"I told you we were going to get in trouble," Dar muttered under his breath.

"I wanted to come visit Sapphire, Misterss Ianelle, and Auli knew the way," Tarrin said quickly to deflect the formidable Sha'Kar's anger.

"Of course she would know the way," Ianelle said scathingly, glaring at her daughter, who now looked a little sheepish.

"They did not bother me," Sapphire announced, seeming to startle Ianelle a little. Ianelle had her back to the dragon. She turned and looked up at her over her shoulder, seeing that the blue dragon looked a little amused. "In fact, I found their visit quite enjoyable. But it sounds like they are needed at home, so you may take them home now." She fixed those huge eyes on Tarrin. "Be sure to come again, little friend. At least if we stay here much longer."

"We will be leaving tomorrow, honored dragon," Ianelled told her politely. "We will be able to carry you as well as the rest, as promised."

"Very good then. Let me know when to arrive, and I will do so."

"We will," Ianelle nodded, then turned a steely eye back on the three youths. "As for you three," she said in a stern voice, pointing at the ground at her feet. "Here. Now. Join hands with me and form a ring."

They did so, Auli looking very sullen, and the most amazing thing happened. Tarrin felt that strange feeling whenever anyone used Sorcery around him, and they were suddenly somewhere else. There was no sensation to it. One second he was looking at Sapphire over Ianelle's shoulder, then he was looking at the manor house where they'd been staying. Ianelle let go of Tarrin's hand, but Auli, who was holding his other hand, did not let go. Tarrin was thinking of saying something, but her hand was warm and very soft, and he rather liked the way that it felt.

"Alright, Tarrin, Kimmie wants you back in your room," Ianelled told him calmly. "As for you," she said, turning on Auli with a dark look.

"Can we wait for Kimmie with him?" she asked quickly. "It must be lonely in that room by himself. We can keep him company until she comes back."

Ianelle gave her a searching look, then nodded. "As long as I know you're not out causing trouble," she said. "But mind you, if you're not back as soon as Kimmie returns, you'll get a serious punishment. And I'll be calling over here to make sure. Fail to answer me once, and I'll lock a tracking spell on you so fast you'll think you were born with it. Understand?"

"Yes, mother," Auli said with a slight frown.

"You still need to pack your room, girl," Ianelle told her. "Remember, one trunk. Everything else you leave behind. So you'd better decide what you're going to take."

"I know," she said with a pout. "I don't think it's fair."

"It's all we have room for," she said bluntly. "Outside of books and cultural artifacts, everyone only gets one trunk. Even me, and I'm First on the Council. If I get one trunk, everyone gets one trunk," she declared adamantly.

"But we can just come back for the rest," Auli protested.

"We could, but we must leave these indulgent ways behind, daughter," she said. "We have much to do. We simply don't have time for wasting days with parties and gossip any longer. We have to return to the katzh-dashi, return the order to its former glory, and that's going to take time. Silly possessions and frilly things are not our way."

"They're my way," Auli growled under her breath.

"Now go on. I'm sure Kimmie will be back soon. We have people out searching for her."

"Where is she?" Tarrin asked.

"Out looking for you," Ianelle replied. "She was having quite a problem with it. It seems someone knows about her kind, and intentionally wiped the traces of your passing so she couldn't follow."

Dar blushed and turned away from Ianelle, hurrying towards the house.

"Well, get on, you two," she said, shooing them. "Remember Auli. Back home as soon as Kimmie returns. And I'll be checking up on you."

Auli and Dar did go with him back to his huge room, and he was glad they were there. They sat on the divans and talked about their journey, laughing like old friends. Dar found it especially funny when Auli told them about touching the dragon's snout, and how it flinched away from her. "I thought I left a dark spot on your trousers, Tarrin," she said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I've never been scared like that before in my life!"

"I'd better go see Dolanna and let her know we're alright," Dar said, slapping his knees.

"She probably already-" Tarrin began, but Auli cut him off.

"That's a good idea, Dar," she told him quickly. "Besides, you never know, she may have something for you to do."

"Probably," he agreed. "I'll see you two later. I did have fun, even if we did get caught," he admitted with a laugh, then he walked towards the door.

Tarrin was a bit wary now. Auli obviously wanted to get rid of Dar, and now they were alone. She was sitting on the divan across from him, not looking like she had anything on her mind, just smiling amiably. "Do you know how to play chess?" she asked him.

"No, not really," he answered.

"Well, we can't have that!" she said with a grin. "There's a chessboard on that dresser over there. I'll teach you how to play."

And so, they sat down on the floor, on a very thick, soft fur rug near the pedestal that held the bed, and she showed him how to play chess. It was a strangely complicated game, with six different kinds of pieces that all moved according to their own specific rules. She'd started on her side of the board when she started showing him, but then scooted around to sit beside him, showing him the rules of movement from his side of the board, saying that it would make a little more sense to him to see it from his own side of the board. Tarrin found Auli's nearness just a little disconcerting, for she was sitting with her hip touching his leg, propping herself up with a hand that was placed behind him. He found it a little hard to concentrate on the rules with her so close to him. He forgot which piece was the one that moved diagonally, and she had to show him again. "Now this is the queen," she said, touching the second tallest piece. "It's the most powerful piece on the board, because it can move in any direction, as far as you want it to move. It's the strongest piece, but it's also the piece you have to take the most care to protect."

"It can move anywhere?"

"Well, in a straight line, yes," she replied. "This way, this way, or this way," she displayed, tracing her finger on the checkered board diagonally, horizontally, and vertically. "The knight is the only piece that can't move in a straight line."

"Two in one direction, then one over," he repeated the rules for the knight.

"That's right," she said, turning to look at him, but he was looking at the board. "You should always protect your queen, Tarrin, but sometimes it's worth it to gamble with it a little. Take risks," she said in a slightly throaty tone, leaning towards him. "It can throw your opponent off."

And then, to his shock, she blew gently in his ear.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, but he didn't have time to even look at her, because the door opened and Kimmie came in. Auli looked towards the door and glared at Kimmie in a most hostile manner, but her face became all sweet and light again by the time the Were-cat noticed the two of them sitting on the floor on the far side of the room.

"Where have you been, Tarrin?" she demanded in a cross tone. "I've been worried sick!"

"I needed some time outside, Kimmie, and you were busy," he said.

"You shouldn't have done that!"

"I'm not helpless, Kimmie!" he said in a loud voice. "There's nothing on this island that's going to hurt me, and I didn't go alone! Dar and Auli here went with me. We went to go visit with Sapphire, that's all!"

Kimmie gave him a long stare, but then finally nodded. "I guess I wasn't paying enough attention to you. I'm sorry," she apologized. "But I'm only doing what I was told to do, Tarrin. I'm not about to disobey Triana any more than you are." She looked at Auli, and then back to Tarrin, and her eyes turned strangely suspicious for a moment. "Learning how to play chess?"