"I wonder how the messenger convinced the Marines to let him slip that note," Azakar mused. "What does 'walk the dog' mean?"

"It's an old code phrase between us," Keritanima replied sedately. "This means he'll be looking for one of us, Miranda."

"I'll go see him first thing tomorrow morning, Kerri," she promised. "As soon as you convince your father to let me out of the room."

"The orders were for me to stay in here, not you," she pointed out. "I doubt they'll stop you. You'll just have to shake the tailers they put on you when you leave."

"Child's play," she grinned. "Ulfan can smell the money."

"No doubt," Keritanima mused.

The next morning dawned warm and promising of good weather. The morning sun streamed in through the barred window, filtering through the curtains blocking them in from the bed. Keritanima had always liked that bed. Miranda was still asleep on the other side of it, and her tail had managed to get up underneath Keritanima's leg. It had been quite a while since she'd shared her bed with Miranda, but it seemed like old times again. For mutual protection, they had always slept in the same bed, where Keritanima's nose and Miranda's ears would detect any intruder. Keritanima and Miranda both were exceptionally light sleepers. She stirred at Keritanima's movement, then opened her eyes and swept her blond bangs out of her blue eyes.

"It's time to get to work," she said sleepily in Sha'Kar.

"Time indeeed," Keritanima replied. She closed her eyes and put her hands to her amulet, and reached out across the vast miles, searching out the sensation of her brother. "Tarrin," she called. "Tarrin, it's Kerri," she caled out in Sha'Kar.

"Kerri?" came the reply a second later, in Sha'Kar. Tarrin sounded out of breath. "How are you doing? Is there something wrong?"

"Of course there's nothing wrong," she replied. "Is that any way to greet your sister?"

"It's been so long since we spoke, I figured you'd only call in an emergency."

"Nothing stopped you from talking to me," she accused as Miranda giggled.

"I figured if it was important enough, I'd call to you," he replied. "What's going on?"

"We've reached Wikuna, deshida," she announced.

"Have you killed your father yet?"

Keritanima chuckled. "No, not yet. He's making me wait. He'll probably call me in for an audience late today or tomorrow. Where are you now?"

"Right now, I think we're somewhere off the coast of the Desert of Swirling Sands," he replied. "We ran into some problems."

"What kind of problems?"

"A storm broke a mast, and then we had a fight with some pirates that Renoit said hide in the islands off the desert coastline." There was a pause. "No, I'm not going to explain it right now, Camara. Just give me a minute."

"Camara?"

"Camara Tal," he elaborated. "After Zak got stuck with you, the Goddess decided to find someone to replace him. Another sword to help us. She found an Amazon. She's been with us since Shoran's Fork. Her and a Faerie that Triana sent along to help me control my power."

"A Faerie, huh? That must be interesting."

"Sarraya's a bit rambunctious, but I kinda like her," he replied. "How are the others?"

"So far so good," she replied. "Sisska's leaving today to visit her people. I'm glad we have Zak here, because Binter would have been stressed trying to protect both of us. We don't stay together often."

"I'm glad he's not just sitting around," Tarrin commented. "Care to trade? I'll give you the Amazon, and you can send me Zak."

Keritanima laughed. "I hope she can't understand you," Keritanima teased. "She'd kick you for saying that."

"She's alright enough, but sometimes she gets on my nerves," he grated.

"And she's still alive?"

"Yeah. I guess I should do something about that."

Miranda and Keritanima both giggled. "That's Tarrin, alright," Miranda grinned.

Keritanima grinned at her maid. "How is Allia, and everyone else?"

"Allia's fine. She's kinda hijacked one of Phandebrass' pet drakes. I can never tell them apart. It absolutely adores her. Dolanna and Faalken are fine, too. Dolanna spends most of her time teaching Faalken and the others Sha'Kar. Dar's been learning how to juggle, and he's beginning to break some of the hearts of the younger girls on the ship. That boy learns fast," he chuckled.

"You said you had a fight. What was the Amazon like?" Keritnaima asked curiously. She'd heard legends of the Amazons.

"She's a monster," he replied immediately. "An absolute monster. She's just as good as Faalken, and she's a Priestess to boot. That sword is bad enough, but she also throws magic around in a fight. She's not someone I'd care to have to fight."

"A priestess?" Keritanima said in surprise.

"Yah," he said in a distracted tone. "Sorry. That damned drake is biting my tail. Allia, get rid of it or I'm going to eat it for lunch. Oh, Allia sends her love."

Miranda giggled. "Send her our love," Keritanima replied. "Sorry to break this off, brother, but it's about time for us to get up and get going. We have alot to do today."

"I should go myself. I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"I noticed you're out of breath. What are you doing?"

"Beating Camara Tal senseless," he replied. "She wanted to spar against me. I'm taking my frustrations out on her."

Keritanima and Miranda laughed. "Well, don't let us stop you. I'll contact you when I have more news for you, alright?"

"Good enough. If something serious happens here, one of us will let you know. Goodbye, sister."

"Goodbye, brother," she said, then she took her hand off the amulet.

"It's good to hear from him," Miranda said, mirroring both their feelings.

"Very good. Now then, Miranda, let's get up and about. There is much to do today."

"Very much," she agreed.

After dressing in one of Miranda's plain, well made dresses and finding a pair of matching slippers in her closet, they moved into the sitting room for breakfast. Azakar and Binter were already awake, and Sisska was nowhere to be found. Keritanima was a bit put out with the Vendari for leaving without telling her, but then again, that was the Vendari way. She knew what she had to do, so she was going to do it. It was that simple. Azakar had his armor on for some reason, and he clanged and jangled as he walked circles to settle it into place. They'd taken it from him during the voyage, and it had some rust on it here and there. He'd have to take care of that. Keritanima knew that he knew how to care for his armor, that was a basic skill taught to the Knights during their training. Every Cadet had to maintain his own armor. "You're rusting," Keritanima told him.

"I know," he grimaced. "They didn't oil it when they stowed it away."

"When did they drop that off?"

"It was stacked by the door when I came in this morning," he replied. "As well as our weapons. Sisska already left."

"I see that," she noted. "She got her axe back?"

Binter nodded. "She asked me to give her regards."

"I hope she doesn't have any trouble," Keritanima sighed. "Why are you wearing that, Zak?"

"I put it on to make sure they didn't bend it up," he replied. "Besides, I get the feeling that leaving this room without my armor would make me feel very vulnerable."

"Smart boy," Miranda said lightly.

There was a curt knock at the door, and then it opened. A thin weasel Wikuni entered, with brownish-gray fur and a very narrow, needle-like muzzle. Keritanima didn't know him, but he wore the livery of the Chamberlain, the overseer of the palace's daily affairs. He had the sunburst over the ocean symbol which was the crest of Wikuna on one side of his doublet, and the three-tailed whip device that was the coat of arms of the house of Eram on the other side. She recalled absently that the old Chamberlain was on her list of people for Ulfan to kill. This had to be his replacement.