"Some of the Lorefinders are studying Jula to try to find out why," Keritanima told him. "So far, it's been a mystery."

"I can't think of why," he mused to himself, thinking about it. And he really couldn't. "That happened to me too?"

"They can't tell, because you got there after you were turned. They never got to see your power when you were human. Jula's abilities were well known before, so they have something to gauge her against now." There was a pause. "Jervis just came in, Tarrin, and he's carrying a sheaf of documents. I guess it's time to go to work."

"Work? I thought that you had someone doing that for you."

" Sashka handles running the day-to-day operation of the kingdom, but he always sends the important issues to me through the priests. I've been getting a steady stream of documents since I left Wikuna. I've been managing the kingdom from my stateroom since we left. I make the decisions, and Sashka makes sure they're carried out. Anyway, I have to go now, Tarrin. Work calls. Don't be a stranger, alright? Try to contact both of us at least every few days. We worry about you."

"I'll try, sister. Go on and do your Queen thing. It's about time for us to move anyway."

"Do the Queen Thing," Keritanima chuckled. "I like the sound of it. Bye Tarrin. Safe journey."

"Be well, sister," he replied, then he let go of his amulet.

Well, that explained some things. He'd been wondering what happened to Jula, when Triana didn't contact him again. Triana was like that sometimes. If she didn't deem it important, she didn't pass it on. The problem was that she thought it trivial, where he did not. It sounded like things in the Tower were under control, and Keritanima would soon be there as well. All he needed to do now was get there himself.

He happened to glance up in time to see three winged figures pass overhead, high in the sky. Their form and shape reminded him instantly of Ariana, and he was positive that they were the same race. Aeradalla. Their large wings cutting the air, they soared high overhead, moving back towards the canyon some ten days behind. At least on foot. For them, it was probably a day's flight. Even running at full speed, he could never hope to keep up with them. They were the first Aeradalla he'd seen so far, and he wondered why. Var and Denai said that they were a common sight in this region. Perhaps the Gathering had upset them a little, and they all decided to stay at the top of the Cloud Spire instead of being seen by the gathered Selani.

If they were flying towards the canyon, he guessed that they were out for food. There was certainly enough of it down there. He was certain that their flight down through those winds would be challenging.

Sarraya flitted up and landed on the stone in front of him. "You look all happy. Talk to someone?"

"Kerri," he replied. "Look at that."

"I saw them," Sarraya said. "It looks silly for them to have wings like that. They must be cumbersome."

"Wings are wings."

"Really," Sarraya scoffed. "Different wings mean different flying styles. Those Aeradalla are slow and ungainly in the air. They can't hover, they can't change directions quickly, and it takes them forever to get up to speed. My wings are far superior."

"And your wings wouldn't be able to lift that much weight, even if you were their size," he told her pointedly. "Dragonfly wings are suited for little people."

"Since I'm not that size, that's not an issue, is it?"

"No, but you'll always have to live with the fact that they can fly much further than you, much faster than you. You can't glide, and those little bee's wings can't muster up much speed."

"You take all the fun out of being superior," Sarraya said sourly.

"As soon as you think you're superior, someone will come along and prove you're really an idiot," he said absently. His mother used to say that quite a bit.

"Hmph," Sarraya snorted, turning her nose up. "So, what did the fur-face have to say?"

"She's on the way to Suld," he told her. "She got everything settled at home. She'll probably be there in fifteen days or so."

"That's good. That devious snake should make things go more smoothly."

"You've never met Kerri."

"No, but I've heard what she's like from you. If she's not a devious snake, I'm really a Troll."

Tarrin actually laughed. "She's a Queen, Sarraya. She's supposed to be devious," he admitted.

"See?"

Tarrin smiled benignly at her. "I love her anyway, despite her faults. Just like I love you, despite your uncountable faults."

"Well!" Sarraya flared, putting her hands on her hips. "I didn't come up here to be insulted!"

"Probably not, but I'm pretty sure you came up here to insult me ."

"Tarrin! I wouldn't do such a thing! At least not planned, anyway." She gave him a mischievious grin. "You just bring out the worst in me, that's all."

"Right. And I haven't heard you practicing your insults when you think I'm asleep."

Sarraya's face turned a lovely shade of purple. That was what happened when red blood flushed blue skin. Sarraya was blushing furiously, and she could only look up at him with timid eyes. "A girl has to keep in form," she said with a sudden grin.

"Right," he said mildly. Then he looked away from her, towards the north. That sensation was still with him, with him all the time now. Whatever it was, he just had to see what it was, what it really did. It was driving him batty. "There's something we need to check out that way," he said, pointing. "It's a magical object, so strong that I felt it way back at the Great Canyon. I don't know what it is, but I think we'd better find out."

"You think it may be the Firestaff?"

He shook his head. "I seriously doubt it'd be that easy, Sarraya, but it is possible. This object is certainly strong enough to be the Firestaff. If it's not, it has to be some other ancient relic like the Firestaff, something with tremendous power."

"You know where it is?"

"Not yet. I just know it's north of here. I think as we get closer, I'll get a sense of its location."

"You said that you felt it back at the canyon?" Tarrin nodded in agreement. "Tarrin, how could you feel something so far away?"

"Because it's so strong," he said with a shrug. "That's the only thing I can think of."

"Possible, but you said that your power was growing, quite a while ago," she said. "You haven't even tried to use your power for days, yet it seems to be still growing."

"That was before I fought the Sha'Kar. Before I was changed."

"I don't think that makes a difference," she said, tapping her chin with a tiny finger. "You wouldn't have been able to sense something so far away after the Sha'Kar forced you to come into your full power. You're still developing your power, Tarrin. Maybe that's why you weren't able to use it."

"Maybe," he said. "The Weave has been feeling more and more, clear. Lately, anyway. I've been feeling strange little pulses in it. I haven't figured out what they are yet, but they're something I didn't notice before."

"Sorcery isn't like other abilities," Sarraya mused. "It's a natural ability, just like Druidic talent. Since your power was altered, maybe it's taking your body some time to adjust to it. I'll bet that inside another ride, you'll be able to use magic again," she said with a bright smile.

"We can hope so," Tarrin said absently. "I've come to discover lately that I don't need it as much as I thought, though. In a way, it's a good thing I lost my power. It gave me a chance to see what Druidic magic was like. If I still had my power, I probably would have never learned to Conjure so much as a strip of bark."

"Probably," Sarraya smiled. "It was certainly fun teaching you. You're a quick student."

"You know that Triana's going to kill both of us."

"Yeah, but what fun is it to get in trouble if you don't have company?" Sarraya said with an outrageous smile.