"I didn't know you can do that," she remarked. "Keritanima never told me."

"I don't do it often, because holding the human shape is unnatural for Were-cats," he told her, feeling the aching turn into a pounding throb that coursed through his body, keeping time with his heart. "It's painful." He reverted back to his natural, humanoid form, and felt the ache immediately vanish. He swished his tail a few times to get the tingles out of it.

"Well, call me partial, but I like you better this way," she said with a wink. "You look better with fur, Tarrin."

"I would call you partial, Miranda," he said, running a fingertip up her white-furred arm.

Keritanima, Allia, and Dar emerged from the doorway leading below, and they immediately rushed over to Tarrin and Miranda. "You missed a great session, Tarrin!" Dar said. "I managed my first Illusion!"

"He's good," Keritanima admitted. "I couldn't tell it from the real thing. Dar seems to have a natural aptitude for it."

"It's that artist's soul, sister," Tarrin told her. "Dar has a vivid imagination, and that's vital for good illusions." He turned to Dar. "Show me."

He nodded, closing his eyes and looking like he was concentrating. That looked out of place on the dusky-skinned youth's usually amiable, carefree face. Tarrin felt him make contact with the Weave, and a perfect image of a brightly-plumed, short-beaked bird, green with tail feathers of red and gold and a heavy, hooked beak that narrowed down to a very sharp point, appeared before them, flying in place. There was no sound or scent to the image, for those required seperate weaves to create, but Tarrin had to admit that it looked absolutely real. "Impressive," he said, looking at it. "That's really very good work, Dar. I think you found your talent."

Dar absolutely beamed.

"Is that what you studied today?" Tarrin asked Keritanima.

She nodded. "Dolanna's been teaching us weave by weave. I wish she'd just show me all of them. She knows I just have to see her do them, then have her explain to me which flows to nip and tuck to alter the weaves."

"Put a sock in it, Kerri," Dar told her. "At least you didn't complain today."

"Complain? What about?" Tarrin asked.

"Dolanna usually teaches us weaves that our sister already knows," Allia replied to that. "Our deshaida is easily bored, and she complains about it. That interrupts our studies."

"I can't help it if I learn faster than you two," Keritnaima said defensively.

"You can't help it that Lula taught you all that when she wasn't supposed to," Tarrin retorted.

"Well, that too," she admitted with a slight grin. "Have our guests caused any mischief, Miranda?"

"None today, Highness," Miranda replied in that calm, sober voice of hers. " Sheba has been acting like the queen of Garramon, but there hasn't been any other unusual activity."

"Is that so? I wonder what's gotten her all confident all of the sudden."

"Feel free to find out," Tarrin told her.

She looked at him. "You're awfully talkative today," she noted. "Decided to give over on the isolation attitude and spend time with your sisters again?"

"Want me to go back up the mast?" he asked pointedly.

"No!" she said instantly, putting her hands on his forearm. "I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying you're doing it. I'm glad you're talking again. I missed you, brother. I don't have anyone to laugh at when you're not around."

He gave her a sudden glare, but she laughed and put her arms around him fondly, then gave him a light lick on the cheek. Her version of a kiss.

"Looks like Zak's getting beat up more than usual today," Dar said, looking to where the warriors were training. Azakar was indeed being manhandled by Sisska, but that in itself wasn't unusual. It was the blood flowing from the cut on his forehead and his shoulder that made it different. Sisska was using a sword, and it was apparent she was sparring with full contact.

"I don't know why they're so hard on him," Miranda said.

"Because an enemy would be even harder on him," Allia answered. "Right now, Azakar must learn how to focus through the pain of his injuries and keep his mind on the task at hand. It is as much a training exercise as learning how to use a weapon."

"My mother used to do that to me," Tarrin grunted. "But she used a padded wooden pole."

"Why not a sword?" Allia asked.

"She didn't believe in scarring up her son," he replied. "She believed that scars were trophies, and she wasn't about to give me any false trophies."

"I've heard alot about your mother, Tarrin," Keritanima said. "I'd really like to meet her."

"She's curious about you," he said. "So is my father."

"Why is that?"

"Because they know you're not a ditz," he told her.

"You told them?"

"Sure," he said. "Because I know they won't let it go any further."

"See if I tell you any more secrets," she fumed. "I'm mad at you, Tarrin!"

"You don't have any more secrets, Kerri," he said with an exaggerated calm.

She was about to retort to that, but Dolanna joined them from the stern. She was wearing a plain brown dress, just like many of her others, and she was carrying a book, held in the crook of her arm. "Kern says that we will reach Dayise tomorrow," she announced.

"What will he do with them?" Dar asked, motioning at the prisoners.

"Most likely, he will hand them over to the authorities," she replied. "The amount of gold offered for their capture is considerable. It will more than pay for the trouble we have caused him."

"I'm glad he's getting something for it," Tarrin said. "We've cost him crewmen, starved the ones that are still alive, forced him to dock in a pirate's nest, and gotten his ship beaten up." He made a face. "Tomas is going to kill me."

"I am sure that Tomas knew there was a risk that his ship would come under attack, young one," Dolanna assured him. "That he was there to offer us passage was a gift from the Goddess."

"Sometimes I think I wandered into his yard by more than accident," Tarrin said, mainly to himself.

"I sure wish I could have met them," Dar said. "From the way Tarrin described them, they were good people."

"They certainly are, Dar," Dolanna agreed. "They are very good people."

"Tarrin knows how to pick friends. After all, look who he has with him," Keritanima said with a roguish grin.

"Sometimes I think I should have left a couple of them at the dock," Tarrin grunted.

Keritanima stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm going to go find out why Sheba is so happy," she said in a churlish tone. "At least I know she's an enemy." Then she stomped off, her tail lashing behind her.

"That was unlike you, my brother," Allia said, but she had a slight smile on her face.

"How do you mean?"

"You left some skin on her."

"Would you like to play some chess, Tarrin?" Dar asked.

"Later, young one," Dolanna interrupted. "I need to speak with Tarrin. He will be available for you when we are done. You and Allia should practice your weaving. You will not improve without practice."

"Yes, Dolanna," Allia said obediently. "Come, Dar. Let us find a quiet place to practice."

"Sure," he agreed, and the pair moved towards the bow.

"What did you want to talk about, Dolanna?" Tarrin asked as he fell into step with her, as she started walking along the bulwark.

"Tomorrow we are going to reach Dayise, dear one," she said. "It is a very large city, and it is full of many people."

He thought he knew where she was going. "I'm not going to cause trouble, Dolanna. Not unless someone does something to set me off, anyway."

"That is only part of the reason I wish to talk to you," she told him. "We must plan for the eventuality that our enemies know where we are headed. We did stop in Den Gauche and Roulet, and there is a chance that the pirate priest gave away our location before the battle. That means that there is a chance that we may find a hostile reception awaiting us."