"That's probably for the best," Jenna said. "I really like her, but she does seem a bit rough-tongued."

"She's arrogant and overbearing, and for her kind, that's perfectly normal," Triana told her bluntly.

"I think this waiting for me to get better put her on edge," Tarrin explained. "Her temper's gotten worse over the rides. She's usually alot nicer than this."

"Well, we can all hope she calms down," Jenna sighed.

Tarrin realized that things were actually falling into place rather nicely. If Sapphire was alone, then him going to see her to say goodbye wouldn't be strange. He could arrange things to appear very clean and smooth while he actually made his getaway. He needed to see either Jenna or Keritanima and tell them he was leaving, and here was Jenna. He was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't get to say goodbye to Keritanima properly, but it was her own fault for being so lazy. "Well, I don't think I told you, but she plans on leaving today," he said pointedly, looking right at Jenna. "She's not going with us. She's going home."

"She's going to cause quite a row flying over the city," Jenna said, her eyes serious, and a bit annoyed. She obviously thought she was going to have to make an Illusion of a manor-sized dragon flying over the city.

"She's going to use some kind of magic to send herself home," Tarrin told her. "I don't think she'd enjoy flying all the way, especially when she has her own ways of travelling."

Jenna picked up on his hint immediately, and her expression turned slightly relieved. "Is she going to see you off?"

"I doubt it," he answered. "She was just waiting on me to get better, then she was lingering because of what happened to me. Now that I'm better and all that's been settled, there's really nothing holding her here. It's not like her to be sentimental enough to go see me off."

"No, I guess it's not," Jenna said with a smile. She understood perfectly.

"I need to go tell her goodbye," he said absently. "Before everything starts getting crazy."

"I'll go with you, brother," Allia said after Jenna inobtrusively elbowed her in the ribs, reaching down and picking up her pack. "I've been meaning to ask her a question, and this will be my last chance."

The look that passed between them was understanding. Tarrin was going to leave, using seeing Sapphire as the excuse he'd need to disappear for a few moments. Dar said goodbye with his eyes, and Jula put a paw on his upper arm in a warm touch of farewell. Tarrin bridged up into the Weave, and Whispered in such a faint and tightly focused manner that only Jenna and Jula would be able to hear him. "Jenna, go get the imposters and have Dar put the Illusions over them, then either you or Ianelle Teleport with them into the room where Sapphire is. Make sure you fill them in on everything we just said, so they don't look confused. Just make sure you do it fast. I can stall a little with Sapphire, but it's going to look strange if we're in there for an hour."

"They're already waiting," Jenna told him in a similarly tight manner. "We knew we were going to have to pull a switch, but we hadn't had the chance to get with you and work out the details. Jesmind was with you, and, ah, we didn't want to disturb you," she said delicately. "This is going to work well enough."

"Did mother get the human ready?"

"He's a little stiff, but he's ready," Jula answered. "Triana stretched him like taffy with Druidic magic. He's as tall as you now, and he's a very clever and fast-thinking human. He'll do fine pretending to be you."

Tarrin nodded to Jula, then looked at Allia. "Well, we'd better get moving," he told her. "Where is Sapphire?"

"The small formal dining room," Jenna answered.

Tarrin nodded again, then reached within, through the Cat, and made a connection to the vast energy of the All. His intent was all he needed for the All to do what he needed, and that was use the spells of sending messages that Sarraya and Triana had taught him but hours ago. Sarraya, we're leaving, he cast his thought into the All, directing it to send that message to Sarraya. Come find me, and make sure you're invisible. Don't let anyone know you're there.

I'm on the way, came her immediate response, like her own thoughts filtering into his mind through the All. Triana had been right, the Cat did not reject that strange communion. Because it was a communion with the All, not with the mind sending the messages from the other side of it.

"I forgot, I need to tell Darvon we're going to be leaving soon, or the Knights are going to slow us down as they try to get organized," Jenna grunted. "I'll be right back."

Jenna gave Dar a short look, and he seemed to understand. "I'll go with you," he said. "I know that without you here, the Were-cats and Allia are just going to try to get me in trouble," he said, giving Tarrin a friendly grin.

"I know, they're all just big bullies," Jenna teased.

Her pack on her shoulder, Allia stepped up with Tarrin as he separated himself from Triana and Jula. "I'll be back in a little bit," he said, but they all knew that he was actually saying goodbye.

"See you in a while," Jenna said with a look that warned him to be careful.

The silent look that passed between Allia and Allyn was intense, and Allia's hand flicked in the Selani hand-code. Tarrin was a bit surprised that she'd been teaching it to Allyn already, but then again, it was something he'd have to know to fit in with the Selani. She spoke brokenly in hand language, probably only using the gestures she'd taught to him, but it was enough to get her message across. -Leaving. Be careful. Love to you.-

His response was a bit unsteadily formed, but legible to Tarrin's eyes. -Will do. Love to you. Return soon.-

Tarrin suppressed a sigh. He knew that leaving Allyn was not what Allia wanted, but the circumstances left little choice. Allyn's disappearance would be too hard to explain, and he'd only be a hindrance to them in the desert. This was not the time to take Allyn into the desert for the first time. Even with Allia, Tarrin, and Sarraya looking after him, he didn't know enough to not be an extreme danger to himself.

They parted from the others and walked silently down the hall. Tarrin could tell that Allia was suppressing the urge to turn and look back over her shoulder.

Sapphire was right where Jenna said she would be, in a large, richly appointed dining room. It was one of the formal rooms where Jenna would entertain royalty, and it was furnished to accommodate the rich. A deeply polished mahogany table was surrounded by what had to be twenty plush upholstered and cushioned chairs, the mahagony chairs similarly polished and with red velvet covering them, complete with shined brass tack rivets holding the velvet onto the wood. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling by a golden chain, a brass contrivance with a multitude of small crysals hanging from it like icicles, each crystal glowing with a soft, pleasing magical light. Four small service tables were set in each corner of the room, stacked with expensive porcelain china, delicate crystal goblets, and gold-plated silverware, all arrayed neatly or stacked in ivory and gold plated boxes on shelves beneathed the burnished cherry tabletops which were covered with delicate lace throw cloths. The room had no other furnishings, but two huge tapestries adorned the walls on either side of the door, one of them a massive depiction of a shaeram, and the other an impressive depiction of the flag, crest, and Lion device that were the symbols of Sulasia. Sapphire was seated at that very grand table, fingers rapping on the polished mahogany of the table idly as she seemed to be waiting. She stood up immediately when Tarrin and Allia came in, and the Selani closed the door behind her. "I was getting worried," Sapphire said. "Is everything going alright?"