And that was all that mattered.

He wandered aimlessly along the halls, halls he and Auli and Dar had skulked when he was human, their minds bent on mischief. He wandered down to the storeroom where they'd discovered that Jasana had turned him, then he wandered up to the door of Jenna's office, an office where he had had more than one confrontation with Myriam Lar, the old Keeper. As he wandered, he remembered old friends, old places. Abraham Kern, captain of the Star of Jerod, probably wandering the seas with absolute impugnity with that black cat sitting on his steering deck. Haley was probably still tending his inn in Dayise, and Renoit was still herding his troupe about the coastal cities on that horrific bright pink ship, Dancer. Ariana was being a queen in Amyr Dimeon, and Var and Denai had to have their hands full by now raising their child. Given their mother's personality, that child was going to be an absolute monster. Arren was the king of Sulasia now, and he had already established his authority and won over the hearts of the people with his kind and conscientious rule. His grandfather had died, and that made him sigh. Anrak Whiteaxe was at best only an occasional part of Tarrin's life-he'd only seen the man twice in his whole life-but he was still family, and his presence was sorely missed.

And then there was Faalken. He said a silent prayer when he thought about him, dead now well over a year, and still such a strong force in his life. He would live that life the way Faalken would have wanted him to live, a life filled with little care, filled with laughter, and filled with love. He would honor his friend, honor him every day for the rest of his life, and the next boy child he had would carry his dear friend's name. There could be no better way to honor Faalken's memory than to name his child after him.

Now he understood what possessed Ahiriya's parents to name their redheaded daughter after the goddess of fire. He wondered absently if Ahiriya had been pleased by that.

He walked along, and Camara Tal silently fell into step beside him. They walked along in silence for a long moment, then she chuckled ruefully. "We've come a long way, haven't we?" she asked.

"I think we did, Camara," he answered. "I'm going to miss you."

"I think we'll see each other again," she told him with a smile. "We want you to be there when I give birth. We want you to be the child's godfather."

"I'd be honored."

"I'm glad to hear that. I talked to Triana a while ago."

"Oh? What did she tell you?"

"That you and the other Were-cats are leaving in the morning."

"We are. I want to get away from here. I get the feeling if I hang around here too long, they're going to find something else for me to do."

Camara Tal laughed. "Well, you'll just have to run while you have the chance, then."

"That's the general idea. Make sure they give you a shaeram before you leave."

"I already have one."

"Where are you going, anyway?"

"The kitchens. One of the rather annoying effects of being pregnant. Cravings."

"Kimmie went through that," he chuckled.

"I'm going to miss those kitchens when we go, but I want to get back home as fast as I can. If only to show my family I'm bringing Koran back. And that I'm pregnant, of course."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," she answered. "I went to Ianelle as soon as Triana left us. I came to protect and help you, Tarrin. You don't need me anymore, so it's time for me to go home."

"That's such a wonderful word," he said dreamily. " Home."

"By this time tomorrow, my friend, you'll be there," she told him with a smile. "And this will all be over."

"It wasn't all bad," he said after a moment. "I've made friends to last a lifetime."

"Then no matter how bad it seemed, it was actually a good thing," she said calmly. "Things come and go, Tarrin. Homes change, people change, and time itself will invariably change. But friendship and love, those last as long as we want them to. With a little work and devotion, they can last forever."

"You know, you're quite the poet sometimes, Camara," he said as they turned down a side hall, heading for the kitchens.

"You can't help but wax philosophical sometimes when you're a Priestess, Tarrin," she chuckled as they went. "It's part of the training."

"I guess it would be."

It was harder than he thought it would be.

They were all there to see them off. Keritanima and Allia. Dolanna and Dar. Camara and Koran Tal. Miranda and Azakar. Sarraya and Ianelle. Binter and Sisska. Auli and Allyn. Phandebrass and his drakes, whom Tarrin had not seen for quite a while. And of course, in spirit, as he always would be, Faalken was there as well.

They had gathered in the gardens, where it was warm and pleasant despite the cold chill of the winter, and it was time to say goodbye. Tarrin and the Were-cats were leaving, and those left behind would also soon be returning to where they also belonged. Camara Tal was taking her husband and returning to Amazar. Sarraya would be returning to her colony. Dar was going to go visit his parents in Arkis, and he was taking Tiella with him. Keritanima had a kingdom to run, and Allia would be leaving with Allyn for the desert later that very morning. Phandebrass was going to take up a temporary position in the Tower library, to help them straighten out their texts of Wizard magic and give him a steady place to do his writing. Auli too was about to take a journey. She was going to the tower in Abrodar with a contingent of other Sha'Kar so the katzh-dashi there could begin learning what the Sha'Kar had to teach them, and Dolanna was one of them. Dolanna was from Sharadar, and she wanted to return home for a while. Tarrin couldn't blame her. They were all splitting up, going their separate ways now that there was no longer a need for them to stay together, but they would always be together in spirit. They were joined by the bonds of a powerful love and friendship, and as Camara Tal had said, it would last as long as they wished it to. He could visit any of them any time he wished, and that made it seem less a goodbye and more an "until tomorrow."

But even that "until tomorrow" seemed harder than he expected it to be. He traded fierce hugs with those he was leaving behind, and he was already missing them. He wouldn't be only a touch away from his sisters, he wouldn't be there to hear Camara Tal and Phandebrass argue, or Keritanima tease Dar and vice versa, or Sarraya fight with absolutely everyone. They were going home, but those homes were not all in the same place.

The Goddess had not arrived with Jula yet, but Tarrin knew that even if they left, it would be alright. Mother would bring Jula to him, no matter where he was, and that couldn't be an excuse to hold him here. If he found an excuse, he'd find another, then another, then another, and he'd never leave.

Funny. He spent all that time wishing to go home, and now that the moment was upon him, he was reluctant to do so.

It wasn't easy, but it was necessary, and they all knew that it was going to happen eventually. They would not be together for the rest of their lives, and now that everything was at peace again, it was time to return to those lives dropped before all this instanity began. But they could visit. Tarrin, Keritanima, Dolanna, and Jenna could Teleport, and between them and with the help of the Sha'Kar, they could bring the group back together within a matter of days. Such a reunion had already been planned, and it would take place on the island of Amazar. They would gather to celebrate the birth of Camara Tal's child, to keep strong the bonds of love and friendship that bound them together.

They would not forget one another.

It was hardest to say goodbye to Keritanima and Allia. He held each of them a very long time, telling them over and over again that they had to come visit him, and to talk to him using the amulets every day. He told Keritanima he'd personally come to Wikuna and kick her tail if she didn't project out to see him at least once a ride, and he promised each of them that as soon as he was capable of it, he would be doing the same.