Silence.

Ashevathallion had never known silence to be so heavy on the soul. He knelt in the grass before his father, eyes down, waiting for some word of reaction.

"What did you say?" Evaynanvathallion, Lord of the Green Silences, stood over the kneeling figure of his son, his voice harsh as a whiplash. "Say this to me again, for surely my ears have grown old, and I mistake your words in my dotage."

Ashe took a deep breath. He didn't look up; he dared not, for he knew the look on his lord father's face would be more than he could bear. He spoke the words again, slowly, clearly.

"Yarrow has held two children of Iannonvethallion captive since shortly after their birth: Kara and Dara, daughters born by his first wife, and full sisters to his son Shane."

One booted foot tapped angrily in the dirt a few feet from Ashe's face. "You have known this all this time, and not said a word to me of this outrage? Why did you protect him?"

Ashe sighed. "Because at that time, Iannon was, by your own decree, not-kin. The laws of our people did not apply to him or his blood. You had forebade the very mention of his name in your presence. Your grief over Rowan's death and your anger at his part made it impossible for anyone to approach you about Ian." He chanced it and looked up and looked straight into his father's eyes.

"Yarrow knew this. He knew he could take his vengeance on Ian because he knew you would not stop him. Had he been able, he'd have killed him, and you none the wiser about it." He saw the look in Evaynan's eyes, the sudden look of realization of his own part in this crime.

"But he didn't kill him. He took his daughters instead?" Evaynan sat heavily on a rock and shook his head, clearly puzzled.

Ashe pushed himself up to his feet. "He couldn't chance doing it. If you came to regret Ian's banishment, then Yarrow himself would be kinslayer. But then the opportunity to take the girls came, a means to punish Ian in a way worse than death. And my brother took it."

Silence once more; Evaynan looked at his hands "That explains before the ban was lifted. And what is the explanation as to why nothing was said to me about this when you brought Ian and his son here?"

"I had intended to tell you; it seemed the perfect time to broach the subject. But then Yarrow and Duir arrived, and I thought it best not to bring it up, not after that scene when Duir was produced. There was enough tension already. Sides were nearly taken and there might have been a sundering of our clan nothing could ever repair."

"And Iannon, surely he must have wanted to ask me for justice? Why didn't he?"

And here it was, the admission Ashe dreaded making out loud. He looked at his father. A human might think them brothers rather than father and son, for Evaynan's face showed little sign of age. It was his eyes that gave his true age away, eyes that belonged to someone who had seen too many of his people die, including those of his blood. Ashe knew what he was about to say would add to the pain. "He would have, if not for the commotion over the wolf beasts. And if I hadn't .. if I hadn't prevented him."

"You prevented him." The voice was soft as silk, as hard as steel. "You dared? You laid a geas on Iannon, to keep him from accusing Yarrow of a heinous crime, didn't you? Why?"

Ashe didn't flinch, although what he now saw in his father's eyes cut to his soul. "I hoped I could persuade him to bring the girls back on his own. I talked to him here, and then again by Mindspeak as he journeyed to Tol Dolen. I told him he had until Midwinter to return them to Ian, that if he didn't, I would have no choice but to tell you what he had done."

"And MidWinter came and went, and still you stayed silent? Still, you let this charade go on? Why? Ashevannon, for the love of the Goddess, why?"

"He is my brother, my twin. We shared the same womb, and we are part of each other. I thought, I hoped, I could use that bond between us to lead him away from this madness." His voice choked, and he struggled to keep control. He had not wept since Rowan's death; he would not increase his shame in his father's eyes by weeping now. "I was wrong."

Silence once more.

Evaynan looked away from his son, facing out towards the river flowing nearby. A bird sang loudly overhead and filled the clearing with music as the minutes dragged forwards. When at last he spoke, Evaynan did so without turning. "The bond between twins is the strongest we know. It is that, and only that, which saves you from the punishment that your crime deserves. Instead, I banish you from my presence until I decide I can look on your face without anger."

Ashe looked down. The sorrow in his father's voice was worse than any exile. But still he dared to ask: "What of Yarrow?"

"I have only one son. His name is Ashevannon." Evaynan stopped Ashe from any protest with a single wave of the hand. "I will not hear it He is lost to me, until and unless he returns my granddaughters. Now go, before my judgment fails me and I am childless altogether."

Ashe nodded, then turned to leave.

"Wait!"

He looked back and faced his father. Evaynan's voice was rough, his stance rigid. "One more penalty. You will tell Iannon what you did to him. Immediately."

Ashevathallion of House Silver Rose bowed to his King and father, then walked away to summon the Road to Camelot.

There, in the Way between the Worlds, he wept.

3/01

*********

The Lost: Part XXII

The Road touched all planes that his people walked upon, so it was here that Evaynanvathallion stood, in a place without day or night, just endless twilight mists. He was motionless, eyes closed, gathering his gift, marshalling his strength for a task he had never dreamed he must perform.

He'd never done this before. Even when Rowan had died and he'd declared Iannon not-kin, he had not done it on such a wide scale, for his grief and own injuries had left Evaynan too weak to use this most sure manner of letting his will be known. There was no such excuse now. He would do what must be done. Opening his eyes, he looked down along the glowing lines of the Road before him, and then, flinging his arms wide, he sent his Will over it to all his folk, wherever they might be. "Hear my words, oh Children of Mezumiiru! I, Evaynanvathallion of the House Silver Rose, declare before the Goddess and all of the People of Green Silences that Yarrowvathallion, borne of my blood and seed, has done that which none of our race may do and still hold honor."

"He holds my granddaughters captive, away from their kin"
"He is no longer of my blood."
"I declare my son not-kin."

"Let my Will be known!" He Sent the banning down the Road, then, shoulders slumping, he turned and walked off into the mists.

*********
Triads.

The Sithryn believe that all their folk are woven into such, each Soul having two others that it is called to, a Soul Bond, the person they are meant to spend their life with, and a Heart bond, the friend closest to the heart. Each member of a Triad can have different roles in another, so that the fabric of the Sithryn people is one grand weave, each Triad a link that makes up the whole.

Down the Road the Will of Evaynan went, touching every plane where The Folk of Green Silences dwelt, the word spreading from Triad to Triad.

*********

On an island hidden in the Atlantic west of Britain, the subject of that Word sank to his knees, hands clutching at his head. Duir watched Yarrow in morbid fascination as he realized that there was a sudden void where the older elf's presence had always been felt. Strange, he'd never noticed this before, that knowledge beyond sight that one of the Sithryn was near, But then, he'd grown up apart from them, so perhaps it was something he just hadn't developed.

At any rate, the sight of Yarrow groveling like this was gratifying. Duir stepped forward, placing a hand on Yarrow's shoulder, forcing a note of concern into his voice. "Are you alright, Uncle?"

He was knocked halfway across the room. He barely contained his laugh…

*********

In the arms-yard behind the arena, Ian Blackthorn waited for his uncle Ashe. The note the page had given Ian merely asked him to meet Ashe there, so, deciding it was most likely to practice the Dance of Swords, Ian had already fetched two wooden practice blades and had begun loosening up in preparation.

The sending rolled over his awareness like a tidal wave, and then left him in shock. He leaned on the blade as he suddenly recalled certain things.

Why, now?
Why not when he had visited his grandfather?
Why hadn't he himself brought the matter to Evaynan for his justice?

The simple act of questioning was enough to reveal to Ian why: Ashe had prevented it.

He heard footsteps on the sand, and looked up to see Ashevathallion standing before him, and rage took hold. He grabbed the other wooden blade and flung it at his uncle.

"You bastard!"

04/2001

*********

The Lost: Part XXIII

Ashe caught the practice sword instinctively, and as soon as his hand closed over the hilt, he found himself battered by a storm of blows from a furious Ian. In the times when he and Ian had sparred, he had been the instructor, teaching the forms of the ancient Sithryn Dance of Swords; he had never faced Ian as an equal, and now for the first time saw the man across from him expend all his skill in his attack. It was a revelation...

And a painful one.

A series of blows to the right ribs suddenly gave way to an overhand blow to the shoulder, followed by a blow to the side of the head that Ashe was unable to block in time. He went sprawling, his head ringing, as Ian took a few steps back and glared at him.

"Get up, uncle. Is this the best that one of the 'Twin Blades of the Silver Rose' can do? That's what they called you and Yarrow, wasn't it? You kept me from talking to Evaynan about my daughters, didn't you? Pick up your sword, damn you. I'm not done with you yet." He kicked the practice blade closer to Ashe's hand. "I trusted you, uncle, and you betrayed that trust. Now get up and defend yourself!"

"Iannon.."

"GET UP!"

And so he did, bringing the sword up to guard, only to be sent back down to one knee as another whirlwind of wood hammered down on him. Even if he had wanted to attempt to strike back, he couldn't; all his resources were spent on just defending himself, and they were nearly gone. His sword arm ached just from the impact of Ian's blows. Then, with a loud crack, Ashe's practice blade broke, leaving him holding only the hilt. He tossed it away, looking his nephew straight in the eyes as Ian drew back his arm for another stroke.

"Ian! What are you doing?!" Someone stepped between the two. "Have you lost your mind?" Skye moved closer to Ashe, her hand reaching down to help him stand.

"You heard it! He.."

"Aye, I heard it alright. So did all the children. Shane and Arista are trying to calm Diana and the boys. Just what do you think you are going to accomplish by beating Ashe to death?"

Ian glared at his wife, then with a string of elven oaths flung his blade so hard against the nearby wall that his sword broke as well. He looked at Ashe, then swore once more and stormed off.

"Men! Come on, Ashe." Skye pulled him the rest of the way to his feet. "I best look at you in the infirmary."

*********

"Here. Hold this against the cut. It will stop the bleeding."

Ashe took the wet cloth that Skye handed him and pressed it to his face. It smelled of herbs and stung as it came in contact with where part of his scar had been torn open by the force of the blow to his head. He winced slightly. "What is this, agrimony?"

"No, powdered dragonwort. And don't change the subject! What were you thinking, facing Ian like that after he heard Evaynan's sending?"

"I was doing as my father commanded: I was to tell Ian what I had done." He winced as Skye tightened the wrappings around his chest. "But he apparently thought I would reach Ian before he outlawed Yarrow. He doesn't know that your husband is liable to be racing from one end of Camelot to the other." He watched Skye's hands tie off the binding, then let her help him pull his tunic back on.

"Well, you've a cracked rib. And that face is going to turn a marvelous shade of purple shortly, as will quite a few other spots on your body. Next time tell him before he lays hand on lumber or even steel, god forbid!" She fell silent as she put away her herbs and the clean strips of linen left over, then turned to lean against a counter, arms crossed over her chest as her green eyes regarded Ashe. "If Corwin were here, or Xan was available, they could Heal those with ease. But they're not, and if you are as stubborn as Ian, and I know you are, you most likely would have refused their services if they were here to offer them. Wouldn't you?"

Skye gave an exasperated sigh as Ashe nodded. "Alright then. Could you tell me why you did this, Ashe? Please?"

She listened as the elf began to talk.

04/2001