"One must always take caution when starting a journey, for often what is 
found at the end is not what one had expected."

	-- Old Sindar Saying

----------
Westwind Dreamings presents
A Rocketarian Pictures production
in association with Improfanfic

Suikoden: Distant Shores
created by Illyria and Todd Harper

Part Twenty-Five: Broadening Horizons
by Kate Malloy
----------

	Charlotte pointed to a location on the map.  "So, all told, it should take 
you about twelve days to get from here to Kesshin by land.  Now, if you travel 
to Maire, and sail from there to Eregon and then to the shore near Kesshin, 
it'll take only five or six days, but then you have a three day walk overland.  
That's probably nine days total at best."

	Tavia looked up from the map to glance at the faces around her.  Lierni 
was frowning slightly as she continued to study the map, placing one hand on the 
table as she leaned forward to get a better look.  Nereida's lips moved silently 
as she made some quick mental calculations, while Charlotte continued to rest 
her finger on the map and look inquisitive.

	"We could save a couple days by having Viki send my group to Bristow," 
Tavia suggested.  "Although that wouldn't help on the trip back."

	"I wouldn't trust her... skills," Lierni said with more than a hint of 
skepticism.  "However, if you are planning to do that, why not have her send you 
to Maire instead?"

	"I was thinking that we might have trouble finding a boat that was willing 
to take us that far," Tavia reasoned.  "Most fisherman wouldn't want to be away 
from their home ports for nearly a fortnight, and I'm not sure if we could hire 
a small ship without attracting too much attention."

	"You've raised a very good point, Tavia," Nereida said.  "Right now, it's 
wise to be as discreet as possible.  Since Kesshin is a trade town, though, your 
group shouldn't stand out quite as much as they would most places."

	"Which is why Baren is going instead of Kaleen," Tavia pointed out.  
"Apparently the Wind Children do trade goods there on occasion, whereas I don't 
think the al'Kezzin have ever set foot in the city."

	"Well, at least you have an idea of where you're going," Lierni stated, 
annoyance quite evident in the tone of her voice.

	"I'm sorry."  Charlotte gave an apologetic smile.  "That's one of the few 
areas that I really haven't traveled to yet."

	"And where is Alaric, for that matter?" Lierni crossed her arms.  "If we 
really are planning on leaving tomorrow morning, I'd like to at least find out 
something more specific than 'We're going to Lierstam.'"

	For a moment, Nereida looked troubled, but the expression quickly passed 
from her face.

	"Anyway," Tavia continued.  "I'll check with Viki tonight about 
transporting us to Bristow.  Things should work out if we give her enough time 
to prepare, right?"

	Neither Lierni nor Nereida replied.

	"Right?"

*****

	"Now where did you say you wanted to go again?  Bristow?"  Viki tapped her 
chin and gazed upward.  "I'm pretty sure I remember where that was... it's near 
Seika, isn't it?"

	Tavia was seriously beginning to have second thoughts about her plan.  It 
was the next morning, and now she, Baren, Catherwood, and Kojiro stood in the 
courtyard directly in front of the castle, along with Lierni and Nereida.  Viki 
had insisted that it was the best place for her teleportation magic to work.

	Kojiro, now dressed in simple black traveling clothes, cleared his throat.  
"Perhaps we should just walk," he said.

	"Oh!  I remember now!"  Viki smiled.  "Okay, everybody who's going, stand 
over there!"

	Tavia exchanged glances with her companions.  Catherwood simply nodded, 
while Kojiro glanced briefly at Viki, then gave a faint shrug.

	"I regret that I did not get one last chance to defeat that mangy fleabag 
before I was lost to parts unknown," Baren muttered as he followed the others to 
where Viki was pointing.

	With the bravest smile she could manage, Tavia looked at Viki.  "All 
right, I think we're ready."

	"Okay, everybody concentrate, and poof!"  The young mage waved her staff, 
and Tavia, Baren, Catherwood, and Kojiro disappeared.  "Yay!  It worked!  Well, 
I think it did, anyway.  It certainly felt like it worked..."

	"Don't worry," Nereida whispered to Lierni.  "I had Werner send a 
messenger to Bristow.  He'll report back in a few days, so we'll know if they 
made it there safely."

	Lierni nodded.  "I would feel better if I could find this out before my 
group departs, but I suppose we'll have to leave it at that.  Now if you'll 
excuse me, I need to track down the others and make sure they are all prepared."

	"I'll be in the main planning room.  Please inform me when you are about 
to leave."  With that, Nereida walked back inside White Cloud.  Lierni stared in 
the direction of Bristow for a few moments, then followed her inside.

*****

	At that moment, several residents of Bristow were extremely surprised by 
the sight of four people appearing out of nowhere.

*****

	It was late that afternoon when Reid finally woke up.  Extremely 
disoriented, he simply laid there for a few moments, blinking at the ceiling.  
"Where am I?" he finally asked.

	"White Cloud infirmary," Alyssa said, from the next bed over.

	Slowly, he pulled himself onto his side and looked over to his left, 
leaning on one elbow for support.  Alyssa was sitting on her bed, her knees 
drawn up to her chin and a concerned look on face.

	"Doctor Koris should be around soon," she continued.  "How are you 
feeling?"

	"Fine, I guess."  He moved into a sitting position, resting his back 
against the headboard.  "Still pretty tired, a bit out of it... those ninjas 
were a nasty piece of work, weren't they?"  He tried to manage a smile, but 
something about Alyssa's expression stopped it.  "What's wrong?"

	Alyssa pointed to the bed on his other side.  He turned his head, dreading 
what he might see.  His breath caught in his throat as he realized who its 
occupant was.  "Kyrina..."  He looked pleadingly at Alyssa.  "Is she...?"

	"Doctor Koris says she's stable.  It'll be a few days before she wakes up, 
and I'm not sure how long it will be before she's fully recovered.  As soon as 
he says it's all right, I'm going to use my Water Rune, but..."  She sighed.  
"Even then, there's only so much I can do.  I really hope Tavia and her crew can 
find that Runemaster.  We need more healers."

	"Tavia's gone?"  New worries began to force their way into Reid's head.

	"She left this morning.  I wouldn't go chasing after her in your 
condition, though."  Alyssa tried to smile.

	"I wasn't going to..."  His voice trailed off under Alyssa's gaze.  "Well, 
all right, for a moment I did consider it."  His shoulders slumped.  "My closest 
friend is hurt terribly, and I'm thinking of going after Tavia."

	"It's only natural, though."

	A hint of defensiveness crept into Reid's voice.  "What do you mean?"

	"It's pretty obvious that you care for her."  Alyssa winked at him.

	"That obvious?" Reid asked, dismayed.

	"Probably obvious to almost everyone *but* her."

	Reid sighed.  "Wonderful."

	"Of course, I've had experience in observing these sorts of things, so..."  
She gave an noncommittal shrug.

	He sighed again and looked back over at Kyrina for a few minutes.  
"Exactly what happened?" he finally asked.

	"Poison Rune, combined with quite a few wounds.  Her Elf blood saved her; 
I don't think an ordinary human would have been able to survive."

	"She used my sword, didn't she?" Reid realized, eyes widening.  "I thought 
I half-remembered her carrying it out of here.  She knew she wouldn't be able to 
do much with her bow, so she took my sword.  We'd trained with each others' 
weapons, and while she's much better with a sword than I am with a bow, I still 
didn't think she'd ever try to use one in battle.  *Especially* not in a 
situation like that."  His fists clenched.  "Why did I have to get injured?  I 
should have been there."

	"She did well," Alyssa said quietly.  "And from what I've seen of her, 
she's not the type to send someone else into any situation that she wouldn't be 
willing to face herself."

	"That's true."

	"And if it helps... you're also not the only person who wishes he could 
have gone instead."

	Any further conversation was brought to a halt as Doctor Koris entered the 
room.  "Ah, good, you're awake," he said.  "If you don't mind, I'd like to make 
a few checks before I give you a clean bill of health."  One of the former 
Heimdall cadets had followed Doctor Koris in, and the doctor now turned to him.  
"Help me take Mister Arondight to the examination room."

	With that, Reid was helped out of his bed and led off, casting a confused 
glance at Alyssa over his shoulder as he left.

*****

	They'd been traveling for two days now, and Lierni was severely annoyed.  
She was beginning to wonder why she'd agreed to this plan.  She supposed that 
Tavia had wanted a representative to speak with this General Peridon, and she 
was certainly capable of handling that.  However, since this had originally 
started out as an intelligence-gathering mission, her companions were a bit 
unorthodox, and were pretty much keeping to themselves.

	Alaric had simply stated that they would be going "north for a while," and 
then proceeded to lead them through a series of forested hills and valleys.  
While she had briefly studied Lierstam geography back at Heimdall, she would 
have appreciated a bit more information on exactly where they were and where 
they would be going.  She understood that some amount of secrecy had to be 
maintained - the General was still more-or-less in exile because of his role in 
the battle against the King - but surely they deserved to know at least 
*something* about their destination.  Any attempts at asking the treasure hunter 
to divulge information were met with vague replies and secretive smiles.  She 
was about ready to give up.

	Shayera, aside from a few dire mutterings about how this would all end in 
disaster, had been quiet.  Jasin had perhaps said two words since they'd left 
White Cloud, which was just slightly fewer than Lierni could ever remember him 
saying since she'd met the young performer.  Then again, considering his 
background and who raised him, it was very likely that he had no understanding 
of proper manners at all.

	Her musing was interrupted by a sudden sound from ahead.  Alaric held up a 
hand to stop the group.

	"Sounds like yelling," he said.  "Shayera, would you check it out?"

	The thief nodded, and crept off into the woods.

	A few minutes later, she returned.  "There's a steep drop-off up ahead 
that leads to a river.  A bunch of what looks like bandits have some girl 
trapped down there.  They've blocked all her escape routes, so unless she can 
swim, she's probably done for.  And from what I saw, the current's probably a 
bit too strong for swimming."

	"Did they have any guards?" Alaric asked.

	"Nope.  There were about ten of them to one of her, so they probably 
thought they wouldn't need them."

	"Well, this is wonderful," Lierni grumbled.  She straightened the 
falconer's glove on her left hand, while pale blue-white light began to gather 
around the Lightning Rune on her other hand.  "I didn't expect a rescue mission.  
I'll start with a few minor spells.  Hopefully that will be enough to scare them 
off."

	"And if not?" Shayera inquired.

	"We go in fighting," Alaric finished.  "Let's move."

	Quietly, the four walked forward until they could see over the hill to the 
valley below.  As Shayera had said, ten men had a young woman trapped against 
the river.  The bandits all wore ragged, mismatched clothes, and carried clubs 
and knives, while the fiery-haired young woman wore a bright, blue-green 
sleeveless tunic and black pants.  The men were all arranged in a semi-circle a 
fair distance from her, though, as she appeared to be in a fighting stance.  The 
entire scene seemed frozen, as if each person was waiting for someone else to 
make the first move.

	Lierni was just about to release her initial spell when Jasin gasped.  
"Melusine!"

	Almost as one, the bandits' heads turned in the direction of his cry.

	"There goes the element of surprise," Alaric sighed, quickly extinguishing 
the glow of his Fire Rune.

	Jasin leapt from the hilltop, knives in his hands, and caught one of the 
bandits in the head with his foot as he came down.  Executing a nearly-
impossible-seeming flip in mid-air, he landed back at the base of the hill, 
where he was promptly rushed by the other nine.

	"Wonderful," Lierni repeated, concentrating on preparing a spell that 
wouldn't hit Jasin along with the bandits.

	Meanwhile, the young woman who Jasin had identified as "Melusine" had 
recovered from her surprise and now raced toward where he was being attacked.  
With a flurry of punches and kicks, she attempted to draw two of the bandits 
away from him.

	Alaric and Shayera exchanged glances and shrugged.  Both drew their 
weapons and charged down the hill.

	"I give up."  Lierni raised her left hand into the air, watching as the 
golden form materialized on her falconer's glove.  Arrano gave a soft cry.  "I 
know it's been a while since we've done this," she said to her familiar.  "But 
you remember what we need to do."

	The golden falcon took off toward the chaos below.  Lierni slowly crept 
down, making sure that she was still well out of range of the main battle.

	Meanwhile, a bandit had gone down with one of Jasin's knives in his side.  
The young woman, Melusine, was currently performing a complicated-looking aerial 
kick that ended with two unconscious bandits and one extremely angry martial 
artist seeking her next target.  Alaric and Shayera were fighting side by side, 
the treasure hunter's staff keeping the bandits at bay while the thief quickly 
darted forward to slash at one of their opponents with her dagger.

	Arrano swooped down upon the apparent leader of the bandits, who had stood 
back from the fighting and was attempting to shout orders to his followers.  
When he saw the golden form falling from the sky above him, talons outstretched, 
he shrieked and tried to dive out of the way.  The familiar changed course in 
mid-air, raking the bandit's scalp with his talons.  Clutching his head, the 
leader fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

	Hearing their leader call out, the remaining bandits hesitated in their 
attack.

	"Jasin!" Melusine yelled, taking advantage of the moment.  "Remember 
this?"  Her hands and feet began to glow with a pulsing red light.  She leapt 
towards the nearest bandit, sparks trailing from her limbs.  In a few seconds, 
she had knocked him out and was moving toward the next one.

	"What *is* that?" Alaric asked.

	"Salamander Rune," Jasin replied.  "Let's see how many she can get before 
the rune wears off."

	The young martial artist took out two more bandits before the light faded 
and she slowed down, breathing heavily.  By this time, Shayera had managed to 
slip over to where the leader lay, his hands covering his head while Arrano 
hovered nearby.

	"Make it go away..." the bandit whimpered as she approached him.

	"Call of your men, and we will," Shayera answered.

	The bandit leader gave a sharp whistle, and the few remaining bandits 
stopped fighting.

	Lierni walked over to them, Arrano flying in to rest on her glove.  "Now," 
she demanded, "who are you, and what were you doing?"

	The man fainted in response.  The rest of the bandits took the opportunity 
to grab their fallen comrades and flee.

	"Wonderful," Lierni said once more.

	Meanwhile, Jasin turned to the young woman.  "Melusine, what are you doing 
here?" he asked.

	"I could ask the same of you, my friend," she answered, shaking her head.  
The beads that were plaited into her dozens of small braids rattled.  "But I'm 
glad you're here.  Even if I could've taken them all on by myself."

	Jasin snorted.  "You always did like to show off," he replied.

	Alaric walked over to them.  "I take it you two know each other?"

	"Yeah."  Melusine nodded.  "I used to travel with Jasin and his mother for 
a while.  Hey, Jasin, how's she doing, by the way?"

	"Mother's fine.  I see you haven't given up your acrobatics."

	The martial artist stretched.  "Nope.  There's still plenty of life in me 
yet."

	"So why did those men attack you?" Jasin wondered.

	"Don't know.  I guess they saw a 'defenseless' woman traveling by herself, 
so they figured they could get something out of it."  She smirked.  "Too bad 
most of them got away, though."  She glanced over at where the bandit leader 
lay.

	Shayera had produced a coil of rope and tied him up.  "I suppose we can 
just leave him here for whatever," the thief suggested.

	Lierni wrinkled her nose.  "Much as I would like to take him to the 
nearest authorities, we don't have the time for it.  I'd imagine some of his men 
will come back later to claim him.  Let's go."

	Jasin turned to his old companion.  "So, Melusine, I guess-"

	She interrupted him.  "You weren't about to say goodbye, were you?  I'm 
coming with you!"

	Lierni stopped short.  "Excuse me?"

	"Well, you've seen how these woods are filled with all sorts of nasty 
things.  Surely you can't imagine that I'd let an old friend of mine face them 
without me, would you?"  She grinned.

	"Fine," Lierni said.  "Jasin, if she wants to come with us, she's your 
responsibility."

	Jasin shrugged.  "Sure," he answered.

	Alaric looked at the rune on Melusine's right hand.  "Salamander Rune?  
I've never seen one of those before."

	She held out her hand for his inspection.  The Salamander Rune looked like 
a small lizard, with its tail wrapped around her wrist.  "It's something I 
picked up in my travels.  Wears me out pretty quickly once I start using it, 
though.  I think it's derived from a Fire Rune like yours."

	"If we can get on with things?" Lierni said, tapping her foot.  "I'd like 
to be out of here before any more bandits can arrive."

	Alaric nodded.  "Sure.  This way."  He pointed downriver.  "It'll be 
easier to follow the river for a while."

	With that, the group of five continued on their journey.

*****

	It had taken Tavia and her companions nine days to reach Kesshin from 
Bristow.  They'd spent a day exploring the city, which was far larger than any 
place she'd ever been before.  She was continually amazed by all of the sights: 
the grand central plaza, which contained a beautiful fountain of a winged woman 
pouring water from a jar that was said to be a replica of one in a faraway city; 
the huge marketplace which boasted goods from across all of Heresha and 
Lierstam; and the magnificent mansions of the town's leading families.  At some 
point, she was startled to realized that this was where Reid had grown up.  It 
was such an incredible contrast from both her family's farm and Heimdall 
Academy.  But Reid had voluntarily given all this up, she reminded herself.  He 
wanted freedom and the chance to live his own life.  He joined Senrou's army 
when they were first starting and had probably never complained about the 
conditions, had probably never even missed the luxuries of this place.

	Well, perhaps that was taking things a bit far, she reasoned.  She was 
sure there were some things about this place that he must miss, just as she was 
homesick every so often.  She wondered how her family was doing.  Maybe, when 
things had calmed down just a little, she could go back and visit.

	She shook her head.  It was very unlikely that things would calm down any 
time soon, especially if the people of Kesshin were any indication.  In the past 
day, as she and the others had spent time wandering around the city, she'd 
noticed that the people seemed wary, on edge.  Almost afraid.  She wasn't 
entirely sure why; perhaps it was the rumors of an impending war with Lierstam 
or the mysterious rebel army that had appeared to the north and was now planning 
to lay siege to Lindael.  (She had to smile at the last one.)

	Or perhaps it was the way the city itself was run.  Having grown up on a 
farm, she knew the quality of produce and grain, and she was appalled at the 
high prices that were being charged for the inferior goods being sold in the 
marketplaces.  She saw the way the city guardsmen patrolled the streets, casting 
suspicious eyes on everyone.

	As she was thinking that, a guard passed by where she was standing.  He 
looked her up and down intently, then passed on.  Nervously, she tugged on the 
brown fingerless gloves she now wore.  Kojiro had suggested buying them in 
Bristow to hide her True Rune.  Few people walked around openly displaying 
Runes, and those who did usually wore common magic or enhancement ones.  The 
Victory Rune would immediately stand out.

	Right now, she was waiting for Catherwood, who had gone out to find the 
location of the Runemaster's shop.  Kojiro was currently scouting the city for 
any information he could find about the way the guards were trained and 
assigned, while Baren had gone to a market that the Wind Children had been known 
to frequent when they came to Kesshin to trade.

	Tavia sighed and leaned back against the stone wall that bordered the 
central square.  It was a lovely day.  There was barely a cloud in the sky.  She 
could hear people talking on the other side of the wall, along with the rushing 
water of the fountain.  She wondered how things were back at White Cloud.  Had 
Kyrina recovered?  Were Heresha and Lierstam on the move yet?  She didn't trust 
the news that she'd heard here about the two countries; real information was 
slow to travel, and rumors rarely had a single grain of truth to them.

	"Miss Tavia?"

	Catherwood's voice startled her out of her reverie.  "Yes?"

	The elderly butler nodded briefly to her.  "I have found the location of 
the Runemaster's shop.  It is surprising, though, that for a city of this size 
there is only a single Runemaster."

	Tavia frowned.  "That does seem odd.  Bristow I can understand, but... 
well, let's not worry about that."

	"Very well, miss."  Catherwood nodded again, and the two headed off.

*****

	It took about twenty minutes to walk to the shop, which was located in a 
mostly residential district.  Catherwood opened the door and indicated that 
Tavia should precede him.  She smiled, then walked in.

	The shop was mostly dark inside, with various crystals in glass cases 
placed around parts of the room.  Seated behind the counter was a man who looked 
to be in his mid-sixties.  "Yes?" he asked in a nasal voice.  "You wish to buy a 
Rune?"

	"Um... I'd like to look around first for a bit," Tavia said quietly.

	"Very well.  But if you break anything, you're paying for it."

	Tavia grimaced as she pretended to be interested in a case full of 
assorted crystals.  Somehow, she doubted that this man would have any desire to 
leave his business here and join them at White Cloud.

	Unconsciously, she leaned her hand against the glass of the case.  
Immediately, the man leapt up from behind the counter.  "Don't touch that!"

	Startled, she drew back, nearly bumping into another case.  The Runemaster 
rushed over to where she had been standing, produced a cloth from a pocket in 
his robe, and wiped her fingerprints off the case.  He then glared at her and 
stalked back behind the counter.

	She sighed.  This was not going very well.  Finally she decided to ask 
directly.  "Excuse me," she said, walking over to the counter.

	"Hmmm?" the Runemaster replied, staring intently at her.

	"Have you ever heard of a Nemesis Rune?"

	At this, his eyes grew wide.  "So, you're with *him,* are you?"  He 
pointed at the door.  "Out!"

	"But-"

	"Out!"  He pointed again.  "Before I call the guards!"

	Tavia quickly left the store, Catherwood following.  "Well, that was 
certainly rude," he huffed.

	Tavia exhaled angrily.  "Now what do we do?"

	"Excuse me," a woman's voice called.  "I might be able to help you."

	Tavia looked over to find a young woman standing to her left.  She 
appeared to be a few years older than Tavia.  She was quite lovely, with 
strawberry blonde curls that framed her face and cascaded down her back.  Her 
eyes were a startlingly pale blue, but they sparkled as she smiled warmly at 
Tavia.  She wore an elegant gray dress, with a matching hat and gloves.

	"He's not very easy to deal with, is he?" the young woman continued as she 
walked over to Tavia.

	"N-no," Tavia stammered, still a bit shaken.  "He's not."

	"A shame that he's the only Runemaster actually *in* Kesshin..."  The 
young woman's smile widened.

	The implications of her statement sunk in.  "You mean there's another?" 
Tavia asked eagerly.

	"Nearby, yes."

	"Where?"

	"It's a bit... complicated."  The young woman absently smoothed a pleat on 
her skirt.  "You see, this Runemaster rarely receives visitors.  There's a 
reason that there's only one Runemaster in Kesshin, and if the wrong people 
found out that this Runemaster was still around..."

	"Please," Tavia begged.  "This sounds like exactly the person we're 
looking for.  Just let me talk to him."

	The young woman seemed to stifle a laugh.  "Certainly, but on one 
condition.  I will take you to the Runemaster, if you'll take me with you when 
you leave."

	"Take you with us?" Tavia said, puzzled.  "But you don't even know who we 
are or where we're going."

	"I know you're not from around here," the young woman replied.  "It's 
quite evident from the way you reacted to the Runemaster.  Also... I'm rather 
familiar with this city, and I've never seen you before."

	"But why would you want to leave?" Tavia asked.

	At this, the young woman grew extremely upset.  "Haven't you seen it?  The 
way people in this city are almost afraid of their own shadows?  The way 
everyone's constantly being watched?"  She sighed.  "The whole town practically 
belongs to either High Councilman Arondight or the head of the merchant 
families, Lord Fehron.  Please.  I just want to be able to live my own life.  I 
don't care where you're going, just please help me get out of here."

	Tavia's heart went out to her.  "I think we'll be able to find a place for 
you," she assured the young woman.

	"Thank you.  You don't know how much this means to me."  She clasped her 
hands and gave Tavia a brilliant smile.  "Meet me outside of the east gate in 
two hours.  I'll be waiting!"  She turned to leave.

	"Wait a second!" Tavia called.  "I don't even know your name!"

	"Oh, silly me, I completely forgot to tell you.  I'm Ilena."  She 
curtseyed briefly.

	"It's nice to meet you," Tavia replied.  "My name's Tavia, and this is 
Catherwood."

	Catherwood bowed.  "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, young lady."

	"Two hours, Tavia!  Don't forget!"  With that, Ilena hurried off.

	"My, that was lucky, wasn't it?" Tavia said, smiling.

	"Very lucky indeed..." Catherwood repeated, although there was a hint of 
apprehension in his voice.

*****

	Two hours later, Tavia and the rest of her group met outside the east gate 
of Kesshin.  They had left at different times and through different gates, so as 
to not arouse suspicion.

	As soon as they were out of sight of the gate guards, Ilena met them.  She 
had changed into a cream-colored shirt, a dark green vest and dark green pants, 
and a pair of fashionable yet sturdy-looking brown boots.  She'd pulled her 
reddish-blonde hair back into a ponytail, but she still looked as lovely as she 
had before.  Now that she was no longer wearing gloves, however, Tavia was 
startled to see the markings of an Earth Rune on her right hand.

	"You're a Rune-wielder?" Tavia asked, surprised.

	Ilena nodded.  "A recent one, but, yes.  And if you're ready, we can go 
meet the person who gave this to me."  She hoisted the small pack she had been 
carrying onto her back.  "So, are you?"

	Tavia nodded.

	"Wonderful!  Let's go!"

	It took them about an hour to reach the small forest where Ilena claimed 
that the Runemaster resided.  The going was fairly easy; they walked on the 
Eastern Trade Road for most of the way and only diverged from it in the last 
fifteen minutes of the journey.

	Ilena stopped them before they entered the forest.  "The Runemaster 
doesn't want people accidentally stumbling on this place, so there are some 
warding spells and illusions in here.  Just follow me, though, and you won't get 
lost."  She turned and led them into the woods.

	As they went deeper among the trees, Tavia began to feel an odd sensation.  
She didn't see any illusions or traps, though.  Perhaps the Runemaster sensed 
Ilena's presence and was temporarily dispelling them.

	Finally, they reached a clearing.  A small stone cottage stood in the 
middle.

	Ilena held up one hand.  "This is it.  Please wait here while I let the 
Runemaster know we've arrived."  She then stopped, blinking.  "Wait... 
something's not quite right."

	Tavia realized that the odd sensation was stronger.  Her right hand felt 
almost like it was tingling.  She looked down and noticed a golden glow pulsing 
from underneath her glove.

	Ilena noticed it as well.  "Tavia, what are-"

	She was interrupted as the Victory Rune gave off a bright golden flash, 
which was immediately followed by a loud popping sound and another bright flash, 
this one white.

	The door to the cottage flew open, and a figure stormed out.  "Aaaaaaagh!"

	Tavia saw that it was another young woman.  As she drew closer, Tavia 
observed that she wore a plain white blouse and a dark purple skirt, with a 
woven sash in various shades of blue and purple tied around her waist.  Her 
light brown hair was pulled into a braid and tossed over her left shoulder, and 
the expression on her face was extremely angry.

	She finished stomping up to Tavia.  "What in the world did you do?" she 
demanded, shaking a finger at her.  "Do you have any idea how long it took me to 
set up those warding spells?  And-"  She stopped abruptly and stared at Tavia's 
right hand, which was no longer glowing.  "Oh.  Oh my."  She backed off a few 
steps.  "Ah... if you don't mind, could you take your glove off for a minute?"

	Utterly bewildered, Tavia complied.

	The young woman's eyes widened.  She grabbed Tavia's hand and studied it 
intently.  "By the Sword and Shield!  I can't believe it!  It *is* a True Rune!  
Oh, wow!  This is amazing!"

	"Um... excuse me?" Tavia asked.

	"I'm sorry!"  She dropped Tavia's hand, then curtseyed to her.  "This is 
such an incredible honor!  I didn't think I'd ever see a True Rune!"

	"Janna?"  Ilena asked.  "What are you talking about?"

	"Ilena!"  Janna rushed up and hugged her fiercely.  "Thank you, thank you, 
thank you!  Do you realize who you've brought to me?"

	"Not really," Ilena replied, extremely confused.

	"Excuse me?" Tavia repeated.

	"Ack, where are my manners?"  Janna let go of Ilena and curtseyed again.  
"I'm Janna Howell."

	"I'm Tavia.  Are you the Runemaster?  Not that I'm one to talk, but you do 
seem a bit young."

	Janna smiled.  "My grandfather was a Runemaster.  I've studied under him 
practically since I was old enough to walk.  It's true that most Runemasters are 
older than I am, but I can assure you that most of them don't know half the 
things I've learned!"

	"You did react to my Rune," Tavia observed.  "The Runemaster in town 
didn't even seem to notice it."

	"Oh, him."  Janna gave a disgusted look.  "He knows as much about Runes as 
a common jackass."

	"Janna!" Ilena hissed.

	"Right, right.  Please, Miss Tavia, Ilena, come in.  The rest of your 
group, too."

	The cottage was small, but homey-looking.  The walls were lined with 
bookshelves which contained as many crystals and other knicknacks as they did 
books.  A half-open door in the back of the main room led to what appeared to be 
a combination bedroom and workroom.  Janna bustled to the kitchen and put a 
kettle on for tea, then ransacked her cupboards to find enough cups for six.  
Ilena attempted to help her, but was shooed out, Janna insisting that guests 
were not allowed to work in the kitchen.

	A short while later, the group was sitting around the room.  Ilena and 
Catherwood seemed quite relaxed, while Baren and Kojiro looked as if they wished 
to be anywhere else but in a small cottage's living room, having tea.

	"Tavia, if you don't mind, can I take a closer look at your Rune?" Janna 
asked.

	Tavia nodded.

	"Good.  Just follow me back here, then."  She motioned to the workroom.  
"It'll only take a few minutes."  She got up.

	Tavia followed her into the back room.  Janna shut the door.  "Have a 
seat," she said, motioning to a sturdy wooden chair.

	"So what did you want to look at?" Tavia asked.

	"Actually, this was more of an excuse to talk to you alone," Janna 
replied.  "This room's doubly-protected because of all the Rune work I do in 
here.  Nobody will be able to hear anything."

	"Can I ask you a question first?" inquired Tavia.

	"Sure, go ahead."

	"I just noticed your Rune."  Tavia pointed at the shadowy shape on Janna's 
hand.  "Is that the Nemesis Rune?"

	Janna laughed and shook her head.  "No, this is an ordinary Darkness Rune.  
Well, I shouldn't call it ordinary.  They're actually pretty rare, and I only 
have it because my grandfather gave it to me.  But, no, it's not the Nemesis 
Rune.  I'm surprised that old story of my grandfather's is still around."

	"It's just a story, then?" Tavia asked, disappointed.

	"Oh, maybe."  Janna simply smiled.

	Tavia suspected she wasn't going to get anything else out of the 
Runemaster.  "All right.  What did you want to talk to me about, then?"

	Janna settled back into her chair.  "I don't like to tell very many people 
this," she admitted.  "Though if you ask Ilena, she'd have quite a few things to 
say about it.  But I think this is what you wanted to know.  My grandfather 
*was* the Runemaster in Kesshin until about a year and a half ago.  All of a 
sudden, High Councilman Arondight told my grandfather that if he didn't start 
'donating' a percentage of his earnings to the Council, he wouldn't be allowed 
to run his business in Kesshin any longer."

	"That's awful!" Tavia cried, though sadly she realized that this didn't 
seem terribly surprising any more.

	"So we left.  The Council obviously found someone who was willing to do 
their bidding.  My grandfather died a few months after we left, but I've let a 
few people know that I'm still here and willing to do business.  It's the least 
I can do."

	"How would you like to be able to do more than that?" Tavia asked.

	Janna's eyes widened.  "You're with them, aren't you?  The rebels?"

	"You know about them?" Tavia replied.

	"Yes.  The High Councilman's son himself supposedly ran off to join them.  
A friend of ours, too."

	"Reid and Kyrina," Tavia realized.

	"You *do* know them!  Then they did make it out all right!"  Janna was 
thrilled.  "Tell me, how are they?"

	Tavia hesitated.

	"They *are* all right, aren't they?"

	Tavia sighed.  "There was a battle shortly before we left.  Reid was 
injured, but he's well on his way to recovery.  Kyrina..."

	Janna's face paled.  "No.  She isn't."

	"Our doctor says she'll make it.  It just might take a while."

	The Runemaster let out a relieved sigh.  "Good.  I thought about what they 
might have been getting themselves involved with when they left, but thinking 
about possibilities and actually knowing that those things have happened are two 
different things."

	"It's very dangerous," Tavia stated.  "If you don't want to get involved, 
I understand.  I don't want to force anyone into this."

	Janna shook her head.  "No.  I want to help.  If I thought that I'd have 
been able to do anything back then, I would have gone with Reid and Kyrina."

	"I had better tell Ilena the truth about this as well," Tavia decided.  
"She might have second thoughts about coming along with us."

	"Ilena wants to come with you?" Janna asked, surprised.  "Well, that'll 
certainly make things quite intriguing."

	"What do you mean?"  Tavia was puzzled.  "Ilena said that she wanted to 
leave Kesshin because she wanted to be free."

	"She didn't tell you exactly why, did she?"  Now Janna seemed amused.  "Or 
who she really is, either."

	Tavia had a sudden feeling that she wasn't going to like this.

	"Ilena is the daughter of Lord Fehron.  He and High Councilman Arondight 
made an agreement to betroth their children."

	"*She's* Reid's fiancee?!"  Tavia cried.

	"Yep.  It's going to be very interesting if those two meet up again, 
especially if Kyrina's there, too."

	Tavia laughed nervously.  "Ilena thinks that Reid and Kyrina are..."  She 
wasn't entirely sure how to finish that sentence.  "But why would that bother 
her?  She doesn't *want* to be engaged to him, right?"

	"It was the principle of the engagement she objected to, not necessarily 
the person."

	Tavia's heart sank.  As if things weren't complicated enough...

	Completely unaware of the effect of her words, Janna continued on.  "Thank 
you for letting me talk to you, Tavia.  I can pack up and be ready to go in a 
few hours, unless you and your friends want to stay and help out."

	"We'll stay," Tavia answered, still slightly dazed.  When she'd set out to 
find a Runemaster, this was *not* what she had anticipated.

*****

New Stars Added:

Ilena Fehron, Tenfu (Heavenly Prosperity) Star
Janna Howell, Chiketsu (Earthbound Power) Star
Melusine Fenzorl, Chiaku (Earthbound Evil) Star

*****

Author's Notes:

People who have played Suikoden II will realize why Ilena is the Tenfu Star. ^_~

Thanks go first and foremost to Todd, not only for prereading but also for 
helping me determine travel times.  Thanks also go to Illyria, Scott Jamison and 
Scott Schimmel for prereading.

Have I mentioned how much I love this story recently? ^_^

Kate
10/2/01