Ayasha did not like the reason Helati gave her for needing her to watch the children, but she understood. Helati did not want to spend time arguing. It was terrible enough pulling herself away from the infants. She felt like a negligent mother, but hoped that, if something happened to her, they would grow up understanding why. She had to try to bring their father back.

This was her quest. The other minotaurs could fend for themselves.

No one was in sight as, before dawn, she stepped out to saddle her mount. In a few minutes, she would be on her way, with no one but Ayasha and her mate knowing her secret. She had given Ayasha permission to let others know once she was far away.

"You can't be serious about riding there alone, can you?"

Helati whirled about to find Brogan, his shoulder bandaged, standing a few yards behind her. He had moved so silently that neither she nor her mount had taken any notice of him. "What're you doing here, Brogan? And why isn't your wound healed? You are a cleric."

"My faith in Sargas has been… weak… of late. This is the best I could do. That's not important, though." He shrugged, changing the subject. "It's strange. I had a dream a short bit ago, about a human. I've rarely seen humans, save in war, and certainly not one all dressed in gray… from top to bottom. It was a short, strange dream. He told me he could not stay long, but he wanted me to wake up and find you. The children needed you more since Kaz was gone. That was what he said. Then, I woke up."

His words were disconcerting, especially about this human in gray. "Just your own fears, Brogan. There's nothing to the dream."

"But you're leaving," he pointed out. "And dream or not, I think you need to stay here."

"You were the one who wanted to gather an armed force and storm Nethosak… or was that a ploy at the time to get most of us back in the grip of the emperor?"

His expression made her instantly regret the rash comment. "It was meant honestly. I've thought things over, Helati. Kaz was correct about a large force being more hindrance than help. That is even more true now. If we rode in to save Kaz, we'd be riding right into the high priest's hands. The high priest is the one to watch, not old Polik."

"I can't just sit and wait. Kaz may need help."

"He may be dead already," Brogan returned bluntly. "I'm sorry to say that, but it could be true. Riding to Nethosak would then accomplish nothing except that you would share the same fate. Would Kaz want you to abandon the children?"

"That's not fair! You know I'm not simply abandoning them!"

The one-horned minotaur dipped his head apologetically. "I said that badly, but you know what I mean. The children should be your primary concern now."

"And what about Kaz?"

"He may return with your brother and the kender, all of them none the worse for their experiences. He may be a prisoner of the high priest. He may be dead. The point is, you must stay here and wait."

"Who can I ask to go in my place? This concerns my mate and my brother. Should I be any less than Tremoc? He journeyed over Ansalon time and time again, tracking down the murderer of his own mate."

"Tremoc was Tremoc, and although his legend has much merit, it shouldn't be the basis for this decision. Besides, you don't have to go to Nethosak yourself. There is another way to find out what's going on. Mistress Helati."

"What do you mean?" She eyed the other minotaur. "What other method could there possibly be?"

Brogan looked away. He seemed ashamed. "I have… a swifter way to contact Nethosak, swifter even than if we had messenger birds to use. Something I brought with me as an emergency measure."

Her eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"A small medallion. I purchased it from a black-robed mage during the war, when I often needed to go places where I could not use my own powers without being noticed by a cleric of Paladine. It can contact anyone in Nethosak, but only for a short time. It turned out I never used it. I brought it with me, though. It should still work."

"Can I use it?"

"It's attuned to me, but… perhaps I'd rather not explain a lot about it… It's not something I'm proud of now." He spread his hands. "You must believe me, Helati! I would not lie to you about this. I never thought to use it since I planned to abandon my former allegiances, but now the opportunity and the need demand it."

Helati thought over his words carefully, then nodded. "All right, but let us both try it together."

Brogan agreed. They returned to his dwelling, where he moved aside a small chest.

"I was looking at it when you came. You see, I was already contemplating contacting someone I know back there." The one-horned minotaur pulled out a small silver medallion with a blue crystal in the middle. There were markings on it, but Helati could not make them out. Brogan held the item cupped in one hand.

"How does it work? I've never seen anything like it before."

"It's simple. I merely have to put my thumb on the crystal and my index finger directly opposite it on the other side of the medallion. Then I think of the location or person and close my eyes." He gave Helati a grim smile. "It cost me quite a lot, but I felt a need for it at the time."

Indeed, there was much about his murky past that needed to be explained, but that was not important to her now. Helati moved nearer so that she could read the detail on the artifact. Her mind was racing. "Who did you plan to speak with earlier?"

"I think there might be a few friends of mine who would still give me aid. I will try for them now."

"No, let me try. I have a better idea."

He looked at her, uncertain. Then, shrugging, Brogan handed her the artifact. "As I said, originally it was attuned to me."

"I have to try." Thumb and index finger in place, Helati concentrated. She tried for Kaz, but for some reason, the great clan house of Orilg invaded her thoughts instead.

"-to me-" began a voice.

She was so startled, she broke contact.

"What is it?"

"You have no need to fear that it won't work for me, Brogan." Without waiting for his reply, Helati tried again.

"-agreed to by him! There will be no further word on the subject!"

Dastrun. She would know his voice anywhere. The spell was working.

All at once, the voices were accompanied by an image. It was the chamber where Dastrun and the other elders held court, and they seemed to be arguing about something amongst themselves.

"He knew the danger!" insisted Dastrun. "He made a pact! We abided by that, not even telling the guard where he had gone! That is the end of it!"

"They are scheduled to die in the arena during some contrived ceremony," pointed out an elder female. "They are to die for no good reason, Dastrun!"

"It has been decreed-"

"Decrees! We're talking about honor and justice, Patriarch!" called another voice.

"The high priest has declared them heretics and traitors," argued another, "especially Kaz!"

Kaz. They were talking about Kaz. She had thought so. Then the patriarch spoke again. "He made his agreement. We will abide by it. The clan can gain nothing by dragging itself down with Kaz and the others. They will die in the circus, and that will be the end of it. Kaz is dead from this moment on. I have made my-"

"No!" Everyone in the chamber looked up, seeking the source of the voice. Only after the echo had died away did Helati realize that she had spoken.

"What in the name of Sargas?" muttered Dastrun.

Recovering, she spoke again. "No, Dastrun, that won't do."

"Who is that? Where are you?"

"I'm Helati. Kaz's partner and mate."

Many of the elders whispered to one another. The patriarch looked disconcerted. "Where are you hiding?"