The sun was beginning to rise as Arin and Topaz slipped through the wall and into his room. It warmed Arin's heart to see that his friends were waiting there for his return. Chayton was standing against a side wall, hitting his fist against it and staring up at the ceiling. Ryo lay across the unmade bed, kicking his legs against the side while Erec lay on his chest. Kiran sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands as he muttered to himself. Lien sat in the chair against the far wall, chewing her lip as she stared out the window. None of them were looking towards the door.

"Drop the spell," Arin whispered to Topaz, who nodded. He slid off her back as their forms became visible. "I told you I'd be back."

They all jumped at the sound of his voice. Ryo sat up, sending Erec bounding to the floor. Both Kiran and Lien stood and smiled at him. Chayton stopped leaning against the wall to look at him. Arin soon found himself struggling to breathe as they hugged him tightly at once. Topaz pushed her muzzle into the group and Lien put a hand on her nose.

"I need to breathe," Arin said, laughing.

"You smell like he tried to cook you," Chayton observed as they all released him.

"He did try," he replied.

"You have to tell us the entire story," Lien ordered him.

"I will," he stated. "I just need an hour of sleep first."

Ryo smiled. "We'll hold you to your word."

"I'm sure you will," Arin said with a smile. "Oh, do you want your cloak?"

"Keep it," he replied. "I have others."

"Keep the amber, too," Chayton added. "It seems it helped you."

"Thank you both," Arin said with a nod.

Lien smiled at him, her cheeks flushing slightly. "The kiss was meant for you."

He returned the smile. "Thank you."

Kiran put a hand on Arin's shoulder. "Keep the advice locked away somewhere. Who knows, you may need it again."

"It was helpful," Arin replied. "You didn't tell me his biggest weakness, though. I had to find it myself."

"And what would that be?" the older sorcerer asked.

"His self-pride at being a player."

Kiran nodded. "I didn't consider it."

"How would you even know?" Ryo asked him.

Kiran laughed. "He lived across the hall from me. I think I knew."

"Well," Arin sighed, "I'm going to get this stink off me, then I'll sleep."

"We'll be back in an hour," Chayton promised.

"Arin!"

His eyes flew open at the sound of Topaz's voice. He groaned when he saw where he was. The bath had been so warm and comforting that he'd fallen asleep. The water wasn't nearly as warm as it had been. He held up a hand to find his fingers wrinkled and pruned from an hour in the water.

Topaz looked at him from the doorway. "I've been trying to wake you. Get dressed before they decide to take down the door."

"Who?" he asked, puzzled.

"Your friends you dolt!" she replied.

Arin sighed and climbed out of the washtub. "Keep them out."

"I'll do what I can."

"You alive Arin?" Kiran called through the door.

"Dress," Topaz ordered. "I need some fun."

"Not too much," he said warningly as he dried off.

The Unine magically opened the door just enough to put her head through, her body concealing the room from them. "I'm glad you've come. Yes, Arin is dead. I'm afraid he suffered a terrible death. He drowned in his own bathwater."

Arin bit his lip to keep from laughing, then winced when it opened the scab on his lower lip. He listened to the exchange as he fumbled around for clean, dry clothes.

"Hello, Topaz," Ryo said. "What is Arin doing?"

She cocked her head. "Decomposing I suspect."

"Is he still sleeping?" Lien questioned.

"No, he's dead, but he's awake." She did her all-too-human eye roll.

"He is here, correct?" Kiran asked.

"You might wish to check the infirmary."

Arin was silently laughing as he found a pair of pants and pulled them on.

"Will you let us in to see him?" Chayton wanted to know.

"When his corpse is ready for viewing, perhaps," she replied, smiling.

Arin pulled on a tunic, keeping the amber tucked beneath it. Quickly, he ran a brush through his red hair so that he didn't look like a bird's nest. He knew he could use a shave, but it could wait until they left. Normally he wouldn't care how he looked around his friends, but now he did. He knew it was because of Lien.

"Now, Madam Unine," Kiran said, sounding annoyed, "I ask permission for us to enter and talk to Arin."

"I told you," Topaz replied, "he drowned in his bathwater. He cannot respond if you speak to him. What fun is a conversation with a dead man? I'll invite you to the funeral."

Arin couldn't hold back his laughter. "Topaz," he called, "stop telling them that I drowned in my bathwater!"

"Oh, look," she said, glancing behind her, "he lives. He really is the most powerful sorcerer in the world if he can bring himself back from the dead."

"Let them in!" he ordered, laughing.

"Was she really telling us that you had died?" Ryo asked as they entered.

He nodded. "She was teasing me for falling asleep in my bath."

Lien smiled. "You must have been tired."

"I was," he replied, hiding a yawn, "and still am." He sat on the edge of the bed and motioned to the rest of them. "Sit, if you want the story."

Kiran pulled a chair over and sat in it. Ryo sat near Arin on the bed, Erec settling in his lap. Chayton sat on the floor. Topaz settled down in front of Arin on the floor, too. Arin half expected Lien to sit next to him, but she sat on the floor next to the Unine.

"Tell her she may lean against me," Topaz said, looking at Lien.

"Lien," Arin said to get her attention.

She looked up at him. Her eyes seemed nervous, even a bit fearful. The expression puzzled Arin. Was she afraid he was going to tell her something upsetting, something about her kiss that night?

"Topaz says you can rest against her, if you wish," he said, trying to ignore the expression.

The anxiety in her eyes vanished. "Thank you."

"On with the story, Arin!" Ryo demanded.

He began. Whenever he missed a detail, Topaz filled him in. It took some time, with his friends cutting in to ask questions.

"I see how telling you of his habits would have helped you," Kiran said when he'd finished. "I'm sorry I didn't consider it."

"I won nevertheless," Arin replied with a forced smile.

"I think it was smart to use your eyes to surprise him," Lien said, leaning against Topaz. The Unine's head rested in the sorceress's lap.

"I supposed it might help after the way the five of you reacted," he responded.

"The question is," Kiran asked, "how did you learn the Burn-Without-Flame spell?"

"It was in one of the spell books you let me borrow," he answered.

"I should have destroyed that book," Kiran muttered. "Those are the most dangerous spells in existence. Only use them when you have no other option."

Arin nodded. "I will."

"Let's go work on some less dangerous spells," Ryo suggested. "I'm going to find Hesketh's horse. He doesn't deserve to suffer for his master's stupidity."

They all stood and made their way to the door. As they reached the door, Arin grabbed Ryo's arm and pulled him back. "We'll meet up with you," he said, closing the door while the others nodded and continued on their way.

Ryo looked puzzled. "What's wrong?"

Arin blushed. "I want to know just that."

"What do you mean?"

"You're Lien's brother," he stated. "How does she feel about me?"

Ryo appeared startled. "It's not my place to tell," he replied.

"I know, it's just-"

"She's afraid," Topaz said, looking at them.

"You know she cares about you," Ryo said at the same moment. "You know all that she's done for you. After she warded you from Hesketh, she slept not for an hour or two, but half the day. When she kissed you last night, she meant it. I happen to know she waited for a long while to give it to you."

"I know she cares," he replied. "I care about her, too. When she started forcing her magic that day in the meeting, it really scared me. She seemed ready to use her Life strength for me. Last night, I really hoped she'd meant what her kiss said. No, I know she cares. That wasn't what I was asking. It seems like she was afraid of me earlier."

Ryo sighed. "She's nervous. She's not sure if she offended you last night. She knows that you care, but she still doesn't know if it's that deep for you or not."

"That doesn't explain what you saw in her eyes, Arin," Topaz pointed out, rising to her feet.

"It is," he said quietly to Ryo. "When it's the right time, I'll show her. It's just... when Topaz suggested that I tell Lien that she could rest against her, I saw a strange look in her eyes. When she looked up at me, Lien looked frightened almost, until I gave her Topaz's offer."

Ryo ran a hand through his short brown hair, appearing puzzled. Suddenly, he nodded. "It was where we were sitting."

Arin was perplexed. "The bed? What's that-"

"Lien's very sensitive when it comes to our parents," interrupted Ryo. "I know she told you." Arin nodded. "She's so afraid she'll become Mother. I'm a little afraid of becoming Father, but not in the way she's worried about becoming Mother. Because of what the fact that it had a hand in causing our situation we don't drink, she nor I." He sighed. "Lien was so afraid when she first started feeling for you. When she told me about it, she was crying in fear. As she grew to know you, her fear lessened. She learned you were too kind to push her."

"Push her?" Arin asked. It felt strange to think someone like Lien had been afraid of him. But she hadn't been afraid of him, it was another fear, he realized, that was controlling her.

Ryo put Erec on his shoulder, where the kitten clung to his shirt to stay on. "She's afraid of love, Arin. It wasn't something she wanted, since it would possibly make her like Mother. Lien was afraid at first that you would push her... to spend the night together."

Arin stared at him. Hadn't just had a similar conversation with Hesketh? "She thinks I'll just pull her into bed or something?"

"She used to," he replied. "Now she knows you're not like that. It still makes her nervous though. When she saw you sitting on the bed, talking to her, she might have thought you would ask her to sit there with you. That's why she looked nervous."

Arin sighed. "She can't live her life like this. She can't be afraid her whole life."

"She has," Ryo stated. "At least the last thirteen years anyway."

Topaz nuzzled his shoulder. "You should tell her how you feel."

"You can help her, Arin," Ryo said quietly. "Show her how you feel. Soon. Don't push her, but move slowly. She loves you, and you her." Their eyes locked. "Help my sister."

Arin sat bolt upright in bed that night. Something had woken him, a strange driving desire that he had never felt before. He wanted something, or something was trying to find a way into him.

"What's wrong?" Topaz asked, looking up from where she lay on the floor.

Arin shook his head. "I'm not sure." As soon as he spoke the words he began seeing images of Lien and his first vision. "I need to go to Lien."

Topaz nodded. "Yes, I know now."

Arin slipped out of bed and pulled on his boots. He tucked the amber beneath his shirt when he noticed that it had slipped out while he slept. "I'm not sure when I'll be back," he told the mare. "This could take a while."

She nodded and went back to sleep.

As he walked down the hall to the room Lien and Ryo shared, Arin was thankful Lien had told him he could come at night. He wasn't sure if he could wait until morning.