Honor and Blood

Tarrin couldn't help but find that fu

"How are we going to find them?" Je

Tarrin touched his nose with a finger. "I'll take care of it," he chuckled.

"I keep forgetting about that," Je

"You will, trust me," he assured as the brush stopped rustling, and the courtyard fell silent once again.

To: Title EoF

Chapter 30

They were both rather quiet as Tarrin tracked the scents of his family back through the halls of the Tower, circular halls that surrounded the central Heart with other hallways that served as spokes in a wheel, co

He could see that Je

His little sister, the Keeper. And not just the Keeper of the Tower of Suld. She would be the Keeper of the Tower in Sharadar as well, the new leader of the katzh-dashi of both continents. He realized that Je

Tarrin stopped them at the foot of a set of stairs, then knelt in front of his sister so they could see eye to eye without her breaking her neck to look up at him. "Je

"I'm sorry, but I just can't stop shaking for some reason," she said with a nervous laugh.

"It's not every day you meet someone right out of a fairy tale," he smiled at her.

"You seem to be taking it well," she accused.

"Je

She looked at him, then laughed. She pulled on one of his thick fingers, a finger nearly as long as her hand, until the claw at the tip slid out from its hiding place. "I think I can understand that," she gri

Tarrin chuckled. "It's a long story. I'll tell it to you sometime."

"Do you love her? I can tell by looking at how she watches you that she loves you."

"Yes, brat, I love her," he said seriously. "And yes, I've told her. She and I, we're mates. I guess we always have been."

"That's good. You know, Jasana is adorable. What's she like?"

"She's shy around strangers, but she'll get very talkative and bubbly once she gets used to you. You'd better watch her," Tarrin chuckled. "She's the most devious little thing I've ever seen. She's almost ruthless when she's trying to get something she wants."

"Then she's just like we used to be," Je

"Who says I've changed?" he challenged.

Je

"You did."

"Well, I guess I'm just as capable of lying now as I was back when I was a girl," she teased. "Is she really as powerful as she feels?" she asked seriously.

"She'll be able to spank both of us together when she comes into her power," Tarrin told her with a bit of fatherly pride. "I think she could even give her a run for her money."

There was no need for him to explain who her was. Je

"I think I would too," he agreed. "Until then, I'm keeping a handle on her. I need to start training her, because she's already used her power. You can help me with that. You're strong enough to choke her off if she starts doing things I've told her not to do."

"I think I could. She's strong, but she doesn't have any idea what she's doing, does she?"

He shook his head in agreement. "At least not yet. It's going to be a bit dangerous when we start teaching her, because then she will know what she's doing. She's so powerful, if she tries to resist, I don't know if I can control her."

"Experience matters alot more than power, Tarrin," she told him. "Mother taught us that."

"I know. Let's both hope that she's right."

"Since when have you ever known mother to be wrong?" she asked with a grin.

Tarrin chuckled. "There, feel better now?" Tarrin asked, patting her on the shoulder.

"Actually, I do," she admitted, holding up a hand that was no longer trembling. "I guess if I think about something else, it doesn't sneak up and smack me."

"Try to keep that in mind. Ready to go on now?"

"I think so," she replied as he stood back up.

They continued. Tarrin followed the scent trail left behind by the other Were-cats, which was very easy for him to track because they were so fresh and so unique. They went high up into the Tower, near the top, into hallways no Novice or Initiate was usually allowed to enter. Hallways with plush carpeting and glowglobes almost every twenty paces, even with tapestries and artworks hanging from the wood-panelled walls. These were the luxury accommodations for the elite of the Tower's political power structure, and visiting dignitaries and other high-station visitors. They spent half their time staring at the lavish decorations, and Tarrin could feel that the carpet under his feet was very plush and soft, feeling almost new.

He was a little uncertain of this. Tarrin wasn't used to this kind of… grandeur. It didn't suit him. He was a simple Were-cat, and wasn't sure if he'd feel comfortable in such lavish surroundings. His worst suspicions were confirmed when the trail led to the end of a hallway at the terminus of a spoke passage, ending in a pair of large double doors. Doors made of a burnished mahogany wood, inlaid with what looked like mother-of-pearl in a swirling, symmmetrical design.

"Nice. The doors to our rooms aren't half that grand," Je

"Blame Triana," he told her as he put a paw on the door, hearing the voices of the others inside. He turned the doorknob resolutely, then pushed the door open.