((Ties in with There will be consequences... Shadow Challenge))

There was a thread of annoyance coming from the Shadowmistress as she made her way through the halls of House Soulbinder. She was angry enough that the demon bled through her human guise. The shadows roiled and gathered forming a skin hugging suit almost resembling snake scales. She was in rare form, angered yet seeking to teach a lesson.

The three houses would need to be dealt with swiftly and decisively. They sought to diminish her status in order to weaken Stormsabre? What the old demon will exercised her power. She was not leaving an opening for weakness. No, she would be exploiting weaknesses and teaching those children a lesson about coups...

... Never leave your enemy able to retaliate.

There was a soft murmur as she summoned the twin quasits, Frik and Frak. "Frik, you will request the presence of Rhyslin and Silimia. Frak, deliver this message to Sorceress Fluer Rousseau and the young master." She handed the scrolls to both quasits and waited for them to vanish from sight. She then beckoned to a house servant that had been hiding from his mistress' wrath. "You, summon Master Tanner."

... There would be consequences.

http://eclipsedancer.com/gallery/albums/IAP/natcon.jpg

The wonderful thing about Marriage, is that on certain occassions, one mate can feel what the other one is feeling. On this occassion, the Ranger could feel the anger boiling off of his wife and with a shake of his head, he sheathed the longsword and toweled off, before draping his shirt over his shoulders.
"Young man, you should return to your barracks. Unless I'm mistaken, there's going to be trouble and the squads should be ready."
The young soldier saluted, gathered his equipment and almost ran back to the barracks.
Mark used his shirt to towel off his hair as he walked toward the main hall. On the way, he met the servant halfway. "Yes, yes. If I were you, I'd lay low for a bit." He suggested.
He crossed the courtyard and looked up toward the tower that could barely be seen over the walls. For a moment, he wondered if Rhyslin had received a summons, then shrugged and continued on to where he could feel his wife seething.
After a few minutes, he found her and walked through the doorway. "My Love, I could feel you clear to the barracks." He brushed his fingers through his hair as he leaned against the doorjam.

Rhyslin re-read the scroll as he waited for Crystal to get ready. Short, cryptic, and well, fascinating, that was how he'd describe the note.
All it really said was, "Main house, important, come soon." Rhyslin scratched his chin as he folded the note and slipped it in his pocket. "Well, I guess I'll get a few things." He whispered to himself as he pulled the gardening apron off and set it on the bench near the bushes he was working on.
Closing his eyes, he traced a rune in the air, and summoned his staff to his side, and then picked up his cloak and settled it around his shoulders. He walked over to the pond and traced another rune in the air, and concentrated, calling up an image of the front door of the manorhouse. Since this was an emergency, they'd shadow step to get there.

"I don't know." Rhyslin Shrugged as he turned to Crystal. "Natolii sent the imp to summon us to her main hall." He handed her the note. "I'm guessing it's either war, or something more dire." He hoped it was the second alternative, because while he didn't mind fighting, he preferred to be sneaky and get what was needed by stealth.
"If you are ready to go, then we can step through the glass and see what she needs."

With a tender smile, Rhyslin took her hand and slowly stepped through the mirror. He had worked long and hard on this method of travelling. It seemed as if they were walking through water; one minute, they were in the Tower, the next minute, they were in the entry hall to the Manor house.

As always, Rhyslin was alert to his surroundings, and he took a quick look around as he adjusted his course to head toward the throne room. "It looks like she means business. Can you feel the tension in the air?"