Jounal-Page 29

Sat in House Weaver overnight, decent food and atmosphere from the local house, hostility from the Chaos Lords and House Bariman members. Tried to glean as much info on Chaos state of affairs as I could, without much success. Sam and Archie did better, they got some useful info.

Next day we met the local Duke, got a royal send-off, and our escort arrived. Margali was with them, and just as Ice-Maidenish as ever. Also along was The Traveller, introduced as Lorant. I'd seen him before, at the end of an escrima stick on the streets of Amber, evesdropping Chaos Lord. Other forces were present, and the party was mounted on hell mounts. Mine tried to bite me, till I held his nose shut for a bit..he didnt try THAT again.

We are expected to make our own way to the Courts, it is a trick..he needs shadows but I see no way to gracefully decline. and it doesnt seem worth it to ungracefully decline, yet. I did get to force them to allow a message back to Amber, with Lorant escoring me out of the Trump interference zone. I did let him know I had an uncle who was anxious to meet him. Then turned to more important matters, passing Mom's trump off as the Royal Trump Artist. I contact her, acting like it is harder than it is, and taking longer than normal, I let her Ride my senses to see the situation, and brief her mentally, while keeping up a stream of rather descriptive nothingness about the trip here so far, and the hospitality of House Weaver. Lorant seems to have no clue he is a half step from the possiblilty of being snatched right into Amber. Too bad Uncle Gerard isnt with Mom right now. We sign off and I head back to the party with my pet Chaos Lord in tow.

Sam volunteers to lead, and leads us through the most ungrateful, nasty, boggish, swampy shadows I've ever seen, Remind me not to aggravate her. We notice that each shadow we go through, the Chaosians drop someone out of the group to stay back, Trumping new people in. Kinda makes me wonder where they are trumping from..the Courts themselves? Every day that went by, every shadow, made me more and more frustrated that we didnt just tell em to kiss off.

Once at the Courts, filthy, tired, frustrated, and half feral. The party is quickly brought before the King, with no time to clean up. (Hmm... trying to off-balance us? probably) The Royal Hall is immense, and made of frozen flame, or something that looks like it anyway. The King is too smug by half, and he should be, we were outmaneuvered from the start. The political BS gives me a headache, and makes me want to kill something. (I was wondering if the King would miss a few Barimans, the Trump blockage was enhancing my headache to a migrane).

The King denied any knowledge of our missing family members, though he glaced at some skulls on spikes. Our kin? Elicited an interesting reaction when I pulled up Pattern to look at them.

Too quickly the King wound up the discussions with a tentative agreement to persue non-violent relations with Amber. Then booted us out, told us to depart immediately and had the trump blockage dropped. (Trying to get rid of us so we wouldnt find out more info on the Courts?) I pulled Mom's Trump and made contact, Heh.. good ole Mom, had a strike team standing by with Uncle Gerard leading. Started passing people through, as I was the last I took the opportunity to look up at the balconies where the Bariman's were hidden and Pointed threateningly. I spoke one word "Justice" and patted the blade given me by Uncle Benedict, then heard the King chuckle as I stepped into the Trump.

Back in Amber the Ladies of the group were QUITE eager to get clean. Me also, I must admit. Dang bug infested swamps. So we all adjourned to the Royal Baths. Good thing for my bath-house upbringing, the co-ed nature of this debrief seemed to bother a couple of the attendees. But the Queen being Rebman, along with Saithryn, and myself ready to shuck down and get clean, helped get everyone into the spirit of the thing.

We brought the Queen up to speed on our trip, and were Briefed on the happenings in Amber while we were away. Seems Uncle Corwin, and Uncle Julian are off scouting in Shadow for Uncle Bleys. After the main briefing, Archie had some questions about Trump artifacts, and I displayed a couple of the powers of Items with Trump using Spring Breeze. Looked like he wanted to ask a favor, but held back. Maybe he wanted a bit more privacy than Nakie with half the Family right there.

After the party broke up, I snuck off to the library and "borrowed" the Black Keep Trumps. Did a bit of trump spying on the locations depicted to see if maybe our missing Family might be around there. Place is a wreck, looks like an earthquake hit it. Would take earth elementals to go through it for anything. Maybe later.

I also grabbed Mirelle's Trump and headed off to the townhouse. (leaving a note, to cover my back) I began Spying on her to get enough of a feel for someplace that I can build a Trump to. Over the next day or so, I get more than I wanted to Know of her Personal life, and quite a bit of what I do want to know. I finally get enough of a feel to build a trump. Now to make it, and go visit my lost Aunt, who doesn't seem to want to be found. I feel she deserves to be told the family news, Oberon is dead, and her Brother Random is Lost to the pattern. Whether she is happy or sad is her buisness.