Standard Disclaimer. I do not own FFX or the characters in it. They are owned by Square-Enix. I do own this story, and my original characters. The title of this chapter is from a song originally performed by the Eagles.

The party reached the Calm Lands Travel Agency the following afternoon, only to be met by Father Zuke, with his news that they had been officially declared traitors to Yevon. Yuna tried not to show how much his words weighed on her, but it was clearly difficult for her. She discovered that it was one thing to believe something horrible, and quite another to hear it confirmed.

Auron was cautiously optimistic about the information regarding Kelk Ronso, but he was not completely surprised, considering that the Ronso Elder had not stayed to witness their 'sentencing' to the Via Purifico. Auron had not thought that murdering one's father would be consistent with the Ronso's concept of honor. He reflected that Yuna's straight spirit might yet win them a pass over Gagazet, in spite of Mika's pronouncement, now that he was certain that Kelk had left Yevon. What would happen on the other side of the mountain was still a problem to be solved, but at least now Auron thought they had a chance of reaching Zanarkand to solve it.

But Yuna was clearly troubled by Zuke's words, and they were all still weary after Bevelle. They also needed to take this opportunity to replenish their supplies, as the Palace guards had pilfered their belongings, and Yuna's small pack had been taken from her when she had been captured and never returned. This might be their last chance to restock before they reached Zanarkand. The party would be lucky if the Ronso gave them safe passage over Gagazet, under the circumstances. Hospitality was probably too much to hope for. Auron conferred with Kimahri. They agreed that the best plan was to stay the night at the Agency, using the time to open all their bags, replenish and repack, spend the night where they could count on the Agency guards instead of their own, and let everyone get some much-needed rest.

The campsite was first, set up in one of the 'loops' of the Agency grounds, allowing for an arrangement that placed Yuna closest to the center of the Agency, with Auron and Kimahri on the outside edge of the group. The two warriors were not truly planning to rely wholly upon the Agency guards. After a thorough inventory of the contents of their packs and bags, Rikku and Lulu were delegated to negotiate for what the party needed. Rikku did the negotiating in the Al Bhed tongue, while Lulu and her Cait Sith glared from behind. A fair division of labor that seemed to result in a large number of items at reasonable prices, and a dinner that no one in the party had to cook, a rare treat for everyone.

After the fruits of their labor were eaten or distributed, it was time to settle down for the night. Auron lay on his back, with his hands clasped behind his head, gazing up at the stars. He and Kimahri had agreed earlier, they would pretend to sleep, and split the watch, Auron first, Kimahri second. He checked that his katana was by his left hand, and then stopped. It wasn't just the katana. Everything he had removed for the night was at his left. Still…

Zanarkand…beginning fourteen months ago, ending three months ago

Jecht sent him a dream. In the dream, even though his friend's back was turned to him, he still knew it was Jecht. That wild hair, and the way he cracked his neck. The dream was in Zanarkand, but the ruined Zanarkand he had seen when he rode Sin from Spira to this dream city. Jecht spoke to him, in his dream, "How's my boy doin'? I'm coming in one year, Auron. You got any unfinished business, you better start finishin' it." Auron woke, but tried to keep still, not to wake Mercy sleeping beside him. There is still time, he thought. He rolled onto his side, pulling her sleeping form against his chest. He kissed her awake. They made love in the middle of the night, desperate to keep the future at bay for a little while longer. Five years had never been enough.

Six months later, he had a similar dream. Jecht again, but this time he let Auron respond to his questions.
"So, how's my boy doin' now?" Jecht challenged.
"He made your old team six months ago. They say he's a rising star, the 'new hope of Blitzball' according to one of the announcers." Auron strove to keep his dream voice calm, in spite of his rising tension.

"Good, good. I wanted him to get the 'view from the top', like we talked about. I wish it could be for longer. He's got six more months to enjoy it." Suddenly, there was an edge to Jecht's voice, "And you've got six more months to enjoy, well, whatever it is you're doin', too." Jecht was laughing, laughing at him, and his harsh laughter echoed in Auron's mind as he twisted up in bed, taking the covers with him.
"What is it, love?" Mercy asked groggily, as she started to pull the blankets back.
Auron's voice was a flat monotone when he responded, torn between rage and fear, and unwilling to show either. "We have six months left."
"I know, I've been keeping track, she admitted sleepily, "but that's not what's bothering you right now."
"I had a dream, just now. I saw Jecht. He knows about you. Sin knows about you. About us."
She sat up, wrapped her arms around his waist, tucked her head into the hollow of his shoulder. "What do you think it means?"
He rested his cheek against her hair. Close like this, he couldn't hide his emotions, so he stopped trying. He held her, the tight circle of his arms conveying his fear for her. "You will be a target when Sin comes. He doesn't know you personally, so I doubt he will be able to find you in a crowd, but he knows where I was tonight, so this building will be destroyed. If we are together when Sin takes me, he will know for certain who you are; you will die an unclean death, and not reach the Farplane." He paused. "Damn Jecht," he said with vehemence, after a long pause.
"What was that last bit about?" Mercy was still a little confused.
"When he told me he knew about us, he was laughing at me. I'm not sure if it was Sin, or if it was the old Jecht. It could have been either one. Damn Jecht. He never would have thought you would look at me twice," he muttered. What is it about that man? Damn. Talking with him sends me back ten years, makes me feel like a boy again.
This is just a male ego problem now, Mercy thought. I wonder, did Braska ever just want to knock their heads together? Probably wouldn't have done him any good. I would be willing to bet a lot of money that Jecht's head was just as hard as Auron's. Maybe even harder, when he was drunk.

They only had six months left. It was stupid to waste a second of that time over this sort of nonsense. She could think of one way to bring him back to the present and soothe his wounded pride at the same time. She unclasped her hands from around his waist, letting her arm around his back fall until her hand rested on his bare hip. Her right hand trailed across his chest, at first tracing idle patterns, eventually following the line of hair down the center. By the time she reached the hard, ridged muscles of his stomach, she had his complete attention. They did not waste much of the rest of the night in sleep.

Three months later, another dream, much the same as the last. They had made plans for this, now they set them in motion. Mercy quit her 'day job', as she had always called it. Auron closed the dojo, but kept the space rented. They had enough money to take care of every material thing they needed, or even wanted, in the time remaining to them, and time was now much more precious than money, so there was no longer any reason to continue to bother with anything that resembled 'work' in the usual sense. And Auron felt the need to train for the pilgrimage, at least as much as was possible in this dream city. The dojo had kept him in shape, but teaching had certainly not required the same mental preparation and physical discipline, as would lives depending on his skills; his summoner's, his fellow guardians', his own continued existence until his task was done.

-

The plans were not his original ones. His original intent had been for him to go outside the city, alone, hunting down the most dangerous beasts and monsters that he could find, returning to the city at regular intervals. When he announced this, not long after the second dream, Mercy turned on him in fury.
"Auron, you really are a damn fool idiot if you think I'm going to wait here in the city for you to show up at 'regular intervals'. We have less than six months left. I'm not letting you go, or I'm going with you. I can't believe you'd even think for one second that I'd do anything different."
"But it will be extremely dangerous. I need to seek out the most fearsome creatures I can find, even fiends if there are any to be found here. I must prowl through the hills, push myself as hard as I can." His voice sounded apologetic, even to his own ears.
She was tearing around the room in a rage, spitting her words at him. "And what? You don't think I can't cut it? Don't be insulting. You know me better than that."
"That is not the issue. But if something goes wrong…if you die out there…in battle…that kind of sudden, violent death…no summoner…you won't reach the Farplane." His voice shook. Just saying it out loud, the idea that she might be killed that way, that he would lose her forever, tore him apart.
She turned back to face him, and grabbed his hand, gripping it tightly. "I love you, damn it. But I just can't believe in your Farplane." She saw him shudder in horror. "I promise, love, when the time comes, I will do my best to get there." She brought her other hand up to touch his cheek. "I promise. But what I believe in is here and now. This." She squeezed his hand. "We have less than six months left together. I won't give up one second of that time. Not one. If you need to go up into the hills…that's fine, we'll go together. But if you try to go without me, I'll just follow you." She searched his face, trying to see if he understood her resolve.
His expression softened. "How would you follow me? You sleep later than I do." He smiled gently down at her. She has won. No, we have both won. I did not truly want to go without her. I would have come back to the city far too often for the exercise to have been worthwhile. This is for the best. I will just have to protect her, keep her safe, without her knowing it. But it will be worth it to have her by my side…for as long as I can.
She saw that the fight was over, that he had given in. Thank goodness, she sighed. I couldn't bear the idea of arguing this one out for the next six months. She leaned forward and slid her arms around him. Her face muffled against his chest, she said, "I wouldn't have had to follow you, I would have tied you to the bed." Relief overtook him, and he burst out laughing.

-

The plan they eventually settled upon was a simple one, but Auron was certain within a couple of sennights that the memories it would leave him with would haunt him through the lonely days and nights ahead. Each Firstday, they set off through the gates of the city, hiking into the hills. Sometime near the beginning of Sennight's End, they would return, aching, footsore, bruised, and more often than not, blood-spattered as well. Over the 'End, she would put in some practice time with Dafydd, do one or two performances, and they would spend some time with Tidus. Since Mercy had lost the arguments, plural, and the boy was not to know anything about Spira, they did not reveal to him anything about the true nature of their expeditions. They both just told him they were taking long vacations from their jobs, and he was so caught up in Blitzball that he simply didn't pay much attention to what they were doing, as long as it didn't embarrass him in some way.
The very first morning, they left the city at a time Auron would have called 'bright and early', but he had learned never to utter that phrase within Mercy's hearing. She had told him near the beginning of their relationship that she could be either bright or early, but never both at the same time. Looking down at the woman by his side he mused, she would never have been able to follow me, and I do not care. I want her here, now. I just hope she is awake before something attacks us. Hell, no. What am I thinking? I hope nothing attacks us…attacks her. Oh shit. What am I doing? What am I thinking?
She squinted up at him. The sun was bright this morning. "Don't worry, love. I really am awake. And I would have followed you, don't you think otherwise."
"Mindreader," he teased.
"Only with you," she sassed back, as they kept walking.

She had read his mind earlier that morning, in spite of being more than half-asleep. Getting dressed to leave, he'd just pulled his Spiran clothes out of the closet, what Mercy called his 'traveling' clothes, and put them back on. She hated them enough as it was, they were too much of a reminder that he would be leaving soon, but she understood the necessity. However, she had stopped him when he started to put on his collar, grabbed it out of his hand and pitched it into the back of the closet, not even bothering to see where it landed. "No," she had snarled. "You're not wearing that. You're not hiding from me. Not now. Not yet. That's not armor. That's a mask. When you leave, not before." As she spat out the words she had yanked on her own clothes, black leggings, the black tunic of a gi, a wide crimson cloth wrapped around her midriff to cinch in her shirt, a pair of thigh-high black boots. When he did not argue, she stuck her swords through the makeshift belt in position for a cross draw, rather emphatically, as though to emphasize her point. I did not argue with her this morning because she was right, he thought as they walked. Even more blunt than normal, but still right. The collar is a mask. It hides my scar…and my face. I did not want her to see…how much I fear for her. Then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. But I should have known better by now than to raise her ire first thing in the morning. She would probably have taken my head off with one of her swords if I had not agreed with her.

In the city, she had always, automatically, walked on his right side, as she did now. In the scrubland they had now reached, he was aware of the enormity of what that meant. I am…a warrior. For ten years, I have been…blind…on my right side. And for the last five years…I have trusted this woman to guard my right side…my blind side…even while I slept. He opened his mouth to speak, but just at that moment she raised her hand and shaded her eyes, then pointed into the distance on her right, where he would never have seen the problem heading in their direction. "Auron, look! There's something out there, moving towards us, and it's coming on pretty fast," she cried.

Five dire wolves streaked towards them, circling them just beyond the reach of his now drawn katana. His heart was in his throat, and his belly was churning with fear; not for himself, but for her. These were not his favorite kind of opponents; too fast, too agile, and much too good at working together to get in each other's way. His usual tactic would be to let them come in close, well within the reach of his sword, because they were much too elusive for him to have much success if he went after them. He would take some damage that way, but he would survive. But with Mercy in the picture, that was not even an option. Then she reached into the top of her right boot, plucked out a knife, and threw it into one of the wolves facing her. When it dropped in its tracks, Mercy was almost as surprised as the other wolves. "I see you've been practicing with those," he muttered, indicating both the thrown knife and the one remaining in her left boot top.
"Yes," she agreed shakily. "But I wasn't sure if that would really work," she continued, as she drew her swords. While the remaining canines were sniffing their fallen pack member, Auron was able to step forward and add another corpse to the pile. That stirred them up again, and the three still living began to circle again. Mercy, emboldened by her luck with the knife, attacked one of the three with her swords, slicing it open with her crossed blades as it lunged for her, while Auron desperately tried to engage the other two. He sliced one cleanly in half, but the other pranced away. It must have discovered that Mercy had killed its mate, because then the last beast went after her in a rage. With its attention firmly fixed on Mercy, Auron was able to dispatch it before it could do her any damage.

His gaze swept over her, crown to boots and back, several times, reassuring himself that she was all right, that the rips in her clothing didn't mean anything serious, and that the blood on her face and hands was from the wolves. She was grinning at him. "I can do it, I can do it," she shouted. "I did it," she continued, almost jumping up and down in her excitement. "I didn't know if I really could," her voice trailed off, suddenly, staring up into his face.
He carefully took her in his arms, cradling her close, in spite of the fact that both of them were still holding swords that needed to be cleaned. Am I going to feel like this, every time I watch you fight? When that dire wolf attacked you, I thought my heart would stop, his mind was still reeling, as his heart hammered.
Her head against his chest, she opened her eyes and saw the bodies of the dead wolves on the ground. "Auron, what do we do with…those?" she asked uncertainly.
"We will leave them for the carrion eaters," he replied without hesitation. "Do not worry, they will not lie there long enough to rot."
At that last remark, her face turned green, and she stumbled away to throw up behind a bush, dropping her swords in her haste. The reality of what she had just done had caught up with her, and it made her sick to her stomach.
He gathered up her weapons carefully, then went to kneel beside her, laying their blades down within easy reach in case of another attack. "I'm sorry, my lady. I should have thought…"
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Not your fault. I wanted to come. I should have realized what would happen. I just didn't think it through. I never killed anything before. I guess there's a first time for everything. I just hope that…tonight…we camp someplace where I can bathe," she finished in a still slightly shaky voice.
"You can go back," he offered. "I can take you back to the city." Please, my lady. Stay with me. I will protect you, somehow. Don't go. He closed his eye, hoping for the answer he wanted, needed, and not the answer he knew he should want.
"I can adapt," she said firmly. "You'll just have to help me."
He leaned his forehead against hers. "Yes."

The dire wolves attacked them three more times before they reached the hills. By the last attack, she had learned not to be sick in the aftermath. She just hoped it wasn't because her stomach had run out of anything it could possibly heave back at her. After each encounter, as they continued walking towards the hills, they went over and over the previous battles, discussing strategy and tactics, trying to work out more effective ways to fight together, as a team, instead of just two armed individuals trying not to get in the way of each other's swords.

When they began climbing, they left the dire wolf hunting grounds behind, and moved into bear country. Auron thought the bears would be easier for him to deal with, they were larger and slower than the wolves, and tended to hunt alone. Two armed humans against one bear were much better odds than their last fight with an entire wolf pack. Their first two bear encounters went well, even though they experimented with different methods of confusing or circling the creatures, and they bested the beasts easily. The last came at dusk, and was nearly disastrous. They found themselves between a mother bear and her two half-grown cubs, foraging apart from one another. When the mother realized that the humans were between her and her cubs, she charged, fixing on Mercy as the smaller, easier path to reach her babies. Mercy's swords were up, trying to keep the massive clawed 'hands' from rending her in two, as she danced around the bear, trying to keep the great beast from simply knocking her over in its rage. Mercy and the bear were so close; it was difficult for Auron to see a clear path for his great sword. Mercy tripped and fell suddenly, and he sliced through the beast's massive neck, killing it instantly, spraying blood everywhere. He didn't even hear the bear cubs crashing through the undergrowth, disappearing from the scene, as he dropped to his knees, and slipped his arm under Mercy's shoulders, raising her head. Her eyes opened, and focused on his face, bleached white under his tan. "I think I've had enough for one day," she whispered.

He sat on the ground, then pulled her up, until she was sitting in his lap, her head on his shoulder, his arms tight around her. "I think I have too," he finally answered in a hoarse voice.
They found a small lake not far away, and without any further encounters with any hostile creatures. The water ran cold, but Mercy didn't care. After they tended each other's minor wounds, ate their evening meal, and smothered the small cooking fire they had used to heat it, she stripped and immersed herself in the cold, clear water, and washed off all the dirt, all the sweat, all the blood, and all the illusions she had had about what this trip would be like. Rising from the water, shivering with cold, she looked up to find Auron's gaze fastened upon her, hot and hungry, and that he was holding the blankets open for her to lay herself down beside him. She saw that he was completely naked, and already fully aroused, just from watching her. She slipped into the doubled bedroll next to him, to share his warmth, and his love.
In the morning, they began again, hunting down whatever prey they could find…or battling whatever might find them. When twilight fell, they camped by a swiftly running stream.

One sennight, they made the trip that they had spoken of at the very beginning, and she took Auron to see the barrier. They had to drive themselves hard to make it there and back in the time they had between seeing Tidus for lunch one Lastday and getting back to the city in time for Mercy's next show the following Sixthnight, but they managed it, just barely. They were helped by the fact that this one road was deserted; there were no beasts or fiends to contend with. This answered a question that had been puzzling Auron since their first expedition, he had wondered how Mercy had managed to travel this far alone, without having killed any creatures along the way. "It was like this before," she told him. "I saw things in the distance, but nothing ever seemed to get near this road. At the time, I didn't know any better, but now, I wonder if it was because I was meant to go there."
"Meant?" he inquired.
"So that I would believe you." He looked at her incredulously, as she stared into the distance, thinking of Shiva. She shook her head. "Sorry, I guess that sounds strange. Forget about it," she gestured dismissively.
He thought of Yojimbo. "Maybe you're right," he admitted.
Behind them, a blue shimmer winked in and out of existence.

They reached the barrier late in the afternoon on Seconday. Auron found that he could not hide his disappointment from her, although he had managed to conceal his secret hopes until they had arrived here. "What is the matter?" she asked him. "You look crushed."
He swept off his dark glasses and peered intently into the fog, as though sight would reveal a different answer than the one he already knew to be true. "I had thought…no…I had hoped…that there might be a way." He stopped, unable to continue.
"That I could get to Spira from here, the way Jecht did?" she asked eagerly.
"Perhaps," he answered gently, "But that was not likely. Jecht rode Sin. I had truly hoped, that you might…go to the Farplane…directly…from here…by just walking through the barrier. I thought that it might be what is on the other side of this…mist. But now that I am here, I know that it is not," he finished, dejected.
"Are you sure?" she asked gently.
"I am certain. I am always able to feel the pull of the Farplane. In Spira, the short while I was there before I came here, I could feel it drawing me. Here, in Zanarkand, the pull is very weak. It is no stronger in this spot than any other, so I know that the Farplane cannot be just on the other side of that…it is a valley in Spira, I do not know what it is here. This was a false hope, but I needed to see it to be certain of that."
"But what do you think is on the other side, then? If it is not Spira, and not your Farplane, what is left?" puzzlement filled her voice.
Behind her, an adamantoise emerged from the mist. "Hell. That is what's left," he answered. "We have some unwelcome company. Behind you, my lady."

She whipped around, drawing her swords, as he drew his blade from its sheath at his back. As the fiend slowly approached, Mercy asked, "Where exactly do you think our 'little' friend here came from?"
"Inside Sin, there is a nightmare reflection of Zanarkand. I am afraid that may be what is beyond the barrier. But I have no desire to test my theory." He took his eye off the creature lumbering toward them to look down at his wife for a second.
"Nor I, love. Don't worry about that. Let's just get rid of 'junior' here, and head back." She smiled up at him, and said; "I think you get first dibs on this one. If you don't crack his shell, I'm not going to hurt him much." She paused to consider. "Unless you want me to try standing on his head, and trying to stick him in the eyes from there?" she asked archly.
Auron shuddered, and drove into the beast's shell with an armor-cracking stroke of his sword. It returned the favor by sweeping them with its heavy tail. It caught Auron in the side, knocking him down, while Mercy jumped over it easily. She sliced at its neck with her swords, wounding it seriously and distracting it long enough for him to pick himself up and get in a crippling strike at one of the fiend's stumpy legs, which slowed its movements down even further. It tried to spray them with its breath, which they both managed to dodge this time, and Mercy was able to get in and blind one of its eyes, as Auron came in from the other side and got his massive sword in under its shell again. But its leg wasn't as crippled as they had thought and they were both badly surprised by another tail sweep, the only thing that saved them from a third was that the creature's leg gave out as it tried to pivot to administer a third one, and they were able to get up and pounce on it before it could try again. This time, Auron made sure to take off its leg, while Mercy blinded its other eye. They made short work of the beast after that; adrenaline keeping them from noticing their wounds until after the battle was over. It was only as the fiend dispersed into pyreflies that Auron realized that his ribs felt like they'd been kicked in, and Mercy knees gave way and she sat down on the ground with a 'thump'.

As soon as she caught her breath, she stood up. "I know, I know, we have to get out of here. It can't possibly be safe to camp here. We'll go back to the stream to camp." She paused, then she gingerly put her arms around him, mindful of bruised ribs. "I'm sorry, love."
He grabbed her, and held her crushingly close, not caring about his bruises at all. "I am, too, my lady. I had hoped this would be an easier way."
"I promise I will do my best, love. I promise. I promise," she repeated.

The days and nights passed all too swiftly, until the night Auron woke in cold sweat, still hearing Jecht's voice in his mind, "You don't have much time left. You better be ready when I get there." Reflexively he gripped Mercy's shoulder, as he counted off the sennights in his head. It has been six sennights, since that last dream, so we have six left. His heart pounded, and he tried to calm himself by listening to the sound of the small waterfall they had camped by. The sound of the water splashing into the pool at the fall's base had seemed so soothing just a few short hours ago. Now each splash represented a moment that had slipped away forever. He turned on his side, pulling Mercy into a 'spoon' position against the front of his body, cradling her close as she slept. These last six sennights, she has 'adapted' just as she said she would. On that first day, I was not certain which of us would have more difficulty with the…process. But my initial trust was not misplaced. She has become a true partner, in every sense. Even if my heart fails me each time I see her fall. It becomes more difficult each day…to imagine that I will leave her behind…but I know that I must. But she would do well in Spira…she would make a better Guardian than most…certainly better than Jecht did when he began. Thinking of Jecht made him bite back a curse.
Mercy turned in his arms to face him. "You had another dream?" she asked quietly.
"I'm sorry, I was trying not to wake you," he replied as he leaned his forehead against hers.
"S'okay. I needed to know. We're running out of time, aren't we?" She sighed. "We've always been running out of time," she finished sadly.
"How can you be so calm about this? I wish there were something, or someone, I could fight for you. I do not want to leave you," he stared into her eyes, trying to understand what she was thinking and feeling. He felt as if he was ready to explode with the need to beat something to a pulp.
Tears spilled out of her eyes. "What good would it do, love? Who would you fight? If I started to rant and rave, you're the only one I could take it out on, and that wouldn't help. I'd probably drive you away, and that's the last thing I want." She started to sniffle. "I don't even want to be crying like this, because I know it won't make any difference. When you're gone, I don't want you to remember me all weepy." She pulled up a corner of the blanket and wiped her face.
"Do not worry, my lady. What I will remember," he choked. "What I will remember…is that you brought me more joy than I ever knew existed," he barely finished past the lump in his throat.
Her voice dropped to husky purr, as she molded herself against him. "Then love me, now," she whispered, her tone a caress. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her on top of him as his lips claimed hers in reply.

…Spira…Calm Lands

I know that I could not have brought her with us. The boy has tried to ask me why I did not, over and over, but I know that I could not have brought her. I am certain. If I had tried, Jecht would have torn her to pieces, right in front of us. He would have made an example of her…just to hurt us both. I know the boy loved her too; so destroying her would have given him just one more reason to kill Jecht. As if Tidus didn't already have enough reasons to hate his father.
He paused in his thoughts. I am trying to convince myself, not the boy, he finally realized. She did not reach the Farplane, despite all my hopes. I do not know if I made the right choice. I am not so certain; after all…I only wish that I were. He shook his head to clear it of his unwanted doubts.

At last, Auron stared at the blanket of stars over his head. By their positions, the night was half over, and he could wake Kimahri with a clear conscience. It is a good thing that we have the Agency guards tonight, after all. I have not been keeping a very good watch. He sat up, and found the Ronso already awake and staring at him, concern etched across his feline face. But Kimahri said nothing, so they nodded to each other, and Auron lay back down again.

End Chapter Eighteen