Chapter 4

Anelie's big brother made a good horse.

She knew this from past experience. It had been a while since she had ridden on Bogdi's back, not since before he had joined the army. Him on all fours, trying, yet not trying, to buck her off as she held on to his long hair as he took her around the room. Her laughing gleefully, even psychotically, urging her horsey on.

Now his daughter did the same thing.

Anelie sat next to Adanya on a wooden bench near the river. A park, of all things. A space of greenery in the midst of a land of green, set aside just for Poles and Kikker to sit, play, or even do nothing. Another of the King's strange, wonderful ideas. The flat field, upwind of the docks, even had swings, children of both races taking turns flying through the air. Her niece and nephew, though, preferred the ride which was their Dad. Bogdi crawled past them, daughter astride her mount. As the two women watched, Zuza pulled back on on Bogdi's brown locks.

"Whoa!"

The hulking soldier came to a stop in the grass, shaking his head and snorting. Zuza hopped off, hand holding a clump of hair out as if it was a rein.

"James! Your turn!"

The boy sat in a patch of grass, carved toy soldiers arranged around him. He shook his head.

"Not now."

Bogdi sat up, startling Zuza into releasing her grip on his flowing mane. He looked at his son, concern obvious.

"Tired, Boy?"

"A bit. But I don't want to go home!" he quickly added. "I just don't feel like riding."

Bogdi nodded, pushing himself to his feet. Zuza swiftly went and plopped herself beside her remaining sibling. Adanya patted the empty seat beside her.

"You need a rest anyway, Love. You patrolled today."

"As if playing with my children is work." Anelie noticed he was taking deep breaths as he sat. Leaning down, she dipped a cup in the bucket of water beside the bench. She offered it to Bogdi.

"A good horse needs watering after he's been ridden."

"Very true." He reached over his wife, taking the drink. "Thank you, little sis."

"You'll need your energy for when I ride you."

Adanya's expression told Anelie that probably wasn't the kind of thing she could say about her brother anymore, at least not in places more public. Bogdi just chuckled, arm going around his wife. He handed the empty cup back to Anelie. She dutifully refilled it.

"Dad!"

All three adults looked at James. He was pointing back towards the town. Anelie saw Shanna coming, dressed in her dark blue uniform. Exactly WHY the non-armor uniforms of the 1st Cavalry were blue, and not the red and white of the rest of Poland's army, had never been exactly clear to Anelie. It did look good, she had to admit, and the shields had red and white markings on them so it wasn't like tradition was being flouted. Waddling behind Shanna were her two children, a light folding stood held between them. Anelie smiled. Bringing her own seat. That was Shanna.

"Sit," Shanna told them, forestalling either Anelie or Bogdi from rising in greeting. Stopping, she turned to her twins. "Thank you. You did good! Now go play!"

"Yay!" Shanna grabbed the stool as they dropped it, Betty and Chris racing through the grass to the older twins. Making her way to the bench, she set the stool up beside Anelie, looking down the bench.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked, sitting. Anelie smiled.

"Not at all, Lady Shanna."

"Good." She glanced at the four children now giggling fiercely. "He's doing better?"

"Today," Adanya said. The exhaustion was clear in her voice. "This episode seems to be over. Until the next one."

Shanna let out a long sigh. Anelie looked at her. She knew that sigh. It was a sign Shanna did not want to deal with something, yet was going to. Unable to help herself, she reached out, touching her commander's knee.

"What is it, Lady?"

Shanna's eyes flicked to her, moving away before Anelie could interpret them. She did remove her hand, cursing. That had been the wrong thing. Damn it, why couldn't she stop...

"Adanya," Shanna said, hand going up to adjust her glasses. "Word came from the Palace. Your father received your letter."

"And?" Adanya asked, taking and letting out a deep breath. Shanna shook her head.

"And you should have asked me to send the message via flag. No need to send it by ship."

"I, we, didn't want to bother you."

"Jesus Christ, Adanya, we're almost family." Anelie felt herself blushing at her words. If things had worked out differently, she would have been family. Been Anelie's husband. It was better this way, though. Yes. Better. Better for all...

"Anyway, there apparently has been some chaos back there, relating to this. James sent orders today." Shanna took a deep breath. Bogdi leaned towards her, large hand grasping his wife's bare knee.

"And, My Lady?"

"And there may be a way to save your children."

Anelie's heart stopped. A way ... Her hand shot back to Shanna's knee, squeezing. Bogdi and Adanya were on their feet, Adanya's hand fumbling to grasp his. Shanna thrust her palm out, face grimacing.

"Sit! Please! This is stupid and complicated!"

The two sat. Anelie kept her hand where it was, eyes never leaving Shanna's face. The brown skinned woman licked her lips.

"OK. Here's the deal. Do you remember Ruta, Queen Ewa's serving girl?" Anelie did, but Shanna must have seen something on the other's faces. "She's the annoyingly cute blonde who's been throwing herself at the Queen's brother."

"Ah," Adanya said. "Yes. She has watched the children."

"Well," Shanna went on, "it seems she had some sort of ... vision."

Anelie blinked.

"Vision?"

"Apparently," Shanna said, dryly. "Long and the short of it, something mystical happened and the girl thinks the kids can be healed if they go to someplace called Lake Bled."

"How far?" Adanya asked, voice no more than a whisper. Shanna shook her head.

"No idea. James can't find it on any map, nor can your Father. The girl thinks she can locate it, though. Lead you there. Something magical- flags can only give you so much detail when it comes to this kind of thing." She snorted. "We have to see if we can re-invent the telegraph. We really need it."

"I'll take them," Bogdi said, standing. Anelie looked up at her brother. Gone was the veil of grief, hopelessness, which had tinged every other emotion for the past three years. He stood tall, strong. The brother she had always known. Loved. Worshiped. Only the eyes worried her. Despair had been replaced by ... what? She didn't know. Fanatical optimism, perhaps. Anelie wondered if her eyes were the same. She knew what she would do. Had to do. There would be no question of taking another path.

Adanya rose.

"I, too, will go."

"Adanya..." Bogdi started. She cut him off.

"We both go. We both save them. The three of you gone into the unknown will kill me. We stay together. Always."

He took her in his arms, her inhuman body molding to his. Anelie looked away. It always made her uncomfortable. Not because of who her sister-in-law was, no. Not that. Definitely not that. She looked at Shanna.

"I'm going, too. May I take my men?"

Shanna did not look surprised at her request. She placed a hand on Anelie's shoulder.

"Ask for volunteers. No one with a family." Anelie winced. That would exclude Lewy. As if reading her mind, Shanna chuckled. "Unless the wife comes. I'd hate to see her leave the kitchen, but Jaromira is a hardy woman." She looked at all three of them. "James is sending a small group from the Palace to join you. They'll be here in two days. Take what you need. I'll give you a couple light wagons, spare horses. Travel light and fast." Her eyes flicked to the playing children. "And, whatever happens ... come home."

"You shouldn't be doing this," Ewa said.

Felek sighed, shoving another shirt into his bag. He loved his sister, but her attempts to mother him were never welcome. He was an adult, after all.

"Yes I should." His eyes flicked around his room. He should pack light, yet they could be gone weeks. Months. They could probably buy what they needed, but...

"You just came back, Felek. It's not fair."

OK, that was a shitty argument. He looked at Ewa. Her expression seemed to show even she knew it.

"And I'm supposed to let Ruta go without me? No."

"Give the necklace to someone else. Give it to Adanya."

"Ruta won't do that." He paused, grimacing a bit. "I already asked."

"Oh." His sister's shoulders sagged. Putting his packing aside for the moment, Felek moved to Ewa, giving her a quick hug. Her arms wrapped around him, trapping him into a much longer embrace than intended. Resigning himself, he let out a sigh.

"I don't WANT to go, but I have to. There's no other way. I'll come back. We all will. I promise."