Ty thought carefully about what must be done about these bullies. Naturally, she knew they were going to try being quieter, but she wouldn't have it. She would have a war and exterminate them, she decided. But how to keep this from the teachers? And after hours too, because, seriously speaking and all excuses aside, the boys needed time to do their homework. In all honesty, so did she. She needed time, and time was something she didn't have.

Ty sighed, then turned to Sabi. She would have to ask the child to do something wrong for her—something barely legal, as a matter of fact—and then she would have to do something. Something that was, of course, illegal to the extent that the king might never forgive it. There was no way to go about this and not get the word out.

Sabi looked worriedly at her. Ty masked her face before speaking.

"Sabi, I need you to get two herbs. They are…not allowed within Corus, but we need them anyway. I am pretty sure if you peek your ear in the right place, you can track it down and I can get at it. But you must not get caught."

Sabi's face became stone. "Anything for my mistress, Ty. What do you need, and why the caution?"

Ty sighed. "I need two herbs, one called Numbtongue and one called Loosetongue. Numbtongue is only barely legal, Sabi. Loosetongue is illegal except for those who have the permission of a healer's coven to use it responsively. I am not a healer. I am not allowed either of these. Neither will you be. Trod carefully."

Sabi nodded once, then left through the door, then appeared once again. "By when do you need it, Ty?"

Ty thought the question over. "Whenever possible, the sooner the better."

Sabi nodded and left. Ty shook her head. That was one extraordinary girl walking through the door.

At the same time, someone banged on the door three times. Kehel. She looked at herself. Only half-dressed. Curse it all.

The bell rang.

Oh blast.

Kehel opened the door, threw her shirt on over her shoulders without a word, and dragged her over to the Mess. Concentrating, she made a small bubble thought and told it to go sit on her desk. There it would sit, waiting for Sabi.

"I don't believe it," murmured Terry as Ty walked out onto the corridor and straight into Kehel, who made to apologize but then quieted. "I really don't believe it."

Ty smiled her evil smile. "Believe it, cub, for the Tehea comes to teach the ways of the hunt."

"Really?" Otian asked eagerly.

Ty laughed bitterly and shook her head. "No, not really. But we are going to learn to track today, because I know they are here somewhere, doing harm. Once we find them, the Tehea will take care of them. You will—."

"We won't fight?" Leej said, outraged.

"No, you will all go back to Kehel's rooms and pretend we are all there, studying. Once I return to you, you will know the teachers will come to see if we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing as opposed to fighting—which they will suspect we have been doing. I know how to cover my tracks. I can't risk the rest of you yet."

Leej looked at her with pure envy and turned away. Ty's inside writhed. She turned him right back around, grabbed his jaw, and flung him into the wall right behind him. Startled, then furious, he snarled. She bumped him into the wall once more.

"The Second Law is to serve," she said dangerously as she felt his blood rush faster form the spell. "The Third Law is to obey. You obey the leader of the pack. I said today I hunt alone. I will not repeat myself in future. Be ye warned."

Leej just nodded. Fair enough, she thought, and let him go. She had to make a stand that looked firm. The rest of the boys stared at her, fright, respect, and admiration shining in their faces. She ignored them and showed the, the door to her room.

She rapped twice, hard. "This means stay put."

She rapped three times, gave it a hard slap, then punched it hard enough to rattle the hinges. Her knuckles bled and she ignored the pain in them. "This means let me or go in, shut the door behind you."

She rapped the door once, snapped her fingers, and stuck to fingers into the opening under the door. "This means two people outside, both friendly. If there are more, place the necessary fingers."

Last but not least, she banged with her palm hard three times on the door. "That means trouble, run. All clear?"

They all nodded. She smiled, took the herbs from her pocket, then put one on the right padded shoe and the other on the left. Signaling the door to Kehel's room, she motioned them to go inside. Once they were inside and the door was closed, she grinned and felt for pain. Once she had it locked into her memory, she jumped on the ceiling, and followed.