James makes his way through the rain-lashed, and now deserted, streets of the city, and finally reaches the castle which serves as the seat of royalty in Cadiniagart.  Approaching the gate, he finds it closed.

To one side, though, there is a door in the base of one of the round towers which flank the gate, and a small window, where a light shines.  A sign indicates that this is the guardpost, and that visitors should report there to gain entry.


Meanwhile, high above the northern end of the fortress, lightning and wind and rain seem to have gathered into an angry knot of elemental energies.  Anybody insane enough to be out, on the higher parapets of the castle, in the teeth of this storm, would probably swear later that they had heard the wind laughing at them, and that they hed seen eyes in the storm.

Roman waits, in case his friends need his aid...

James walks up to the gate of the castle.  He stands there in the lee of the wall, blinking water from his eyes until he can see well enough to make out the guard post.  His clothes cling to him in a sodden mass and his hair is plastered to his scalp.  He felt sure he must be quite a sight.  Not auspicious weather for making a grand entry  He wasn't at all certain the guards, or Corwin, would admit him.

But I guess my uncle wouldn't stand in the rain, wasting time on self-pity.

In three strides he crosses to the guardroom door and hammers upon it, announcing a visitor over the noise of the storm, then takes a half-step back so that he can seen from the window and stands there, oblivious to the renewed vigour of the wind and rain.

A small hatch in the door bangs open, and an eye peers out.  Then it slams shut again, and the door itself creaks open.

"Don't stand out there, come in, while I gets yer particylars.  Sorry 'bout the gate, but we've been tol' ter tighten up, on account o' recent events."

The room is small, and semicircular, with only the single door and window in the outer, curved wall, and a cupboard of some sort on the straight wall.  Apart from that, there is a table, with a book on it, and a chair.  A lantern hangs above the table.

The guard, alone in the room, other than James, opens the book, to reveal line after line of neatly written script, and a pencil which serves double duty as a bookmark.

He sits, and picks up the pencil, inspecting the point critically, "Now then.  I jus' needs ter get yer name, who yer 'ere ter see, an' the nature o' yer business.  Terday's the... twenty-first, I do b'lieve.  Ah, yeah, twenty-first.  Funny... yer can write it down all day, over'n'over, an still ferget it from time ter time."  He carefully writes the date on the next blank line, and looks up at James, expectantly.

James enters the guardroom and shuts the door behind him to keep the weather out.  He stands blankly, responding to Trista's communication over the bridging, coming back to himself only when he realises the guard is asking him questions.

"I'm sorry, I was miles away for a moment there.  My name is James.  I am here to see Prince Corwin of Amber who I understand is in residence at the moment.  My business is family business.  Prince Corwin is my uncle."

Yer uncle?" the guard looks at James, then writes down the information provided, followed by a series of symbols and numbers.  "If'n yer want ter see 'im, I'm sorry, but yer'll 'ave ter be escorted, Sir, up until 'e either vouches fer yer, or until 'is own lads take over from ours."

"Jus' fer safety, yer understan'?"

He stands and goes to the small cupboard, opening the door and reacking inside to rap on the wooden back, which judging by the distance is set deep in the wall.

After a nonent, the panel at the back hinges open to reveal a room which looks to be similar to this one, save that there are a several guards in there.

"Got a James 'ere, an Amberite, what's got bus'ness with Prince Corwin of Amber.  Goin' ter need some lads ter walk with 'im."

The far hatch closes, and James' companion shuts the one at the near end of the opening, turning back to James, "Somebody'll open the gate fer yer, presently, Sir.  Yer'll be able ter see it out the window, there."

Less than a minute later, the main gate of the castle opens, giving access to an arched passage, where a half dozen armed men wait to escort James to see his uncle.

"That's okay..."  James begins, but is interrupted as the man walks to the rear panel.

"I had expected to wait here while a messenger was sent, it's kind of you to arrange an escort."

James waits until the gate is open and then steps out into the rain to join his guards.  "Sorry, gents, I hadn't meant to drag so many of you out.  Let's get out of this weather, shall we?"

James takes a couple of steps forward then stops.  "If you're my security detail you should probably have this..."  James unbuckles his sword-belt and hands Fangmir to the closest guard.  "Keep it safe, okay?  It's worth a lot to me."  He waits for someone to show him the way further into the castle.

The man who takes the sword, nods, "Aye, I'll look after 'er."  Gripping the weapon by sheath and hilt, he draws it part way, exposing about a foot of blade, and peering at it critically.

"Fine blade, an' a nice weight an' balance, too."  Then he slips Fangmir back into the sheath, and looks at the hilt, "See'd some use, as well, eh?"

He gestures to James then, indicating that he should move on, then walks besides the Amberite.  "I reckon they've decided ter escort visitors in terday, rather than keep folk who might be royalty, or summat, standin' 'bout in the rain.  An' even if yer just a messenger yerself, I don't think they fancy draggin' a Lord of Amber out ter see yer in this weather.  So we got instructions ter bring anyone who wants ter see 'im in, an' 'and 'em over ter the guards what came with 'im."

"This way."

The passage runs straight, but only for a short distance, before it opens out into a courtyard, with a short walk to another gate.  One of the escorts runs ahead a little, and speaks into a small hatch in the gate.  By the time James gets there with the rest of the men, the gate itself is aready swinging open.

Beyond, there is another yard, and the keep itself, towering dark and forbidding.

"We'll be out this mess in a moment, Sir." the escort assures James, as they climb the rain-soaked steps to the drawbridge which guards the keep entrance.

"If'n yer don't mind me askin', Sir, where did yer get this blade?  Only my ol' dad were a bladesmith, an' 'e made the finest swords in the city, afore 'is eyes started ter go.  Taught me a thing or two, 'e did, an' I see'd some fine swords... but this'n's a bit special.  Not fancy, like some of 'em nobs carry, but made ter be used, I reckon."

"It is and it has."

James follows the guards deeper into the castle and towards the keep.  He keeps half an eye on his surroundings as they go, trying to memorise the way out and absent-mindedly cataloging the fortifications.  Old fashioned but solid and practical.

"I don't know where it came from.  It was a gift.  The person who gave it to me travelled widely."  James recalls the events of six months ago and stops short of mentioning Bleys by name.

"Since you've an eye for it, take the hilt, see what you make of the weight."  A trifle risky, drawing attention to the discrepancy between rapier grip and broadsword weight, but James is prepared to chance it.

"That's a shame, Sir." the escort says, with a sigh, "I'd've liked ter meet the man what made this.  Reckon 'e could've showed me a few things."

He smiles, at James mention of the weight, "Aye, I spotted that.  It's odd, but not the strangest design I's ever see'd, an' she's a bit hefty fer my tastes, but the balance still seems good.  Fer a man with a bit more muscle in 'is arm, I bet she'd feel light as a feather."

"So... yer friend travelled a biy, did 'e?  Maybe's that's what I 'as ter do.  Get out o' this place an' go lookin' fer people what can make weapons like this'un."

All the while, they've been making their way up through the keep, through corridors and up stairs, and now they stop before a closed door at the end of a passage.

"'ere yer go, Sir.  Thanks fer tellin' me 'bout this."  He knocks on the door, and waits.  After a moment it is opened by another soldier, this one wearing the livery of Amber.

"Got a visitor fer Prince Corwin.  'ere's is blade."

The Amberite makes no move to take the weapon.  Instead, he just regards James, with more than a little suspicion, "Name?"

James stands under the scrutiny, a hint of a smile on his face.  He had expected this.

"My name is James.  Prince Corwin will not be expecting me.  Please pass on my greetings and tell him that if he has his family deck with him, Uncle Bleys will vouch for me."

The man looks at the escorts, and says, "That's fine.  We'll take over now."  He takes Fangmir, and beckons James through the door, closing it behind them.

Once the door is locked, he speaks to one of the eight other men present, "Go and tell them that there's a James here to see them.  No appointment, and I don't recognise him."

He turns back to James, "You'd better hope they can confirm who you are, without using a deck, because I doubt they'll be inclined to try that."

The other man knocks at a door across the room, and then enters, the one who has been speaking to James moves away, and places Fangmir on a table, to one side, and well out of Jame's reach.

A moment later, the far door opens, and the guard returns, followed by two other men, one dressed all in black and silver, with dark hair and green eyes, the other taller, and thin, with brown hair and hazel eyes, clad in the same uniform as all the other Amberite guards.  The first shakes his head when he catches sight of James, but the second glances at the table, where Fangmir lays, then at James, and says, simply, "That's him."

"Really?" Corwin looks James up and down, "It seem's that you're who you say you are.  So... is this urgent, or will it wait until after I've attended this dinner the locals are having in my honour?"

James gives a slight nod of both thanks and recognition to the disguised Benedict but does not otherwise acknowledge his presence, addressing himself to Corwin.

"I'm very sorry for imposing, Corwin, but I'm a little ignorant of the protocol in these types of affairs.  Please, by all means attend the dinner.  I can wait for you here, or, if you would prefer, I will return to my lodging at the Blue Rose inn.  But I would like the opportunity to talk with you before you return to Amber."

Corwin sits on the edge of the table, legs stretched out and his ankles crossed, while he thinks, briefly.  He ignores the presence of the guards for the moment.

When he speaks, he smiles at James, "Normally I'd know exactly how to handle this." he holds his left hand out before him, palm upwards, "You were sent on a mission to investigate a threat to Amber.  Now, months later, you're here, just when things are at a fairly critical point.  Meanwhile, the threat you were sent to look into has... well... let's just say that it hasn't exactly faded into insignificance."

"I'm a bit curious to hear what you've discovered."

Now his right hand, too, is held out, just like the left, "On the other hand, I'm here because of a delicate political situation.  I was hoping to use the dinner as an opportunity to talk to the local ruler about the problem in a less formal setting, and being late might give a bad impression."

He moves both hands, as if comparing the weights of the two alternatives, "Damn!  I hate it when Random asks me to deal with this sort of crap."

"Corwin... " Benedict growls a warning.

"I know.  But I think that what's going on here, and the thing that James was sent to look into, are related.  What if he has information that can tip the balance in our favour?  If I'm late for dinner, I can say I was... well, I can blame the food aboard the ship."

"Tell me what's been happening, James."

OOC: Well, I tried to find the thread where Fiona last spoke with us, appointed Aaron as boss and Jack sunk the ship by replacing Aaron's hand.  But it's a ways back and I can't wait till I have time to read all that.

James reports.  His posture is best described as 'at ease', in the military sense.  He gives Corwin a very concise summary of events since the group was sent out by Fiona.  He doesn't hold back any of the specific events but he is reticent when speaking about the people involved.  James hasn't forgotten the fate of Leonardo and is wary of giving too much away.

"The important points would seem to be these:  Your enemy are known as Archons.  More specifically a faction of Archons known as the Seraphim.  Their objective is to create a split in the Myriad Worlds between Amber and the Courts of Chaos.  Somehow the energy released will allow them to reshape the worlds as we know them into a place similar to their home, a place of elemental fury that would be instantly lethal to nearly all other forms of life."

"They are pursuing three main strategies.  They use devices we call orbs to suck the life or energy from a world until it is destroyed.  They are seeking the pieces of a being of immense power known as Broken God, which were scattered through the worlds at some point in the past.  Powers do not work near one of these pieces.  You would not be able to use the Pattern."

"The third is simple conquest.  They have factory worlds, brood worlds, spies and armies - all the makings of a major military campaign.  And they have been preparing for a long time."

"Worse, each Archon is a formidable opponent.  We have encountered three types, in ascending rank and power a blade-form, a fire-form and a lightning-form.  They are vulnerable in accordance with their nature but they are best engaged from a distance.  Up close their natures work for them.  They also have considerable psychic might particularly the higher ranks.  More powerful Archons have clone forms as back-ups and don't seem to age, they are effectively immortal.  Some at least have shape-shifting abilities."

"Their greatest weakness is that they do not work well together and are prone to infighting.  However, the Seraphim do seem to be led by one known as Harbonah.  A faction known as the Nephilim oppose the Seraphim and should be considered as allies."

"Speaking of which, the Archons have an ally in Amber.  There is a traitor amongst you somewhere.  My purpose now is to draw him, or her, out."

That should give you something to think about over dinner. James looks smug for a fleeting instant.

"So... powerful, ambitious, and prone to fighting among themselves... " Corwin muses, and looks to Benedict, with a smile, "Remind you of anybody?"

Benedict's only reply is a grunt.

"Certainly, it's no surprise, to me at least, that there is a traitor in Amber.  Something's happened to Trump, making it risky to use, and it's spreading.  Half the family can't use them at the moment, and the rest don't dare, for fear of losing the ability."

"At the same time, enemies are taking advantage of the communication blackout to attack our borders, and our foreign allies.  Even the seas aren't safe.  We're losing ships because naval captains are isolated from their superiors."

The prince of Amber begins pacing back and forth, "So many enemies, all taking advantage of the situation, at the same time.  I knew it couldn't just be coincidence, despite what certain others said."

He turns back towards James, "Does anybody else at home know that you're aware of this traitor, and that you're returning to Amber to find him?"

"Or her... " adds Benedict.

"I think Julian knows of the traitor."  James tries to recall; Morgan had mentioned a message from Julian.

"I doubt anybody knows I'm here other than you and, quite possibly, the person I seek.  And the location of the others had best remain a secret, at least for the time being."

"Good." replies Corwin, "All the more surprising for the traitor, when somebody shows up to hunt them down.  Especially if they are watching the Family closely, somebody coming at them from the outside might well catch them out."

"Now... I have to go and sort out this mess here.  They've got one of our people in jail on some trumped up charge, and I need to go and persuade them to let him go.  I can arrange for you to be escorted out again, if you like, unless you've go some other business here?"

"No.  No other business."  James looks uncertain for a moment.  "I had thought perhaps to take ship with you back to Amber.  I don't mean to make any secret of my presence.  If the traitor thinks they are under threat they might act hastily and make a mistake.  Shake the tree and see what falls out as it were."

"But maybe discretion should still be the order of the day?"

"I'd say so.  We still have no idea who's causing the problems at our end of things.  They seem to be too well hidden, and the first thing they did was take down the best way we had of quickly spreading word of significant events.  The best we can do at the moment, really, is carry on as normal, and hope for a lucky break."

The prince smiles, "If you arrive with us, it would be hard to keep attention away from you.  What's the point of a secret weapon, if you're going to wave it about everywhere?"

Benedict looks as though he's about to say something, but decides against it.

"If they don't see us arrive in Amber together, and don't know about this meeting, then they're less likely to suspect that you're hunting them, until you're ready to move in on them."

James smiles, "I think you misunderstand my purpose.  I would not be the hunter, I leave that to others.  I would be the bait."

"But I bow to your greater knowledge of Amber.  I will keep a low profile.  If you can spare the men to see me out, I will leave you to your dinner."

"Well, even as bait, it'd be best not to let people at home know that we met here.  The whole point of a decent bait is that it shouldn't look as if it's connected to the trap." replies the prince, with a smile.

"Thanks for the information.  I'll see that Random gets it, as soon as we get home.  For now, I'll arrange for an escort out of the castle for you."

He indicates two of the guards, and they move to stand with James.  "Goodbye, James, and good luck."

A few moments later, James is being escorted back through the castle.  This time, however, he is in possession of Fangmir.