Haven, Arceria, Kaeleer, Saturday [Fandom Time]

[glacial_queen]

The portal had dropped them off in the outskirts of Haven. Portalocity tech was one more thing that Karla could add to the list of information she didn't want most Kaeleerans to have, especially her enemies. But Haven wasn't that far from the Glacian border, which meant it was the ideal staging ground for their reconnaissance missions. They could slip into Glacia without Hobart being the wiser and then move around from there. She knew he was watching the Winds, so they'd stick to roads and private Coaches as much as possible, but they should be able to see much of the Territory while they were here.

It helped, of course, that they'd have a few native guides and a system of safe-houses already prepared. The underground movement had been working overtime lately.

"Morton!"

[NFB and SP]

Comments

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

"--As can I," Julian interrupted, pulling out his pendant. "And I'm authorized to use it, too. Which means we can all ride the Sapphire Winds, drop down somewhere on the Web, and then I can land and show my credentials."

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

Morton nodded his agreement. "True enough, though even you shouldn't be seen flitting about too much. I think we might be better off sticking to mundane travel as much as we can, even up here in what is mostly Karla's territory. We're a unique bunch and word travels, even when we wish it wouldn't."

[glacial_queen]

"Disguises?" Karla asked.

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"Plain ones might do at a distance," Morton said, raking a hand through his hair. "It's still cold enough for big coats and scarves, but anyone gets close to you, Karla, and they're going to know you for what you are. Julian's Jewel might confuse them for a bit, but we don't have a lot of triply aspected witches running around. And Black Widow illusions might get us more trouble than just walking around normally. People are still looking for signs of the Hourglass."

[wwiii]

"Does this mean I shouldn't be using this?" Warren frowned a little, lifting his arm and showing the bracelet that Karla made, the one with the illusion spells built in to hide his wings and claws. "My wings are going to stand out, too. They're nothing even remotely resembling Eyrien."

And he didn't want to say it. He really didn't. But.

"And Jonothon..."

[furnaceface]

"I'll put my collar up," Jono replied, directing a brief scowl in Warren's direction. "Shy of finding some means of being entirely invisible, it's about the best I can manage. You'll have to tuck those wings away, Worthington. And Kaelas is going to stand out like a sore thumb, unless it's not uncommon to see massive cats wandering around in the company of a group of Blood and landens."

[glacial_queen]

Karla saw where this was going.

"No," she replied. Because that was helpful.

[wwiii]

"Karla," Warren murmured softly, "it's fine. This is important."

And unlike Jono, who could roll up his collar and bunch his shoulders and call it good, Warren's wings tended to stand out more than a little bit, even at a distance.

[glacial_queen]

"I'm pretty certain this is the exact opposite of fine!" Karla snapped.

Necessary, probably. But fine? Definitely not.

[wwiii]

"I'm not exactly thrilled about it," Warren pointed out. "But it won't be for the whole time. I'll deal with it."

Just like old times. Yay.

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

"Problem?"

Don't be a cock, Julian.

[furnaceface]

Jono had seen about enough of Julian's attitude for one evening, which was why he was casually lifting one arm in order to give him a neat swat to the back of the head.

"Take your Jewel," he hissed. "Take your one certain defense against whatever stands in your way. Now tuck it away, and restrict all of your ability to use it. Now, without the ability to use your Jewel, walk into what could potentially be enemy territory with only your wits at your disposal. Do that, and you'll have some idea of what this is like for Warren right now. Do it for a decade against your will, mate, and you'll have some idea of why his agreeing to do this is a damn impressive decision."

And then he folded his jacket collar up over the bottom on his face, and proceeded to cross his arms over his chest.

All in a day's work.

[wwiii]

If anyone was looking for confirmation from Warren, they were going to have to take him staring at Jono with his mouth hanging slightly open as agreement.

He had kind of been under the impression that Jono hated him. But then, maybe in this situation, at least, their both being mutants surrounded by Blood put them on slightly even footing.

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

Julian wasn't looking at Warren. He was glaring daggers at Jono, teeth clenched. "How dare you raise your hand to me, you--"

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

This time, it was Morton who interceded. "Julian, sit the Hell down and shut the fuck up," He sounded almost exhausted, still rubbing at his burgeoning headache. "You're cock is the longest here, okay? You're the dominant Blood male, I acknowledge. I'd prefer not to show you my throat like the kindred wolves, but if that's what it's going to take, I'll do it."

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*Actually, I'm the dominant male in the room,* Kaelas pointed out, sounding bored. He yawned, showing long fangs, and then stood and prowled over to Morton's side, all eight hundred pounds of pure feline muscle. *I wear the Red.*

He shook his head, showing off the dark Jewel that glowed with an inner fire at his throat.

*Care to fight for dominance, Brother?* He sounded less bored when he asked that, green-gold eyes gleaming. *The Lady normally does not let me eat two-legged meat, but she might make an exception for you.*

[glacial-court.livejournal.com]

When it came to cutting someone's legs off at the knee, Kaelas had a pretty good set of claws on him--literally and figuratively. Julian blanched, calculating his chances against a Red Jeweled Warlord Prince that was looking forward to eating him and shakily sat down.

"My apologies, Prince," he said stiffly, expression pained as he realized he was apologizing to a walking pelt. "I overstepped."

[kindrednotkind.livejournal.com]

*Accepted,* Kaelas said, leaning into Morton for scritches. Morton nearly toppled over, then braced himself to compensate for the extra weight. *Don't do it again.*

That was the only warning he'd get.

[furnaceface]

Jono gave Kaelas a brief, appreciative smile and a nod of his head. He'd thump Julian again if he felt it was necessary, but he certainly couldn't deny that Kaelas had a fair bit more heft when it came to getting his point across.

"And, with that interruption out of the way," he said, scowling at Julian, "perhaps we can return to figuring out how we're going to travel unnoticed."

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"While we're traveling, there're always sight shields," Morton offered, trying not to look as aggravated as he felt. "There's no one darker than the Sapphire in Glacia, so no one will even notice there's a shield, never mind be able to break it."

[glacial_queen]

"No one can see through a shield, but someone wearing a darker Jewel can sense a blank spot where a lighter Jewel is shielded if they're looking," Karla explained to Warren and Jono. "So, even if I choose not to break through one of Morton's shields, I could tell that he was shielding something."

[furnaceface]

"Useful, then, that we'll have the three darkest Jewels in the territory traveling along with us."

And hopefully it would stay that way.

"Invisibility will come in especially useful. It's unfortunate that I don't have anything to offer in that regard. The best I have these days tends to stand out, some."

In that 'glowing bright blue' sort of way.

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"Granted, that will let us get from one place to another without much trouble, but it won't help us once we get to a village and stop."

[glacial_queen]

"Of course, we weren't really going incognito in the villages, were we?" Karla asked. "It seems a little counter-productive."

[glacial-warlord.livejournal.com]

"No, but...I wasn't intending to trumpet our arrivals, either," Morton replied. "I've been thinking that we'll have clandestine meetings in the woods and such, not a parade through the center of town."