Chapter 2

The walk back to the Clan Hall seemed oddly quiet after the loud question and answer session with the children. Although they had been quite disappointed to learn there never had been a real "Phoebe", I thought we discussed enough actual history to show that many more exciting things existed than one mythical bird. I directed the kids to the library and to the Guild masters with the rest of their questions.

The Phoenix Garden was much as I had left it, with the possible glaring exception of a white clad warrior, dressed in simple peasant clothes, that was reading my discarded scrolls and drinking my wine.

He looked up as I came into view, and smiled.

"Hello, Brother!" He made no attempt to hide what he was doing; in fact he waved the scroll he was reading at me as if he was proud he had found it. He may have been, as a new walker of the Do path, Alon had already surpassed me in his training. Pride could be considered his one failing, that and his sparklingly white clothes. Maybe this was more my problem than his?

Not that I didn't feel a touch of pride at being Do. It had proved to be a tremendous advantage during my mission to Nagnang. My Do ability at Blending and moving silently had certainly increased our likelihood of success. Without my Hear Footsteps spell, we might never have known that we were being followed by Ninjas until too late. As it was, our race to the border was nearly lost at the last minute, and I think it was as much the threat of combat with a strong Do as it was the appearance of our friends from Phoenix at the border that scattered the Ninjas, foiling their attack.

"Looks like it's going to be a good story," Alon said, drawing me away from my memories and back to the Garden. He handed over the chilled bottle of wine and I found a spare goblet in my pack. "Still, no one is going to ever believe that PteriDae was a Zibong. She is so... aristocratic, while those creatures are hideous!"

I took a long drink of wine, and tried to overcome my irritation at Alon's reading my adventure story. Truth to be told, it was more embarrassment than irritation.

"It's just a story that has been floating around my dreams for a few years," I explained, settling down onto the bench beside him. "I thought it was time I tried to tell it."

Alon clapped me on the back then went back to reading my scroll. The silence of the garden wasn't even broken by the scurrying of squirrels and the light breeze had died away, leaving the leaves still and quiet. Yet somehow at the edge of my perception, all was not as it should be. I took another sip of wine and tried to ignore it.

I noticed Alon had stopped reading, and was casually glancing around the garden, but the corners of his eyes were tightening up and I could tell he was concentrating.

"Alon..." I began, but he Blended into the background. Near the far end of the Garden there was a faint rustle.

I sighed and took another sip.

Close to the entrance of the Garden there was a large crash and some very pretty bushes were crushed. The invisible commotion rolled away from the entrance towards some just budding Dawn flowers.

"Stop that!" I bellowed.

Setting down my goblet, I retrieved my Fairie light staff from where it rested and walked slowly and officiously towards the flattened bushes.

"Thank you, Alon," I bowed slightly towards the empty space, "but it really wasn't necessary. Please become visible."

Do Alon popped back into view, his usually perfect hair messed up and his bright white clothes covered in green and brown stains. His arms encircled an invisible bundle that didn't seem happy to be held in an embrace.

"Please stop struggling." I smiled. "You are a welcome visitor here. Besides, unless I miss my guess, Alon is several times stronger than you."

"Stronger, maybe, but certainly not quicker," Alon grunted, still holding tight, even though his captive seemed to have calmed somewhat. "He is as fast as a snake!"

"She," I corrected without thinking.

Alon's eyes widened and I am certain he blushed. After all, he was a married man! His grip, however, never slacked.

"Please lose the invisibility spell, Miss." I tried to be perceived as sincere. "I am the Phoenix Clan Primarch and on my word, you have guest rights in our Hall."

Alon looked at me disbelievingly.

"Gareth, she might be Kugnaean," he raised an eyebrow. "Is that wise?"

"Actually, brother," I explained, "I think she is Nagnang."

"You are giving Guest Rights to a Nagnang?" Alon whispered to me urgently. "Aren't we practically at war with them? She might be a spy!"

My smile became a bit strained.

"Let her go, brother."

Both Alon and I could sense the Nagnang girl's presence with our enhanced Do hearing, but when she was released there was no sound of flight. Alon at least was visibly surprised.

"Unless I miss my guess," I surmised to Alon, trying to calm his indignation at being ordered to release a possible spy, "Our Little Shadow is one of the Nagnang Ninjas that remained in the kingdom after our visit to Prince Kija."

A quiet gasp came from our invisible guest.

"You seem to know an awful lot about me, Do." A feminine whisper came from the empty air.

"Perhaps more than you think," I admitted a little sheepishly. "I know that you don't trust easily. You see, while you have been watching me, I have been watching you."

With a faint sigh, the girl's invisibility spell dropped.

Before Alon and I now sat a pretty girl, wearing a handmade gown in traditional Nagnang colors. I recognized her as the oddly dressed girl from the story group.

"I see you have been learning to tailor," I observed, politely.

The girl glanced at her rumpled dress, briefly scratching at a grass stain. She glared at Alon.

"This was my best effort so far," she admitted, and then shrugged. "It's ruined."

"I will, of course, pay for repairs," Alon offered gallantly. Her glare softened a bit, but only a little.

"You cannot walk around with your Do spells on all the time," she said, although her face showed some doubt. "I was trained by the best of the Nagnang Ninjas, so how could you tell I was hiding in this garden?"

I chuckled quietly, as she was quite right. Those spells were draining and unless there was a specific reason, I rarely used them.

"It was your own fault, really," I smiled. Her face showed her confusion, so I explained. "You haven't been eating in the town's Inns, have you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"

I folded my considerable bulk delicately to the grass and laid my staff across my knees.