"Tarrin," Dolanna said quietly, her voice reverent.

Another shockwave snapped him out of his reverie, and the Weave vanished from him like smoke. He closed his eyes and put a paw to his head, trying to figure out what just happened, as Kern suddenly jumped up from the deck and put a hand on his new left arm, moving it and shaking it, then using it to point. "Lock down that hatch! Trim that sail, man! Someone get below and try to turn the rudder with the rudder rope! Everyone else take cover, and prepare to repel boarders!"

"What is going on, Kern?" Dolanna asked urgently.

"That ball shot took out our rudder," he replied, looking at the shattered place where the helm had been. "We can't maneuver, and we're listing. We're dead in the water. Now it comes down to repelling boarders."

"I think we can handle that, captain," Faalken said grimly. "Zak, go get our shields!"

"Yes, Faalken," the huge Mahuut man replied calmly, then he scuttled down the steep steps leading to the deck.

"Why can you not shoot back?" Allia asked.

"Our catapults and ballista don't have their range," he replied. "They're too far away."

Another loud splash erupted from the side of the ship, sending spray over the deck. "They're going to pound us to pieces like this," Keritanima said. " Sheba must have some serious gunners to hit us from this range."

"Keritanima, Dar, Allia, with me," Dolanna said. "We must protect the ship from any more strikes. Link with me now!"

The three students quickly joined their teacher, and Dolanna reached out to them. Tarrin felt their union, felt them reach out and join their power into a united effort, which Dolanna directed. She wove together a very impressive weave of air, forming a solid, invisible barrier that extended from the waterline to the highest mast, and just wide enough to cover the ship. It was a wall of solid air, and the first cannonball to strike it proved that it was more than effective. It exploded against the invisible wall, sending fiery shrapnel back in the other direction and sending a plume of white smoke into the air. A shockwave rippled through the wall of air, but it held easily.

"Alright men, prepare to repel boarders!" Kern called in his booming voice. "Dolanna, can we shoot back through that?"

"No, Kern, it is a solid mass," she replied in a calm, tightly focused voice. It was obviously an effort for all of them, judging by the looks on their faces. "You must keep the stern to them, Kern. This is hard to maintain, and if I have to increase its size, it will not be strong enough to hold."

"Aye, Dolanna, I'll do my best to keep them astern," he assured her.

Two more cannonballs struck the wall or went wide in rapid succession, and Tarrin realized that they only had two or three weapons firing at them. He remembered Keritanima's descriptions of a clipper, how most of the guns were along its flanks. That getting broadside to a clipper was the same as falling on one's own sword. They couldn't have more than five or six cannons that were shooting at them from the bow, and they were reloading them and firing again as quickly as they could.

He wanted to do something. He wanted to join with his friends and strengthen the wall, but his power was unpredictable, and it was very possible that he would destroy their attempts just by his presence. He wanted to protect the ship, but the enemy was too far away. He was helpless, unable to do anything. All he could do was stand on the stern and look back, watch the black ship approach, and wait for them.

"Son, I wanted to thank you for what you did for me," Kern said to him in a quiet voice. "I didn't realize I lost my arm til I saw it laying on the deck."

"It's nothing, Kern," he replied in a grim voice. "I'm just glad I could help you after everything you've done for us."

He cleared his throat. "Yes, well, no offense or nothing, but I did that for Dolanna. If it was anyone but her, I would've said no."

"None taken, Kern," he said calmly. "I don't expect much generosity from humans anyway."

"Dolanna said that you were human yourself."

Tarrin looked at him, his slitted eyes penetrating and direct. "I was," he said in a blunt voice.

Kern flinched slightly. "Yes, well, I guess you're right. You're what you are now. If you'll excuse me, I have a fight to prepare for."

"Just give the signal when you're ready. I'll fight." He extended the claws on his paw meaningfully.

"I almost feel sorry for Sheba," Kern said in a grim chuckle, scurrying away.

Yes, he was what he was now. He just didn't know what it meant, or where it would take him.

But there were more pressing and immediate matters. The clipper had stopped shooting at them, obviously realizing that magic was defending their prey, but they were still coming. Sheba knew that Kern had magical defense, but she seemed unconcered about it. That meant that she had to have some kind of contingency for dealing with-

The priest. He remembered that priest from when they were in Roulet. No doubt he would use his own magic in support of Sheba. Tarrin had no idea what kind of magical powers a priest had, but Sheba 's willingness to pit her priest against the magic Kern commanded was obvious. That meant that he had to be a good priest.

Dolanna couldn't do anything about it. A Sorcerer could prevent a priest from using magic, but she was totally occupied with maintaining the sheild of air that was protecting them from being mauled by the clipper's cannons. And Tarrin didn't know how it was done.

A plan was forming in his mind. He rushed away from the stern and up to Binter, who was standing between Keritanima and the clipper, using his body to shield her. His massive warhammer was in his hand, and his expression was just as stony as usual. "Binter, a question."

"What is it, Tarrin?"

"How far do you think you can throw me?"

Binter's black eyes fluttered slightly. "Well, I never thought to consider that," he admitted. "Judging by your weight, I would say a good ten feet."

"In spans, Binter."

"About twelve spans."

Tarrin turned and looked out over the stern. "When the clipper attacks, what will it do?"

"If she is interested in capturing us, she will try to come up alongside and secure us with grappling hooks," Binter replied. Binter was well schooled in myriad forms of combat, on both land and sea. As was only proper for the royal bodyguard. "If she intends to sink us, she'll try to come up and get her broadside to us. She'll be close to do it, so all her guns hit. No more than fifty feet-about sixty five spans."

"So no matter what, the ship will try to come up alongside," Tarrin said. "And they'll be no further than sixty spans away." It would work. He'd jumped extreme distances before, and this time he would both have a boost and he'd be carrying a rope and grapple to snag into their rigging.

No, there was a better way. A much more effective way.

"Nevermind, Binter," he said. "I think I can do it without pulling you away from Kerri."

"Do what?"

" Sheba knows we have magicians aboard, and that doesn't scare her. I think it's because of her priest. I'm going to take that advantage away."

"Tarrin, you cannot single-handedly take on an entire complement of Wikuni sailors," Binter told him adamantly. "Especially these sailors. They are all very experienced pirates, and that means that they are very good in a fight."

"You have a better idea?"

"Yes, I do," he replied bluntly. "Let's first see what they intend to do. If they try to sink us, we'll do it your way. If they try to board us, let's do it mine."

Tarrin gave him a long look. "Alright, it's a deal."

The entire complement of the Star of Jerod watched in tense anticipation as the black clipper approached from the stern. It was no longer firing, but Dolanna maintained the shield to ensure that they didn't catch them unawares. The strain of holding it for so long was clearly showing on the faces of all four of them, and Tarrin realized that they wouldn't have anything left after they stopped.