seventeenth, from what I understand.  Are you 
also due back the same day?"

	"No, actually I was taking Monday off."

	"Ah. Well, as you may or may not know, we now theorize that 
intent has almost as much to do with where and when you arrive back 
as the magic and equipment used to generate the vortex.  But I see a 
couple of windows of opportunity...."

				~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

	The Ceremony might have been abbreviated, but that didn't mean 
it wasn't too long for my taste.  Evidently Ballorca had been able to 
negotiate with the King, or the Royal Priestess had thrown in her two 
cents' worth, because there was still a hell of a lot of chanting 
going on.  Mulder was spared, but the King and the Priestess had more 
than a candlemark of prayers and recitations and whatever.

	The scene was much the same as it had been a few short days 
before - the filled stands, the overjoyed populace, fantastic beings 
from all corners of the Realm and beyond, nobles and their ladies 
resplendent in their gorgeous finery and jewels.  The one difference - 
the empty seats of Maalfees House.

	Kyla sat by my side, looking radiant.  I had never considered 
before that being close to me might make that much difference to 
anyone.  Even Sharon - even when we were newlyweds, I never got 
the impression that I was all that important to her.  But with Kyla - 
she just glowed, outshining even Shannon, the proud mother....  Which 
got me thinking about something Kyla and I would have to discuss, in 
view of the previous night's - and day's - activities....

	Andalor's chant was drawing to a close.  The poor kid looked 
exhausted.  Then the Priestess stood.  I recalled this part of the 
ceremony - it had come right before all hell had broken loose.  The 
throng seemed to hold its collective breath as the Priestess called in 
New Realm for the child to be brought forth.  On the dais, Shannon 
tensed, and I saw Mulder's hand creep over to rest upon hers.  There 
was a blast of trumpets, and then, flanked by eight armed men in royal 
colors, a proud, dignified Livirnea carried a miraculously sleeping 
Heir to the Throne up the broad center aisle.

	This was the first time the child had appeared in public, and 
although I'm sure rumors had circulated on the efficient Realm 
grapevine, there was a sharp intake of breath from the aura-sensitive 
beings in the crowd.

	"Then it's true!  Look at his aura!"

	"The Prince - he has magic powers!"

	"The return of the Mage Kings!  Blessed be the Goddess!"

	The members of the Noble Houses took the news pretty much as 
Mulder had predicted they would - some quite happily, some resolutely, 
and others stone-faced and grim.  But thankfully I was picking up none 
of the kind of vibes I had felt at the previous ceremony.  At least for 
the moment no plots were being hatched.

	Their reaction hadn't escaped Scully.  "Just give them time," 
she whispered to me, almost as if she could read my mind as well 
as her bondmate's.  "They'll be up to their old tricks again sooner or 
later - at least until the Prince is old enough to use his powers to 
protect himself."

	Livirnea climbed the dais, placed the infant in his father's 
arms, curtsied deeply and then went to stand behind the Royal Family.  
Carefully, to avoid jostling the sleeping child, the King raised his 
arms upwards, and the tumult in the Great Hall grew, as the baby 
was presented to his subjects.  Finally, Andalor lowered his arms and 
passed the baby to Shannon.  The Priestess began to chant softly, 
sprinkling the child with herbs and wrapping him in some sort of 
greenery.

	I turned to Kyla.  "Lashella vines," she whispered.  "They're 
a symbol of the Goddess's protection."

	I nodded and was about to reply when the King started to speak.  
The tension in the Hall went up a couple of notches and the silence, 
except for the King's words, was absolute.

	With a lot more enthusiasm than he had shown while chanting, 
he began, "My beloved subjects and honored guests, we present to you 
our son.  Queen Shannon and I have had many moon-cycles in which to 
come to a decision about his name. I know it has been a matter of some
interest to many of you."  There was a rumble of laughter from the 
stands. Evidently, the bets were still on.

	Andalor smiled and continued. "You know our customs call for 
the name never to be spoken until this ceremony, and we have abided by 
this tradition. You know also that it is customary for the name chosen 
to be one from the long and glorious history of the Realm. The Queen 
and I have conformed to this tradition as well - at least, in part." 
His violet eyes twinkled as he played his audienced.  Bewildered 
murmuring could be heard, not only from the public stands but also 
from the nobles and other dignitaries in the circles of seats 
surrounding the dais.  Ballorca looked like he was bracing himself 
for the worst.  He might have gotten wind of Mulder's suggestion to 
Andalor - Prince Elvis.

	The King held up his hand for silence. "While it was important 
to us to honor the traditions of our land, we also felt that honor must 
be paid to one who has made such a difference to the life of the 
Realm. We wish" - the King looked down towards those of us in the VIP 
row - "that it were possible to so honor all of those who have given 
their hearts and shed their blood for the Realm.... Royal Mage 
Reinald, my beloved Regent, friend and protector...."

	Reinald gaze up at the boy King, pride on his face and tears in 
his eyes.

	"...Captain Jourdain, who even now lies recuperating from 
grave injuries sustained in recovering my son.... Warrior Priest 
Skinner - "  I jumped - "who, though he came to us as a stranger, 
was instrumental in my son's recovery, and who will leave us as a 
treasured friend...."

	I really hadn't been expecting that.  Thank God - and the 
Goddess - that the kid wouldn't be saddled with a name like Walter.  
But I felt myself blush in pleasure at the King's kudo, and Kyla 
gripped my hand proudly.

	I felt Scully tense beside me and followed her gaze up to her 
bondmate on the dais.  Mulder had been quiet throughout the ceremony.  
He was pale, still overcoming the blood loss from his wound, and he 
had been obviously favoring his left shoulder. But now he was beginning 
to look most uncomfortable, though not, I thought, from any physical 
pain.

	"And so we name our son - after one whose life and reign was 
cut tragically short, and after another who has brought the Realm back 
from the brink of extinction not once but twice.  Aptly, we name him 
after one who was a King, and after another who is a Mage. Beloved 
subjects of the Realm, I present to you our son - Prince Barnas Fox!"

	There was a roar from the crowd, and everyone was on their 
feet, cheering and stomping. True, some of the nobles were not 
terribly enthusiastic, and Ballorca was choking, but for the most 
part, the name seemed to go over well with the crowd.  To my left, 
Scully whooped along with the crowd, her face glowing with pleasure 
for the honor paid to Mulder, and not a small amount of amusement at 
his reaction.	

	Mulder looked completely disconcerted.  Since he felt even 
more strongly about his name than I did mine, I'm sure he felt sorry 
for the little tyke, and probably wanted to take both Andalor and 
Shannon over his knee for cursing an innocent infant with it. A series 
of emotions played across his expressive face in the space of a 
heartbeat, but finally, looking pleased and touched, he approached 
Andalor, who enveloped him in a most unkingly hug.  Livirnea took the 
baby from Shannon, who then leapt into Mulder's arms, the two of them 
simultaneously laughing and crying.  I turned to look down at Scully, 
who was cheering as tears ran down her cheeks unnoticed.  I squeezed 
her shoulder, then turned my attention to Kyla. Hell, everyone else was 
kissing and hugging, why shouldn't we?

	Eventually, the tumult quieted.  Andalor nodded at Shannon, who 
took the Prince and marched out with Livirnea and the armed guards.  
"Beloved subjects and honored guests, I invite you to go into the 
courtyard, where there is food and drink and music and dancing for 
all. I would ask the indulgence of members of the Council of 
Representatives to stay in the Hall for a few moments, so we may 
conduct some urgent business of the Realm before joining the 
celebration."

	If the crowd thought anything unorthodox about the King's 
announcement, it was lost in the anticipation fo the party to come.  
In a remarkably short time, the stands emptied.  I looked to Scully to 
try to find out what we were supposed to do, but she merely shrugged.  
Evidently, Mulder didn't know either.

	On the dais, Andalor went up to Mulder and whispered something 
to him.  Mulder nodded, his expression somber, then he descended and 
sat down next to Scully.  "Andalor wants us to stay.  He's going to 
announce his decision about Maalfees.  He doesn't think there'll be 
trouble, but just in case...."

	I passed the information on the Kyla and she let the rest of 
the VIP row know what was going on, although I think Reinald already 
had some idea.  Looking around, I saw more of Andalor's guard posted 
around the Great Hall, just in case the decision didn't go down well 
with the Noble Houses.  Once again, tension reigned.

	The big double doors at the back of the Hall thudded to a close 
as Andalor took his place on the huge throne in the center of the dais.  
Looking grim, he began in a low yet carrying voice, "Honored Council 
Members, I must announce to you that early this morning, Granoc of 
Maalfees took his own life in his cell."

	The news was met by shocked gasps from all around us. Mulder 
frowned and caught the eyes of Reinald, Tarnor and Hannu.  From their 
looks of concentration, they were cooking up some sort of spell, maybe 
a protection spell for the King in case of attack.  Scully's hand had 
drifted automatically to her sword.  A low rumble of protest emanated 
from the section where the heads of the Houses sat, Dordinal's voices 
loudest of all.

	Andalor's commanding voice rang out over the indignant grumbles 
of the protesters.  "Before you weep for Granoc, you might remember 
that he was a self-confessed traitor.  In my opinion, he merely saved 
the Realm the unpleasant task of having to execute him."

	"Hear, hear!"  cried out Prince Mavor. The shout was taken up 
by all the Representatives of the non-human species, and by some of 
the Houses.

	Mulder turned stiffly to look over his shoulder, then turned 
back with a smirk.  "Looks like some of the Houses have decided it's 
in their interest to curry the King's favor," he observed.  "For now, 
at least."

	Andalor continued.  "That there was a plot against the Realm 
is clear.  Granoc confessed as much.  Maalfees' plan was to raise my 
son as one of them, to 'discover' his whereabouts and return him to 
the throne on my death.  I am not so naive as to believe that that 
unhappy event would have been long in coming, once my son had been 
sufficiently influenced by his captors to promote Maalfees' interests." 
A few grim chuckles were heard from around the Hall.

	He raised his hand for silence.  "The task before us now is to 
decide what punishment Maalfees has earned.  Granoc did his best in 
his confession to make it appear that he singlehandedly conceived and 
executed this plot  But  we know from the statement of Lady Livirnea, 
who was held captive with my son in Maalfees' stronghold, and from 
our own common sense, that this was not the case.  Granoc sat before 
us in this very Hall as my guards were being murdered, and my son 
abducted.  Clearly, many others were involved in this conspiracy 
against the Realm... and against every one of you, for Maalfees sought 
to become the pre-eminent House through this plot.  Surely you can 
imagine the fortunes of your own Houses should this plot have 
succeeded."  There were grumbles of agreement.

	He paused.  "The rupture of the Gate which brought my son home 
was both unintended and devastating.  It was only Maalfees' attack on 
Mage Mulder which caused it to happen.  We believe that Maalfees' 
stronghold to the west of the Great Robe Desert was completely 
destroyed by the Gate's rupture.  I immediately sent out a party whose 
mission it was to confirm that supposition. Should there be any 
survivors, the party has been instructed to render what aid is 
appropriate."

	"And how can we be sure they won't simply be slaughtered?" 
called out a voice scornfully from the Dordinal ranks.

	With distaste, the King looked down from the dais.  "The 
likelihood of survivors is remote.  But should there be any, you have 
my word that they will be given what assistance they need.  That is 
far more mercy than was shown my guards who were slaughtered in this 
very Hall, or Lady Livirnea, or Mage Mulder or Captain Jourdain," he 
said coldly.  He stared down at the Dordinal seats until the grumbling 
ceased.

	"Since Granoc confessed, there will be no trial.  I have Lady 
Livirnea's statement and those of the search party, who found and 
returned my son.  The complicity of every adult member of Maalfees 
House is beyond question.  I would be perfectly within the law of the 
Realm to demand that every last one of them be executed."

	I looked uncertainly at my agents, whose faces mirrored my 
concern, and then back to Kyla. She gazed back calmly and with a 
slight upward turn of her lips, almost imperceptibly shook her head.  
Taking heart in her serenity, I rewound my fingers in hers and once 
again surveyed the King.

	Over the undercurrent of heated debate, the King declared, 
"BUT-!"  There was silence.  In a softer voice he went on.  "But I 
decided that I would not do that. Not" - he hastened to add - "because 
is it not completely deserved."  He sighed and leaned back into the 
support of the throne.  "My decision not to have any remaining 
participants executed rests on one thing and one thing alone - that 
is, that I have no wish for my son's birth to forever be associated 
with a bloodbath."

	He waited for the import of his announcement to sink in.  "In 
consultation with my most trusted advisors - Royal Mage Reinald, Lord 
Mandor of Ranfaus, and Prince Mavor of the Elves - I have arrived at 
the following course of action.  The punishment of Maalfees House, 
for the crimes of high treason, murder, kidnapping, the attempted rape 
of Lady Livirnea, and conspiracy against the Realm is as follows...." 

	He stood, and his voice carried an air of authority completely 
unexpected in one so young.  "One - Maalfees House, from this time and 
forevermore, is hereby declared dissolved, and all rights and privileges 
of Maalfees House are hereby rescinded.

	"Two - All lands and properties belonging to Maalfees House 
will revert to the Realm, to be put to such use as decided by the 
Council of Representatives, and

	"Three - all members of Maalfees House are hereby exiled to 
the Shalean Plateau, where land has been set aside for their use. They 
are forbidden to come within a three-day ride of Fairwoods without the 
express permission of the King for a period of twenty-five season-
cycles."

	I looked around towards where the heads of the Houses were 
sitting to gauge their reaction.  For some, their disappointment was 
written all over their faces.  I guess they thought there was a chance 
Maalfees' property might have been broken up and distributed among the 
Houses. Mentally, I applauded Andalor for not taking that route.  From 
what I had seen and heard, none of them other than Ranfaus was worth 
the powder to blow them to hell, and I was glad they weren't going to 
profit by this.  Others, notably those wearing the colors of Dordinal, 
were seething.  Andalor's decision was both generous and merciful, and 
they knew it.  They would find no support for an insurrection based on 
Maalfees's punishment.  Bravo, Andalor, I thought to myself.

	"I now ask for the Council of Representatives to ratify my 
decision.  What say you?  Those who approve of the Crown's decision in 
this matter, please say 'Aye'."

	There was a thunderous roar of assent from the Council.

	"Those who are in disagreement?"

	There was an undercurrent of disgruntled murmuring, but it 
seemed no one had the balls to come right out and admit it.  Thinking 
of a few gutless and sleazy Congressmen, I thought maybe this place 
wasn't so unlike my world, after all.

	"Then in that case, Honored Council Members, we have concluded 
our business.  I invite you all to join the celebration."

				~ ~ ~ 

	Scully floated in my arms, making me appear to be a much better 
dancer than I was.  Across the ballroom, Mulder danced with Kyla, 
listening to whatever she was saying with rapt attention.  The 
celebration in the courtyard had moved into the Castle itself when 
sundown brought chilly temperatures.  Shopkeepers and nobles danced 
side by side, to music at once strange and familiar.  Elven punch 
flowed, though after one mugful and a friendly warning from Scully of 
its dire aftereffects, I had switched to ale. There was more food than 
I had ever seen at one time, and everyone seemed to be enjoying 
themselves immensely.

	"Mulder and I will be leaving the Realm tomorrow evening, 
Walter."

	I nodded.  "I gathered as much.  I spoke to Gunther this 
morning."

	"Really?  About going home?"  Her brows were arched in 
surprise.  "I thought you and Kyla were hitting it off really well."

	"We are. That was the point. I wanted to find out how we could 
stay in touch. I don't know - maybe even come back here for visits."

	She smiled up at me.  "I'm so glad for you both. Did he tell 
you about the Oracle crystals?"

	I nodded. "About that, and about coming back, and about my 
return to our world.  Reinald was there too.  He said I'd leave with 
the means to contact the Realm.  Though he did mention that it's 
easier to initiate the contact from this side."

	"Easier, but painful," Scully laughed, and explained about the 
heat generation problems of the crystals.  "So - will you be going 
back with us?"

	"Uh... actually, no.  Gunther said there was another 'window 
of opportunity' for me to arrive back in our world Tuesday morning.  
It would give me another month here, in Realm time.  I'm going to take 
that opportunity, Scully.  I have to." There was a ring of desperation 
in my voice.

	"I don't blame you." The music stopped, and we clapped politely.

	The gaiety of the surroundings just seemed to enhance my 
melancholy. "How do you and Mulder do it, Dana? How do you handle 
leaving the Realm behind and going back to all that crap? Cancerman, 
and all the rest?"

	She looked at my face, which must have been as bleak as the 
emotions I was unconsciously transmitting.  Mulder and Kyla had 
started toward us, but the musicians struck up another sprightly tune 
and they began dancing again.  Scully took my hand and led me into a 
quiet hallway.

	"That communication thing you've got going comes in handy," 
I observed wryly.

	She smiled.  "Well, you seemed like you needed to talk."

	I sighed.  "I wonder if my emotions will stay this transparent 
in our world."

	"Possibly not," she replied evenly. "Or you'll learn to control 
them.  A few lessons with Urielle should do the trick.  So - you asked 
how we handle leaving here...." She shrugged.  "The first time was 
the worst. We weren't even sure we'd get back to our own world, let 
alone be able to return here.  Since then, it's been easier.  We can 
get messages from here, and we know we can return pretty much whenever 
we want."  She looked up at me sympathetically. "Of course, Mulder and 
I are together, whether we're in this world or ours.  If we had to separate....  
Well, I don't envy you,Walter."

	"I... I've never been in this position before - having to leave 
someone I love.  Kyla says she can deal with it, and from what I feel 
of her emotions, she can.  I wish that I could say the same.  I don't 
know.  It's probably stupid, but I keep feeling that if I leave here, 
everyone - this whole place - will simply disappear like some 
wonderful, fantastic dream that I'll never have again."   

	"I understand, Walter, I really do. Mulder and I felt that way 
when we got back to our world after the first visit.  It seemed like 
it had all been a dream. But we've been back twice since then and it 
does get easier to leave, knowing the Realm will still be here when 
we return.  Besides, depending on the gelflow of time, your four 
weeks of annual vacation could add up to years in the Realm."

	"That's the up side.  But the down side - will Kyla have 
forgetten all about me by the time I get back?  If even a few weeks 
goes by before I return, it'll be years here - years of separation."

	"Not necesarily," she replied reasonably.  "According to the 
Professor, that's not a constant.  In fact, it's possible for the 
reverse to be true.  It's just that we've been here only when Realm 
time was moving faster than time in our world.  Gunther says that 
occasionally time can even be parallel between the two worlds - no 
difference at all."

	I grunted noncommitally.

	"I think what you have to ask yourself, Walter, is 'Is it worth 
it?' Is Kyla worth it?  It is going to be hard for you both, to be 
separated.  Are the times you have together worth the pain of 
separation?"

	We strolled for some time in silence, while I thought over what 
she said.  There was only one answer.  "Yes. What we have together is 
worth anything, it's worth any price I have to pay."

	She put a hand on my arm and we stopped walking.  Then she 
put her arms around me and squeezed.  I felt her confidence, her 
friendship, her faith that everything would work out.  "Don't forget, 
Walter - the Goddess seems to have some influence in our world, as 
well... otherwise none of us would have ever gotten here in the first 
place.  Mulder and I are strongly tied to the Realm - and now you are 
too. I have to believe that our being here has the Goddess's blessing.  
And that being the case, we'll be back, again and again, and our 
relationships with these beings will thrive - regardless of the 
gelflow of time."

	As she spoke, the truth, the rightness of her words struck me, 
and I found my serene core again.  Wordlessly, I returned her hug.

	"You're feeling better - good!" she declared, smiling.  "Now, 
let's go rescue Kyla from Mulder's dancing."

End of Chapter Twenty



Epilogue


	Beneath the twin moons thirty four Realm days later, Kyla and 
I walked hand in hand to the meadow beyond the Castle walls.  Gunther 
and Reinald had set up the apparatus to create the vortex, and the 
moment I dreaded had arrived.

	The time had flown by.  While Kyla performed her healing and 
visited her patients, I spent time with Jourdain and Aldara; first, 
playing cards or exchanging war stories while the big soldier 
recuperated, and later learning some of the finer points of 
swordsmanship from him as he gained strength. A portion of every day
I spent with Urielle or the Royal Priestess, practicing control of my 
priestly gifts and learning more about the religion of the Goddess.
Occasionally, I was invited to meals with Gunther, Reinald, Tarnor, or 
Andalor and Shannon.

	But when Kyla had finished with her duties for the day, we 
closeted ourselves away as much as possible.  More often than not, 
our nights were spent in my quarters in the Castle, the huge high 
Realm bed much more comfortable and suited to our activities than 
Kyla's narrow cot.

	I grasped her hand as we crossed the frosted meadow. "Kyla, 
there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about.  I mean, 
we're not married - not yet, anyway - and I.... What I mean is...." My 
eyes stayed trained on her hand, the one that bore the delicate gold 
and sapphire ring I'd placed there the night before.

	She turned to me, her eyes as dark as the sky. "What is it, 
beloved?  Surely you know I will wait for your return?"

	"I was sort of counting on that," I replied wryly.  I cleared 
my throat and started again.  "No - what I meant was.... We haven't 
taken any precautions, and, in light of what we've been doing,  it's 
possible that....  I mean, what happens if you find yourself - "

	She looked puzzled for a few seconds, then her expression 
lightened. "If I find I am carrying your child?"  She laughed. "I am a 
Healer, Walter.  I have some control over that sort of thing, you 
know."

	"Oh...."  I wondered if I looked as confused and conflicted 
as I felt.  "Then you mean you can prevent yourself from becoming 
pregnant?"

	"If that is my wish," she replied enigmatically.

	"Walter!" Gunther called out.  "It's time, I'm afraid."

	"If that is your wish...." I repeated to myself....  Aloud, I 
asked, "So what is your wish, Kyla?"

	Reinald appeared at our sides and thrust a small velvet pouch 
into my hand.  "Oracle crystals," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Enough 
to ensure that Lishla will grow tired of running back and forth to 
Kyla's cottage to fetch her.  Mulder has more if you need them."

	I tied the little bag snugly to my belt.  "Thank you, Reinald.  
I'll miss being here."

	He grasped my forearm in the manner of the Realm.  "Thank 
you, Walter.  Know that you always have a home here amongst us. I 
trust you will be back soon, with Mulder and Scully as well, I hope."

	"I'm planning on it, Reinald."

	"You have only a few moments to get into position, Walter!" 
announced the Professor.

	The Royal Mage joined Gunther. I turned to Kyla and took her 
in my arms.  Tears glistened in her eyes, but her face was as serene 
as ever. "Go with my love and the protection of the Goddess, my heart.  
I will contact you soon, I promise.  I love you so!"

	I wiped an errant tear from her cheek and kissed her softly.  
"Be safe, beloved.  I'll be back as soon as I can arrange it.  You are 
my life now."

	"I know," she whispered.  "As you are mine."

	"Time, Walter!"

	Reluctantly, I backed away from her and took my place where 
Gunther had indicated.  My eyes never left her, wanting to memorize 
the way she stood there, so straight and tall and lovely.

	Noxious odors were coming from Reinald's cauldrons, and I 
heard him chanting in the background.  Dried leaves began to swirl 
at my feet, and my cloak whipped around me.  Then it came to me that 
Kyla hadn't answered my question.  I began to call out, when suddenly 
I felt myself falling, falling....


	... and landed in a heap on the floor of Mulder's basement office.

	"Wal-... Sir! Are you all right?"  Scully sprang from her desk 
and helped me to my feet.

	"Here - you'd better sit down," said Mulder helpfully.  He shoved 
a chair behind me and gratefully I dropped into it.  "You look like 
vortex travel doesn't agree with you any more than it does me."

	I exhaled forcefully and shut my eyes to stop the room from 
twirling around my throbbing head.  My stomach churned with nausea.

	"Take some deep breaths," Scully ordered. "The worst of it 
should be over in a couple of minutes.  The headache will last a bit 
longer."

	I nodded, and gulped in lungfuls of air.  Soon the room stopped 
spinning, but I still felt rotten.  I looked around the office dazedly, 
everything appearing strange and surrealistic - even moreso than 
normal amid Mulder's collection of eclectic weirdness. I noticed a 
suit and shirt on a hanger, and a bag which I hoped contained shoes, 
socks and underwear.  Mulder must have brought them from my apartment, 
thank God.  If I were seen traipsing around the Hoover Building in 
leather pants, knee-high swashbuckler boots and a cloak, I would have 
been shoved in front of one of the Bureau shrinks in a New York 
minute.

	"So - enjoy your extra time in the Realm?" Mulder asked, 
grinning impudently.

	I sighed and balefully eyed him. Yes, controlling Mulder was 
going to be impossible, as I had feared.  Just to be contrary, I didn't 
rise to the bait he was practically throwing at me. "Very much.  
Everyone sends their regards."  Suddenly I was struck by the sheer 
implausibility of sitting in the J. Edgar Hoover Building and chatting 
about beings a whole universe away.  A universe away from Kyla....

	"How's Jourdain?"

	I sighed again as I wrenched my mind back from visions of Kyla. 
"Recovered and back to his duties."

	"And the Prince?  My little namesake?" he probed.

	"Doing fine.  Lita's been taking care of him at night, so that 
Andalor and Shannon  can get some sleep.  I don't think Lita ever 
sleeps.  Maybe she doesn't need to."

	"Maybe she's an X-File," Mulder joked.

	"Yeah... maybe...."  I gripped the arms of the chair so tightly 
my knuckles were white.

	"Mulder, shut up a minute. Walter, look at me!  Follow my 
finger...."

	"I... I'm okay, Scully.  Just sort of disoriented."

	"No kidding," her bondmate drawled.  "Do you realize you've 
been speaking in New Realm since you got back?"

	Okay, that rocked me. "Shit, was I?"

	He chuckled.  "Well, that last bit wasn't, but everything else 
was. When did you learn that?"

	"Aldara and Daanna were teaching me.  I think the language 
spell might aid the learning process...." Cautiously, I shook my head.

	"What?" asked Mulder. "What's wrong?"

	"Doesn't it strike you as weird, sitting here at the Bureau and 
talking about magic spells?"

	He shrugged.  "No, not particularly."

	"I obviously asked the wrong person," I responded drily.

	There was a few seconds' silence, then Scully asked gently, 
"And how's Kyla?"

	"Wonderful. Beautiful. Serene...."  My throat narrowed, choked 
by the emotions I had been trying so hard to control ever since the 
day had begun, a world ago.  "Goddess, I miss her already...."

	"Easy with the Goddess stuff," advised Mulder. "You'll be 
getting accused of witchcraft by some of the folks around here who 
aren't exactly our fans."

	Scully looked at me with sympathy. "I'm sure you'll be hearing 
from her soon, Wa-..., sir."

	I nodded, cautiously stood.  The dizziness and nausea were 
gone.  I grabbed my clothes and disappeared behind the projector 
screen to change.  I almost hated to remove each Realm garment, 
feeling the distance from that magical place grow as I shed the 
leather breeches, the linen shirt, the cloak.... I folded them 
carefully and put them in the plastic bag my 'real world' belongings 
had been in. "I'll be taking a week's vacation just as soon as I can 
arrange it," I called out as I dressed.  "Don't you two have a little 
comp time coming to you?"

	Mulder's ironic monotone floated over the screen. "You'll have 
to ask our boss."

	"I imagine it can be arranged.  Besides, Mulder, taking 
vacations together may have its benefits. At least I'll be able to keep 
my eye on you and rest easy, knowing you're not getting into trouble 
while I'm away."

	I finished tying my tie, put the bag of Oracle crystals in my 
pocket and stepped out from behind the screen.  Sitting down in a 
chair, I pulled on my socks and shoes.  "By the way, thanks for 
bringing my clothes, Mulder."

	"No problem.  Though I would have given a lot to see you walk 
into the cafeteria the way you were dressed."

	"I'll bet you would."

	"So you're already planning on going back.  The place grows on 
you, doesn't it, Wal-... sir?" said Scully.

	"Yeah, you could say that.  Besides, something kind of came up 
at the last minute. Something important  - something I have to go back 
and find out."  I left it at that.  Maybe I was sending out my 'don't 
go there' vibes again... in any case, they didn't press me on it.

	"So they're expecting you?"

	In a way that had almost become second nature after the last 
several weeks in the Realm, I reached inside myself - and found it... 
my center of serenity.  I guess I wasn't controlling, because I saw 
Mulder and Scully exchange a smile as a blast of the pure joy I was 
feeling hit them.  I still had it - the gift that the Realm had helped 
me to find within myself. Closing my eyes and concentrating the way 
Urielle had taught me, I felt my emotions coming under control, 
notching down a bit, but still there.  I missed Kyla, but I knew I'd 
be seeing her soon. And just knowing she was there, loving me....  
I felt like I could take on the world - any world.

	"So they're expecting you to come back?" Mulder repeated.

	I grinned.  "Evidently. When I left, Lita's cousin was carving 
my exploits into the door of my room....  And now, Agent Mulder - 
bring me up to speed with what's been going on in *this* world. There  
must be some work to do."

End of The Magician IV - The Warrior Priest