Belak, who'd had the last watch, woke Flame just after sunrise. She rose and stretched. In the morning things seemed a little more hopeful. There was a good chance that Aidan had merely been captured and not killed. And this Seymore... he seemed supremely confident of the success of his cause. She just hoped that his confidence wasn't misplaced.

They continued on as the road dwindled from a proper road, to a pair of wheel ruts, to a narrow track. It began to climb and Flame realized that they were moving into the lowest foothills of the Aerie Mountains. The sun had begun to descend when they reached their destination. It was a large building, but low and partially dug into the hill it sat on, so it blended in well with the forest around. There was a large open field in front of the building, and a couple of tents were pitched there. As they approached, people began spilling out of the building and tents both. Seymore strode ahead, and greeted everyone with obvious familiarity and an easy air of command. Most of the faces were those of strangers, but Flame recognized Lavasida among them. He went straight to Seymore. "Brianna?"

Seymore shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't see if she was merely captured, or if she was killed. I wish I could bear better news."

The look in Lavasida's eyes was one that Flame Song knew very well, because it expressed exactly what she felt when she thought of Aidan, captured or possibly killed, and beyond her rescuing. She flicked her eyes to their own Lavasida. His expression was strangely wistful, something she had never expected to see from the Dark Lord.

Seymore quickly took charge of things, and in just a few minutes Flame found herself and the rest of the Queen's Own sitting down in a conference room inside the monastery, with a half dozen of Seymore's people. At the head of the table was a tall, thin, dark-haired man, with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, wearing white cleric's robes, who introduced himself as Radu cel Stranic. Lavasida from this world stared curiously across the table at the Lavasida Flame knew, and even more curiously at Brianna.

"A few explanations first," said Seymore. "Brianna? Perhaps you could explain your cause in brief?"

Brianna stood. "We are strangers to this world. We come from another world that seems to be a mirror of this. A great many things are reversed here, while a great many other things seem much the same. But one thing is very different. Our world is dying. A mage of great power, the mirror of Radu," she nodded at the cleric, "But utterly evil, has cracked the world sphere. We are trying to repair it before chaos destroys everything. We lack but one piece to complete the repairs. That piece is here, in the hands of the Tyrant. So we are your allies, we need you in order to reach the crystal shard and save our world. We will fight with you, and give all we have to the breaching of the castle, but once within it the crystal will be our only concern."

Radu nodded. "I came here from another world myself, so I know such exist. When I arrived, I found the people here to be very much in need of help, and so I founded my order to try and help them. I had considered trying to do more, trying to bring down the Tyrant, but while I might match her alone, I cannot fight her and her army at once."

"While I have long known," said Seymore, "That if I called all those who support me in, I could more than match her army, but she herself would easily defeat us. We two had only just met, and begun to plan how together we might end the Tyrant's reign, when our camp was raided and I was captured. The plans we began then must be put into action now. For our own sakes, and for the sakes of these outworlders. I will send out word to gather all who can fight here. We can arm those who haven't arms of their own. We must take some brief time to train them, and for my lieutenants to be certain they can command those who will fight under them, but then we can march on the tower, beneath the cover of Radu's magic, and take it."

Flame let her mind wander as they began to discuss the details of numbers and spells and strategies. She would do what she could in this fight, but the movement of armies was something she knew nothing about. Her own fighting skills were not particularly suited to soldiering. She would fight better alone, she felt, than with an army. She had never really fought with others at her side. Only the Queen's Own on occasion, and Aidan. Her head bowed, and she had to blink back tears Aidan... Please let him be alive, she prayed once more. When she lifted her head and looked around again she saw the mirror Lavasida looking back. She wondered what the expression on his face meant, she couldn't interpret it. Human expressions were still sometimes a mystery to her. They were so much more subtle than the language of ears and tail.

When at last the meeting was finished Lavasida approached Flame. She glanced between him and the Dark Lord she had always known. They were very much alike. You might mistake one for the other at first glance, but this man's face didn't have so many hard lines. He looked like someone who smiled as often as frowned. And he smiled at her then, warmly. With a bit of curiosity and surprise Flame noted a pair of fangs and realized that he was also a vampire. Although I suppose it makes sense. If he wasn't, he'd have died a long, long time ago. "You seemed sad," he said to her as they walked outside.

She sighed. "I am. I'm in the same place that you're in. My Aidan... he was left behind in the confusion and I don't know if he's alive or dead. And... our quest is more important than his life. Even when we break into the castle, it won't be to rescue him, it will be to find the crystal. Only after we have it can I save him, if he yet lives."

"You love him very much," said Lavasida softly.

"Yes. More than anything." She looked up at him. "You love your Brianna too, don't you?"

"Yes. It was... strange, and a little bit painful to see your friend who looks so much like her here. But they are nothing alike. My Brianna... she is sweet, and gentle. She supports our cause, but she could never fight. She helps in every way she can, though. She has even braved battles to pull the injured clear so the healers could care for them. She is brave, but your friend, well..." He shrugged. "I suppose it's just as well that they're different. And I would guess I'm quite different from the man with you who shares my name."

"Oh yes. I don't think he's said this much to me in all the years I've known him, for one thing." They had reached the grassy field in front of the monastery. Flame sat down on the grass, and Lavasida seated himself next to her. "Though... I think he does love our Brianna, but she is married to Lon, and would never leave him. He doesn't like Lon at all, and I suspect that's why! He is a good man in his own way, but very hard. He fought against our queen, who is a good, and kind ruler, for many years. Had he won he might well have become much like your Tyrant. But he didn't. I don't know the story, they never speak of it, but they are friends now. I suspect he has changed much since those days. But I don't think you were ever like that."

Lavaisda shook his head. "No. Anything but. I fought, but I fought to save and protect, not to rule." He smiled. "They started calling me the Dark Paladin. I would have made it truth, and taken clerical orders and learned the healing magics if I could have, but..." He shrugged. "I am what I am, and I can't change it. Vampires and clerics don't mix."

"How did you become a vampire?" She paused for a moment and when he didn't answer right away she flicked one ear in embarrassment. "Sorry if that's too personal. I feel like talking, like finding something to keep my mind off of my husband."

"No, it's not too personal," he said. "Just a long story. But we have time enough, and I need the distraction of conversation as much as you do, I think."

They spoke for much of that day, and much more in the days to come. Around them men were gathering, being armed and organized and trained, but Flame was no soldier, and Lavasida wasn't one either. "I never was much for sword work. I'm fairly good with the lance, and I'll probably fight on horseback in this battle, but we have no cavalry, so there's no one for me to train. I can do more damage by myself than as just one more soldier in the ranks, so I'll be fighting on the flank of the army. There are several of us who will, who are trained but not in group combat."

Flame nodded. "I'll be there too, I suspect. I could become human and take up a sword, but as you said, I'll do more damage by myself, fighting how I know best."