Sai awoke with a start.  He sat up and purposely took a few deep breaths.  "A nightmare?", his wife asked.  "You don't have nightmares."

"It was Death." Sai replied.  "He contacted me in my dreams."

"Did he try to recruit you as an assassin?" she asked, referring to the fact that many of the thieves of the city had been contacted by Death, or his monks or priests in order to recruit them.  As one of, if not the most powerful of Darkness users, it made sense to her that Death would personally contact him.

"No, he made me an offer.  He said he could increase my power, though I'm not sure how."  He got up and opened the curtains a bit, seeing that it was almost sundown.  "Go back to sleep, Aud.  I need to go speak with the monks."

He put on his clothes and walked to the temple.  None of the monks there had any idea how Death could increase the power of a Darkness wielder, except by replacing their power or destroying the balance.  Neither option was desirable, though the first wasn't possible in his case, as Death would know.  With this knowledge he walked outside to see the sunset.  He knew that he had to go see the others to see if they knew anything else about this situation, or to warn them if they didn't.  As the last rays of the sun hit him, he closed his eyes and sent a message through the border of Light and Dark.  "Light." he said, "I am coming to Paris.  Death contacted me, and I must see if Force, you, or the others can help me understand the situation.  I will contact Force as well, and see if they can meet us, or if I need to meet with them somewhere else."  With the sun going below the horizon, he wouldn't be able to receive a reply until sunrise, so instead he focused on the gravity of the planet and the night, sending a similar message to Force.  While the border was weaker, it was also much larger, covering half the planet.  As such, he knew the message would be received.

He returned home and grabbed his things.  He planned on riding away and, when it was late enough for night to have reached Paris, travel there as Darkness.  When Aud saw him, however, she stopped him.  "You cannot go on your own." she said, after he told her he was headed to France, and possibly then to Scotland, "the followers of Light and Force are to strong there.  You could take on a group of them, but they are too numerous to defeat.  Take Geren with you."  She referred to their oldest son.  "He will soon become a master.  He can help you."  She didn't know about his real identity, but even if she did, it would be sound advise.  It had been over three hundred years since he was last force to reveal his identity.  It wouldn't do to reveal it now, especially in the presence of followers of Light.

"Very well." he said, "I'll take our son."

After Geren had gathered his things and they had boarded one of the trade wagons heading out of the mountains, Sai kissed his wife goodbye.  "It will be at least a month before I return." he said.  "When I do, however, I will have answers.  Farewell."  With that they told the horses to go and the trade caravan started making its way towards Paris.

[hr]

Ten days later Sai saw the city of Paris in the distance.  He motioned for the caravan to stop and climbed off.  After he and Geren had taken their belongings, he nodded to the others and they started off.  If two Darkness wielders were seen with the caravan, there was a chance they wouldn't be allowed into the city.  They therefore had to make their way into the city on their own.