 he chuckled.  Jula, isnt it? he asked.
	Youre Jeri, she said in a sweet voice.  I remember meeting you in Suld.  How are you?
	Dirty and unpresentable at the moment, Im afraid, he chuckled.  You look well.  I heard the Hierarchs gave you your adulthood.
	She nodded.  Are you staying the night?
	If youll have me, he answered.  Its a bit late to try to go back home.
	I have plenty of room, Tarrin assured him.  Forge stood up and regarded these two invaders curiously, his face sober and alert as they approached.  Forge, down, Tarrin ordered.  Theyre friends.
	Is that a Hellhound? Thean gasped.  And a gold drake on its back?
	Tarrin nodded.  The drakes mine, Ive had him for about six months now.  Shiika gave the Hellhound to Kimmie.  So far, I have to admit that its been working out.  Forge keeps the twins out of trouble, and everyone in the house likes him.
	I thought those things were evil, Jeri remarked.
	They were born and raised here, Jeri, Tarrin answered him.  Shiikas trained them to be much different than what the legends say.
	She said she fixed them, Jula piped in.  I can only guess what that means.
	I dont think Id want to know, Jeri chuckled.
	Neither would I, she agreed, giving him a slight look through her eyelashes.
	Jeri was young, but he most certainly was not stupid, nor blind to his senses.  Jula was all but hitting him over the head with her availability, and he picked up on her invitation immediately.  Well, Ive never been here before, he said.  Mind showing me where I can drop my pack?
	Sure, she answered, then she turned and led him into the house.
	Thean set Jasana down when he got onto the porch, and the two of them watched the two youngsters go into the house.
	Jula likes him, Jasana announced.  Shes gonna--
	Were all fully aware of what shes going to do, Tarrin cut her off cooly.  Its about time, he grunted.  I was starting to wonder if she was going to be celibate her entire life.
	Shes turned, lad, Thean told him.  Theyre always a little different.
	They? Tarrin asked.
	Thean chuckled.  Nobody even remembers that you were turned anymore, lad, he answered.  To us, you were a Were-cat all along.
	Hmph, he snorted.
	What did you want, lad?
	Just your presence, he answered.  Kimmie has a new apprentice, and its a rather attractive female.  I thought you being here might make Jesmind more tractable, but I was wrong.  Jesmind doesnt have any problem with Anayi.  I kind of called you for no reason, he apologized.
	Anayi?  One of the Cambisi? Thean asked in surprise.
	Tarrin nodded.  Given that me and her are friends, I was worried Jesmind would take it the wrong way.  Its a moot point, now.  But Im glad youre here anyway, he told him.  Its been a while since you visited.
	True.  How have you been?
	He grunted.  Its a long story.  Ill fill you in after dinner.
	Well, it looks like Jeris going to be a regular visitor, Thean chuckled as they watched Jula lead him upstairs, after introducing him to Jesmind.  Jesmind looked towards the door, at Tarrin, then she smiled and nodded knowingly.  Jesmind had some genuine feelings for Jula, almost thought of her as a daughter herself, and rather liked the idea that shed shown interest in a male.  He lives within a days travel of your house.
	If I know my daughter, he will be, he agreed.
	Im glad I came anyway, he said.  A chance to have a talk with one of Shiikas brood?  This is a chance I cant pass up.
	Come in, Thean, Tarrin offered, rolling up his parchment.  He could deal with this later, him and Jasana.  Jula wasnt going to be helping, but then again, he and Jasana should be able to do it themselves.  It would be much easier with Jula helping, but they could manage.
	Jesmind greeted Thean quite happily, since she liked him quite a bit, and she had Tarrin cheat and Conjure the visiting males a good hearty dinner of roasted beef, boiled potatos, and a strange green leafy vegetable called spinach, a Nyrian plant, that Thean liked a great deal.  What brings you wandering by? Jesmind asked as Jeri and Jula came back down the stairs, talking amiably.
	He pointed at Tarrin. He asked me to drop in.  Hes got a few new artifacts for me to look at, and he promised me a copy of that Duthak primer.  There was also the matter of that Cambisi.  He thought me being here might be a good idea.
	You knew she was coming? Jesmind asked flintily.
	Tarrin nodded.  Shiika warned me, he answered.  If you and Kimmie accepted her, I wanted Thean here as a little insurance.
	I dont think shed cause trouble, Jesmind told him.
	Not her.  You, he told her bluntly.
	She gave him a baffled look, then she glared at him, and then she laughed helplessly.  Alright, alright, I get it, she said with a chuckle.  You thought I was going to be jealous, didnt you?
	The thought did cross my mind, he admitted.  Several hundred times.
	Given your, ah, reactions to Kimmie and Auli, Tarrin was only doing the wise thing, Thean told her evenly.
	You just picked up Jeri on the way? she asked as he and Jula reached the table.
	That he did, Jesmind, Jeri answered, immediately reaching for the serving fork.  We met about noontime and he told me he was coming here.  Ive never been out to see the new house, so I decided to tag along.  Hope you dont mind.
	Not at all, Jesmind told him with a dismissive wave of her paw, reaching down and snatching the serving fork before he could get it, then spearing a thick slab of roasted meat and putting it on a plate for him.  What have you been up to?
	This and that, he replied.  Just wandering around, mostly.  I just came up from the Free Duchies.  Same old thing down there.  Theyve been raiding each other all winter, and Arvos was massing an army right when I left.  You know those Freedmen are in the winter.  Paranoid as a dove in a hawks nest.
	You should have known better to wander the duchies in the winter, Jesmind chided him.  Thats when they do their fighting.
	Its been really warm down there so far this winter, he grunted as he sliced off a piece of the meat with his claws, then popped it in his mouth.  You know what that means.
	Wars, Jesmind snorted.  I swear, humans are so stupid sometimes.
	Why do they do that? Jasana asked.
	Because theyre stupid, Jeri answered her.  I thought Kimmie and her twins were living here, he said, looking around.
	They do, Jula answered.  Kimmies in her lab with Anayi.  I think she has the twins with her.
	Singer told me that her cubs have blue eyes, he said.
	Tarrin nodded.  Kimmie passed it to her daughters.
	I hope that doesnt mean that theyre going to wear dresses and act like humans, he chuckled.
	Rina might, but Taras a Were-cat to the bone, Jesmind said.  Who else have you seen around?
	I saw Trini last year, he said, scratching his cheek absently between bites.  I saw Shayle and Nikki both in Tor last winter, and I saw Stalker in the Heartwood over the summer.  Im surprised he even bothered to say hello, he chuckled.
	Stalker? Tarrin asked.
	A male version of Shirazi, Thean answered him.  He doesnt like humans and hes obsessed with defending his territory.  He almost never leaves it.  Youll never meet him unless you pass through his range.
	Shirazi.  Tarrin hadnt thought about her in a while, and his recent exposure to the gods made him wonder anew how they felt about it when mortals named their children after them.  Ahiriyas namesake was in the Tower, and Shirazi was named after the goddess of the sun.  Hed have to ask Ahiriya about that some day.
	I stopped in and saw Mist just before I met up with Thean.  I ran across Laren in Var Denom last spring.  He was in a foul mood, he snorted.  Im surprised Triana hasnt killed him yet.  He was downright nasty.
	How so?
	That little spoiled ass tried to run me out of Var Denom, he said with a narrow-eyed look at his dinner.  He may have a couple of hundred years on me, but hes a total wuss in a fight.  After I whipped him all the way to Shorans Fork, he decided that he liked it better on that side of the river.  If I ever catch him in some dark alley, I just might do what Triana should have done a long time ago, he said in a dark tone.
	I wont shed a tear, Tarrin growled.  Tarrins dislike for Laren was well known in the circles of the Were-kin.  Laren was very careful to stay on the other side of the West, because he knew that Tarrin would kill him if they ever met again.  But youd better be careful.  Triana wont like it.
	Trianas protection is the only reason that little bastard is still alive, Jeri told him.  If his mother wasnt Triana, hed have been killed a century ago.
	I cant argue about that, Thean sighed.  Its a pity.  He was actually a personable fellow as a boy.  I wonder what happened to change him.
	Hes the only one who knows, Jesmind shrugged.  He doesnt talk to us anymore.  I havent even seen him in about a hundred years.
	So, can we take a look at your new artifacts in the morning, lad? Thean asked.  Im a bit tired right now.  After I finish eating, Im straight off to bed.
	I have something to do myself, Tarrin told him.  Something serious.
	Is that what you wanted me for, father? Jula asked.
	Tarrin nodded.  You and Jasana.  But it can wait.
	No, it cant, Jula told him.  You come first, father.  You always will.
	I need to take a bath anyway, Jeri shrugged.  Im in no condition to entertain.
	Jula flushed slightly, which made Tarrin and Jesmind both smile a little.
	What do you have in mind, father? Jasana asked.  If its me and Jula, it must be magic.
	Tarrin nodded.  Kimmies outgrown her lab, he told her.  Were going to fix that.
	Ooh, were going to knock down walls?
	He shook his head and pulled out the parchment, then unrolled it and put it on the table for them to see.  Were going to build this, he replied.  Its going to go up about thirty spans behind the house.  It wont take up much room, but itll give Kimmie the room shes going to need now that she has an apprentice.
	Itll also get rid of all those nasty smells upstairs, Jesmind said, obviously approving of the idea.
	How tall is it going to be? Thean asked.
	Sixty spans, he answered.  Itll be visible over the roof of the house, but it wont be garish.  And it wont be outside the magic that controls the temperature here.
	I was going to ask about that, Jeri chuckled.  I knew something was going on when I saw green grass around your house when theres two spans of snow covering everything else.
	Just part of the magic of the house, Jula told him.  This house was Tarrins reward for serving the gods, so you can imagine that its got some pretty interesting features.
	Youll have to show me, he winked.
	You already saw one, she told him.  The bathroom.
	And I fully intend to use that bathtub, he announced.  Its going to take me forever to fill it with water, but--
	Ill show you how it works, lad, Thean told him absently as he studied Tarrins drawing.  Thean had been a guest in the house many times, so he was familiar with its comforts and amenities.  This is a good design, he told Tarrin.
	Thank you, Tarrin replied.  It wont have running water or anything like that, but I dont think Kimmies going to live in it, so thats a moot point.
	How long will it take you to build it? Jeri asked.
	Oh, about ten minutes, Jula replied, studying the drawing.  Father did a good job making it simple to create.
	Jeri gaped at her.
	What?  Oh, its a magic thing, Jeri, she said with an adorable smile.  Me and father and Jasana will form a Circle, and our combined power should be able to draw this tower out of the ground in about ten minutes.  Give or take, she amended.
	Now this I have to see, Jeri said with a laugh.  When are you going to do it?
	After dinner? Tarrin suggested.
	Umm, Jasana sounded, taking another bite of the beef shed filched off Theans plate when he wasnt looking.
	While Thean and Jeri ate, Tarrin showed his plan for the tower to the others, explaining the need for simplicity of design to let them raise it.  It would be nothing more than a stone shell, devoid of decoration, totally empty, awaiting Kimmie to furnish and decorate it.  The two visiting males seemed eager to see it happen, for they wolfed down their meals quickly as Tarrin explained things like physical forces and the need for structural reinforcement to Jasana, who wanted the walls to be thin as parchment.
	Who taught you all this, father? Jasana asked curiously.
	Your grandfather taught me about building when I was a boy, cub, he answered.  He knows a great deal more than just how to brew ale and brandy.
	I hear hes got quite the enterprise going with that, Thean noted.
	Tarrin nodded.  He has a couple of apprentices now, he answered.  Its gotten to be too much work for one man.
	Who?
	Kendell Thistle and Jak Longbranch, he answered.  Merina Thistle spends so much time there that she may as well be called an apprentice too.
	Well, Im done, Jeri announced, pushing his plate away.  Lets go see this!
	Before Kimmie and Anayi come down and ruin the surprise, Jula added with a smile.
	Alright, if you two are ready, lets go, Tarrin announced, standing up.
	They went outside as Jasana bounced up and down, excited about the idea of using serious magic.  Jesmind stopped Thean and Jeri from following the three Sorcerers off the back porch, and they went about ten spans before they stopped.
	Whats about to happen? Tarrin heard Jeri ask as the three of them got ready to Circle.
	Theyre going to join together, and then use their magic, Jesmind answered.  Most of the time, they get surrounded by that white glow when they do it.
	Magelight, the mark of them using High Sorcery, Thean supplied as Tarrin felt himself ready for the task.  He glanced to Jula, who nodded, then to Jasana, who nodded, and they began.
	Since he was the lead of the circle, it was his duty to accept the probing links from the other two.  He came into full contact with the Weave, causing his paws to limn over with Magelight, then he waited for them to reach out to him.  He felt them almost immediately and allowed them to join to him, touching him instead of the Weave, which caused their power to magnify by an order of magnitude, as each of their individual powers joined into a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts.  When Tarrin and Jasana joined, two suikun of their power, it was like holding the power of the gods in his hands.  When Jula was added to it, Tarrin felt absolutely invincible, so incredible was the power that they created, a power that made all three of them feel as if even the gods could not stand against them.  All three of them blazed with Magelight so powerful that it caused the others to shade their eyes, illuminating the snow-covered forest surrounding their little circle of green, and so joined, there was nothing that they could not do, no task that they could not accomplish.  They were the living extensions of the power of the Goddess herself, and her gentle benediction smiled down upon them as Tarrin called forth a power that a hundred katzh-dashi Circled together could not match, the power achieved when two of the most powerful magicians in all the world joined into a circle with a third who ranked in the upper echelons of power among the best of the rest.
	Joined together with his daughters in common purpose, joined with the grace of the Goddess smiling down upon them, there was nothing that they could not accomplish.
	As one, they raised their arms, for their minds were joined, allowing thought to pass between them as easily as they could talk.  Their weave was one of nothing but Earth, as it reached into the ground, probed deeply under the soil, reaching down past the bedrock and into the hard granite and marble that lurked beneath it.  Their search spread out for leagues in every direction, all they way to the edge of the Skydancer Mountains, as they sought enough quantity of enough quality stone to suit their purposes.  Their joined minds analyzed the stone, sought out the pockets holding the best quality, and then their flows were joined by weaves of Water, Fire and Divine, intertwining with effortless speed and forming a spell that would draw that stone up and shape it to their desires, drawing it from pockets from as far away as Daltochan, conducting it through the earth itself and bringing it to them.
	As the others watched, that stone began to pierce the earth in a giant ring thirty spans across, rising up irregularly but making very little sound, as the stone was infused with flows of Fire and Water, the Spheres of change and motion.  The weave cast out the earth from within the middle of the ring, forming a mound around the outer circumference as a solid foundation appeared below, rising up just before an opening appeared,  forming stairs leading down into the formed stone beneath, leading into the already formed two cellar levels.  The walls of the tower rose unevenly as the stone was drawn up into it from below, climbing higher and higher into the sky but always lagging behind where the stairs were forming along the inside edge, then paused as the stone grew inward, forming the floor of the second level.  It then continued to rise, flowing up from the ground, making no sound that could be heard over the shimmering resonation that the auras of Magelight around the three Were-cat Sorcerers caused, rose past where those outside could see inside.
	The walls rose up higher and higher as the three Sorcerers continued to work, forming the second level, then the third, continuing to build the walls, the staircase, and the chimney, forming them from the stone that flowed in from underground, carried up in channels of Sorcery.  The floor of the fourth level was formed, faster now since the tower tapered gently as it climbed upwards, and the fourth level wasnt as wide as the ground level.  They continued their work, raising the walls higher and higher, until they turned sharply and flowed towards one another, merging in the center to form the towers roof.  They raised up the stair house and formed the opening for the stairs, then extended them all the way up to the landing of the stair house, then raised the edges to form a wall that would be waist high to Kimmie, to prevent someone from walking off the edge.
	That was it.  The forming of the tower was complete.
	They went back into it and scrutinized every square finger of its construction, from the floor of the lower cellar to the top of the stair house on the roof, searching for imperfections or anomalies that might cause the tower to fracture, but found none.  They also went back through and added door jambs, window ledges, and created a false texture on the outside of the building that made it look as if it were made of blocks, little things that would make it easy to mount doors and windows and fool onlookers into believing it was built the conventional way.  That was important to Tarrin, for he never flaunted his power or the appearance of it.
	As they finished, Jasanas thought invaded their own, an idea for a final touch.  The other two found the idea to be rather good, so they bent to the task of completing it.  They raised a spire on the roof, just beside the stair house, and then expanded it out to form two ten span tall statues, backs to one another.  The first was the likeness of Niami, the Elder Goddess of magic, facing west, facing the Tower.  She was dressed in a flowing gown, with her hands out in loving benediction.  The other, the image kindly supplied to them by the Goddess herself, was that of Kazan, the Younger God of Arcane magic, the patron god of all Wizards, facing east.  He was dressed in a full robe and held a large spellbook in his hands, his expression sober and reflective.  The two gods that governed the use of  Kimmies magic were honored, and would hopefully guide all those who worked within and keep them from killing themselves.
	In a final touch, the three of them sent a weave through the stone of the tower to reinforce it, make it exceptionally strong, to protect against damage from possible explosions--always a risk where Arcane magic was involved--and then they changed the color of the outer wall to make it a uniform color of dark gray, a color that would please Kimmie.
	And with that, they were done.
	It was hard to let go.  He loved his daughters dearly, and to lose his connection to them to him was to rob him of the loving presence they had in his mind.  It was a common problem when Sorcerers who loved one another formed a Circle.  He didnt want to let them go, and they didnt want to let go either, but eventually common sense prevailed, and they broke the connection.  The Magelight around them wavered, and then vanished, casting the back yard back into darkness.
	He wasnt tired at all.  It was a testament to the tremendous power that the three of them could bring about when they Circled, a power that would make entire armies afraid to attack them.  A power they almost never used, unless the need was great, and their task could be done no other way.  They all understood the intoxicating allure of that power, and knew that it was a trap unto itself.  To avoid the temptation, they avoided using the power.
	They turned around and walked back to the house, as Thean and Jeri gaped in astonishment, and Jesmind looked on with satisfaction at the quality of their work.  Jeri gaped at the tower, then looked at them, then at the tower, then at them once again.  Woooaaahhh! he finally managed to sound.
	Jula sidled up onto the porch, then patted him on the cheek as she passed by.  Thank you, she said with a wicked little smile, then she went into the house.  Jeri gaped for just one more moment, then turned and hurried into the house after her.
	Did we do good, mother? Jasana asked exuberantly as she bounded up onto the porch.  Does it look good?  Do you think Kimmies going to like it?
	Like what? Kimmie called as she approached the porch door from inside.  Why didnt someone tell me that Jeri was here?  I--
	She cut herself off when she realized that there was some gray thing blocking her view of the forest behind the house.  She looked up, and up, and up, and realized exactly what it was.  She gaped at it for a long moment, as Anayi came up behind her, putting her paw to her chest lightly.  Did you do that? she asked finally.
	Uh huh! Jasana said excitedly.  Its yours, Kimmie!  Its for you to do your magic, cause you and Anayi wont fit in your lab upstairs anymore!
	Tarrin saw Kimmies eyes tear up, then she bent down and hugged Jasana fiercely.  Thank you! she said with tremendous emotion, picking up the Were-cat child and twirling her as she held her tight.  She put her down and  hugged Jesmind, then raced off the porch and crushed Tarrin in a powerful embrace.  Tarrin had to lean down to put his arms around her, and he was careful not to hold her for too long with Jesmind watching on.  He put his paws on her shoulders and looked down at her with a smile.  Well?
	Well what? she asked.
	Go look inside, he told her with a chuckle, pointing at the arched doorway with a sweep of his paw.
	Did you really make it for me? she asked in an awed voice, looking up at him with her heart in her eyes.
	We made it just for you, he replied with a gentle smile.  Now go look around inside.  Moving in is your problem, not ours.
	Kimmie laughed, then jumped up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.  Tarrin swatted her bottom as she rushed pat him, towards the open door, a door made of stone yet was light enough to open and close quite easily.
	Jesmind came up beside him and watched with him as Kimmie disappeared inside, with Anayi moving past them to join her mentor.  I think she likes it, Jesmind observed in a casual manner.
	I think she does, he agreed.
	Jesmind punched him in the shoulder.
	Ow! he growled, putting his paw over the shoulder.  Shed punched him right on the brand.  What was that for?
	Pawing Kimmies butt, she answered levelly.
	You are too jealous, he sighed.
	Thats how I keep you mine, she told him with a shameless smile, taking his paw in her own.  Show me around inside.
	Yes, your Majesty, he drawled.  Thean, come on, lets go look and see how well we did, he called, and then they all strode into the towers open doorway.

	It was rather odd how the raising of the tower had went over with the Were-cats in the house.  Jesmind would have been the main opposition to the idea--him doing anything for another female was immediately suspect--but she actually rather liked the idea of getting Kimmie her own tower.  That night, he found out that it was because she didnt like the smells of Kimmies lab, and the fact that with Kimmie having her own place to study her magic, it got her out of the house and reduced what Jesmind saw as competition for his attention.
	Jesminds acceptance of Anayi had everything to do with that.  Jesmind knew that Kimmie wanted to teach Tarrin both Torian and Arcane magic, and Anayi was her trump card.  Shed allowed the Demoness to stay in the house with the explicit understanding that Anayi watched and made sure that Kimmie wasnt trying to steal him from her.  Jesmind didnt feel threatened by Anayi herself, but the reasoning for that escaped Tarrin, and he couldnt drag it out of her.
	That was a rather good thing.  Tarrin knew Anayi well enough to understand that shed have little qualms about smacking Jesmind down if she got on her nerves, and Anayi could do it.
	It took Kimmie and Anayi all night to move in, and since Kimmie was too excited to sleep, it did in fact go on all night.  Tarrin did help by Conjuring her quite a few pieces of furniture for her use; shelves, tables, bookcases, little stands, chairs, a massive desk much like the one he had in his library, cabinets, and some trunks, but he left the moving in to Kimmie and went to bed.
	Or at least he tried.  On six different occasions, Kimmie banged on his door and woke him up, asking him to come fix this or that.  Jesmind got quite surly by the third time, and after the sixth time, Tarrin abandoned trying to get any sleep, because Kimmie was just too keyed up to leave them alone.  Kimmie was so excited about the tower that she lost all concept of the idea that everyone else wasnt staying awake with herit was nearly a Phandebrass-level reaction.  Tarrin worried that her scattered mentors mannerisms had secretly rubbed off on his student, but he saw that her giddiness was that of a child with an exciting new toy, unable to think of anything but playing with it.
	Kimmie pointed out the mistakes theyd made in their design, and had Tarrin correct them.  For one, theyd not put any closets into the tower, filling each room to the outside walls or the wall which separated the room from the stairs.  There also werent any rooms on the levels, each level was a room unto itself.  She had him fix that by sectioning off the first and second floors into two separate rooms each and putting closets in the double wall that separated them, then punching into the space under the stairs on the third and fourth levels, empty space under the staircase and the between the rooms wall and the outer wall, and turned those into closets as well.  She had him install glass-paned windows into the open windows of the tower, windows that were hinged on the sides and could be easily opened.  She also took note that theyd not made any privies.  Tarrin explained that any privies they made in the tower would work the way they worked everywhere else in the world except in his house, but that didnt dissuade Kimmie all that much.  She told him that they couldnt afford to get spoiled by the indoor plumbing in Tarrins house, since they wouldnt find that luxury anywhere else.  He had to admit, she had a point.  And so, he sectioned off a little bit of closet or empty space on each floor and installed a privy, putting a pipe that led to an opened area under the second cellar for a midden.  However, since hed learned a bit about plumbing and such from Keritanimas palace in Wikuna, he set up a tank of water for each privy that would flush the privy much like those in Keritanimas palace and his house.  Those tanks had to be filled manually--or with a spell, depending on who did it--but it would work just the same as if the tanks filled themselves.  But despite it being a normal privy with the water tank upgrade, the magical capabilities of many of the houses residents wouldnt allow the midden beneath the tower to get either full or fragrant.  Were-cat noses wouldnt tolerate offensive odors.
	That done, he decided to simply go read a while as Kimmie finished moving in.  The top level was to be Kimmies private laboratory, a place where no apprentices were allowed, where she would conduct research or experimentation that couldnt afford a hapless apprentice to come along and mess it up.  The third level was to be a common laboratory, where magical activities that involved the apprentices, or things that Kimmie didnt deem too dangerous or sensitive.  The second level was to be the private domain of Anayi.  The room by the stairs was a parlor area where she could relax, and the room beyond that was her private laboratory and library. The first level was a receiving area for guests, and the room beyond the entry room was set up as a storage area.  The two cellars were also for storage.  Tarrin didnt need a private area in the tower, mainly because he had his library.
	By morning, Kimmie had everything in the tower, and was working to get everything set up the way she wanted it.  Jesmind gave him several hot looks during breakfast, which he generally ignored.  Forge and Fireflash were playing out in the yard as Tarrin sat on the back porch and composed his thoughts.  He hadnt slept more than a half an hour all night, but he was a Were-cat.  He could stay up as long as he wanted to stay up, and sleep whenever he wanted as long as he wanted.
	What time can I come down and take a look? Thean asked as he came out onto the porch.
	Whenever you want, he answered. 