But aren't they one and the same? Aren't the two joined together? Do you not think and act as one

We are one, but we are separate, too. The aeriads serve Mother Tanequil. She must decide if one of them is to be released. Have you brought an offering in exchange for your request

The boy took a deep, uncertain breath. He had been dreading this moment.

No

Nothing

Nothing should be required. If my request is denied, the whole of the Four Lands will be overrun with the demons released from the Forbidding and everything and everyone will perish. You would be at risk, too

The tree seemed to consider. Its roots stopped their caressing, and its leaves ceased their shivering.

I am never at risk. Things that are mortal cannot destroy the Faerie

But you would be left in a world filled with evil beings seeking ways to destroy you or possess you or dominate you. This can't be something you want

Evil has tried to dominate us before. Evil has tried to destroy your kind before. You always survive

Railing was furious.

But it doesn't have to happen! It can be prevented if Grianne Ohmsford comes with me

Mother Tanequil will decide

Railing sat back on his heels and tried to think of another argument he could make. But he had talked himself out, and he sensed that the tree did not want to hear more.

Do I need to go to her? Do I need to speak with her

She hears what I hear. She knows what you want and is deciding. She chooses to help you or not. You must wait

I will not give up, even if she chooses not to help me

It was a bold statement, born of frustration and a need to make clear that he would accept only one answer. He spoke with a creature thousands of years old, a creature of Faerie and of the world's beginning, but he could not let that frighten him.

The tanequil's deep rumble was restrained and even. You are reckless and foolish. You act without thinking. What you need is not what you seek

What does that mean? Haven't I made my needs clear?

If she chooses to help, Mother Tanequil will give you what you need, though perhaps not what you want

Railing stared at the tree, confused. How could there be a difference? He started to say something, to ask for an explanation that would dispel his confusion and a rising sense of doubt. But the tendrils that caressed his hands and limbs were withdrawing.

Return to the bridge

The touching ceased, and the links of communication were broken. Railing remained where he was, arms at his sides, hands against the earth, staring up at the tanequil. Speak to me, he willed it. Don't leave me.

But the tree had finished with him. There would be no more talking. After long minutes, he got to his feet again, trying to decide what he should do. Should he return to the bridge as the tree had ordered, or should he remain where he was in case it chose to speak to him further?

Come

The aeriads were making the choice for him. He hesitated a moment, and then he turned in the direction of their voices and reluctantly walked away.

Once, when Redden and he were small, they had walked into the Duln from Patch Run without telling their mother. They had been forbidden to do this, but they were wild and reckless even then, and such admonitions seldom deterred them once they had decided on a course of action. They were looking for a werecot-a small and very rare animal that had been seen in the forests surrounding their home perhaps twice in the last hundred years. This did not trouble them. If someone else had seen a werecot, they would see it, too.

So off they went on an adventure, but they managed to go much deeper into the Duln than they had intended and soon were lost. This might have frightened other boys, but it was of no particular concern to them. After all, they had the use of the wishsong, and they knew that if they were really in trouble, the magic would come to their aid. What they had failed to consider, however, was that magic doesn't necessarily solve all your problems. In this instance, they could not figure out how to use it to find a way out of the forest. So they wandered for most of the day, trying to rescue themselves and failing, and it was nearing nightfall when they finally stumbled clear of the woods, miles from where they had started out.

Remembering this, it occurred to him that what was happening here was very like what had happened in the Duln when he and Redden were boys. He was discovering all over again that there were limits to what magic could do. Not just the wishsong, but other magic, as well. These limits were defined by the nature of the magic, but also by the character of the user. The tanequil, though it had the power to help him by using its magic to free Grianne, might not have the inclination to use that magic.

It also occurred to him that this was the longest period of time that he and Redden had ever been separated.

When he arrived back at the bridge just after sunset, he slowed to a stop and stood staring out across the ravine to where he had left the others. There was no sign of them, not from where he was standing. He was certain they were there, however. What he was less certain about was whether he was ready to face them. A part of him wanted to remain where he was, waiting to see what would happen with Grianne, hoping against hope that the tanequil would grant his request and set her free, at least long enough to come back and help his brother. Another part of him felt he should cross over and tell the others what had transpired and face up to the strong possibility he had failed and this entire expedition had been for nothing.

Cross

Once again, the decision was made for him. The aeriads whispered the word in the still evening air, and without even pausing to think about doing otherwise, Railing Ohmsford walked to the stone arch and began to climb the steps leading to its broad span. He had gotten halfway across when he saw Mirai jump up from the bench on which she had been sitting to give him an encouraging wave. He saw Skint and Challa Nand, too, all of them on their feet and moving toward him.

He made himself return the Highland girl's greeting, trying to look encouraging and feeling anything but.

"What happened?" Mirai asked as soon as he was standing in front of her once more. "Did you find her?"

He was grateful for her restraint. She hadn't tried to hug or kiss him in front of the other two. She was keeping her voice level and direct. If she was excited or anxious, she wasn't showing it.

"I found her. She's alive. But she won't come back." He paused. "She's an aeriad. She serves the tanequil, so really it's the tree who makes the decision about what's going to happen next."

Mirai stared. "The tree is deciding what she will do?"

Close enough, Railing thought. "I spoke to it. I made all the arguments. I gave all the reasons. But I don't know. It didn't seem persuaded. If anything, it seemed reluctant. It kept telling me that even if it decided to grant my request, I wasn't going to get what I wanted. I don't know what that means."

But he was thinking that it was surprisingly close to what the King of the Silver River had told him, and he wondered if that might be a harbinger.

"But she's still alive? She could actually return with us?" Skint shook his head. "I would never have believed it. Not really. Even though I came on this journey with you, Railing Ohmsford. Even though."

"She isn't here yet," Challa Nand mumbled.

Mirai took hold of Railing by his shoulders and turned him so they were facing each other. "You did what you could. You couldn't have done more."

He smiled bitterly. "I could have tried harder."

They sat down together on the stone benches and talked about it for a while longer. Railing filled in the details, even the ones that were so painful he could barely speak of them-the tanequil's seeming indifference to the fate of the Four Lands, Grianne's deep commitment to her life as a spirit of the air that precluded disobedience to the tree-because it seemed to lessen the hurt he was feeling when he did so.

They were quiet for a time after that. Skint wandered off to study the walls of the gardens. Challa Nand stretched out on one of the benches and fell asleep.

Mirai moved over to sit close to him. "I am proud of you, Railing," she said. "Proud of you for trying. Proud of you for risking so much to see if there was something that could be done. If it doesn't work out the way you want it to, I want you to know that I will still stay with you until we find Redden and bring him home. No matter what."

It was exactly what he had needed to hear, and his relief was so strong that he couldn't manage a reply. He only barely managed to keep from crying.

So they sat in the gardens of Stridegate and waited for something to happen. Dusk deepened into night, and more than once Railing thought just to go and be done with it. Grianne wasn't coming, they were wasting their time hoping she would, and the matter was decided. He kept waiting for one of the others to suggest they leave, but none of them did. They simply waited with him, staying silent, their thoughts kept to themselves.