Sakura had many for fights with the Ronins after that, getting stronger and stronger after each one, but each battle kept ending in a stale mate.  Neither side was winning, and the person that this annoyed most was Talpa.

"I don't understand it." Talpa growled as he paced the room.  Sakura and the other warlords watched as he went from one side to the other.  "It doesn't make sense, why can't we defeat them?" Talpa yelled. "What are we doing wrong?"

"Maybe, it's not something that we're doing wrong, father," Sakura suggested trying to appease her father. "Maybe, they have something that is allowing them to hold us off."

"Like magic?" Talpa sneered rounding on her knowing full well she was the only one who could do it.

Sakura shrank back against the wall, "not magic per say, but something that their armor can do that ours can't"

"Maybe we can send Talon or Artemis, or even Draco to find something out." Anubis suggested. Artemis was the recent addition to Sakura's pet collection, a wolf that she had found as a pup and had reared.

"Right," Cale mocked, "That won't be obvious, a dragon and a wolf following them and the same bird always flying around them. Why don't you just strap a speaker to them shouting, 'Hey, we're listening to your plans.'?"

"Cale, is right," Sekhmet agreed, "We've used Talon to much, they might get suspicious and Draco and Artemis are much too noticeable."

"Maybe we could send a person." Talpa quietly said.

"A person!" Dais asked with confusion. "How would that help, they would surely know that they were on our side."

"But what if they had claimed to change sides?" Sekhmet added, "They do seem to have a soft spot for people who have seen the error of their ways." He mocked.

"That could actually work." Anubis said. "But who would we send? It would have to be someone we know won't betray us, and can think on their feet."

"Precisley," Talpa acknowledged. "That's why Sakura is going."

"What!?!" Sakura yelled. "Me? Why me?" Sakura didn't like the plan and she defiantly didn't like being the one chosen to be the spy.  She preferred to stay as far away from Ryo as possible."

"Because we know you wouldn't betray your own father, and you have gotten yourself out of tighter spots than all of us put together." Cale said.

"You're the perfect choice." Sekhmet agreed.

"But think about it," Sakura challenged. "I'm Talpa's daughter what are the chances that they are going to let me in?"

"But, they don't know that your Talpa's daughter, that gives us an advantage." Dais pointed out.

"Fine! But they still know that I'm a warlord; they have seen my face remember? And they aren't just going to let me waltz in and say 'Hey guys, I'm sorry that I've been fighting ya'll mind if I join your team?'" Sakura argued, she was not going to go without a fight.

"That's why you are going to have to prove yourself to them." Talpa said

"How am I going to do that?" Sakura wanted to know.

"There is going to be a natural disaster and you are going to save one of the Ronin warriors from it." Talpa told her.

Talpa then outlined his plan and when he was finished they all looked expectantly at Sakura. She sighed in resignation.

"All right, I'll do it."

"Now, we need to know where they are." Sekhmet said.

"We can still use Talon for that," Anubis said.

Sakura summoned Talon and told him his job. "Fly out and find the Ronin warriors, when you have fly back here and let us know."

With that Talon took off in a flutter of wings and soared out the window.  Talon returned three days later and told Sakura where the Ronins were located.

"The Emperor lands?" Sakura said with surprise. "What could they possible be doing over there?"

"Actually, they are in the neutral area outside the Emperor lands." Anubis pointed out.

"But, still that's a good two month journey on foot to reach the shadow lands. I mean I can get there fairly quickly riding Draco, but they don't have anyway of riding something to get here. And the Shadow lands seems to be there next designation." Sakura said.

"No matter," Talpa explained. "Only you and Anubis will need to go. You will of course stay with them…"

"If they let me." Sakura said with irritation.

"And Anubis can return on Draco." Talpa finished.

"Sounds good to me." Anubis said and then he and Sakura went to get ready.