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A reprise for Aramek: *BOOM* Everything got dark while he was changing. He turned into an arachnid-like form with an odd number of sharp legs, and started running around and stepping on the enemy's throats, skewering them.
Malachai has managed to fight his way to his feet, and is heading to Bucephalus. Logan is currently standing on Bucephalus's saddle and fighting from there.
Stormy's plan to move the cats together will work, but he will end up far from here. He disappears to set his plan in motion.
The sailors killed three of the foe in exchange for about forty-five of their number; the flanks did better, but their casualties were still high.
A bit later, another arachnid-looking creature comes from the right flank. It moves as if it was dancing as it kills Julian's troops, and its motions inspire something in Aramek. He ignores it.
Malachai reaches Bucephalus, and is given a lift up onto his back by Logan. He surveys the battle, and observes that the center has caved in, but the nasties are withdrawing from Arden into shadow.
The retreating troops are heading towards Cathryn. She tries to use magic or the Logrus to set up a line of death, but fails. The enemy heavily outnumber the Sidhe warriors in their path and push past them.
Zack chases after the cats; the one carrying Julian in particular. A hellride from a cat's perspective is quite odd.
Ilkandacian acquires a brief moment of lucidity, notices that the blue glow has vanished, and receives an impression of a blue crystal just before the fadeout.
Cassandra trumps Malachai and asks him to track Darhyse. Unfortunately, Malachai doesn't know which cat took Darhyse, so can't effectively oblige her.
The other arachnid approaches Aramek, and his animal mind starts broadcasting lust. Aramek stalls, and starts heading towards Malachai. The other arachnid does so as well.
Stormy trumps two of the other cats in to Trialla. He finally catches up with the cats and starts working on fixing Darhyse, while still in the Sand Gorgon form.
Zack tries to pass the cats, but cannot, since they're leading the hellride. Stormy notices someone coming up on him from behind; it's Zack.
They chat -- Stormy says that he's trying to heal Darhyse, and Zack wants to take Julian back to the king for justice instead of having Trialla bury him in the forest.
Zack is having little fuzzy things crawl over him, swarming all over his body. He greets them; they seem friendly.
Cathryn heads to the next shadow over to dodge the incoming nasties, and some of them follow her. She rips out some hearts, but the others stick her with swords. She shifts to a gaseous form, but they continue hurting her. She shifts to another shadow, and about fifteen follow her. She shifts into a teradactyl and flies upwards, and they make a tree into a slingshot and keep her busy dodging stuff. She realizes that this is a losing battle, since more will be coming. She starts shifting away and starts losing them. She's quite a ways out when she completely loses them. Cathryn heads back to the battle - and encounters more troops retreating towards her. She shifts into a small, innocuous form and returns to the battlefield.
The enemy is retreating through shadow. Malachai and the two arachnids follow, doing damage to them as they retreat. Aramek leaves the sailors behind in order to do this. Logan chases the troops, throwing insults at their backs.
Malachai stops to take care of his horse, which still has a polearm sticking out of its left withers.
Cassandra is marshalling and reviewing her troops. Large numbers of troops are betting on Gerard's fight with the cat. The sailors are taking care of their own. Arielle is passed out in the medical section.
Johann's donkey is munching on corpses, being careful to only eat the enemy. Johann himself and his troops are nowhere to be seen.
Cassandra seems upset about Darhyse.
Malachai leaves Bucephalus for another horse in a teary, guilt-ridden scene and heads off looking for Darhyse.
Aramek and the other arachnid continue chasing the enemy.
Cathryn returns to the site of the battle and shifts to human form.
Cassandra goes to the field hospital.
Corwin, the four big cats, Malachai, the left flank command, Bleys, and blue glowing thing are gone.
Cathryn tries to find the blue sphere and Ilk, but fails. Cathryn asks the Sidhe if they can return on their own. They act as if they cannot perceive her (or simply ignore her), so she goes to House Jesby.
Malachai is following the cat carrying Darhyse when the track vanishes. There is evidence of some form of trump or magic. He returns to Arden.
Once the enemy troops Aramek and the other arachnid are following are mostly gone, the other arachnid sidles up. Aramek dances, "Who are you" "Your mate" "Who promoted you to that position?" "You're the only one ever in the forest. You must be my mate."
Aramek tries to wander towards Julian and fails. The arachnid flirts with Aramek, and gives him its history. It claims that Mount Kolvir was its, then this strange hunchback (Dworkin) showed up and took it.
Cathryn meets Random in Jesby reception. He is upset at having missed the battle. Cathryn says that she couldn't see much from her vantage point, and that she tried to prevent an inter-shadow incident, and believes that she failed.
She tells Random that two members of Cara are injured or dead, and that she should return. She mentions that Julian was using Benedict's troops, and the floating Julian heads. She gives him a brief and very garbled summary of the battle.
"Do you think that I would ignore House duties for a drug-induced
state?"
"I have!"
Random wants to see the battlefield, so Cathryn takes him back.
Malachai waves to her, then goes to talk with Cassandra.
Random asks about Gerard and the cat wrestling, baits Gerard briefly, and considers interrupting Malachai and Cassandra, but Cathryn convinces him to wait until their conversation is done. Random trumps them to his antechamber.
Cathryn goes to House Cara and asks the receptionist if (Ilk's still unnamed cousin, damnit!) and Ilk have returned. She gets a response of "They were gone?"
Cathryn returns home, and sees a note from her mother asking her to look into rumors of troop movements on the part of House Cara. She scrawls "YES!" on the note. She then rests in preparation for the party.
Zack trumps Malachai. A fuzzy jumps through the trump and lands on Cassandra, who clutches it to her breast, looking worried.
Zack is riding on Trialla's back, Stormy is healing Darhyse. Cassandra asks to be pulled through. Zack asks Cassandra to promise not to harm Julian before he brings her through, and she waffles.
Aramek asks for details about the arachnid's sex life, and it fills him in. He agrees, and as they mate, the shadow is destroyed around them.
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