, and then carried out the task in the manner in which it considered to be easiest and most efficient.  That was the key danger, as any half-trained Druid knew.  The Alls idea of easy and most efficient often required more power than the Druid could withstand, and it destroyed him.  The major key to surviving the use of Druidic magic was to form the critical pairing of image and intent that told the All what one wanted to do while forbidding the ways to do it that would kill the Druid.  That was the key function of the intent.  Image told the All what to do, and intent kept it from killing the Druid.
	One of the very first things a neophyte Druid learned was the Rule of One, which actually encompassed the three main tenets of Druidic magic.  That, simply put, was that to cast a spell, there had to be one image and one intent, and only one pair could be presented to the All while it was in contact with the Druid.  Having more than one image or intent, or having an image or intent that was not absolutely clear, often caused the All to react in unpredictable ways.  And in Druidic magic, unpredictable reactions killed the Druid three times out of four.  Another aspect of this rule was that a Druid could only present an image and intent to the All once while it was in contact with him.  If he tried to cast another spell without breaking his connection and reforming it, the images and intents of the two spells could get mixed together, with potentially lethal results.  This was the first rule that Triana told Tarrin to ignore.
	Telling him how it worked was simple enough, but the next four months of his life were dedicated to mastering this rather simple expansion of the basic rules.  Triana taught him that in order to use the more advanced Druidic magic, a Druid had to present multiple images and multiple intents to the All during a single communion.  These images and intents had to be presented in a very precise sequence, laid out in something of a layered order within the mind, each image paired to its proper intent.  When presented to the All, they were done so with force of mind, but also with a critical speed; fast enough for the All to read each presented image and intent and comprehend it before it decided how to accomplish the task suggested by the first image and intent, but not so fast that the different aspects of the spell got confused within the mind and became dangerously unclear.  The first image and intent were what Triana called the focus of the spell, the overall intended effect.  The subsequent images and intents were a series of instructions telling the All how to go about accomplishing this task.
	This made sense to Tarrin, after a fashion.  By getting much more specific about how the All was to carry out the task presented to it, the Druid could make it do more without requiring so much energy that it killed him.  At first, he wondered why this wasnt taught to Druids during their initial training, then he realized how easy it would be for a neophyte to get confused by it.  It was absolutely critical for a Druid to have no distractions, no extraneous thoughts invading the purity of the image and intent.  If a Druid got too worried about what image and intent came next, the two would get jumbled together, and it would corrupt the spell.  That could be a disaster.  By limiting a new Druid to the idea of one, they were protecting them from themselves.  Only the most accomplished Druids were taught how to reach past that most basic of all rules.  Druidic magic was so dangerous that every precaution had to be taken when training newcomers.
	What it told Tarrin was that his gambling bond-mother, or whoever first discovered it,  had found certain combinations of images and intents that would work when used during a single connection to the All.  He had seen inside his bond-mothers mind, and knew that she had taken wild, almost insane risks when she was younger concerning her exploration of Druidic magicso he had the feeling that she had been the one to discover these things.  Just as many rules in Sorcery could be stretched, or even broken, Tarrin found out very quickly that the three simple rules of Druidic magic--one image and intent, one spell attempt for each connection to the All, and one penalty for failure--were also mutable.  All except one, anyway.
	In any shape or form, the concept of the Rule of One always seemed to apply in Druidic magic one way or another.
	Why didnt Sarraya ever explain this? Tarrin had asked not long after Triana finished her lecture.
	She doesnt know, she answered simply.  Sarraya is strong, but I didnt teach her this.
	She--
	This isnt magic to be taken lightly, cub, she warned in a strong voice.  This is magic that only the Hierarchs know.
	I thought Sarraya was a Hierarch, he countered.
	She is, but the others thought she needed more experience before teaching her these concepts.  She is a Faerie, cub.  Do you think she could hold together a sequence of ten individual images and intents?
	Tarrin was about to defend his friend, but then he blew out his breath.  Sarraya was impulsive, and she was very easily distracted.  She might actually lose her concentration in the middle of it, and that might get her killed.  Sarraya had enough trouble holding her concentration for one image and intent.
	How did the Hierarchs keep it from her? he asked curiously.  You know how good she is at getting information.
	If you think the kizadun is secretive cub, then youve never seen the Hierarchs.  Sarraya cant find anything out because she cant find them unless they want to be found, and nobody who receives sensitive information from the Hierarchs will say anything.  They wouldnt dare.
	After those four months of study, as summer wound down into fall and the leaves on the trees bloomed into the brilliance of autumn colors, the first of several distractions invaded the sanctity of Trianas instruction.  She had not yet allowed him to attempt a layered spell, as she called them, splitting the days training between physical activity and mental exercises which she supervised by a mental connection, to ensure beyond any doubt that he was capable of assembling the necessary images and intents, correctly pairing them together, and then be capable of presenting one with absolute concentration, without any other staining it, while simultaneously being able to know which came next as well as know how quickly to present the image.  She went into exhausting detail about what she called the snap, a sense a Druid got from the All that it had comprehended the image and intent presented to it.  A Druid could not continue to the next image until the snap was felt, but when it was felt, the Druid had to very quickly shift to the next image and intent, else the All act on that information and do something the Druid did not want it to do.  She had him practice with normal spells almost endlessly, it sometimes seemed, as he performed magic he knew, teaching him what the snap felt like, that instant when the All had comprehension of the demands placed upon it, but before it had decided on a course of action to carry it out.
	All things considered, it wasnt a huge distraction, but any distraction at all irked Triana to no end.  She had waited years for the opportunity to finally train Tarrin, and now that she had him, she wasnt about to give up any of that time.  Jesmind and the females, even the cubs, had learned this lesson the hard way.  But sometimes outside forces intruded that not even Triana could ignore.  This was certainly one of those cases.
	After all, averting what could be a world-rending war was something not even Triana could ignore.
	The news certainly surprised Tarrin, as he enjoyed a hot dinner after a very long day split between backbreaking physical labor and intense mental exercises.  Without a hello, without any kind of warning, Keritanima suddenly appeared in the middle of the common room.  She was alone, which was in itself highly unusual.  Binter and Sisska wouldnt even let her Teleport to his house without one of them escorting her, and she almost always had Rallix with her when she made her visits, which occurred about every two or three days or so.
	Tarrin! she said breathlessly, turning around and walking quickly towards the table.  I need your help!
	Whats going on? he asked her, standing up at the table as Triana gave her a sudden hot, hostile glare.
	I couldnt even begin to explain it all, she said with a release of breath, pushing her disheveled hair from her face.  Tarrin hadnt noticed it at first, but Keritanima looked haggard.  Her dress was rumpled and dirty, her hair was a mess, and her fur was all mussed up.  That meant that it was serious.  Keritanima took  her appearance as seriously as a starving man would take food.  But I need you, Tarrin. Now.
	I thought I told all of you not to bother us, Triana said in a sober, dangerous voice.
	Triana, I wouldnt be here if someones life didnt depend on it, she said, then she looked into Tarrins eyes.  Its Miranda, Tarrin.  If you dont help me and help me fast, were going to lose her.
	Tarrins eyes went flat, and his ears flicked, trying to lay back.  Miranda was one of his closest and most intimate friends, just the barest shade away from being like a sister to him.  Even the thought that someone would hurt her--his claws dug deep furrows into the table as they extended and dug in, then he pulled his paws along the table.
	Tell me what happened, he said in a cold voice.
	Later, she said quickly.  We only have a couple of hours, at the most.  Youve got to find her, Tarrin.  Youre the only one I know that can do it that fast.
	He stood up.  Take me to Wikuna, he ordered.
	Not alone, youre not, Jasana stated adamantly, jumping out of her chair. Mirandas my friend too!
	Sit your butt right back in that chair, Triana told her with a cold hiss, making the little girl instantly obey.  She looked to Tarrin. Im going, she said.
	Good.  I know youll help, Keritanima said, giving Jasana a cursory look.
	Hey! Jasana objected with a petulant slap of a paw on the table.  I thought you were my friend, Aunt Kerri!
	Cub, this is no time for play, and youre just delaying us, she replied.  When youre a bit older, Ill trust you with things like this, but not until then.
	Hmph, Jasana snorted shortly, crossing her arms and looking away, a pouty expression on her face.  It had been four months since he had started Trianas training, and in that short time she had grown noticeably.  She looked like a ten or eleven year old human girl, and her mental maturity had grown along with her body.  She didnt always call him papa anymore, for example.  She tried to go out of her way to call him father now, just like Jula, the Were-cat she tried most to emulate now.  But when she wanted to get his affection, or when she was tired or sleepy or scared or excited, she would revert back to calling him papa.  She was wavering on that indefinable boundary between child and teenager--mentally, at least--and soon, he feared, she was going to be one nightmarish handful.
	Tara and Rina giggled, which caused Jasana to give them a murderous glare.  The twins were about a year old now, fully fledged little toddlers who were almost as bad at getting into trouble as Jasana and Eron were when they were that age.
	We dont have any time to waste, Keritanima said quickly.
	Make room for one more, father, Jula said calmly, putting her knife and fork down and standing up.
	No fair! Jasana objected.  If I cant go, then none of my sisters can go either!
	Im an adult, Jasana, Jula told her with just a hint of steel in her voice.  That means I make my own decisions.
	Ooooh!  This is so unfair! she raged, throwing her fork down onto the table.
	Welcome to lifes first reality, cub, Jesmind told her with slight amusement.
	If youre coming, Jula, get a move on, Keritanima said hastily, already setting her will against the Weave.  Im weaving the spell right now.  If youre not inside the area of effect when its done, you stay behind.
	When will you be back? Kimmie asked as both she and Jesmind reached out in unison to get a handle on their respective offspring, to keep them from rushing into the spells area of effect before they were gone.
	Im not sure.  Ill contact you when we have a better idea of whats going on.
	What is going on, Kerri? Jula asked.
	Its a long story, so Ill sum it up, she said as she started the spell.  That Keritanima could talk while weaving such a complicated spell, splitting her attention, was a testament to her skill as a Sorceress.  Remember when I told you that the nobles had something planned, brother?  When we were in Amazar?
	I remember, he answered.
	Well, its all about to come to a head, she told him as the spell was completed.  Keritanima snapped it down and released it, which caused their surroundings to shimmer for just a brief moment as the scenery flowed from his familiar home to the lush, extravagant adornments of Keritanimas private bedroom.  Tarrin knew that room well, for it was the landing point he used whenever he Teleported to Wikuna to see her.  This time, theyve done a good job of keeping it from my spies, but in the last couple of days weve managed to ferret some of it out.
	What does this have to do with Miranda? he asked.
	Im getting to that, she said shortly as she immediately reached for the Royal robes that were hanging on a peg near where they had appeared.  The sun was streaming through an open window that brought with it a bit of a chill; it was late autumn now, almost winter, and Wikuna was a lot further north than Aldreth was.  From the smells drifting in through that window, they had snow on the ground already.  Miranda and Jervis have been trying to figure out what was going on for nearly two months now, without much success.  Two days ago, Miranda left to talk to a contact, and she didnt come back.
	Wasnt Sisska with her?
	Sometimes Miranda has to do things without Sisska along, she said with a shake of her head.  Whoever has her has a good understanding of Sorcery, because I cant find her using magic.  I was about to take Wikuna apart looking for her, but then Jervis returned with information that I couldnt ignore.
	What information? Jula asked.
	Stop interrupting me, she said shortly as she settled the robes over her shoulders.  Jervis found out that four of the noble houses have allied themselves together, and theyre planning to replace me.  Its a rather clever plan, truth be told.
	Theyd have to fight the entire Vendari army if they tried, Triana snorted.
	Not kill me, Triana.  Replace me.  As in put someone on the throne that looks just like me and pretend that nothing is amiss.
	Tarrin frowned.  That was a rather clever idea.  It would get them around all sorts of nasty complications, the Vendari being the most serious among them.  They couldnt assassninate Keritanima because it would destroy all of Wikuna when the Vendari retaliated.  So replacing her was the most efficient option, given that it was a virtual impossibility to force her to abdicate.
	How could they find someone that looks just like you? Jula asked.
	Kalina, Tarrin said in a neutral tone, and Keritanima nodded.
	Theres a Wikuni that looks so much like me that only scent can tell us apart, Jula, she told her.  Her name is Kalina.  Jervis found out that she was abducted some three months ago by one of the noble houses to be my replacement.
	Kalina would never do that.
	Not willingly, Keritanima agreed.  But Jervis also found out that those houses have had some rather unsavory visitors in the last few months.  Wizards and even a couple of rogue Sorcerers that were left over from the war with the kizadun.  We didnt kill them all, remember?  Well, since the network is destroyed in northern Sennadar, those that find themselves unemployed are freelancing.  From what weve managed to gather, theyve used these magicians to either force or brainwash Kalina into joining the coup.
	How does Miranda fit into this? Tarrin asked.  You made it sound serious.
	Miranda has something to do with their plan, she told them.  I dont know what it is, but the information Jervis brought back makes that very clear.  And whatever theyre planning is going to happen tonight, when I receive the sashka in the throne room for the start of his yearly visit.  Im thinking that since Miranda is my most visible companion, if they see the imposter with Miranda, then theyll think that its me.  I think shes going to be the instrument to bring about a seamless transition.  They dont have to kill me, brother.  They just have to get that imposter on my throne and then convince everyone around that shes the real Keritanima-Chan Eram.  If they have Miranda, then its going to make it that much more believable.
	Miranda would fight them tooth and nail, Triana snorted.
	She would, but if they broke Kalina, then they can break Miranda, She said with a glance down, trying to hide her sincere concern and worry behind the brusque mask of a queen.  Im going to be pinned down here at the palace all day, and besides, I want them to see me here. I dont want them to know that Ive unleashed a cadre to hunt Miranda down and recover her.
	Smart move, Triana nodded.
	Mirandas one thing, but no imposter would ever fool Rallix, Tarrin scoffed.
	True, but once they get her on the thone, she could make Rallix disappear, brother, Keritanima grunted.  He doesnt like to make public appearances, so that wouldnt look too unusual.
	So, you want us to find a single Wikuni in a city of a hundred thousand, Jula said, then she chuckled.  Not a problem.
	I know you can do it, brother, but you have to do it fast, she said intensely.  You only have about four hours.  You absolutely have to find her before I receive sashka, or else my opposition is going to have all of his pieces in place, and Im going to be at a disadvantage.  She looked away.  And I want Miranda out of their hands, she added fiercely.  If theyve hurt her, I want you to make them pay!
	Tarrin looked down at her with narrow eyes.  That wont be a problem, he told her, clenching a fist and looking towards the window.  Whoever has her is going to be dead, no matter what you say.  Nobody lays a finger on any of my friends.  Nobody!
	They cant see you leave, brother, Keritanima warned him as she picked up her sceptre.  They cant know Ive brought you in to find Miranda.  If they do, they might panic and kill her.
	Theyll never see us, sister, he assured her.  I can Teleport us out of the palace.
	Then do it and move fast, she said. Ill be waiting for you to contact me, but Whisper, dont use the amulets.  Were dealing with enemy Sorcerers here, so I dont want to take any chances.
	We will.
	I have to get back out there or theyll think that somethings going on, she said quickly.  She was last seen at the docks, brother, so that should be a good place to start.  Im counting on you, Tarrin.
	Leave it to us, Triana told her.  Well take care of it.
	Keritanima gave her a toothy smile and nodded, then rushed out the door with her purple robes flying behind her.
	Tarrin drew himself up and crossed his arms, trying to control his anger.  Whoever took Miranda was going to pay, and pay dearly.  Nobody threatened his friends.  If Keritanima had already tried to find Miranda with Sorcery, he doubted that he would have any better luck, so he let that option go.  It was best to start immediately with trying to find herand he could think of several different ideas.  He looked to Triana with glowing green slits for eyes, an eerie sight in the shadows near the door.  How do you want to go about this?
	Each of us has our own methods, she answered.  And this is a big city.  So lets split up.  Tarrin, you have the best nose, so you start at the docks and try to track her.  Ill start around the noble manors, in case theyre holding here there.  Jula, you try the slums on the east side of town.  Theyre good places to hide someone that a bunch of cowardly little mice wouldnt want kept at their house.
	Alright, father, Jula said with a nod.  Get us out of here, and well go find Miranda.
	After Teleporting them into a narrow alley he could just barely make out through the window of Keritanimas bedroom--cursing the limitations of localized Teleportation in the process--they split up.  Because they were supposed to keep their presence in Wikuna a secret, Tarrin hid them all under Illusions that they were cat-type Wikuni, which allowed them to move through the population of Wikuna without giving themselves away.  That, of course, was a relative concept, for Tarrin still had his unnatural height, and that alone was enough to make heads turn, as much as the fact that he knocked any Wikuni in his path out of the way as he moved quickly towards the docks.
	His anger building into a kind of cold, seething fury, Tarrin reached the docks and immediately cast his awareness across the entire area with Sorcery, joining his senses to the earth and searching for any trace of Mirandas scent.  He stopped in the middle of the intersection of the two busiest streets in the dock district and put his paws to the earth, stopping all traffic.  As the Wikuni screamed and shouted, he spread his awareness for longspans in every direction, hunting out the faintest trace of Mirandas scent.  Even after two days, there would be some of it left.
	Hey, you bloody loon, youre blocking the road! one burly bear Wikuni shouted from a wagon.  Move your bloody arse!
	Tarrin didnt hear him, focusing his awareness and searching in a block by block pattern after the initial sweep produced no results.  He started on the north side of the docks and moved steadily southward.
	Dont make me come down there! the bear shouted threateningly as Tarrin found a faint trace outside a warehouse on the extreme south side of the docks.  Of course it would be on the far side of where he started.  Typical.  He tracked the scent; it started in an alley, then moved into a warehouse.  It moved through a hallway and into an office, and from there, it simply stopped.  That had to be where they abducted her.  He checked all the other scents in the room, and found six Wikuni scents and one human scent.  One of those rogue magicians Keritanima mentioned.  They must have trundled her up and carted her off in some way that kept her from leaving a scent, but those who took her left their own scents that he could follow.  There were seven of them, and one of them had to have delivered her to wherever she was now--or at least lead him to someone who did know.
	Alright then, you bloody dimwit, Im gonna have to move you myself!  the bear shouted, to the applause of others held up by the kneeling figure.
	Tarrin cast about for traces of those scents.  They all moved back to the alley, but then they too stopped.  They must have gotten into a carriage or wagon.  The trail ended there, but Tarrin felt that if he went to that spot, he could use magic to track the progress of the wheels on that conveyance as they moved through the city--
	This was silly.  Keritanima had used several rather ingenious tricks to find him over the years, and he was being stupid for not thinking of doing the same thing.  By using a Mind weave, he could pinpoint Mirandas exact location.  He figured that the enemy magicians were using magic to mask Miranda from any attempt to locate her, but against this particular approach, they could do nothing.
	They could mask her body.  They could mask her mind.  They could even mask her soul, but they could not mask the one thing that made Miranda the most unique being in the entire city of Wikuna, and that was the fact that she was an Avatar.  All he had to do was search for the Divine presence of Kikkalli, the goddess of the sea, sailing, and trade.  He was sure there had to be a few holy relics in the city that had her signature on them, but there would only be one that was alive.
	Something grabbed hold of his arm.  Tarrin opened his eyes and stood up, and found himself staring down at a bear Wikuni that had a grip on his arm.  About bloody time you woke up, you bloody boob! he said hotly.  Youre blocking the road!  Now clear out before--
	What might come after that before was lost in a whoosh of air, and the voice trailed into a ragged scream as the bear Wikuni found himself airborne.  Hed never seen Tarrins other paw grab him by the scruff of the neck, then toss him aside as if he were so much garbage.  The bear flew through the air and crashed into the side of a covered wagon, tearing through the canvas and landing with a crash on whatever was being carried inside.  The angry shouting instantly stopped at that, for seeing what they thought was an average Wikuni pick up another one that had to be twice his weight, then throw him a good fifteen spans with a single arm--and a, a casual toss at that!!!--was not what they were expecting.
	Giving the brash Wikuni not a second thought, Tarrin turned and wove the spell of Mind, then sent it out away from himself like ripples caused by a stone thrown into a pond.  The spell was searching for the Divine presence of Kikkalli, a sensation with which he was very familiar.
	Nothing.
	Tarrin frowned, and broadened the range of his spell until it contained the entire city, and again found nothing.  Muttering, he doubled the power he was putting into it, until the Wikuni watching him gasped and put hands to their heads as the pulses of seeking energy emanated from just above him, the focal point of the spell, washed over them.
	Frowning more deeply, he killed the spell and unceremoniously dropped into a cross-legged seat in the intersection, pondering this unexpected turn of events.  Nothing.  Then again, maybe thats what he should have expected.  Miranda was an Avatar, but that divine aspect of her being was deeply buried to hide it from mortals.  Nobody was supposed to know that she was an Avatar.  She spent time in intimate contact with Priests of Kikkalli, and they had never noticed it in her.  And if anyone would have noticed it, they would have.  She would radiate a power that would be familiar to them, just like their goddess, and it wouldnt take much for them to make the connection.
	Hed forgotten about that.  He knew she was an Avatar, but the simple fact that nobody else had managed to find out should have told him that using that to find her wasnt going to work.
	So, he was going to have to do it the hard way, and he berated himself for wasting precious time.
	He traced the movements of the carriage or wagon that had carried Miranda for nearly an hour as it seemed to almost randomly move through the city of Wikuna.  He caused quite a row, mainly because he walked right down the middle of the street, and he would not get out of anyones way.  He followed the trail exactly as it was laid down, bulling any pedestrians out of his way and upending any cart or wagon that dared impede him.  He left a trail of outraged Wikuni in his wake, but took very little notice of them, the carts he overturned, the horses he terrorized, or the goods he spilled over the streets.  Even the watch, what Wikuni called blue tops, had little success in dissuading the strange Wikuni--at least what they saw as a Wikuni--a smidgen off his determined path.  He didnt even seem to take notice of the uniformed Wikuni who tried to grab him and arrest him.  And they quickly learned that they didnt want him to take notice of them.  When he did, usually when he was carrying four or five of them around, he sent them flying in every direction, snapped off any manacles they had managed to fasten to his thick wrists like they were made of sugar candy, then went on his determined way.  They eventually realized that they couldnt stop him, so they decided instead to clear the streets in front of him to minimize any damage to carts or the goods carried in them.
	Rrroah, enough of this! Tarrin said in disgust, stopping in the middle of the street.  It was obvious to him now that they must have moved Miranda to a different carriage or wagon, because the trail he was following was doing nothing but wandering around aimlessly.  Hed just wasted an hour chasing after a carriage that had probably crisscrossed the entire city ten times since it had held his friend.  Mother! he called in irritation.
	Its about time, her voice touched him, and then in a flash, she was standing beside him.  The Wikuni on the street gasped and stared in awe at the tall, tall human-looking woman, with her glowing white eyes and her seven-colored, striped hair, and her gown made out of shimmering starlight.  She was his own height, something of a new affectation for her whenever she appeared before him.  Tarrin guessed it was because looking up at him chafed at her godly ego, most likely.  That look doesnt suit you, kitten, she told him with a whimsical smile.  Tarrin looked over to her and felt that same sense of total adoration sweep through him, a mixture of awe and love and trust and faith that never failed to uplift his spirit and make him feel content.  The amazing woman was a goddess, or at least a representation of one, and she was his goddess, the one who had first led him down the path that had led him to the Firestaff, a dangerous path with many sharp corners, as she had once described it, but a path which had led to the promised land.  Tarrin loved his goddess on every level possible, save perhaps romantic.  She was his friend, she was his most intimate confidante, she was a shoulder to lean against in the hard times, she was a hand to hold when he needed reassurance, she was a gentle smile to radiate pride when he pleased her, she was a stern mentor which taught him and made him better, and she was the and she was the towering figure of authority which ruled his life utterly.  She was everything to him, and he loved her as much as he obeyed her.  His devotion to the Goddess was very un-Were-cat, but not even his powerful instincts were enough to overwhelm the  utter devotion that existed within him regarding his beautiful Goddess.
	Blame Kerri, mother, he told her as he banished the Illusion, which caused even more gasping, gaping, and point