truthwright
It turns out that there was really not much point to making a schedule. Kas and Helen visit the witch clan whenever Helen feels like it, and stay as long as she wants, and go when she wants to be somewhere else, and it all adds up to plenty more time spent with the clan than away.
After the aquarium jaunt with Ranata, it's a little more than a month before they visit the clan again.
After the aquarium jaunt with Ranata, it's a little more than a month before they visit the clan again.
truthwright
"He's back at the hotel, button," says Petaal, cuddling the now chincilla-shaped Kalavar. "I'll fly you back, c'mon."
carillons
It's a much shorter flight back, for some reason. Maybe Petaal's cloudpine is faster. Anyway, after only a few minutes Helen can see the city in the distance.
carillons
The first Helen knows of this, the branch on which she sits starts to fall out of the sky. She twists around and sees a blur of flame where Petaal should be.
truthwright
The flame unblurs - she's a peregrine falcon, diving to catch the falling branch - she's a witch again, clinging to the back of the cloudpine while Helen clings to the front, and their flight levels out.
"You okay, button?" she says shakily.
"You okay, button?" she says shakily.
truthwright
Petaal angles the branch up to regain lost altitude.
"Somebody's trying to kill me," she says. "But I'm very immortal."
"Somebody's trying to kill me," she says. "But I'm very immortal."
truthwright
Especially since Petaal's branch is considerably augmented.
They land in front of the hotel - Petaal brought enough silk with her to cover one problem area, and assumed the appropriate witch shape, so no one gives them excessive trouble while they go up to their room.
They land in front of the hotel - Petaal brought enough silk with her to cover one problem area, and assumed the appropriate witch shape, so no one gives them excessive trouble while they go up to their room.
carillons
Where Helen immediately flings herself at Kas.
"I met these witches and they said they'd do a spell to find you but they did it in Svaaric and—"
She can't finish the sentence; she just bursts into tears.
"I met these witches and they said they'd do a spell to find you but they did it in Svaaric and—"
She can't finish the sentence; she just bursts into tears.
truthwright
"I know," he says, hugging her and kissing the top of her head.
And he brainphones Ranata Ekamma.
[So a couple of witches just tried to kill me and take my daughter.]
And he brainphones Ranata Ekamma.
[So a couple of witches just tried to kill me and take my daughter.]
truthwright
[Don't know. I'd ask Helen if they told her anything, but she's busy crying.]
[Didn't see any clan tattoos,] says Petaal.
[Didn't see any clan tattoos,] says Petaal.
truthwright
[Helen was in a park, I went to the bathroom, I came out, Helen wasn't in the park. Then somebody hit me with a death curse out of nowhere while I was looking for her. But I am extremely immortal, so it didn't put me down for long.]