Synopsis: Feathered Companion (a Sir Differel Dreamlands adventure)

Prologue

Upon her return from the Dreamlands, Differel had been given by Medb a decorative torc that, if worn while asleep, would allow her to find the Seventy Steps to Light Slumber and the Cavern of Flame. After a couple of days thinking and deliberating, she gives orders to Aelfraed not to awaken her except in the most dire emergency, then slips on the torc and goes to bed.

Week 1

At some point, she awakens, gets up, and wanders through the house and out into the garden in back; no guard or servant acknowledges her presence. One of the paths leads to a set of stairs and she descends them into the earth. When she emerges into the cavern, she is welcomed by the priests. She dresses in travel clothes and takes two wheellock pistols in addition to Caliburn and the George Cross. Though a pair of glasses wait for her, she realizes she doesn't need them here, but she takes them anyways. She descends the Seven Hundred Steps to Deeper Slumber and emerges into the Enchanted Woods. She makes it through and travels to Nir and then Ulthar, taking her time to familiarize herself with the landscape.

In Ulthar she goes to the Girls' house, but the Fear Dearg tells her they are not in. She realizes it's mid-afternoon in Denver and the Girls are not asleep yet. The Fear Dearg invites her to spend the night, but she politely refuses. Shadow-stalker greets her and gives her a message from the queen: as part of their patronage they have arranged a stipend payable through Seidhlóch and a room at the Hostel of the Laughing Cat. They also wish her to escort an envoy to Celephaïs. She arranges to meet it at the north gate at dawn. She withdraws some spending money from Seidhlóch, plus has him issue a letter of credit for her bank in Celephaïs. She then goes shopping for traveling equipment and supplies. She stops off at Oleg Bjornsen's to purchase more paper cartridges, and she learns from him that he has been able to replicate the design of her pistol. However, he has only been able to construct two of them. She purchases one, the other he gives to her for free, to replace the one she gave him almost a year ago. After a late supper at the hostel, she retires for the evening.

At dawn, she meets the cat envoy and they set off for Hlanith. She intends to make it a two-day trip, and the cat concurs. They stop at Mozam for tea, then press on, stopping to camp halfway to Broidh. The cat explains that he knew her in a previous life: he was the kitten she saved from drowning when she was five, whom she named Mr. Mistoffelees. He assures her no watch will be necessary, as he will sleep lightly. During the night, however, Cailleach Beara visits her, welcoming her to the Dreamlands. She tells her that many bold adventures await, many harrowing challenges, but if she remains true to her chivalric ideals, she will come through them all until she meets her final fate.

In the morning they set off again, stopping in Broidh for brunch. As they come out of the mountains, they stop to rest and have a snack, when they are beset upon by robbers. Though outnumbered three to one, they drive them off, but not before they discover the bandits meant to kidnap them. The cat explains that her bearing and sword may have marked her as a noble despite her clothes, and as a cat he would be worth a considerable ransom. When she expresses wonder at this, he explains that not everyone believes or takes seriously the stories of feline justice, and the queen and council have decided that as long as no cat is harmed, they will pay a reasonable ransom for its safe return. Besides, a cat should be difficult to catch.

They arrive in Hlanith in early evening. The envoy informs her the cats maintain a room at the Inn of the Broken Spar, though they don't really have a need for it, so she is welcome to use it if she wishes. She makes arrangements for passage to Celephaïs in the morning, then spends a few hours at the Tavern of the Amethyst Scorpion, talking to Tyco Brahzie about the attack. He dismisses it as an amateur ploy, but promises to look into it. She then goes back to the inn to sleep.

The next morning, Differel and the cat board a galley and cross the Cerenarian Strait. They arrive in Celephaïs by mid-afternoon. The cat accompanies her to her estate and she sends word to Kuranes's court of its safe arrival. Her servants are overjoyed to see her return. After cleaning up and dressing in her formal livery, she presents herself and the cat to Kuranes. Her duty complete, she hurries to Victor's mansion, only to discover that he is on a diplomatic mission and will not return for several weeks. The embassy will try to get a message to him, but they cannot promise anything. Differel then looks up Medb, but finds that she is out adventuring. However, Kuranes invites her to dine with him and she is reacquainted with Saighlíne, Ubasti, and Ssas'sashu'ra. Saighlíne reports she is about to depart on a mission herself, and offers to let Differel come along, but she decides instead to stay and get to know the city better.

That night she is awakened by a crash. Looking out her balcony, she sees an object in her garden. She goes down to see what it is and discovers a giant bird of prey. It's injured and her majordomo recommends putting it out of its misery. As she examines its face, it focuses on her and for a moment she feels a sharp pain between her ears. It vanishes immediately, but she is filled with a determination to help it. The majordomo recommends getting the aid of the battle rokh master and Differel has him sent for. Meanwhile she orders lanterns and an awning be set up. The bird won't let anyone approach it except Differel, but if she holds its head in her lap, it calms enough for others to approach. When the master arrives, he determines that it has no broken bones, but it has numerous lacerations about the chest and belly, and its legs and talons appeared to be injured. He speculates that it was injured in a battle. With the help of the staff he begins to nurse it, but he is not optimistic about its chances. Differel sits up with it all night as it sleeps.

In the morning it appears stronger, and it rolls itself onto its stomach. It is also calmer, allowing people other than Differel to come near it, though it eyes them suspiciously. The rokh master returns and examines it, professing astonishment at how well it's doing, but cautions it may be days before it can fly again, and weeks before it has completely recovered. It does appear hungry, however, and Differel arranges for cattle to be bought to feed it. Kuranes stops by on a visit, and identifies it as a Wakiya, also known as a Thunderbird. They normally live in the extreme west, as the apex predator of a huge expanse of grasslands. Though the extremely rare individual is seen over the Six Kingdoms, he has never heard of one coming this far east before. They are capable of storing static electricity in their feathers, generated as they fly or dive. The drier the air and/or the faster they fly/dive, the greater the charge they build up, and they can release it in the form of lightning. They have been known to form empathic bonds with people, and to let those people ride them as steeds. Differel realizes that was what happened to her; she felt the bird's will to survive, and it used her own willful stubbornness to gain the strength needed to survive its ordeal.

Week 2

Over the next week, the Wakiya gets stronger. Differel has it moved up to the roof, but while it walks around, it shows no interest in flying. The rokh master tells her it should be strong enough to fly and it needs the exercise. After a number of attempts to get it to fly, Differel finally goads it by threatening it. Though it snaps at her, it also retreats and falls off the roof. It instinctively opens its wings and flies low over the estate and off over the city. Differel is sad to see it leave, but figures it needs to be free and wants to return home. That evening, however, her guards report that it returns. She feeds it and it settles in for the night.

Weeks 3, 4

Over the next two weeks, the Wakiya makes daily flights, going farther and staying away longer each day. Differel follows it on a zebra, but after a few days it outpaces her. Differel keeps expecting it to disappear one day, but each day it always returns by dusk at the latest. However, people living around Celephaïs accuse it of stealing livestock: every morning, a farm animal is found missing. Differel knows it can't be her Wakiya because it always returns ravenous. However, she pays restitution because she cannot prove it. Even so, complaints mount, and Kuranes sends her word that unless she can control it or prove it isn't responsible, he will have to order her to send it away or destroy it.

Week 5

One day the following week, Differel is riding back to Celephaïs after losing the Wakiya, when she is assaulted by bandits. She defends herself well, but there are too many of them. Then she hears a scream and sees the Wakiya diving. It seems to glow with St. Elmo's Fires, and its eyes flash. As it levels out, it discharges an electrical blast. The bandits are stunned and Differel is knocked from her zebra. The Wakiya wheels around and grabs her in its talons, then climbs into the sky. When it gets high enough, it barrel rolls and tosses her in the air. As she falls, she lands on its back. She hangs on for dear life, but then realizes that it is flying steady and level. She crawls up to its shoulders and kneels behind its neck. It flies around for a few hours, then returns to Celephaïs. When it lands and she dismounts, it makes its way to its eyrie. Differel realizes that it wants to be her steed.

The next day when she comes out to take a ride, she sees the Wakiya hasn't flown off yet. Concerned, she goes up to see it. It walks out of it's eyrie and hunkers down, as if inviting her to ride. She climbs up on its back, and as soon as she is settled, it takes off. It gains altitude, then soars over the landscape. She realizes why it flies every day: not just for exercise, but because it's cooler than on the ground. In fact, she feels chilled. She understands that if she's going to ride it, she needs the proper equipment.

The next day she consults with rokh master on the construction of a proper eyrie, then talks with her staff about having them make proper riding clothing. For now, she uses a fur cloak. It makes the ride more tolerable, but she realizes she still needs head- and eyewear. Nonetheless she rides the Wakiya for a few hours each day.

Week 6

The following week the complaints have gotten worse, and now a herder has disappeared; that cannot be handled by restitution. Kuranes feels he must act and he tells Differel to send the bird away. Though she is convinced it isn't at fault, she complies, having no choice. It senses her sadness, and when it takes off, it doesn't head east over Ooth-Nargai, but west over the Cerenarian Strait, as if it knows this is farewell. About halfway across, however, they are attacked by a large reptilian creature. The Wakiya is terrified of it, and at first its panic threatens to overwhelm Differel, but she forces herself to calm down, and the bird senses her calm and its own fear subsides. They turn back for Celephaïs with the creature in pursuit. It is faster than they are, but maneuvers like a flying rock. Differel takes advantage of that to attack with Caliburn, but the creature's hide is too strong and she nearly breaks her hand. At one point she does manage to shoot out an eye, giving them a chance to get back to the city. Differel reports to Kuranes, who identifies the creature as an Uncegila, but then the alarm is sounded: the creature is flying over the city. Kuranes orders the battle rokhs released and they chase it off, but it is too fast for them to catch.

Kuranes is now willing to give Differel the benefit of the doubt concerning the Wakiya, but his council states that even if the monster caused the deaths, the Wakiya is still the reason since it's after the bird. They still want it sent away or destroyed. Differel, however, refuses, and vows that she will hunt the monster down and destroy it.

Back at her mansion, Differel is told by her physician that her right hand is sprained and needs to be immobilized, but it should be fine in a few days. Her staff then show her the flight suit they created for her, made of leather with a woolen overcoat, a cowl, and goggles with glass lenses. They also show her a saddle and harness made to fit the Wakiya, with a counterweighted seat that can tilt as the bird changes pitch. She is impressed with the design and is introduced to the artificer, a journeyman who is a former Dreamer and a Waking World engineer from Victorian England. She hires him and has him fit the saddle to the Wakiya. She gives it a little time to get used to the feel of it, then she takes a test flight. She notes a few bugs and possible improvements, but for the most part it works as promised. As they soar over the land, Differel considers how to fight the Uncegila. As she and the Wakiya maneuver, she realizes they can use their superior maneuverability to fly rings around it and lure it into a trap. When they return to the mansion, she spends the rest of the day pouring over maps of Ooth-Nargai and the Tanarian Hills.

The next morning she and the Wakiya leave at dawn. The rokhs escort them to the perimeter of the city, then they are on their own. She plots a leisurely course towards the Tanarian Hills, swinging back and forth across her path, but for a couple of hours nothing happens. As the Hills come into view, however, with the snow-capped peak of Mt. Aran rising out of their midst, the Wakiya gets nervous. The Uncegila dives on them and they just manage to roll out of the way, losing a few tail feathers. The race is then on, as they speed toward the Hills while trying avoid the charging Uncegila. As they get closer, Differel spies the canyon and directs the Wakiya towards it. Before they enter, they maneuver around the Uncegila and Differel shoots out its other eye. Though blinded, it can still sense them and it follows them into the canyon. They hurtle up its length, scant yards above the river, dodging around and through rock pinnacles and arches, as the Uncegila crashes into and through them as it blunders along. Its unable to catch them because it cannot maneuver fast enough, but it doesn't seem seriously injured by its accidents. Finally they reach the head of the canyon, a steep escarpment with a waterfall. They fly straight at it, then roll away and dive at the last moment. The Uncegila crashes into it and falls into the river. The Wakiya manages to pull out of its stall and right itself. They follow the Uncegila as it is swept downstream, but the river isn't deep enough to drown it. They get ahead of it, and as it passes under them, the Wakiya blasts it with a thunderbolt. The water magnifies the force of the discharge and the Uncegila is electrocuted and burned. It sinks beneath the river and finally drowns. Differel follows it out of the canyon, and when it grounds on a rock, she lands and extracts a tooth as proof.

When she returns and presents the tooth to Kuranes, he exonerates her and the Wakiya. He gives her dispensation to keep it, and he sends a cloud barge to collect the carcass. Differel is hailed as a hero. Back at the mansion, she is prepared to let Wakiya go, but it elects to remain. She then gives it a name after the rokh master confirms it is a female: Eleanor d'Aquitaine.

Weeks 7, 8

Over the next two weeks, Differel and Eleanor take daily flights, strengthening themselves, getting used to working together, and practicing maneuvers. One of the things she learns is that she can hover like a kestrel for short periods of time, and when she does her wing beats sound like thunder. Towards the middle of the second week, the cat envoy approaches her, and asks her to ferry him to Hazuth-Kleg, so that he can confer with Elatha. As a Protector of Hazuth-Kleg, she should be reasonably safe, and she can help negotiate. He explains that for too long the Fomorians have been marginalized, and the Cat Queen, Kuranes, and the Queen of Punica believe that policy contributed to Aunt Mandy's attempted take-over of the Dreamlands. As such, they have decided to assimilate the Fomorians into Dreamland society. He is going to make the overture and if accepted negotiate the first treaty. As the heir presumptive of Ooth-Nargai, her presence would lend weight to the proposal, and she can negotiate for Kuranes. They agree to leave in the morning.

Differel confers with Kuranes, and discovers that as long as she is prudent, she can negotiate whatever treaty seems best to her. She's not sure she wants that responsibility, but Kuranes tells her he would rather have her straight-forward manner and common sense than anyone else's political and negotiating skill.

That evening she receives a message from Tyco Brahzie. He reports that he has learned that the bandits were not simple highwaymen, but were working for a third party determined not to allow the cat envoy to fulfill some secret mission. He has not been able to identify the party as of yet, but he has traced them to Hazuth-Kleg. She decides to keep what she knows a secret for the time being.

At dawn she leaves with the cat envoy and arrives at mid-morning at Elatha's green-glass tower in the midst of the bay. They are not expected, but when the guards learn who she is, Bres is sent for and he takes them to Elatha. He is willing to hear what the cat has to say, and invites them to stay as his guests. When Differel insists, he gives his word that he and his people will make no treachery. He gives Eleanor space in his dragon stables and promises she will be well looked after. That night he feasts them and then gives them a room.

During the night, Bres attempts to rape Differel. He trusted to his strength to subdue her, but her skill with hand-to-hand combat allows her to throw him off, and then she summons Caliburn. Elatha comes and has his son taken away. He apologizes for the attack, but Differel wrings concessions out of him for breaking his oath. Specifically she asks about the attempted kidnapping. He denies knowing anything about it, but promises to look into it.

The next morning the cat makes its offer. Elatha is willing in principle to establishing normal relationships, and they get down to negotiating. Elatha begins by making demands that are unacceptable, but Differel forces him to retreat to a more reasonable position. After that, things go quickly. Neither side is ready to concede too much, yet both sides are sincere in their desire to end the cold war. Finally they agree on a basic treaty with three provisions: recognition of Hazuth-Kleg as a power equal to the cats, Ooth-Nargai, and Punica; non-aggression; and an exchange of envoys. Ultimately, Elatha hopes for making Hazuth-Kleg independent of Kuranes's jurisdiction. Differel assures him that provided he makes further concessions, that can be possible.

Elatha hosts another feast in celebration, but during it, the tower is attacked by nightgaunts. They are unimpressed when Differel shows them the ankh, and the delay allows them to kidnap the cat, their target. Differel pursues them with Eleanor deep into Ooth-Nargai, to a stone tower in the Manar Woods. Nightgaunts capture her and chase off Eleanor. She and the cat are confronted by a renegade Fomorian. It had been Mandy's strongest ally, and even after her eventual betrayal was revealed, he refused to help the coalition, believing he could serve as one of her vassals. He is against rapprochement with their enemies, and believes their deaths will spark a war that will allow the Fomorians to conquer the Dreamlands. As they are about to be taken away, the tower is attacked. Differel summons Caliburn and she and the cat fight their way to the roof. There she sees Fomorians riding dragons with Eleanor. Her electrical charge disrupts the nightgaunts' mystical senses and allows the Fomorian warriors to get through. She engages the renegade Fomorian in single combat and beats him, but when he tries to stab her in the back, Bres kills him.

Back at Hazuth-Kleg, Elatha explains that he had suspected the kidnapping attempt had been orchestrated by renegades, but he had no way of identifying them, so he decided to smoke them out. He is disappointed they only got one, but it had been the most powerful, so perhaps now the others will fall in line. He also candidly tells her that he will not give up his people's desire to rule the Dreamworld, or suspend any ongoing intrigues that might accomplish that. Differel is neither surprised nor upset by his revelation, saying that she expected it; her only concern was to end the cold war and bring peace to both sides. However, she tells him that intrigues work best in a climate of peace and cooperation, though this does present the danger that he may decide cooperation is better than intrigue. He further informs her that he has appointed Bres to be his envoy to Celephaïs, and he asks that she keep an eye on him, to make sure he doesn't get into trouble. However, he also warns her that he has taken a fancy to her, and that Fomorian custom demands spousal kidnapping, nor is her marriage a deterrent, though she is permitted to defend herself, and he can only claim her if he subdues her. Differel surprises him by smiling and saying he is welcome to try.

The next day, she and the cat escort Bres back to Celephaïs. When they arrive, she discovers the Girls have appeared. She puts Bres up in her mansion until she can present him to Kuranes the next day. She invites the Girls to have tea with them, during which she asks him why he saved her life. He explains that Elatha wants her alive for now, and he had ordered him to make some kind of restitution for his assault. She tells him he has the run of the mansion and may command her servants to perform whatever service he needs, within reason, but if he ever attacks her again, she'll take his head off. After tea, she introduces the Girls to Eleanor, and gives them a ride. They stay for dinner, then afterwards Differel has Bres shown to his room. The majordomo informs her that Bres had asked for a bedmate. Differel is on the verge of refusing when she remembers that a number of the serving girls seemed taken with him. She states that if any of the servants are willing, she may go to him for a bonus, but only if she is willing; there is to be no coercion, not even of a very mild sort. The majordomo agrees and goes off to handle it.

Differel goes out to walk in her garden, and is greeted by the cat envoy, who thanks her for coming to its rescue. She accepts it, but admonishes him for not telling her sooner. He asks if that is the way human diplomats work, and she admits it isn't.

Week 9

Differel continues her practice flights with Eleanor, but she seems to sense that this will be her last few days for that night. She worries about what will happen when she awakens: will the empathic link be broken and Eleanor return to her home far to the west, or will she pine away and die for the loss of her rider, no matter how temporary. Differel finally decides to let her go, and begins to wean her away, by not riding her and even ignoring her. She can feel Eleanor's confusion, but she hardens her heart and tries to feel rejection, to make the Wakiya go away. Then on the morning that Differel feels is her last day, she finds Eleanor gone.

That morning, she is called to the palace. She finds the Girls and Saighlíne there, with Crèmedevoyager. He is wounded but awake. He states that Victor and Medb, with their cat companions, are under attack by a band of Inutos, at a high promontory overlooking the Bay of Calasheen in the northwest of the Cerenarian Sea. They will be overwhelmed without help; already their backs are to the sea. Unfortunately, even the fastest cloud barge couldn't reach them before evening. Differel realizes she and Eleanor could be there in an hour. Then she get a strange feeling. Running to the balcony, she looks out and sees the Wakiya circling around outside the palace. She directs it to the mansion, then offers the Girls and Saighlíne a lift.

It takes her and her staff 15 minutes to get ready, by which time Saighlíne and the Girls arrive. Sunny climbs on behind her and Eleanor hovers long enough for Eile and Saighlíne to climb onto her talons. She then heads off northwest over the Cerenarian Sea. Eleanor rises until she encounters an air current moving in the same direction and uses it to fly faster. By Differel's reckoning they arrive in thirty minutes. As they descend, she sees Victor and Medb atop a jumble of boulders right on the edge of a cliff, confronting a dozen diminutive humanoid creatures dressed in furs like Eskimos, with three dozen more arrayed around them, interspersed by two dozen bodies. Another dozen try to subdue the hippogriff with ropes. Seven cats fight with Medb and Victor, as the bodies of a dozen more litter the rocks and ground. Eleanor glides over the top of the Inutos, screaming, then brakes and hovers behind them as Eile and Saighlíne jump off and attack. Eleanor then climbs and banks around, heading back to the rocks. As Sunny shoots arrows at those attacking Medb and Victor, Eleanor banks left and rolls 90 degrees. As she sweeps past, Differel decapitates two Inuto with Caliburn. Three cats jump up and cling to the harness as Eleanor swings around behind the rocks, then Differel directs her towards the hippogriff. She shoots one Inuto as Sunny shoots another, and Eleanor grabs two in her talons as the cats jump down and attack three others. Eleanor climbs and drops her victims as the hippogriff attacks and mauls two more; the remaining three run off. Eleanor swings around and drops Sunny off at the hippogriff, and she mounts it and it takes off. As if flies around, Sunny shots arrows into the mass of attackers.

With Sunny gone, Differel and Eleanor can take advantage of their practice. Eleanor maneuvers to give Differel the ability to use Caliburn to the fullest extent, including flying upside down over the heads of the Inutos. In another maneuver, Eleanor grabs six Inutos and flings them into the mass. Finally Differel directs her to blast them with a lightning discharge. The Inutos give up and flee. As Eile and Sunny check the cats to look for wounded, Differel lands. Victor is surprised to see her, but is also ecstatic, and they rush into each other's arms. At the same moment, cats start raining from the sky as a century arrives to provide help. A squad is left behind to care for the wounded the Girls have found while the rest pursue the Inutos.

They fly the wounded cats to Ulthar, with Victor carrying Saighlíne and the Girls, and Differel carrying Medb. They decide to stay the night since it is too late in the day to try to return the Celephaïs; Differel could awaken at any moment. The Girls promise to look after Eleanor while she's away, and Medb will fly her back in the morning. The Girls host a celebration at their place and they tell Differel she can sleep over at their house whenever she's in town. Afterwards, Differel says goodbye to Eleanor, and while she knows the Wakiya can't understand her words, it seems reassured by her conviction that she will return. She and Victor take a room at the Hostel of the Laughing Cat and make love. Afterwards, Differel lies awake with Victor beside her asleep. She had come to the Dreamlands this once to see what it was like to be a regular Dreamer rather than as an outsider trying to escape or on a mission. She decides she likes it, though Victor's presence is definitely an inducement. Though she cannot be sure how long she can keep doing it, she decides to try to return every night. Soon afterwards she drifts off to sleep.

Epilogue

Differel awakens in her bedroom in her ancestral manor, and finds Dracula sitting on the end of her bed. When she asks what he's doing there, he asks her if she succeeded. She confirms she did, and when he asks if she'll return, she confirms she will. He encourages her to do so, and when she asks why, he states because it gets her out of his hair for nine hours of each day. That prompts Differel to throw a heavy crystal ashtray at him as he vanishes, leering a mocking grin.