The gray tiger cat rubbed up against Devlin's boots for a third time before the Irishman finally looked down with a look of chagrin on his face.

"There you are, boyo! I thought I'd missed you!" He wrinkled his face in dismay. "T`cha, ye smell like you've rolled in fish tripe. I hope you learned something, because all Korys and I found were several bars that water their ale so badly it would make an angel weep. Well? What have you to say?" He glared down at the cat. who chose that moment to extend his claws and start climbing up, "Ow! Those breeks cost me good money, damn it!"

He reached down, grabbed hold of the cat, and held it out at arms length by the nape of the neck. "Alright, alright, I know you have the dirty work and Korys and I the easy part but that's nae reason to stink up my clothes." He raise a finger in his other hand to wag sternly at the cat, but before he could say another word, a hand appeared out of nowhere and knocked the cat flying to smash into a wall and slide limply to the ground. A burly dockworker grunted and moved on.

"Damn cats; nuisances, one and all! Should drown the lot, I say!"

"Conary!" Devlin yelled. He ran over to the unmoving cat." Oh lord, how can I tell your lass? For that matter, how will I explain this to Grace?" He poked at the cat, while ahead, further down the dock, the cat hater was having his face pounded into the wood planking by a very unhappy Korys. The Irishman didn't look up. He kept looking for signs of life in the bundle of gray fur. "And Himself isn't going to like this one bit! C'mon, stop playing dead! This isn't funny."

"Oh, I don't know, I find it rather amusing myself." The voice was low, and had that Farnesian accent, and indeed, a look over his shoulder revealed a grinning Conary, in human shape and fully clad. "I must say I'm rather, well, touched by your grief."

"Dammit, lad! I thought he killed you."

"So did Korys, apparently." Conary gestured. "Shouldn't we put a stop to that since I'm not off to cat heaven?"

"He still killed a cat. Let him find out what it's like to be the smaller beast. What did you learn?"

"Enough to confirm the earlier rumor we heard. Someone has ordered the killing of all Lord Blackhawke's family. I sent word by the arranged method to Blackthorn, so he'll know it's a true threat. Your cat's gone, by the way."

Devlin sighed. "He's not my cat. Now let's get Korys to stop trying to make a new hole in the dock with yon fool's face and before he attracts the watch."

**********

The gleaming blue globe appeared in a corner of the bedroom, and Ian rose quietly to gather it into one hand. The ball of light dissolved silently in his skin, and the message it contained was delivered. Conary had improved since the last time they'd used this method of communication, but Ian couldn't say he was especially thrilled by the confirmation of what he had suspected.

"Bad news?" A pair of arms slid about his waist from behind, and fiery red hair slid against his bare back as Skye leaned her head against him. He grinned, detached the hands, then turned to face his wife.

"Nothing that I hadn't thought about in advance. Someone is out for blood, specifically Blackhawke's, and if happens to be in the bodies of his two sons, it won't slow them a whit." He leaned over to kiss her, then laughed. "A blade or two in the right body part might, though."

"It's not funny, Ian. An assassin might decide taking you out first would make his job easier."

"Then let us hope he is so inane as to think so, my shurrukai!" He kissed her once more, then led her by the hand back over to their bed. "I've dealt with killers all my life, Skye. I'm still here. I'll be back, I promise you."

She scowled furiously up at him. "Don't make me come after you, Ian. If you die on me I will come and nag you for eternity, right after I finish dealing with whoever is stupid enough to have killed you!"

"I promise, love. I do hope if you do come after me you'll wait to the children have grown, though." He nodded solemnly, then roared with laughter as Skye jumped on him and began finding all his ticklish points. "No fair!"

It wasn't often he was home this late in the morning with her, but both knew it may be weeks before they saw each other in the flesh again. The Soul Bond would keep their minds in touch, but that could not replace the feel of the other's warm body in their arms. This last time together would have to last until they saw each other once more.

At last he cupped her face in his hands, kissing her slowly. And then, groaning, he sat back up and reached for the small pile of weapons on the floor beside the bed and began donning the various dagger sheathes. Skye watched quietly as he finished that task before he pulled his tunic over his head.

"You are taking the elven mail, I hope?"

He chuckled. "To wear on the trip there and back, aye. I'll not wear it if I must stand as Champion. T'would be an unfair advantage there."

"Damn the advantage. You do whatever it takes for you to come home alive to me and you children, you hear me, Ian Blackthorn?"

By this time he'd pulled on his breeks and boots, and he slipped another pair of daggers into the top of each boot as he nodded. "Aye love, and half the manor does as well." He barely dodged the flung pillow and then leaned down for a final kiss. As he pulled away, he ran one finger down her cheek, and looked her square in the eyes. "I swear by the honor of my House and by the Mirror of the Goddess that I shall return to you, my wife, my firedragon, my love. May the so-called Gods witness it!"

He kissed her once more, then with a wink, he turned, and was out the door and away before she could reply. She lay there and listened to his voice echo up the stairwell as he bid the children farewell, then sat up to begin dressing herself.

"You damn well better be back, my angel. You damn well better!"

06/2001


Ties of Blood and Honor V

They rode away from Camelot into the night, the lights of the castle fading into the darkness behind them, and Ian smiled.

"I have always enjoyed riding at night," he said to Lady Xan as he twisted in the saddle to glance back at where her two sons were riding, their outer sides protected by Timmons and Gryff. "The boys don't look too pleased. I suspect Timmons is talking up a blue streak. I should tell them not to believe three quarters of whatever he tells them." He turned back around in his saddle in time to catch Xan's quick laugh. "But its true, milady. And he most likely will make outrageous bets with them and leave them penniless."

"I'm sure the boys will be fine, Ian, at least as far as the redoubtable Timmons is concerned. You seem rather happy. What are you planning, hmm?"

Ian didn't reply at first, merely giving her that smile he flashed when he had something up his sleeve. But as they rode further away from Camelot and into a heavily wooded area he gave a loud whoop. " I feel like a song, m'lady!" And before Xan had time to comment on frightening small furry creatures, the young soldier named Gryff began to sing:

"A sweet young maid I left behind
And golden was her hair-o!"

Off to the right and just ahead of them on the road, a voice answered:

"And though I roam the whole world wide,
I wish I were with her-o!"

Ian signaled a halt, and out from a side road, grinning as they passed, rode a second column of riders, led by a man and woman dressed exactly like Xan and Ian. Xan blinked; there were even two boys dressed like her sons! She started to ask Ian just what all this was about, but he held up one hand until the second group had all exited their hiding place and had vanished down the main road, still singing away. Then he grinned, signaled his men, and they all turned off onto the side road.

"To answer what you are about to ask me: we've known the Rigans have been watching Camelot for some time now. And since having us arrive via the Road would cause more trouble than we need at present, I had to fall back on some tricks my old commander Ferret used. Hopefully they will follow that decoy party."

Xan laughed then shook her head. "And where does this road lead?"

"The far end comes out on the King's Highway. But we are stopping just ahead at a clearing to meet someone."

Sure enough, the road widened, and a second party of riders sat waiting, watching them approach. Once again, Xan lifted a brow as she saw a second set of doubles for her, Ian, and the boys, and then watched as they rode off down the road ahead. Ian swung down from his bay. "We'll take a brief rest here."

"Ian, who were those boys?" She saw the question mirrored in the eyes of Stephen and his brother.

"Volunteers, milady. They were captives of Talor, part of the children in the mines. They had no family to return to or claim them, so we found places for them in Camelot. They know the risks, and are willing to take them. The 'young lords' in both parties will take to bed sick at the inns closest to the border and be snuck out as kitchen helpers while those watching them look for Hawke's sons."

"More misdirection?"

"Think of it as a shell game like the ones at the fairs." He winked at the boys, who seemed a bit puzzled by all this. "If someone is watching the far exit of this road, they'll see those men Alodar provided emerge from it in an hour. We, on the other hand, will be taking THAT road," he pointed off to the left "which parallels the King's Highway but doesn't meet up with it for a good thirty more miles. With any luck, we'll be at the border before anyone is the wiser."

Xan could only chuckle. While she took the boys off to the side to no doubt try to explain what Ian was up to, Blackthorn walked a short distance from the rest of the men and held out a bare palm to a rapidly descending small blue light. Once it touched his skin, it seemed to dissolve and sink into his hand.

"What was that, Ian?" Xan asked from a little way off to his side.

"A message from Conary. I found a way to send them using the Road and and my Gift. It is undetectable because it uses the Road, and the absorbing leaves no trace." It was a terse description, and Lady Xan knew something in the message disturbed Ian. He saw the look she gave him and just sighed.

"Yes, it's not good news. Actually, there's two things that will make our trip more difficult. The first is, I cannot act as Stephen's Champion. All claimants must fight for themselves."

"Damn it, Ian! He's still a child! What chance would he stand against a mature fighter?"

"I know, I know! Maybe I can take out the claimants in personal challenges but it's a drawn out process. Besides, the second piece of information might just make all moot anyway?"

"What else happened?"

"Tav is there. He cited some precedent, an Accord that says the Squire of Blackhawke can be a claimant to the title. He meets a Council Champion within five days in combat to the death."

Xan's eyes narrowed. She whirled, walking for her horse, her sons heading off to their own. "Then we damn well better get there fast, hadn't we?"

Ian nodded, mounted his bay, and when the column had formed, he led them off on the new route. "That is the plan, milady."

Quickly but quietly, they rode off into the night.

07/2001


Ties of Blood and Honor VI

"Damn it all to all the deepest coldest pits of Hell!"

And with that brief burst of English, Ian launched back into another round of seething Sithryn invective. In the room next door, Stephen Blackhawke stared wide-eyed at his brother Robert.

"I've never heard anyone swear like that! Captain Blackthorn is really mad!"

Robert grinned. "Of course you never heard anything like it; he's one of the only ones around who speaks it, blockhead! I wish we knew what he's so worked up over, though!"

The door opened and Sgt. Timmons entered to relieve the guard stationed inside the bedroom. He looked over at the brothers as he heard Robert's question. "Your mother and he had a slight difference of opinion. But it's nothing major." The veteran took a seat on a stool to the right of the door. "Now, if things get a bit hairy, we might have to move fast. Take off your boots, but leave on your clothes, and get some sleep. Off to your bed, now!"

The boys did as Timmons said, but Robert lifted one brow silently as he exchanged a glance with Stephen. His brother nodded; how could possibly sleep after Timmons' warning and with the Captain carrying on? But there was the sudden slamming of the door in the other room, the sound of footsteps walking away, and then silence. Before either boy realized it, they had drifted off to sleep.

********

Ian fumed as he went down the back stairs and through the kitchen to the back door of the inn. He could sense Xan sitting out at the front of the building and he didn't feel like another discussion about her request and his objections to it, and besides he had a meeting he was late in attending. So he slipped out the back door, down the alleyway behind the tavern, and out onto a side street around the corner from the building. A heavy fog was beginning to roll up from the waterfront and mist shrouded the lights from the taverns along the way. Ian flung back one side of his cloak, giving him easier access to the hilt of Deathkiss at his shoulder. He was in no mood to let some footpad or cutpurse decide he was fair game. He kept to the middle of the street, and walked at a brisk pace towards the rendezvous.

Unfortunately, there was no one to warn anyone foolish enough to attack the half-elf that tonight was a bad time to test his patience.

A quarter-mile down the street, Ian turned off into a smaller one that led towards the docks. It was narrower, and here and there stacks of cargo crates loomed against the walls of darkened warehouses. Sure enough, a third of the way down the street, two men stepped out of the shadows to block his way. Both were good-sized men, one with a sword, the other with a large club that he swung idly. Dock workers, Ian thought, looking to make some easy money.

"You have to pay a toll to pass, stranger." Club laughed. "Yonder coinpurse will do, and the sword too, I'm thinking."

"No, you're not."

The clubman went still. "Not what?"

"You're not thinking. You have no idea who I am, how good a swordsman I might be. It doesn't even cross your mind to realize that a man walking at night on a dark street without an escort might not need guards to protect himself." Ian's voice was low, almost casual, as if talking to an old acquaintance. "So do you and your friend there who barely knows one end of a sword from another a favor: step aside. Find another mark."

The thief stood silent for a moment, then motioned the man with the sword to step aside and let Blackthorn pass. "A wise decision." the half-elf murmured as he walked on

Of course it had been too easy. A few steps further and then the rush of footsteps he expected sounded on the cobblestones behind him. Ian whirled. The one with the sword was almost upon him, the blade up and to the side, ready to fall. Blackthorn didn't even bother to draw his own sword; He simply took two quick steps forwards so that he was so close to the man he could push the attacker's sword arm away to the side, while the dagger that he had concealed in his left hand arced up and through the thief's throat. The footpad fell dead at his feet. Ian looked over the body at the club wielder. "Now do you understand what I was telling you?"

The remaining man dropped the club and then turned and ran off back down the side street. Ian scowled, cleaned his dagger on the dead man's cloak, and then started off once more for his meeting.

********

"…and Tav went back to his room and hasn't come out since. But Conary here flew by his window and saw he's alright." Devlin leaned back in his chair. The smoke in the waterfront tavern was nearly as thick as the fog outside. "That's all we can tell you for now."

Ian nodded, then looked at the three men at the table. "You have done well, my friends. Now its time you all left for home. Wait at the inn just across the border on the King's Road for a week. If you hear things have gone badly here, and you don't see or hear from me, go to Marcus. Agreed?"

They all nodded, even Korys. Devlin took out a rolled up piece of paper and pushed it across the table. "Here's the official announcement. They were posting them in all the taverns a few hours after the ruling."

Blackthorn nodded, unrolled the paper and read it quickly. His brows knit as his eyes suddenly stopped scanning and focused on a sentence.

"What is it, Captain?" Conary asked.

"Nothing. Or maybe something important." With that cryptic remark, the paper was tucked away into Ian's swordbelt and he rose, leaving enough gold coins on the table to pay for several rounds of drinks. "A safe journey home, all of you, and with any luck, I'll see you there soon."

"D'ye want us to walk back with you, lad? It's a grand night for for ambushes out there."

Blackthorn smiled, then shook his head as he walked for the door.

"Somehow, I don't think I will have any trouble on the way back."

07/2001