Marcello went white. "What?" he hissed at the man. "What? For my sister? What does it say?"

"I'll need a light. Can't make out the bottom line." His jaw was so tight, his words sounded clipped and forced. "Top part says he wants title taken back from Her Majesty and turned over to his daughter. Would the countess know her father's hand if she saw it? If not there's bound to be something he's writ around here somewhere."

Marcello shrugged. "I don't know; I don't know if she's seen much of it, but there's Judith, and Jochy, and a few others who..." He stopped. "It says what? What? My God, and I thought Judith's reaction was uncalled fo-- Niabheara is not taking the throne to--" He swallowed.

Cormac cut him off. "Of course she can't. Man's can't be serious over this." Without thinking, he passed the note to Marcello. "She'll have to be told, whatever happens. I want to know what the hell happened to the men on this gate. If this is from him, he's been this way."

Marcello squinted at the letter, but not being Tuatha, could make out even less than the guard. He winced and put it in his pocket. "What do we do?" he asked Cormac worriedly. "Keep going? Go back?"

Through the rain came an odd rattling sound that resolved itself into hoofbeats. A naked horse bearing a dark-wrapped rider kicked up a shot from a puddle before it drew to a halt. The rider swung down. "Hold, Cormac, I'm the countess Niall." She peeped up from her hood. "Test me."

Cormac slipped his sword back and tapped his chain himself before extending it to the girl. "My lady." Once she proved herself, he took back the chain and went on. "This gate was found unguarded. No sign of O'Niall or the young lady yet. We need someone to cover this route, and at once."

Marcello stepped up to the horse, tapping Cormac's chain as he looked up to the girl. "There's a letter," he said, pulling the muddlied paper from his pocket and holding it up to her. "Cormac says your father says if we want your sister back, you have to take the throne."

On the verge of saying something else entirely, Marcello's remark derailed her. "He what?" She took the note and held it up to her face. Fortunately a bolt of lightning cut the sky, and she had just enough time to grab a fistful of the residual light and scan the note quickly before it vaporised. She hissed and shook her hand; the stuff was hot enough to burn. "That's only if we don't find him first," she said tightly. "I'll run for your men, Guard Cormac."

Marcello looked worriedly at her. "Alone?"