"Alright. Give me a couple of days."
"Make sure you tell Allia how to do it. I'll wait for her to contact me."
"I'll do it right now," he promised. "As soon as I get someone to go get her."
"Good. You get better, Tarrin. I'll talk to you later. I love you."
"I love you too, sister, and if I don't get better, Triana will kill me," he added with a wry chuckle. "Bye."
"Bye," she answered, and he took his paw off the amulet.
Tarrin knew it wouldn't take much to get Allia into his room. All he had to do was get the attention of whoever was standing outside his door. He did that by picking up the metal base of his lantern, then pitching it at the door. It hit it with a metallic thunk, and the door opened almost immediately. It was Faalken, wearing his armor and with a light grin on his face. "You wanted something, Tarrin?"
"I need to talk to Allia. Is she around?"
"I think she's downstairs. I can't leave this door or Triana will nail me to it, but Dolanna's in the next room. I'll have her go get Allia for you."
"Thanks, Faalken," he said with a grateful look, then he leaned back against his pillows.
Allia entered the room with Dolanna a few minutes later. She had a pewter tankard of water in her slender, four-fingered hand, but she also had a quartet of deep scratches on her forearm. Their spacing told him that a Were-cat was to blame. They were also fresh, done that very day. "Which one did that to you?" he asked immediately.
"It wasn't a fight, brother," Allia said immediately in Selani. "Singer wanted to see the Dance, so I sparred with her. This was an accident. You have given me worse, so don't get outraged over it."
"Oh. Alright, I guess," he said. "Dolanna, you should be here too."
"For what, dear one?"
"I'm going to teach Allia something about our amulets. It turns out we can use them to talk with Keritanima." Dolanna's eyebrow rose, and Allia gave him a startled look, putting her hand on her ivory amulet. "The Goddess explained how to do it. She said that because they're connected, we can use them to speak with each other over any distance."
"When did she tell you this?" Dolanna asked.
"When she told me everything else. She just said not to try it or use it until I was stronger. It does take a little concentration and effort."
"You could have told me," Allia said in a huff.
"I wanted to make sure it worked before I did that," he told her. "Do you want to learn this or not?"
"Teach on," she said immediately.
"I've already done it, and Kerri's waiting for you to speak to her," he told her. "You just put your hand on the amulet and concentrate on which of us you want to talk to. Then you talk. She'll hear it. She'll talk back to you the same way."
Allia nodded, grabbing hold of the ivory amulet, taking a couple of breaths, then closing her eyes. "Keritanima," she called out in a steady voice.
"It's about time," Keritanima's voice emanted from Allia's amulet immediately. "I thought you said you were going to get her, Tarrin. I was starting to worry." There was a slight pause. "Hello, sister. It's good to hear your voice. Are you alright?"
"Very interesting," Dolanna said professionally, looking at Allia's hand over the amulet. "Can she hear us?" she asked Tarrin.
He shook his head. "She can only hear Allia, but everything Allia says can be heard by people around her, the same way we can hear her."
"Then I suggest you only speak to Keritanima in Sha'Kar," Dolanna suggested. "That is the only secure way to communicate, and there is little doubt that Keritanima's cabin is under surveillance."
"That's a very good point," Tarrin agreed. Allia relayed that suggestion to Keritanima, in the Sha'Kar language.
"I think Dolanna has a good idea," Keritanima replied in Sha'Kar. "I have little doubt that people are watching and listening. This way they'll know I'm talking to you, but have no idea what I'm saying. And it's not like they can tell me to stop. That would tip me off for sure that they're spying on me."
"What is the difference?" Allia asked.
"It's against the law to spy on the Royal family," Keritanima said with a wicked little laugh. "They do it anyway, but it's illegal. Anyone caught doing it is arrested for high treason, and Wikuni law makes that punishable by death with no benefit of trial. If they say that to me, I could have the ship's captain executed on the spot."
"The Wikuni have laws for everything," Allia noted.
"True, but that just means that we have to break more laws to get things done," she replied with a chuckle. "Azakar is giving me a dirty look. He doesn't like our new security rule."
"Miranda speaks Sha'Kar," Tarrin remembered with a little smile. "I wouldn't put it past Binter and Sisska either. They were in the room when we were learning it, and they're both very smart."
"Tell Keritanima that giving Azakar lessons may be a good idea," Dolanna said. "Because of who we are, I think an uninterceptible means of communication should be common among us."
Allia relayed that, and there was a pause. "I'm not so sure, Dolanna. The more people who know it, the greater the chance it leaks out."
"That's irrational, sister," Allia chided. "Teaching a language takes time."
"True, but how am I going to teach him without teaching whoever's listening as well?"
"I see," Allia said after a second.
"Tell her that there are any number of weaves and Wards I taught her that block sound," Dolanna told Allia. "She can simply isolate her cabin and teach within the safety of the Ward. It could also protect them from any other information they do not want the others to discover."
Allia relayed that. "Good idea," Keritanima answered Dolanna's suggestion. "I can do that, and it'll give me the opportunity to practice. Miranda wants to know if there are Wards that block vision. You never taught me anything like that."
"Yes, but I did not teach them to her. Tell her that an Illusion placed so that is viewed outward, laid over the cabin's walls, will make people looking into the cabin see the Illusion she placed. It is just as effective as a blocking Ward."
Allia relayed that, and Keritanima chuckled. "I never thought to use an Illusion like that. That's sneaky. I'll do it. I don't want these rats knowing any more than absolutely necessary."
"You were right, brother," Allia told him. "This does take effort."
"That's why I only did it for a couple of minutes," he told her.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, sister," Allia said. "I was speaking to Tarrin."
"Oh, sorry. For a minute there, I thought I lost contact. Listen, I can't speak much longer. I have to make some arrangements, and I don't want them to know any more until I can set it up so they can't eavesdrop. I'll talk to you tomorrow, Allia, alright?"
"That's alright with me, sister," Allia assured her. "Contact us when you're ready to speak again. We won't contact you until then, unless it's an emergency."
"Good. I hope to contact you tomorrow. I love you, sister. Bye again, Tarrin, and I'll do what you suggested, Dolanna. Just make sure you teach Dar and Faalken while I'm teaching Azakar."
"Dolanna is nodding, so I guess that is an assent, and Tarrin sends his love," Allia replied. "Goodbye, sister. Fair winds be with you."
"Talk to you tomorrow, Allia. Keep each other safe," she replied, and then Allia let go of the amulet.
"Well, this is an advantageous development," Dolanna smiled. "With the ability to communicate with her, she will have no trouble finding us when she is ready to return. When will that be, Tarrin?"