* * *
Thuulstrea Velve lay flat on the ground, trusting her dark gray cloak to conceal her from the searchers. They were good, she thought. She was better. They watched the wrong places, though, and would never see her. She smiled into the dirt and inched forward. They expected her to avoid the road, and trust to stealthy speed to get past them.
Fools.
She had slithered along the ground for hours, constantly having to lie still and wait for the searchers to pass by. It was exhausting, moving so slowly through enemy territory, but it would keep her from their notice. The searchers must not know that anyone had passed by. She needed them concentrated here if she was to survive the rest of the journey.
Thuulstrea didn't curse when a watcher pissed in a bush near her. She was too well-trained for that. A pity she had to stay secret. She lay in the shadows, waiting and thinking.
The trouble had started during one of her visits to her brother. Word came to Cliodna's Court that Venadin D'Myz had acquired a copy of the ultimate book of Unseelie magic, Siabrian Arcane Methods. Members of all clans, save one, shuddered to hear of a Moheran possessing the book. They were too scared, though, to move against him. His reputation of dying and returning was too great. He shouldn't be angered, his attention shouldn't be drawn.
Thuulstrea slipped out of the depression in the hill as the searcher turned away. Attitudes had shifted when whispers came that Venadin wouldn't keep the book, but instead gift it to the mage in charge of the Delegation. The Court barely knew her, but she was Eriu, not Moheran. Perhaps it was safe to let her keep it.
Thuulstrea knew some things about the Siabra clan, though. They would see the Court's lack of common knowledge on Maliar as weakness. The houses would scheme to make that book their own, if Maliar had it.
Thuulstrea slipped beneath a bush, minding its leaves and her cloak. Rustling leaves in carelessness might get her caught.
Melzar had agreed with her, an increasingly rare situation. Her brother would never forgive her for surviving the hanging, but he would obey their mother. Mother wanted to know what the Court was doing with the Delegation, and she wanted it dealt with. Mother had liked Isliffell.
Melzar had set his network to listening for any rumours about Maliar, so she and he were among the first to hear the dreadful new rumour.
Two of the agents sent after the book found her personal thrall carrying the Book of Chaos. Unfortunately, the agents did not keep the demon book, and the thrall re-acquired it.
The whole of the Court trembled when that rumour was whispered. The house of D might not have had access to the Book of Chaos, but this Maliar would have both arcane books. Thuulstrea hated to admit it even to herself, but the thought terrified her. Lady Maliar was not a Moheran and would likely not feed the world to demons; but with those books, she could.
Thuulstrea glanced towards the east and scowled. Faint light brightened the sky. She was running out of time.
The End