When Shooting Star and Silver Fox again board a ship, it is not the Firebrand. Those goodbyes have all been said, and now they embark upon a Central Kingdom ship specially sent to bring them to the coast off the Seo Hán Nì Celestial City. Just the thought makes Estel chilly, so she puts on her warmest clothes.

They sit on deck together, Shooting Star with her sword rather obviously across her knees. "I hear that you plan to marry me," she says placidly. "Just when were you going to let me know?"

"I thought," Silver Fox begins in his most reasonable tone, "that you might appreciate a little time to adjust to being an ambassador first. Then, if you could go home alone without missing me even a little bit, I might as well give up hope and just hold my tongue."

"My name means hope," she reminds him.

"And?" he prompts.

Shooting Star sighs exaggeratedly, and elbows him in the side. "Don't give me up."

Silver Fox considers kissing her, then reconsiders based on the naked weapon in her lap. "Those beads in your hair should make a big hit at the Imperial Court. And… I really like them, too," he says instead. "When we reach the Celestial City, don't be surprised if it's difficult to recognize Silver Fox the minor noble, with the attitude that I've previously assumed. I played a bored and world-weary courtier to disguise my double life..."

"As the Sword of Justice?" grins Estel.

"Well, yes. Incidentally, you did promise to tell me how you became known as Shooting Star. Is now a good time for you?" Silver Fox gingerly implies that she has nothing better to do at present.

Over the days that follow, Estel tells Silver Fox first about her childhood, and how it came about that she, a girl, went to sea at all.  Silver Fox talks a little about his youth in the house of his father, the evil sorcerer, and having to hide his magic so Mourning Cloak couldn't exploit it, but mainly he lets Shooting Star relive her past. She touches only lightly on the pain of her own father's death, dwelling on the impact to family finances instead.

Estel mentions her increasing fear of being caught by pirates, fishing at night, and of her initial crazy plan of catching a smuggler and forcing him to tell her all his secrets so that she could blend in with the local booze-runners.  Interestingly enough, this is the disreputable looking boatswain's mate from the Firebrand and his name, ironically, is Rod, meaning 'noble' in the town Qanyi’o dialect.

"Oh, I should probably warn you that you may also meet my little sister in the Celestial City, eventually. She has also been an ambassador to the Imperial Court, being a princess from the Paleyit matriarchy to the north of the Central Kingdom," Silver Fox says casually at this point.

"But you're not a prince?" Shooting Star asks.

Silver Fox grins. "No, I'm just a wealthy member of the minor Seo Hán Nì glitterati, although I'm something of a hero to my mother’s Paleyit Hill folk."

"Right. Perhaps you could draw me a chart of your relatives and all of their titles and aliases." Shooting Star is not even remotely certain that she’s joking. Nevertheless, Silver Fox find this uproariously funny. It is several minutes before Estel is able to resume her narrative. 

She hasn't gotten much past her successful bluff to get the fond garrison commander to teach her swordplay, when the Central Kingdom ship with its overly square shape and awkward sails, and in which they have been cautiously hugging the mainland coast, is overtaken by the Swan. The royal couple have news: they have legitimized the Firebrand, making the craft a Privateer!

The new captain, the previous first mate and former local naval garrison commander, Minas or ‘Tower’ by name, is now authorized to hunt pirates both foreign and domestic. This was done primarily because, once it was heard that Shooting Star was leaving island waters on an unarmed vessel, many of her enemies began gathering like sharks to hunt her down. Now, most of these threats have already been removed by the new captain, whose pirate... er, Privateer... name is Southern Cross, or just Captain Cross.

The dual monarchs seem to be reigning well, and have a few last-minute instructions for Shooting Star, the bulk of which should have been unnecessary to deliver personally. Nonetheless, the people of the T’al, the Thedhis Archipelago, periodically like to remind those of the Seo Hán Nì Empire what a vastly superior naval force they possess. King Galadh is uncharacteristically solicitous of Queen Rian, the reason, told in strictest confidence, being that she is finally expecting a child, and is thrilled now that the father is someone else.

Some of the tension seems to relax out of Estel with the information that someone is, legally even, guarding her back, and she stops walking about with her sword unsheathed as a consequence, although she still keeps it with her. "Did you think you wouldn't make it all the way to the Imperial Court in one piece, then?" Silver Fox asks her.

"No, I knew somehow the winds would steer me there, but despite your presence, which does help tremendously, you and my magical luck and my old crew together are a better bet."

"So, speaking of your crew, how did you acquire them all, and the Firebrand to go with them?" Silver Fox asks after the ruling couple have departed.

"As for Rod," Shooting Star smirks, "you could say I won that scruffy smuggler over though a combination of kindness, foolhardiness, and stubbornness. Neither of us would yield an inch, so, out of desperation, because I really didn't want to have to kill him, I suggested a partnership, and surprisingly, he agreed. Rod gave his word, and for him, that's binding.”

 “How did you know you could trust him, back then?” muses Silver Fox.

“I didn’t. But I had my luck, and it was a good deal for him, as well. We had just doubled our working crew and fleet of boats. I would essentially act as a lookout for him, while he kept the real pirates off my back." Shooting Star chuckled. "I think he has a mother or sister, or both, back home with a hot temper and a ready knife; he seems to like that."

Silver Fox frowns. “How much does he like that?” he interrupts.

“Don’t be a stereotype; not that much,” she jibes. "Anyway, that continued for a while, but I was beginning to have a problem accounting for my morning's haul of fish as my suitors one by one dropped away and devoted themselves to other girls. It could no longer be anonymous charity from them, you see." Estel looked, rather than bitter or wistful, rather piqued at this inconvenient behavior in her erstwhile beaux. "However, I was making huge strides with my sword, which was not a bad blade after some maintenance, so I got another crazy idea."

“You? Never!” Silver Fox teases her and gets a light elbow to the ribs again for scoffing.

"It came to me that I could create a fake courtship by one of the pirates that were so thick in those waters, who would send me all sorts of presents trying to win me over, but whom I would steadfastly refuse to wed until he consented to become a law-abiding sailor. This would explain assorted loot showing up at my house, which I would have no compunction against selling, and it would also account for no one ever seeing this mysterious man, because he wouldn't want to be recognized. I called him Dae'o, meaning Shadow."

"All I had to do now was get my hands on some loot, not merely smuggled odds and ends, but actual pirate treasure, like Dae’o would have. Rod, hearing that I was plotting our attack on a very small and insignificant pirate, told me I was insane and then shared his best guess as to what shipping lanes to watch."

“Back to the beginning,” her listener says appreciatively. “Fishing at night, again…”

Shooting Star smiles nostalgically. "The boat was a three-man sloop that could, at need, be handled by only two. She was named the Shooting Star. That was my first victory, although I expected the odds to be brutal: a minimum of two experienced murderers against... well, us. The odds weren't that severe, though. They weren't even fair, since that was where I came across Irayo. Once he figured out that we were killing his captors, he helped us. Then, it became three against the remaining one in our favor; admittedly, Irayo was shackled, but it didn’t hinder him appreciably.”

“What had been holding him back?” Silver Fox wonders.

“I’m guessing primarily the facts that, at that point he didn’t know how to swim, he was half of Visharvé away from home, and he was bound in heavy, iron chains which would sink like anchors, as well. But if you truly want to know, you should ask Irayo, himself. It's not a subject he enjoys discussing, but you're good friends and he might tell you a tiny bit about that part of his life. I will say that wrapping a chain around your fist before punching somebody with it makes the blow much more effective." Shooting Star is wearing a disconcertingly bloodthirsty expression, one that Silver Fox rarely sees, but she has always loathed injustice.

The Seo Hán Nì man sighs. "I can't even imagine being in his place, and I was held captive for months away from my own body once, as you know. At least now he can tread water tolerably well."

Estel smiles as the mood lightens, and continues with her story. "Neither I nor my smuggler partner had any stomach for slavery, and it goes without saying that Rod and I still don’t, so Irayo was freed. He said he owed me a life debt and hence that he would follow me until it was paid. I changed the name of the boat to the Dae'o, the Shadow, and took Shooting Star for my alias, since I liked it so well. Bright, burning, and then gone, just the way I wished to be."

"And it turned out that Irayo followed you a lot longer than that, just because he wanted to, like the rest of your crew," Silver Fox says when Estel grows pensive again and falls silent.

"Yes, I was...ah... supernaturally lucky. Still, I'll never forget those first killings, despite knowing what they would've done to me..." The woman sucks in a deep breath, straightening her shoulders. "I now had, however, a tiny armada: a half-decent sloop in the Shadow, my father's fishing boat which I'd named the Freedom, Rod's smuggler's craft that was now officially called the Hellcat since its original title was profane, and a two-man crew. Honestly, I considered stopping there, being content that what I possessed was enough to keep us all fed and comfortable, and setting aside ambition. Maybe a better person would have done that."

Silver Fox passes no judgement. His love is unconditional. Reaching out to touch her face, he simply remarks, "But you also had such a fine pirate name..."

Estel clears her throat. "Yes, I had a fine pirate name. We had taken the sloop in a pincer move, and for our next few depredations, sometimes we used the Shadow alone, and others not, depending on the type of ship and number of enemy hands aboard. Anyone who surrendered immediately was left alive, both out of mercy and partially to build my… well, our reputation; I was Shooting Star by this time, and my target ships kept getting more impressive."

“I believe it!” her audience of one enthuses.

"As I said, my mother was no longer having trouble making ends meet, and that was ostensibly the point, but I found that I still didn't want to settle down and mend nets. However, I was in danger of running out of trusted men to crew my vessels. We had picked up one or two seamen, here and there, who would rather sail under a young woman of not quite yet 18 and WIN, than walk the plank and grumble about defeat by her. These first recruits were put firmly to the test, and if they passed, I accepted their loyalty with honor."

Silver Fox smiles. “I assume you didn’t threaten to chain them to an oar?” 

"Um, no. You're... unique... in that respect." Shooting Star tries not to smirk. “The last to join my crew was the first mate, the commander, Minas. He had agreed to teach me to use my sword and had some notion of how I was employing it, since only a blind man or an idiot could miss my exploits. And, although I got the impression that he didn't entirely disapprove, looking the other way was the most support I got from him.”

“Until…” Silver Fox prompts.

“Until the most recent, and for a long while the last as it was absolutely disastrous, royal processional tour of the islands, wherein the Swan came within sighting distance of a pirate ship. Naturally it did; back then black flags on the horizon were literally more common than pods of dolphins. It would have been a miracle had the king and queen traveled the entire T'al without passing a brigand." Shooting Star grins. "Galadh and Rian just don't have a good track record when taking out the Swan, do they?"

"Maybe it was bad luck brought about by their marriage. There was no trouble when they visited us a few days ago," hypothesizes her companion.

"You have a point," Estel acknowledges. "Nevertheless, in that instance, they were never in any genuine danger, as they were well-guarded by escort boats, but the reigning couple felt threatened and intolerably vulnerable. So, to remedy their embarassment, the bicameral monarchy fired the garrison commanded for laxity. Furthermore, anyone who attempted to remain faithful to the commander or even to speak rationally to King Galadh and Queen Rian were sacked along with him."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" says Silver Fox.

Estel merely snorts. "Quite a few experienced naval officers were suddenly without jobs. Since I owed him, in addition to being fond of him, I offered the commander the choice of hunting pirates under my authority in or taking my second-best ship and doing whatever seemed good and worth pursuing. He chose the former, of course, because law enforcement against piracy had been his primary purpose all along."

“Also, what else is a naval officer who has just been fired by the dual crown to do? He’s got a gigantic black mark against his name. No one would do business with him,” Silver Fox contributes.

"No, that didn’t hurt, either.” Shooting Star confirms. “Therefore, with the new infusion of crew, vouched for by my virtual uncle, and some female deckhands who had come out of the woodwork upon hearing of my success, we targeted the biggest and baddest pirate out there, the one with the best and fastest ship: Captain Char of the Firebrand."

Silver Fox chuckles. "I foresee that things did not end well for Captain Char."

"No. His surviving victims elected to incinerate him." Shooting Star's hand unconsciously seeks out the comfort of Silver Fox's. "I don't mind admitting that the move to attack him was arrogant on my part. Nonetheless, I stand by my belief that it was time; that was what we'd been working up to since capturing that first sloop. It was the bloodiest battle we had been in, thus far. Some of my men and women were so seriously hurt that they were out of commission for weeks, but none were killed or even maimed in the fray, and I became extremely sought after for lucky talismans and tactical nets."

"What about your mother?" asks Silver Fox, near the end of this narrative. "She, of course, knows that you're a pirate who hunts pirates, but what polite fiction does she tell the neighbors?"

"Oh, she said my pirate had turned shopkeeper on another island, but died, and that I, a young widow, now visit when I can. But I've talked so much about me..." says Shooting Star. "What about your mother? You said she was from the north of Visharvé, a matriarchy, and that your sister is a princess?"

"Essentially, yes. My mother was Frost Flower, Princess of the Dawn Gate, of the Paleyit Hill folk.” Silver Fox sighs. “Summer Wind has inherited her title and resembles her closely. She was very beautiful, but was taken in by my father's spells and chicanery, and hence, despite her love for my sister and me, her life was very sad. I don't know for an undeniable fact if my father addicted her to opium, or if she chose a fantasy world, but it eventually killed her."

"I'm so sorry..." says Estel, never that good at giving or receiving comfort. "I'm sorry, too, that your father was such a thoroughly despicable person."

"So am I, actually," quips Silver Fox, with a hint of his normal animation. "We killed him, my sisters and I; the only thing I regret is that we deceived ourselves that we could get by without having to do it for as long as we did. I'll tell you the whole story someday, but not right now..." and Silver Fox trails away. "You know, you don't remind me of her.”

"Thanks a lot!" Estel says, insulted.

"No," explains Silver Fox, "I wouldn't do well with a woman who couldn't go adventuring with me, or vice versa. My mother's strength was hidden until it was too late. I need someone more like my sisters, who is powerful in the present. Not necessarily magical, but who knows her own heart and mind, and isn't afraid to listen to them. Do you see?"

"Yes, I think so..." agrees Estel. "You strike me as more like my crew than my own father, content to let things lie." Then, she perks up a bit, "Adventuring, you said? What kind of adventuring?"

"I don't know, yet," Silver Fox answers. "Whatever most needs doing. I may ask one of my sisters to foretell for me again. After all, my little sister sent me to the Thedhis Islands."

Shooting Star sits closer, until her sword touches his thigh. "Tell me!" she demands playfully.

"All right, but first, do you think we could leave the weaponry close to hand on the other side?" he asks. Estel smiles, shifting her sword.

"I think I'm glad that I don't remind you too much of your mother, and that you don't remind me too much of my father, as much as I loved him. It would just be a little... weird," Shooting Star concludes. "Do I remind you of your sisters, then?" muses Estel. "I never had siblings..."

"A bit," says Silver Fox. "You have some traits in common with each of them. But you're you. I'm not likely to get you confused."

"That's good," she nods. "Both that I'm sort of like them, because you love and admire them, and that I'm unequivocally me."

Shooting Star bites her bottom lip, an uncharacteristic sign of nervousness for her. "Silver Fox, can I ask you a personal question?"

He laughs. "Why stop now? Go ahead and tell me what's on your mind."

She looks up at him, her eyes liquid pools of night, and he begins to feel minor misgivings. "I will. When I do, you'll know. But first... um... What is frost? Your mother was from further north even than the Central Kingdom, so I'm guessing that there, it's probably considered a good thing if they name princesses after it, right? Beautiful, like flowers. Does it smell nice?"

Seeing the normally confident and self-assured pirate captain lit up inside with the curiosity of a child, yet shy about it, is the most spellbinding thing that Silver Fox has come across in a long time. "Give me your hands," he requests softly, knowing that she won't refuse. After all, Estel trusts him. Indeed, she doesn't even ask why.

She does yelp a little in surprise when he cups them palms up in his and rimes her fingertips with delicate patterns of ice... which melt almost instantly, of course, but now she's looking at him like he's the spellbinding one and he's just trying to remember how to breathe. "That's frost?" Estel barely whispers, as though she's afraid to disturb the quiet moment that settled in after her initial squeal of shock. Silver Fox is conscious of the same reluctance, so he only nods. Shooting Star murmurs, "Again, please? So I can appreciate it this time..."

He complies, coating her palms with hoar frost as well so she can better study the phenomenon. Happily, Estel tilts her hands back and forth in front of her face, peering at the swirls of ice up close. "It's... cold!" she marvels, "really cold." Her voice is full of awe and wonder. "But then it just vanishes! Why? And it's intricate, like lace, but has no scent. So it is and it isn't like a flower. What is it? Is it crystal? But then why is it wet? They say water will harden in extreme cold, but that's called 'ice' and the way they describe it is very different..." She stops herself, aware that she's given him no chance to answer.

He flinches very slightly when she reaches up to hold his face, since her hands drip ice water, but her lips are quite warm as she gently touches them to his. "Thank you," Estel says simply. "You don't conjure. I know. Your father..."

"Isn't here," Silver Fox interrupts her before his own throat chokes him.

"I know," she tells him. "What I wanted to ask you? You said I might not recognize the Imperial Court version of Silver Fox, but that was a joke... and a bit of a warning, I guess. Still, it occurred to me that I've never seen your actual fox form, and I want... I feel it's important, yet more than that, I want to know you, no matter what you look like." She peers up at him through her lashes, breathless but desperate to watch his expression. 

A long moment passes. "I see that we've finally come to the 'Dare' portion of our entertainment," Silver Fox says, already wondering if he's going to take this opportunity to leave and return to his bunk, like he should.

Confused, Estel asks, "What do you mean?"

The rebel-turned-pirate replies, "In my homeland, sharing confidences is as pleasant a way to spend time as it is here, but there, the game is called: Truth or Dare. This is in case a question is too personal and someone doesn't want to answer. Instead they can take the 'dare' option, and do something a bit frightening or embarassing, something of the asker's choosing that pushes their boundaries, instead."

"And?" Shooting Star challenges him. "I doubt this is an irrelevant comparative culture lesson. You believe I'm trying to dare you, since the past few days have been only 'Truth'?"

"I think you like to gamble, that you enjoy a little risk." She merely nods her assent to this remark. "If I dared you, would you do it?" Silver Fox wonders, intrigued.

"If you dared me, I would, yes. I trust you," Estel responds, smiling serenely.

"You trust me? Telling me that isn't playing fair. Now my 'dare' selections are more limited," he pretends to complain.

"I'm a pirate. What led you to believe that I would play fair?" she retorts, her smile slipping into a broad grin.

"Very well, I'll request another truth then, so that in your next turn, you can dare me first." Silver Fox offers galantly.

Shooting Star scoffs, but doesn't turn him down. "I've just finished relating my whole life's story for you. What more could you possibly want to know?"

Silver Fox smirks wickedly and simply stares at her. Slowly, as things occur to her, Estel turns crimson. Then he laughs and takes pity on her. "Why do you wear a skirt? I mean, most of the female crew members choose trousers, for more freedom of movement aboard ship and while fighting. Yet, you continue to wear a black skirt and a white blouse most of the time. Why?"

"I learned to sail in a skirt," she answers, "and I learned to fence in one. It's really not that much of a hardship for me to wear a loose skirt with something underneath for decency, just in case. And, as you've noticed, it marks me as the captain. During a fray, being easily identifiable aids your troops."

"Ah, for the same reason that I tend to wear purple, then, even in the Greenwood." He seems satisfied by this. "All right, then. I believe I know your dare, but you have to say it aloud so I don't assume, when you might have changed your mind."

"You're right, of course, I do want to see your fox shape. But I get the feeling that there isn't much that you wouldn't do for me if I merely asked, is there? So I don't know if I should waste a 'dare' on that. Is it outside of your comfort zone?" Estel replies.

"Clever, but I'm aware that you're trying to get a 'truth' for free with that," Silver Fox says, pleased that the future ambassador is as shrewd a negotiator as he thought she would be. "Dare, or do not dare. Make your choice."

"Fine then," Shooting Star answers, clearly only pretending to be annoyed. "Shape-shift. Show me your fox. I dare you."

"My clothing doesn't come with me, you know. I'll either have to take it off or get tangled in it when I change," he cautions her. "Which do you prefer?"

"Now who's attempting to get a free 'truth'?" she challenges him. "Besides, I think you're bluffing. You won't strip. Not after I told you that I trust you..."

Silver Fox merely laughs. "Fine then," he echoes her. "Turn around and close your eyes for a few moments, pirate, both, since... accidents happen." Estel complies, and the next thing she notices is a small, cold nose nuzzling her palm. He is beautiful. Grey, of course, but that doesn't begin to describe the variations of his soft fur: silvery mist, and charcoal, and dusky fog. Silver Fox leaps onto her bunk and spins so that she can get a good view, since this was her wish. The tip of his long tail brushes her throat and she giggles. Holding out a few fingers tentatively for him to sniff, Shooting Star asks if she can touch him, and he responds by leaning his head into her hand for pets. After a few more minutes, he returns pointedly to his pile of clothes on the floor and she once again covers her eyes.

"I'm ready," she says, her back still to the rest of the room. "Tell me your 'dare'." When she faces Silver Fox, he is fully dressed, except for a few top buttons, and his gaze is deadly earnest.

"Let me hold you, Estel. I dare you." As she inhales deeply and steps forward, he hastens to explain. "So many times I've watched you handle things alone, aboard the Firebrand. When you were abducted, I knew you were frightened, I knew you weren't immediately fine, but you wouldn't allow anyone to help or comfort you. All of Shooting Star's battles, being made an ambassador against your will, it's been the same; I've wanted to hold you, just a hug, but I knew you'd reject the offer, so now... when it gets bad in the capital, go to Master Sun Son's house and have me summoned. I'll meet you there, regardless of what I'm doing. And let me hold you. I dare you."

"That's it? That's all you want from me?" she demands, shaken, yet incredulous. Glancing at the floor, she mutters, "You don't play fair, either, Silver Fox. That was a truth I didn't ask for."

"I know," he admits. "You can't always get only what you want. But it's your turn; you can have another dare. What do you want?"

"I want so many things." She sighs. "I want you to start now, to hold me now. Iwant you to kiss me, to find out what that feels like. I want you to transform again and sleep with me tonight, snuggled close, since there's barely room for one human in my bunk, much less me and a fox. Maybe I want even more than that. But," and Shooting Star instantly holds a finger up, halting him as he involuntarily leans towards her, "I dare you not to; I dare you to do none of those things because I also want to be able to go back to being friends comfortably, the way we were before tonight. That may not be possible, but I do want to try. Go to bed, Silver Fox... your own bed."

Time for Silver Fox and Shooting Star to spend alone together, aside from a ship's crew who speak very little Thedhis, is growing short. This morning the Seo Hán Nì young man has answered all of his companion's queries regarding frost, ice, and snow as best he can without actually doing any more elemental magic, which does tire him somewhat as he's out of practice. But by tomorrow, they expect to make port at their destination. 

For now, though, Estel is curious about what it is like to have siblings, and if he and Summer Wind are closer than usual due to their unfortunate parental situation. "I'm not sure, since we are what we are and cannot be otherwise, however I believe maybe we are, having had to rely on one another more. Father was... well, enough said about him, but he did make certain that we always had the best, and strictest, tutors. Mother was only half with us when she was alive yet, although she had good days and bad days from the beginning, her bad days became more frequent near the end."

Shooting Star is getting better at giving and receiving solace, so she squeezes his hand and asks if Frost Flower was the one who taught him to craft animal essences. "I understand that princesses are expected to be proficient in the arts," she observes.

"No, she had no magic of her own," Silver Fox replies, "but she did teach me to sculpt, and my little sister has a great talent for drawing and painting, which she learned incredibly early. If it had not been for my mother imparting her values to us and as much of her people's beliefs as we could absorb, Summer and I would be very different individuals."

"She's the one who told you to come out to the T'al of the Thedis folk and get yourself captured by pirates? I like her, already," Estel teases him. For a time she continues steering their chat, not too deep but not pointless either, while he idly admires her innate skill and thinks she'll surprise everyone with her success as an emissary.

Then, suddenly Silver Fox sits up abnormally straight and blurts, "Sea otter!" Estel stands and scans the ocean waves, but maintains that he must have been falling asleep, because she can find no trace of one of the water-loving mammals between the ship and the horizon. He merely smiles oddly and reminds her that he can see things she can't, with his shape-shifter's senses.

As a distraction, to avoid even a mild argument, Silver Fox tells the young island woman that he'd like to sculpt her some day, which sparks discussion over whether it would be better to thusly immortalize Estel or Shooting Star, and how much of her it would be appropriate to mold in clay. This keeps them busy for quite a long time, but neither the private personality nor the pirate captain is a fool; she won't forget his strange behavior. 

"Well," she says to Silver Fox a few days later, "apparently this is what the Imperial Court believes that people from the Thedhis T’al Island Archipelago wear. Or should wear." In deference to her professed name, both her skirt and her close-fitting bodice have small gold thread stars embroidered all over the silk: black for the skirt, which is much like a sarong would be if you sewed its edges together tightly. It is a miracle that she can walk, but her mincing lessons have paid off. Silver Fox ought to be proud as her teacher, but what he truly feels is indignation for her reduced range of motion.

Not that anything shows on his face as he surveys her attire from his peripheral vision. Pristine, snowy silk gleams from the high, banded throat to the skirt which actually begins at her waist and not above, but the sheer white sleeves, again a nod to her hotter native climate, stop at her wrists instead of covering her whole hand. And most remarkable of all, she has a red sash at the waist and red ribbon edging to everything, a hue normally reserved for royalty or brides. He has resumed his Celestial City silks as well, and is disappointed, no matter how glossy and touchable her hair seems now, that Shooting Star has removed all her beads.

She does, of course, look lovely, but there's no doubt that Estel is mourning her freedom of movement more than a little bit. "I have a pool, a real pool for swimming and not just a reflecting pool, in case I might miss the exercise," she tells him. "That was actually very thoughtful. Is it appropriate to thank the official who arranged it for me? I swim more currently than I did before," says Shooting Star, the ambassador to the island nation.

"How are you getting by, really?" Silver Fox asks quietly, in an obscured niche at the gala where they have met.

"I'm doing all right, I think. So many parties, though," Ambassador Shooting Star responds under her breath.

"All in your honor, so you can't refuse to go, poor thing," Silver Fox says, half-teasingly.

"The next person who tells me I'm an exotic tropical flower, though, is getting an elbow in the gut. I would say to the nose, but the blood might ruin this outfit, and I actually kind of like it." Shooting Star smiles. "It's pretty; it just needs a little creative ripping. Slits in skirts will become all the rage, I predict."

"Speaking of flowers," Silver Fox changes the topic of conversation slightly, not rising to her bait, "have you met Master Sun Son yet? He collects them."

"Yes, I've had the honor of meeting both him and his wife, the Paleyit Nation Emissary." Estel wonders why suddenly the subject has turned to small talk. Has something changed between them that she hasn't noticed?

"Because he's married, you could visit the Master's house for several days at a time with complete propriety if you felt so inclined. After you settle in here a bit more, of course, and assuming that his wife is in residence during your stay," Silver Fox stresses to her, subtly reinforcing what he said when he originally spoke of the magical portals.

"Yes, the couple has been so kind as to invite me, even though I'm not intrinsically musical. I think that the Maestro means to broaden my world view. He's given me a mandolin to practice with, and I confess that I enjoy playing it, although my singing voice is... sadly deficient," Shooting Star admits.

 "I, on the other hand, can sing, but never truly applied myself to learning an instrument." He gazes around the room at all the people with whom he must appear bored; this is less difficult because many of them do bore him. "Soon," says Silver Fox, "I'll be accused of monopolizing your time."

"Oh? I suppose I should care. Who here is least likely to make me want to slap them?" she asks in a low voice, her eyes twinkling.

"I'd say you're doing quite well adapting to Court life," he smiles. "Although, I hope you guard your tongue more thoroughly when conversing with people other than me." Then he sobers for a minute. "I'll see you at many of the parties you'll have to attend, but I'm afraid I can't even come to tea without making you infamous," Silver Fox tells Shooting Star apologetically.

"Infamous? Don't they realize that I was a pirate?" she asks.

"Oh, what you do in foreign climes is all right so long as you have the approval of the Seo Hán Nì emperor and make lots of money. And, of course, you must never, ever, say the word 'pirate' and flaunt that in their faces where they'd be forced to notice," Silver Fox amuses her by remarking in his best ‘idle courtier’ voice.

Estel is very strict with herself and does not travel back home at all within the first season of her new position in the Central Kingdom. After that, she allows herself perhaps a day every month or so, but no more than that; she is already too dark, and an unexplained tan would be too much.

When she has been the ambassador for six months straight, though, she allows herself a treat. Shooting Star goes unattended to Silver Fox's home. He meets her on the doorstep and looks about for her respectable female companion. "I can't let you in, Estel; it was scandalous just to come here. Wasn't I clear?"

"You were quite clear," she replies. "To console me you said that I could wear whatever I wanted as a guest in your house, and I'm so tired of beautiful, graceful, long silk skirts!" Stepping forward, she effectively forces him to retreat backwards across the threshold. "Now that I'm here, can I come in?" Shooting Star asks boldly.

As a virtuous host and good friend, Silver Fox is caught; he can neither refuse her request nor leave her in the entrance with any politeness or propriety. "Maybe you weren't seen," he murmurs. "You do have uncanny luck! Yes, come in, please. Is this an invitation to help you sail your two-man boat?" he asks lightly.

"In a way," she responds. "You said after I became accustomed to Court life, you'd marry me then. Is it time yet?"

Silver Fox ponders for a moment, and Shooting Star almost loses her nerve, afraid that he might have changed his mind among all of these pale Central Kingdom beauties. "I was wrong," he says, and her heart nearly stops. "You do remind me somewhat of my mother. It was very brave of her to forsake being a princess and marry my father, even if she was slightly enchanted to do it," and he raises a hand to touch her hair. "Go put on whatever you like, and then we'll talk more about when is best for the celebration.”

This seems entirely reasonable to Shooting Star, so she does. "I'd like for you to meet my sisters," Silver Fox says when she returns, "and their husbands and the children. There are a few people I fought alongside in the Greenwood Wilds of the Paleyit Hill country that I'd also like to invite to our wedding... assuming that we hold one here. Do you mind being married in the Celestial City?"

"No, it's your home, as much as anywhere is, I think. At least it's centrally located to your eastern Visharvé friends and family. You already know all of the people that I'd like to be present at my wedding," says Estel. "And you know my mother's advice on the matter," she teases him.

"That's true! As an ambassador, at least one of your marriage ceremonies will have to be filled with other nobles and emissaries, and very likely royalty as well. But that can wait until I have you as my legally wed wife. I wonder if Master Son of the Sun is busy today?" Silver Fox smiles wickedly.

Shooting Star slowly grins. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

As it turns out, the Maestro has time that day to marry them between music and magic students. It is a very basic, no-frills ceremony, but perfectly respectable and legal. He furthermore promises to compose something special for their Seo Hán Nì Imperial Court marriage, which will take more time to arrange.

Then, letting it be known that the couple has plans to wed, although no mention of the word 'again' is made, rumors are started that they will be absent for a while in order to meet his far-flung family. This is not entirely untrue since, after they go to the islands through the secret magical doorway, his sisters will arrive early to spend time with the new bride and groom before the official Court Ceremony. King Galad, Queen Rian, and Grand High Spouses will attend this one, and are setting out in the Swan immediately.

Shooting Star's mother has never been aboard the Firebrand, but for this occasion she comes, as she is the only land-bound member of the wedding party, and it's just easier this way. Uncle Ainduin, of course, performs the ceremony beneath the matrimonial canopy that is an heirloom of Estel's family. Although it has been a bit squally for several days, on the morning of the wedding the sea and sky turn fair and calm, and Silver Fox thinks that the islands have never looked so beautiful before.

This change in the weather is viewed as a good omen for the marriage by some, and a manifestation of Estel's magical luck by others, but everyone agrees that the newlyweds are sublimely happy. The Thedhis Island Archipelago section of their honeymoon, naturally, is spent aboard the two-man craft Shooting Star bought at her mother's suggestion. When they feel like landing, they use the "Harmony Islet". Sooner than Silver Fox and his new bride like, however, it is time to return to the Central Kingdom.

Estel is somewhat nervous about meeting Silver Fox's sisters, both powerful magicians, as well as brave and intelligent women who have had many successful adventures. She doesn't know quite what to say when they tell her, especially since apparently the duplication of effort is quite rare, that they will each dance in augury for the marriage.

The shaman, Smoke Cat Watching, tells them, "It is good. Your marriage will be strong and prosperous, your children fine and beautiful and healthy. You will have as many as you like... and maybe one more as a pleasant surprise. Take care in naming them, for they may have their father's gift, though that is not certain," she finishes.

Summer Wind, the mage, continues, "Your first child will be born while you are still ambassador, but is intelligent enough to come while you are secretly in the islands, on or very near the water. But your adventures together are not over, so stay alert for circumstances that call to you, especially before that first baby.”

Shooting Star's official wedding as ambassador to the Central Kingdom of the Seo Hán Nì Empire from the Thedhis T'al Island Archipelago is attended by many bright lights, celebrities and notables, including her own king and queen, and their spouses. Her dress is traditional mainland pale golden yellow, but with many touches reflecting her island heritage.

The bold print and strong horizontal and vertical lines, especially, are common to wedding gowns in the T'al, though commonly in the Archipelago they are reddish to honor the fire goddess T'epellé. Amazingly, the ceremony flows seamlessly and without error, despite its length. Her only regret is that, in leaving her apartments in the Imperial Complex itself, she will be giving up her swimming pool, as her husband does not have one, nor is there a place to put one in Silver Fox's home. Therefore, she is extremely surprised by her groom's final bridal gift to her: a room.

He and his sisters have been working on this room: making it safe, making it easier to access, making it suitable for its new purpose. It was formerly his father's vault, used to contain his most valuable items, he tells Estel. Yet, she is what he finds most precious, and therefore, this will be her special room. He has built her a swimming pool. The cavernous storehouse has been converted into a fairly good sized pool: it is long and deep, and the ceiling streams with prisms reflecting light, but which can be dimmed. One end is even warmed.

This room was chosen, in part, because to make all of these things happen, or just to refresh the water, several lay lines of strong magic had to be tapped into, and this room was built to contain magic of that caliber without "leaking". The gift is a big success, although whoever heard of a pool indoors? However, now she can swim as much as she likes without worrying about what shade her skin might be turning, since the only thing worse than being dark in the Celestial City is being sunburn red.

After this presentation and a bit of a rest, the newlyweds continue north to the Paleyit Hill Country for the rest of their honeymoon. Silver Fox's sisters have seen to it that Shooting Star is well provided with extra-warm clothes. Prior to her diplomatic assignment, Estel had never been past the borders of her own equatorial island waters. It was quite difficult initially, in fact, for her groom to explain the meaning of his mother's name: Frost Flower. Stymied, he resorted to his rarely used magic to demonstrate frozen water. However, she is determined to visit the land of his mother's folk, regardless of the cold.

They will go far enough up into the foothills of the mountains to be sure of seeing plenty of snow, as this phenomenon both fascinates and bewilders Shooting Star. Silver Fox very much enjoys romping in the snow with his former ship's captain: making snow angels, getting into snowball fights, even building forts out of ice. He takes great care to ensure that she does not get too chilled, and warns her that snow can be dangerous in a number of ways, just like the ocean is not always a friendly place.

Smoke Cat Watching and Summer Wind have never been sorrier that their brother cannot scry, or they would certainly have warned him to be prepared to meet an Imperial Messenger waiting for him upon his return from the Paleyit Nation. The message is not good news; Silver Fox is under arrest as a thief!

He is to be taken into custody at once and held until the imprisoned nobleman can prove that he is NOT the Sword of Justice. Evidence against him is almost entirely circumstantial: he went away, and so did the Sword of Justice, at virtually the same time. Also, the bandit was famous for disarming his opponents with an esoteric and extraordinarily difficult sword pass that fencing masters teach to a select few, with Silver Fox numbering among the lucky pupils. No one has noticed this until lately, however.

The entire conclusion that Silver Fox is the Sword of Justice is based on rumors that, now that the young courtier has returned to the Central Kingdom, the bandit is once more running amok in the countryside. No one has actually seen him, or been accosted by him, but it is only a matter of time until he becomes bold enough to do so again. At least, that's what all the juiciest gossip is saying. And then, too, Silver Fox seems slightly less languorous and indolent than before he met his... ex-pirate?... bride.

There is no time for conversation before Silver Fox is whisked away to the Imperial Complex. Because of his prior impeccable respectability and his connections to two foreign ambassadors, Silver Fox is essentially placed under house arrest; he is given apartments with no sharps or breakables in case he might feel guilty enough to commit suicide and end his infamy with honor... or lest he be tempted to try to escape. The suite is heavily enchanted, but his sisters are able, at least, to scry through the protective charms.

So, the questions his wife and family face now are these: who might know Silver Fox actually is the Sword of Justice; who might surmise it and cause trouble by spreading false rumors of his renewed activity; and what can be done to resolve the current problem? As for the first, only Kanu and Summer Wind knew, and then he told Shooting Star. Even Smoke Cat Watching knew only that her brother was playing the righteous brigand, but not under what name. A lot of people might guess it, of course, but who would wait to condemn him?

It is not long before a reason why the rumormonger struck now becomes evident. Shooting Star begins to receive love letters, anonymous of course, addressed to "my dusky goddess of the sea" and signed "your faithful swain". They speak of freeing her from her imprisonment, in other words her marriage to Silver Fox, and promise eternal joy thereafter... presumably when she is rendered a merry widow.

The nauseating letters go on in this vein, stating that she can do better, despite her... shady history... than a former brigand and radical. It is clear from the content of the communication that all this has been written either by someone in the elite social circle, or the top tier of servants that waits upon them, for her particular beauty in this dress, or her enchanting vivacity at that party, are details not infrequently mentioned. Shooting Star's inclination is to throw them in the fire, but she doesn't need her sisters-in-law to tell her that these missives could prove valuable.

It might be just coincidence, someone anticipating her ostensibly imminent widowhood in the most horribly gauche way, except that the "faithful swain" brags about having brought these circumstances about specifically to dispose of Silver Fox for her. "We are fighting a battle on two fronts," says Shooting Star to her new sisters, "which is never a good situation."

"To prove Silver Fox's innocence, what we really need is for the Sword of Justice to be seen while my brother is still under lock and key," muses Summer Wind.

"What would be truly ideal," remarks Smoke Cat, "is if we could identify the coward, lure him into a trap, dress him as the Sword of Justice, and inform against him."

Both other women nod. "Endgame," says Summer Wind.

"One step at a time," confirms Shooting Star, but now the trio are definite about what their ultimate goal is.

"I think we should establish doubt, at least, about Silver Fox being the Sword of Justice as soon as possible," decides Smoke Cat Watching. "What did he typically wear? Do you know?"

"Oh yes," asserts Summer Wind. "He used to dress all in black, from the nose down, with high boots and gloves. The color of his horse didn't matter so much, though he preferred black or bay."

"Horse?" Shooting Star seems dismayed. "I was thinking maybe I could impersonate him, but I can't ride."

Summer Wind sighs. "I can ride quite well, but I barely know one end of a sword from the other."

Smoke Cat Watching merely looks down at her pregnant tummy, starting to show a little, in mute testimony that she can't pass for any type of young male. "Well," Smoke Cat says finally, "if neither of you can do it alone, you'll have to work as a team. Somehow. Let's sleep on it tonight; we're all beginning to get a little tired. At least we have all the skills we need, when we get it together."

The next morning does indeed bring counsel. "Do you remember the two-point only pair of portals that we used with the Dawn Gate battle?" Summer Wind asks her sister.

"Vaguely, yes," Smoke Cat answers, and explains for Shooting Star's benefit that unlike regular portals that all go to the Arcane Academy as a hub, and then transfer you back to someplace else, these two were direct, cut off from the rest of the web.

"We could use those to get Shooting Star to wherever I rein in my horse," Summer suggests.

"We could, if I were scrying you and ready. You would have barely any time to set up at all, though. Will it be enough?" asks Smoke Cat Watching.

"I think so. Then I'll deactivate it into just a shallow hole in the ground and lie down in it for cover. Would that work?" answers Summer Wind.

"It will work if I'm doing my job as a swordswoman properly. Believe me, our victims... excuse me, targets... will be fully occupied. They won't have time to go snooping around for young women hiding in shallow depressions, and I promise I can keep them from running in the direction of...er "my"... horse."

This maneuver, of course, must be thoroughly practiced before everyone is confident that the switch can be made smoothly and inconspicuously. Consequently, they travel to the estate of one of Silver Fox and Summer Wind's Celestial City courtier friends, which is only used for picnics at this season.

Estel rigorously drills her willing sisters through every eventuality that she can think of, and several that she hasn't, but that they have. Magic will be their greatest ally, and illusion the second most important element of the charade. For the Sword of Justice must not just be seen on a horse, he must also use that special sword pass that is known to so few. No one in the Central Kingdom is truly aware of just how involved with piracy Shooting Star was, as this has been wisely downplayed.

Obviously, Shooting Star knows that fancy move, or this would all be for no purpose. The Sword of Justice was also known for letting his horse rear and jibe when holding up a carriage, for example, and this will be no problem for Summer Wind, who learned to ride in the steppes and can stay on like she was glued to her saddle, while still appearing graceful and effortless. Another advantage the triad of women have that Silver Fox did not is that they can scry their... might as well go ahead and call them victims... as they approach the ambush point.

At the same time, the three sisters are wracking their brains trying to come up with some sort of trap to expose the writer of Shooting Star's love letters, her "faithful swain." As long as he is content to remain completely anonymous, he is safe, for the shaman and the mage have tried tracing the vibrations and gotten as far as the main message delivery post, but no further. Yet, the women deduce that worshiping his "dusky goddess of the sea" from afar will not continue to be enough for him.

He will attempt to make himself known to her in some way, or provide her with some means of responding to his correspondence, or even try to arrange a meeting. In short, he will inevitably be drawn closer to his "goddess", and when that happens, he will slip up somehow. The women are also aware that, in addition to being prone to mistakes, the "faithful swain" will become infinitely more dangerous at that time; there is no predicting what he will do, although the two magical sisters did dance on it, anyway.

Finally, everything is in readiness. Silver Fox has not been under house arrest long enough to be convicted in the minds of his contemporaries, who are still thinking that there must have been some terrible error. It only seems like an extended interval to his wife and sisters, worried and frenetically busy scheming.

And, of course, it also seems like a considerable while has gone by to Silver Fox, who is not allowed any visitors, but whose keen ears pick up scraps of conversations regarding himself and the situation in general from the hallways. He does not know what his loved ones are planning. However, he suspects that, if they are not already up to something rash, they soon will be. He has no means of preventing them short of confession, and even that might just force some more desperate action.

Hoping Shooting Star's famous magical luck is in full force on this particular evening, Summer Wind mounts her dark bay and sets off to intercept a tax collector who has been lining his own pockets at the people's expense: a perfect Sword of Justice target. His sister knows that she is shorter, slighter, and lighter skinned than her brother, or Estel for that matter, but people on foot looking up at a rider, especially on a rearing horse, rarely notice such things. She also has the portal rolled up, stowed behind her saddle.

The operation goes perfectly. She reins in on the brow of a hill, in silhouette against the fitful crescent moon, dismounts, lays out the doorway against a nearby tree, and transfers Shooting Star through it, with Smoke Cat working the opposite end of the magical tunnel. Estel, although tempted to yell something fierce, knows that her voice would betray her as female, and stalks her prey like a cat. The man barely even defends himself; he is easily disarmed and robbed of his misbegotten funds. The "Sword of Justice" has struck.

This same routine, with slight variations, is repeated several times before Shooting Star begins to hear substantiated word of these incidents at the parties she is more or less required to attend. To skip them would indicate Estel is less than absolutely confident of the outcome of her husband's detention.

Her sisters-in-law do not go to parties, as it has been decided that it would be best to pretend that they have already left the Seo Hán Nì capital, Celestial City, thereby avoiding having to make up excuses for their absence. The letter writing to the "dusky goddess" continues undisturbed, the author apparently discounting the real appearances by the fake Sword of Justice as outgrowths of the rumors he started himself, by whispering that the bandit had been seen here or there. However, the women are tired of playing by his rules.

They decide to let it be known that Shooting Star has been getting... unsolicited correspondence of an amorous nature, and that they suspect this may be the motive for the aspersions cast upon Silver Fox. Of course, Estel is not the one to instigate these rumors; that task they entrust to Master Sun Son and his wife Ambassador Falling Leaves. Sure enough, no one is any more certain of who suggested this scenario to them than they were of who proposed that the idle courtier might be the Sword of Justice.

In light of the depredations of the "Sword of Justice" which have occurred while Silver Fox could not possibly have made them, still being confined to his Imperial Complex suite, he is released on his own recognizance. A formal apology is hinted at, but will not be forthcoming until he is officially cleared of all charges, and this will take time. The young man is being unobtrusively trailed by guards, for his own protection of course, but these men are easy to elude should that be desired.

To the casual eye, the reunion between the two young newlyweds is utterly romantic. There are no kisses since this is, after all, the Imperial Complex of the Central Kingdom and public displays of affection are frowned upon, but there is plenty of hand-holding and leaning of heads together. During one such opportunity for closeness, Silver Fox hisses to his bride, "What have you been up to?"

"Not here," she coos, almost imperceptibly, and adds, "but you have to admit that it was effective."

"Where, then?" Silver Fox demands in exasperation, yet very, very quietly.

Shooting Star is afraid that, in a place as populated and nosy as the Celestial City of the Central Kingdom, someone might be listening virtually no matter where they go, except home, and she wants to walk in together with all arguments settled. Therefore, she takes him to the docks... on her home island of Ren... for their chat.

There, Estel explains to him how the three women managed to counterfeit one Sword of Justice, and that they planned for every possible contingency, so there was really relatively little risk. Silver Fox frowns at this, but allows his wife to continue with her description of events. He is definitely unhappy to learn about her "faithful swain", and hopes now that he is back by her side, the letters to the "dusky goddess of the sea" will cease. In truth, he is caught between ire and admiration of the members of his immediate family.

However, he is much less than pleased with the reasoning behind his wife and sisters continuing with this hazardous charade. Unfortunately, it is sound. If the "Sword of Justice" only comes out of retirement long enough to get Silver Fox released, it looks too incriminating, and that defeats the whole exercise. "Why can't you and I take turns, at least, being the Sword of Justice?" he asks, not wanting to be relegated to the role of merely a decoy in this operation.

"You have to be seen!" Shooting Star insists. "And as you, at soirees and other bored nobility... things."

"Why would I want to go to parties without my lovely wife?" he asks somewhat wryly.

"All right, then, get together a hunting party, or something, and set it about that you fear that whoever framed you will be so infuriated by your release, that he may try to take your life. And, for my protection, you want to stay far from me until this malefactor is caught and punished," Estel suggests.

"You've really thought this out," Silver Fox can't help but approve. "I still get to consider it, all right?"

However, Silver Fox is more or less in harmony with his wife and sisters by the time he enters his home. They have been very brave, very clever, and, he points out to them, very lucky! "One thing, though. If I am in enough fear for my life to want to keep my wife safe by staying away from her, it isn't likely that I'd leave her all alone, either. We need some form of bodyguard; I would suggest one of you two," he tells his sisters, "except that you are supposed to have left the Central Kingdom by now."

"What about her mother?" asks Smoke Cat suddenly. "No one here knows that she's NOT a powerful magician..."

"And," Summer Wind continues on this theme, "maybe she's come for a surprise visit. Then you wouldn't need to have any compunctions about leaving Shooting Star by herself."

"My mother's health isn't up to going to parties, in reality as well as in convenient fiction, so I'd always be home and within call of one of my sisters-in-law, who actually ARE powerful magicians... in case my "faithful swain" is bothering you," Estel tells Silver Fox affectionately.

It is all arranged, and Estel's mother agrees to come, although she is a little leery of the magical doorway she must travel through. In the meantime, however, the Sword of Justice must continue to right wrongs, and generally be as much in the public eye as possible, at least for a while longer.

The tenor of the love letters from the "faithful swain" is also changing, becoming darker and more possessive. He is revolted that so unworthy a creature as Silver Fox dares even to touch his "dusky goddess of the sea." Veiled threats are made, but they're very nonspecific, as though the author is raging, yet out of creative ideas as to how to dispose of her husband. References to the gossip that these communications from him are unwelcome to Shooting Star are mentioned as well, with incredulity bordering on paranoia.

Other rumors are just barely beginning to circulate as well. Silver Fox hasn't had time to gather his hunting party yet, and his presence at parties where his wife is absent is leading to the speculation that her "indisposition" might be morning sickness. This serves the purpose of Silver Fox and the three-woman "Sword of Justice" team admirably, but they are not certain how the letter writer will react to this false news. They hope and fear that it will push the "faithful swain" into revelation.

"It is not, it cannot be true!" says one of his missives. "I, unwelcome, yet that mangy cur free to lay his hands on you? It must not be true! Wait for me, my goddess, and we will meet in bliss when that mongrel is no more." In consideration of these nebulous promises of violence to himself first, Silver Fox is persuaded to take his hunting party to the vast Uman Shikù Greenwood Wilds, thereby doing his best to lure a dangerous maniac away from his bride. His departure is to coincide with her mother Marré's arrival.

Shooting Star, Summer Wind, and Smoke Cat, however, cherish no such hopes that the "faithful swain" will voluntarily put so much distance between himself and the object of his desire. They are not sure what to expect: poison of Silver Fox?... or sabotage of his carriage?... the abduction of Estel?...

They are positive, though, that whatever their adversary does, it will happen soon. The introduction of Estel's mother into the equation would seem to be a calming influence, especially with Silver Fox gone away, but they have allowed it to be whispered abroad that she is a very powerful magician. What if she were able to discover his identity? That must not happen until the husband is dead and the young widow, the "dusky goddess of the sea", united with her worshiper. The timetable is now accelerated.

Ironically, the first thing Shooting Star's mother does, after listening to the entire story, is to demand to be taken to the message delivery post to mail a letter of her own. There is no harm evident in this, so Estel accompanies Marré. They then proceed to the Imperial Library, where the elderly woman is thrilled by the very proximity of so many books; she is an avid reader, but has not had much opportunity to indulge her passion before now. Later, at home, she praises the trio's ingenuity.

"You've each done very well," she tells them, as though she has known Silver Fox's sisters all their lives instead of just having met them. "But I can't stop feeling there's something that you've overlooked, and that you should have asked for more help, sooner."

"We didn't want to impose upon our friends by involving them in plots, much less exposing them to danger," Summer Wind says, explaining the Central Kingdom viewpoint.

"Plus, there are so few among the Imperial Court we can trust," adds Smoke Cat.

For a few days, there is nothing going on in the countryside to tempt the Sword of Justice to intervene, so the four women spend a lot of time talking about one thing and another, and discussing what is to be done about the future. Can they set a trap for the letter author? If so, how, exactly? Shooting Star's mother is not the only one to feel that such a scheme is too risky. One curious thing does occur, however; a horseman is now haunting the roadways, doing no harm, but acting strangely.

He rides only at dusk or later, and dresses much like an Imperial Messenger, except all in black. Estel wonders if this is some "counter-vigilante" seeking to capture the Sword of Justice. The Central Kingdom is reluctant to set bounties, since honor alone should motivate any good Seo Hán Nì citizen, but in this case, there is a modest monetary incentive for anyone who can rid them of the ruffian. The other women agree that this is quite likely, and caution Shooting Star and Summer Wind against their impersonations until more is known about this suspicious rider.

Then comes news that the "Sword of Justice" cannot ignore. One of the more volatile and imprudent lordlings is rounding up the peasants who cannot pay their exorbitant taxes and shipping them to the coast to be sold as galley slaves... or whatever. They are suspicious of a trap, but must go anyway.

Shooting Star promises that she will free the men, and possibly also women, and then run, since the transport cart is bound to be guarded by several bullies. Summer Wind pledges to be extra careful, watching surreptitiously from her shallow cover and available to lend magical aid. Smoke Cat feels slightly useless, but her job, to scry the surrounding area and alert the other two of any travelers or interloping riders, is equally valuable. In this way, the women hope to minimize the danger.

The night they choose is foggy, with a fine misty rain occasionally falling, and Summer Wind is thoroughly wet by the time she arrives. To lighten the tension, she suggests throwing a bucket of water over Shooting Star so that they'll match better. She holds up the cart and then makes the transfer, flawlessly as usual. Estel must fight and incapacitate a couple of guards, but then has the heavy locks broken and people streaming forth in all directions. Warning from Smoke Cat comes; the mysterious rider is approaching.

With too many farm folk milling around randomly in the rain, some of them making themselves useful by conking the guards on the head with the heavy locks, Shooting Star cannot make it back to the waiting horse before the dark rider catches up with her. Therefore, she stands her ground, and hopes for magical support. There is only one rider, but Shooting Star has a very, very bad feeling about this. Sure enough, a throwing star whizzes past her ear and clangs against the bars of the cart. It is dripping venom.

"Meet your doom, Silver Fox!" a man's voice snarls. "One cut of my sword and you die, liberating my love, my dusky goddess, to be with me!" Estel realizes with horror that the letter writer believes the current Sword of Justice to be Silver Fox in spite of all evidence to the contrary, and means to kill him here and now. Her "faithful swain" is about to do her in, with the maximum of melodrama! Carefully she edges away from the peasants and towards the copse of trees where she last saw Summer Wind.

And then the duel is joined, with Shooting Star on foot and at a terrible disadvantage to the rider still mounted. Something rolls across the slick roadway and the horse seems to step into a hole and stumble. The rider falls and Estel pounces; she cannot afford to let him regain his balance with his poisoned blade. Unfortunately, not all of the original cart guards have been disabled. They yell, and scramble to reach Shooting Star's unprotected back. Then, miraculously, a carriage appears, and a man leaps down from it.

The man from the carriage arranges himself back to back with Estel and fends off the smallish pack of bullies. He's an excellent swordsman, luckily. And before he had gotten into position, his face was clearly visible; it's Silver Fox. The lone rider begins to babble, "You! You? Die, die, die! I'll kill all of you!"

Waving his toxic sword around wildly, trying to kill both perceived Silver Foxes at once, the "faithful swain" is more dangerous than before. "Enough!" says Summer Wind, and transferring a stout club through the portal, swings with all her might at the letter writer. His head does not crack open, but only because her footing is slippery. In a few more instants, all the guards are either on the ground themselves, or running away, being sporadically waylaid by angry peasants with tree limbs.

Summer Wind conjures light, and the siblings and Estel look down at the face of the rider in black. "Who is that?" asks Silver Fox.

"I'm not sure, but I think it's the man who assigns rooms in the Imperial Complex, and supervises parties. I have no idea what his name is," replies Shooting Star. "I thanked him cordially for arranging for me to have a suite with a pool, like any grateful Thedhis person in the T'al would. Later, I learned that an ambassador is not supposed to thank servants, much less with any degree of feeling." Normally, her voice would be tart at the last pronouncement, but at the moment she is just too stunned.

"I remember him, now," says Summer Wind. "He is called Sky Gong, the Festivities Factotum. He was extremely unpleasant to my dark-skinned husband for the brief time we stayed in the ambassadorial rooms assigned to me in the Imperial Complex... before we retired to live in the Silver Mansion and rid ourselves of the bitter aftertaste of that place."

"Well, what do you propose that we do with him?" Silver Fox inquires. "I assume you had some kind of scheme, right?"

"We had planned to dress him as the Sword of Justice and turn him in to the authorities," says his sister.

"I don't see any reason why we can't do that, still," concludes Shooting Star. "And my husband is stronger than any of the rest of us at maneuvering unconscious men into different clothing." She winks, despite the darkness.

"It's a little ignominious, but I'll live," says Silver Fox, his eyes twinkling.

"Well, then, let's get it done before it starts to rain again," suggests Estel practically.

"Who turns him in?" asks Summer Wind. "He did see Silver Fox's face, and though he wasn't exactly lucid before being hit on the head... Is it wise for any of us to involve ourselves, anymore?"

"How about Marré, my magical mother-in-law?" offers the original vigilante himself, clearly pleased with the alliteration. "We'll say that she's been scrying for her daughter's literary stalker, and was finally successful tonight," continues Silver Fox.

"That's good; we don't have to mention the Sword of Justice at all, just let the authorities come to their own conclusions," says Shooting Star.

"I don't know if, as hard as I hit him, he'll even be able to identify himself... certainly not right away, I would think," Summer Wind contributes, "which will only add to the general confusion." They quickly change his clothes.

Then, providing themselves with enough time to scatter, as none of them were ever there, they give the all clear to Smoke Cat. She is happy to explain the mystical terms that must be used to Estel's completely magicless parent. Everyone is curious about Silver Fox's timely arrival, but they are willing to wait until everyone gets home to hear the story at the same time. In the meanwhile, law officers come, and speak to Shooting Star's mother. The "faithful swain" will be arrested for making untoward advances and for penning threatening communication, if for nothing else.

Silver Fox and Summer Wind arrive home shortly after the constabulary has left, the sister exceptionally wet, and the brother only partially dressed from having contributed some of his clothing to disguising the "faithful swain" as the Sword of Justice. They are bundled into warm robes and the tale begins.

Shooting Star's mother is responsible for the whole incident, really, since she was the one who wrote to Silver Fox, telling him that he needed to watch Estel's back more closely. To do that, and yet still appear to be far away with his hunting party, the young noble appealed to Master Sun Son and his wife. The maestro put on the magical guise of Silver Fox, proclaimed that he had a bad flu and was too ill to entertain anyone, and was seen just often enough to prove that he was still there.

Meanwhile, Falling Leaves, the wife of Sun Son and a formidable magician herself, scried for visions of Estel. It is nearly impossible to scry for a person using their nickname or alias, which is why so many pirates and other outlaws adopt them. However, when Estel went through the portal earlier in the evening to engage the guards and free the cartload of peasants, she became immediately observable to Falling Leaves. She, in turn, alerted Silver Fox, who was able to speed to the rescue in his carriage.

So, for the time being, all of Shooting Star and Silver Fox's trials and tribulations are over. He must return to his hunting party and relieve Maestro Sun Son of the duty of pretending to be the younger man. She feels the need to identify which ships coming into port were going to buy the formerly doomed farm folk and capture the vessels; Estel will supervise this action, due to her seagoing experience, but the ships will be claimed in the name of the Central Kingdom, assuming appropriate Seo Hán Nì crews can be found.

Summer Wind and Smoke Cat Watching return to their families in various locations to the west, but Shooting Star's mother remains with the newlyweds for a time, pretending to be awaiting a ship to take her back south. She will probably travel via magical doorway again, but the elderly woman has not yet decided which is more to be avoided: a long sea voyage or a strange mystical transition. Silver Fox and Estel are enjoying a period of rest and relaxation, with nothing but official outings and actions, before their next adventure.