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The King's House in Morvran is a better place for her than the Sanctuary, Kim knows. With Jaelle gone and Audiart once more in charge, there was no way she could remain there-- the triumph in the woman's eyes over Kevin's sacrifice is too much for her to bear.

Milliways had helped in that, at least; it had bought her a little time, time to find her balance again. Balance that had been and will be desperately needed, she's sure of that.

Especially now.

Arrangements have been made with Spoon and Wells-- there's an archway, a stone door, between here and where she will need to go. It'll do, she thinks, and it'll make everything much simpler to meet them there than to have to explain where two more strangers had crossed from, and how.

All of these things and more occupy her thoughts as she sorts through her things, selecting what to take with her and what to leave behind.

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Aileron is not the kind of man who knocks.

"You are truly going to leave me without a Seer again."

His face is expressionless.

She has her back turned to the door when he walks in, and at the sound of his voice, both hands suddenly still on the small bag that she's been trying to pack.

Kim takes a breath, composing herself, then turns to face him.

"I have to."

Clear gray eyes meet his, and there is no evasion in them.

"If you die in this quest," Aileron says, bluntly, "we will be defeated. You know this. Only your warning saved us last time; if you had not called out, we would have been defeated by the time you returned.

"You are needed."

"You don't know that, Aileron," she counters, quickly. "You don't. I don't think--"

But she doesn't know, does she? She can't be sure. Still, there is one thing that she does know, and that is what drives her now.

"I cannot leave them there. I can't. We would already be lost, otherwise, and I owe a debt for that."

Aileron shakes his head.

"A rescue party could be sent. Those who could better be spared."

She shakes hers in return.

"Who would go willingly to such a place, or would know what to do if they did? It must be me-- there's no one else."

"Is it willingly that you go?"

Aileron's gaze drops to the ring on her finger, his expression dark. A little angry - though not with Kim, exactly.

Not exactly.

The blood-red stone remains quiescent, giving no sign of the power that lies hidden within it-- and she's bitterly, bitterly glad of it.

"This isn't really a matter of war," Kim says, softly. "Or of the Warstone. But it is something I have to do."

Aileron raises his eyes back up to hers, cold suddenly, and challenging.

"The matter of war is everything."

It is all of their survival, and more - the survival of all the worlds. There is nothing else.

It is, and she knows it -- and knows as well just how important this is.

We are. We still are. Save us. Save us.

The High King's eyes may be cold, but the Seer's are flashing with temper, now.

"This isn't a whim, nor is it something I'm doing lightly, my lord king. Unless you mean to place me under guard or confine me as a prisoner, I will do this. I will repay this debt. I have to."

After a strained moment, Kim finishes, more softly,

"Please believe me, that I must."

He holds her gaze for a long few moments - and then turns abruptly, wheeling so he stands in profile to her.

"I am half tempted," he mutters, but the tension is broken, somewhat. There is another pause.

"I have told you that you are needed," he says, at length, not looking at her. "That I need you here. I told you once that I am hard to shake from desires I have -"

The words hang in the air a moment, before he goes on, "This is not a desire. It is necessity. I cannot keep you.

"But I will tell you that - I wish you would stay."

"And I told you then that I was fairly stubborn myself," she reminds him. "From the beginning."

But his own stubbornness isn't all he'd mentioned to her at the time, and she remembers that very well. Kim hesitates, then reaches out to touch his arm.

"It isn't necessity, Aileron. You don't need me here. Not now."

"Is that something you have seen?"

It's an honest question. He cannot argue with her visions.

"No," she admits, just as honestly.

"But I have seen this. And I have dreamed it, and that more than once."

"I cannot stop you," Aileron repeats, after a pause.

And then, more briskly: "I will deploy you a company; Rothal leads good men, well-disciplined. They will of course be instructed to follow you in every matter."

She's already shaking her head in denial by the time he mentions the commander's name.

"No. I'll go alone. Your soldiers will be needed elsewhere, of that I have no doubt."

Besides, she has already arranged for some small amount of help, from Milliways-- although there's no way she can possibly explain that.

"Alone?"

Aileron stares at her as if she is a child of five who has just expressed a desire to sail to Caer Sedat on a raft made of branches.

"This would be dangerous with my best company; alone, it becomes - folly. Madness. This is no stroll through a country at peace, and you are no warrior, to stroll in safety!"

"Don't you think I know that?"

Kim raises her chin and crosses her arms, glaring stubbornly at him.

"You can't-- we can't afford to have an entire company devoted to this! You said it yourself, the war is everything!"

"And you are a part of it! Have you thought what would happen if the Baelrath fell into the hands of Maugrim?"

"I have!" she very nearly snaps, and then forces herself to take a breath before her temper gets the best of her and leads her to say things best left unspoken.

Oh, and by the way, Aileron, I met up with Galadan in the bar at the end of the universe-- and he didn't try to take it then, so I'm pretty sure we're all right on that score.

"I have," she repeats, more steadily. "I do not think it works that way. The power is in the ring, yes-- but Ysanne dreamt it on my finger for a reason. It may be that a Seer is needed to interpret and direct its demands, I don't know."

After a moment, Kim adds,

"One man. One who knows the way." She tries for a smile. "It won't be the same as it was with you, on the road from Ysanne's cottage to Paras Derval-- but I should be safe enough."

"Whatever you think," Aileron points out - his words are careful, and thick with barely contained anger - "it is not likely that a svart alfar would know it. And more than that; we have seen that they are able to take people alive, if necessary. From our own lands."

You of all people should know, he almost snaps. But does not.

It's just as well he doesn't, although it doesn't entirely help. Kim knows perfectly well what Aileron is referring to.

"But they will not be expecting this," she counters, flatly. "So they won't know to look for me. Even if they were looking, they'd expect me to be with everyone else."

Which she won't be. She's determined on this, even knowing that he's right about the danger. But Kevin is dead, and all the roads are parting now, and only the Weaver knows if they will ever, ever come together again.

"It is a clever argument," says Aileron, coldly, "but that is not a guarantee of safety."

"Can anyone guarantee that? For any of us?"

Kim's tone is weary, now.

Aileron pauses.

"No," he says, a little more roughtly. "No one can. But that does not mean that one ought to tempt fate."

"Maybe not. But I have to go, Aileron. I've dreamed..."

She shrugs, and leaves it at that.

Aileron's face does not soften.

"I cannot condone it."

He pauses again, and adds, "But as I have said, neither can I stop you."

Which leaves little more to be said. He turns, making to leave.

Kim doesn't say anything. She stands, silent, watching, feeling the weight of the Baelrath on her hand and the twin shadows of her dream within her as a separate weight, bearing her down like a stone.

What is there to say? What could she possibly say?

Nothing that would change anything-- anything at all.

Aileron passes through the door.

As he does so, he says, clearly, "You will not die on this errand, Kim Ford. That is an order."

He doesn't look around as he says it, and then he is gone.

"I don't follow orders very well," she whispers into the silence of the empty room. "I told you that, too. But I'll try. I promise."

Kim sighs, then turns back to her packing. It doesn't take long, really. Afterwards, remembering what she'd agreed to, she leaves her room to talk to someone in particular. That doesn't take long, either.

At dawn, Kim Ford and Brock of Banir Tal ride out from Morvran, heading for the mountains.

Heading for Khath Meigol.

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