Tarrin looked at her. The only old friend that wasn't here now, and one that was that much of an asset, was Sarraya. "Is it safe for her to come back?"

"She's been in her colony a good couple of months," she nodded. "That's enough time for her to rest and recover. She's good for as long as you may need her."

"I'll have Triana contact her," he assured. "Knowing Sarraya, she'll be here before Triana says goodbye."

"Not that soon. Triana's going to have to go get her, but she can be here before you leave in three days' time."

That was as obvious as a hint as the Goddess ever gave. Whatever Tarrin did and wherever he went, the Goddess wanted Sarraya to be with him. He actually looked forward to it… it would be like old times. And he missed his Faerie companion more than he was willing to admit. Her obnoxious manner and her irreverent, combative personality was actually rather entertaining from time to time.

"One other thing," she said, finally letting go of his paw. "I want you to reign in Sapphire."

"What's the matter with her?"

"She's been stalking around the Tower looking for who did this to you, and she fully intends to kill the offender when the tracks the party down. I don't think that would be a very good idea, and she's being very disruptive in her search. You're the only person in the Tower that can talk to her when she's like this, kitten. Everyone else is nothing but a biped to her, but you are clan. That gives you a voice she won't ignore."

"I'll pull her leash," he said. "She won't like it, but then again, neither will I."

"Carefully, kitten. She loves you, but she is a dragon."

"I understand the danger. She can't be much harder to manage than Jesmind or Triana."

The Goddess laughed. "Yes she is, but I'll leave that fun little surprise untouched," she winked. "Now then, I have to go. Don't be a stranger, kitten."

"I won't, Mother," he promised, stepping away from her and bowing his head. She reached out and touched his cheek one more time, and then she stepped back and vanished like smoke.

His obedient demeanor evaporated as fast as she did. He would be respectful and compliant to the Goddess, but not to anyone else. That ancient Were-cat drive was just as primal in him as it was in everyone else. He was the king of the hill, the biggest child in the sandbox, and he knew it. Only Sapphire could challenge him, and he knew that she would not. He would not cow under to the others, and it was about time to re-establish some of the dominancy that certain others seemed to have forgotten was his during his convalescence.

Clenching a fist tightly enough to crack all the knuckles, he looked to the door. He did have alot to do today. Calm Sapphire down, have Triana go get Sarraya and bring her back, punish Jesmind for her behavior, and start teaching Jenna the spells he'd gained through the ordeal. That he'd let everyone know that he was well never really crossed his mind. After all, they'd find out once he was out and about. He was sure that as soon as he stepped out that door, they would find him. They'd have to move pretty quickly, but they would eventually track him down.

First things first, however. The top of the list was Jenna, to let her know he was well and to have her show him where they'd stored his blood. He also wanted to let his sisters and friends know he was alright, and when he was calmer, he'd go see Triana and the other females. And he also needed to calm Sapphire down. He'd ensure that she let him take care of it. The punishment laid down for what was done to him would come from him, not from her. After all, as the injured party, it was his every right to control what happened to the guilty party.

Standing fully erect, his tail slashing behind him a few times before calming down, he looked to the door. It was an old life, the life he'd once had, but he had to admit, there was a strange kind of newness to it now. Not everyone had a chance to relive the comforting times of youth, to see the world as a place both strange and exciting, to feel the kind of trust that only someone that naive could feel. Those were gone now, but the sense of them was still inside, only tempered by the history that made him so careful. It was an old life, old customs, old ways, an old duty, but the time as a human had cast them in a new light. Things did seem curiously fresh, curiously new, as if stepping out that door would most certainly be just like the same old Tarrin.

Reaching out and taking hold of the doorknob, feeling how small and fragile it seemed to him now, he turned it and opened the door.

He wasn't entirely surprised to see Jenna running, all dignity cast aside, down the passageway towards his door. Obviously someone had told her that he'd woke up, and now she was coming to see him. Her run didn't falter when she saw him, but she did call out his name breathlessly as the two Knights guarding his door stepped aside respectfully for him. He lowered down as she approached and let her literally jump into his arms, wrapping his around her as she called his name over and over again with a mixture of joy, relief, and worry, hugging him tightly. He felt how tiny she was now, how fragile and delicate, and he hugged her with the practiced exquisite care he had come to learn when adjusting to his Were nature the first time.

"Thank the Goddess!" she said in a heavy sigh, then she gave a sobbing kind of laugh. "I'm glad to see you!"

"I notice that there wasn't anyone waiting this time," he noted with a sardonic little smile as she pulled away to look at him.

"Everyone wanted to, but Triana-" she bit her lip. "She wasn't sure how you'd react."

"That was wise of her," he murmured.

"Oh, brother, I'm so sorry," she suddenly blurted. "I-"

"Calmly," he told her, setting her back on her feet. "It's not really a problem, sister. I know what happened. I don't like it, but I'm not entirely displeased with the result."

She looked up at him. "You mean-"

He nodded. "It's what I would have chosen." Then his eyes hardened. "But that doesn't excuse whoever decided to make my mind up for me. When I find out who did it, I'm going to show them just how upset I am."

"Sapphire's already working on it," she said quickly. "She's turning my Tower on its ear," she said with a frown.

"Mother told me about that. She wants me to pull on Sapphire's leash a little."

"Tarrin! You can't do that to a dragon!" she gasped.

"I can," he said grimly, flexing his paw in an unwholesome manner. "I'm probably the only one in the Tower who can."

She gave him a speculative look. "Maybe you can. I'll find out where she is, so we can head her off."

"Where are the others?"

"Hiding from Sapphire," Jenna replied as she led him down the hall. "She got hold of Mist very early on. It was very ugly. Mist isn't the kind to back down from anything, and they came to blows."

Tarrin frowned. "Is Mist alright?"

"She will be," Jenna said. "Triana is with her. Mist tore her up pretty thoroughly. For a little while I didn't know if Mist was going to survive, but she's alot tougher than she looks."

That concerned Tarrin. He was a little peeved at most of the Were-cats, but not Mist. She and Jula were the only ones that had backed off and given him room to breathe, room to be himself. Mist's devotion to him, while not quite love, was still very powerful, and it allowed her to put faith in him that even Jesmind couldn't quite match. It was very much unlike Mist-for that matter, it was very much unlike a Were-cat-for her to exhibit such a trusting display. But Tarrin was probably the only Were-cat she trusted, and it made her trust him with a kind of blind faith and absolute certainty that overcompensated for her lack of trust in others. Mist trusted him out of blind devotion, but Jula had given him the space he needed because she was probably the only one-except for Kimmie-that could possibly understand what he was going through. Kimmie was usually a very insightful Were-cat, but her love for him and probably blinded her. He really didn't know… she'd been very scarce over the last month. She'd been spending almost all her time helping Phandebrass, but Tarrin had the feeling that it was more than just her work. He had the sneaking suspicion that she'd been avoiding him. He wasn't sure why, and it never really occured to him while he was human, but maybe seeing him like he was, and his attitude towards the females, may have put her off a little bit. Kimmie loved him, but she had tremendous competition from Jesmind, and he had the feeling that she was trying to withdraw from him because of her. It wouldn't be beyond Jesmind to push Kimmie out of the picture, make her feel uncomfortable, and Kimmie's weak status in Were-cat society meant that she would have no choice but to submit. Jesmind had shown a very shocking and extremely ruthless kind of selfish possessiveness towards him that startled him even now, especially now that he could see the situation through the eyes of his Were nature. Jesmind didn't care about how anyone else felt, not even him. In her eyes, he absolutely and irrevocably belonged to her, and she wasn't going to relinquish her claim, no matter what. He had the feeling that if he'd chosen to be human, she would have broken virtually every law in Fae-da'Nar and bitten him against his wishes, even though she would know beyond any doubt that it would make him hate her for the rest of time. She just couldn't see that, couldn't see anything beyond her nearly obsessive need to keep him, and keep him for her and her alone.