He lowered his head. That was exactly why he obeyed. He loved her, she was his Goddess, and he would do anything she asked. Because he loved her.

"I love you, Goddess," he said simply, sincerely, straight from his heart.

He felt that same glory through the link to her, the sensation that her own power flared to life in some strange way.

Tarrin, if anything, what you have just given to me is better than any act of faith or deed of bravery, she said with strange power. You are my champion, Tarrin Kael, and you have done my will better than I could have ever hoped. I am proud of you. We all are.

"Goddess… Mother, what I did today. Was it possible?"

Your Druidic magic? My dear kitten, it is not only possible, it is what you were meant to be from the beginning. You are the Mi'Shara. In time, you will understand its true meaning.

"It means I could be a priest too, right?"

You already are, she said winsomely. As you realized before, my children are my priests. They tend my flock, which happens to be the very priests among them, and they do my will. I just don't grant them my power like other gods grant to their priests. You summed it up nicely, kitten. You already have my power. I just give it to you in a different way.

"I figured as much."

You are much wiser than you give yourself credit for, my kitten. When you want to be. Now call me that again.

"What?"

Mother.

Tarrin would have smiled sheepishly. "You're just like Triana, Mother. All bluster and pretend. You make a big deal out of establishing your dominance, then you tell me to forget all that and treat you like my own mother."

If I were mortal, she and I would be very close friends, the Goddess laughed. Now go, my champion. Your time is running out. You must be off, to lead your pursuers away and keep the others safe. They need you right now.

"Can I say goodbye?" he asked quietly.

Just be brief, she said. They are very close to you. You will only have a moment, and when you finish, you must run.

"Alright. Mother-"

I know, Tarrin. I will always be here to watch over you. You will never be alone so long as your love for me remains strong. I must go now. Be careful, and know that my light shines upon you. You are my champion, and that makes me the luckiest god in the world. A girl can't go wrong when you fight for her honor.

Make me proud, my dear kitten. Make me proud.

And then the sense of her was gone, making him feel strangely empty inside. As if she had taken a little part of him with her when she left.

"I will, Mother," he said in a quiet voice, staring at the ground, a voice full of determination. "I'll make you proud of me."

With scarcely a thought, Tarrin shapeshifted into his humanoid form, and his paw went immediately to his amulet. "Allia," he called calmly, quietly. "Allia, respond, and speak as I do," he said in Sha'Kar.

"Tarrin!" came the instant response. "It's about time! I was about to break your mother over my knee and come after you!"

"I wouldn't be surprised," he said calmly. "Now listen carefully. I only have a moment, and I'm risking alot to do this. I have the book."

"I knew that was you!" she said with a laugh. "The entire Weave lit up and began to move. We knew it was you! But why didn't you respond to me before? I called to you!"

Tarrin considered that, and realized that the Ward had been too effective. It blocked out all magic, even Allia's attempts to contact him. "I didn't hear it, sister, things have been nuts. But I can't talk about this. Sister, I can't rejoin you right now."

"What? Tarrin-"

"I said listen!" Tarrin barked, cutting her off. "They can find the book with magic, and that means that every two-copper mage and apprentice with any ability is going to know exactly where to find me. I'm not going to expose you to that, sister! Anyone with me will be in too much danger, and to be honest, the others will only slow me down! I'm going to lead them all off, inland, and I want you to get that fat circus master and his troupe on that ship any way you can and make them cast off immediately! I don't care what they have to leave behind! Just get them on that ship and get out of Arak!"

There was a short pause. "It will be as you ask, my brother," she replied.

"Good. Now listen. I have to take the book back to Suld. The Goddess told me to do it. So I want you to go to Suld and wait for me. Don't try to contact me, sister. I'm going to have to spend a great deal of time in cat form, and I can't hear you when you try. Let me contact you. Just get to Suld, sister, go back to the Tower. I'll be there as soon as I can manage."

"Tarrin, please, reconsider. You will be alone-"

"Allia!" he snapped. "Give me more credit than that! On the open plains, they'll never catch me! I was trained by the best, sister. Just trust me."

"I have dishonored you, my brother," she said in chagrin.

"Save the sucking up til when we're together again," he told her shortly. "Just get out of Dala Yar Arak, and don't worry about me. Remember, go back to Suld. Back to the Tower. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"We will do as you ask. Did Sarraya find you?"

"She did. She'll be travelling with me. Now I have to go, sister. I'm out of time, and they'll be coming after me any second now. I'll contact you as soon as I think it's safe, my sister. Until then, my love goes with you."

"May the sands part for you, and the Holy Mother show you the way," she said in a ritual farewell among the Selani. "I love you, my brother."

"Be safe," he said fiercely. "Be there for me, Allia."

And he broke the connection.

He wasted no time. He instantly shifted into cat form, then rushed over and lowered so Sarraya could mount him. When she was secure, he stood up. "Let's go, Sarraya. Are you ready?"

"Not really, but I don't have much choice," she grunted. "What was all that about? I only heard half of it."

"We'll talk about it later, when I'm not running," he told her. "Hang on back there."

Tarrin turned and dashed down the alley, towards the street with all its pedestrians. He knew where he had to go, and what he had to do. The Goddess had showed him the way.

It would be a long, torturous, treacherous journey. He would have to travel months, many months, to get to Suld, and it seemed like a phantom to him, a misty thing with no substance that was beyond his comprehension. But it was there, and it was where he had to go. And he'd have to lead every mage and Questor in Dala Yar Arak with him, draw them off, lead them away from his sister and the others. It would be dangerous, but he much preferred only him being in danger rather than everyone he cared about being in danger. He would accept that burden, he would protect the others. He had vowed not to lose another friend, and he would not.

It was a long road ahead, full of great danger, and probably many surprises. It was the long, uncertain path that the Goddess had told him about so long ago, the path with the uncertain conclusion. But it was the only path he could take. He owed it to his friends, his sister, he owed it to the Goddess. She had been there for him whenever he needed her, and he would not abandon her now. He would never abandon her.

He had won the Questing Game. Now came the Race. A race for survival, where he lured everyone who wanted the book away from his precious friends, his beloved sister, a race whose only conclusion would be measured in who lived to reach the goal. It did not frighten him. He was still too shocked over everything that had happened to be afraid. It was simply another task, another chore, another thing to do. It was another game, a game he was duty bound to play, to play out to its end.

It was his duty. Duty was honor, and the price of that honor was blood.

Honor and Blood.