"They probably had a plan for it," Thean speculated. "Made most of their army stay inside, had a system of rotating them in and out so it looked like it was the same men entering or leaving a building, when it was actually different men. The question is, why would they do it?"
"Simple, Thean. They were hiding their numbers from the Rangers, in case they ever tried a direct assault on the city," Sathon told him.
"That brings it up," Tarrin grunted. "Arren, you have a spy in your ranks."
"A spy? How do you know?"
"The Dals and the ki'zadun knew every element of the plan," he replied. "They knew when and where to look for Ariana. They set fire to a building to make it look like I did it, and they had archers, siege engines, just about everything all loaded up and waiting for us. They knew we were coming, and they knew what we were going to do. Every part of it. It was like one of them was sitting around that table when we made the plan."
"That, is serious," Arren said grimly, leaning back and setting his fork down. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"No idea, but it has to be someone that heard the entire plan. An officer or other high-ranking official in your army."
"It would have had to have been one of my senior officers," Arren fretted. "They're the only ones that knew the plan outside those of us who were at the table."
"Or someone on one of those officers' staffs," Thean added. "If that's who it is, odds are he heard the plan from the officer he works for. I know how humans love to gossip."
"Sorry to ruin your dinner this way, but I felt you should know," Tarrin told him.
"Well, I can enjoy the dinner now, and then worry later," he said with a faint smile. "I'll find him, Tarrin. Don't you worry about that."
"Good."
"Now then, what is that over there? It looks delicious."
Very little was discussed after that. They all enjoyed the banquet of foods that Tarrin had conjured from many different cultures. After they finished off the main meal, Tarrin Conjured uta for all of them, and was pleased that they all thought that it was one of the most delicious things they had ever tasted. Jesmind especially seemed to go crazy over it, swiping half the uta off Tarrin's plate and wolfing it down. When she eyed the honey-smothered pasty on her daughter's plate, Jasana growled at her and pulled her plate away from her mother defensively.
"Ahh," Arren said in contentment. "What I wouldn't give right now for some of your father's apple wine," he told Tarrin.
"There's still some of it left," he told him. "They didn't find all of it we had stored at the farm."
"Really? You'll have to send me some."
Without much thought, Tarrin Conjured one of the casks of apple wine, making it appear on the ground just beside the table. "There it is," he said.
Arren laughed. "That's a handy little ability there, Tarrin," he said as he and Thean picked up the cask and set it on a stand that Sathon Conjured for them. Sathon produced a tap, and the cask was tapped and wine was poured for them. Jasana sniffed suspiciously at the wine that was set before her, then sipped at it.
"It's good. It tastes fruity," Jasana announced, then she drained the glass. "Can I have more?"
"Of course, cub," Jesmind told her, pouring her another cup.
"Isn't that a bit much for such a youngling?" Arren asked delicately.
"Alcohol doesn't affect us, Arren," Kimmie smiled. "Our metablism burns it out long before it can make us drunk. It's perfectly safe for her to drink it."
"Ah," Arren sounded. "I didn't know that."
"I'm surprised you didn't say something about a child drinking wine. Where I come from, it's considered taboo."
"You must be from Tor, then," he smiled. "It's perfectly acceptable here, so long as the parent doesn't let the child get drunk. That's bad form."
"Torians are a bit high-collared," Kimmie said with a chuckle. "I had any number of moral apoplexies after I was turned. Were-cat ways are about as different from Torian ways as you can get."
"You aren't a natural Were-cat?" Arren asked.
She shook her head, taking a sip of wine. "Me and Tarrin are the only two of us who were turned. Were-cats are usually extremely careful about biting people."
"One of their few disciplines," Sathon teased with a smile, looking at Thean.
"I learn more and more every day," Arren said, sipping his wine.
"Well, I should get some rest. I have to rejoin the others on the way to Suld. It'll take some serious effort to catch up with them now. Now that they aren't forced to wait for horses, they're moving at a fair clip."
"How are you going to do that?" Arren asked curiously.
"He's going to enchant a horse," Tarrin replied, "so that it can run faster than any other horse, and hold the pace for days on end. He should catch up with the others in a few days."
"Very good, Tarrin. I see you were paying attention when I taught you," Sathon smiled.
"I'm not a total bonehead, Sathon," Tarrin told him mildly.
"Could have fooled me," Jesmind jibed, elbowing him in the ribs. He looked at her, then saw her mischevious smile. Jesmind was feeling a bit frisky. All the sweets in that uta was probably getting to her. "I think it's time to put Tarrin to bed. He isn't fully recovered yet, and he needs to rest." She looked around. "That means that all of you take what you want off the table and go," she declared. "I won't have your talking disturbing him."
"She's the soul of courtesy, isn't she?" Kimmie remarked to Thean.
"The absolute soul of it, cub," Thean said with a straight face. "Let's clear the table of anything snackish and remove ourselves before she starts losing her graceful veneer."
They all stood up. Tarrin took Arren's hand in his paw and shook it. "I won't see you again for a while, Arren," he announced. "I'll be leaving tomorrow with the other Were-cats for Suld. I hope things go well for you."
"With all the help we're going to get, I think things will be just fine," Arren smiled. "Torrian will be rebuilt, better than ever before. Just wait and see."
"I will see it," he told him. "When all this is over, I'm coming home. Aldreth is where I belong. I'll have to pass through Torrian to get home, you know."
"I'll be happy for that. We can visit each other and keep up on things."
"We will at that. Good luck, Arren."
"May Karas grant you fair skies and good roads for your journey," he replied.
"Tomorrow at sunrise, come back over here and pick up what I'm going to leave for you," he told him.
"What is it?"
"You'll see," Tarrin smiled. "Just make sure you bring some strong men you can trust. That's all I'm going to say."
"Well, alright," Arren said. "But don't go out of your way on my account."
"I won't," Tarrin told him. He noticed Jesmind's expectant glare. "It looks like my taskmistress over there is getting impatient that I'm not laying down," he grinned, jerking a thumb at his mate. "I'd better go before she drags me off by the ear."
"Good luck to you," Arren said, shaking his paw one more time, then turning to pick up the cask of apple wine.
"Good journey, Tarrin. I'll see you in Suld," Sathon nodded.
"You too," Tarrin replied, then turned to where Thean and Kimmie were putting on their cloaks. "Remember, you two, be back here before dawn," Tarrin called. "I'll leave you behind if you're late!"
"We'll be here, Tarrin," Thean assured him as he took the cask of wine from Arren to let him put on his cloak. "We have tents behind yours. So we'll be in shouting distance."