der spell out of Sorcery and try to figure out a way to do it with Druidic magic.  And since he was going for the big time, he used the one spell in Sorcery that Druids would kill to be able to use.
	Teleportation.
	He stopped his lessons with Kimmie and locked himself in his library for nearly a month as he feverishly worked to figure out how to make the spell work.  The first layer, naturally, would be the image of the Druid appearing in his landing area, and the intent to disappear from where he was and appear where he was going.  After that, it got tricky.  After a great number of nearly fatal experiences, he managed to work out what kind of provisional layers he was going to need to make the spell operate.  The second layer was how the All was going to accomplish this miracle.  It was going to pick up the space surrounding and including the Druid and anything he was touchingexcept for the ground, he made that mistake once and it was not prettyand move it the exact same way that Sorcery moved things.  To pick up that space, pull the space out of the landing area, then swap them.  The third layer was an important operating rule that told the All that this moved space would be spherical in nature.  That was very important, for dislodging a smooth and geometric shape was much easier than an irregular one, and the sphere was the simplest and least taxing shape to use.  The next layer was an appendix to the spherical rule that told the All that the dimensions of this sphere would be dictated by the volume that the Druid and all things he was physically touching took upexcept the ground!!!extending a safe distance of two spans beyond the outer edges of this volume.  The fourth layer was a safeguard which told the All to postpone the activation of the spell if the edge of the spherical boundary of either side of the spell, both the Druids space and the space on the other side, cut through a living thing, and hold it for as long as a living thing was on the boundary.  This was important layer, though trees gave it a bit of a problem, and what was nastier was that it could be omitted to make the boundary of the sphere a lethal killing tool if the Druid activated the spell while something was halfway across the boundary.  Only what was inside the sphere was going to go, so whatever parts of the attackers body were outside the sphere were going to be left behind.  It would get very messy very fast.  The fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth layers were the actual mechanics of the spell, telling the All how to pick up both pieces of space and exchange them without killing the people in the sphere.  It was here where he defined the limitations of the spell, and he copied the Sorcery limitations because he was familiar with them.  The Druid had to be able to clearly and concisely imagine the landing point.  He had to have physically been there, have an intimate understanding of the area in which he was landing, be able to physically see the point where he was going, or be in very close physical proximity to the landing point.  That covered the two distinct ways in which Sorcerys Teleportation could be used.  The All had to execute this exchange of space instantaneously, which reduced the taxing of the spell and also protected the lives of the people being Teleported.  Unbound space in flux could kill the occupants of that space, so that had to be stopped at all costs.  Another important technical rule he laid down in final layer was that the target spaces dimensions had to be absolutely exactly the same as the source spaces dimensions.
	That particular failure had been relatively spectacular.  It was a good thing he practiced this well away from the house, because the tiny clearing where hed been practicing the mechanics of the spell was now a very large clearing.  Theyd probably heard that BOOM in Daltochan.
	And that was it.
	It wasnt a five layer spell, it was a nine layer spell, and that meant that not very many Druids were going to be able to use it.  But it worked.  Tarrin practiced it for several days and found that it worked almost exactly the same way that Weavespinner Teleportation worked.  The only difference he noticed was that the Druidic version had a distance limitation defined by the ability of the caster.  The further you tried to go, the harder the All had to work, and thus the more demanding it was.  He couldnt use it to Teleport halfway across the planet like he could with Sorcery, because it would be too demanding and too dangerous.  But he could use it to get there by Teleporting in manageable stages, from here to there to there to there and then to where he was going.  It was an efficient spell, its demands brought down to a safe level by the strict conditions and careful instructions the spells layers set for the All.  Any Druid capable of learning a nine layer spell would certainly be able to use it, and most of them could probably use it to Teleport upwards of two or three hundred leagues in one jump.  Triana could probably get about a thousand leagues, and Sapphire about fifteen hundred, but then again, those two were an order of magnitude stronger than most Druids capable of using layered spells.
	After he was done, he sat down on one of the trees hed knocked down when the spell misfired, blew out his breath, then chuckled.  Boy, was Triana going to be surprised.

	Winter bowed to the urge of spring, and life returned to the semblance of normalcy that existed in the Kael household.  Tarrin returned to his lessons with Kimmie in both language and magic, Tara continued to terrorize her mother, Rina completed her lessons in Duthak from Jula and actually turned out to be quite fluent, Jula continued learning the intricacies of Weavespinner magic from both Tarrin and Jenna, Jasana continued to skirt the edges of the rules that governed her use of magic, and Jesmind kept getting more and more short-tempered.  Forge and Fireflash got to be even closer friends, and what was most surprising of all, Mist had begun to visit with Eron for short periods of time, staying as long as her temper would allow, and enduring it only so her son could spend time with his sisters.  Most of the time, Mist stayed outside, well away from Jesmind, and Jesmind wisely stayed away from her.  Jesmind did not want any of Mist, because she was even more fierce and powerful-looking now than she was when she left.  Shed even actually grown a few fingers, which surprised Tarrin a little.  Perhaps, being surrounded by Were-cats who were so much taller than she was had finally triggered a desire in her to grow a little.  She was an Elder, and should be over a span taller than she actually was.  But the desire to remain small was enough to stunt her growth, as her aspect as a shapeshifter stamped the vision of how she felt she should look onto her body, keeping her from growing.
	For Tarrin, it was good that Mist was visiting again.  It made both her and Jesmind a bit cross, as neither had recovered quite yet from their fight, but nothing made him happier than hearing all his children laughing and playing in the house.  Sandy didnt seem to have any trouble striking up a friendship with the massive Forge or Fireflash, and the three of them became quite the odd little pack.  A Hellhound, a gold drake, and a desert fox running around together.  It was quite a sight.  The only friction that theyd really had was when Allia brought Kedaira along on one of her visits.  Desert foxes saw inu as predators, so it took quite a bit of coaxing and some lengthy explanations and assurances from Tarrin to get her to calm down.  After that got straightened out, things went rather smoothly.  Hellhounds had no experience with inu, so they met each other without predispositions.  Drakes were distantly related to inu, and Kedaira took to the drake immediately.  Kedaira found a place in that very odd little pack of extremely rare and unusual animals, and seemed particularly to enjoy playing with Forge.  Perhaps it was because the massive Hellhound, as large as a small pony, was physically capable of rough-housing with the inu, and inu loved to play rough.  Forge was definitely a dog for someone Tarrins size.
	One fine spring morning, when both Allia and Keritanima were visiting him at the same time, Keritanima with Rallix, Faalken, and the Vendari in tow and Allia with Allyn and Kedaira, Triana returned, and she wasnt alone.  She and Sapphire, who was in her human form, appeared at the edge of his clearing as he and his sisters sat on the front porch and enjoyed a little tea before Tarrin had to go to his lessons with Kimmie.  Rallix had the infant Faalken in the house, showing him off to Jula and Jasana, while Forge, Fireflash, and Kedaira played in the yard.  Sapphire regarded that with a bit of amusement, even more so when Forge and Kedaira, who could sense Sapphires true nature, sat down and remained motionless as she passed.  She paused to pat each of them on the head, then reached up and stroked Fireflashs chin when he boldly landed on her shoulder and nuzzled her neck fondly.  Dragons and drakes shared a very special relationship.
	Well, its time, Tarrin grunted.
	You did finish that spell, didnt you? Allia asked.
	Of course I did, he scoffed.  Last month.  I told you I did, deshaida.
	You told me you were pretty sure you were finished, she corrected him.
	Well, Im sure of it now, he answered.
	Whether its ready or not, were all sure youre finished with it now, Keritanima said with a little smirk, nodding at Triana.
	You, he said, rearing back his paw in a feigned attempt to strike at her.
	She gave him a toothy grin.
	Well, cub, Im back, Triana said as she reached them.  Are you ready?
	I think I have something that youre really going to want, mother, he told her with a slightly smug smile.
	I wouldnt raise our expectations, Tarrin, Sapphire told him.  If you fail to meet them, we might be disappointed.
	You wont be disappointed, he said confidently, standing up.  I have two spells.  Ones four layers, three if youre not a Were-cat, and the others nine.
	Nine, Sapphire said, obviously impressed.  And what does this nine layer spell do?
	I figured out a way to mimic the way a Weavespinner Teleports, he announced.
	That got everyones attention, even Keritanima and Allias.  You did, eh? Triana asked.
	Its not exact, he admitted.  There are some differences and a few limitations, but it does work.  I know, Ive used it.
	Cub, you now have my undivided attention, she said with a sudden intensity that actually frightened him just a little bit.  If anyone would kill to be able to Teleport, it would be Triana.  Lets go someplace quiet and you can start teaching us.  She didnt ask to see the spell in use, but then again, she wouldnt need to.  If Tarrin said it worked, then it worked.  She would take his claim at face, because they were both Were-cats.
	They went down to his library, and he sat them down and started explaining the way the spell works.  That was important.  A Druid had to have an intimate understanding of exactly how a spell works, because that understanding would make the image and intent much more clear.  He spent the day and half the night down there, and they only took two very short breaks to eat and use the privy.  They were down there again the next day, and then the next, as he meticulously explained the spell, then very methodically taught them the layers, as methodically and carefully as they had taught him.  Their very lives depended on how effectively he could teach, so he was not taking any chances.
	After three days, about lunchtime on the third day, Tarrin finally finished with a demonstration.  Reaching within, through the Cat, he touched the boundless might of the All, then began the spell.  Each image and intent was formed and held until he felt the All snap, and then he moved on to the next, again and again, until he reached the final layer.  He didnt have to do anything to release the spell like he did with Sorcery.  As soon as the All snapped to the layer and found nothing to replace it, the cascaded instructions would all take effect, and the spell would activate as the All acted on this set of complicated and very intricate instructions.
	Without a sound, Tarrin disappeared from in front of them and reappeared on the far side of the library.
	They turned and watched him walk back, there eyes betraying their healthy respect for his spell.  Thats how it works, he announced.  I couldnt get around the distance limitation, though, so Im afraid were stuck with it unless one of you expands on the spell and works around that.
	I might someday, but not until I have full mastery of the spell and the mechanics behind the way it affects the universe, Triana said.  So it wont be any time soon.
	Tarrin, I am very impressed, Sapphire said in glowing tones.  This is a much more complicated spell than we asked of you, and this one could be unbelievably useful.  Im sure Triana is already drooling at the prospects of it.
	That is no lie, she agreed.  Its going to cut hours off my travel times.
	Well, I sorta got the idea for it because Im a Sorcerer, he admitted, scrubbing the back of his head.  And if that animal communion spell I worked on first wouldnt have been so easy, Id never have tried it.  But I was running out of time, and I was getting a bit desperate, he admitted with a rueful chuckle.  I had to go with what I could think up quickly.
	I am not unhappy, Triana said fiercely, so impatient to learn the spell that she was actually squirming in her chair.
	Alright then, my instructor, walk us through this spell, Sapphire said with a bright smile.
	Tarrin gave her a start, then laughed.  Of course, my friend, he said, preparing to act the tutor, to observe their images and their intents and ensure they were correct, just as they had done for him.
	It took four more days to train them in the use of the spell, two devoted to each of them.  It didnt have to take that long, but since was the first time Tarrin had ever taught a spell, everyone, including him, was being exceedingly careful.  There was no room for error in Druidic magic, and he was not going to gamble with the lives of his mother and dear friend in any way.  The complexity of this spell required even more elaborate safeguards, for an error in building the spell could be lethal, and not from the danger the All posed.  The spell itself could be deadly if it went wrong, so absolute perfection was a complete must.
	He taught Triana first, which Sapphire seemed to prefer.  And after two days, she mastered the mechanics of it utterly.  By sunset on the second day, he quite apologetically proclaimed her proficient.
	He wasnt quite sure, but he had the feeling that Triana spent all that night bouncing all over the West and half of Yar Arak, Teleporting around and learning the limit of her range.  When she joined them the next morning, she looked exhausted, but very, very happy.
	After two more days, he proclaimed Sapphire proficient as well, and they were done.  Well, I hope this means Im acceptable, he told them with a little shy smile.
	Cub, you just proved youre a head over the Hierarchs, Triana told him proudly, actually giving him a hug.  Youre everything I hoped you would be.  You are truly my son.
	Im happy youre happy, mother, he said sincerely.  Your opinion of me matters to me very much.
	Cub, you are a Druid, Triana announced with finality.
	Very much so, Sapphire agreed.
	And that was that.  They had nothing more to teach him, and he had delivered up his promised spell.  He was officially endorsed by two of the strongest Druids on Sennadar, and one couldnt get higher credentials than that.
	
	With that part of his life finally over, he returned to other pursuits, the highest of which at the moment was fulfilling his promise to Kimmie, and time again seemed to fly by like a diving falcon.  Spring flowed into summer, which waned into autumn, which was covered over by winter, which bowed to spring.  His children grew noticeably over that year, hurrying towards maturity in the way that Were-cats did, but his relationship with Jesmind had become noticeably strained over the months.  The extended amounts of time he spent with Kimmie, who she saw as a rival for his attention, made her waspish.  She had agreed to allow Anayi to stay under the explicit condition that she watch and make sure that Kimmie didnt try to steal him from her, but as the months passed, even Anayis assurances that nothing untoward was happening failed to be enough.
	The constant nature of it also seemed to aggravate her temper.  He spent every day with Kimmie, pausing only when they all traveled to the Tower to celebrate the birth of Tiellas son, who she named Tarvis, an archaic Arakite word meaning defiant, something of a tweak of the nose of Dars mother.  Dars mother was still on her holy quest to get her son away from that mud-footed little rural hussy, as she called Tiella, despite the fact that Dar had legally disowned his parents under Arakite law.  Jesmind got more and more bad-tempered as the months passed, until she was nearly unbearable by the time that spring melted off the winter snow pack.  He really didnt understand what her problem was, and nothing he did seemed to make her temper improve.  And he certainly tried.  He didnt like seeing her like this, and he wanted her to be happy, but every attempt he made to understand her irritation and try to soothe her only seemed to make things worse.
	It all came to a head one warm spring night, as Tarrin sat in the common room, one of Kimmies books of magic in his lap.  He was leafing through it without much enthusiasm, as Fireflash looked at the magical writing from his shoulder lazily, and Forge laid by his feet after a long day of keeping Tara out of mischief.  Anayi and Kimmie were still in her tower, working on something too advanced for him.  He had reached the point where she felt he could safely cast cantrips and very easy spells, spells whose operation he understood.  He didnt have the heart to tell her that, for some reason, he could cast many more spells than his training might allow.  He had once cast a Wizard spell just by repeating the words hed heard that red dragon a ShaKari use when it cast the spell on him, and he still had that ability.  He didnt understand what he was saying, or how it worked, but he could do it.  But he humored her after a fashion, only casting the spells whose operation he could truly say he comprehended.
	Arcane magic was a strange force.  The power to cast its spells depended on a combination of magical aptitude and the ability to understand the dynamics of that power as it was shaped by the will and the words of the mage who was accessing it.  Knowledge truly was power  as far as Wizard magic was concerned, the ability to comprehend the forces at work when the magic was brought from that other place.  This was why Phandebrass was so phenomenally talented as an Arcane mage, his vast intelligence and broad understanding of so many things gave him the ability to understand things about magic that most Wizards would never truly be able to fathom.  Comprehension created force, and force shaped the power in the way the caster desired.  He created the shaping of that force with the language of magic, each syllable and the intent behind it a component that focused the raw magical energy into a specific effect.  The reason Tarrin could cast spells that he couldnt understand was the fact that he was a MiShara, an overwhelming magical aptitude that got around his lack of understanding.  He couldnt cast the big Wizard spells, but he could handle the moderately strong ones.  Phandebrass was the other way around.  He could cast spells beyond his magical aptitude because he had such an awesome understanding of the nature of Arcane magic, able to work around his limitation in the exact way Tarrin worked around his, but doing it from the other side of the line.
	The learning required was done so he could understand the nature of Wizard magic, and that understanding gave him control.  Where most apprentices had to study for three years or so before they could handle their first real spell, not a cantrip, Tarrin had reached that level in six months.  He had the same trouble with the language of magic as he did with the language that Priests used to cast their spells.  It was a language, a complete language, but it made no sense.  Being an adept of languages, he wanted to understand the language itself, not just understand which words he had to speak to produce the effect he wanted.
	He wasnt bothering anyone.  He wasnt picking any fights, he wasnt doing anything.  But despite that, Jesmind marched into the room, grabbed the book, and hurled it to the side.  It slammed into the wall and crumpled to the ground in a heap.
	What? he asked in a measured tone.
	What do you mean, what? she demanded.  Where have you been?
	Sitting right here, he answered.  Where you saw me sitting not half an hour ago when you came in.
	Im tired of you sitting around and doing nothing! she shouted at him.  All you do is read!
	Who cooked dinner last night?  Who did the hunting yesterday?  Or does last night not matter today? he asked coolly.
	Dont you give me any lip, Tarrin! she snapped at him.  Now get up and help me cook!
	I dont have any problem with that, Jesmind, he said.  But you could try asking.
	That just about did it.  Her eyes went flat, her claws came out, and he could tell by the way she spread her feet that she was serious.  Shed come in spoiling for a fight, and she wasnt going to leave until she got one.
	That in itself wasnt much of a problem, but what happened when she took a swipe at him definitely was.  In the blink of an eye, she ceased being Jesmind and became an enemy, as months of constant badgering had finally seemed to work its way into him.  He met her head-on, in the true Were-cat manner, and proceeded to thrash several months of her bad treatment of him out of her hide.  He completely dominated the smaller Were-cat almost immediately, and he felt the touches of rage start rising up in him as they battled across the common room, overturning the couch, breaking a chair, and shattering the tea table.  He was getting sincerely angry with her, and that anger was making him less and less careful about not seriously hurting her.  In mere moments, he had her pinned to the floor, as she thrashed against his grip on her, tried to get her feet up to take a chunk out of his back with the claws on her feet, and in a terrible moment of anger, he felt the impulse to kill her.  He had his clawed paw raised and ready to rip her face off with a final blow.
	That was what snapped him out of it.  He closed his eyes and shook his head, then let go of her and backed off very quickly.  Jesmind wasnt feeling half so accommodating, however, as she sprung up and launched herself at him with a mask of mindless fury on her face.  That snarl of fury turned into a shocked look of surprise when Fireflash came streaking over Tarrins shoulder, then unleashed a full blast of his paralyzing gas right into her face.  He swooped away after he unloaded his powerful attack, and Jesmind staggered back, then fell twitching to the floor.  He landed on Tarrins shoulder and hissed threateningly at Jesmind, snapping his teeth and daring her to get up and try again.  Forge simply put his head back down on the floor and let it go.  Hed been told long ago not to interfere between the adult Were-cats, only with the children.
	Tarrin, however, wasnt quite as upset as Fireflash was, but then again, the little drake was always quite protective of him, much the way Sapphire had been.  He was more confused and worried than afraid, at his reaction to Jesminds attack, and his own response.  But then it became clearer when he realized that the same thing had happened between Jesmind and Mist.
	Despite their love, they had more or less reached the limits of their tolerance for one another.
	Fireflash gave another vituperous hiss in Jesminds direction, and he put a finger over the drakes snout.  Thats enough of that, mister, he chided in a distracted tone.  You got her, shes not getting up for a while.  Its over.
	Fireflash gave Jesmind a victorious, smug little look, then quite deliberately turned his back and her and flicked the end up his tail at her insultingly.
	He came over and squatted down by her, rolling her over on her back.  Her eyes were wild and outraged, the only things she could control with any kind of success.  Itll wear off in about a half an hour, he told her, his eyes flat and his anger towards her surging up to the forefront once again.  And I think its about that time that Triana warned us was coming.  Ive about had it with you, and youve obviously reached the end of your rope with me.  But Im not kicking Jasana out of the house.  This is her home, and she belongs here, he declared.  So, since I cant kick you out without kicking her out, Im leaving.  Im sealing off my library so you cant get into it, so you wont even know Im there when Im using it, and thats it.  You can live in my house until Jasanas grown, I can still use my library, and we never even have to see one another.  And if you try to get into it, I wont treat you like a visitor, he warned in a brutal tone.  Come looking for trouble, and Ill give it to you, Jesmind.  More than you ever wanted.
	She seemed to try to say something, but Fireflashs paralytic attack had rendered her incapable of motor control.
	He stood up, looking down at her, still feeling the urge to bash her face in, and he finally understood the bitter pain that came from being a Were-cat in love.  He loved her, he still loved her, but at that moment, he was more than capable of killing her.  And in doing so, hed be killing a part of himself.  Unable to give up his feelings yet unable to be with her, it was a terrible feeling, something he didnt wish on anyone else.  It was no wonder that Were-cats were so eager to part if they started getting too close, because for a Were-cat, love was as dangerous an emotion as rage was.  Love kept them together long past the point where they should have separated, and now it was threatening to cause them to kill one another.  But there was one thing for certain, one unavoidable fact that now rose before him, one that he did not like.
	This mating was at an end.
	He blew out his breath, sliding his paw over his face.  Whats all the racket about?  Father, why is mother laying on the floor? Jasana asked as she came down the stairs.
	She attacked me, cub, he said grimly.
	Why would she do that?
	Because weve been together too long, he answered her.  Its the same thing that happened with Mist.  Its time for us to part.
	Despite the fact that she was half-grown, Jasana reacted with immediate, fervent vehemence to that statement.  NO! she screamed in a shrill voice, rushing up and almost knocking him down as she grabbed hold of his waist, hugging him, her head pressed firmly against his belly.  I dont want to leave you, father!  I dont want you and mother to split up!
	Cub, youre being selfish, he said, putting his massive paws on her shoulders and pushing her away.  He knelt down and looked her in the eye.  Remember what happened with Mist?
	Jula got them apart before
	Do you think Jula can stop me? he asked bluntly.
	She gave him a stricken look, her bottom lip quivering.
	Thats right.  If shed have gotten me mad enough, shed be dead.  Its just good luck that I realized what was going on and stopped myself before I totally threw myself into a rage.
	What, what did you do to her? she asked.
	Fireflash gave her a face full of his breath weapon, he answered.
	Oh, she said in understanding, kneeling by her mother.  Goddess, she looked so mature now.  She looked about ten years old, growing like a weed, so much so that her pant legs were halfway up her shins.  Calm down, mother, she said gently.  The paralysis is going to last about a half an hour.
	Take her upstairs, Tarrin commanded.  Put her in a bedroom in a guest room and Ward the door.  Do not let her out, not until after Im gone.
	Why?
	Because if you let her out, shell come after me again, he told her bluntly.  And if she does, I might kill her.  Now get her away from me.  Her scent and the sight of her are making me angry.  Go!
	Jasana blanched, then used Sorcery to pick her up and quickly get her upstairs.
	He shouldnt have been too surprised.  The way shed been acting lately, it should have dawned on him.  After years of being together, he should have seen this coming.  He was just surprised that it was Jesmind who had finally reached the end of her tolerance instead of him.  Then again, she was actually more bound to her instincts than he was, and the fact that he was once human actually made him much more tolerant of the extended presence of others.  Humans were much more social than Were-cats, and despite him being turned so utterly, there were still some vestiges of his human upbringing and aspects lurking within him.  Despite his very anti-social appearance, Tarrin was very much a social creature.  He was just very picky about who was allowed to socialize with him, that was all.
	He sighed.  He was going to miss his house, but he wasnt going to evict Jasana from her home.  Besides, after so many years in one place, he admitted to himself that maybe a little roaming around wouldnt be a bad thing.  See the cities hed yet to visit, meander around, learn new things, see different placesthat sounded nice.  And he always had his library, the one place where Jesmind would not be allowed to go, so he would always have access to his books.
	He could live with that.
	Best to do this quickly, before the gas wore off and Jesmind was mobile again.  The first thing he did was set a Ward on the door to his library that would block Jesmind from passing, but allow anyone else to cross it.  He set it so no sound or scent could pass through, and laid a permanent Illusion over it that would keep anyone from looking through it, one of the more useful combination tricks one could use with a Ward.  He set it so it would last virtually forever.  That would keep Jesmind out of his 