"Well?" Jesmind asked as he focused on them.
"The Ungardt have attacked the ki'zadun," he sighed. "They don't stand a chance, but they're going to delay the enemy for about two days. That will give us time to reach Suld first."
"How long do we have to get there?" Kimmie asked.
"Kerri estimates that we have fifteen days," he replied. "It'll take us two to get to Torrian, one more to attack it, then about ten to get to Suld. That cuts it very close."
"You really think we can go from Torrian to Suld in ten days?" Kimmie said dubiously.
"They'll have to find a way, Kimmie," he said bluntly. "Either way, I think that they're going to do it without me."
"What?" both Kimmie and Jesmind said quickly.
"I don't think I'm going to travel with the army," he said, holding up his paw. "I want to get to Suld fast. I want to be there. I think that after we take Torrian, we're going to go on to Suld on our own. We can get there in two days."
"How in the furies are we going to get to Suld in two days?" Jesmind asked acidly.
"Sorcery," he replied simply. "I'll summon an Elemental that will carry us to Suld. It can get us there in two days, if it hurries."
"What is that?" Jesmind asked.
"An Elemental is a sentient creature made up entirely of an element," Tarrin told her. "They can be made of earth, air, fire, or water. I'll summon an Air Elemental to carry us to Suld, because they can fly quickly."
"Fly?" Jasana said, her ears picking up and her eyes getting bright. "We'll be able to fly?"
"Well, the Elemental will be doing the flying, cub," Tarrin smiled as he walked over to them and sat down beside his mate. "We'll just be along for the ride."
"Oh, can we do that, mother?" Jasana asked in a suddenly sweet, excited voice. "Please please please please please!?"
"Is it safe, mate?" Jesmind asked dubiously.
"Perfectly," he replied. "The Elemental will obey me, and it will be very sure not to drop anyone. I used one to get over the Sandshield."
"They could summon Elementals with Arcane magic once, but the Elementals never obeyed willingly," Kimmie mused. "Since Sorcery is a magic of nature, I guess the Elementals are more willing to obey a Sorcerer's commands."
"I didn't know Wizards could Conjure Elementals," Tarrin said in surprise. "I was taught that they couldn't do that. That only Sorcerers and Druids could conjure them."
"There are references to it in the books I've read," Kimmie told him. "Maybe they stopped doing it for so long that people thought that they couldn't do it."
"Possible. I've come to discover lately that we really know almost nothing about magic," he said ruefully. "We're just children compared to the Ancients."
"The books I've read about Arcane magic agree with you," Kimmie chuckled. "The Wizards during the Age of Power were said to be able to conjure Demon Lords and move mountains with their magic when necessary."
"The same goes for the Sorcerers," Tarrin agreed. "Maybe it's a universal case of inflated ego."
"Papa said it was safe, mama!" Jasana pleaded with her mother. "Can we go flying? Please?"
"Well, if your father says it's safe, then alright," Jesmind agreed. "I don't think I'm going to like it, but if we have to get to Suld that bad, then I'll put up with it."
"Have room for one more on that Elemental, Tarrin?" Kimmie asked with a smile. "I want to meet this Phandebrass of yours."
"Room for two more, actually," Tarrin said. "I want to take Thean too. He's very wise, and he may be useful in Suld. Thean's like Triana, he has enough experience to be an asset no matter what you ask him to do."
"If you can get him to agree to it," Kimmie chuckled.
"Oh, I think he will," Tarrin said.
"This means I can go?"
"You're going, Kimmie," Tarrin assured her. "Jasana would be too pouty if I left you behind."
"I would not!" Jasana objected.
"Yes you would, cub," Tarrin teased. "You like Kimmie."
"Well so do you," Jasana countered.
"And so does your mother," Tarrin said, unruffled. "Now then, it's starting to get a little late, so I think we should think about heading back," he announced. "They should have everything pretty much well cleaned up by now."
"Aww," Jasana grunted. "I like it here, papa. Can we stay here tonight?"
"No, I think it would be best to stay near the others, cub," he told her gently. "Don't worry. As soon as we get there, I'm sure you'll like being there as much as being here."
"No I won't. They'll all talk to you and drag you away, then you'll come back and be in a bad mood, and that will put mama in a bad mood too."
"I'll try not to get in a bad mood," Tarrin chuckled, "alright, kitten?"
"Well," she hedged.
"And I promise I'll take you with me if I go anywhere."
"Alright!" she said happily, jumping up from her mother's lap. "Let's go let's go!"
They got up and then started back for the village, but they didn't get too far before Jeri met them on the path. "Sathon sent me to get you, Tarrin," Jeri told him apologetically. "And that Arren fellow wants to see you."
"Well, we had good timing, that's for sure," Kimmie chuckled.
"I said they'd come get us," Jesmind reminded them.
"We should have made ourselves harder to find," Tarrin said.
"You wouldn't have been able to hide from me, Tarrin," Jeri said with a grin. "I may be a cub, but I'm still one of the best trackers among us."
"Not if I cheat," Tarrin told him with a slight smile.
"Well that's unfair."
"That's the point."
Jeri gave him a look, then laughed.
It didn't take them very long to get back, and he saw that they did indeed have everything well in hand. Most of the Dal bodies were gone, and the thick columns of smoke rising from the other side of the hill told him that they were cremating the dead. The villagers were all out of their homes now, running around in dubious excitement, children following the Centaurs around in utter fascination. Rangers for the most part occupied the village, but there were a few Centaurs and Were-kin there as well. Not that the villagers were confining themselves to the village. Many of them were out on the open fields surrounding the village, looking like they were doing what they could to help their liberators, from offers of food and goods to offering help erecting the camps for the night. It looked like the Watch Hill villagers were very happy that the Dals had been overthrown.
Jeri led Tarrin into the village, and Jasana looked around in fascination as they climbed up the hill and were eventually led into a small shop on the west side of the hill. The inside of the shop was bare, but a large table and several chairs occupied the open floor between the door and the counter near the back. Sathon sat at one of those chairs, and Mikos had somehow managed to maneuver his bulk into the room and kneel down on one side. Karn was there, as well as Jak, and so was a sharp-featured Were-kin female with black hair and sharp, dark eyes. Sitting facing the door was Arren, with two of his Ranger lieutenants. Arren had not aged well. His hair and beard were now more gray than dark, and there were dark circles under his eyes. The burdens of being occupied had worn on Arren, it seemed. Arren stood and smiled when Tarrin came in, but his smile dropped slightly when Jesmind came in right behind him. It seemed that Arren remembered Jesmind just as well as he remembered Tarrin.
"Ah good, Jeri found you," Sathon said as Kimmie and Jeri entered behind Jesmind. "Thank you, my boy. Could you go find Thean and ask him to come?"