"Any Wikuni that was part of the attack is dead," he told her. "The rest fled when Triana started branching out. She didn't want to see one of them in either city. I have to say, I'm impressed. Triana knows how to chase people out."

"I think I need to meet this Triana."

"You can, when you come back. She adopted me. She's my new bond-mother."

"I told you it wouldn't work for you," Keritanima seemed to say. "Miranda says hello, Tarrin. She's trying to pull the amulet out of my hands."

"Tell her hello."

"She can hear you, but it seems I'm the only one that can talk. I'll have to study this. It has to be a weave in the amulet. Can Allia do this?"

"The Goddess said she can," he replied. "Our amulets are all linked together, so we can talk to each other using them."

"Good. I think I'll surprise Allia with a call," she said with a wicked little chuckle.

"No, let me explain it first. She'd think you were a ghost."

"Alright. Azakar wants to know if Dolanna is alright. We saw her laying on the dock."

"She's fine," he assured her. "I was the only one that really got hurt. Dolanna got a bump on the head, probably to keep her from using Sorcery. I have to admit, the Wikuni planned the ambush well."

"There's not going to be any letting this go," she promised in an ugly voice. "When we get home, every officer that took part in it is going to meet with a very unfortunate accident. They're not getting away with hurting you."

"Don't get in trouble, sister."

"They'll never pin it on me," she said confidently. "I know how to arrange a murder. I know all the right people."

"Well, be careful," he cautioned. "Listen, Kerri, I have to stop this. It's tiring me out, and if Triana catches me doing something that wears me out, she'll skin me. She's not the kind of person you upset."

Keritanima laughed. "Alright. Now that I know I can talk to you any time I want, I guess I can live with you leaving. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Alright. Give me a couple of days."

"Make sure you tell Allia how to do it. I'll wait for her to contact me."

"I'll do it right now," he promised. "As soon as I get someone to go get her."

"Good. You get better, Tarrin. I'll talk to you later. I love you."

"I love you too, sister, and if I don't get better, Triana will kill me," he added with a wry chuckle. "Bye."

"Bye," she answered, and he took his paw off the amulet.

Tarrin knew it wouldn't take much to get Allia into his room. All he had to do was get the attention of whoever was standing outside his door. He did that by picking up the metal base of his lantern, then pitching it at the door. It hit it with a metallic thunk, and the door opened almost immediately. It was Faalken, wearing his armor and with a light grin on his face. "You wanted something, Tarrin?"

"I need to talk to Allia. Is she around?"

"I think she's downstairs. I can't leave this door or Triana will nail me to it, but Dolanna's in the next room. I'll have her go get Allia for you."

"Thanks, Faalken," he said with a grateful look, then he leaned back against his pillows.

Allia entered the room with Dolanna a few minutes later. She had a pewter tankard of water in her slender, four-fingered hand, but she also had a quartet of deep scratches on her forearm. Their spacing told him that a Were-cat was to blame. They were also fresh, done that very day. "Which one did that to you?" he asked immediately.

"It wasn't a fight, brother," Allia said immediately in Selani. "Singer wanted to see the Dance, so I sparred with her. This was an accident. You have given me worse, so don't get outraged over it."

"Oh. Alright, I guess," he said. "Dolanna, you should be here too."

"For what, dear one?"

"I'm going to teach Allia something about our amulets. It turns out we can use them to talk with Keritanima." Dolanna's eyebrow rose, and Allia gave him a startled look, putting her hand on her ivory amulet. "The Goddess explained how to do it. She said that because they're connected, we can use them to speak with each other over any distance."

"When did she tell you this?" Dolanna asked.

"When she told me everything else. She just said not to try it or use it until I was stronger. It does take a little concentration and effort."

"You could have told me," Allia said in a huff.

"I wanted to make sure it worked before I did that," he told her. "Do you want to learn this or not?"

"Teach on," she said immediately.

"I've already done it, and Kerri's waiting for you to speak to her," he told her. "You just put your hand on the amulet and concentrate on which of us you want to talk to. Then you talk. She'll hear it. She'll talk back to you the same way."

Allia nodded, grabbing hold of the ivory amulet, taking a couple of breaths, then closing her eyes. "Keritanima," she called out in a steady voice.

"It's about time," Keritanima's voice emanted from Allia's amulet immediately. "I thought you said you were going to get her, Tarrin. I was starting to worry." There was a slight pause. "Hello, sister. It's good to hear your voice. Are you alright?"

"Very interesting," Dolanna said professionally, looking at Allia's hand over the amulet. "Can she hear us?" she asked Tarrin.

He shook his head. "She can only hear Allia, but everything Allia says can be heard by people around her, the same way we can hear her."

"Then I suggest you only speak to Keritanima in Sha'Kar," Dolanna suggested. "That is the only secure way to communicate, and there is little doubt that Keritanima's cabin is under surveillance."

"That's a very good point," Tarrin agreed. Allia relayed that suggestion to Keritanima, in the Sha'Kar language.

"I think Dolanna has a good idea," Keritanima replied in Sha'Kar. "I have little doubt that people are watching and listening. This way they'll know I'm talking to you, but have no idea what I'm saying. And it's not like they can tell me to stop. That would tip me off for sure that they're spying on me."

"What is the difference?" Allia asked.

"It's against the law to spy on the Royal family," Keritanima said with a wicked little laugh. "They do it anyway, but it's illegal. Anyone caught doing it is arrested for high treason, and Wikuni law makes that punishable by death with no benefit of trial. If they say that to me, I could have the ship's captain executed on the spot."

"The Wikuni have laws for everything," Allia noted.

"True, but that just means that we have to break more laws to get things done," she replied with a chuckle. "Azakar is giving me a dirty look. He doesn't like our new security rule."

"Miranda speaks Sha'Kar," Tarrin remembered with a little smile. "I wouldn't put it past Binter and Sisska either. They were in the room when we were learning it, and they're both very smart."

"Tell Keritanima that giving Azakar lessons may be a good idea," Dolanna said. "Because of who we are, I think an uninterceptible means of communication should be common among us."

Allia relayed that, and there was a pause. "I'm not so sure, Dolanna. The more people who know it, the greater the chance it leaks out."

"That's irrational, sister," Allia chided. "Teaching a language takes time."

"True, but how am I going to teach him without teaching whoever's listening as well?"

"I see," Allia said after a second.

"Tell her that there are any number of weaves and Wards I taught her that block sound," Dolanna told Allia. "She can simply isolate her cabin and teach within the safety of the Ward. It could also protect them from any other information they do not want the others to discover."

Allia relayed that. "Good idea," Keritanima answered Dolanna's suggestion. "I can do that, and it'll give me the opportunity to practice. Miranda wants to know if there are Wards that block vision. You never taught me anything like that."