The permissions granted, Lara sought out Dasras, and told her stallion that she would ride home alone. “I have told the boys I will send for them in two days.”

“It will be like the old days, mistress,” Dasras said as she mounted him. Then he began to race down the long meadow, his snowy-white wings unfolding as he ran. They ascended upward into the blue skies heading across the fertile plains beneath and toward the Emerald Mountains. Lara could see as they traveled over the hills that the autumn was coming. Here and there she spied spots of red and gold as the trees began to color. Briefly she was overcome with sadness. She and Magnus had returned home together at this same time last year. Dasras had carried them both, and they had all laughed and talked, recalling their summer idyll. The stallion always had wonderful stories to relate as most people overlooked the fact that the magical beast was intelligent and so they ignored him, speaking freely.

“What did you do when Roan asked you to leave his meadows?” Lara asked the great horse as he flew.

“Why, I went to another meadow, mistress, taking a dozen delightful mares including my own beloved Sakira with me. Roan’s young stallion blustered and bristled. I spoke with him and offered to fight him, but I warned him if I did I should win because I have magic. I would overcome him, and then I would geld him myself. Oddly he did not annoy me after that. He is a beautiful creature, mistress, but a complete fraud. He gallops about the meadow tossing his head, flinging his mane back and flaring his nostrils as he snorts. And as he basked beneath the light of the full moon, admiring himself in the meadow pond, I jumped the hedge separating us, and spent the next several hours impregnating every mare I could catch and mount. Roan will have a bumper crop of colts next spring I can guarantee, and most of them will be silver-white.” Dasras chuckled wickedly.

Lara laughed heartily at her stallion’s recital. “Roan, of course, will know what you have done,” she said.

“That youngster he’s pinning his hopes on would be better off gelded,” Dasras replied dryly. “He will only produce ordinary offspring, but Roan is no fool. He will see that sooner than later. Now, mistress, tell me what troubles you, for I can see you are disturbed. Is it that you will miss your Aghy lover?”

“Nay, I kept him for pleasures just a short while. I am sad because for the first time I have noticed those I love growing older,” Lara said. “And when they are gone with whom will I share my history? With whom will I talk?”

“We will share our history, and we will talk, mistress,” Dasras said.

“But your time is certainly limited, too, Dasras,” Lara replied.

“I was created to live as long as my mistress,” the horse told her. “I will be with you as long as you exist in this world.”

“Oh, I am glad!” Lara said. “When Magnus died so suddenly and unexpectedly last spring I began to realize the true frailty of mortals, Dasras. It saddens me.”

“Do not waste your time bemoaning that which you cannot change,” Dasras advised Lara. “Enjoy what you have, and the time you have with those who give you happiness, mistress. It is true you will outlive three of your children, but the other two will be here for you. You will get to see a grandson, a great-grandson and other descendants rule Terah after your son. And Anoush and her descendants will keep you connected with the clan families even after Liam, Rendor, Roan and the others are gone.”

Lara’s sadness evaporated, and she leaned forward to pat Dasras’s neck. “Thank you,” she told him. “I had begun to wallow in self-pity. My mortals still have many years ahead of them. Oh, Dasras! What would I do without you?”

“You would do very well, mistress. Not as well as you do with me, of course,” Dasras told her drolly.

Lara laughed, feeling lighter now that she had gotten her foolish fears off of her chest. “Look!” she said, pointing below. “It is Sapphire Lake. We are halfway home.”

Dasras galloped on through the blue sky. They finally crossed the Emerald range of mountains. Below she could see the small villages and farms of Terah. Eventually the coastline came into sight, the Sea of Sagitta beyond. From her vantage point Lara could see at least four of the fjords, and then she saw the castle of the Dominus looming up from the green cliffs. She had always thought it beautiful with its towers and turrets, with its terraced gardens that hung out over the fjord.

Dasras began to decrease his altitude. He cleared the far cliff and sailed out over the waters of the dark blue fjord. Then, circling, he dropped down into his stable yard, coming to a gentle landing. It was always more difficult for him to land than it was for him to take off. Jason, his personal attendant, came racing from the stables to greet him.

Lara slid from the saddle. “Thank you, Dasras,” she said, and, rubbing his muzzle affectionately, she hurried into the castle.

“We didn’t know you were coming home today, mistress,” her servant, Mila, said as she came forward to welcome her home. “Where is the young Dominus?”

“I will bring him back in two days’ time,” Lara told Mila. “Two of his friends are coming with him. They will live in the castle and study with Taj. Tomorrow we must see that suitable quarters are made ready for them. I am tired, Mila. Fetch me something to eat. I am going to the baths to rid myself of the stink of my travels.”

“At once, mistress. I know just what you need for you look tired. All that feasting and playing at your Gathering.” She bustled off.

Lara entered her private bath. The attendants were waiting, having been notified by another servant that the Domina had returned. She stood silently as they soaped her and scrubbed her. The smell of the rough encampment of The Gathering and several hours on Dasras’s broad back was rinsed away. With a smile of thanks she walked to the marble soaking tub, immersing herself in the perfumed water so she might relax.

It had been an incredibly eventful few weeks. Seeing the twins she had borne to Kol-she still had difficulty thinking of them as her sons-had been quite a revelation. She had begun to wonder what they would have been like had she brought them into the light to be raised. She should not have allowed Kaliq and the others to make her leave them behind to Kol’s mercy. Certainly not after Kol was punished for his assault of her on the Dream Plain. Would not the Dark Lands, without heirs or their Twilight Lord, have been just as confused and conflicted? But it was too late to second-guess what had been done.

Kolgrim and Kolbein were their father’s sons. Kolbein was, of course, the worst of the two, having been raised by the Wolfyn. But Arild and his family had not been bad giants. And Kolgrim certainly had his father’s charm. And though she disliked admitting it, she had been amused by his sense of humor. I could almost like him, Lara thought, surprised. He and Kolbein would quarrel, of course, over everything having to do with ruling the Dark Lands. Alfrigg would have his hands full, but it was no longer her concern, especially as she had prevented the Darkling from interfering.

But it was Ciarda who concerned Lara the most. She had just enough magic to be troublesome, but not enough to accomplish all she sought to do. Unfortunately Ciarda did not realize that. Having no idea what she would do next, they would have to watch her carefully. Lara stepped from her soaking pool into a thick towel held by one of the bath attendants. “Nothing more tonight,” she said, waving the servants away as, wrapped in her long towel, she made for her bedchamber. The castle, she noted, was very quiet. She had never known it to be that quiet. Too quiet. She was glad she had let Taj bring his two best friends back with him. Three noisy boys would bring the old castle back to life again. She remembered Dillon’s youthful adventures when he lived here.

“I’ve brought you a nice poached breast of capon,” Mila said, coming into the room with a tray. She placed it on the table that was set in the wide bay window. “Fresh bread, a salad and a piece of that delicious sponge cake that your brother’s mate so loves.” She placed a fresh white napkin in Lara’s lap when she sat. Then Mila poured her mistress a goblet of pale golden wine. “Do you want company while you eat?” she asked. “Who are these boys who will return with the Dominus?”

Lara realized that Mila was not, despite her query, going to leave her to herself. “They are his two best friends, sons of Fiacre clansmen. They have played together since they were children.” She ate some of the capon and buttered her bread. “He had no sooner arrived than he was off with them.” She smiled and chewed her food slowly.

“I wonder that their presence might not offend some of the more important Terahn families,” Mila said slowly. “Why should these two foreigners be allowed to live and study with our Dominus? Are there not Terahn boys who are good enough? These are questions that will be asked, Domina.”

“Asked by the narrow of mind, and the insular,” Lara said, irritated, but Mila did make a point. “And please do not call folk from the Terahn province of the New Outlands foreigners. They had Terahn citizenship granted to them by Magnus Hauk, and all he gave them our son promised to continue. Taj has lived an isolated life here at the castle as most Terahn children do in their own homes. If he attended a Terahn school he would be deferred to, and nothing would be natural. You know how formal Terahns can be toward their Dominus. You live here at the castle, Mila, and you know us as people. The average citizen does not. I suppose I shall have to ask two Terahn boys to join Taj and his friends, but when those boys bow and scrape to my son, Gare and Sinon will certainly be put off by such behavior. And so will Taj.”