Portals...? The portals! Yes, she remembered now, Weisel's daring and unorthodox plan to use the portals in the invasion of the city-state of Trael. Rather than using those magical portals to transport the army's troops, Weisel's scheme was to simply open them around the target city, allowing whatever creatures dwelt within that otherworldly realm to roam freely into this world, and straight at Trael.

When Raven had been shot—and apparently killed—by that crossbow, Weisel had been on the cusp of giving the final order to open those portals. She didn't know if he'd gone through with the plan.

Raven pulled the blanket tighter around herself. Neither man came forward to physically comfort her, but that would have been unseemly anyway, considering their elevated positions. It didn't even matter that Lord Matokin was her father. Raven was the daughter of one of his retired mistresses, but such a thing might actually carry very little weight. Regardless, she had yet to tell him of her identity.

"Are you all right, my dear?" It was Weisel, peering at her closely.

With an effort of will, Raven brought her shaking under control. "Yes, General. It's just all... a bit of a shock."

Weisel gave her a droll look. "Yes, isn't it just? Well, you'll need a little time to recover. Perhaps, Lord Matokin, since we have this rare opportunity to meet face-to-face, we should discuss the progress of this great Isthmus campaign."

Matokin turned with a look that was just slightly cool. He said, "General, I am satisfied with your very able handling of the Felk army. But that army needs you now. Surely you see that you must return to the field immediately. We have used up critical time seeing to this... indulgence."

Weisel didn't wince. He gave Matokin a hard little smile, glanced again at Raven, and exited the room.

Raven's thoughts and memories were still somewhat jumbled, but things were gradually clearing. She had remembered her spying assignment for Lord Matokin. Now she also remembered what she had learned from Weisel. The general had taken her into his confidence and had told her he suspected that Matokin was deliberately sabotaging the war effort. This was a war of magic, at least in part, and Matokin, the empire's greatest mage, was withholding vital information from Weisel about the army's magical faculties.