Summary - 5/28
Cathena returns home, only to discover that someone has just wounded her father and kidnapped her brother! She finds Rosa tied up in Javier's room. When Rosa is able to speak, she explains that three men forced their way in, forced her to go to Javier's room where he was too weak to fight them off. Then, she was tied up and they left with Javier. But, she heard Don Luis cry out and the sound of steel on steel.

Hearing this, Cathena runs to her father's room, seeing the signs of struggle all the way there. She finds her father lying on the floor of his bedroom, unconscious, bleeding and barely alive. Quickly binding his wounds, she sends Rosa for a doctor. Don Luis barely regains consciousness. Just enough to get into bed and have a glass of wine with Cathena's help. The story he tells her is the same as the one Rosa told her.

The doctor arrives and tends to Don Luis. Privately, the doctor tells Cathena that Don Luis is not to leave his bed, unless absolutely necessary, for a couple of weeks. Agreeing, Cathena gives the medicine and instructions to Rosa and escorts the doctor out. Rosa and Cathena share a somber meal before Rosa retires early.

Cathena is left alone with her thoughts, knowing that, now, she will have to present Queen Elaine's requests to the counsel - alone with no support. She sits in the living room, drinking a glass of wine, turning over the events in her mind, trying not to worry about her missing brother.

Suddenly, there is a loud knocking at the door. Cathena answers it with a sword at her side and a pistol in her hand. However, there is no one there. But, there is a note tacked to the door. It states, rather ominously... "If you want to see your brother alive again, stop chasing the book!" It takes all of her wits and will not to rip up the note as she realizes that this note not only proves that someone is attacking her family over the book but that Eric could not possibly have it.

Instead, she neatly folds it, places it with the missive from Queen Elaine and packs the whole package protectively next to her as she spends a restless night waiting for the dawn to come.

Summary - 5/29
Cathena arrived at the counsel meeting, surprised to see it so full. She wondered if it had leaked out that she was home with a missive from Queen Elaine. When she was called to speak, she thanked the chairman and the counsel and began her tale. Cathena spoke first of what had happened six weeks ago. Then, of her adventures getting to Avalon and the audience with Queen Elaine. Holding up the sealed missive, she told the counsel of what was it in; the two requests and of Queen Elaine's good will gesture.

She held her hands up for quiet as the murmuring of the counsel grew and told those there that there was more. Cathena spoke of her father's illness and strange memory loss. Also, of discovering the arrest warrant for Eric Blake, how it was wrong and what she knew of had happened to the missing book of bloodlines. She spoke of her fear that there was someone attacking her family because of this book and ended her long monologue telling those listening of the attack on her father, the kidnapping of her brother and the note that demanded she stop looking for the book. As she ended her words to the counsel, she handed over both the missive and the threatening note to a page who delivered it to Captain Allende. Then, she was escorted from the counsel chambers to await their decisions.

Several hours later, Cathena was brought back into the chambers. She was told that based on the evidence provided, and the fact that Eric -had- returned with her to Bucca in search of a copy of the book, it was clear that he had not stolen it. Thus, as requested by Queen Elaine, he would receive a pardon. Also, after the book of bloodlines was found, a copy would be made and sent to Queen Elaine.

Furthermore, based on a third request from Queen Elaine, that a goodwill ambassador be appointed to her court to represent the interests of Bucca and to bring back the book, Cathena had been appointed to this new position, beginning as soon as the book was found and copied. Finally, as a reward for all of the hardship the Rivera family had gone through, the boat, the Just Rewards, had been gifted to them as a prize. Though, now that it was privately owned the Rivera family will be required to pay for her repairs and upkeep.

The counsel wished Cathena and her family well then dismissed her from the counsel chambers. Immediately, she went to the docks and Alfonso had a sailor row her out to the Lucky Dog. Once there, Cathena, bursting into tears from all of the conflicting emotions warring within her, told Eric of what had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Once Cathena calmed down, the two discussed various plans on what to do now. The first thing that Eric wanted to do was to attempt to enter Bucca anonymously to look for the archivist with the book. Cathena pointed out to him that based on the counsel meeting, there would be nothing anonymous about him on Bucca - at least, for now. She decided they should return home to check in on Don Luis and Rosa. Perhaps, one of them would be able to remember something about the archivist.

Also, Cathena realized that Eric's original plan did have merit. If either Don Luis or Rosa could remember something about the archivist, it should be Eric to look for the book so that Javier is not murdered because Cathena defied the note she received. Despite his misgivings, Eric agreed to the modified plan. The two of them docked the Lucky Dog and headed to the Rivera home.

Summary - 5/30
Eric and Cathena are greeted by Rosa, who is happy to see both of them. The three of them speak for a while with Cathena asking Rosa if she can remember -anything- about the man who came to pick up the book of bloodlines from the house. After much thought, she remembered having a short conversation with him and remembered that he was on his way to Avalon for a visit.

Eric felt this was the best thing possible. Since the book was not here in Bucca, it was safe still. All that was left to do was to figure out which archivist was missing and wait for his return. Cathena agreed and she thought if she could get Don Luis to recommend an archivist to her, most likely that would be the man that he commissioned. Speaking of Don Luis, Cathena wanted to know how he was doing.

Going up to visit her father who had just eaten some broth, Cathena was dismayed at his pale and weakened state. The first thing he did was tell Cathena how much he loved her and that he was afraid he would not make it through this... Then, he asked after Javier. Reluctantly deceiving her father, Cathena told him that "Javier will be fine... don't worry about him. Worry about yourself." Falling for the deception, Don Luis assumed that Javier was home and safe, making his daughter feel very guilty.

To distract him, she offered to play chess with him. Don Luis accepted and asked if there was anything he could do for her. Feeling even worse, Cathena casually mentioned the need for an archivist but pushed it off as business and now was father-daughter time. After a bit of game play, Don Luis mentioned a Mr. Castle (obviously a non Castillian with that sort of name) as an archivist he would recommend and wanted to know why Cathena needed one.

She tells him about being appointed to the Court of Avalon as a good will Ambassador and needing copies of the charters and laws of Bucca so that she can keep Bucca's interests in mind when asked. All of which, Cathena realized as she made up the excuse, was really true and resolved to do just that. She also makes a point of mournfully noting that she would not be able to do any privateering in the near future. All of this good news visibly brightens her father and brings some color to his face.

After a bit more chess, Cathena puts her father back to bed where he is asleep with a smile on his face in no time. Coming back down stairs, Eric wants to know how Don Luis is. Cathena explains what happened and how guilty she feels over deceiving her father. She tells Eric that they -must- find and rescue Javier before Don Luis is well enough to get out of bed. Eric agrees and hopes that a visit to Mr. Castle will be fruitful. All they can do now is find Mr. Castle's shop and figure out if he was the one with the book commission from Don Luis.