Dalena is sleeping and hoping for pancakes upon awaking. Ronan is making breakfast at his Surf Shop. Erin stayed the night a the Castle. Maladin is at his Keep in Helmwind, healing.

It's morning. The day after the Funeral.

Maladin is armed, armored, healed up. He recalled all his knights several days ago, and called back to his other shadow to have a thousand cavalry troops made ready. He waves over to Ronan's Surf Shack. It's locked up and dark. He's met by Paige, the Californian beach babe, who tells him they're closed. He explains that he's there to see Ronan, and she yell for him. Ronan comes downstairs. They say hi, and Ronan's trumped by Erin. He invites her over for breakfast, and all three of they go into the shop to eat. Erin asks how Maladin is, and he says he's okay now. Ronan wants to know if Maladin is ready to go do something on account of his armor. No … Maladin wants to know about the weapons shipment that was ordered. Erin replies that she had looked into the second shipment, and she thinks that Daron had taken it when the group didn't come back for them. Maladin says he'd like to find all of that stuff, and he's told that they're out in Shadow with Daron somewhere. "Then I want Daron's brain." Well, that's out in Shadow too. Do you want help with that? "Yeah, I want to find him and download his brain." Ronan tells Maladin about the exploits yesterday, up north with the Sisters. And Erin mentions that Brand is here to help with the Sisterhood. They talk about the Dark Brother, and who he is … why is he a personification of the Dark Side, the Shadow. Ronan spills the dirt about Marcus following the Dark Brother. They talk about how much Marcus knew about the death of Maladin's knight … and just how "bad" he might actually be, saving Ronan's ass not withstanding. So, what do you want to do, asks Erin. "Get Daron." Maladin is trumped by Brand. He wants to talk to Maladin about something … at his convenience. Brand will have the seneschal set up a meeting room to be available in an hour. Ronan goes back to the guns idea. He wants to know more about the gun shipment, and wanted to know if they should follow through.

Erin is trumped by Lord Byron. He just wanted to let her know that things are getting stirred up in Chaos … lots of assassinations and stuff … and the King is getting a little pissy about it all. Erin makes all nice and sweet at him, and asks if she might "jump" him later. He gets all grinny and endearing, and would love to have her contact him at her convenience. When called on it, she gets all flustered and changes the subject. Plans are made to reconvene later.

Erin is going to visit the Pontifex, and wants Ronan to go be sneaky with her to find out what's going on with his being drugged. The head off to Church.

Dalena gets her pancakes, and she and Galen talk about a plan to extract Daron. Keeping him alive is tantamount. He will gather a strike force, while she's off to Amber to clear up matters with Bleys. Once she gets to the Castle she's trumped by Maladin, who wants to have more information about the lead on Daron. Dalena tells him about the strike force Galen's putting together, and would he like to come? "I insist," he says. "You don't have to insist, you're being invited, dear." So they agree to meet at her house in Helmwind after their respective meetings with Brand. She finds Bleys in one of the private rooms. They talk about her buyer's remorse, and how she won't back him by trumping up charges against Brand. He seems to understand, and asks if he can still have the Oleai support. "If your cause is a just one, yes." "Then we are not opposed." "No, we're not." They part amiably. Dalena then goes to talk to Brand … who is in a meeting with Maladin. She gets on the schedule just after him.

Maladin tunes his way to Rebma to talk with Llewella before he talks to Brand. They have a quickie, as he only has a half an hour. After twenty minutes, they talk for the last ten minutes. She tells him why Brand probably wants to talk to him … he's one of the only one, aside from the Oleai, who has a standing military. Maladin tells her that he's trying to catch the one who is behind Random's death at Daron's hand. She says that it's probably Brand or Bleys. Maladin suggests Flora. Llewella pooh poohs the idea … Flora? If she's doing it, she's going about it quite stupidly.

Maladin then goes to talk to Brand. Brand gets straight to the point. "You're going to be everyone's favorite friend. I'd like you to be mine. What will it take?" Maladin says that that's a very good question. "It's one you need to consider." Maladin says that he's hasn't considered who he is backing. "You need to make a decision. It doesn't have to be me, but you DO have to make a decision." Maladin asks Brand to talk about how he managed to come back to Amber. Brand gives him the back story about his time in Chaos, walking the Logrus, and the subsequent madness that overtook him. After his time in the Abyss, he was nursed back to health by another Chaosian family, then contacted Fiona to intercede for him to Random. Random verified, and issued a pardon. They talk about Chaos and Amber, and a bit about Daron. "Currently we have no treaty with Chaos, as they see the PatternFall treaty as having expired with the death of Oberon. I can bring that to the table. Peace with Chaos," says Brand.

Meanwhile, at the Church, Erin and Ronan are stonewalled in their attempt to get in to see the Pontefex. Much hilarity ensues as they talk and TK their way through the ranks. Erin finally gets in to see some middle management secretary who manages the coordinators who manage the schedules of those who manage everyone else; because no one actually manages themselves. Erin asks if she could see the Pontifex's schedule, and he says no and they wax eloquent about the nature of the church's reliability. She asks if she can invite the Pontifex to tea. "You can invite…" She asks for paper and a pen, and writes the invite. She then Pattern Imprints it, and Ronan puts his own on it so they can do their own Confirmations that it gets to where it's supposed to get to. Ronan is so ticky over the experience he causes books to fall off the bookshelf on his way out.

Dalena talks to Brand, and lays it all out on the table about the disposition of the Oleai. She and he also talk about the situation between Bleys and himself, and the state of the throne. She encourages them finding an "out of the box" resolution. Brand applauds the idea, but says it's not practical.

After talking to Brand, Maladin goes to talk to Benedict … and gets the trump of Daron. Maladin then tunes back to Helmwind. Galen doesn't skewer him.

Ronan goes up to Benedict's office and talks to his dad about Marcus' allegiance to the Dark Brotherhood. Benedict asks Ronan what he thinks about Marcus' loyalty, and potential threat to Amber. The Regent says he'll stick with the status quo in regard to Marcus. When that meeting is done, Ronan steps outside to meet with Erin. They talk about going to heading off to Earth when Erin is trumped. "Hello!!" It's Maladin.

Maladin tells Erin about the plan to get Daron. She says IT'S A STUPID PLAN!! Maladin remains firm in his intent, and asks for constructive input to his plan. Erin says she'll contact Bryon on Maladin's behalf, if he really wants her to. "Are you going to assemble your little Oleai strike force?" asks Erin. (peanut gallery: She's so bitchy.) I am NOT bitchy! Erin asks Ronan to go with Maladin to make sure he's safe.

Lord Byron is trumped by Erin. He's at his camp, not actually too far from Amber. They're going to have a picnic, though Erin forgot the tea. They make small talk about how things are in Amber and Chaos, and Erin brings up the idea of Daron. "What's his story?" she asks. She tries to get specific info about Daron from him, and Bryon doesn't really have information to give, though he suggests any assassinations might need to take a very large army. Erin asks for more information about challenges, and does the finger twiddle, coy eyes. They do the polite, proper flirtation, then bid each other goodbye. She then trumps Ronan.

Maladin goes back to talk to Brand about Daron and the Way in Chaos wherein the fellow is hiding.

Erin tries to talk Dalena into only challenging Daron opposed to just bringing in an army. The rest of them overrule that idea. They have 10 troops, a shaman, and themselves. Dalena makes fake Oleai armor for Maladin and Ronan, as a disguise. They make plans.

They test TK against the armor.

And off they go to Chaos! They wave ride to the park, then tune toward the wave. Follow Brand's map, find the most probable ways. They get split up. Galen asks Malith to open a Way and they proceed to go forward, leaving Ronan and Dalena "safe" in their little room. Meanwhile, Erin hears a noise, and she sees thousands of Oleai troops zip out. She tells Maladin about the army on its way. Galen simply explains that the group got split up, and the original plan is no longer in effect. "Chaos and Amber will never see the Oleai as a sovereign nation if we are not willing to defend our homeland. This is an Oleai affair, and we will take care of it. Maladin says, "I'm with you." And they proceed.

Dalena and Ronan tune back to the previous room, rejoining Maladin and Galen. They proceed forward. Lava river, solid steel door, little girl who was the demon, it gets Ronan. Maladin throws Ronan back through to Erin, who pushes the demon out with LOTS O' PATTERN!! The demon flees, and Ronan is passed back through the trump connection. Logrus tentacles, fireball. FOOM! The door is open, and they go through.

Inside … Daron, two Oleai, a flaming Chaosian and a lot of goons vs Galen, Maladin, Ronan and Dalena. FIGHT!

WE WIN!! Ow.

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