"How did you arrange that? You were gone a long time."

"By doing exactly what you're doing now, Kalina. I'd ride a ship to Falcon's Roost, and it would go on without me while making people think that I was on board. I'd ride a horse back here, and everyone would think that Lizelle Sailmender was out on a business voyage. That particular one was to Valkar. At least a six month journey, possibly as long as a year. I set it up that way in case something did go wrong and I had to come back, Lizelle and her resources would be here in case I needed them."

"Clever."

"I didn't get this far by thinking like celery, Kalina. I planned ahead."

Rallix returned. "The ship will be ready to receive you in a moment, my Lady," he said pointedly to Kalina. "By the way, where did you find her, your Highness? She is so much your twin, I thought you were the same person when I first saw her."

"Just another person, Rallix," Keritanima grinned. "Someone who helps me pretend to be in two places at once. Often when Lizelle was here, Keritanima was at the Palace."

"Very clever, your Highness."

"Thank you," Kalina and Keritanima said in unison, their voices mingling together so perfectly that they were impossible to tell apart.

Rallix laughed. "I'll have men take your trunk, my Lady. You'll be under way by the end of the hour."

Keritanima backed up slightly as sailors filed in and picked up the trunk, giving her and Kalina wild looks, then they carried the trunk out. Keritanima closed the door and regarded Rallix calmly. "I think I can depend on your discretion, Rallix," she smiled. "If people ask, just say that Lizelle and the Princess reached some kind of agreement, and Lizelle set sail quickly after getting here."

"We have known each other a long time, your Highness," Rallix smiled. "I've always looked out for your interests, and your secret will be safe with me. I'll arrange it so Lady Lizelle here is very comfortable while she hides out."

"I appreciate it. Leave no debased amusement untried, Rallix."

"Hey!" Kalina snapped. "I'll choose my own debauchery, thank you very much."

"Just watch out for the masseuse, Lizelle," Keritanima winked. "So much as smile at him, and he'll be trying to drown you in sensual delight."

"I think I can live with that," Kalina grinned wickedly.

"We're running out of time, Highness," Rallix warned.

"Of course, Rallix," she smiled. Rallix. She shouldn't have been all that surprised that he knew her secret. He was a very intelligent, unassuming man that was very good at his job, and part of his job was to be observant. It warmed her heart that he had been loyal to her, even after discovering just who he was working for. He had been a steadfast pillar, just as dependable as Ulfan, nurturing Lizelle's investment into an impressive fortune. She owed him a great deal. She wondered what made him stay with her, knowing who she was and the danger it posed to him, how much he really knew about her. He had to know that the Brat was just another act, like Lizelle. And he had kept that a secret too. Even after it became apparent that Keritanima-and Lizelle-had run away, he remained at the business, running it for her, not telling anyone that Lizelle was unavailable. He could have taken ownership of the entire company then-she had little doubt he didn't know about her will-but he did not. He had continued on, abiding her possible return, showing a loyalty to her that stirred her soul to consider its depths. Rallix wasn't just loyal to her, he was devoted to her. She wondered what had spurred such a devotion. "I want to thank you again, old friend," she said sincerely. "It's becoming plain to me just how much you do know, and I can't thank you enough for your support through it all."

"I'm not just a loyal Wikuni, Highness, I also happen to be fond of you," he admitted. "You gave me a good chance to make something of my life, and I've done my best to build your business into something you could be proud of, just as proud as your noble house."

"Rallix, I'm ten times more proud of you and the Twenty Seas than I'll ever be over House Eram," she told him honestly. "Lizelle didn't build this company. You did. And I want you to know that I've always known that, and I've always been very thankful you were here."

"It is nothing, Highness," he said with a slight smile. "It was nothing more than duty."

"Be that as it may, we're going to have a very long talk later, Rallix," Keritanima promised him. "Right now, we have to send Lady Lizelle here on her way, and I have to get back to the Palace."

"I'll make sure everyone knows Lizelle left," Rallix smiled.

Keritanima escorted Kalina to the back gate. She gave her friend a quick hug and held onto her shoulders. "Just keep low, girl," she instructed. "Rallix will see to it that you're pampered and doted on while you're there. I'll send word when it's safe."

"Don't send it any time soon," Kalina winked. "You be careful, Keritanima."

"Call me Kerri, girl. All my friends do."

"Kerri," she corrected with a warm smile. "Tell Ulfan I'll be gone. He worries when he doesn't hear from me for a month or so."

"I'll make sure he knows," she promised. "They're waiting for you, girl. Now scoot, and enjoy yourself."

"Oh, I will, I promise that," she grinned. "You be careful, Kerri. It's still dangerous."

"I'll be alright, Lizelle. I have good friends I can count on."

Kalina smiled, and then she hurried towards a ship at which Rallix was pointing. Keritanima looked away, but Miranda kept looking out towards the docks.

"She'll be alright, won't she?" Azakar asked.

"She'll be alot safer than we will," Keritanima chuckled. "Come on, gang. We have to get back and see what kind of mess I just created." Keritanima noticed Miranda's secretive little smile. "And what's got you so happy?"

"Oh, nothing," she said with a deceptive grin, then she walked away, back towards the carriage, humming aimlessly to herself.

GoTo: Title EoF

Chapter 15

If Keritanima would have filled the Hall of the Sun with gunpowder and thrown in a torch, she could not have produced a more disruptive effect on court.

Keritanima was only nineteen years old, but she had a keen understanding of her own people's basic motivations and patterns. She knew that though most of them didn't know a great deal about the Firestaff, their inherent curiosity about the chaos going on in Sennadar would have motivated most of them to look into it. Wikuni were sailors, but they were also a race of merchants, and one couldn't make a profit unless one had an ear to the current events of the marketplace. That inquiry would generate some excitement-after all, who wouldn't get excited about the idea of some mystical artifact with the power to turn someone into a god?-and that excitement would provoke more study. And just like the humans, many of the noble houses had worked up rudimentary plans to find the Firestaff, or track down the person who finally did and take it from him before the appointed day. That first day of eavesdropping on court had told her just how much of a topic the Firestaff was among the noble circles, taking a very close second seat to the intrigue surrounding the throne. Her idea to use the Firestaff as a pot-stirrer seemed to her to be the simplest, easiest, and most logical way to go about whipping everyone up into a frenzy. It was so simple, she had kicked herself repeatedly for quite a while for not thinking of it sooner.

As she expected, her written message had been intercepted, spies had spied on the spies who intercepted it, and the meeting between Lizelle and Keritanima had become common knowledge. As she expected, more than one set of unfriendly ears was present in the Dancing Swan when Keritanima and Lizelle had their meeting.