The old Tenzanese story-teller chuckled, holding out one hand to the fire, as if controlling its heat with his mind. His eyes took on a diabolical expression with his smile.

"No one knows for sure what went through young Gerrick's mind that night. All that is known is that he sat silently and listened. For your sake, I will fill in the thoughts in his head with his own words, from eleven years later, a time when he offered cold comfort to a friend whose grandfather had died in battle. Let us now enter the young warrior's private chambers, and see the moment that changed the history of Innesmoor, and the world!"

---

Gerrick offered the glass of brandy. '"Drink this. Ye need it."

Gerrick took a long, slow shot of Glen Ray and felt it burn as it went down. He stared at the imitation bunch of Heather in the vase on his dresser. In the background, the Troublemakers gathered. Ansley, Sine, Jonas, Spider, and those who had not been there for the fiascoes so far: Digs, a year younger than Gerrick, was a lost talent, able to change the hue of his skin at will. Right now, it was as black as his mood. Rose Corbin was the daughter of a house servant. She had a kind heart, but she was as fierce as a tiger and as mean-spirited as Gerrick himself when it came to protecting her little brother, Dennis, a boy of seven born of a brutal attack on her mother. Giacomo was an odd duck to say the least: in some lights, he looked Windkin, but every so often, he looked Roma. He was quiet, almost humorless, and he had apparently gotten Jonas to promise to say nothing of what he knew about him. Still, his fiery sabre-dance was a sight to behold. Right now, he sat on Gerrick's bed, sharpening a thin shamshir with long, dour motions of a whet-stone.

Spider, Sine, Jonas, and Giacomo were the only ones who had been on family raids so far with Gerrick. They had tasted blood. In fact, they had been with Gerrick in the raid that had freed Jonas from a Marsaukan dungeon. The others came later, in a slightly more peaceful, more care-free time, and knew only the pranks of an idle house. There were raids, to be sure, but they were small afairs.

It had not been war in a couple of years at least.

Only Fearghas remained to arrive. Gerrick absently pulled out a dirk and began to turn it between his fingers. In the background, Digs tried to make small-talk with Spider. Normally, it was to let Spider know they loved him. Tonight, it was idle, an attempt to take the edge off the tense silence.

"Da knew what I was, and what I did. He only commented on it once, and it was tae ask me what was wrong with me. He could tell I was afraid, or angry, or sommat, that I did the stuff I did for different reasons than he did."

The door opened. Everyone except Gerrick looked up.

Fearghas eased the door closed. "They didn't get him. He killed three thieves when they cornered him at the stables. They're trying to track him now."

Ansley's face fell, as did Rose's. Spider looked away in disgust. Jonas only nodded.

Fearghas blushed. "He said um...he said he wished me many happy years of playpen pranks with all of you."

Digs asked, "So what the hell do we do now?"

"My family does three things really well: We fight, we party, and we take care of what's ours to take care of."

Sine laughed. "What do we do?! What are we, soldiers? We don't have anything to contribute here!"

Shhhhing. Giacomo said, "Then we go to the Laird. We're in over our heads."

"Some a us like one more than the others, but Da was different: He liked all three. They sorta blended for him intae one great big holy liturgy. He fought, for us, for his land and people, and he enjoyed every minute of it. The thing that always amazed me was that there was no anger in it. He dinnae hate our enemies. In fact, he'd be sad if we dinnae have any. There was nothin but joy in it, and war tae protect Inverray was a family outin, somethin we could all enjoy taegether."

Fearghas looked to Gerrick. "Mother Duck says our matter is closed. You did what you promised."

"Small comfort that'll be," said Spider. "Who knows--" He coughed violently into his towel. "Who knows how much he learned while he was here."

"But..." Rose looked to Ansley. "It can't be over! We don't even know what those black ships are!"

"He always encouraged us, taught us. I've never met anyone else for whom war was a bonding experience, and so was the party afterward."

"Come on, Rose." Digs rubbed his eyes. "Look around you. Even Laird MacBoon is scared."

"he's not scared!" Rose stood up. "Nothing scares Hamish MacBoon!"

Shhhhhing. "Well," Giacomo set down his sword. "It was good while it lasted."

Ansley shook her head. "We're nae done!"

"Yes we are." Giacomo looked up at her. "Until Laird MacBoon pulls a miracle, we're done."

"Nae!"

"Remind me how you found Gerrick." Giacomo glared at Ansley.

Ansley narrowed her eyes. "It was a priest a-the Scars!"

"Well his spell worked! I'm despairing!"

"Well fuck him. He wasn't here."

Giacomo stood up and walked over to Gerrick. "I'm sorry, Gerrick. We're over. It's a little too hot."

"He dinnae know. It was easy for him. Everythin came easy to him."

"Gerrick." Gerrick ignorerd him. "You're not your father, mate. Raids are one thing, when we're backed up by an army. You're getting into the Brotherhood's business, and there's war coming."

"People loved him, people listened to him, people feared and respected him--"

"Gerrick!" Giacomo leaned down to him. "Are you even listening?! This is not a game! We are kids! We have our lives ahead of us! We have to tell your father!"

Ansley stepped over. "Giacomo!"

"--and you know what?" Gerrick threw his dirk hard at the wall, sticking it just above the fake heather. "I do need that."

Gerrick stood up. Giacomo reflexively stepped back from him with a hint of surprise.

"Listen to ye." Gerrick walked over to the vase of fake heather. "Ye think we have nothin' tae contribute because all ye've done is steal from ma family tae snog 'em off." Gerrick chuckled as he fingered the fake fabric of the flowers. "Ye know, Father Bullrush at the Temple of the Vermillion Spear once asked me why I was War-faithful instead a' Mischief." Gerrick chuckled.

Digs asked, "What did you tell him?"

Gerrick smashed the vase with his left fist and held his bloody hand up for all to see. "Because I'VE TASTED BLOOD!"

Everyone in the room flinched back except Jonas, who closed his eyes and smiled.

"My life is a holy sacrament!" Gerrick clenched his fist. "Ye were with me, Giacomo, when I carried the man who would be ma best friend oot of a Masaukan dungeon! Ye cut doon men left an' right, and ye watched me do the same!" He turned to Spider. "Think I dinnae see what ye did wi' a mace in each hand?! Think I dinnae see ye save Ansley's life?!"

Spider raised both hands.

"And ye!" Gerrick pointed to Digs. "Think ye have nothin' tae contribute?! Who was it that stole three kegs a' cider from the Nuckelavee's Arse, under guard from the Watch because ye'd done it six times in three months before, tae throw a party fer me birthday!"

Digs's mouth hung open, but no words came out.

"Well?! Who was it!"

"It was me!"

"And ye!" Gerrick turned to Rose. "Who was it who dared tae punch ma brother off his heels when he called Dennis an ugly scab one night!"

Rose nodded. "Aye, I did that. But Gerrick--"

Gerrick knelt next to her, glaring at her. "Do ye think the Marsaukans are gonnae be any nicer tae him?"

"Gerrick!" Ansley put a hand on his shoulder.

Spider stepped forward. "What are you suggesting, mate?"

Gerrick stood up and turned to him. "I'm suggestin' we take the fight tae them."

Fearghas went wide-eyed. "Holy mother of Broncour! Are you serious?!"

"Every skill we've picked up as troublemakers makes us ripe fer this task. We can hide, we can move stealthily, we can listen, we can set traps, we can spot traps, we can get past any security scheme, an' we can catch those pig-pounders off guard!"

Giacomo approached cautiously. "Gerrick, we're talking about the Marsaukans, not your family."

"And that's the only difference." Gerrick squeezed blood from his fist, harnessing the pain for his energy. "Aye, they'll kill us if they catch us. They'll do the same here."

Giacomo shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"You're insane, Gerrick. You need to grow up." Giacomo sheathed his shamshir and turned to leave.

Gerrick watched him go, genuinely surprised.

Rose stood up. "I'm sorry, Gerrick. I have...too much to protect, here. My brother needs me."

"Rose, he needs ye to do the right thing."

She nodded. "I am. I'm sorry." She touched his shoulder, and left.

Gerrick looked furiously at the others, his head pounding from the pain in his hand. He shrugged helplessly. "Anyone else?"

Digs stood up. "No hard feelings, mate."

"Just get oot." Gerrick looked away, though he did see Sine follow Digs out without a word.

And soon, he stood in silence. Only Fearghas, Spider, Jonas, and Ansley remained.

Spider shrugged. "Who wants to live forever. I'm in."

Gerrick looked to Fearghas, now a little light headed. "What aboot ye?"

Fearghas straightened up. "I was gonna die anyway. I figure if I wanna get through this, I better stick with you."

Spider laughed, and rubbed the top of his head. "So what's the plan, boss?"

Gerrick nodded. "Make yer peace taenight. Jonas, get the Glacier ready to go. We leave in the dark."

"Yes sir." Jonas turned to go.

Spider said, "We're gonna take on a fleet in the Glacier?"

"Nae. We're gonnae learn what we can first. scoot oot our enemy."

Spider nodded.

Gerrick turned to go.

Ansley moved up behind him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Gerrick?"

"I'm goin' tae the temples." His hand throbbed. "And tae find a healer."