The great black blade lay atop the effigy, and yet to look at it, it did not appear entirely solid; as though it were a very dense fog rather than a solid object. Tass and Khirsah had left the mausoleum. I was alone with the dead kings of Annara, and an incomplete blade the likes of which I had never wanted to retain in the world of the living. Daemonbane. We, Morrin and I had managed to send it back this time, and yet, we had not entirely sent it back. Its shade or shadows remained in the realm of the living, and with each passing day, those shadows become darker, more noticeable, more solid in appearance.

To my view, it appears as though the manifestations in the land of the living are growing stronger, pulling the part of Daemonbane that resides here in Riverbend away from this place where it belongs, and back into a world that does not need it, nor want it. And I believe that Malchor?s escape is the cause for this phenomenon, as Rhaine would call such.

I had stood and considered the blade for a long while after Tass and Khirsah left. I had been fortunate once, and my taking up Daemonbane had not resulted in my complete consumption by the blade. Morrin had taken it back. But if I take up the blade a second time, there will be no reprieve. I will be bound to it as surely as Morrin was, and as surely as Khirsah is to the soul drinker he now carries. These are unforgiving things, and I study the semi-transparent blade before me gravely.

The ?others? whispered beyond the doors and walls of the mausoleum. There was a voice out there that did not belong here. It was not an Annaran voice, and I trembled. Sai Jon?s son had vanished in the war, could it be? I could not remove him from Riverbend until Malchor was caught and the exchange could be made. I had to hope I did not see Sai Jon, for I do not know how to tell him that his son would remain here until Malchor could be exchanged.

The decision is agony. Do I leave this here and allow the shadows to become more substantive in the world of the living, or do I take up this fading blade and put it back together in the world of the living, but have it bound to myself. I can keep the blade focused for some time, but in the end, such blades destroy those who carry them. And when that time comes, will I be properly destroyed and the blade sent back here with me? How do I assure that?

I reached for the blade then, it writhed beneath my hand, waiting for my touch upon its hilt. I would put the blade together, and then lock it into the chamber I had made for the books. Lock the blade away where none could ever again touch it. Then with resolution, I closed my fingers around the wire bound hilt. For better or worse, Daemonbane and I would be one.

The blade whispered to me as its hilt adjusted to my grasp; a subtle shifting of proportions to make the blade an extension of my own hand. It hungered too. It was wrapping itself around me, feeding the sorceries I had learned from Morrin, the same sorceries I had tied myself to long ago shifted as Daemonbane became a part of what I am.

When I exited the mausoleum, Tass and Khirsah were no where to be seen, nor felt in Riverbend. They had returned, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Daemonbane laid across my back, settled there as if it had always been a part of me. And I walked across the courtyard toward Glum?s forge. It had been there that I had first seen Morrin and Daemonbane. I stood in the doorway of the now silent forge, remembering back to the day when Xenograg and I had been speaking with Glum about re-forging Morvinyon. Memory played back that meeting, where Morrin had dismantled my shields as if it had been nothing but child?s play to him, and the great black warhorse stamped its feet in annoyance at being reined in to a halt. The black cloak Morrin had worn swung with his dismounting, revealing Daemonbane sheathed upon his back, and the writhing of the blade as it sensed new comers to Riverbend had been a frightening image.

Here I stood today, now the bearer of that blade.

It was time to go back to the living. Time to leave the quiet of Riverbend, and a part of me mourned that is was so. I shrugged into the deep blue cloak that would cover Daemonbane and traveled between the worlds.

The faint quirk that played at the edge of the Elder?s lips remained there, and he did not press me in front of Xeno about Morrin?s surprise, ?so tell me, Lady d? Nitesong, if your mentor did not wish me there, why did he insist on pulling me into your matrix??

I pulled the deep blue cloak more securely about myself before looking into those iced eyes, ?Curiosity most likely.? I could think of several reasons, but none of them were ones I wanted to give credence to, so this was the most plausible answer I had for the Elder.

Khirsah lifted his head as if about to give a nod, but never completed it. It was as if he sought to sniff out the other reasons that may exist, but he did not challenge me openly.

I canted my head slightly, ?ye neffer did tell me why ye 'n Tass didst coome.? I gave him a quicksilver smile. One day, this one would answer a question with a statement and not another query.

Xeno sat down upon the callers couch and rested the scabbard in his lap as Khirsah turned and actually made for a chair for a change, ?so you come back with more than you have left.? It was a statement and not a query, and my own had been ignored for the moment.

My glance sharply shifted to Xeno and then back to Khirsah, and my voice dropped very low and soft, so that only Khirsah could hear me, ??ow dae ye ken such??

Khirsah sat down and lifted a brow at me. What I saw in that expression was simply amusement that I even had to ask. And yet, I asked again, ?ow?? I want to know unequivocally if the scar that we share tells him more than it tells me.

I glanced again at Bran, and decided to accept his request for a duel, and hope that the interruption would put a halt to Khirsah?s line of questioning. Marcus had brought Xeno a cup of Eldarie tea, and Khirsah quirked more of a knowing smile at my blatant choice to bypass his inquiry. ?Your ring calls,? he told me as Xeno summoned Bran and I.

I headed for the ring, slipping the cloak off and the blade I did not wish anyone to see, carefully wrapping my cloak about it and laying them beside my ring. I could not leave the blade too far out of my sight and reach, yet I did not dare wear it into the ring. I gave the cloak a look before stepping into the ring and summoning Morvinyon. Xeno noted the extra care I took with my cloak, but did not remark on it. My salute to Bran and Xeno was perfunctory, and I hazarded a quick glance at Khirsah. Somehow he knew. The question was how.

Khirsah sat quietly, but that is misleading in the Elder, his eyes watching my movements as though he could feel everything I did, and I glanced again at the cloak and then Khirsah. He spoke softly, ?you may wish to pay more attention to your duel rather than me and what lies within.?

I could feel the blood drain from my features then, and my attention snapped to Khirsah, which Bran took full advantage of, landing a painful strike. Khirsah lifted his hand and pointed toward my opponent. It was a clear indication I should focus on Bran and not on either he, or the cloak wrapped blade.

When Bran landed back to back attacks, Xeno spoke sharply, ?Alais! Get your mind where it needs to be!? Yet I could not focus on the match at hand, and my attention strayed to the blade just outside my ring. As Bran stopped my slash for the final hit and win, I quickly saluted both and sent Morvinyon into oblivion before I could make my way to the cloak and its contents. My arms closed around the bundle, and a moment of panic abated.

Xeno sipped his tea, and at first I sought my sofa, but then paused, perhaps I should sit with Xeno rather than risk letting Khirsah too close to the blade I held so tightly.

Khirsah?s voice held no recrimination, but it cut through the silence of the room, ?your attention is elsewhere.?

Yes, it certainly was. I had not done well before my old teacher, nor the Elder, and yet, the bundle I held tightly to now was more important than the duel had been. I looked at Khirsah, ?Aye, sae ?t wouldst seem.?

Khirsah lifted a brow then, ?do you wish to know? Or merely seek to ask questions without answers?? He remained utterly still and unmoving, ?That other has aided in the destruction of worlds.?

?Ah'd haff th' answer b'cause 't was mine job tae r'turn all o' 'em.? I told him as he continued. I glanced at Xeno, and his expression clearly said that he did not like the idea of an Annaran spirit loose in the world.

Khirsah lifted a brow then, ?then you need not ask me the questions as you have the answers.?

The cloak shifted of its own, as though covering something alive, and I rose then, ?Yer ?ere tae deal wi? th? one tha? aided Malchor??

Khirsah smirked, ?does that one seem to be here??

I turned and headed for Xeno and the callers couch as Khirsah?s words followed me, ?No, what you have in your cloak is the only one here, Lady d? Nitesong.? This brought me up dead in my tracks. Khirsah?s voice remained implacable, :that other is not, nor is your wayward child.?

I turned slowly to face Khirsah, ?Wha? Ah haff ?ere ist tae keep tha? which ye dae wear ?n balance.?

He shook his head, ?no Lady d?Nitesong, that which you have is for you alone, not for the sake of me.?

I pondered his accusation a moment, then shook my head, ?Ah dae disagree wi? ye.?

?If you wish to speak of balance, you have thrown it out of proportion with returning it here.? He charged as I clutched the dark blade close.

?Ah couldst nae leave ?t as ?t was? th? shade ?ere ?n RhyDin an? th? shade ?n Matlal haff forced ?ts r?turn.?

He lifted a brow, ?did it? Or did your need force it?s return??

I frowned at him, I never did want this blade, I never liked it, even when Morrin had it, ?th' shadows 're growin' stronger, we dinnae need three o' these.?

?think carefully Lady d'Nitesong before you start to place blame for your desires.? He admonished coldly before standing, ?I bid you a good eve.? He nodded at me, and then bade the General good night. And then he simply was no more.

I do not blame anyone for my ?desires? as he called them. There is duty and responsibility associated with this thing, and I would not abandon them to fate.

I sighed as he vanished and headed for Xeno. He smiled, ?sit and be at ease.?

I did, and sat beside Xeno, but kept the cloak clutched in my right arm, and used the left to gently rub where Artemus has grabbed me, ?Ah neffer seem tae say th? righ? thin? tae th? Elder.? It was a statement of fact. The Elder never seemed pleased to have to deal with me, for any reason.

Xeno smiled, ?You assume that is possible.?

I shook my head slightly as Gnimish arrived, dragging Drakhan along on a leash. Very quietly I glanced at Xeno, ?Ah?ve done somethin? ?e cannae like.?

Xeno gave me one of his non-judgmental smiles, ?Your responsibilities are yours. Your judgment prevails in the end.?

I nodded. Yes, in this case, I had only my judgment to follow.