 look at them.
	I told you to relax, kids, one of them, the tallest of them announced.  Dont cause any trouble, and you wont get hurt.  We will take that venison, but Ill leave you enough to get to Throce.  Isnt that noble of me?  He held up Tarrins dagger, the one Mist had given him, and smiled.  And I got this excellent knife to boot!
	Give that back! Zyrilin said defiantly.  I promised  Id take good care of it!
	Oh, we know a street rat like you couldnt get something like this unless it was given to you, he chuckled.  So, where are the men youre with?  Why did they leave you behind?
	Zyrilin glared at the man, but said nothing.
	I think maybe we should take the girl with us, another man, who had a scraggly black beard and watery, close-set eyes, said with an evil laugh.  Shed be more fun than those two mules.
	You always did like `em young, Gort, another man said, then he laughed.  And unwilling.
	Its better when they put up a fight, the man Gort said with a leer at Zyrilin, who shrank back from the mans stare.
	Not today, Gort, the man, who seemed to be the leader, announced.  It was not a friendly tone.  And never when you work for me.
	I liked it better when Dorl was leading us, Gort said openly.
	Dig him up and tie him to his saddle, and you can have him again, the leader told him.  I just wouldnt get too close.  After three months, Im sure he doesnt smell all that good.
	Tarrin pondered the situation.  The children seemed to be safe enough, because this bandit leader didnt seem inclined to hurt them.  On the other hand, it was dangerous to assume that, because them men he was leading didnt seem to be similarly inclined, and there were many more of them than there was of this one man.  Getting into a fight with thirteen men wasnt such a good idea, but using magic was out.  If one of them got away, hed have Hunters all over him, and besides, he didnt want to do something like that in front of the children.  It may traumatize them, and that would make it hard to move them around.
	Perhaps there was a middle ground here.  Yes, there certainly was, he realized as he shifted his position as quiet as a stalking cat, and pulled out an arrow.
	I suggest you turn around and leave! Tarrin shouted from his place of concealment.  I dont want to have to hurt any of you!  So just give the girl back her knife and get out!  You can even keep the venison!
	Now youre gonna get it! Telven said smugly.  Hes a witch, and hes gonna magic all of you!
	Tarrin cursed, and at that moment, he probably would have brained that boy if he was close enough to reach him.
	Im not much afraid of the boastings of a foolish boy, the man said, but his eyes were serious.  Tarrin saw that he was somewhat handsome, with strong features and short coal black hair that reminded him briefly of Faalkens hair color, but this mans hair was straight as straw as it came out from under a rusty conical helmet.  Like the others, he wore piecemeal armor, but this man had a much better sword at his belt, and was holding Tarrins dagger in his hand.  Well now, my shadowy friend, I think you should come out and hand over your purse and belongings.  Hand them over, and I think well see fit to let you leave here alive and unharmed.
	The man flinched when an arrow came sizzling out of the foliage before him, hitting the very top of his helmet.  The impact made the arrow break and spin away behind him, but it also knocked his helmet off his head.  Boy, I can peel you out of that armor from where I am, Tarrin called.  Want to lose your belt next?
	Another man drew his sword, but he yelped when Tarrin sent another hastily nocked arrow flying, striking the flat of the mans nicked broadsword.  The impact surprised the man, and the weapon was jarred from his hand.
	Next man to draw a weapon gets an arrow through the wrist, Tarrin shouted to them.  The man after that gets and arrow through the eye.  Im being courteous out of a need to be civil in front of the children, but dont push my patience.
	Its only one man! one of the bandits called.  We can rush him easy!
	Fine, Thol, you go first, another said acidly.
	Looks like we have a marksman in the trees, the leader chuckled.  But I think youre in no position to bargain.  The next arrow that comes at us is going to cost one of the children a finger.
	Tarrin silently swore, afraid that something like this might happen.  Tarrin swapped his bow with his staff in the elsewhere, then slid around the tree behind which he was hiding and started working way to the left.  Fine.  I didnt want to have to do this, but you leave me little choice.
	He struck like a viper, erupting out of the forest about fifteen spans away from the closest man.  His sudden appearance took them all aback for that critical instant he needed to close on the man before he could draw his weapon, his booted feet moving like lightning.  He set the staff like a spear or lance as he jumped over the little brook, then lunged at his target the instant his feet hit the ground.  The man managed to get his hand on his sword hilt just when the tip of Tarrins staff struck him in the chest, sending him flying back as Tarrin drove through him.  He skidded to a stop, turned, and whipped the staff into the back of the man closest to the first, who gave out a whuuaff! sound as he was pitched forward, tumbling into the brook Tarrin had jumped to reach them.
	Get him! several men shouted as they started drawing weapons in unison, but Tarrin was lost in the moment.  His mind was clear and open, and there was no fear.  Just as Allia taught him, he was unthinking, his eyes taking in all, feet and hands and body moving in perfect harmony as he lost his doubt and worry and concern in the rhythms and forms of the Dance.  In the blink of an eye, he became one with the ground, with his staff, and with the men around him, becoming a living weapon whose mission was to defend the children from harm.  Killing was not a necessity here, for all he had to do was frighten these men into running.  They were bandits, mercenaries, and would retreat once he put enough men on the ground.  In fact, killing would best be avoided, to keep Telven from spouting off at the mouth, and to keep from traumatizing Jal any more than he probably already had been.  The staff was a perfect weapon for that, for it only dealt a killing blow when Tarrin specifically wanted to do so.
	Pulling the staff up into the center grip, both ends whistled shrilly as he spun it before him, using its speed and deception to put off the two men before him who had drawn their swords.  One man rushed at him from behind, but his sword found nothing but empty air as their blond braided adversary simply melted out of the way.  The man didnt even have the chance to cry out when Tarrins staff rapped him on the back of the head as it spun in from behind the man, and he collapsed to the ground in a boneless heap.  Another man lunged in when he saw the staff lash out, but Tarrin saw his attack coming from half a longspan away.  Still spinning through the evasion of the sword, he simply moved a bit further to the side, completed his rotation, and brought his foot up.  The man obviously had never conceived of such an attack, and as such made no attempt to defend himself as Tarrins foot connected with his face solidly, making the mans head snap back.  Hed been in the act of rushing forward with a dagger in his hand, and his body kept coming forward as his head went the other way, which made him swing up into the air.  Though he was in his human form, Tarrin was still awesomely strong, and the power of his kick literally made the man flip over in midair.  He landed on the top of his head and his knees, then slid down to his belly and sank into unconsciousness.  Tarrin brought his foot down and raised his staff grimly, his expression simply daring another man to try to attack him.
	The nine men still on their feet all paused at that rather impressive display, but the voice of their leader spurred them on.  Hes only one man! he shouted.  Whoever takes him down gets his gear!
	Hed never fought in human form against so many people, but the experience was not wholly bad.  He didnt have his blazing speed or his agility, but Allias lessons easily translated into the human shape, and he had no trouble adapting himself for combat in a weakened state.  The men he fought were novices in fighting, and it became glaringly obvious after the first minute of the renewing of hostilities.  Tarrin quickly backed up a bit to put the brook behind him, limiting attempts to come at him from behind, as the men moved to engage him.  men, all armed with short swords, pressed Tarrin from the front as the others tried to circle behind him, but the men couldnt so much as get a blade within a span of Tarrins body.  The two ends and middle of Tarrins staff were always there to catch the weapons, turn them aside, or he simply wasnt there to be hit if they encountered no resistance.  They also did not work together, each man fighting as an individual, and it was a simple matter to shift his position to make the three men jostle into one another, fouling each other up.  The others thought he was so involved with the three before him that he was an easy mark, and a short man lunged in from the right flank with his broadsword out before him like a spear, intent on impaling Tarrin in the ribs.  The man gave a look of shock when the end of Tarrins staff suddenly appeared at his eye level, then slammed into the noseguard of his barrel-shaped helmet, sending blood flying as the mans head snapped back.  He staggered back, hand over his face, and the other three men found that the attack came so quickly that Tarrin was again in a defensive position before they had a chance to capitalize on his attack on the fourth man.  He blocked several more attacks from the front, ducked under the heavy swipe of an axe initiated by another man who had come up on his left flank, the slithered aside when a man who had managed to work in behind Tarrin tried to stab him in the back with a short sword.  He took a hand off his staff and slammed the back of his fist into the face of the man wielding the axe, then grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him as he shifted aside, flinging him into the three men in front of him.  He shuffled aside of the man he flung and gave a sudden sharp downward stroke with one end of his staff, knocking the sword out of the hands of the man who had jumped the brook and tried to stab him in the back, then reversed his momentum and spun the same end that had disarmed the man up and under the mans chin.  The sound of his clicking teeth was audible as he was literally lifted off his feet, then flopped in the air and landed on the backs of his shoulders on the ground.  His legs went over his head, and he rolled backwards into the brook.
	With feet as light as a dancers, Tarrin was the one that pressed the attack now, coming in on the three men who were trying to untangle themselves from the fourth that Tarrin had pushed into them.  The fourth man dropped to the ground as the men simply threw him down to meet Tarrins attack, and their three swords worked feverishly to deflect the whirring ends of Tarrins staff.  It seemed to them like there were ten of them in that blurred, whizzing mass, striking with blazing speed, slapping, lunging, striking from every angle at once, as Tarrins feet moved as if they carried no weight whatsoever.  They only seemed to come down and take firm hold of the earth as Tarrin hunkered down slightly, then exploded upwards with his staffs end screaming through the air.  The blow carried so much power that it sent the sword of the man on the far left spinning out of his hands and high into the air, and caused Tarrin to leave his feet.  Even in the air, he turned out to be more than a match for the men, as he turned in midair and brought a leg straight out, catching the middle man squarely in the chest and sending him catapulting backwards from the raw power of the blow.  The instant the other foot hit the ground, the man seemed to collapse on himself so quickly that the two men thought he vanished, but the man on the left had his feet knocked out from under him as Tarrin performed a spinning foot sweep, landing on his side and ribs and having all the wind knocked out of him.  Tarrin spun around and regained his feet, then drew up his staff and swatted the disarmed man, still confused over what had just happened and too slow to react, squarely in the side of his helmet of leather with iron plates sewn to it.  He spun as he fell to the side, and didnt get up when he hit the ground.  The man with the axe, whom Tarrin had thrown into his companions, struggled to get to his feet from his hands and knees, but Tarrin almost absently took up his staff and jammed the end of it into the back of the mans head, sending him right back to the ground, where he held the back of his head with both hands and kicked his feet into the dirt in pain.  Tarrin took one step back, whipped his staff up into the ready position smartly, and squared off against the last of them.
	The four men who werent rolling around on the ground groaning, one of which had a broken nose, gaped at Tarrin in absolute shock, and one of them was the troops leader.  Tarrin took a hand off his staff and crooked his fingers at them, inviting them to come and play, though his expression was like stone and his eyes hard.
	Telven summed up the expressions on the mens faces quite well with a single word.
	Woah!
	Who wants to be number ten? Tarrin asked in a cold voice, his eyes moving to the four men in turn.
	Er, well, perhaps we could reach some kind of accommodation, the bandit leader said hesitantly.  Youre obviously a professionally trained soldier, much better than us.  The One knows how much better, since I see that you managed to put down nine of my men without killing anyone.  I dont think I want to fight you, and Id rather not lose any of my men.  It is my responsibility to keep them alive, you know.
	Then gather your men and leave, Tarrin told him, rising up to stand erect and grounding an end of his staff.  Keep your weapons.  You have nothing I want, and I saw orc tracks out in the forest, so you may need them.  And give her back her knife, he reminded him.
	Iyes, I think we can live with that, the man said, giving Tarrin a deep bow.
	I am certain you will, for you shall not circle back on him, came a familiar voice.  Tarrin looked past the man and saw Dolanna and the others, riding through the part in the trees through which the men themselves had rode, coming up beside the two women and the horses they were tending.  Azakar and Ulger had their swords drawn, and were riding into the clearing resolutely.  Fireflash vaulted from Dolannas shoulder and landed on his own, nuzzling his neck fondly as Tarrin patted his flank.  Tarrin.  I see you could not resist playing a bit while waiting.
	You know me, Dolanna, he said evenly.  I hate to sit around.
	Nine, not bad, Ulger said with a chuckle.  Then again, they look like they fight like women, so it probably wasnt all that hard.
	Bandits never do put up much of a fight, Tarrin shrugged, and Ulger laughed and nodded in agreement.  I think Sarraya could have taken them.
	Gentlemen, I believe this is where you gather up the men on the ground and stagger away, Haley said lightly.
	Under the watchful eyes of Azakar and Ulger, the bandits did indeed slowly crawl off the ground, organize themselves, and move towards the horses and the two women tending them.  Then they limped off the same direction from which Dolanna had come, moving towards the road.  But the man who had been leading them lingered just long enough to present Zyrilin with the dagger, then he too walked away.  Oddly enough, he was chuckling to himself, and had a strange bounce in his step.
	I trust you are well, dear one? Dolanna asked, with a sly little smile.
	They were babies, he snorted, looking at the children.  How was the ride up?
	Nervous, she answered.  Everyone is on edge.  We do stand out, so we have been getting any number of stares.
	Then maybe we should settle in here for a little while and let them go by.
	No, there are too many.  If we wait them out, we will be here for days.  Besides, we are going that way, she said, pointing away from the road, behind Tarrin.  We only took the road for the expedience.
	Well, we need to reorganize a little, Tarrin said, looking at the children.  Theyll be riding with us for a while, at least until we find someplace safe to put them.  He looked over the horses, and realized there were too many.  I see someone thought of that.
	Youve got to keep on top of things, Miranda said with a grin from behind Mists illusory face.  I realized wed need at least two more horses, so we bought them.  At an outrageous price, she growled.  The stableman took advantage of the panic to make some fast money.
	Im surprised you let him get away with that.
	She held up a small leather pouch.  He thinks he did, she winked.
	You stole it back from him?
	No, I was the soul of propriety, she said piously.
	So while she was being the paragon of virtue, she distracted the man so I could do it, Haley said lightly.
	Tarrin laughed.  You two are terrible.
	Yes.  Isnt it fun? Haley agreed shamelessly.
	Thats alright, we need to make lunch anyway, Miranda announced.  We can stop a little while.
	That would be a good idea, Dolanna, Azakar said.  I want to check one of the pack horses.  It was stumbling a little when we turned up this path.
	Indeed.  Then let us pause for a meal and to ensure our horse is well.
	Tarrin helped Dolanna down from her saddle, then picked up Mist and set her down as well.  He looked back to the path, then nodded.  Its safe, he told her.
	The three children all gasped when Mist shifted into her humanoid form, then patted Tarrin on the face with her huge paw.  You scared me a little, my mate, she told him.
	Sorry, he answered, reaching up and touching her face.
	How did you do that dragon?
	Ill explain it later, he told her.
	The children gasped in unison when Sarraya winked into visibility, flitting around Tarrin and Mist before coming to a hover in front of him.  You have got to tell me how you did that! she said excitedly.  Right after I poke you in the eye for scaring me half to death!
	They got the fire going and had a hot lunch, as Miranda made a quick but tasty stew.  The children gaped at all of them in turn, huddled together near the fire, but it was Mist and Sarraya that seemed to dominate their attention.  Sarraya flitted around them, inspecting them boldly, and the children could only stare at the tiny Faerie in both shock and wonder.  They need fattening up, she declared.
	Well take care of it.  Well, everyone, this is Zyrilin, Telven, and Jal.  Miranda, when youre done cooking, could you heal Jals hand?  They branded him.
	Really?  Ill take care of it right now.  You should have told me, Tarrin, we cant leave Jal in pain, she said sharply.  The youngest?
	Tarrin nodded.
	A-Are you that other ones sister? Telven asked boldly, though his eyes were wild when he looked at Miranda.
	Not exactly, Miranda said with a wink, then she cancelled the Illusion.  Telven gasped in her face when he saw Mirandas furry reality, but Miranda just gave him the cutest little cheeky grin and winked at him.  I know, its quite different, isnt it? she asked lightly.
	Are all of you witches? Telven asked.
	Ive been called a witch more times than I can count, Miranda told him with a girlish giggle.  Among other things.  Now then, youre Jal? she asked, looking to the boy.
	Jal nodded.
	He, um, doesnt talk, Lady Miranda, Zyrilin offered.
	Im no lady, little lady, Miranda laughed, holding out her furry hand to Jal.  The boy offered his branded hand hesitantly.  Tut, this is nothing to worry about, but I bet it stings, doesnt it, Jal? she asked in a gentle manner, which made the boy nod.
	What are you? Telven asked.
	Telven! Zyrilin hissed.
	Im sure hes never seen one of me before, Miranda told Zyrilin with a wink.  Im called a Wikuni.  My people live a very, very long way from here.
	Are they all as pretty as you, Lady Miranda? Telven asked boldly.
	She gave him a wolfish grin.  Why, Im flattered, young one, she told him.  She took out her amulet and displayed it prominently outside her dress, a requirement to do Priest magic, and started chanting softly in that language that Priest magic required.  Tarrin knew this spell, it was a spell to heal injury and also to restore disfiguring conditions, restoring the body to an undamaged state.  Under her gentle hands, the red, raw flesh on Jals hand soothed, and the black char of the brand faded away.  When she removed her hands, Jals hand was as if he had never been branded.  Zyrilin gaped at Jals healed hand, and touched it reverently, then Telven took his turn touching where the brand had been.  He looked up at Miranda in surprise.
	Now, Telven, look me in the eye and tell me that all other gods are false, Tarrin said in a neutral tone, though Miranda gave him a sly grin; she knew he was amused.
	Who knows what witchcraft can do? Telven shrugged.
	Tarrin sighed, threw up his hands, and turned to stir the stew.
	After eating, Azakar went to check the horse that had stumbled, and a much more animated Telven tagged along after him, asking him endless questions.  Azakar endured the boy nobly, answering those questions he could, and bluntly telling him that he was not the man to ask when it came to others, mainly concerning witchcraft.  Tarrin, however, told Jal to do his magic one more time for Dolannas benefit.  Tarrin was quite sure he wasnt crazy when he saw Dolannas eyes widen when he did so.
	It is not Sorcery, but I can feel it! Dolanna proclaimed.
	I know, he agreed.  Hes calling on power from the Elemental planes.  I think that since Sorcery is mainly elemental magic, and we Weavespinners can also access that power, its letting us sense it when he uses it.
	I must agree with your postulations, dear one, she said after a moment.  It certainly does make sense.  Can they sense its use as well?
	Jal nodded gravely.
	So, the Hunters of the church are actually magicians like Jal, Haley surmised.  Working for the enemy.
	That, or their power is awake, but unrealized, Tarrin added.  The Church thinks theyre holy or something because they can find the witches, when theyre actually witches themselves.  He snorted.  I dont like using that word.  I think Id rather call them magic-users.  Witch is an ugly term.
	I do not know, dear one, Dolanna smiled.  Given that they are magicians in touch with elemental forces, I think calling them Elementalists would be more correct.
	 Thats too long, Dolanna, Haley told them.  Lets just call him special, and leave it at that.
	Jal gave them a shy smile.
	Now, dear one, how did you create that dragon? Dolanna suddenly pressed.
	Yeah, Im dying to know! Sarraya agreed.
	Tarrin looked around, then stood up and brought forth his wings.  Zyrilin and Jal stared at them, but he more or less expected that.  Well, I always knew I could create fireforms, he said as fire appeared around his paw. It swirled, then suddenly contracted down into the shape of a kitten, which promptly jumped down from his paw and sat by the campfire at his mental direction.  The dragon was just a fireform.  Since it was a part of my wings, it was a part of me.  All I had to do was push my consciousness up into it the same way I push it into a projection, and I could operate through it.  For a while, I was a dragon, he said in a strange kind of voice.  It was fun.
	Clever, Haley nodded.
	Jal was looking at the kitten made of golden fire, and started reaching out for it.  Dont, Tarrin warned.  It may look cute and harmless, he said, kneeling down and picking up a twig, then setting it against the fireforms back. The twig burst into flame.  But its not as harmless as it looks.  He brought a wing around and presented it to Jal.  But this, you can touch, he told him.
	Can all witches do that, Master Tarrin? Zyrilin asked, as both of the children couldnt resist reaching out and touching Tarrins wing.  Will Jal grow wings of ice?
	Tarrins powers are not what you would call magic, young one, Dolanna told her.  They aredifferent.  Jal will not grow wings of ice, for Tarrins abilities are not the same as Jals.
	Yeah, because Tarrins a god, Sarraya piped up.
	Tarrin glared at Sarraya in an unholy manner.
	Well, its true, she grinned.  Well, almost.  What is it they call you, Tarrin?  Ex-god?  Former god?  Unemployed god?  she gave him a wicked smile, but it turned into a yelp when a thin strand flowed out of Tarrins wing, slid behind her, then lashed her on the bottom.  She rubbed her backside with both hands, and gave him a pouty look.  That hurt, she complained.
	Zyrilin looked at Tarrin, then giggled with her hands before her mouth.
	Ignore Sarraya, Tarrin told them.  She has no idea what shes talking about.
	I, I think it would be wonderful to have wings, Zyrilin said, touching Tarrins wing.
	You dont want these, Tarrin told her grimly.  They arent worth the price I had to pay to get them.
	We should be on our way, Dolanna announced.  If Azakar is finished?
	Im done, Dolanna, the Knight called back.  The horse is fine.  Just a minor bruise under her hoof.  Shell be good as long as we dont run.
	We must traverse virgin forest.  I doubt we will even be able to ride, Dolanna answered him.
	There are non-human creatures out in the woods, Tarrin told them.  I tracked a large group of them that passed about four hours ago or so.
	Orcs! Telven said with both fear and excitement.  Ooh, are we going to go fight orcs?
	Dear child, wise travellers never go looking for battle, she told him.  Mist, Sarraya, could you please range ahead and ensure our path is safe?
	Sure, Sarraya said with a nod of her head.
	Itll give me a chance to get used to this, Mist said, sweeping a paw up her torso.  I need some activity.
	I can lend a hand also, Haley said.  I feel a need to let Scar out a while.
	Scar? Ulger asked.
	Haley shapeshifted into his hybrid form, the large, sleek, menacing wolf-man which had been known as Scar back in Dayis, the form in which Haley moved about when he didnt want to be known.  Zyrilin and Jal gasped in surprise yet again, and Telven ran over and jumped up and down in front of Haley.  Wow!  Are all of you Defiled? he asked in excitement.  Can all of you turn into animals?  Are you a wolf?
	Im a Were-wolf, son, Haley told him evenly.
	Wow!  Are you going to eat us?
	Haley laughed, not an entirely pleasant sound.  Son, the stories youve heard of us are all wildly blown out of proportion.  Were-wolves dont eat people, you know.  People taste terrible.
	At least they have Were-wolves here, Mist surmised.
	Or stories of them, at the least, Dolanna added.
	Tarrin withdrew his wings, and in so doing, the fireform cat at his his feet dispersed in a tiny whirlwind of flame.  There are some other things Zyrilin told me we need to talk about, Dolanna, but we can do that on the move, he told her.  Right now, finding Kimmie and Phandebrass as fast as possible is our only concern.
	Leading their horses, the group moved into the wild forest west of the clearing.  The growth was too thick for riding, but the horses had little trouble navigating the woods with their riders leading them by their reins.  Zyrilin and Telven had each been given a horse, leading the animals behind Tarrin and Dolanna, but Jal rode in Tarrins saddle as he led the horse.  As they walked, following a trail that Mist and Haley were marking for them that told them it was safe, Tarrin told Dolanna about what Zyrilin had told him, about the Damned, and then told her his fears over what had happened to their long-lost brothers and sisters.
	I doubt there are any left, he told her with a sigh.  I think they and the Dwarves came here seeking safety, and walked into a different kind of trap.  After five thousand years, Im sure theyve all been hunted down and killed.
	There is merit to your argument, dear one, regardless of how I wish it was not so, she agreed with a somber nod.  But we owe it to Mother to make sure.  Had they died, I think she would know, for their souls would join with her in the after.
	Can they?  Dakkii isnt here, Dolanna.  She cant come and take them.
	The soul can find its way without the help of Dakkii, Dolanna told him.  Though it may take them some time.
	So, either theyre still alive, or their souls are trapped here, he said quietly.  Maybe in Auromar, if the story of that curse is true.
	It is a possibility.
	If thats the case, I dont see how were going to get them home.
	Miranda can handle that, dear one, she told him.  You forget, Priests can turn the undead.  A Priest of exceptional power can destroy them, sending their souls on to their reward.  Do you not think that Miranda is of exceptional power?
	You have a point, he agreed with a nod.
	Either way, we owe it to Mother to make sure, she told him.
	I know.  But I think that once we get Kimmie and Phandebrass back, most of us should go home.  Get out of harms way.
	Some of us for certain, Dolanna agreed.  But I shall remain.  Mother is depending on us.
	So, how does it feel to be the enemy? he asked her quietly.  Now were the evil ones.
	Dolanna laughed lightly.  I am sure we will survive, dear one, she told him.  In a way, being known as one of the Damned certainly gives me a formidable reputation.
	Tarrin looked at her, then laughed, then he sighed again.  Trust me, my friend.  Having that kind of a reputation is not something you want.
	She reached over and put her hand on his shoulder.  I know, dear one.  I know.

	Haley, Sarraya, and Mist led them out of the forest in a matter of hours, and they found themselves blocked by a surprisingly deep yet small river.  They mounted, with Haley and Miranda leading the horses of Zyrilin and Telven, as