It was all she could do not to laugh in his face. "Glendyon, there is always something happening in Rhy'din. It's Rhy'din, after all." Her amusement faded as she saw the continuing sobriety in his eyes. "What sort of something," she finally asked, "and what do you need me to do about it?"

The mage smirked at the dual question. "I have been trying to contact one of my....acquaintances there for several days now. In the past, our connection has been flawless, since she and I are both masters of planar communication, but that has changed. The Nexus has become....cranky."

"Cranky?" The word sent Azure's eyebrow towards her hair. "So you can't talk to your lady friend." She kept her expression impassive, but within she was laughing as the mage scowled. Apparently they've been sending more than just words back and forth. Speaking up once more, she reminded him of the second part to her earlier question. "Where do I come into this?"

Glendyon didn't answer, but instead turned and stepped back inside his keep, beckoning her to follow. Once they were inside, he poured drinks for them both—wine for himself, water for her—and handed her glass over. Finally he sat, facing her across the fire, and explained. "You have been to Rhy'din, spent time there. Several years, in fact, though not all together. You have connections to that place that should serve as an anchor." He paused a moment, weighing his words. "I need you to travel there, to carry a touchstone that will ensure my lady and I can contact each other without worry."

One second earlier and the mage would've been sprayed with water. "WHAT"!" Azure was, to put it plainly, flabbergasted but the suggestion. "You want to send me to Rhy'din, knowing that the Nexus is unstable right now and thus asking me to risk my life, or sanity, or possibly both, just so you can keep in touch with some crossworlds lover?" Rising to her feet, she began to pace in circles around her chair.

"I am offering half again your normal commission," Glendyon added.

She paused in mid-pace and glared at him from behind the chair. "Double, and you pay the balance before I go anywhere." When he nodded his agreement, she drew a heavy sigh and walked around the chair to stand before him, hand out. "Agreed."

He rose and shook her hand, then turned to head further into his keep. "Wait here. I'll be back with the rest of your money, the touchstone, and instructions on how to find her once you're there." Then he was out of sight.

As she stood waiting, Azure sighed again and shook her head. "Well, I never asked for a boring life."

As she rode through the streets of the Old Market district, Azure noted a few changes in storefronts and names, though they didn't really leave much impression upon her. Rhy'din was always changing, with some people pulling up stakes rather than deal with the strangeness and others settling in the newly-empty spots. Moonlight & Magic" That's new, I'll have to check it out. Then she was in the Marketplace itself, that wondrous collection of tents and booths, wagons and stalls that shifted as traders came and went on the caravan circuit around the region. Stopping here and there to gaze as some exotic wares, she felt the coins heavy in her well-secured pouch, and managed to resist buying anything more than a twistbread for herself, covered in cinnamon sugar, and an apple for Windhoof.

Turning eastward, she passed glassworks and smithy, and the delightful Teas'n Tomes, before entering the relatively quiet district of Dragon's Gate. After a few blocks, a chill passed through her, though the night was warm enough and there was nothing in sight that might have caused it. The frown that had settled on her face turned to surprise when she rode on a bit more and saw the Bon Bon Boutique. "Huh. Katt's moved locations....and it's a bigger place. Business must be booming."

Finally she came around the corner and rode up to dismount in front of the Red Dragon Inn. Lashing Windhoof's reins around the hitching post, she set him up with a feedbag and patted him on the cheek before heading inside.

It was a lively night; Azure spotted Issy and gave her an upnod and a grin on her way to the bar. The Judge returned the nod, though her attention seemed more focused someone else nearby. No worries, she said to herself, plenty of time to catch up later. She then spied Katt and a young man she didn't recognize, but who Katt apparently knew quite well. New shop AND a new guy. It's about time!

Reaching the bar, she settled onto a stool and looked over at her friend, who was flailing away in a wave to catch someone's attention. "You okay there?" There was no answer from Katt, who dragged her man off—despite being slightly more than half his size—to meet someone. A frown crossed Azure's face, and then she shrugged and slipped behind the bar. "Guess she's a bit busy to say hello," she murmured before snagging a glass and a bottle of whiskey, and pouring herself a drink.

"Wha..."!" Azure's eyes went wide like pools of blue before narrowing, and her tone went cold. "How do you know that name?"

Pearl shook her head. "No, no. The eyes are wrong. She's not that one. Azure was named for her aunt. She ....she died." The young woman covered her mouth with her hand.

Katt looked at Pearl, then to the newcomer before downing her drink and reaching over to Clayton, glass held out with an expression that said, Pour more please and thank you! "Middle child of three siblings. Older brother and younger sister" Am I wrong" Or are you the aunt she was named after?"

Through it all, Issy was watching Pearl and Azure conversing with Katt and Clayton. She was quiet for the most part, and keeping her distance.

Standing there, Azure dropped one hand to a knife at her hip, though it remained undrawn as she looked from Katt to Pearl. "What are you talking about' And how do you know my dead brother's name" I have NEVER spoken of him in all the time I've been here!" Her tone was cool, wary but not threatening, more defensive than anything.

Clayton had just finished pouring the cognac into Katt's glass when things looked like they were about to escalate, and quickly. As the woman stood so did he, the green-gold eyes dropping to the hand that landed on her knife, then moving back up to her face as he waited for whatever was coming.

"It seems the Nexus struck again. Ma'am, you aren't in your time, or your universe by the sounds of it. Here....here Ebon is alive and well, married and with three children." If Katt was bothered by the dagger it didn't show.

"...." That revelation had left Azure stunned. "....alive?"

"The Nexus went crazy ....again. We've had people cropping that had been missing for ages." Pearl gave a little shrug, then smiled. "He has two daughters and a son. Doran is the eldest."

"Mrm." Katt nodded slowly. "I can contact him if you want. Have him come here and what have you. But yes....he is alive and well. A very good friend as well." She nodded her head to Winter, then slowly her eyes turned up to look at Clayton and he reached out to softly brush her fingertips against his wrist. That touch seemed to be all it took to relax him, and he moved to resume his seat, though his gaze did not waver from Azure for a long moment, until he was comfortable no violence would be perpetrated for the moment.

Azure staggered back onto her stool, trying to absorb what they were saying. The mention of Doran's name drew her attention to Pearl. "Doran....his son' Ha." Grabbing the bottle of whiskey, she took a hefty swig from it. "Glendyon said the Nexus was cranky. Now I know what he meant."

"Doran is," and Pearl paused a moment to choose her words, "my little sister's best friend."

"Oui," added Katt. "Sweet lad that one. Hard worker too." She had proof of that kid. Pulling out her PCUI, she dug around for a picture of Doran and another lad from the orphange that worked at the Bon Bon. Turning it, she showed it to the woman. "Cute lil devil too. Going to be a heart breaker in a few years." Of course she saw Doran and Maggie as a future couple, though she knew she'd get so jumped if she said that out loud. She waited until Azure was satisfied and at the same time began to drink down the second round. Hearing Katt, Pearl just grinned.

"Ebon's alive, and I....I died." turned her face from Pearl to Katt, then to Issy. "Well, that explains why you acted like I was a stranger." Hearing Katt's description of Doran, she reached out to touch the picture on the pcui. "He looks like m....his father. But I can see he has his mother's eyes."

Issy pushed off of the bar and let her long legs take a short walk toward the front door. She paused for a moment, looking out the window to the porch. With only a quick glance over her shoulder, she slipped out of the front door. Pearl gave her a wave, which she caught as she passed by the window on her cross of the porch. The Judge lifted a hand to return the sentiment before she headed down the steps.

"You said you could call him, Katt?" Azure frowned, unsure of whether she wanted that. "What if....what if he doesn't like me?"

"I think you are being silly," replied Katt, blunt to a fault. "I think if anything he would be shocked."

Azure thought for a moment. "Would you, please?" Katt nodded and turned the PCUI over to do something or another with it. One-handed, no less' the girl had talent!

"You don't name your children after someone you don't like," added Pearl with a grin.

Clayton finished off his first round and poured himself a second, followed by Katt's third with a chuckle as he listened to the conversation. His eyes remained more on Katt than anything else, silent and watchful, though he did nod to Pearl. "She speaks the truth."

"Good point." A thoughtful expression shaped Azure's face.

As they left the Inn, Ebon was talking almost non-stop, about family and friends, and all the good times ahead that they would share. When he finally paused for a breath, Azure raised a finger to his lips. "So this is what it's like to have a brother, is it?" She smiled with wry amusement. "I was wondering if you'd ever let me get a word in."

"I'm sorry." Ebon stopped and turned to face her. "I'm just happy, almost deliriously so."

She nodded in understanding. "It feels right, yes. I see in you the Ebon I lost years ago, and I remember how much I missed those warm, dark eyes." She looked down, away from him. "How did you lose me" My self in this reality, I mean."

"I'd found you in the Palace, a....a pleasure slave. The matron and one of the Knives helped us escape, but we were betrayed. The Kyrul and two of his guard found us, and he-" His voice broke off with a choked sob. "He killed you. My gift awoke in rage, I killed him and the guards, and then a man helped me get away...."

"Astenyar. He rescued us both, in my world. I remember watching, held by the guards while their their master decided to play with you a bit first, the knife tip tracing lines across your chest. Then he made the mistake of saying what he would do to me once he was through with you." Azure chuckled and looked back up at her brother. "Your eyes flashed white, and then the knife flew out of his hand, spun around, and plunged into his eye and out through the back of his skull. The guards let go of me in shock, and then something like a lightning bolt cut them down before a man—Astenyar—came up and led us away."

Ebon shook his head. "Such a slight difference that lead to great change. I'm curious....what happened to me, in your world?"

"Well, we managed to escape the city with help from 'Yar, who got us to Doran. Growing up with the Feranor, well, I expect you know what that was like, hit and run fighting, always having to shift camp juuuuust as we were getting comfortable with the old one. Finally we had grown too big to keep that up, and it was time to make our break, cross the ocean to a free land. We weren't quite fast enough, though, and the Silver Knights caught up with us." Tears welled in her namesake blue eyes as she went on. "We both wanted to stay, but I was wounded and you told them to take me to the ship. As they carried me, I looked back and saw your eyes, full of love and pain and sorrow, before you turned and vanished into the fight."

"Then you never-?"

A raised finger cut Ebon's question short. "When we were well out to sea, someone called out that there was something in the air behind us. Weary as we were, all hands made ready to fight, but....I knew. I knew it was you, even before I raised the spyglass to see. You crashed to the deck, bloodied and missing an arm, and as I rushed to kneel beside you, to lift your head into my arms, you looked up at me and smiled. 'We made it, sister. We're free.' You coughed once, twice, flecks of blood on your lips. 'Farewell.'"

Silence fell between them, hanging there for a long, heavy moment before Azure spoke again. "And now I think I have to say the same to you. Farewell."