"Aye, my Lady," one of the men replied. The man reached beside him and pulled a rope hanging from the ceiling, and Tarrin realized it was a bellpull when the bell rang behind the door behind the counter. Tarrin spent the time looking at the display pieces, goblets and plates, statues of people and things, even a very impressively detailed one of what he thought was an Aeradalla, with her wings outstretched. He thought it was one, since the statue matched the descriptions he'd heard of them. All of the work was very detailed, very exacting. Tarrin realized they were in the shop of a master silver and goldsmith.

That master came through the door, and Tarrin wasn't entirely surprised. The man was a Dal, a short, stocky, heavy-set fellow with a bald pate and enormous hands. He was wearing a burned, scarred leather apron over a doublet and heavy leather trousers, to protect him from the sparks and bits of hot metal. Dals were very good at metalsmithing, and some of the best smiths and metalworkers in the world were Dal. He figured it was in their blood or something.

"I've been waiting for ye, yer Ladyship," he said with a rough voice, damaged from years of breathing in the smoke from his forge.

"It's ready, then?" she asked immediately.

"Aye. I'll fetch it for ye."

"What's ready?" Tarrin asked, looking at the two very large guards, noticing that their armor was very, very well made. Light yet strong, and kept in immaculate condition.

"Oh, just a little present I wanted to give you later," she replied with a smile. "But since you lost everything, I guess it'll be a good way to start rebuilding."

"What is it?"

"They, and you'll see," she said with a smile.

The man scurried off into his forge for only a moment, then returned with a fairly large towel or cloth or something. Tarrin realized that whatever it was that Jenna had gotten was wrapped in the cloth. The cloth bundle was about four spans long or so and very thick, and just about anything could be inside it. The Dal set it on the counter and stepped back, obviously waiting for Jenna to inspect the merchandise.

"Well? Go ahead, Tarrin," Jenna smiled. "After all, they belong to you."

A little curious, Tarrin approached the bundle, seeing that it was folded in such a way that would allow him to reveal what was inside without having to pick it up. He grabbed the cloth and peeled it back, then peeled back the inner fold, and looked down at what was inside in both surprise and amazement.

There were three things within the bundle. The first was a sword, an absolutely magnificent slightly curved sword whose pommel and hilt were worked to resemble a dragon. Tarrin looked very closely at that hilt, and he realized that Sapphire had been the model for the hilt. He recognized the general shape of the head, which served as the pommel. Tarrin picked up the sword and unsheathed it, and saw that it was sharpened only along one edge. The blade was very thin and almost unnaturally light, and drawing the entire weapon revealed that it had a chisel-style tip instead of a point. This was no thrusting sword, it was designed to slash. And the edge looked sharp enough to be able to slice through armor.

"It was based on the sword you used as a Were-cat," Jenna explained with bright eyes. "Just a little smaller, so you can use it as you are."

Tarrin resheathed it, and looked at the other two objects. They looked like wristguards or bracers, but were long enough to be forearm greaves for armor. They were elaborately decorated with several different etched designs. He saw Sapphire again in those designs, as well as Allia's Selani silhouette, and an Aeradalla, and Keritanima's silhouette as well-the tail gave her away-and swirling roses and vines. And on the top of each of them was an etched form of the amulet he wore around his neck, the shaeram. Tarrin reached down and picked one up, and its touch made his fingers tingle strangely. The metal was blackish in color and almost ridiculously light, but somehow he could tell that its strength was without equal. Just the touch on them told him that. And there was something more… an energy that seemed to infuse them, something that made his fingers tingle and feel hot.

"Go ahead," she urged. "Put them on."

Tarrin turned the one he was holding and put his hand through it, and he jumped in fright when the thing shrunk down to fit his arm! He grabbed at it to rip it off, but Jenna put her hand over his and laughed. "I'm sorry, I forgot," she told him. "It was supposed to do that."

"It changed its size!" he exclaimed. "It's magic!"

"It is magic," she said seriously. "Now put the other one on."

A little disturbed by that surprise, Tarrin warily picked up the other one, and then reluctantly slid his hand through it. When it was in place, it too shrunk down. And when it did, Tarrin felt the strangest tingle roll through his body.

"Good, they work," she said with a mysterious smile. "Very good work, Ardon," she nodded to the smith.

"All was done to yer specifications, yer Ladyship," he said in his rough voice.

"I see your reputation is well deserved." She reached into a pocket in her skirt, and handed the smith a small piece of paper that was within it. "There you are, Ardon. Thank you very much."

"Any time, yer Ladyship," he said with a wave of his hand. "I should be thanking ye to trust me to handle such a job."

"I needed the best, goodman. Skill knows no political boundaries."

"All in all, I still thank ye. When word got around that the Tower had consigned me for a job, the customers that left because I'm Dal came back. Ye saved me business, yer Ladyship. I can't thank ye enough for that."

"Then I'm happy I could help out," she said with a smile. "Good day to you."

"If ye need me hammer, it's yers, yer Ladyship. Half price."

"I'll remember that," she said with a light laugh.

Tarrin was a little disoriented when they left the shop and got back into the carriage, where the two Knights were still waiting. What did the two metal bracers do? Why did he feel that strange tingle when he put them on? They were magical, he knew that, but what kind of magic did they possess, and why did the smith have to work on them?

"I know, you're full of questions," Jenna smiled as they climbed back in and sat down. Tarrin had his new sword on his lap, and that too was a little strange. Jenna knew that he didn't like swords very much. Why had she had one made for him? His staff was stored safely in the elsewhere, and even though he wasn't entirely sure how he was supposed to get it out, he was sure he could do it if he really needed to do it. After all, Dolanna taught him how put things in there, he was sure that it worked more or less the same for getting things out. "Did you feel something when you put on the bracers?"

"Yes, it was like a cold tingle," he answered.

"Then it worked," she sighed. "I was afraid that they might not."

"What are they? What was that tingle?"

"They're magical devices, brother. As you are now, you're rather vulnerable when compared to the kinds of people or things that may try to attack you for what you're carrying. Mother showed me how to make those bracers. They're going to help protect you."

"But what do they do?"

"They do two things, Tarrin. The first is a defensive magic that surrounds you, like a phantom suit of armor. That's what that tingle was you felt. Your skin is as strong as steel, and if someone hit you in the head with a rock, you'd barely feel it. Given who you are and the fact that I doubt we could get you into a suit of armor, we figured that giving you the same protection without making it apparent would be a good idea."

Tarrin was intrigued and amazed by that statement. The bracers were like a suit of magic armor? He didn't feel any different, and didn't feel heavy or anything. Curious, he unsheathed his sword enough to expose the edge, and was about to see if it could cut him, but Jenna laid a hand over his to stay him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she cautioned. "The sword will make you think that the bracers are phony."