The Shadow Realm

by James Galloway

  Tarrin nodded. "I swear, I think she planned it," he growled, absently weaving a spell that reassembled the door, and then set it back in a repaired doorframe. "You should have seen the look on her face. I think she did it on purpose."

  "She tried to cross over by herself?" Keritanima said in shock.

  "Well, she did do it, so maybe she knew what she was doing after all," Dar noted.

  Keritanima swore. "She asked me all sorts of questions about when it happened to me," she said in a tone that made it clear she realized the ulterior motive behind them. "How it felt, what I saw, what I did to save myself. I never dreamed she'd use what I told her to try it herself!"

  "Don't be too mad at her, Kerri," Tarrin said, looking down at her. "I think she was ready. And after all, it was her choice."

  Keritanima blinked, then chuckled ruefully. "I guess so. But then again, if anyone could have done it, it's Dolanna. She's about five times better than almost every Sorcerer I've ever met."

  "It was foolish," Allia said, "but her courage shows her honor."

  "Sometimes courage and foolishness are the same thing," Keritanima mused.

  "And she didn't tell you because she thought you may tell her no," Dar reasoned. "She was determined to try, and as my mother always says, it's always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."

  "You have a very wise mother, Dar," Keritanima told him.

  "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to know that the Queen of Wikuna thinks she's wise," Dar answered dryly.

  "Was that an insult or a compliment?"

  "You figure it out," he teased.

  "Children, if you're going to fight, do it outside," Tarrin ordered, pointing to the door. "Right now, Dolanna needs rest. So stop disturbing her."

  "Will she be alright, Tarrin?" Dar asked.

  "She'll be fine, Dar, but she does need to rest," he answered. "She'll sleep like a log for quite a while, but when she wakes up, she'll be just fine."

  "Looks like you picked up a new student, Tarrin," Keritanima chuckled.

  "I think we should all go back to bed," Allia said. "It looks like Tarrin will stay with Dolanna for now."

  "I was planning on it," he agreed.

  "Wake me when you tire, brother. I will sit with her next," Allia told him.

  Tarrin was about to say something, but he sensed a presence seem to enter the room. His ears picked up and and he looked around, but saw nothing, smelled nothing, heard nothing. But he could feel that presence clearly. It was there, but it was like it was just outside the boundaries of his senses. He was about to say something, but felt another presence join the first. Both were close, very close, and both of them seemed strangely familiar to him. Like he knew who they were.

  Tarrin realigned his thinking, shaking off the Cat-induced need to see or hear or smell, and expanded his senses into the Weave. When he did that, when the strand that crossed through the cabin came into the forefront of his vision rather than being a faint ghostly mirage dominated by the solidity of the real world, he sensed clearly that the presences he felt were within the strands. And they were very familiar to him for he got a clear assessment of them. It was Jenna and Jula.

  Tarrin smiled slightly. "You can stop hiding, Jenna," he called towards the strand. "I can feel you in there. Come out."

  Dar looked a bit startled when flows pulled from the strand, coming from the inside, and then they wove together into a very detailed Illusion. The Illusion blurred slightly as it came into focus, then it stabilized to show the image of Jula, wearing a frilly blue nightshirt with lace around the collar. She looked rather sleepy, and her dark hair was unkempt and standing up at the top of her head. "Tarrin," she said woodenly, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't think you'd ferret me out that fast."

  "You too, Jula," Tarrin ordered.

  Another Illusion wove itself out of the strand, and then solidified into the image of Jula. She wasn't wearing anything at all; obviously, both of them had come right from bed. "Father," she smiled. "We tried whispering, but it seems that it won't reach this far. Now I understand why the Ancients used the amulets."

  "I take it you felt it, all the way over there?" he asked.

  "We were in the Heart," Jenna told him. "We saw it all from that side, and decided to track Dolanna back using her star."

  "Dolanna just appeared in the center of the Heart, and the eyes of the Goddesss seemed to wake up," Jula told him. "They seemed to commune for a moment, then Dolanna vanished. We realized what happened pretty quickly."

  "You were in the Heart, but you're both obviously in bed?" he asked curiously.

  "Well," Jenna said with a blush, "we were talking about something."

  "What?"

  "Girl things," Jenna told him with sudden heat and a furious blush. "Butt out of it, Tarrin!"

  "Alright, alright," Tarrin said in a mollifiying tone.

  "Is she going to be alright?" Jula asked.

  "She'll be fine," Tarrin told her.

  "Why did you have her cross over?" Jenna asked.

  "I didn't. Dolanna did this on her own."

  "We certainly didn't know she had this on her mind," Keritanima grunted. "If I did, I would have stopped her. If she would have failed, she would have blown this ship out of the water!"

  "That's right, always assume the worst, Kerri," Jenna teased.

  "You don't have to pay for this ship!" Keritanima snapped at her. "And let's not even talk about the sailors I may have lost! I can buy another ship, but I can't replace their lives!"

  "Calm down, Kerri, you're going to disturb Dolanna," Tarrin told her.

  "I think we all should go back to bed," Allia announced. "What has happened has happened. It is wasteful to stand around talking about it now."

  "Yah, and this is not easy," Jula grunted, putting an illusory paw to her illusory head. "I never realized this could tire you out so fast."

  "Weaving through the Weave itself isn't easy, Jula," Tarrin told her.

  "It makes me wonder why you just didn't do that at Suld," Dar noted. "When you had that Circle going. To get the men out of range, I mean."

  "I couldn't, Dar," Jenna told him evenly. "Weaving through the Weave itself is a Weavespinner trick. I can't use it in a Circle, because I can only use Sorcery and High Sorcery in a Circle. That's why the Ancients didn't simply abandon Sorcery after they crossed over. They had to keep their skills up, in case they ever had to Circle."

  "I didn't know that," Dar admitted.

  "Well, now you do," she said with a grin and a wink. "And I need to go. This really is tiring, and I had a long day already." She looked at Tarrin. "You need to come to the Heart occasionally," she accused.

  "We're still moving, Jenna," he replied. "You know I can't do that unless we're stationary."

  "You are now."

  "And at any time, the wind could pick up and move us," he said. "You think I'm going to risk getting my body pulled out of the strand while I'm in the Weave? I don't know what would happen, but I'm sure it wouldn't be good."

  "Alright, I'll accept that excuse," she teased. "But please, do come visit as soon as you stop, alright?"

  "I will," he promised. "And I'll bring along Kerri."

  "The more the merrier," Jenna smiled. "See ya." And then her Illusion dissipated like smoke.

  "Be careful, father," Jula told him seriously. "And please, talk to Jesmind. She's going nuts because you forgot to talk to her today. She thinks you've forgotten all about her. I've never seen her this loopy before." She grimaced. "I can still hear her in the other room. She ran out of things to throw about an hour ago, so now she's clawing up the walls."

  "I'll calm her down," he assured her with a nod. "How are you two getting along?"

  "Well enough," she replied. "She's not my best friend, but I think she's starting to get used to me. I better go, before I get too tired to find my way back. Talk to you later, father."

  And then her Illusion too dissipated.

  Tarrin chuckled in spite of himself. He'd been s
o worried about Dolanna that he completely forgot to talk to Jesmind that night. She went that crazy because of one missed appointment? He'd hate to see what happened if he missed two in a row.

  "What's your problem, Dar?" Keritanima asked.

  "I never realized Jula was--" he said, then he blushed. "She didn't have any clothes on."

  "You've seen naked girls in the baths all the time!" Keritanima almost shouted at him.

  "Those were girls," Dar said. "That was a woman. And she looked a little like Tiella does when she's nude," he added with a little squirm.

  "Oh, so that's how it is?" Keritanima suddenly grinned. "I knew you and Tiella were friends, but I didn't realize you were staring at her that hard in the baths," she teased.

  "Yeah, and you don't get all fuzzy in the face when someone mentions Rallix, do you?" Dar countered.

  The fur on Keritanima's face did start to ruffle slightly, then she glared at the young Arkisian. "How would you like to spend the rest of the trip in the brig?" Keritanima threatened in an ugly tone.

  "How would you like it if I told Rallix all about how you feel when we get to Wikuna?" Dar retorted.

  That was the wrong thing to say. Keritanima balled up her fist and socked Dar in the shoulder. Keritanima was slender, but she was rather tall compared to a human female, and her lithe body harbored surprisingly toned muscle. Keritanima exercised every day and kept herself in very good shape, so her punch was more than enough to stagger Dar back, wincing and holding his arm. "How would you like a bloody nose?" Keritanima snapped, holding up her fist.

  "Children!" Tarrin barked. "Take it outside!"

  Keritanima and Dar glared at each other, but they obeyed Tarrin and filed out of the room. Tarrin looked at Allia, who had a slightly disappointed look on her face, shaking her head, making her silvery hair sway. "Some day, those two will show the dignity of age," she told him in Selani.

  "Not any time soon," Tarrin chuckled. "Actually, I rather like them like that. Them and Phandebrass make me feel young."

  She gave him a mysterious smile, then pulled the cloak back onto one of her shoulders absently. "I'll see you in the morning, deshida. Remember, if you get tired, come wake me, and I'll sit with Dolanna. She's my friend too."

  "I will," he promised. "Do me a favor before you go back to bed?"

  "Certainly."

  "Go up on deck and tell Kimmie I'll be busy here tonight. And tell Sapphire to come find me. She'll understand it."

  "I will," she promised, opening the door. Keritanima and Dar were still arguing out in the companionway, but doing it in hushed tones. "See you in the morning."

  Tarrin settled Dolanna into the bed, pulling the covers over her and putting a pillow under her head. About the time he was done, there was a scratching on the door. Tarrin opened it and let in Sapphire, then remembered to open the porthole of the cabin so Sapphire could get out. He Conjured a bowl of water and a little food for her, then shifted into cat form and jumped up onto Dolanna's bed. He settled himself down at the foot of it, tucking his paws under himself and closing his eyes. There was little to do now but wait, and that was time best spent resting. Dolanna really didn't need anyone to sit with her, but as many times as she'd sat with him when he was wounded or sick, he felt it was only right to be with her now, when she was the one incapacitated.

  Sapphire vaulted up onto the bed and settled in beside him. She knew he was a shapeshifter, knew he was Were, actually without him having to tell her. She was an animal, and therefore could sense Tarrin's magical nature. She knew that the black cat was Tarrin, and cuddled up beside him and wrapped her long, whiplike tail around both of them. Tarrin accepted her presence, felt the strange heat that always seemed to radiate from her body, and found it pleasing. He drifted off to sleep, knowing he'd have plenty to think about and consider in the morning.

  Chapter 4

  The first thing Tarrin did when he woke up in the morning was talk to Jesmind. He didn't do it the night before because Jula said she was in a tiff, and he didn't want to talk to her when she was so angry. Waiting until morning had proven to be a bad choice. Her anger had only festered over the night, and when he did contact her in the morning, she absolutely let him have it. She raged at him for nearly half an hour, accusing him of everything from betraying her trust to throwing her away in favor of Kimmie, and doing so in a very derogatory manner. Calling him a "tail-chaser," a term for a male only interested in the female in front of him, was the least of the things she hurled at him over that period. Tarrin endured the tirade stoically, knowing that it was the fear talking in her, the fear that maybe he did favor Kimmie over her. Yelling at him was a way to see if he still wanted her, if he was willing to put up with all that and still want to be with her. In the end, after she yelled herself out, he calmly explained the emergency that kept him from contacting her, gave her a few moments to feel utterly foolish and embarassed, then accepted the rather chagrined apology with a certain amount of dignity. He tried very hard not to laugh, and managed to hold out until after he broke contact with her.

  All in all, it went rather well, he thought. It was a bit long, but the result was worth the wait. Jesmind felt a little foolish for going off the handle as she did, peace was restored to the family left behind in Suld, and what was more important, Tarrin established the fact that there may be days when he couldn't talk to her, because of fast-moving events or other problems that may arise. And if that did happen, he would contact her as soon as he could and explain what had caused him to miss the appointment. He decided to go around the table after that, as it were, talking to Jasana, Jula, Jenna, and Triana in turn, catching up on the little things that had little importance to anyone but him, matters of family. Jasana in particular had quite alot to say, but most of it was about the Tower, about how the Keeper kept trying to be her friend, about this thing or that, this new doll or what happened the day before when she and Jula went down to get something to eat from the kitchens. Jula told him all about her lessons, how she was learning the spells of Weavespinner magic, and how she was learning more and more about joining the Weave. Jenna told him about the lessons from the other side, telling him that Jula was an excellent student, and seemed to have a particular knack for joining the Weave. Jula had a much more refined and dependable sense of the Weave in relation to the real world, able to find her way to physical locations through the Weave much better than Jenna could. Tarrin wasn't sure why, but then again, some Sorcerers had knacks for certain things. Like Tarrin's sensitivity to the whispers and echos of the Weave, and Dolanna's trick of being able to weave blindly, and Dar's uncanny aptitude for Illusions. Jula had found her niche, her area of natural aptitude, and Tarrin was glad that she was developing it to the best of her ability.

  Once that was out of the way, Tarrin and Allia sat together in Dolanna's cabin and waited for her to wake up. They passed the time playing stones as he told her more detailed stories of Var and Denai, eating the lunch that Keritanima's cooks brought to them, and waving off the day's lesson with Keritanima in favor of staying with Dolanna. After they got tired of stones, Tarrin brought in Sapphire and allowed the drake to get acquainted with Allia. Just like the males, Sapphire seemed to take an immediately liking to the Selani, and became nearly as sappy and adoring over her as Chopstick and Turnkey were.

  Tarrin pondered again over Dolanna as Allia played with the drake, watching his friend sleep. Had the Goddess done this? She'd seemed so certain about things, about Dolanna trying Weavespinner magic, and what was more important, her crossing over with almost no difficulty. Tarrin had never seen such a look of concentration on Dolanna's face as he had last night. It was as if Dolanna knew exactly what to do, like she had studied and trained for the event all her life. And it had gone so smoothly for her. Tarrin knew that it had to be excruciatingly painful, but that didn't seem to bother Dolanna at all. That look of concentration had never wavered, not in the slightest. Spyder had said that the Goddess goaded any Sorcerer she felt was ready to try to cross
over, forced the test upon them. Had the Goddess goaded Dolanna?

  Spyder. Where was she? She had said she'd be back for another lesson, but then simply vanished. He hadn't seen her, and Jenna hadn't seen her. What happened to her? What had been so important that she abandoned Suld, abandoned protecting the Goddess herself, in their hour of greatest need? Whatever it was, it had to be something huge, something absolutely cataclysmic. That was what it would take to keep Tarrin from defending the Goddess. But Spyder was so old, so strange, so different. Maybe she didn't come because she didn't want to come, didn't help because she felt that they didn't need her help.

  Then again, he remembered some of the things that he'd heard about Spyder. That she was the Guardian, the being responsible for defending the last gate into Sennadar. But they also called her the Aleax, a term that meant that she was some kind of direct mortal agent at the service of the Elder Gods. All the Elder Gods. Did one of the other Elder Gods usurp Spyder and send her on a mission? That was possible. She was also supposedly the assassin of the gods, a mortal sent to kill other mortals that committed some kind of hideous transgression against the gods. Or something like that. He'd only heard that story once, and it had been a very long time ago. Tarrin's memory wasn't the best in the world about things when he heard them when he was in a bad mood. Any one of those things could be the reason Spyder hadn't returned, hadn't continued the lessons or helped defend Suld or the Goddess. He figured he could ask the Goddess, but he had the feeling that any answer he did get wouldn't give him satisfaction.

  "You're quiet, brother," Allia noted in Selani, getting distracted from the game of "flick Sapphire on the snout with a finger before getting bitten," and getting bitten as a reward for her inattention. She hissed and chided the drake in Selani, batting her on the side of the snout, but the drake looked entirely unashamed of her sneak attack.

  "Just thinking about a few things," he replied. "That's all. You're bleeding."

  "Your pet plays rough," she noted. "The price of looking away, I guess."