Jessaline was awakened by a stray, pale sunbeam flitting between the heavy curtains that covered her windows. She sat up, shivering in the chilly, autumn air. Jessaline eased her extremely pregnant body from the bed. She winced as her bare feet touched the frigid stone of the floor and stepped over to the window from which the offending sunbeam had emitted. She flung the curtains wide open and gazed down on the courtyard below. The scene was silent and peaceful, as no other

members of the household were moving.  Jessaline’s dreamy reverie was interrupted by an insistent and concerned voice behind her.

            "Jessa! I have told you a hundred times not to sit beside that frigid window in your nightgown! You can’t get sick now! If you sneeze you’ll go into labor!"

Jessaline covered her smile with one hand as she turned to face Kelsea, who was standing in the doorway, arms folded, with her thick, corn silk braid hanging over her shoulder. She also had a woolen shawl and slippers protecting her from the chill morning.

            "And in bare feet," Kelsea continued relentlessly. "Get off that horrible stone floor before you freeze to death where you’re standing! What, may I ask, are you doing up at this ungodly hour anyway?"

            "Well, I was enjoying the quiet," replied Jessaline amicably, moving away from the window. "And if it’s so ungodly, why are you up?"

            "Quiet?" snorted Kelsea, "Either you, my friend, are deaf, or the brigade of birds that woke me up this morning finds my windowsill the only suitable courting spot in the whole country."

            "I’m sure your unbridled charm brings them in flocks from afar," Jessaline said, rolling her eyes as she sat down on her bed.

            "Here," Kelsea said, unwrapping the shawl from her shoulders and shoving it into Jessaline’s arms as she sat down. "Put this on."

            "Thanks," Jessaline wrapped the shawl around her shoulders compliantly. "So when do I get to see this tapestry you’ve been working on all this time?"

"You’ll see it when it hangs on your child’s wall and not a moment before!" Kelsea replied.

            "You’re really not gonna let me peek, huh?"

            "Nope."

            "Oh well, it was worth a try. So what do you want to do?"

            "Right now," Kelsea said, "I’m all for us getting dressed and finding something hot to eat for breakfast."

            "Maybe if we’re lucky, none of the cooks will be up and we can get our own food without any servants driving us nuts."

            "Maybe," replied Kelsea, standing up. "Let’s get dressed and I’ll meet you in the galley."

            "Okay," said Jessaline, standing up as well.

            "And, Jessa..." began Kelsea.

            "Yeah, I know, I’ll be careful on the steps," Jessaline interrupted.

            "And..."

            "And I’ll dress warmly."

            "But..."

            "And I’ll bring the shawl. Does that cover everything?"

            "Yeah," Kelsea grinned sheepishly. "Am I always this bad?"

            "It’s okay, Kelse," said Jessaline, steering Kelsea towards the door. "I’m sure if you were pregnant, I’d badger you to death, too."

            "Thanks. I think. I’ll see you in a bit," Kelsea said as she pulled the door shut behind her.

"Oh," she called back through the door, "And don’t forget to wear some..."

            "Shoes!" came back through the door.

             Um, yeah, she thought to herself. Alrighty then. And with that she headed to her room.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Kelsea pushed the needle through the canvas one last time, then knotted the thread, snapped it, and put the needle down beside her on the window seat. She then held  the canvas up to the golden afternoon sunlight pouring through the window to survey her handiwork. She examined the portion she had just finished and nodded with satisfaction. The tapestry was a work of art, just like many of her other pieces.

            The scene was a full view of Austerleve. Hung on the towers were bright banners of all color. Emerald ivy climbed the walls, blooming in sudden bursts of scarlet and ivory and flowers of fuchsia, azure, saffron, and lavender cascaded out of every window employing every color thread that Kelsea had and all the stitches in her vast repertoire. The only break in the profusion of color was at the top of the central tower.

            The highest tower of the castle, the central tower didn’t have a conical roof with a pennant like the rest of the towers. Instead, it had an open top with a stone parapet around the edge. Kelsea had hung it with all the banners it would hold and draped a forest of flowers out the window at the top, but the summit still looked bare. It was the only unfinished part of the impressive tapestry and

even though Kelsea had racked her brain repeatedly, she couldn’t think of anything to put on it, leaving it bald as a king without a crown.

            Kelsea sighed in resignation as she folded the tapestry into a neat square and laid it on her lap. She glanced out the window at the receding light, then put the tapestry beside her and stood up. She had promised to wake Jessaline from her nap a bit before sunset and the sun was hovering just above the horizon.

            "Now we’ll see what this is all about," murmured Kelsea to herself.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            A chilly wind whipped over the parapet and knifed through Kelsea’s thick cloak. She shivered and pulled the cloak more tightly about her. She glanced at the sun, which now had only a sliver of light above the horizon and was giving little if any heat. Then she turned to Jessaline suddenly and said,

            "All right, enough is enough. I want you off this ledge, out of this wind, and beside a fire, and then you explain why you dragged us up here and, while you’re at it, that thing there!" She pointed to a peculiar stone statue set in the corner of the tower top. It was a rather large gargoyle, humanish in appearance except for the pair of horns on its head, the folded wings, and long tail

curled around its feet. It was in a crouched position, head in hand, so that it looked as if it was contemplating the landscape below. "I know that thing wasn’t here when I arrived."

            "Patience, and everything will be explained," Jessaline responded.

            Kelsea was about to protest when something caught the corner of her eye. She turned to the statue and studied it a moment. She almost turned away, but then she saw it again. A crack had appeared in the statue, along the smooth curve of the shoulder. That wasn’t there a second ago, she thought. She took a step closer to investigate, but Jessaline interrupted.

            "I’d stand back if I were you."

             Kelsea stopped but didn’t back up. At that moment, the last of the sun’s rays disappeared over the horizon. The cracks already on the gargoyle grew and expanded until there was a spider web of fractures covering the whole statue. Suddenly, the stone shattered, sending fragments skidding across the parapet.

            Kelsea gasped and took an involuntary step backwards. Jessaline held her ground and looked on calmly. Kelsea stared as the creature before them stretched and let out a roar that seemed to shake the castle.

            The creature was a head taller than either Kelsea or Jessaline. He had hawk-like features with pointed ears and piercing silver eyes. He had long, raven hair that fell almost to his waist. He wore a V-neck tunic with no sleeves, belted at the waist over breeches that stopped just above his knees. They were made of coarse cloth and dyed bright colors. His skin was a dark denim color.

            He turned towards them and smiled when he caught sight of Jessaline. Jessaline rushed past Kelsea and towards the creature before Kelsea could so much as twitch. But to Kelsea’s amazement, Jessaline and the creature wrapped their arms around each other. Kelsea felt her jaw drop as she realized they were hugging.

            The creature broke the spell by looking directly at Kelsea.

            "And you must be Kelsea," he said in a deep, gravelly voice.

            Kelsea closed her mouth and shook herself. She walked over to the pair and studied the creature, hands on hips. She poked him the arm with one finger as if to make sure he was real, then stared up into his face for a minute. He returned her gaze evenly. Finally, Kelsea turned to Jessaline, arms crossed.

            "Explain. Now," she demanded.

            "Where do I start?" Jessaline asked, disengaging herself from the creature.

            "Him."

            "All right. Let’s make this formal. Kelsea, this is Tyrith. Tyrith, Kelsea. Tyrith is a gargoyle." Tyrith nodded slightly at Kelsea.

            "And the stone thing is...what? A curse? Enchantment?" Kelsea guessed.

            "No," Jessaline shook her head. "All gargoyles do that. At sunrise they turn to stone and sleep until sunset. The sleep heals and rejuvenates them."

            "Oh. How many of you are there?" Kelsea asked Tyrith.

            "My clan is small," he replied. "It contains a little over fifty gargoyles, not counting yearlings. There are clans spread out all over, mostly near castles."

            "Why near castles?" asked Kelsea.

            "Gargoyles are protectors," Tyrith explained. "It is our duty to defend our home and the people within it. My clan’s previous home was ransacked and burned while we slept during the day. Many of my clan were destroyed."

            "I’m sorry," murmured Kelsea. Tyrith sucked in a long breath through his nose and exhaled loudly.

            "What is now left of my clan now lives in the caves of a cliff not far from here. We help where we can. Some have begun to follow wandering bands, the rest have chosen to remain. We watch over travelers, stop bandits, that sort of thing."

            "Uh-huh. So how did you meet Jessa?"

            "Well," Jessaline answered, "it was a while back, during a bad thunderstorm. I was in the attic, right below here, in fact, and I heard a terrible noise on the roof above. Tyrith had crash landed on the tower."

            "Yes. I had been out watching the roads when the storm began," added Tyrith. "I should have waited it out but I didn’t think the cliffs were too far away and decided to chance it."

            "Silly fool," commented Jessaline fondly.

            "I, of course, forgot that lightning strikes the highest point in the sky," Tyrith continued, "I was hit, but fortunately only my wing was struck. If I had been hit anywhere else I might have blacked out and crashed into the forest, which would have seriously injured me. As it was, I barely managed to make an emergency landing here."

            "If you want to call it a landing." snorted Jessaline. "He slid head first into the parapet and knocked himself senseless." Kelsea hid a smile as Tyrith coughed embarrassedly.

            "Well, I, uh..." he attempted.

            "Anyway," continued Jessaline, "I rushed up here to see what had just crashed into my tower. When I saw Tyrith in a heap by the wall, I nearly fainted myself. But I got a hold of myself and managed to drag Tyrith off the roof down into the attic, not an easy task with all the wind and rain.

            "I wrapped Tyrith in some blankets and he woke up enough to tell me who and what he was and to warn me about what would happen at sunrise. The next evening he woke up completely healed."

            "And you made me stay wrapped up a night longer anyway," Tyrith reminded her.

            "It was still storming outside, and heaven knows where you would have ended up this time," Jessaline replied defensively.

            "And how long ago was this?" asked Kelsea.

            "I believe just about two years ago," Jessaline replied thoughtfully. "It was near the end of summer."

            ""I see," Kelsea replied shortly. "Why do you only tell me now?"

            Jessaline looked puzzled by Kelsea’s sudden change in tone and replied delicately,

            "There were some questions raised about Tyrith’s and my, uh, relationship. Tonight there is to be a public trial of sorts by Tyrith’s clan. It is to be determined whether we will be allowed to remain together."

            "Mm," responded Kelsea coolly. "Who voiced these doubts?"

            "A gargoyless named Demetria. She was Tyrith’s former, ah, well..."

            "Lover." said Tyrith bluntly without any change in expression.

            "Uh, yeah," resumed Jessaline, blushing slightly.

            "Quite. What has this to do with me?" asked Kelsea, still coolly.

            "Well, Tyrith has someone to vouch for him and I thought you... Kelsea, what on earth is the matter with you?!" Jessaline broke off suddenly.

            "What are you talking about?" snapped Kelsea irritably.

            "You’re glaring at me," Jessaline accused.

            "I am not."

            "You are! For the last five minutes you have been trying to stab me to death with your eyes and I demand an explanation!" Jessaline declared, hands on hips. Tyrith backed up a pace.

            "There is nothing..." Kelsea started, then abruptly changed her mind. "Yes, there is. You

lied to me!" she finished, eyes flashing.

            "I what?" Jessaline asked.

            "You lied to me." Kelsea repeated.

            "About what?"

            "About everything!" exclaimed Kelsea. About you, about him, everything!"

            "I haven’t lied to you!" replied Jessaline, shocked.

            "You withheld the truth then! You’re supposed to be my best friend, how could you keep

this from me? Don’t you trust me at all?"

            "Of course I trust you! Don’t be ridiculous!"

            "Then why didn’t you tell me?"

            "What was I supposed to say?" yelled Jessaline, exasperated. "'Kelsea, meet my lover and father of my child, by the way, he’s not human?!’"

            "Well, I..." stammered Kelsea.

            "Don’t you think I tried to tell you?" Jessaline interrupted loudly. "But every time I attempted to lead up to it you danced the conversation away from me! Eventually I just gave up. I didn’t think it mattered all that much."

            "You didn’t think it mattered?!" repeated Kelsea incredulously. "Didn’t it ever occur to you that I spent hours trying to figure out how you got pregnant? You live like a hermit! You wouldn’t believe some of the ideas I came up with! I gave myself nightmares!"

            "Why didn’t you just ask me?" asked Jessaline, giving her an odd look.

            "I figured you’d have told me if you’d wanted me to know. I thought you trusted me enough for that. Obviously," said Kelsea, drawing in a deep breath, "obviously, I was wrong." Kelsea stared down at her hands.

            There was a long silence, broken at last by Jessaline’s soft sigh.

            "No," she said quietly, then more strongly, "no, you weren’t wrong. I was. I should have told you long ago, but I couldn’t do it. It was easier to let it go. I had no idea you would take it this badly. It was my fault. I’m sorry."

            "All I ask is the truth," Kelsea said, raising her head and catching Jessaline’s gaze with her own. "If you can’t give me that, who am I to be your friend?"

            "I know," said Jessaline. "You’re right. I promise."

            "Good," said Kelsea, smiling slightly, "It’s difficult to be mad at you in your present state anyhow."

            Jessaline blushed and smiled at the same time. Suddenly, Tyrith cleared his throat.

            "If you ladies are finished, we had best move towards the wall. Stethan will need room to land," he said, backing up until he was against the parapet.

            "Stethan?" Kelsea asked Jessaline with eyebrows raised high as they also backed up.

            "Tyrith’s friend. He’s going to carry you," Jessaline informed her calmly.

            "Carry me?!" Kelsea demanded. Jessaline gave an enigmatic smile and turned to watch Stethan land. Kelsea narrowed her eyes, but turned to watch herself as a lavender gargoyle dropped in a perfect landing next to Tyrith. He was dressed like Tyrith, but had a leaner build. He nodded to Jessaline, then looked at Kelsea.

            "You must be Kelsea," he said, his voice more of a subtle growl than Tyrith’s gravelly tone. "Jessaline’s friend."

            "And you’re Stethan. What’s this about carrying me?" Kelsea asked without preempt. "I’m perfectly able to walk."

            "Walk, yes," Stethan gave her a wink. "Fly, I’ll wager not."

            "Fly!" Kelsea exclaimed.

            "How else do you think we’re going to get to the caves and back before dawn?" Tyrith asked patiently.

            "Hold on here," Kelsea interrupted. "You propose to leap off this parapet and carry me a couple hundred feet off the ground?"

            "I don’t think... well, actually that’s about right," grinned Stethan.

            "Oh, Kelse, it’s not so bad. Actually, it’s rather fun." Jessaline’s smile suddenly turned to a grimace and she drew in a sharp breath.

            "What? What is it?" asked Tyrith as he laid a protective hand on Jessaline’s shoulder and leaned over her in concern.

            "It kicked me," Jessaline said wryly.

            "What did?" asked Tyrith, looking baffled.

            "The baby, fool. Give me your hand."

            Jessaline placed his hand on her bulging stomach and held it there for a moment. suddenly Tyrith jumped and looked up at Jessaline.

            "It kicked me," he said with such an idiotic grin that Stethan and Kelsea burst out laughing. Then Tyrith’s grin was replaced with concern again. "Are you sure you want to come with us?"

            "Now, Tyrith, we’ve talked about this," said Jessaline firmly. "Pregnant or not, I’m coming with you. There’s no other way."

            "I know," Tyrith said with resignation. "But..."

            "Tyrith, there’s no help for it," Jessaline interrupted. "Do you think I want to be paraded in front of everyone you know like this?"

            "You look lovely," Tyrith protested.

            "I look like a backwards hunchback, but we don’t have time to argue. The moon’s already rising."

            "You’re right," replied Tyrith unhappily. "Stethan, will you and Kelsea be all right?"

            "We’ll be fine," Stethan assured him.

            "All right." Tyrith picked Jessaline up gently and she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "And there isn’t anyway I can talk you out of this?" he asked her.

            "Go," she commanded. Tyrith looked back at Stethan and Kelsea.

            "We’ll follow," Stethan repeated. Tyrith looked back at Jessaline and sighed. Then he tightened his grip on her and hopped up on the parapet. He paused a moment, then dove off the tower.

            Kelsea lost sight of them for a minute, then they appeared again as Tyrith caught an updraft and soared back up level with the tower. He hovered a moment and looked back. Stethan waved him on and Tyrith and Jessaline began away, presumably in the direction of the caves.

            "Well," Stethan said as he turned to Kelsea, who realized she had been holding her breath and let it out quickly. "Looks like it’s our turn."

            "Great. What do I do?" asked Kelsea.

            "Well, first I have to pick you up. Just stand there a moment." Stethan put a hand on Kelsea’s back and hooked his other hand under her knees, then simply raised the lower hand. Kelsea instinctively put her hands around his neck.

            "Good," he said, hopping up on the parapet as Tyrith had done. "Now I’m going to dive and catch an updraft like Tyrith did. Are you ready?" he asked. Kelsea looked down off the tower and immediately wished she hadn’t. She shut her eyes tight and nodded.

            Kelsea sucked in her breath as she felt Stethan jump off the parapet and dive. Suddenly she heard and SNAP as his wings whipped out and caught air, then her stomach was abruptly jerked in the other direction as Stethan gained all the height he could from the updraft. As soon as flight was relatively stable Kelsea opened her eyes. She dared a glance down and shut her eyes quickly again.

            "Uh, Kelsea?" Stethan spoke up.

            "Yeah?" she answered without opening her eyes.

            "As much as I’m enjoying myself, I might have to take this as an insult to my flying ability."

            "What?" asked Kelsea, opening her eyes. "Oh." She blushed as she realized she had pressed herself very firmly into Stethan’s chest and had nearly strangled him. "Sorry."

            "Oh, don’t apologize," he said with a mischievous grin. "It isn’t every night a beautiful woman grabs me round the neck and refuses to let go."

            "Uh, well, no, I suppose not," replied Kelsea, her blush deepening significantly. "How far ahead of us are Tyrith and Jessaline?"

            "Not very. Look, they’re right out in front of us." Kelsea cautiously turned her head, making absolutely sure not to look down.

            "I see them," she affirmed. "Is that thing beyond them the cliffs?"

            "Yes. We’ll be there very shortly."

            Kelsea suddenly realized she wasn’t frightened anymore. In fact, she felt quite safe in Stethan’s care. She was almost disappointed when he began to descend to a wide ledge that ran along the front of an otherwise sheer cliff face. Stethan dropped on to the ledge lightly and set Kelsea down. Jessaline and Tyrith were waiting for them just outside a narrow opening leading into the cliff face.

            "Come!" Tyrith called when they came into earshot. "We must move quickly if we are to meet with Adarral before the gathering." He entered the tunnel with Jessaline and Kelsea behind him and Stethan bringing up the rear. The tunnel was rather narrow and to walk through it, Stethan and Tyrith wrapped their wings around their shoulders something like a cloak.

            "Adarral?" Kelsea whispered to Jessaline as they walked quickly through the endless twists and turns of the of the caves, leaving her completely lost.

            "He’s head of the clan," Jessaline whispered back.

            "Why are you whispering?" Stethan asked in a loud mock-whisper, making them both jump.

            "I dunno," Kelsea replied. "These caves are just kind of creepy."

            "We’re here," Tyrith announced suddenly. He stopped just as suddenly, causing Jessaline and Kelsea to almost run into him. "Wait here," he said.

            He walked into a cave, leaving everyone else standing outside the tunnel. The torches that lined the walls for light flickered, making eerie shadows dance across the corridor. The effect was hypnotic and Kelsea stifled a gasp as Tyrith’s head suddenly popped back into the tunnel behind

her and said,

            "Come on. Adarral’s here." He disappeared back into the cave and Kelsea, Jessaline, and Stethan followed.

            "They entered a large where a large blue-green gargoyle stood with his arms crossed. He wore a grim expression, but his eyes were kind. Tyrith, Stethan, Jessaline and Kelsea formed a loose semi-circle with the ladies on the inside and the gargoyles on the outside.

            "Jessaline, you are looking well," Adarral said in an aged but strong voice.

            "You lie," Jessaline said, but smiled anyway.

            "This is Kelsea," Stethan said, laying a hand on Kelsea’s shoulder.

            "Good," Adarral said. "That should make things infinitely easier."

            "How’s that?" Kelsea asked.

            "You have known Jessaline for much longer than any of us. Since your opinion was formed over time, it’s worth more than the conclusions we have drawn after meeting her only a few times," he replied.

            "Oh," Kelsea said. "How is this trial thing going to work, anyway?"

            "It’s fairly simply," Adarral said. "All who are involved are asked to give an opinion. Usually there are only two or three witnesses, but under the circumstances, this one’s going to be rather longer than normal."

            "What circumstances?" Kelsea asked.

            "Tyrith is Adarral’s second-in-command," Jessaline explained. "If anything would happen to Adarral, Tyrith would be the clan’s leader."

            "And it’s been more trouble than its worth!" Stethan declared.

            "Stethan, really!" exclaimed Jessaline.

"I’m tempted to agree with him," said Tyrith evenly. "If it wasn’t for that, this whole business would have been over weeks ago."

            "We don’t know that, do we?" countered Jessaline.

            "I don’t get it," Kelsea interrupted. "What’s Tyrith’s being second-in-command got to do with anything?"

            "If Tyrith had been any other gargoyle, we could just make a general statement to the clan and let the rumors run their course," answered Adarral. "However, since he will one day be head of the clan, we can’t have anyone questioning his ability to lead. It would weaken the clan. And yes, Jessaline, we do know that. It has happened before."

            All four of them stared at Adarral.

            "Well, surely, you don’t think that you two are the first human-gargoyle couple, do you?" he asked Tyrith and Jessaline in surprise.

            "Well, actually...um, yeah," said Tyrith, baffled.

            "Good heavens, no," Adarral said, shaking his head. "There haven’t been many, but a substantial number of couples have existed over the years. Didn’t you ever notice how Azuran resembled Lady Bettina?"

            "Now that you mention it, I think they did look rather alike," said Stethan thoughtfully.

            "Brother and sister."

            "No! Really?" asked Stethan. Adarral nodded.

            "I always thought Lady Bettina looked a bit flighty," cracked Tyrith.

            "Tyrith!" Jessaline elbowed him sharply.

            "Ow! Sorry, had to be said," Tyrith apologized, rubbing his arm but still grinning.

            "Anyway," resumed Adarral, "after everyone gives their opinions, the Elders make a decision and the rest of the clan either upholds it or opposes it."

"You mean like an all who oppose say 'nay’ kind of thing?" Kelsea asked.

            "Exactly."

            "Stethan?" called a female voice from outside the cave.

            "I’m in here, Terra!" he called back.

            A tannish gargoyle a couple of shades lighter than Stethan entered the cave. She had long, white hair and was carrying an extremely young gargoyle, not more than two or three. At the sight of Stethan he struggled to be put down, and when he was set on the ground he toddled rather unsteadily to Stethan and demanded to be picked back up. Stethan obliged, and the child was soon nestled against him with his arms wrapped around Stethan’s neck, happy as you please.

            "You can deal him for awhile. I’m supposed to be helping to clean out the gathering cave. We haven’t used it a great deal and it’s full of dirt and bugs and the gods know what else. I think Keegan ate a spider," said the female, arms crossed.

            "Keegan, did you eat a spider?" asked Stethan in that tone of voice reserved for children and animals slightly above baby-talk. Keegan’s only response was a proud grin that stretched from ear to pointed ear. Stethan laughed and said, "Kelsea, this is Keegan. My son. That’s Terrana, his mother. Terrana, Keegan, this is Kelsea. Jessaline’s friend."

            Terrana smiled pleasantly and nodded. Keegan seemed to study Kelsea for a moment with his head cocked to one side, then grinned impishly at her and returned his attention to his parents’ voices.

            "Well, what do you want me to do with him?" Stethan was asking.

            "Just watch him," Terrana replied. "I’ll get him back before the trial, but in the meantime, I’ve got to get some work done."

            "Is it all right?" Stethan asked Adarral, who nodded. "All right, I’ll watch him. Make sure you get back here, though."

            "Thanks, Stethan," she said with relief. "Keegan, behave. I’ll be back in a little while." Terrana waved to Keegan and went out the door. Keegan looked indecisive for a moment, then apparently decided he was happy where he was and began tugging happily on a lock of Stethan’s hair.

            Kelsea, who had been studying Keegan as one might see an art critic studying a particularly odd piece of sculpture, suddenly looked up and asked,

            "Is there anything else we should know about the trial?"

            "I don’t think so," said Adarral slowly. "Only remember that Demetria will try to use my clan’s betrayal as an example for all humans. She is bitter, and very good at using half-truths to manipulate others."

            "Oh. all right," said Kelsea, nodding.

            "Well, now," asked Stethan, "what are we going to do until the trial?"

            "Jessa, you are sitting down," Kelsea commanded. "You are in no shape to do much of anything." Jessaline obediently sat down on a rather large rock nearby.

            "I’ll stay with Jessaline," said Tyrith. "Stethan, why don’t you show Kelsea the rest of the caves?"

            "Do you want to?" Stethan asked Kelsea.

            "Sure," she replied.

            "All right then, follow me. We’ll be back soon," Stethan said to everyone else as he lead Kelsea back into the tunnel.

            "Here, now," he said. "You’d better stay close to me, it’s pretty easy to get lost down here, most of the caves haven’t been explored yet."

            "Won’t Terrana be jealous?" Kelsea asked, only half joking.

            "No, why should she be?"

            "Well, I...that is, uh...well, what about Keegan?" she asked puzzled and slightly embarrassed.

            "Oh, good heavens," Stethan said, trying hard not to laugh when he realized what Kelsea was talking about. "Terra and I aren’t a mated pair!"

            "Then what...?"

            "Neither of us have mates and Terra wanted a child. I’m embarrassed to say it, but it was more like a business arrangement than anything else. Terra got a son and Keegan got a father, which, between you and me, is more than most male gargoyles I know would have contributed."

            "Humans are the same way," Kelsea said, nodding. "It doesn’t normally work out quite as well, though."

            "Um, well, I understand gargoyles have to work a little harder to have children," Stethan said embarrassedly.

            "I wouldn’t know," replied Kelsea, blushing furiously. "I don’t think humans could make it any easier."

            "Maybe we should ask Tyrith," Stethan suggested mischievously.

            "About humans or gargoyles?" This was too much for either of them and they both laughed themselves breathless. Keegan seemed baffled by this sudden outburst, then apparently decided he wanted Kelsea to hold him. He leaned towards her as far as he could and waved his arms.

            "Well, look at that," said Stethan, looking first at Keegan, then Kelsea. "He wants you to hold him. Do you want to?"

            "Sure!" she replied. Keegan was easily transferred from Stethan’s arms to Kelsea’s and was soon nestled against Kelsea quite happily. "He’s lighter than I would have thought," she said.

            "He won’t gain most of his body weight until adolescence," Stethan said. "It makes learning to glide easier."

            "Oh. He is adorable."

            "Don’t let those puppy eyes fool you," Stethan said, chuckling. "He can be a holy terror if he wants to."

            "Takes after his father, no doubt," Kelsea said with a smile.

            "Aye, more than his mother would like," Stethan admitted. "We are a little different, though."

            "How’s that?" Kelsea asked curiously.

            "Spiders are too dry for me," Stethan replied, eyes dancing. "I prefer beetles, myself."

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *                

            By the time they returned to Adarral’s cave, Kelsea and Stethan were talking as if they had known each other all their lives. Keegan had long ago been given back to Stethan when Kelsea’s arm had fallen asleep. In fact, it was still tingling as they entered the cave.

            Inside the cave, Tyrith and Jessaline were sitting on a large rock, kissing enthusiastically. Stethan stopped in his tracks and stared, Kelsea put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat loudly. Tyrith and Jessaline either ignored or couldn’t hear her.

            "How do they breathe?" Stethan asked suddenly.

            "What?" said Kelsea, startled. Stethan repeated his question. Kelsea studied the oblivious pair for a moment.

            "Haven’t the slightest idea," she replied with a shrug.

            "I think it’s cute, in a way," said Stethan, smiling.

            "I think it’s disgusting," Kelsea said, making a face. Jessaline chose exactly that moment to open her eyes. She caught sight of Kelsea’s face and an extremely odd noise came out of Tyrith’s ears. Tyrith jerked away in surprise.

            "What the bloody he...oh, hi, Stethan, Kelsea," Tyrith said, rubbing his ears. "Jessaline, would you care to explain that?"

            Jessaline, still laughing uncontrollably, tried to explain.

            "I opened my eyes and Kelsea had this look of pure disgust on her face and I had to laugh, I couldn’t help it, and it sort of reverberated through your head and...Kelsea, stop looking at me like that!" she managed before she burst into unstoppable giggles.

            "Reverberated through my head?" repeated Tyrith, just a bit unsure of how to handle this. Stethan and Kelsea glanced at each other, then started laughing as well. Keegan joined in on general principle, leaving Tyrith utterly discombobulated.

            "You all seem to be having a good time," said a voice from the doorway. Stethan and Kelsea turned around to find Terrana observing them from the relative safety of the tunnel. "I wonder if that should worry me?"

            "Why on earth should it?" Stethan asked, still grinning.

            "Let’s just say that sometimes I wonder what exactly Keegan’s first word will be," Terrana replied dryly.

            "I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about," said Stethan, barely managing to keep a straight face. "Here you go, Keegan, back to mommy." Keegan giggled happily as he was handed over.

            "I hear you two are getting along quite well," Terrana said to Stethan with a half-smile that told him exactly what she was insinuating.

            "Who from?" Stethan asked suspiciously.

            "Everyone who saw you in the tunnels. That’s good," she went on before Stethan could react. "You need a nice girlfriend to calm you down." And with that, Terrana swept out of the cave with Keegan, leaving Stethan and Kelsea staring open-mouthed.

            The silence was broken by Tyrith and Jessaline who burst out laughing. Slowly, Stethan turned his head to look at them, then looked at Kelsea who shrugged and smiled. Then they simply waited for Tyrith and Jessaline to calm down.

            Finally the pair regained their self-control. Tyrith slid off the rock and helped Jessaline down.

            "We ought to go," he said. "We were supposed to meet Adarral in the gathering cave as soon as you got back."

            "All right, let’s go before anyone else decides to visit," said Stethan, rolling his eyes. "This way, milady," he said, taking Kelsea’s arm as they re-entered the tunnel.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Kelsea sat on a stone bench between Stethan and Jessaline on a slightly raised part of the hall, watching the gathering cave fill with gargoyles. She had never seen anything like it before in her life. Gargoyles of every color; green, red, blue, brown; of every age; gnarled, old gargoyles, baby gargoyles with parents, muscled gargoyle men and strangely beautiful gargoyle women.

            "This is a small clan?" she breathed in awe. Stethan looked down at her and smiled slightly.

            "We were triple this size once," he replied with a trace of pain. Kelsea took his hand and squeezed it. Stethan looked down at their intertwined hands for a long moment, her small, delicate hand in his large, strong one. Then he looked up and smiled a true smile into her eyes that warmed her heart, and she couldn’t help but smile shyly in return.

            At that moment Adarral stood and the cave quieted.

            "We are here for a reason which I’m sure you are all aware of," he began. "Tyrith, my second-in-command, has declared his love for the human woman, Lady Jessaline of Austerleve. I ask you, my clan, whether or not their love is to the benefit of all those involved. Make your decision carefully and with wisdom." Adarral sat down and one of the Elder gargoyles on the platform called out a name. A male gargoyle made his way to the platform and began to speak. When he was done, he rejoined the crowd and another’s name was called.

            As the speeches continued, Kelsea found herself wishing she had taken a nap with Jessaline that afternoon. It was already far past midnight and she was getting increasingly tired. During some of the longer speeches, Kelsea frankly dozed. Her eyelids became heavier and heavier as the gargoyles droned on. Finally, after an interminable struggle to stay awake, she gave up and closed

her eyes. In seconds, she was asleep.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            "Kelsea? Kelsea, wake up," a rather familiar voice penetrated Kelsea’s sleep fog.

            "No," she mumbled, nestling into whatever warm, comfortable thing her head was cushioned on.

            "Come on, you have to wake up," the voice persisted.

            "I’m warm and comfortable. Go away," she repeated, trying to figure out what was wrapped around her.

            "You’re not going back to sleep. Open your eyes." Kelsea finally identified the voice as Stethan’s.

            "Oh, all right," Kelsea grumbled, opening her eyes. Then she saw why she was so comfortable. When she had fallen asleep she had leaned against Stethan, who promptly wrapped a wing around her. "Why are you bothering me?" she asked, making no move to free herself from Stethan’s wing.

            "You have to speak soon," he answered. Kelsea realized how quietly they were speaking. She shook her head to rid herself of the last remnants of sleep. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Stethan pulled his wing back around his shoulder.

            "What do I say?" asked Kelsea, now awake enough to be nervous.

            "Anything complimentary. Don’t worry about it. You already missed Demetria’s speech. Anything else has to be good."

            "What did she say?"

            "She just gave a general lecture on the evils of humanity."

            "That’s not so bad."

            "She also mentioned the fact that Jessaline’s already married."

            "That’s not so good," said Kelsea, furrowing her brow. "I’ll have to bring that up."

            "Think about it quickly," Stethan said. "Feyla is finishing up and you’re next."

            Kelsea looked over at Jessaline who was drowsing against Tyrith’s shoulder with his wing around her. She wondered briefly if she and Stethan had looked that cute, then heard her name called.

            "Kelsea of Oster!"

            "That’s you," Stethan whispered. Kelsea got up and walked to the center of the platform as if in a daze. She looked out at the sea of faces and felt her mouth go dry. She probably would have stood there like an idiot forever if a picture of Jessaline sleeping peacefully hadn’t flashed through her mind. She shook herself. Get a grip, Kelse, she thought to herself and cleared her throat.      

            "I’m Kelsea, Jessaline’s best friend and I’ve known her forever. I can’t remember what my life was like without her and I know her better than anyone, except maybe Tyrith.

            "Demetria said that Jessaline is already married. Well, Jessaline was married pretty much the same way I was. My father said I was going to marry this guy if he had to tie me up, gag me and drag me there himself, which is a pretty good description of what happened. Having a priest murmur some words over your head, binding you to someone against your will, does not exactly inspire love in your heart.

            "Jessaline’s true husband is Tyrith, who she loves more than anything. And if you doubt that at all, look over there!" Kelsea said, flinging a hand in Jessaline’s direction. "If you’ve ever seen a happier pair, I’d love to see them, and if you can’t see that they are in love, you’re blind!

            "I don’t know many women who would give birth to the child of a man she didn’t love, and I know even fewer men who would stick by a pregnant woman if he didn’t love her.

            "I happen to think that if two people love each other, then they should be together. I also think that Jessaline’s child is entitled to two parents. I think I’ve made my point." Kelsea walked smartly back to Stethan and sat down.

            "Wow," Stethan said, impressed. "Now what am I gonna say?"

            "That was great," said a sleepy voice. Kelsea turned to find Jessaline peering drowsily over Tyrith’s wing. "Thanks."

            "Sure," replied Kelsea, smiling.

            Stethan and Jessaline’s speeches went relatively without incident. Tyrith was halfway through his when Jessaline paled and began breathing funny.

            "What is it?" asked Kelsea, even though she already knew the answer.

            "It’s coming," Jessaline managed between gasps.

            "Oh, fabulous," muttered Kelsea. "Where else could this possibly happen but here?"

            "What’s going on?" Stethan asked. He glanced over Kelsea’s shoulder at Jessaline and his jaw dropped. "She’s having the baby?"

            "She’s having the baby," Kelsea affirmed.

            "Now?"

            "Now."

            "In the gathering cave?"

            "In the gathering cave." Stethan thought that over for a moment.

            "She can do that?" he asked finally.

            "She can do that."

            "Oh. Fabulous," Stethan said. Just then Jessaline gave a shriek and the attention was back on her. "What do we do?" he asked.

            "About what?" Tyrith asked from behind them. He looked at Jessaline and his jaw dropped as well. "She’s having the baby?"

            "Yes, Tyrith," Kelsea said with rapidly fraying patience. "She’s having the baby."

            "Now?"

            "Yes, Tyrith. Now," she replied through gritted teeth.

            "In the gathering cave?"

            "Augh!!! Yes, Tyrith! She can have the baby now, in the gathering cave. In fact, she not only can, she is! So stop being an idiot and pick up you girlfriend so she can have this child somewhere a little less public!"

            "Okay."

            "No!" said Jessaline.

            "What?!" all three of them demanded at once.

            "I’m not going anywhere, Ow! until I know what the decision is Ow!" she said between gasps.

            "Oh, for the love of St. Augustine!" exclaimed Kelsea, slapping a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "Hey!" she shouted, climbing up on the bench and trying to get the Elder’s attention. "You there! Yo!"

            Finally she put two fingers in her mouth and whistled as loudly as she could. The cave went

silent and the Elders turned to stare at her in astonishment.

            "Excuse me, but this woman is about to have a baby in the next ten minutes and refuses to leave this cave until she knows whether or not her child is going to have a father. I do not want my best friend’s child born on a stone floor in front of several hundred people, most of whom she doesn’t know, so could we hurry this along as much as possible? Thank you," she finished and climbed down off the bench. The Elders stared at her a moment longer, then gathered in a bunch

and began talking. Then the huddle broke apart and Adarral spoke.

            "The decision of the Elders is that Tyrith and Jessaline remain together. Do you uphold it?"

            Tyrith, Stethan, Jessaline, and Kelsea grinned at each other in amazement as a deafening roar rocked the cave. Then Jessaline shrieked again and Tyrith picked her up.

            "Come on," he said to Stethan and Kelsea. "There’s a small cave back along the tunnel."

            They all rushed out a back entryway and down the tunnel. Along the way they ran into Terrana and Kelsea snagged her by the arm.

            "You’re coming with us," said Kelsea, towing her along.

            "Why?"

            "Because I know little to nothing about childbirth and you obviously know more than me."

They reached the cave. Terrana paused just long enough to deposit Keegan in Stethan’s arms before following Kelsea into the cave. They ordered Tyrith out as soon as he put Jessaline down. He went out into the hallway with Stethan and began to fidget nervously.

            "Relax," Stethan said calmly. "They know what they’re doing."

            "I wish I did," said Tyrith.

            "No, you don’t," replied Stethan. "Trust me. I helped with Terra. It’s best dealt with by women." Suddenly an awful yell came from the cave and Tyrith stiffened.

            "Wait," Stethan said, putting a hand on Tyrith’s shoulder. "Listen." Tyrith’s ears perked up as a baby’s squall filled the air. Kelsea appeared in the doorway.

            "You can see her now, Tyrith," she said, smiling. "I think she’s done making death threats." She came out into the hallway as Tyrith went into the cave. She was wiping her hands off on her skirt, regardless of the awful smears she was leaving on it.

            "Death threats?" Stethan asked.

            "Women in pain say some nasty things," Kelsea replied. "I didn’t know some of those words even existed much less that Jessaline could use them so fluently."

            "You’d be surprised," Terrana said from the doorway. "When I was having Keegan, I swore in three different languages."

            "You’re kidding," said Kelsea.

            "Nope," said Stethan, grimacing. "She called me a bastard seventeen different ways. I counted."

            "I knew all those Latin lessons were good for something," Terrana said, laughing as she took Keegan back. She waved backhandedly as she disappeared down the tunnel. Kelsea absently stared after her.

            "Kelsea," Stethan said softly, tapping her shoulder. "Look at this." Kelsea turned around and peered into the cave beside Stethan         

            Jessaline was holding the baby, wrapped in Kelsea’s cloak. Tyrith was sitting beside her with an arm and a wing around them both.

            "They’re beautiful," Kelsea murmured, leaning against Stethan. Unconsciously, he put an arm around her.

            "Yeah, beautiful," he said absently, staring at Kelsea. She glanced up to say something and saw his look. She blushed, but didn’t lower her eyes. They both jumped when Jessaline cleared her throat loudly.

            "Are you two love-birds going to come over here and meet your god-child or not?" she asked, grinning.

            "Maybe, if you’re nice," replied Kelsea as she and Stethan approached and sat down. "And anyway, I don’t think you two have any right to be calling names." Jessaline gave the baby to Kelsea and Stethan leaned over Kelsea’s shoulder to get a look.

            "Well, it looks human to me," Stethan said. "What’s its name?"

            "Her name is Krystianna," Jessaline replied. "And the only thing gargoyle about her seems to be her hair and eyes."

            "And boy does she have a lot of both," commented Kelsea. Looking closely, Stethan saw she was right. Under Krystianna’s mop of raven hair, which was drying rapidly and already sticking out in several directions, were two huge, silver eyes staring raptly at him.

            "Wow, kid," Stethan said, tickling her with one finger. "You keep that face and you’re gonna be some beauty. Who knows, you might even snag the leader of the gargoyles."

            "Lord, don’t even give her any ideas," groaned Jessaline.

            "What? isn’t Tyrith worth it?" Kelsea teased.

            "NO," she said with such perfect sincerity that Kelsea and Stethan burst out laughing.

Tyrith stuck his tongue out at Jessaline.

            "I don’t think I deserve this," he said. "Especially after I spent all night protecting my parenting rights."

            "Anyway, Jess," said Kelsea, still laughing. "At least he least he wants to be father, unlike someone I know."

            "Hey, now," said Stethan, putting an arm around Kelsea’s waist to show that he knew that she was kidding. "That was mean. I’m a dedicated father."

            "Dedicated to what?" snorted Tyrith.

            "Bachelorism," Stethan replied with a grin.

            "Not for long," Kelsea said leaning back on him.

            "Give me back my child before she’s smothered over there," Jessaline said, laughing. Kelsea handed Krystianna over and Tyrith stood up.

            "We should get you two home," he said. "It’ll be dawn in an hour or so." Stethan and Kelsea climbed to their feet and Tyrith helped Jessaline up. Just then Adarral popped his head into the room.

            "Good, I didn’t miss you," he said, entering the cave. "I wanted to say hello to our new clan member."

            "This is Krystianna," said Jessaline, holding her up.

            "She’s going to look just like her father," Adarral mused. He smiled at Jessaline, then turned to Kelsea. "I wanted to thank you myself for doing what you did," he said.

            "What’s that?" Kelsea asked, mildly confused.

            "When you stood up and bossed the Elders around. It gave them a good shock. Which, of course, they deserve every now and again," he said, chuckling. "I should know, I’m almost one of them. Ask Tyrith, he’ll tell you. I’m as stubborn as any of them. Anyway, it woke them up a bit and made them think for themselves for once, instead of just accepting the opinion handed to them. Thank you," he said, smiling.

            "Anytime," Kelsea replied, returning the smile.

            "We really should go," prompted Stethan gently.

            "Yes, I know," Adarral said. "I hope to see you all again very soon."            

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Stethan and Kelsea reached the tower first. Stethan dropped to the parapet with a muffled thud.  Stethan set Kelsea down gently as Krystianna stirred sleepily in Kelsea’s arms. Kelsea had her because Jessaline had been so tired that she had probably fallen asleep as soon as Tyrith was in the air. Sure enough, when Tyrith landed beside them, there was Jessaline, fast asleep.

"I’m going to put her in her room," Tyrith said quietly. Stethan and Kelsea nodded and Tyrith carried Jessaline down the tower steps.

            "What a night," Kelsea said wearily, running a hand through her hair.

            "You said it," Stethan replied.

            "I’m just glad it’s over so I can go to bed," Kelsea yawned.

            "You and me both," Stethan affirmed.

            "Are you guys gonna stay here or try and make it back?" she asked.

            "It’s too close to dawn," Stethan said, glancing at the brightening horizon. "We’ll probably stay here." He looked at her seriously for a moment. "You know all of us are very grateful for what you did tonight."

            "I couldn’t have done anything else," she said, smiling. Krystianna began to fret restlessly and Kelsea rocked her gently back to sleep.

            "You’re good at that," Stethan commented.

            "It’s a talent I have nothing to use on," she shrugged.

            "We can fix that," Stethan said suggestively. Before Kelsea could think up a reply, Tyrith came back up the steps.

            "She’s sleeping peacefully," Tyrith said, rubbing his shoulder where his wing attached. "You ought to follow her example, Kelsea, or you’ll be exhausted tomorrow night."

            "We’ll see you then, won’t we?" Stethan asked as he and Tyrith turned towards the sunrise.

            "I wouldn’t miss it," Kelsea replied with a smile.

            Just then the sun broke free of the horizon, freezing Stethan’s returning smile in a crackle of stone. Kelsea blinked a few times from the sudden sunlight and the appearance of two large statues where a pair of living, breathing gargoyles had been standing a moment before. She took a deep breath and looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms.

            "Wow, kid," she murmured. "You’ve got some family going on here. I’m gonna put you in your room, because I’ve got something to finish."

            Kelsea smiled quietly to herself as she went down the steps.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *                      *

            Jessaline awoke suddenly, disoriented by the bright midday sunlight filling the room. She rolled over and sat up feeling not quite all there, then remembered the previous night and sat bolt upright. She wobbled a little when she got to her feet, then straightened out and headed towards the room that had been designated as Krystianna’s nursery weeks ago. She reached the room and stopped, clinging to the doorway for support. She approached the cradle in the middle of the room

slowly. She leaned on the side of the cradle and looked down at the sleeping child within. After a moment, she looked back up and glanced around the room idly. Then something on the wall caught her eye, dispelling all thoughts that the previous night had been a dream.

            It was Kelsea’s tapestry. Finally finished, it lit the room in a blaze of color.

            "It’s beautiful," Jessaline whispered to herself in awe.

            "You’d better think so," said Kelsea from behind her. Jessaline turned to find Kelsea standing in the doorway behind her, smiling. "I spent far too much time on that thing last night, or rather, this morning."

            "It looks it," Jessaline replied, impressed. She yawned loudly.

            "You’re still exhausted," Kelsea  accused. "C’mon. You’re going back to bed now."

            "Will she be all right?" Jessaline asked, looking at Krystianna who was still sleeping peacefully.

            "I’m sure she’ll be fine, she has been for the last couple of hours. Besides," Kelsea continued, pushing Jessaline gently out the door, "She’s got the best protector I’ve ever met watching over her."

            "What are you talking about?" Jessaline asked puzzledly.

            "Look," Kelsea replied, nodding towards the tapestry. Jessaline looked at it for a moment, then smiled.

            "That’s really...I don’t have a word. Thank you."

            "Anytime."

            The door shut gently behind them, leaving Tyrith, woven into the tapestry where the empty space on top of the tower had been, watching over his newborn daughter with a smile.