Lorne's Diary:

The Lion's Mouth

Okay, I blew it. No, seriously - my instincts have got to have gone stale after so much time in the cooler; it's the only explaination for how I let myself get where I am. Where am I? Back in the cooler again, of course; a different cooler, to be sure, but still...

Let's see, where to start. Well, those soldiers had taken us back to their camp, a semi-permanent looking place, when I was shocked to have a woman run up to me and greet me like family! It took me a minute to recognize her...it was Liana Kim, Victor's granddaughter, and she'd gone all adult on me over the time I'd been gone. Sigh. I wish I'd had the chance to watch her grow up...I never got to take her sailing, or pegasus racing, or....ah, hell...it seems like they grow up so fast when you're not around to watch. I was glad to see a friendly face though, and to have the chance to get caught up a bit. Apparently I've been out of action for about 35 years. Victor and his kids have been keeping the business running while I've been gone, and doing a decent job at it from what Liana tells. I guess she went off to make her own way in life as a spy/military commander for this mercenary unit. I don't mind, as long as she doesn't get the Company mixed up in it. At first, I was eyeing the possibility of setting up a supply deal (through suitable channels) to keep the ale flowing to the camp, but then Liana mentioned that the boss of this group was a renegade Amberite named Dalt. That set off some warning bells, and I decided that it'd be best to leave in the morning. I should have listened to those bells a bit closer.

There was also still the question of what to do about Elayne and Darian...I couldn't very well just abandon her out here while she's still wet behind the ears, and besides, she's showing a very unhealthy interest in heading toward Amber, and Darian seems similarly afflicted. A part of me wanted to just try to find someplace halfway safe to drop her off and get back to headquarters to pick things up again. But then, I've never been as good as I should be at turning my back on someone who needs a hand. Also, I'd rather not leave her with him until I figure out the rest of his story. Still, I could hardly drag either of them along kicking and screaming, so I gave them their choice of staying here, coming back with me, or getting dropped off near the Golden Circle to find their own way. As it turned out, the correct answer was 'D', none of the above.

In the middle of the night, I get woken up by a ruckus in the camp...they're searching people, looking for something. My instincts were screaming at me to get clear, and I'm pretty sure I could have slipped out past the guards...but that would've meant leaving Elayne and Darian in the lurch. So I decide to just take the bold way out, since none of us has done anything to get anyone upset, right? Unfortunately, some kind of detector they were using bleeped at us, even though I'm sure we weren't the ones who poisoned their well, and answered their questions honestly. So they drag us in front of their boss, Dalt.

Dalt seems to be everything I've imagined an Amberite to be...strong, capable, polite, and determined to wring every bit of benefit he can out of having us. The problem is - and this is a BIG problem - he seems to think that we're Amberites as well...all three of us! Worse, I'm actually starting to think he might be right. I had thought that Elayne might be, given what happened to me, but the things Dalt said about being unusually capable, and about not aging...they all ring disturbingly familiar, and I really have no certain way of knowing who my parents were to decide one way or the other. I'm getting very afraid that I may have to go play in the major leagues a few centuries before I'd planned to be ready for them. I've got to get back to headquarters ASAP to start making plans for how to manage this.

One small hitch in this plan; Dalt went and threw us into a shadow that he seems to have control over, and he's got us locked up tight. There's two more Amberites being held here as well, and they both look like they've seen better days. The first, Gabrielle, is wheelchair-bound, while the other, Sinclair, looks like he's been run through a wine press. Gabrielle seems pleasant enough; she says she's a daughter of Fiona, and I get the feeling the relationship might be a bit strained. Sinclair didn't say where he fits into things, which leads to some interesting guesses. One thing that was obvious, though, is that the two of them are in that awkward, proto-relationship phase. It's always so amusing to watch the little ways people play when they're in that stage, and it's refreshing to know that Amberites aren't above them.

We're headed out now to explore this place...it's built like a mansion without doors or windows, and hopefully there'll be a kitchen somewhere where we can get a snack. Then I can concentrate on figuring out how to get Elayne...and Darian, and maybe Gabrielle and Sinclair...out of here.