Crouched down beside the waters of Veil Lake, with her ears laid back and wings drooping, Steli-chakai was the very picture of an unhappy tairen. Ellysetta and Rain would be gone for more than a week—and she wasn't going with them.

«Steli should fly with Ellysetta-kitling to the human lair in the east.

"We've been over this, Steli," Rain said. "I need you and the tairen here, protecting Orest while I'm away."

Though Rain could have flown to Celieria City in a matter of hours if he used magic to accelerate his flight, he would not risk Ellysetta's safety by taking her there without protection. She'd already been attacked by demons and Mages in Celieria City once before, and since it was clear the High Mage had not given up his pursuit, Rain had insisted the lu'tan—the hundreds bloodsworn to protect Ellysetta—come along to keep her safe from harm.

«Fey-kin not so good at protecting Ellysetta-kitling as Steli.»

"I'll be fine, Steli," Ellysetta assured her.

«Ellysetta-kitling has not yet found her wings or flame or fangs. She is still very ...» The next part of her mournful tairen song did not translate well, but the rumble of notes conjured images of infant tairen still developing in the egg, utterly vulnerable and greatly in need of their mother to protect them.

"Oh, Steli." Tears sprang to Ellysetta's eyes and she flung her arms around the white tairen's throat. "I will miss you, too, my pride-mother, but Rain and my lu'tan will keep me safe. Besides"—she drew back and forced a smile—"I am not entirely as helpless as you believe, even without my wings."

Discontent rumbled in the tairen's throat. "Maybe, maybe. Steli still does not like.» Her tail twitched and a passing Orestian guard threw himself on the ground to avoid being slashed by the fully extended and very poisonous spikes gleaming amidst the fur at the tip of Steli's tail.

"You would like it even less in Celieria City, Steli. It is filled with only humans—and no mountains."

'There is water . . . and hills. Steli remembers. Water is good. Hills not so good as mountains, but still good. Steli promises to eat no humans. They not so tasty anyway.»

"Well. . ." Ellysetta blinked. "That's good to know. King Dorian would not be happy if Steli-chakai ate his subjects."

Rain stifled a laugh and turned to Steli. "Thank you, Steli-chakai, for agreeing to stay and lead the tairen in defense of Orest." He gestured for Lord Teleos to come forward. "Lord Teleos is Fey-kin, His family descends from the vel Celay line. This city is his to hold, and he is responsible for her defense. Ellysetta and I ask that you accept him as pride-friend while we are away—and speak to him in Feyan so he can understand you."

«Mmmrrr. Vel Celay blood very strong. Many pride-kin from that line.» Steli lowered her head and sniffed Dev Teleos. To his credit, the Celierian didn't twitch a muscle. After a moment, Steli drew back and snorted. «Agreed.» She fixed a glowing, pupil-less blue gaze on Dev's face and in perfectly accented Feyan said, "Steli-chakai accepts you as pride-friend while Rainier-Eras and Ellysetta-kitling are away and will speak to you in your tongue so you may understand.»

"Steli-chakai offers you a great honor, Dev," Rain murmured to his friend. "Tairen rarely speak to those outside the pride."

Dev bowed to the white tairen as deeply as if she were the emissary of a foreign king. "Beylah vo, Steli-chakai. This Fey-kin thanks you for the great honor you bestow upon him and the great service you give to his city. I stand forever in your debt."

Steli's ears twitched. «Well-spoken, Fey-kin.» With a final growl and twitch of her tail, Steli sang to Ellysetta and Rain, «Very well. Steli will stay and lead the tairen to defend the Fey-kin's city.» She bent low to pin Rain with a whirling gaze. «Bring Ellysetta-kitling safely back to the pride, Rainier-Eras."

"On my life. I do so vow, Steli-chakai."

Rain, Ellysetta and the lu’tan departed Orest just as the Great Sun began to lighten the eastern horizon. They traveled on foot and under a cloak of invisibility, heading south through the swath of rolling farmland that stretched between the Rhakis mountains and the gnarled, gloomy impenetrability of the Verlaine Forest.

They ran at a grueling pace, using magic to speed their steps. Ellysetta's presence slowed the warriors down a bit—as did maintaining the invisibility weave—but Rain would not take to the sky or allow the Fey to drop their invisibility until they were more than two hundred miles from Orest. Something had slain every messenger dispatched from Teleos's holding, and Rain would take no chance that same something might be lying in wait for them.

Finally, just after dusk, he called a halt, and they made camp in a farmer's recently harvested wheat field. Fire masters roasted field rabbit with weaves of flameless heat while groups of lu’tan spun a dome of twenty-five-fold magic over the encampment and posted sentries every tairen length.

"Do you think the king will believe us?" Ellysetta asked as she, Rain, and her quintet sat and ate together at the center of the camp.

"Can he afford not to?”

"I suppose not."

"Then he will believe us" White teeth stripped meat from a slender bone in four bites.

Gaelen snorted. "That's optimism for you."

"Pragmatism," Rain retorted. "The consequences of not believing us—then being proved wrong—are too severe an alternative to risk. He knows Fey do not lie, so believing us will be the only rational choice he can make."