Secrets and Lore: Gayther and Marelyn's Story

For the next three weeks that they spent on Star City station, Marelyn pretended to be an awestruck, silly human, new to Star City, new to the Lodge itself, and brought along by Naoryn and Gayther, perhaps by mistake or perhaps to look after them while they were in this strange place. Gayther and Naoryn called her Mary, at her insistence, and she did the promised shopping to purchase herself clothing that not only mimicked Kilandaia fashion, it didn't stand out too badly in the Star City crowd, either. She fawned over the dragons, who Naoryn promised humans saw as legends just as much as the goprin had, charmed them, offered to help them clean the tangled parts of their fur, and listened. After quizzing Sylira about them, she tailored herself to each one just as she paid the people at Star City to tailor her new clothing: to one she was flattering and subservient, to another she listened with as empty-headed an expression as she could manage, to another she was friendly and talkative, to another she was sympathetic and open.

Catrice was the only one she avoided when she could manage it, because that dragon had so much magic on her that she couldn't penetrate to even guess at what it did. It might have identified her, even just her species. It certainly would detect and repel any of the small charms she used to make her job easier, once she was certain they worked again-- charms of inattention, charms of attraction, charms of misdirection, even temperature charms to hide the fact that there was magic in the air, when she couldn't count on Gayther and Liatha's new habit of practicing magic at any time of the day to cover for her.

For the first time in years, Marelyn felt fully alive, her body ready to leap into action at any moment and her mind working almost too quickly to keep up with. It was like a hunt that never ended. It was like a morning of crisp, mountain wind and a good run through it. It was like breathing clean air for the first time in years-- decades-- and it wasn't just because she had changed forms and used magic again.

It was interesting to immerse herself in almost-forgotten roles from her distant, hazy, bitter childhood. It was like putting on clothes that didn't quite fit, but which she remembered and loved for their nostalgic value. And the "not fitting" feeling didn't last long. Now that she had a purpose beyond hurting others because they had hurt her, now that she was older and wiser, now that she was no longer in the same situation, she actually found she enjoyed the acting, the listening, and even the tiny magics she could once again access much more than she had at the time. Her satisfaction when she made a discovery was of a different kind, now: just as fierce, perhaps, just as empowering, but less angry, less inclined to make her hate.

And she did finally make a discovery, one that, once she'd worked out what it meant, required she bring their little group of conspirators together again. She sat demurely in her volumous skirts while they waited for Sylira, the last of the group, to arrive, and refused to speak until that moment. It seemed silly to start without, perhaps, the most important member of the group, the only one who could confirm her suspicions and tell her what their ramifications might be. While she waited, she thought in silence, toying with an idea that had sprung into her head when she realized Gayther's unconscious decision, watching him with Liatha and her "babies". There was promise in that idea, whether or not her guess about Catrice was right, and she was seriously considering going through with it.

At last, the river dragon dragged herself in and heaved herself up onto the bed. She looked uncomfortably full of energy, her tail twitching as if it wanted to lash and her eyes flashing angrily.

"I do think you'd be happier having someone float you around," Marelyn said, ostensibly seriously but letting a definite hint of mischief show in her eyes, as well. "Think of how dignified you would look, with your very own levitation mage."

Sylira didn't dignify that with a response, but burst out immediately, "She's onto something! I don't know what she knows, but that dragoness is practically glowing with all the wards she has around her person, and she won't talk to anyone! I sure hope you've been as careful as you think you have--"

"Calmly, my finned friend," Marelyn soothed, having half-expected that sort of outburst, given she'd noticed just the same thing. "She's edgy, yes, but I think it's more because of Gayther and Liatha than me. They have been practicing magic in the hatching bays and elsewhere, and I think that's making her nervous. As far as any of the dragons believe, I am utterly in awe of them, and utterly human." Not to mention, of course, how much she believed Catrice had invested in this, and the days were dropping faster now. There was just under a month left until the hatching.

"I've sensed the magic Liatha and Gayther are working, I don't think this is a result of that, but I'm trusting you here. If she traces things back to you and through you to me...." Sylira trailed off, but the warning and worry in her voice were enough.

"Even if she traces it to me, you aren't even involved," Marelyn promised with a smile.

Naoryn added his two coppers: "Unless she's had you followed, she can't possibly have any idea you're involved with us. If she finds us, it doesn't hurt you. Now, for the reason we've been called together?"

"Yes," Marelyn nodded. "The reason. I've been doing a lot of listening, being gracious and charming, and flattering, and I've heard a few things. Everyone seems to be of the opinion that your real reason for being here is the same as yours, Sylira: because Catrice told you to, and because you think the offspring will be better off. Everyone except, of all people, Kasaopeia."

"What does that twit have to say?" Sylira asked, terse and not the least bit interested.

"There you go again," Marelyn marveled. "Just because someone is not the sharpest, or the easiest to deal with, you automatically discount her. Catrice does the same thing-- which makes her useful. Because Catrice does not censor herself around her. How do you think I discovered where you people were going, to begin with?"

"Marelyn, would you please get to the point?" Gayther pleaded.

"The point is not going anywhere anytime soon," Marelyn replied, thinking this just as important a point as the one he was after. "You can be patient."

Sylira started to retort, but Naoryn's warning glance actually silenced her. "Marelyn, I'm with Gayther, here. You called us together for a reason, and I sincerely hope it wasn't to chide Sylira on her behavior to the members of her Society. I personally have nothing against Kasaopeia, but I don't really have much liking for her, either. Get on with why we're here."

"Chiding Sylira is just an added bonus," Marelyn admitted. "All right, impatient ones. Kasaopeia hears things, because Catrice is too short-sighted to keep her mouth shut around those she does not respect but still trusts, marginally. This time, what she's heard has her frightened. Catrice keeps muttering about a battle-- Kasaopeia is afraid the 'troops' she wants to send in includes her-- and with her currently elevated stress levels as the hatching approaches next month...." She shrugged. "It is just a guess, but my suspicion she is trying to raise garyki to help her fight the Council."

"But that's madness!" Sylira cried, thrusting herself up onto her arms and knocking a lamp over with her tail. Gayther, stunned though he was, still managed to catch and right it with a quick word-- he had picked up his own magic again even more quickly and easily than Marelyn had, it seemed. "The Council has a representative of every dragon species on Kilandaia and at least three Deity dragons! Not to mention all the Deity dragons have to do is call home and all the Deity dragons on the planet will show up to smite us all!"

Both cat-formed goprin looked stunned and afraid. Marelyn would have readily admitted that she didn't have much of an idea what a "deity dragon" was like, except probably more powerful than a regular dragon, but if Gayther's heavy swallow and Naoryn's instinctive bristling were any indication, the very idea of starting a war with them probably was madness-- and it was nothing that innocents should have to be involved in, goprin, garyki, or even dragon.

"Surely Kasaopeia just hasn't gotten all the information," Naoryn said gruffly.

"The exact quote was: she keeps muttering about sending her troops into battle," Marelyn said, vaguely apologetic for dashing his hope. "I simply don't see what else it could mean. Who else does Catrice have to battle, and what other reason could she have for specifically creating creatures outside the Council's control?"

"That does make a little too much sense," Naoryn winced. "But why would she come up with such a plan? Does she really think she can breed herself an army?"

The last he aimed at Sylira, who was sitting still and rigid now on the bed. She didn't answer, stunned and quite possibly in some level of shock, but said haltingly, "I need-- to swim-- I can't think right now--"

"Deck Four, level sixteen, crossing eight," Gayther spoke up immediately. "A nice spa called Sea, Stars, and Sun. I took Liatha swimming there yesterday. You can add your stay to my bill."

"And my offer of levitation still stands," Marelyn put in, motivated in part by a desire to be privy to whatever idea she came up with, in part by her habitual mockery, and in part by actually thinking she might help the dragon if she needed her swim so badly. It was almost painful, sometimes, watching her awkwardness on land.

"I'll be fine," Sylira said tersely, heaving herself off the bed. "Those elevators can get me there fast enough."

"All right, then," Marelyn said with a shrug.

"Why don't we come with you?" Naoryn suggested suddenly, looking up from the bed where the river dragon had just lay. "That way you can mull things over and tell us what you come up with, on the spot."

"I think that's probably a good idea," Gayther agreed immediately, to Marelyn's surprise. She frowned at them both, unsure exactly what had prompted their change of heart, but she stood up, anyway. It was still a good idea.

"If you don't begrudge our presence, perhaps that would be more efficient," she said graciously. "They might not take your word for being on Gayther's bill without him there, anyway."

Since Sylira didn't protest, they all went with.