Kai reined in his horse as he reached the top of the ridge and gazed down into the valley that opened out before him. Mist was already beginning to rise, probably from a stream or river hidden from him by the woods that filled the lower part of the valley. He was beginning to wish that he hadn’t laughed at the others in the scouting party when they had told him that the valley was a dangerous place when the moon rode full and high in the night sky. They had refused to come along when he had pointed out that this route would cut a whole day off the time it would take them to get back to the meeting point prearranged with Arthur.

A sensible man would have laughed, shrugged and dropped the idea, going along with what the others wanted. Kai, however, was always conscious of the fact that he was a potential outsider. The people of Arthur’s tribe, and some of the regular warriors who rode with them, had come to know him and accept him as one of their own. Strangers, however, saw only his height and blond hair and their initial reaction was one of wariness. Kai always felt that he had to prove himself, over and above the deeds that any other warrior could lay claim to. At any victory feast, he was the last to speak and the one most likely to downplay what he had done. He had learned the hard way that he had to tread a fine line between not drawing attention to himself and not doing enough.

Which was why he had gone off on his own, refusing to take the same route as his fellow warriors. Not the first time he had done so, despite Llud trying to teach him the folly of such a tactic. Kai was sure that Llud would be quick to point out that it was his own fault that he had been ambushed less than an hour after striking out on his own. Kai couldn’t blame the small band of warriors who had stumbled across him. To them, he would have been a lone Saxon scout and someone who had to be stopped at all costs. Kai had managed to get away, but not before a spear had slashed his side and left a messy and painful gash. He didn’t think it was a life-threatening, provided he got to a healer before too long.

Knowing that he couldn’t afford to delay much longer, Kai found himself urging his horse down into a supposed haunted valley, separated from the others and wishing that there was some magic spell that could make him accepted wholeheartedly by his adopted people. It would make his life so much easier. It might also make Arthur’s life a little easier, as well. Kai knew that he wasn’t supposed to know how often Arthur had been pressured to send him away, or stop showing his affection for his foster-brother so overtly. Arthur’s ambition to unite all the Celtic tribes against the Saxons would be a lot easier to achieve if he didn’t have an obvious Saxon standing at his right hand. There were three chieftains who refused to attend any gathering while Kai was present and Arthur stubbornly refused to pander to their demands and set Kai aside.

"Not that anyone could accuse me of being stubborn, eh, horse?" Kai observed in amusement.

The horse snorted and shook its head, the harness jangling musically. Kai laughed, but his smile died as he realised that the mist was growing thicker as he descended further down into the valley. If he had any sense, he would stick to the grassy upper slopes and take the long way round. Going into an unknown forest wasn’t all that sensible, especially when it was already late afternoon and he had no idea how long it would take him to get across to the other side. There could be boar, wolves, and even bears lurking in there, just waiting for a tender young warrior to cross their path – especially one that was already bleeding. And yet… crossing the valley instead of going around it would save him a day and he would be able to smile with quiet superiority when the others talked in hushed whispers about the danger that lurked there.

With a sigh, he urged the horse into a trot while he still had clear ground to cover. At least he could count on the animal’s finely-honed senses to back his own observations. He had won Baedd in a wager against Marc of Cornwall and he had never regretted it. A powerful dark grey stallion from Marc’s own herd, Baedd had been well-trained and had a sweet nature that belied his ferocity in battle. Marc had only permitted Kai to take Baedd; wager notwithstanding, as long as Kai did not geld him. Kai had laughed at that and promised Marc that he was more likely to find wives for Baedd than put an end to his bloodline. Satisfied, Marc had only grumbled a little as Kai had ridden out of his citadel on one of his finest horses. Not for nothing were Marc’s horses coveted throughout the Celtic lands.

The trees gradually surrounded him and Kai urged Baedd forward, but allowed the horse to pick his own way. The stallion found paths that had been made by other animals, picking his way through the forest with relative ease. Kai felt the hairs on the back of his head lift gently as he started to notice how unusual this forest was. There was none of the wild tangle of undergrowth he would have expected. Trees grew in abundance and Kai saw several bushes heavy with berries as he rode along, but light passed through the forest canopy with ease, splattering a deep grassy sward with splashes of gold. Baedd snatched at the grass a couple of times, chewing with obvious relish, but Kai frowned. This forest had the look of somewhere that had been tamed, rather than a wild place. The way his luck was going, he had probably inadvertently wandered into the territory of the warriors who had previously attacked him. His blond hair had already led them to attack first and ask questions a lot later.

The angle of the sunbeams told him that the sun was starting to set. He started to urge Baedd to move a little faster, but the powerful grey raised his head and snorted before coming to a halt. Startled, Kai tried again, but the stallion was having none of it. In fact, he backed up several steps and showed a distinct tendency to turn around and go back the way he had come. Kai tried again, wincing as his wounded side started to throb once more. Then he paused as he heard a soft thread of sound coming from ahead of him. It had sounded like… music?

It came again, a brief snatch of sound, but this time he was listening for it and he was certain that it was music of some kind. A harp, and just the faintest snatch of a flute, coming to him on the breeze. Music meant people, even if it only a travelling bard on his way from one place to another. Kai was suddenly eager to have the company of another person, even if it turned out to be some half-mad old rhymester singing wildly inaccurate stories about Arthur. He urged Baedd on again and this time the stallion obeyed, albeit reluctantly.

They travelled for a few minutes and this time there was no mistaking the music that was coming from up ahead. Baedd’s initial reluctance had vanished and he pressed on eagerly at a brisk trot. The trees were becoming more widely spaced apart and a road seemed to appear out of nowhere under his hooves. A marvel of smooth white stones edged with blue slate, it curved through the wood and rang beneath Baedd’s hooves like a deep-toned gong. At regular intervals along the way were tall, rough pillars of stone that came up to Kai’s knee. Carved into the top of each pillar was a different symbol, and a trick of the light made the symbols appear to glow as Kai passed each one.

Baedd had started to canter along the road and Kai had no objections to the increase in speed. The music was stronger now and he could tell that it was indeed the sound of a harp playing a wild, sweet tune he had never heard before. The flute, however, sounded strange, the high clear sound resembling nothing he had heard before. It was very beautiful, however, and he wondered if he might be able to persuade the musicians to come with him to play for Arthur and the others. It would be a tremendous feather in his cap if he did.

The road curved around a huge oak tree. As he rounded it, Kai was astonished to see that the forest came to an abrupt end in order to make way for a large hill that curved upwards, covered with thick green grass. He was certain that there hadn’t been a hill like that when he had looked down into the valley. He certainly didn’t remember seeing the blinding white walls that sat on the top of the hill or the roofs that could be seen above them. The road circled the hill, rising higher with every rotation until it reached gates of carved wood and stone. Kai stared up in amazement. How could such a large settlement exist so close by Arthur’s territory without anyone knowing about it?

He suddenly realised that the music was coming from close by. Looking around, he suddenly spotted the musician and stared in amazement. A woman, taller than any Celt, sat on a flat rock beside the road. She was playing a harp that glowed like fire in the late afternoon sunshine, but what he had thought was some kind of flute was actually the sound of her voice as she sang a wordless accompaniment to the music. She was wearing a dress of the deepest red and her jewellery rivalled that of a princess. The most striking thing about her, though, was her hair. It fell down her back like a waterfall of purest silver-white, bound and woven in an intricate style involving coloured ribbons and finely wrought chains set with beads and gemstones. She was the most exotic creature he had ever seen in his life.

Then she raised her head and he was caught by her eyes.

He didn’t remember falling, but the impact with the ground brought him out of whatever daze he had fallen into as the pain from his wound flared. He was dimly aware of the sound of hooves retreating and concern for Baedd made him struggle to sit up. A shadow fell over him and he squinted up in time to see the woman crouch down beside him. Once again, their eyes met and Kai felt the world begin to slide away from him, like sand sliding through fingers. Her eyes were wild and golden as a falcon's, with nothing of the human in them. Underneath the dislocation, he felt fear stir as he remembered with absolute clarity all the tales he had ever heard about the Fair Ones, the fey creatures who shared the land with the Celts.

He desperately tried to struggle to his feet, but his wound – no more than an irritation while he was mounted – sapped his strength and made him collapse back onto the ground. He lay back in temporary defeat, panting slightly. The woman was still bending over him, a look of intense curiosity on her face. She tilted her head to look at the injury, but there was no change to her expression. Instead, she reached out a hand and laid it against the wound. Kai arched his back and screamed as he suddenly felt as if someone had sunk the entire length of a blade into the wound and twisted. Then the strange woman, golden sunlight and pain all rolled up together and fell away into merciful oblivion.

"You left him? What do you mean, you left him?"

Coran backed up nervously as Arthur shot to his feet and glared at him. He was beginning to think that it had been a bad mistake to come and tell Arthur what had happened to Kai. He and the others had expected to find Kai waiting for them when they got back to the village, that infuriating smile twisting his lips as he stood with his arms folded and his lanky body seemingly perfectly relaxed. At first they hadn’t been concerned when he hadn’t been in sight, assuming that Arthur had called him to his side, but it hadn’t taken them very long to realise that he had not, in fact, returned.

It had taken the five of them another couple of hours before they had argued themselves into the decision that someone should tell Arthur what had happened. Coran wasn’t quite sure quite how he came to be elected as the one to actually do the talking, and he was certain that the others would owe him a considerable debt – if he lived through the next few minutes. Arthur was famous for his even temper, but he was a Celt, with a Celt’s temper, and Coran was all too aware of the sword his King wore.

"I asked you a question, Coran!"

Coran jumped at the snap in Arthur’s voice. "I swear, Kai wouldn’t listen when we told him that the valley was cursed. He laughed and said that such tales were only for children and women. When we said we wouldn’t go down there with him, he said that he would go alone and be back here before us and laugh at our fears. We... we were angry at his taunts and told him that if he went, he went alone."

"So you abandoned him," Arthur accused.

"No, he abandoned them." Llud’s entrance came as a welcome relief to Coran. "Arthur, Kai’s arrogance led him to do a foolish thing. I fail to see why you would see fit to punish Coran for this."

Arthur’s anger continued to burn bright for a few more minutes, then collapsed under the cool gaze of his foster-father and mentor. "But they let him ride into the Valley of the Fair Folk, Llud," he said almost plaintively.

"After giving him due warning," Llud pointed out. "What would you have had them do? Tie him up and bring him back thrown across his horse’s back?"

From the look on Arthur’s face, that was a plan of action that he might have contemplated had he been in Coran’s shoes, but after a while, he conceded defeat and waved Coran away. Thoroughly relieved to escape with his hide intact, Coran made good his escape, leaving Llud with Arthur.

"He hasn’t come back, Llud," Arthur said helplessly.

"I gathered that," Llud said dryly. "It also seems that Kai decided to test the truth of our legends. I could wish he was as ardent in testing the truth of the lessons I try and teach the pair of you."

"I have to go and find him," Arthur said flatly. He started out of the hall, and then paused as Llud caught at his arm. "Don't try and stop me, Llud," he warned.

"I'm not stopping you. I'm just making you stop a moment and think," Llud replied in quiet exasperation. "What's your plan?"

"Plan?" Arthur was thrown off balance. He had been expecting opposition and the quiet question wasn't what he had expected.

"Yes, your plan," Llud repeated patiently. "I hope it involves more than you getting on your horse, charging off after Kai and falling into the same trap that he's triggered."

Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again as he realised that his 'plan' had ran the same course as Llud had just described. He gave his foster-father and mentor a look of mute resentment as Llud sighed and shook his head. No matter how many years he lived, Llud could still make him feel like a grubby youngling barely weaned from his mother.

"Come, we will need something more than a good sword and blind bravery if we are to lay siege to the Fair Ones. Get your horse and find some amber and jet. It's time I took you back to see someone."

Kai awoke to the sound of birdsong in his ears and the smell of fresh-baked bread in his nostrils. He blinked up at the ceiling in confusion, wondering where it had come from. His last memory had been... Recalling the woman and the pain brought him sitting up in a rush that proved to be a mistake, as his head spun and the world receded for a moment behind a curtain of grey mist. He managed to stop himself from passing out by sheer effort of will and after a while he was able to open his eyes again and take in his surroundings. His eyes widened as he realised that, wherever he was, it did not belong to either Celt or Saxon. He had never been in a room where the walls were made of ice or quartz.

He stared around in bemusement, wondering if he was still asleep and dreaming. The bed he was in was larger than any he had slept in before, but it was no different in design than any other, with fine linen and sheepskins piled high. The floor, when he leaned over to look, was of polished wood, as was the roof above him. All four walls, however, were made of a clouded material that looked exactly like ice or highly polished quartz. There was a large window carved out of one of the walls and the light that flooded in set the strange walls glowing softly. He had never seen anything so alien in his life. What manner of beings had ice for walls?

As if the question had summoned her, there was the sound of movement and the same woman he had encountered before seemed to slide through the walls and move towards him. Startled out of his wits, Kai flinched back as she reached for him, wondering what kind of dark magic was going to be worked on him. If she noticed his reaction, she gave no sign, but grasped his arm before he could evade her and reached with her other hand to touch his face.

One of his oldest nightmares was of being in a place that burned. The flames roared all around him, threatening to drag him into their fiery embrace. Then he had been free and running from their deadly song, only to have the ground vanish from beneath his feet. He fell until he landed in water, cold and deep. The shock he had felt invariably brought him awake from the nightmare. He felt something very akin to that shock, now, in the touch of this woman, but there was no escaping this dream, or the feeling. It went on and on, flooding through him the way water had found its way into his lungs. He struggled to escape, feeling his mind spin and threaten to tip over into darkness, but there was no escape and he could only lie where he was and wait to drown.

Then he was free, with a swiftness that left him reeling and breathless. He collapsed back on the bed, panting, and stared up at the woman in wild unease. She gazed down at him, a puzzled expression on her face, but after a moment it cleared and she was an enigmatic as a stone. She turned away from him and walked back to the wall. Once again she made that strange sideways turn and she was gone, only a dark shadow briefly dancing where she had been.

It took Kai a long time to recover from the encounter. He couldn't understand why he felt so dizzy and breathless, when the encounter had been little more than a minor wrestling match. He'd suffered worse at the hands of children! Yet he lay back and panted as though he had fought with someone twice as strong as himself. He twisted in bed and felt a stab of pain shoot up his leg. Flicking back the bed covers, he saw that his wound had been bandaged, but it still throbbed and when he placed his hand on the skin next to it, he felt a worrying heat there. He had seen men lose limbs when a badly treated wound became infected.

He had to leave this place and get back to Arthur and the others. The fear was irrational in its strength and conviction, but it swamped him like a summer flood. He struggled free of the covers, and then leaned against the bed panting. Realising that he was naked, he looked around for his clothes. He could see no sign of them, but a pile of cloth caught his eye and when he hobbled over he could see that it was clothing of a kind. He picked over the items dubiously, then decided that beggars couldn't be choosers and anything was better than trying to sneak out as naked as the day he had been born.

To his surprise, all of the clothing looked like it would fit him. He was used to being the tallest of the group, with clothes having to be made especially for him. These, however, all looked to have been made for someone of his height and approximate build. He wrinkled his nose a little at the lightness of the cloth, thinking that the outfits wouldn't endure much hard use, but he swiftly found pants, vest and a kind of jerkin that he put on swiftly before turning his attention to escaping from this eerie room.

That proved to be surprisingly easy. He had initially thought that there was no door in the wall, but when he had gone over to where the woman had appeared and then disappeared, he discovered that there was a door, slender and tall, cut into the shimmering wall, and the reason he hadn't seen it was that a curtain of material the same colour as the wall hung down in front of it. Kai lifted up the material and peered out cautiously. He found himself looking into a corridor that ran alongside his room before curving away around a corner. The floor and ceiling was still made out of wood, but the walls were the same warm not-ice. Running his hand along them, he was reminded of the prized goblet that Marc of Cornwall owned, a chalice made out of what he swore was sunlight pouring down through the forest, frozen into solidity by some strange magic. Kai had always poured scorn on that idea, especially since no-one apart from Marc was allowed to touch the precious treasure, but now he wondered. These walls were a different colour to the gold-green of the goblet, but they reflected the light in the same way.

"I'm held captive by people who give Marc of Cornwall gifts," he muttered under his breath. "I don't think it can get any worse."

Fatal words. No sooner had they left his lips than he heard the soft whisper of cloth to his left. He turned to see another woman approaching him, similar enough to the first one to be her sister, but with her silver-gold hair bound up with golden cords and her gown of rich gold embroidered with symbols in black. She didn't seem surprised to see him in the corridor and gestured at him to precede her. Kai found himself obeying without a murmur, sensing in this second woman an air of authority that the first one had lacked. Until he knew what forces were ranged against him, it would be better to play along. Besides, he had seen only women so far and, strange as they might be and act, he had no doubt that he could best them if it came to battle.

And then he remembered the feeling of burning as he drowned and he wasn't as certain as he had been.

Arthur balked when he saw where they were going and gave Llud a look of betrayal. The older man sighed, mentally bracing himself for the battle to come. He had only brought Arthur to see Margena twice. The first time he had been a babe in arms and had squalled the entire time. The second he had been a twelve year old who had sworn blind after the trip that Margena had changed shape at least three times while he had been with her. He'd refused point blank to go anywhere near her since then and he wouldn't thank Llud for tricking him by taking a different route to Margena's home.

That was a bone of contention in itself. No self-respecting Celt would even consider setting up home in one of the old sacred places of the Dark Folk. The people who had inhabited this land before the Celts had arrived, only the greatest of bards or the wisest of Druids could remember far back enough to speak of them with certainty. To others they were every bit as mysterious and awe-inspiring as the Fair Folk, and just as remote. They had faded away as the Celts had become more numerous, so that only their great monuments in stone and soil remained to tantalise the generations to come. Arthur had good reason to know that not all of them had departed, so he was even more leery of trespassing on their holy places. Margena, however, had set up home within one of the old barrow graves, set into a hillside, with her herb garden in the small dip leading up to it. It confirmed to all the nearby Celts that she was mad, lucky or very, very powerful, since she hadn't vanished overnight just yet.

"Why do we have to come here?" Arthur demanded in a hoarse growling whisper once he realised where they were. Llud had dismounted and Arthur had followed suit out of habit, but he looked as though he wanted to get back on his horse and gallop off back to his home. "If we want the advice of a madman we can always go and see Myrddin!"

"He's too far away in the time we have," Llud said calmly, starting up the white pebbled track that led to the entrance to Margena's house. "Besides, he can't help us in this instance. We need Margena."

"You can need her," Arthur muttered under his breath, following after with dragging feet. "I'd rather throw her off a cliff with a rock tied to her neck!"

"Is that any way to speak of a helpless old woman, High King?"

Arthur very nearly jumped out of his skin as the voice seemed to come from the thin air to his right. Then the tall hazel bushes to his left rustled and Margena slid through them to stand beside him. She gazed up at him with that bright, sideways look that always reminded him of a raven; an illusion made all the more by her black hair, nut-brown skin and habit of dressing in dusty black. The only thing to leaven the darkness was the amber jewellery she wore and the red ribbon woven through her heavy hair. He always thought of ravens and crows whenever he saw her and he felt the hair on the back of his neck lift again as he realised she must have heard the entire conversation with Llud.

"You're about as helpless as a sow with piglets to defend, Margena," Llud said with a snort of laughter. "Stop frightening the boy."

It was on the indignant tip of Arthur's tongue to declare that he was most emphatically not a boy anymore, but common sense stopped him. All the tales of the Other Folk, both Dark and Fair, spoke of their mercy towards children (even if that mercy meant stealing them away from their true parents to live with them instead), and wearing the mantle of childhood was likely to get him out of any trouble he was already in. He held back his angry words, even though the effort nearly choked him. Margena gave a harsh cackle and he gave her a startled look to find that bird-gaze sharp and knowing on him.

"No, not a boy any longer," she agreed to his unspoken thought. "All grown up and passing fair, yes indeed."

To his utter horror, she swept her gaze up and down his length with what he could only describe as lecherous approval. He felt a squeak of pure terror fighting to get out of his throat. She was old enough to be his grandmother! His great grandmother! Her expression suddenly became a glare and a staff he hadn't seen until then shot out to give him a sharp rap on the head.

"If that is so, then remember due respect to your elders and betters!" she sniffed as she hobbled by him briskly and set a pace up the path that left him a little breathless by the time they arrived at the twin silvery-grey stones set into the hillside. "In you go," she ordered.

Arthur opened his mouth to say that he preferred to wait outside, but she hefted her staff again meaningfully and Llud pushed him forward so that he had to duck and enter or beat his head against the hillside. The contrast between the bright outer sunshine and the dim interior was startling and Arthur put out his hands to place them against the smooth, cool stone of the passageway, feeling his way while bent over to avoid cracking his head against the low ceiling. Then the walls fell away and he sensed air above him.

He straightened up and looked around himself in fascination. He had been on the threshold of manhood when he had been here last and his memories were hazy and filled with half-remembered images that still had the power to trouble his dreams. There was one great room and at its centre was a fire-pit that glowed a dull red in the twilight. That and the lamps burning on stone ledges at equal points all around the room were the only source of illumination, and the uncertain light made the shadows dance and move like living things. Arthur was already nervous and when one of the shadows jumped up on a nearby bench and glared at him, it took him a while to recognise that it was a cat and not some creature of the Otherworld.

He flushed when he heard Margena's harsh chuckle again, but when he turned to say something sharp about her lack of hospitality, the words died in his throat. Margena had followed in after Llud, who was now standing to one side, silent and watchful, but she hardly had to stoop at all to clear the passageway and her movements were more supple and sure. When she straightened to her full height, he saw that her dusty black garments had been replaced by a cloak of black feathers over a black robe, while her staff was the white of bleached bone, with red ribbons tied along its upper length. She was no longer old enough to be his great grandmother. Now she was ageless, with no clue as to how many years she had lived.

She had done this to him before, when he had last been here, changing appearance every time he looked away, until he could no longer be sure of his own eyes or senses. He hated the uncertainty she spawned inside him. He couldn't afford doubt, not when so much depended on his convictions. He watched her walk past him, ageless woman, more crow than human, and in a blink of an eye, she was on the opposite side of the room and the lamps were burning more brightly, reflecting off the cloak of white feathers and the sleeveless dress of dark green, golden jewellery at her throat, arms and wrists.

He blinked and she was sitting beside the fire, stirring something in a small cauldron suspended above the coals. She wore a mantle of soft grey wool and a sleeveless dress of blue. Her jewellery was amber and jet and Arthur belatedly remembered the gifts Llud had made him bring. He brought them out hastily; pieces of amber and jet traded from afar and highly prized. He saw the gleam in her eyes when she saw what he held and he regained a little of his confidence as she held out her hand. It seemed that Margena had her price as well.

"Be careful." It was the barest whisper from Llud and it stopped him from reaching out and giving her the gemstones. There was a flash of annoyance in his her face as she looked at Llud and he bowed his head. "He is still learning and we come for another's sake."

The annoyance slowly melted away and she smiled slightly. "Let me guess: the tall blond with an attitude and legs that go all the way up-" She noticed the way Arthur's eyes had widened and gave a small cough. "Well, never mind about that. He's in trouble?" She raised her hand as Arthur started to speak. "Let me rephrase that; he's in more trouble than he usually is?"

"The Fair Folk have him," Arthur blurted out.

There was a moment of silence, barely broken by the muted crackle of the fire. Margena sighed. "Now why am I not surprised? Yes, someone like him would attract their interest and they would not realise until too late how their kindness would doom him."

"Doom him?" Arthur said sharply. Fear for his brother swept aside the fear he felt for Margena and he moved closer. "What do you mean by that?"

If she felt intimidated by his looming over her, she didn't show it. "Kai is a Saxon. His folk have but recently come to this land and it does not yet recognise them. Neither do they believe in the Otherworld in all its magical glory. The Fair Folk are of the Other but choose to come and go in this world, as well. They were friends with the Dark Folk and have a liking for your people, but they are ignorant of the Saxons. Magic that would bring pleasure and delight to a Celt could easily harm a Saxon and they would not understand the wounding."

"I have to go and get him," Arthur said in determination. "Tell me where I can find him."

Margena snorted. "Look behind the rainbow, under a shadow, inside a cloud. The entrance to the Fair Folk's realm is not made of stone or wood, High King. It not somewhere fixed in place like a human abode."

"Kai found a way in. He went into their valley and didn't come out."

"Aaahhh." The bright-eyed look of a bird was back on her face. "So he went there, did he? Well, that makes it a little easier in the reaching him, but getting back is still going to be the hard part. How greatly do you prize this Saxon of yours?"

"He's not a Saxon, he's my brother," Arthur said quietly.

"Would you die for him?"

"Yes." Arthur had no doubt about that. He had already come close to doing that and the thought held no fears for him.

Margena gave him another of her looks. "Would you remain with the Fair Folk in exchange for his life?"

That gave Arthur pause. Dying was one thing, since giving your life for another was a sure route to the Otherworld and there your bravery would be lauded. To remain a prisoner of the strange magical creatures of the Otherworld... that was a different thing altogether. The tales he had heard told of people forever changed by their sojourn with the Fair Folk, so that even if they returned to mortal lands, they could no longer fit in or be happy. A few months in the Fair Realms could translate as centuries in mortal time. If he agreed to Margena's terms, he would have to give up more than his freedom - he would also have to give up his kingship and his dream of uniting the tribes against the Saxon invaders.

"Answer my question, High King," Margena said softly.

He had to say no. Not for himself, but for the sake of his kingdom, his people. He had to think beyond his friendship and love for Kai and consider the greater good. He wouldn't be able to control or cajole the other kings and queens into working together if he was stuck in the Fair Realm and nothing more than a fading legend.

The thought came from nowhere and made him pause as he was ready to give his answer. Vanishing into the Fair Realm would be less final than taking a blade meant for Kai. And there would always be the possibility of returning to reclaim his throne; something he could not do from death. This decision wasn't born out of nobility but out of selfish fear of the unknown. He knew where a death in battle would take him, but he had no idea what would await him in the Fair Folk's realm and that was what was motivating his answer. The realisation brought a flood of shame and after that a curious sense of freedom. He turned back to Margena.

"Yes, I would take his place."

She was the ageless old one again, dressed in black, and the look she gave him was one of approval. "It is a wise king who recognises a lesson when it makes itself known to him. It is a wise man who learns from that lesson and becomes a better man."

She turned away and went across the room to pick up a box from one of the ledges. Arthur risked a quick glance across to Llud and saw a rare look of full approval on his foster-father's face. Had he spoken his words out loud?

"Come closer, Arthur."

Margena had returned to her place by the fire and beckoned him to her. He came forward cautiously, then knelt at her imperious gesture. She opened the box beside her and took out a pendant on what looked like a cord of plaited grass. When she handed it to him and he took it, Arthur bit back a gasp at the feeling of warmth that flooded through him. He studied the pendant curiously. It was fashioned out of some dark, highly polished stone that had a slight sheen to it, but it defied closer inspection in the uncertain light. The craftsman had been a true artist who had managed to carve a single spiral from the stone without fracturing it.

"Bluestone, from a sacred place," Margena said. "One of the few links with the Otherworld that carries no price. Carved by one of the Dark Folk great in power, it has been fashioned as an opener of ways, but it has its binding, as do all things of Power. Listen closely, Arthur, High King, and obey this instruction as you do no other. I will send you to find your friend, but it is only your friend that you may return with. You must take nothing of the Fair Realm, no matter how great the temptation, or how earnestly you are entreated. The Fair Folk are always loath to give up their treasures and Kai will be a prize that they have rarely encountered before. It is inevitable that they will try and trick you."

"How can I avoid falling under their spell?" Arthur protested. "Everyone knows that the Fair Folk can dazzle a person's eyes."

"Everyone can say it is raining and still be wrong," Margena said tartly. "The glamour the clings to the Fair Folk is simply part of the atmosphere of the Other. When you are in that world, there is no confusion, but you are correct that they will try and trick you and of this you must be wary. No magic can help you then, but only your innate common sense. Trust to your inner voice, and the training of Llud."

She drew back and Arthur knew that she had said all that she meant to say. He got up and started to leave, then paused and turned back. "I forgot," he explained, holding out the amber and jet. Margena waved it to one side.

"Take it with you. The Fair Folk love the stones as much as my kind. It may be that they will be willing to trade."

With nothing more to hold him there, Arthur left the house far more quickly than he had entered. He almost expected some great period of time to have passed, but the sun still stood more or less where it had been in the sky when he had entered. Their horses had wandered slightly to crop at the grass beside the path, but had made no attempt to invade the garden. Walking quickly to his horse, Arthur mounted and looked down at Llud, who had come up beside him and handed him a packet of food.

"I think this is a path I have to travel alone," he said soberly, as he tucked the packet away.

Llud nodded slowly and reluctantly. "Going, at least. If the gods are kind, you will have company on the return journey."

If there is a return journey. The thought lay, cold and unwelcome, between the two of them. Arthur lifted a hand in farewell and turned his horse to make for the valley.

'I'm coming, Kai," he thought as he pushed his horse into a ground-devouring canter. 'Don't give up, my brother."

Kai stared down at the goblet of wine that he had just been handed. He was in something of a quandary. The person who had just offered him the goblet very obviously expected him to drink it, but every story he had ever heard concerning the Fair Folk warned of the dangers of eating and drinking their food. If you did so, then you could never go back. He smiled as genuinely as he was capable of at the person who had given him the drink. He was fairly certain it was a man, but it was a little difficult to tell as the loose robe concealed any breasts and the features were neither obviously male nor female.

"Thank you for this. I greatly appreciate your generosity but I am not hungry or thirsty at the moment. Maybe in a little while."

That was an outright lie, although it seemed to satisfy the Fair One, who drifted away in the same fluid way the others moved. Kai was ravenous, and the sight and smell of all the food around him was driving him to distraction. All kinds of succulent roasts and stews, a dozen different kinds of cheeses, heaps of freshly baked bread and bowls of fruit all lay on tables scattered throughout the great Hall he had been brought to. Jugs of beer, mead, wine and some other drinks he didn't recognise were on every table, as well, and people seemed to be sampling them at random. Kai could feel his stomach clenching ever tighter with each new delicious scent to torment his nose but he swallowed the saliva that flooded his mouth and refused the temptation so achingly close.

He sensed someone coming up behind him and he turned in time to see the woman in gold approaching him, with the harper woman just behind him. Both of them had expressions of great determination on their faces and Kai had to quell the urge to back away. An incautious step away from them resulted in a flare of agony travelling up his leg and he bit back a gasp. The last thing he wanted was for them to realise how badly he was injured, but he had a nasty suspicion that they already knew or suspected that something was wrong.

They bracketed him as neatly as two riders cutting a cow out of a herd. The harper pointed to where the wound was in his thigh and the golden-robed woman nodded, looking thoughtful. She leaned forward a little and gave Kai a reassuring smile as she rested her hand lightly against the wound.

It was even worse than it had been the first time. It felt exactly as if the woman had slammed a dagger into his thigh and then had yanked upwards, ripping through flesh, muscle and sinew. Kai couldn't hold back from screaming as he collapsed onto the ground, writhing in agony as his flesh burned. He was dimly aware of sounds of startled people around him, and he was gradually surrounded by a ring of the Fair Ones, all gazing down at him with identical expressions of confusion and concern.

Another leaned down and grazed a finger across his wound. Kai shrieked and convulsed as it felt as though his entire leg was being wrenched from his body. The Fair One jerked back and made a harsh sound, staring down at his hand as if he had never seen it before. Yet another tried to touch Kai's leg. The Saxon did his level best to shy away, so it was only a glancing touch, but it still felt like a hammer blow against his already tender flesh.

They were all reaching for him, now, and Kai's voice was nearly gone through screaming. He gestured futilely at them to stay away, but they couldn't understand his rasping voice and their ghostly touches only served to make his words more incomprehensible. Eventually, his battered body granted him mercy and dragged him down into the merciful oblivion of unconsciousness.

Arthur pulled up his horse at the head of the valley and paused to study the way ahead. The path was barely discernible through the tall grass, little more than a sheep track, but it led in the right direction. He nudged the horse forward, reaching up to grasp the bluestone talisman as he did so.

He blinked and stared in astonishment. As soon as his hand had grasped the talisman, the land before him had shimmered and he was now riding along a paved road, edged with white and blue stones. He cautiously urged his horse into a canter and the animal obeyed willingly. When he dropped his hand away from the talisman, the air rippled again but the road merely faded a little and remained visible. It seemed that once you knew something magical was there, it was a lot easier to focus on it and keep it visible.

It wasn't long before he was amongst the trees, following the road that swung idly around some of the larger trees but kept heading in the same general direction. He had no idea how long he had been travelling before the trees fell away and he saw a great hill rising up and on top of it the dwelling place of the Fair Ones. He set the horse to climbing the hill and the closer he came to the top, the more nervous he became. He had his sword and shield, but he had no defence against magic and he was pretty sure that would be the weapon of choice around here.

He finally got to the gates and gazed up in awe. They were twice the size of his own gates and the wood had been smoothed and then intricately carved. Trees and animals intertwined with stars and moons in a complex pattern that somehow soothed the person looking at it. He felt his mind start to blur and hastily closed his eyes as he shook his head to clear it. Keeping his eyes half shut and deliberately focusing on the grain of the wood rather than the shapes it had been carved into, he urged his horse closer and knocked on the door with all his strength.

There was a moment of silence and then the gates split apart and started to open. Arthur's horse danced backwards out of the way, and he braced himself for what was to come. That turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax, as the doors opened only enough to let through a slender young Fair One who stared up at Arthur with every bit as much interest as the Celt was feeling.

He had heard tales about the Fair Ones, but even remembering the descriptions of great beauty and ethereal loveliness, he wasn't expecting his first sight of a Fair One to be such a shock. The youth standing in front of him would be as tall as Kai and he was as slender as a girl. His long, pale red hair was gathered into a plait that extended down to the small of his back, and he was wearing garments cut plainly but made from precious materials. Jewels winked at throat, arm and fingers, enough to beggar a chieftain and all on someone no better than a gatekeeper! It was the youth's eyes that shook Arthur the most, however. Pale crystalline blue, they had the same look in them that he had seen in Llud's eyes. Whatever appearances said, this was no youth in the sense that Arthur understood the term.

"Welcome, stranger. Few are those who find their way to the gates of Caer Brinan."

"Yet I am not the first traveller to come here this moon," Arthur said, keeping his fingers crossed that time did not travel too differently in this place. I come in search of my brother, who might have been granted the gracious hospitality of your home." He had to be careful of the way he chose his words. Presumptuous mortals tended to be tossed to one side by irritated Fair Folk.

The gatekeeper gave him a thoughtful look. "None that would be your brother has passed through our gates, friend. Mayhap you should look elsewhere."

He started to turn away and Arthur knew a moment of doubt. He had no proof that Kai had fallen foul of these people, simply the fact that he hadn't returned home and that could be because of any number of other reasons. Then he remembered Margena's words about his instincts.

"Wait! It may be that you would not recognise this man to be my brother, for he does not look the same as me. He is a fair as I am dark and taller, for he is from another tribe, newly come to this land." He saw the gatekeeper's expression change and he knew he had been right to trust his instincts. "I ask permission to enter and take only that which is mine to take."

The gatekeeper smiled a thin, cold smile. "It is simple enough to enter the gates of Caer Brinan, but not so simple to leave by them again. What price will you pay to gain that entry?"

Arthur reached into his saddlebag and brought out a small chunk of jet. He saw the way the gatekeeper's eyes widened as he caught sight of it and heaved a silent sigh of relief. "A token to gain my entry," he offered.

The gatekeeper was suddenly beside him and the jet vanished from his hand. The doors started to open wider and the Fair One looked up at him. "Do you have more of this?" he asked. Arthur nodded warily and the gatekeeper smiled. "Good. You will probably need it. Good luck, young mortal. You will need that, even more."

Feeling more than a little unsettled, Arthur urged his horse through the gates. They had opened enough to let him through and closed again the moment he was through them. He couldn't help but jump a little when he heard the soft thud as they closed tight behind him. A glance back showed that the gatekeeper had vanished and with an odd feeling of abandonment, Arthur faced forward again.

He was in some kind of courtyard, paved again with pale white stone. There was a fountain at its centre with a wide pool from which horses could drink. All around the courtyard was a circle of roughly hewn stone pillars, made from the same bluestone that his talisman was made out of. Arthur reached up to touch it automatically, then blinked as the courtyard vanished and he found himself facing a wide road that led up a slight incline to a great Hall. He breathed a silent thank-you to whatever power charged the talisman and urged his horse up the road.

When he reached the front of the Hall, he realised that this was no ordinary dwelling. It rose up, higher than any round house he had ever seen, and was made out of some type of shimmering stone. There were miniature gates at the door, elaborately carved as before and faced with gold. Realising that he had reached the point of no return, Arthur got down from his horse and fished out the bag of jewels. He hesitated for a moment, then took out the packet of food, as well. He had no idea how long he would have to stay here, and eating the food of the Fair Folk would doom him to stay. He wondered if he should fasten his horse, but even as the thought formed, the horse suddenly raised his head, pricked his hears forward and moved off in the direction of a smaller building to the right. Correctly divining them to be the stables, Arthur decided to leave well alone and take one thing at a time.

Climbing up the steps, he approached the doors, only to find them opening before him. Dropping one hand to touch the hilt of his sword and touching the talisman with the other, Arthur drew in one last breath and walked through. There was another shimmer of light before his eyes and then he found himself inside the Hall and in a place of considerable wonder.

Six of his own Great Hall could fit into this room, he saw as he looked around. The walls towered up above him and halfway up they were pierced by strange arches into which had been set some kind of transparent material that let in light and kept out the wind. Even higher up was the roof, made out of wood and a thatch that seemed to glow slightly with an inner light that chased away the shadows. Before him was an expanse of floor, made out of polished wood set with intricate patterns of stone and metal. Scattered all around were large tables laden with all kinds of food and drink. As the scents reached him, Arthur's mouth watered, but he stopped himself for walking towards the nearest table. Instead, he reached into the packet of food and brought out a handful of dried berries, feeding them to himself one at a time, to fool his stomach into thinking there was a greater feast than there was.

"You scorn our hospitality?"

The voice came from behind him and held the faintest hint of midwinter cold. Nearly choking on the last berry, Arthur turned and found himself looking up into the coldly disapproving face of a Fair One. She was even more beautiful than he had imagined a woman of her kind would be and he wanted nothing more than to kneel at her feet and offer his loyalty and heart. Gritting his teeth, he confined himself to a low bow.

"I mean no offence, my lady. I have heard tales of how wonderful the food of the Fair Folk is and I cannot afford to be distracted from my quest."

Some of the disapproval left her face. "A quest? What treasure do you seek, little mortal?"

"The greatest treasure of all, my lady. The life and safe return of a brother, lost and alone in a strange land. I seek that brother and my steps have been guided here."

"Have they now?" An eyebrow was raised in polite disbelief. "And what is the name of this brother of yours?"

Arthur smiled, a little surer of himself. "Forgive me, my lady, but our legends say that names have power. Power to summon and power to bind. Therefore I name my brother Suntop." He mentally apologised to Kai, who had loathed his childhood nickname for underlying the differences between him and Arthur.

The woman's disapproval vanished in the flash of a smile and once again Arthur had to suppress the urge to fling himself at her feet and worship her. "Clever little cub. And what shall I call you? Are you the night to his day?"

Arthur swallowed, remembering some of the names he had been called while he had been growing up. Gossip about his sire, both declared and supposed, had led to some of the older boys naming him witch-bred, and it had partly been to put an end to such trouble that he had been sent to be fostered by Llud. "Cub you have named me, lady, so I take the name of Fox."

She still seemed amused. "A cunning thief in the night?"

"A clever and resourceful hunter," he countered.

This time she laughed, a merry sound that rang through the Hall and attracted the attention of the other Fair Folk. Arthur felt her hand pressing against his back, propelling him further into the Hall and he obeyed reluctantly.

"Within the Hall, all things are the responsibility of the King and Queen," she informed him. "If your brother is here, they will know of it, and it is to them that you must ask permission to claim him back."

Arthur could see that there was a raised dais at the far end of the Hall, with two high-backed chairs on it. Seated on those chairs were two more of the Fair Folk. The woman had hair of the purest silver and eyes of the darkest sapphire. She was dressed in rich reds and blues, with jewellery of beaten silver set with jet. The man had hair of pure copper and eyes the colour of grass. He was dressed in green and white, while his jewellery was of gold set with amber. Seeing all the amber and jet, Arthur's heart sank. The pieces he held in his pouch were of fine quality, but nothing as grand as what he saw before him. Still, he had to make the best of it, so he bowed when he reached them and tried not to stare. He could have sworn that there was a faint glow about them, as if they were lit from within.

"You are most welcome, Arthur," the King said with calm majesty. He smiled when Arthur shot him a look of consternation. "Little escapes our notice in our kingdom. Besides, one has come to intercede for you." He extended a hand and a blackbird came to hop onto it. The bird surveyed Arthur with an all-too-familiar gaze.

"Margena," he muttered under his breath

"Indeed," the King smiled. He switched his attention to the blackbird. "Take my thanks back to your mistress but remind her that I make my own decisions. Her interest is noted, however, and will be acted upon."

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the blackbird into flight and Arthur wondered if Margena had just received a thank-you or a warning. The bird seemed to vanish in a flash of light and Arthur returned his attention to the matter at hand as the Queen leaned forward.

"You come in search of a brother?" He voice was dreamy and half-asleep but her eyes were sharp and watchful.

"My foster-brother," he agreed.

"No blood binds you to one another. His blood runs strangely and does not answer our call. We have never seen his like. He is a great wonder."

Arthur's heart sank. The last thing he wanted was for them to think that Kai was something to hang on to. And yet her words seemed to confirm that Kai was here. He chose his words carefully. "More than blood binds us, although we have shed blood for one another many times. We are bound by love, friendship, honour and need. We share the same foster-father. Our hearts beat as one."

He flinched as the Queen's eyes sharpened even more and she smiled. It wasn't a particularly gentle smile and reminded him of a cat that had successfully won some concession. The Queen turned her head towards the King, who sighed and shook his head.

"You grow too attached to your toys," he said reprovingly.

"I am true to my nature. Indulge me, my lord."

"I always do, but take care that your whims do not leave you vulnerable. Mortals cannot be trusted."

He directed a pointed look at Arthur, who did his best to look innocent. "My lord, I come for one thing and one thing only. I make no claim on anything else in your kingdom."

The King snorted and waved an impatient hand. Arthur felt a wave of dizziness pass over him and he swayed. He felt something close by and reached out to hold onto it for support. The dizziness passed and he realised that what was holding on to was a slender pillar. The Hall had vanished and he was in another room, much smaller in size. He stared around in amazement at the heaps of treasure that were scattered all around. Goblets, shields, crowns and all manner of jewels were piled up with no regard for the kingdom's ransom they represented. There was only one piece of furniture in the room and that was a bed and on the bed was a still form.

"Kai!"

All thoughts of treasure were thrown to one side as Arthur lunged across the room to check on his brother. Kai seemed to be asleep, but one look at the pallor of his skin had Arthur feeling the worst. Reaching out a nervous hand, Arthur very nearly recoiled when he felt how cold Kai's flesh was. He felt more like winter stone than living man and Arthur frantically burrowed a hand under the covers to check for a heartbeat.

"He still lives." The cool voice of the Queen came from behind him as she glided into view. "I cannot guarantee that this state of affairs will continue, though. His flesh and blood does not answer to our power."

"He is a Saxon," Arthur explained, silently offering up a prayer of thankfulness for the faint beat he felt beneath his hand. At the Queen's look of incomprehension, he elaborated. "It is a new tribe, with different flesh, blood and bone."

"As your kind once was," the Queen realised. "Yes, it took a while before we learned the difference between you and the folk already here. It is ever so with new things. So your name is Kai, is it, strange one?" She leaned forward and rested a pale hand on his equally pale forehead. "What keys do you guard, I wonder? Such a mystery you are to me." She turned her head to give Arthur a level look. "He fades. I can do nothing to hold him here."

"He doesn't belong here," Arthur said in a taut voice. "Let me take him away, back to where he belongs."

The look she gave him was gently sympathetic. "He would not survive the journey. Returning to your world would assuredly doom him. There is only one way I can save him and that is to make him one of us. If I purge all that is mortal from him, then he will survive and remain with us for all eternity, safe and happy, but he can never return to the mortal realm without death laying claim to him."

Arthur stared at her in horror. Leave Kai here? He'd come here to rescue the man, not abandon him to an undying life as a Fair One! And yet... Arthur looked down at the salt-white skin and dull lifeless hair and knew that he didn't really have a choice at all. Better that Kai remained here and forgot all about him than Arthur dragged him back to the mortal world in order to bury his corpse. He sagged down beside the bed and bit back the tears that threatened, barely registering the touch of the Queen's hand on his shoulder.

"Take whatever you want as recompense," she said softly, gesturing at the treasure all around. "Many of these things are magical and can give you great power in the mortal realm."

Arthur shrugged off her hand and glared up at her. "What do I care for treasure?" he snarled. "That is all the treasure I care about!" he said, pointing at the silent figure on the bed. "All the treasure in this room couldn't buy him, couldn't come close to buying him. You could beggar your kingdom and still not match the price I place on him."

"Will you take him with you, then?" she asked.

"To his death?" The tears threatened to overwhelm him and he dashed at his eyes angrily. "A poor brother I would be if I demanded that of him. No, you may keep him here, but do not insult me or his memory by offering gold or jewels in his place."

"As you wish."

She stood back as Arthur pushed himself back up on his knees and gazed at Kai hungrily, knowing that this was the last time he would see him. He remembered a thousand different memories, good and bad, and wished desperately that he could at least have said goodbye. He hadn't even said goodbye when Kai had ridden off that last time, being busy with some matter that he couldn't even recall now. It had seemed so important at the time and now he would have given anything to turn back the clock and to have said those all-important words.

"Goodbye, Kai. I love you, brother."

He leaned forward to plant a kiss on Kai's forehead, flinching inwardly at the cold skin beneath his lips. He pulled away and got to his feet, hoping that he would manage to get away from here before he broke down completely. He found his way blocked by the Queen and gave her a worried look, remembering what her husband had said about being possessive about her toys. Was he going to be added to the collection?

"You are Celt and he is Saxon," she said. "Two different tribes, two different kind of flesh and blood?"

"We are both of the mortal world," he said evasively.

"Answer me this and answer it true. Do you believe that your hearts beat as one?"

Arthur gave her a bewildered look but the answer was an obvious one; at least to him. "Yes, we are brothers in ways that are more important than blood."

"Then let us test the truth of that answer."

Before he quite understood what was happening, she had reached out to grasp his hand and dragged him back to the bed. That had grown unaccountably larger and was now big enough for two people to lie down on it. The Queen gestured at him to do just that and Arthur balked at the thought, distrusting her motives. She gave him an impatient look.

"We have little time, High King, or are your words simply that, with no intent or meaning behind them?"

He flushed at the unmistakeable taunt but still wouldn't obey her blindly. Her motives were bewildering and if Kai was lost to him, the only things of meaning left in his life were Llud and his kingdom. "What do you mean to do?"

"A new thing that I have never tried before. If it succeeds, you shall have your brother back. If it fails, you shall both die. Which is it to be?"

Arthur stared at her for a moment, but knew that there was only one real decision. He lay down on the bed beside Kai and looked up as she came to stand behind them both. "What do I do?"

"Take his hand and think of him, alive and well. Remember him as you have known him and call to his heart. I shall try and do the rest."

Arthur swallowed the fear that jumped into his throat. To place his trust in such an unknowable creature.... it went against every instinct he possessed and Margena had warned him to trust his instincts. He hesitated, and in that moment a blackbird flew into sight and landed on the Queen's shoulder. She turned her head to give the bird an exasperated look.

"You always were one to play favourites," she said with a wry smile.

The blackbird gave a liquid treble and flicked its tail before flying across to a convenient pile of treasure. Arthur stared at it and felt an absurd sense of reassurance. He settled back on the bed and took Kai's cold hand in his own. With one last look up at the Queen, he closed his eyes and summoned up the spirit of Kai.

The Queen found the earliest link and brought the two memories together, tying them tightly with the lightest and strongest of magics. The Saxon still slid from her grasp, but he could be bound through the Celt and the Celt she could hold fast in her Power.

Pain and hurt on one side, stubborn pride and affection on the other. She took all the threads and wove them into the pattern she was creating. It was a great deal more technical than any she had attempted before, but the challenge intrigued her and there was such a prize to be claimed if she was successful.

A price demanded and paid without a thought. Such was the way of the young, so full of life and convinced of their ability to cheat death. The lesson learned had been a sharp one and the bitter tang of it made a blood red ribbon to weave into the pattern. The Queen looked down to see both mortals panting as if in memory of that time in the water. Arthur's skin was starting to pale, but his grasp on Kai's hand was as strong as ever. She nodded in satisfaction and continued.

Arthur's eyes snapped open as he felt a sudden drawing of his strength. It literally felt as though it was pouring away from him, like blood leaving a death-wound. He struggled to sit up, to pull away, but remembered in time that it was Kai he was holding on to. It took a great deal of energy to turn his head, but when he did he could see Kai and hoped it wasn't his imagination that the Saxon was looking less pale and corpse-like. He stopped struggling, and then knew a flare of hope when Kai's head turned in his direction and the pale blue eyes opened.

"A-arthur?"

Barely a croak, but it was his voice and Arthur felt the grin blossoming on his face, even as his chest started to feel as though a giant was standing on it. He started to gasp for breath and red speckles danced before his eyes. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could stand, but he would endure for as long as necessary. Even if it meant he had to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Queen could feel the tension vibrating through the pattern she had woven. It was almost right but it needed one small thing to make it perfect. One small, fragile, marvellous thing.

Kai had no idea what was going on. After what seemed like a lifetime of pain, followed by an unknown period of time trapped in some cold, dark prison, he had opened his eyes to find himself lying beside Arthur. But it was an Arthur torn by feathery bolts of light that fell from the hand of the Fair Folk Queen. Kai could see the pain in Arthur's eyes and the way his body shuddered every time the light touched him. He could also see how some of the light was being transferred from Arthur to himself.

His eyes widened in horror as he realised that the Queen had somehow captured Arthur and was draining him of his life so she could save Kai. He had no idea where that conviction came from, but he wasn't about to let her succeed in her evil plan. The link between himself and Arthur seemed to be their joined hands, so it would only take Kai wrenching himself free and getting as far away from Arthur as possible to shatter the spell.

Taking in a deep breath, Kai summoned all of his strength and tore himself free of the grip Arthur had on him. He rolled over on the bed until he got to the edge and flung himself off.

The floor, however, was a long time in coming.

The final piece. The Queen snapped it into place and let the full force of her power pour through it. Two hearts, beating as one. Two spirits, bound together as the ivy to the apple. The Power blazed up, pure and bright and terrible, fusing the elements of her pattern into a strong whole. With a small pang she left it go free. She had never been one to keep caged birds. She preferred to see them fly free.

Arthur came to with a groan, then sat up far too quickly as he remembered what had happened. His head spun and he lay back down again as his stomach threatened to empty its contents. After a couple of deep breaths, he felt a little better and levered himself up more cautiously. He blinked, then reached up to rub his eyes and looked again; remembering to clasp the talisman as he did so, but his surroundings remained the same. He was in a small clearing in a forest. There was no sign of a hill or road or anything to indicate that he was in anything other than an ordinary forest.

"Kai!"

Arthur shot back on his feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness, looking about himself frantically. He barely had time to panic before he saw Baedd grazing a short distance away and lying on the ground beside him was a familiar figure. Arthur scrambled over to where Kai lay, his heart in his mouth. He grabbed him to flip him over onto his back, then felt the world spin as Kai came alive beneath him and did the flipping instead. Flat on his back with an irate Saxon on top of him, Arthur threw up a hand to ward off the descending fist and burst into relieved laughter.

"Arthur?" Kai stared down at his madly giggling foster-brother and wondered if he was asleep and dreaming. The last thing he remembered was--

With a sharp jerk and intake of breath, he pushed himself to his feet and stared around. There was no sign of the shining city and its terrifying inhabitants, which was just the way he wanted it. Had he dreamed the whole thing? A stab of pain from his leg reminded him that some of the dream had been true and he looked down worriedly. Strange, the wound wasn't as bad as he'd remembered, barely a flesh wound, in fact. It was then that he realised that he was completely naked.

He turned back to see if Arthur was feeling any saner and saw to this relief that the fit seemed to have passed. Arthur was sitting up and smiling at him with the oddest expression on his face. Kai could feel himself reddening with embarrassment.

"I don't suppose you know where my clothes are," he growled. Arthur nodded but remained silent. "Aren't you going to tell me?"

Arthur gave him a curiously pensive look. "Maybe one day," he said, before grinning again. "Come on, we'll call by a friend and see if she has any clothes you can wear until we get back home."

"She? What kind of she?" Kai asked suspiciously. There was a gleam in Arthur's eyes that he'd long learned to mistrust. "Young? Old? Married? Not?" Arthur shook his head, pressing his lips together as he mounted on his horse. Kai did the same with Baedd, carefully arranging things so he didn't ruin his marital prospects. Which led him to wondering.... "You're not trying to marry me off again, are you?"

It wasn't until he met Margena that he understood why that simple question made Arthur laugh so hard he nearly fell off his horse.