Rebma or Bust

A personal prayer to the Unicorn from Constance, daughter of Julian, pt 21

I return from Patrol duties and see that my men are fed and then sleep until summoned for a family war Council the following morning. The proposals are to use Mirror Sorcery to bring a few of us to Rebma and from there to walk the Rebman Pattern to Amber, or we continue our march. The former brings me to Arden a great deal more quickly. I am pleased when the collective decision is to pursue the Rebma alternative. The decision needs to be made as to who will make up the Advanced Party. Prince Benedict advises no more than six.

Father wants me to be in the Advanced Party and I am curious to go – I am female and, for once, useful to the family. My Lord Warden briefs me immediately. Rebma is a matriarchy. Llewella will be joining the away team and he trusts her above all of his siblings. Beware of Brand and be mindful that My Lord Warden needs to be in Arden to carry out his side of the bargain with Brand. Finally, My Lord Warden orders me to protect Fiona as best I am able. My Father Trusts me – mostly and among his Siblings, he has only named Llewella as trusted.

I return to my tent, readying for Patrol. Artemis is an unexpected visitor. She admits that she is missing the hunt and asks if she might join the Ranger Patrol. I welcome her company and her skill with a bow. With Alitta and Sorashi flying aerial patrols. We observe the local Neanderthals attacking any snakemen they come across but I leave them to it, treating it as purely a local matter.

We return to camp in the evening. I see to my men, thank Artemis for her welcome company, and Alitta and Sorashi for their aerial support, and retire to my tent to eat, wash and sleep. Lord Torc – or should I say Timotei – comes to visit me. I continue the deceit and continue to address him as the Ranger he doubtless murdered. Torc wants to accompany me to Rebma. This I can easily decline and do so. Lord Torc then requests that I call on him when I am in Faerie. I have been warned off entering Faerie by Prince Bleys but I cover this by asking if Lord Torc is offering hospitality and he confirms so. I ask him how he is enjoying his time with the Rangers and he says he’d done similar in his past. That said, he leaves me to myself.

The following morning Prince Benedict announces the composition of the Away Party. Princesses Llewella and Fiona; William and Rachel, me, Margrath, Sorashi and her Ward, Tajal. Diplomats, women and a half Rebman as the obvious thug.

Artemis again joins me on Patrol. We have Alitta and Surpanakha as aerial observation which is as well as well come under sustained attack from flying creatures with vicious beaks on them. The sort of beak that would rip one’s head off, given the opportunity.

The first volley of arrows falls short (I need to invest in a personalised bow) and Alitta has the sense to fly low, bringing the creatures with her in close pursuit. A second volley of arrows meets with more success. One of the creatures is killed outright. My arrow catches the second through its beak or mouth and it flaps off into the distance. Alitta is badly injured. I soften her landing with a Power Word. Falling isn’t a problem until the last second and thankfully she is flying low in the first place. I collect her and Trump her through to Dirk for medical treatment.

After my men are seen to, I am summoned to Aunt Llewella’s tent for a briefing on Rebma. This is a formal diplomatic visit. It is very much the matriarchy my Father had told me. Women are in Command. Men do as they are told. My male cousins are warned to keep their opinions to themselves. Little clothing is worn in Rebma – which leaves me… well uncomfortable – but if it means that we get home more quickly then I will need to put my prudish tendencies aside. The question that had been in my mind much of the day was about breathing under water and Llewella talks us through that.

I retire to my tent with food and a wash and am about to go to bed when I have a late night visit from Rhanda. I offer her a chair and wine. Am I leaving them – the Order? Well, in a sense as I am leaving the main body of the army. She wishes me to stay in contact but that will be difficult in Rebma where it is, so… wet. Rhanda says that they will investigate Sorcerous means to stay in contact, which seems the most likely thought. I bid her goodnight. But sleep is not to be mine.

Prince Gerard and the King had also been on my mind – perhaps because there is now a glimmer of a chance to reach Amber without the long march. I take my Trump deck and concentrate on the image of the King. The King’s Trump remains dead and Caine’s explanation is clear in my head. I then try Prince Gerard’s Trump. I had once exchanged glances – just the once, in the immediate aftermath of battle, as he cradled King Eric’s head as lay dying.

There is… there is something! It feels as though I am trying to contact someone a very, very long way away and I can’t quite connect. I think I catch a male voice asking ‘Who’ but that is all I can manage on my own. I seek Prince Benedict urgently, there are other ways to push this contact.

Prince Benedict listens and orders me to Trump William through. Prince Corwin and cousin Margrath are summoned, matters are explained and collectively we punch through the connection to Prince Gerard and make contact with him. And he joins us.

My poor Uncle. He holds his story until all of his brothers and sisters are present. His story is of one of isolation in Amber. For three years not knowing what had happened to his family. I felt guilt that I was so lost outside of my home of Arden. Prince Gerard’s tale was one of worry, loss, and death.

Gerard watched King Oberon walk and repair the Primal Pattern. It took 5 hours to achieve and at the end, its centre, Oberon collapsed, dead and the light was extinguished from the Jewel of Judgement. Great Grandfather ordered him to walk the Pattern and retrieve Oberon’s body.

The interesting thing to me was that on the death of his son, Great Grandfather seemed sane! Dworkin said that he would prepare his body and make arrangements and that Gerard should send word out across the Golden Circle that the King of Amber was dead.

Soon after that, the Unicorn herself galloped up to them and touched her Blessed horn to Oberon’s breast. The Jewel, that had lost its light, gave a small flash and Gerard followed Dworkin’s instruction to place the Jewel over Her horn and She would know what to do. She received the Jewel and then turned and galloped up into the sky and vanished among the stars. And, I realised, She was on her way to us.

Time was truly distorted as Gerard’s experience was still on the same day the Expeditionary Force Trumped (24th Satyr 3654) through to Prince Benedict. Dworkin reappeared a week later with the King’s coffin on a cart. Envoys were starting to arrive, forming the funeral procession. He made no reference to the dragons and other creatures that we observed in the Procession as it arrived at Thelbane. Gerard had received reports that the Black Road was withering and it appeared that it vanished for good shortly after the funeral procession set off.

As Prince Gerard continued there was evidence of time distortion. Gerard was several years governing as Regent of Amber with no word either from or about us. No contact and just him, cousin Martin and Lady Vialle – he had some comfort in that Lady Vialle seemed certain that Prince Random was still alive and Dworkin had warned him that Trumps would not function for the next while.

More than three years after our departure, on 9 Unicorn 3657, he received a distorted Trump call from Prince Random. Prince Gerard told of events at the end of the battle when the Unicorn appeared, studied us all, and gave him the Jewel of Judgement and that the family had acclaimed him King.

I smiled inwardly. I clearly recalled the wonder at Her appearance and the surprise at her decision. Gerard was understandably dubious about the explanation but when he and Random went to visit the repaired Primal Pattern the Unicorn again appeared and she knelt at the new King’s feet and Gerard was in no doubt about matters and he then knelt and swore fealty to the new King.

The disaster struck the very next day in Gerard’s timeline. A massive earthquake hit, causing a landslide on Kolvir and the destruction of most of the family’s accommodation in the Castle. Vine Street had been swept away and communications were difficult across the City. More troubling was the collapse of the tunnel that led to Amber’s Pattern.

Half the City had fallen into the Sea, and the Queen knew that something had happened to Rebma but said that she would ‘know’ if certain people had perished. My Uncle said he nearly drowned himself searching for the steps to Rebma. He also said something about the Queen knowing because of female intuition. It is a gift – I wonder if it is stronger in a matriarchy like Rebma.

The King ordered him to get news. Prince Gerard followed the route of the Black Road. There was only one Trump deck between them and it was left in Amber with the King – which begs the question, where was the King’s Trump deck? In any case Dworkin had already warned Prince Gerard that Trump may not work at all.

Prince Gerard followed the fading influence of the Black Road and was adept at Shifting Shadow. The Shadows had changed, some profoundly. There were no Trump calls but he was determined to press on because the King wanted news.

About 10 days out he met a creature – perhaps a woman – who told him that Amber had vanquished Chaos at the Battle at the End of the World but nonetheless Amber had fallen. Was this true and who was the ‘woman’?

When Prince Gerard attempted to turn back to Amber, he found his way blocked. He has since spent his life trying to find his way home. But – Father told me to explore all possibilities before succumbing to despair. It is a credit to him that he did not embrace despair. At this point, I asked for food and wine to be brought to my poor Uncle. I hugged him and told him I was glad that I had found him and he was on his way home with us.

My Aunts Fiona and Llewella know that Rebma still exists – and we are to travel there in the next day or so. Perhaps there is also hope for Amber. Unicorn only knows!

Prince Gerard had been lost searching for us and Unicorn knows for how many months in Amber time.

Prince Gerard had become lost because of the changes reflected by the World Storm and he became lost in a legend of his own making: the wandering Prince, the lost Prince. But I’d found him and we had brought him back to us. He was a Prince restored to his family (well, actually he did only say his Brothers, as I heard Llewella comment) as his siblings would be restored to Amber and me restored to my home, the Arden I yearn for. I found you, I said quietly as I hug him. No tears. I am the Colonel of the Rangers, I hope I can develop his resilience.

I return to my tent and am summoned to a meeting of the Undeniable Moth – which I of course attend. I confirmed that I was travelling with the Advanced Party to Rebma. I would do my best to stay in touch with them although they would need to work out how this might be achieved. Rhanda looks to Merlin for a Sorcerous solution as Trump would get very wet indeed and I am a Ranger – certainly no Sorcerer. The meeting breaks up and I finally get some much needed sleep.

The Advanced Party regroup and I Trump Prince Caine, who is with the guard protecting the mirror that is to transport us to Rebma. On arrival, we tell him that Prince Gerard has been located and give him a precis of his tale.

At the mirror, Aunt Llewella begins her Ritual and she seems to use the mirror as Trump and is speaking with a young woman standing in front of another mirror – presumably in Rebma as this was my first sight of Aunt Llewella’s daughter, Nerine.

And we are Trumped? Mirrored? Reflected? through to Aunt Llewella’s Chambers in Rebma. Once we are all present, Nerine sends a page to alert the Queen of Rebma to our arrival and perhaps ten minutes later several guards arrive to escort us to what seems to be a formal reception room. There, seated is Queen Moiré, flanked by two advisors, later named as Scylla and Leucothea. The Queen looks, well… Queenly, on her throne dressed in a fish leather kilt and jewels and she bares a sceptre in her arms.

We are presented to her in order of gender and birth rank of our female parent. Aunt Llewella gives a brief account of the battle, The Courts and our journey to Ygg. In return Queen Moire tells us of events from Rebma’s perspective. The Earthquake and the apparent twisting of Rebma or indeed, the World, by 90 degrees. I am again considering this piece of information in terms of my dreams of Amber – and it does not work. What I dreamt of was like Amber but not Amber.

Finally, Princess Fiona formally asks the Queen for permission to walk the Rebma Pattern and her reply is that she will consider it. We are escorted to our accommodation and asked to prepare for a formal meal in the evening.

I sit on a bed wondering where it is that Fiona will take us to when she does walk the Rebman Pattern – and presuming the Queen of Rebma gives us permission and at what cost will that be to Amber? Where and what will Amber be? But that is a matter for later discussions but I have misgivings about my ability to protect the Princess before she took the Rebma Pattern. I could not protect her during her walk and Unicorn knows how after, unless she Trumps me immediately on her arrival in – Amber? I will speak with her about her intentions and for the rest? I have a good intuition. I just need to heed it.