That calm didn't do all that much for Jesmind. Talbon was the only Druid she really knew, for he wasn't too far from her den, and she'd been forced to travel all the way to him to send out her call. She had been waiting there for several days, as her message slowly managed to find her mother, and her mother responded to it. Talbon was a gracious host, keeping the Were-cat comfortable and entertained, learning what she had to bring in news from the lands outside. But it was obvious that the Were-cat was agitated, and Talbon was wise enough not to press her too far. Were-cats were especially volatile among the Were-kin, and their kind had a very nasty reputation. Talbon really didn't see why they had earned such a dark reputation, for he had never seen one that was deserving of it. True, they had tempers, but no more than a Were-boar. The only thing that made the Were-cats different from their cousins was that they couldn't hold a fully human shape without discomfort. But Talbon couldn't see why this would make the rest of them not like them.
And so Talbon abided with the distraught Were-cat in relative silence, waiting for Triana. That in itself would be something of a special occasion. All of Fae-da'Nar knew that name, for Triana was the oldest of her kind. She was a thousand years old, and she was a Druid of high caliber. But what was most important, Triana was respected by all of Fae-da'Nar. Even other Were-kin, who had a universal dislike for their unusual cousins, respected Triana for her age, her experience, and her wisdom. Talbon had met Triana twice before, and he had been impressed by her. He very much looked forward to speaking with her again.
She appeared at the edge of the grove silently, and Jesmind stood quickly and rushed to her mother. The physical similarities were striking. Jesmind was truly her mother's daughter, for they shared the same high cheekbones and narrow nose, the same beautifully sharp features. But Triana stood almost a head taller than her daughter, towering over almost everyone around her, and her face had a maturity about it that made everyone who looked at her realize that she was not as young as she looked. Triana had tawny colored hair that was almost perfectly matched by her fur, something of a rarity among Were-cats, and those green, vertically slitted eyes looked down at her daughter with curiosity when she embraced her fiercely.
"I'm happy to see you too, daughter," Triana said in a rich voice, a voice that was strong and sharp and deceptive for a female her size. "Now what can be so serious that you would have the Druids track me down? I was busy."
"You're always busy, mother," Jesmind said accusingly. "I need your help."
"For what? You're a grown woman, Jesmind. At least you should be."
"I don't know what to do, mother," she said immediately. She led Triana back to the log on which she'd been sitting, and as Talbon listened, she explained everything that had happened to her. It was obvious to Talbon that Jesmind was torn. She had done what she was supposed to do. She tried to kill a Rogue. But Talbon suspected that she wasn't quite so overmatched as she led her mother to believe. "I can't kill him, mother. Actually, I don't want to. The Tower did this to him. If we can get him out of there, he should be alright, and there are few enough males as it is. He's a good boy, mother. He just needs to get out of that place. It's killing him bit by bit, because he can't be himself. They won't let up on him. And I can't convince him to leave. He's so afraid of his magic, that he thinks they're the only ones that can help him keep it under control. I promised him I'd send someone in my place, because I couldn't risk getting into another fight with him."
Triana gave her daughter a long, steady look. "I, see," she said, which made Jesmind blush. "Is that how it is?"
Jesmind nodded emphatically.
"Then I'll go have a look at this Tarrin," she said. "You did the right thing, daughter. I'll go see him, and if I think he's worth salvaging, then we'll go from there. If he's too far gone, we'll have to put him down."
"Mother!"
"It's the law, daughter," she said in a voice that brooked no dispute. "I don't care how you feel about him, the law is the law."
"It's not fair," she said. "It's not his fault!"
"You spend a night with him, and you're attached to him?" Triana said in surprise. "That's not like you, Jesmind."
She looked away from her mother, staring at the ground.
"Look at me," she demanded, and the red-headed Were-cat was compelled to obey. Nobody disobeyed Triana. She met that penetrating gaze sheepishly, her cheeks reddening.
And Triana laughed. "No wonder," she said. "It's about time, girl. I was starting to give up on you."
Jesmind blushed even deeper.
"Alright, I'll see what I can do. But that's no guarantee."
"I didn't think it would be, mother."
"Talbon, you're looking well," she finally managed to say in greeting. "I'm sorry we didn't greet earlier, but my daughter here wasn't giving me the chance to put in a word."
"That's quite alright, Triana," he said with a disarming smile. "After hearing what she has to say, I don't really blame her. With a Rogue out there, it makes things uncertain."
"Not just any Rogue, Talbon," she sighed. "This one is a Sorcerer. That makes this a bit of a tight situation."
"Do you want me to call together a cadre?"
"Not yet," she said. "Let me take a look at him. I'll let you know how we're going to deal with him after I'm certain of it."
"As you wish, Triana," he said calmly. "It must have been a long trip. Would you like some tea?"
"Ever considerate," she smiled. "Yes, I would, thank you. Did you ever enlarge your cottage?"
Jesmind remained on the log as her mother and the Druid stood and walked towards a small cottage with stone walls, and ivy covering the outside. Her tail was lashing behind her, and her mind was full. Where was Tarrin now? What she felt from him, through the bond, it was powerful. She didn't mention it to Triana, because it was Tarrin at his worst, and that would have hardened her mother to him. Someone had done something terrible to him, and she was very worried. He was unsettled, unsure, afraid. She felt so much pity for him that it was breaking her heart, because he had nobody there to help him through it, to help him deal with what every Were-cat had suffered through at least once in their lives.
The realization that they were never fully in control.
Tarrin was so desperately alone, and he was too young to be able to deal with it himself. He needed Jesmind, but she couldn't be there to help him. Her instincts cried out to be there for him, but other, equally powerful instincts were forcing her to stay away from him, because he was much too dangerous for her to handle in her condition. She hoped that Triana could take up that role, because of all their kind, she would be the best at recovering her tormented bond-child and returning him to a life of relative peace.
She believed in her mother, and had the feeling that if anyone could help Tarrin, Triana could. She just had to reach him before he was too far gone. She wanted to do it herself. Tarrin was her bond-child, and he was special. She wanted to be there for him, to help him, to ease him through things, but she just couldn't. His Sorcery made him dangerous, and she couldn't risk getting caught between him and his anger should he use his powers while in a fury. She had other duties, other responsibilities, and they were just as powerful and immediate as Tarrin's. It had been a hard choice, but it was a choice that she had been forced to make.
She had been forced to decide between two children, both of which needed her. And she had made her choice. She placed her hand on her belly, her thoughts grim and foreboding.
She only hoped that it was the best one.