t.  The others were already standing, having heard him talking, and Fireflash zipped from Haleys shoulder and landed on his, chirping and rubbing the side of his head against Tarrins neck affectionately.  Are you well, dear one? Dolanna asked carefully.
	Mist knocked the rage out of me, he answered curtly.  Everyone pack.  Were moving.
	Pyros? Ulger asked in a serious manner.  Tarrin looked at him, and saw that the Knight was tense, like a man about to do war.
	As soon as we find out which way to go, he answered.  So were going north.  Well accost the first person we find to get directions, and start out.  We have to get to Kimmie as quickly as we can.
	The other question we must answer is what happened to Phandebrass, Dolanna said grimly.  Dear one, before we move, contact him.  We must know if he was captured.
	Tarrin nodded, and realized his sword wasnt in the elsewhere.  Where is my sword?
	Mist took it to your tent, Sarraya answered him.
	Mist touched it? he asked in shock.
	It did her no harm, Dolanna told him quickly.  I think it knows her, or knows that she is your mate.  It did not strike at her.
	With but a thought, Tarrin called to the sword, and it responded by floating quickly through the opened tentflap and to his waiting paw.  He closed his paw around it as his other went to the amulet, and then he set his will against the amulet.  Phandebrass, he called as the swords blade again limned over in ghostly radiance, almost like Magelight, and spots of white appeared within his wings.
	I say, Tarrin!  Thank the gods you finally arrived!  I say, where are you, lad, and how are you making the amulet function?  Theres no Weave here!
	I have no idea, he growled.  What happened?  I just found Kimmie.  The church of the One has her.
	Aye, nasty business, that was.  I just barely managed to escape, and Id be dead if not for Kimmie.  We were ambushed by a few dozen Demons.  Kimmie used the Shadow Step spell on me about an instant before a Vrock  took my head off with a polearm, she did.  I say, I still get a strange feeling across my neck when I think of how close that was.  I say, anyway, the spell teleported me about a longspan away, and Ive been on the run ever since, I have.  Where are you, lad?
	About half a day south of a city called Dengal, he answered.  We need to find you, Phandebrass, but we cant go out of our way.  The One is using Kimmie to force me to come to Pyros and fight him, and every day shes in their prison is a day they can torture her.  So Im going to Pyros to get her back.  One way or another, he said grimly.
	I say, lad, I can meet you along the way.  Im in Pyros right now, I am, and Ive been trying to find a way to break Kimmie free.  I also have some new friends you should meet.  Theyre part of the Shadows, a group of Elementalists and Wizards that help find people and get them to safety before the Ones Priests kill them.  I say, Im glad youre here, I am.  Ive had a bear of a time trying to get Kimmie out.  I can start on the road to Dengal right now and we can meet in the middle.
	He may be of more use to us there, Dolanna said.  Especially if he has met other magic-users that might help us.
	Tarrin nodded.  Just stay in Pyros, Phandebrass, and find out everything you can about where they have Kimmie, how many people are guarding her, the layout of the city, anything you think might be useful to us when we go get her.  And if you think you have a chance to get her out before we get there, by all means, take that chance.  We cant let them keep her any longer than absolutely necessary.  But dont get caught!  We need your help to do what the Goddess needs done before we can leave, so dont get yourself killed.
	I say, lad, Ill do my best to be careful, I will, he promised.  How are you doing this? he demanded.
	I honestly have no idea, he replied.  I just am.  Do you still have your spellbooks? he asked impulsively.
	Not all of them, no, he answered.  I lost my full set when Kimmie shadow stepped me to safety.  All I have left are my travelling spellbooks and everything I was wearing when she stepped me.  I say, Ill just have to be careful not to lose them, I will.
	Tarrin felt a sudden pang of concern.  Which spells did you lose?
	I say, none, lad, none at all, he replied.  I have three of Phandebrass Collapsible Spellbooks, my own creation, he said proudly, and they hold all the spells I have, they do.  But Im down to my last set of books, I am, so I have to be very careful with them.  If I lose these, Im up a tree, I am.
	Tarrin sighed in relief.  Good.  Ill try to contact you every other day or so to make sure youre alright.
	Ill do what I can, lad.  Kimmies one of my best friends, and I want her out of there, I do.  I say, are you alone, or do you have others with you?
	I have Dolanna, Miranda, Mist, Ulger, Azakar, and Sarraya.  Haleys also here, but I dont think you know him.
	Weve met a few times.  I say, courteous fellow, well-mannered, he is.  Sarraya?  Shes not dead?
	She had a plan to get around that, Tarrin said, giving Sarraya look.  The Faerie preened herself shamelessly.
	Dont let me start prattling, lad,  Phandebrass said seriously.  I know that we both want Kimmie out of the Ones prison and safe as quickly as possible, so I wont hold you up, I wont.  Ill do everything I can to get ready for you when you get here, so we can go right after her.  If youre in Dengal, then youre about nine days away from Pyros.  It lies on the road that goes, dear me, let me get my map, hold on.
	There was a protracted pause, and Tarrin spent that time looking at the others.  They were all tense, wary, but Zyri and Jal looked afraid and confused.  But there was a singular sense of urgency that seemed to emanate from everyone now.  They all know what dire straits Kimmie was in right now, and they all wanted to rescue her as quickly as possibleeven the usually addled Phandebrass, who was showing uncharacteristic focus on the matter at hand.
	Thanks much, Lorak, Phandebrass voice came from the amulet again.  Lorak gave me a map.  Unrolling it now, I am.  Here we are.  The road that leaves from the east side of Dengal is the road to Pyros, lad.  It turns to the north, and youll go through six villages and two good-sized cities along the way, Brund and Varga.  There was a pause.  Lorak says he can send word towards you to the circles of Shadows in the cities to be on the lookout for you, and help you if you need it.
	We wont need it, Tarrin said in a quiet tone.  Trust me, Phandebrass, nobodys going to miss me when I come that way.  Im not going to hide.  You might want to tell this Lorak to get his people out of those cities.  Im coming for Kimmie, and Ill destroy anything and everything that gets in my way.
	There was a lengthy pause.  Very well, lad, Phandebrass said seriously.  Ill have Lorak pull his people out of Brund and Varga.  No, Lorak, Im not joking.  I say, when Tarrin says something like that, hes not joking, hes not, and hes the kind of magic-user that can back up his claims.  I say, well know hes close to Pyros because of the columns of smoke that are rising into the sky behind him.  I say, there wont be a chapel or temple to the One left standing between Dengal and Pyros, and the roadll be littered with dead church soldiers.
	Im glad you understand, Tarrin told Phandebrass bluntly.
	All too well, lad.  And hit a few of them for me as you come north.  Im rightly incensed, I am.
	I can do that.
	Alright then, lad, contact me again in two days.  I say, I hope to have some information ready for you by then, I do.  Until then, be well, and good luck.
	You too.  Be safe.
	Good journey, Phandebrass said, and he Tarrin took his paw off the amulet.
	Tarrin regarded the others with narrow eyes.  Anyone have any objections? he asked bluntly, looking right at Dolanna.
	She sighed.  No, dear one.  Any objection I make will be ignored.  And I feel the same outrage as you.  It is clear from the words of the Demoness that they know where we are, so it will be pointless to hide.  So if we cannot hide to move quickly, then we will ride proudly and with heads held high, and drive our way through like a Wikuni clipper cutting the waves of a storm.
	And with that, she rather pointedly reached into the bodice of her dress, withdrew her silver shaeram, and set it outside her blue dress, displaying it for everyone to see.
	Nobody touches little Kimmie that doesnt become a crusade for the Knights, Ulger said flatly, punching his fist into the open palm of his other hand.  As Karas gives me strength, well ride through them like Death Himself and take her back from that unholy god and his Demon pets.
	Aye, Azakar agreed with hard eyes.  Shes family to a Knight, so that makes her one under Karas.  Its only unfortunate that we dont have more brothers here to exact vengeance.  Id like to see how brave these churchmen are when a column of Knights comes riding over the hill.
	Tarrin looked down at his sword, which was still glowing with wispy light.  Now that he was looking at it, aware of it, he sensed the power it held more clearly, and felt that power respond to his awareness.  He realized that the sword was using Sorcery, it was in touch with the Weave.  He could feel it clearly.  It was somehow reaching through the dimensional boundary between Sennadar and this world and making contact with the Weave.
	He had no idea how it was doing it, but it was.  The sword was bringing the power of Sorcery into this new world, and Tarrin had drawn on that power when he had used the amulets, had used the power the sword had drawn to fuel the weaves in the amulet to make them work.  He drew on that power once more, weaving a simple spell of Fire and Air which caused a ball of light to appear over his palm.
	There was no joy in this discovery.  There was only relief that he had access to another tool he might need to deal with the One and his Demons.  The power was substantially weaker than what he was used to, and it required a supreme amount of his own energy and concentration to control it, as he was weaving from power drawn literally from another world, but even that weak power might make a tremendous difference.  After all, it wasnt the power, it was how it was used.  There was a great deal he could do with this power, especially if.
	Dolanna, he said, looking at her.  Can you feel it?
	Her eyes were wide, and a bit wild.  Yes, I can! she answered immediately.  She reached out towards the sword, and then he felt it respond to her, allowed her to touch the power within and draw it out.  She wove a spell of Air and Fire, creating a silvery sheen of light to sparkle between her hands.  I can touch it! she exclaimed.
	Is that Sorcery, Dolanna? Haley asked in surprise.
	Yes, Haley, yes!  Tarrins sword has somehow made contact with the Weave!  The power within it is very weak, but it is there, and I can draw on it!  It is like weaving through a projection, but it at least is something!
	Thats how he made the amulet work! Sarraya said, snapping her fingers.  Where it was drawing power from the Weave at home, now its drawing power from him!
	Yes, Sarraya, I suspected as much earlier, because our items still function even without the Weave.  I knew that something has to be powering them, and now we know.  It is Tarrins sword!
	Thats nice to know.  Now lets pack, Miranda announced.  One of my best friends is being held by a Demon, and thats not going stay that way for long.
	Aye! Ulger boomed, pounding his fist into his palm again.
	Tarrin looked at them, his glowing sword in his paw, and he felt both towering fury that Kimmie was being held and was suffering, but also tremendous relief and pride in his friends.  They felt as he did, and they would not falter, no matter how hard the path to Pyros would be.  He knew that with them, with their help, Kimmie was as good as home already.
	It was just a matter of going to fetch her.

Chapter 7

	The ride was long and arduous for the children, but it was filled with grim resolve for the others.
	They followed Tarrin, whose wings were unnaturally bright, lighting the way and illuminating everything around him, and anyone who got close to him could feel the heat emanating from him, even noticable in the hazy summer night.  His wings were a beacon that drew every eye to them, and not all of them were friendly.
	Not that it mattered.  On two separate occasions, small roving patrols caught the light of Tarrins wings and moved to investigate, and were summarily wiped out.  Tarrin didnt even allow anyone to so much as draw a weapon.  He simply rode forward on the six man mounted patrols, then incinerated them where they stood with a hellish inferno that raged from an open paw, horses and all.  The display frightened the children and concerned the others, for they had never seen Tarrin use his power like that before, nor had they seen such a display of it.  Tarrin very rarely used his divine abilities, and even when he did, they were always tightly controlled, focused, and never any stronger than what was necessary to get the job done.  But this was a naked display of overwhelming power, an extension of his anger.  Sometimes it was easy to forget that Tarrin had that kind of power without using any of his magic, since he was so reluctant to use it.
	The trip through Dengal was quick and tense, but there was no major warfare.  Instead of going around they city wall, Tarrin led them right into the destroyed gate, and the guards inside were wise to get out of his way without a fight.  The fact that he blasted the two outside the city gates to ash when they moved to impede him was all the motivation they needed to get out of his way.  He then led them straight through the city, as soldiers ghosted their route on other blocks, watching but not interfering.  Word had obviously reached the east gate as well, for it had been opened well before they arrived, allowing them to leave without having to knock it down.
	Once they were on the east road, they picked up into a canter and rode throughout the night.  Tarrin kept his sword out, and the entire time it continued to glow with that ghostly radiance, as if he was using it to do Sorcery, and Dolanna rode right beside him.  But that was not what he was doing.  The sword allowed him to reach across the dimensions and touch the Weave from home, but with no Weave here, it meant that any use of Sorcery would be extremely limited.  He could use no weave that manifested anywhere but from him, since there was no Weave to carry the power, no other place to push flows out of the Weave.  That did give him some range, since the flows would come from the sword, but not the kind of range with which a Sorcerer was used to working.  Without the power of the Weave to call upon, they were limited to what weak power the sword would provide, or what they could hold.
	Both of them were building up the magical energy of Sorcery, drawing it off the sword, and holding it.  A well trained Sorcerer could hold power for a good deal of time, but a Weavespinner, immune to the heat that the power introduced into the body, could hold the power for however long they wanted.  In fact, since there was no Weave, the power literally had nowhere to go until it was actively used.  It couldnt bleed off, and an incidental contact with a strand wouldnt drain the stored power away by giving it somewhere to go.  So, through the night, both Tarrin and Dolanna siphoned the power of Sorcery from the sword, storing it away to be used at a later time.
	Over the night, both of them had managed to build up a decent amount of power.  By dawn, creeping over a low range of hills to the east and staining red a bank of ominous clouds on the western horizon, Tarrin could sense that Dolanna had managed to build enough power to unleash one relatively strong spell.  They were forced to use normal Sorcery without a Weave to work with, working only with the power within, but that would be more than enough.  Dolanna had enough power built up to last her a while, so long as she rationed it wisely.  And so long as she stayed near the sword, she had the ability to replenish that magical energy, albeit very slowly.
	Strangely, Tarrins absorption of that power seemed faster than Dolanna, and unlike her, it seemed to have a visible effect on him.  Zyri pointed it out when they stopped for the morning, to rest a while and eat before continuing on, pointing at his back.  Your wings are turning white, she announced.
	Tarrin looked back and saw that she was right.  The upper edges of his wings were indeed white, all the way to where the joint would have been, were they real wings, a stripe of white along the top edge that extended down into the interior of his wings in a ragged, patchy manner.  Immediately, he sensed that it was because of the Sorcery built up inside him.  That power wasnt resting in him, it was drawn into his wings.  In a way, that made a kind of sense.  They were magical constructs, a manifestation of his divine power, and they were inexorably linked to the sword, which was also nothing more than an exterior aspect of his divine power.  The sword seemed to be the gateway to Sennadar, a bridge back to the Weaveperhaps, in their own way, his wings were also linked to the Weave, in a way that made them more receptive to containing the power of the Goddess.
	Or maybe that was Niamis doing.
	Either way, that white coloring was indeed being caused by the power of Sorcery, almost like the ghostly magelight of High Sorcery staining his wings.
	But he paid it little mind.  He just nodded absently at Zyri, then immediately sat cross-legged on the ground and put the sword in his lap, which still glowed with ghostly radiance even after he took his paw off the hilt.  He closed his eyes and put the palms of his paws on the blade, then tried to open himself more to the power of the sword.  He wanted to draw in power until he absolutely could not hold any more, and for him, that was a considerable amount of power, because he was a suikun.  The strong wash of Dolannas scent over him preceded feeling her put her hands on his paws, and he opened his eyes to see her seated before him, hand on his paws, eyes closed and a look of serene concentration on her face.  He could feel her open herself, as if opening herself to the Weave, but instead directing it towards the swordexactly as he was doing.  He closed his eyes and bowed his head, then tuned out the entire world to work on gathering as much power as he could for the short time that his attention wasnt required to guide his horse or keep his eyes open for attackers.
	What are they doing, Mistress Miranda? Zyri asked the Wikuni curiously.
	Theyre soaking up magic from the sword, she answered.  Both of them can do a type of magic that we didnt think could be used here, but it turns out that Tarrins sword is going to let us bend the rules.  Its complicated, so let me just say that using this kind of magic is going to make them draw it from the sword before they can do anything with it.  Usually they wouldnt do it this way, but since theres no Weave here to power their magic, they have to build the power up first and just hold it until they use it.
	Theyre going to hold that power? Ulger said in sudden concern.
	Miranda nodded.
	Oh, nevermind.  I forgot, Dolannas a dashar.  It wont hurt her.
	Since when does a Knight know anything about magic, Ulger? Sarraya asked with a wicked lilt in her voice.
	He grunted.  Its a Knights duty to know how Sorcery works.  It lets us work with Sorcerers better.  Any Knight whos won his spurs knows as much about how Sorcery works as a Sorcerer.
	We had classes when I was a cadet, on Sorcery.  That lets us know if the Sorcerer is about to do something dumb, Azakar added.
	Well, those two are going to be out of it, so lets just work around them, Haley announced.  We have horses to feed and water and breakfast to arrange.  Lets get ourselves together.
	Azakar, Ulger, horses.  Miranda, breakfast.  Haley, Sarraya, Fireflash, scout.  Zyri, Jal, help Miranda, Mist commanded in short, tense words, as she took up an erect posture near her mate and Dolanna.  She looked ready to kill the first person who came within ten spans of them, and seemed to instantly forget they were there.
	Uh, Im not arguing with her, Haley said in a low voice, then chuckled.  Well, weve been given our orders.  Lets get moving!  He then hunched down and shapeshifted into his handsome gray wolf form, then loped off into the high grass by the road, quickly vanishing from sight.
	Okay, Fireflash, you go that way, I go this way, Sarraya pointed as she instructed the drake, who was on the saddle of Tarrins horse.  Dont go far, and come back if you see humans.
	Fireflash chirped in understanding, then turned and vaulted into the air, then flapped off in the direction Sarraya had indicated.  Sarrayas body wavered into invisibility, and the buzzing of her wings indicated that she was flying off in the opposite direction.
	Miranda cut some dried meat and cheese for them, but they didnt get the chance to eat it.  Haley came bounding back mere moments after leaving, shifting into his human form in midair.  Theres a patrol of soldiers coming this way! he shouted.  Call it, Mist!
	She looked down at Tarrin and Dolanna, who did not even move.  Fight, she growled, her eyes exploding from within with greenish radiance.  Stay here.  Ill be right back.
	Uh, youre not going to take on an entire patrol by yourself, are you Mist?
	In response, Mist held up her arms, displaying her Cats Claws, and then extended the narrow blades.  The metal flowed over the backs of her paws, then down over her fingers, to form two-span long, delicate little edged blades that were attached to her fingers.
	Id take that as a yes, Ulger, Haley said smoothly.  Do you want me to help?
	She snorted disdainfully, then loped off in the direction from which Haley had come.
	Thatll be ugly, Ulger grunted.  Shes been in a mood ever since we found out what happened to Kimmie.  You know shes going to boil over on those soldiers.
	I think it will do her some good.  Id rather her vent on them than us, Haley noted.
	True enough, Ulger agreed.
	Will Mistress Mist be alright, Master Ulger? Zyri asked fearfully.
	Honey, worry about those soldiers, not Mist, Miranda chuckled humorlessly.  Mist is every bit as tough as Tarrin is, and unless they have someone who can do magic with them, they cant even hurt her.  That complement of soldiers had better pray that they have a Priest with them, or they wont stand a chance.
	Not even a Priest is going to matter, Azakar said bluntly.
	True, but hed slow her down for a minute.
	Not even a minute, Azakar countered.
	Im going to angle off and check over there, Haley said, pointing at a small grove of trees to the southwest.  Make sure they dont have scouts trailing us from a distance.
	As Miranda and the children prepared something to eat, the sound of Mists arrival at the patrol reached them.  First it was startled shouts just over the little hill to the south, then it was confused shouting and cursing mixed in with the screams of the injured.  Then it turned to chaos very quickly, and the shouting and cries began to fade as, from the sound of it, the patrol broke and ran to escape from the infuriated Were-cat.
	She came back about the same time Haley returned.  Blood matted her arms, and it was spattered all over her clothes and face.  Her eyes were still glowing green, as if the expression of her anger had not been nearly enough to calm her down.  Ill fill a bucket so you can wash off, Miranda told her calmly.  I think the blood smell isnt doing you too much good.
	Are you alright, Mistress Mist? Zyri asked in concern.
	They were a bunch of frightened little rabbits, she growled.  They wont be following us again.
	Did any get away? Ulger asked.
	Mist gave him an unholy look.
	I didnt think so, he said, then he chuckled.  Good.
	As the others did what they could, Tarrin continued his deep contemplation of the sword.  Dissatisfied with the rate at which he was drawing power, he submerged himself into the sword directly, exploring it, seeking to cause it to deepen its connection to the Weave.  He was linked to the sword body, mind, and soul, but he found that the sword was resistant to any attempt to breach its outer boundaries and discover the power inside.  The sword was a part of him, but he found it very intent to remain distinctly separate, even attempting to hide itself from him.  The sword did not want him to look inside it.  The sword did not want him to know how it was touching the Weave.  The sword did not want him to see how it worked.  He found that the harder he pushed, the more resistant it became, until it became obvious to him that he was not going to win this little battle.  Unable to deepen his connection to the Weave by forcing his sword to open up to it more, he instead reached through the sword, trying to draw directly from the Weave, much like how he reached through the Cat to touch the All.
	That worked.  Tarrin found the power on the other side of the sword, and though it was distant, it was familiar power, the power of the Goddess, and it heard his call.  Power surged into and through the sword, whose dim glow suddenly flared to brightness.  It was still little more than a trickle compared to the kind of power he could draw if he had direct contact with the Weave, but it was more than he could draw before, and that was good.  Dolannas eyes snapped open suddenly, then she smiled and then closed them again, friming her grip on the backs of his paws.
	Moments became minutes, and minutes became hours as Tarrin and Dolanna sat there, as the sun rose higher into the sky, and was then covered over by a bank of ominous clouds.  The others became more and more impatient, but none of them would dare attempt to disturb Tarrin.  The only ones who could do so without risking injury were Mist and Dolanna, and neither seemed inclined to do so.  Dolanna was also absorbed in what she was doing, and when Miranda delicately breached the idea of getting Tarrin to stop so they could move, she waspishly retorted that Tarrin would move when Tarrin bloodly well wanted to move.
	Were losing time, Mist, Miranda pleaded.   And its just giving them more time to get soldiers here.  If we dont move soon, well have a few hundred soldiers to deal with instead of just a roving patrol.
	Well leave when Tarrin is ready, and not a second before, she replied adamantly.  You think I like sitting here when we can be moving?  I dont, she snorted.  But we have to trust Tarrin.  He wouldnt hold us up unless he had a damned good reason.  He knows what hes doing.
	Honey, I think we need to have a little talk, very soon, Miranda sighed, but she gave Mist a cheeky grin.
	Its going to rain, Azakar announced, looking at the sky.  If were stuck here until Tarrin and Dolanna snap out of it, then lets at least get something over them so they dont get wet.
	Or us either, Ulger grunted.  We dont have time for tents, but we can set up some lean-tos with the tent poles and some canvas.  Well be able to knock those down in less than a minute when Tarrins ready to go.
	Ulger, Azakar, and Haley set up a trio of crude shelters, then Haley ranged out again to keep watch on the area.  Sarraya and Fireflash returned from time to time to report in, Fireflash having to wait impatiently for someone who could understand him to return, until he growled in frustration from Mirandas shoulder and began hissing in a strange manner.
	Whats the matter, Fireflash? Miranda asked in concern as the drake continued its strange hissing.
	Ssssssssssspeaths
	Miranda started, then snagged the gold drake from her shoulder and held him before her.  Fireflash! she said in shock.  Youre talking!
	Hes always understood, hes just never spoke, Mist told her shortly.  Im think hes sick of waiting for Haley or Sarraya to translate for him.
	Miranda gave her a surprised look.
	Tarrin always said that Fireflash had the ability to talk.  Tarrin said hes as smart as any human.  Hes just never had the compunction to try until now, I guess.  When he lived with us, we always knew what he wanted.
	Fireflash nodded vigorously.  Thrass no hhhumahhsss.
	He said theres no humans, Zyri announced, then she blushed slightly and assumed a meek posture.
	Well, since it seems youve got an ear for figuring out what hes saying, I say its your job to translate for us, Miranda winked.  Fireflash, report to Zyri when you come in.
	The drake nodded, then he wriggled until Miranda let go of him.  He swooped into the air and then flapped away towards the south.
	I didnt realize that you were so fluent in Sulasian, Zyri, Miranda winked at her.  I couldnt make heads or tails of what he was saying.
	Zyri blushed and returned a sheepish smile.  Mistress Miranda, Ive been meaning to ask a question.
	Sure, honey.
	Why is it you can do your magic when Tarrin cant? she asked.  He said he was a Priest of his Goddess, but he cant do that magic here.  But youre also a Priest, and you can.  Why?
	Well, lets just say that I defy the rules, she winked.  Im a little different than Tarrin.  My relationship to Kikkalli is a bit more direct than his is to his Goddess.  The special circumstances of our relationship lets me use my magic here.
	How is it different?
	Honey, I dont think youd understand it.  It gets very, very, complicated.
	You make things too complicated on purpose, Miranda, Mist grunted.  Its simple, child.  Miranda is an Avatar.
	What is an Avatar?
	She has a direct connection to Kikkalli, because Kikkalli blessed her when she was born, she answered.  That special blessing lets Miranda use her magic anywhere she goes.  Thats something that other Priests cant do, because a regular Priest cant use magic on a world where his god isnt worshipped.  Thats why Tarrin cant use his Priest magic here, but Miranda can.
	My, that is a pretty good way to explain it, Miranda chuckled ruefully.  I didnt know y