Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. My muse tried to jump ship, and I had a little trouble with the ending.


Ragnar's original judgment proved correct, and Sujanha was confined to bed for nearly a week. Daniel found that week to be one of the longest and most complicated of his recent life. On the second day after the rescue on Vorash, a High Council Meeting occurred. The attempt to force Sujanha to step down failed 6 votes against to 3 in favor. Even so, the political controversy still raged. Algar, for the time being, remained as Acting Supreme Commander, while Sujanha waited for Ivar, High King of the Furlings, to pass judgment on his own.

Other events took place on the Oshrocco during that period. Sujanha and Malek met with several members of the Tok'ra High Council, regarding Malek's new position and Sujanha's status as host. Whatever went on left both Sujanha and Malek extremely frustrated. The end result was that the Tok'ra would have free access to their agent whenever possible, but Malek would be available for no missions, and most, if not all, work that he did would be done in Furling or Furling-controlled territory.

Around the same time, Daniel had his first meeting with Malek. Sujanha seemed the same as ever, if perhaps somewhat more quiet and introspective after her near brush with death and her blending, and Malek seemed to be fitting in well with her considering the abrupt transition. The exact cause of the earthquake on Vorash was still undetermined, though after much work and many interviews, most were inclined to believe that its suspicious timing was coincidental and not intentional sabotage. Still, the Furlings and the Tok'ra were on high alert for the time being.

On the eighth day after the quake, Sujanha with Daniel, Ragnar, and Ruarc returned to Uslisgas, leaving Algar and Anarr in charge of the war against the Goa'uld. Daniel watched Sujanha closely as the four of them walked to the Stargate on Ushuotis. The lady was moving easily, though she still seemed to feel a twinge from time to time. She seemed quieter and more introspective in some ways, and her last lingering look at Ushuotis before they stepped through the Stargate was almost wistful. This very well might be the end of an era for her, Daniel realized.

The Stargate Building was nearly deserted when they all stepped through the Stargate on Uslisgas. The main hall was quiet. It was late in the evening, and the lights were low. The great statues of heroes past cast long shadows across the floor. Sujanha was looking around more than she had ever had before coming through the main hall, and Daniel suddenly noticed. She's looking at this room like she's never seen it before. Wait … he studied her closely again and noticed that she was carrying herself differently than she usually did. Malek must be in control.

Daniel stepped up beside Sujanha-Malek as they exited the Stargate Building and looked out over the sprawling city. Malek glanced at him and bowed his head, and then it was Sujanha looking at him.

"I am not sure," Daniel began, looking from the city up to the stars twinkling above, "that we ever fully value all that we have until we either lose it or see it through someone else's eyes."

"I think you are right," Sujanha replied softly. Usually standing for extended periods was hard on her, but she seemed content to just stand there for the moment looking out over the city. "Malek is amazed. Uslisgas, it is so large, so many people, and it is all above ground, no more hiding. Even during the Great War, we never had to hide like the Tok'ra do."

"Count your many blessings…" Daniel murmured, the first line of an old song he had not thought about in years coming to his mind as she spoke.

"Hmm?" Sujanha glanced at him, a puzzled look in her eyes.

"'Count your many blessings,' it's the first line to a religious song that got sung a lot at one of the churches I went to while I was in foster care after my parents died."

The puzzled look in Sujanha's eyes increased. Distracted, Daniel had spoken in English, not Furling, and Sujanha had automatically replied in the same tongue. Her English was excellent but limited in some degrees. She lacked the knowledge of specialized vocabulary, idioms, and simply vocabulary Daniel never used. All that meant, Daniel suddenly realized, that she would have understood very little of what he had just said.

Daniel gave a sheepish smile, "It's not important. Just a line of an old song I hadn't thought about in a long time."

Sujanha nodded and turned to Ragnar and Ruarc, "Let us all return home," she said, switching to Furling, "Daniel and I will beam home. You are free to do as you choose. I will determine tomorrow's activities tomorrow."

"Of course, commander," Ruarc replied.

The two brothers escorted Daniel and Sujanha to the beaming facility but then parted ways from them to go to their own quarters on the citadel. Daniel and Sujanha beamed out into the countryside to Sujanha's house. Though it was winter on earth, summer was in full swing on Uslisgas, and the flowers in Sujanha's small garden were in full bloom, scenting the air with their fragrance. The house 'auto pilot' greeted them as they stepped inside.

After Sujanha replied, asking for any messages that had come for her since last she was there, Daniel asked, "Do you need anything from me tonight, Commander?"

"Sujanha," she murmured. She seemed somewhat distracted. Daniel wondered if she was talking to Malek.

"Pardon?"

"You may call me by name in private, if you wish, Daniel," Sujanha said, giving him a small smile. She was mimicking human body language again. It didn't totally work on her: too many teeth. "You have lived me with for nearly one-and-a-half of your years and proven yourself quite invaluable to me. You need not call me by any title in private unless you are more comfortable doing so."

"Sujanha, then," Daniel replied. The arrangement would be similar to hers for him. Sujanha had started calling him Daniel in private but usually still referred to him as Doctor Jackson in public. "Do you need anything from me tonight?" He asked again.

Sujanha shook her head, "I will show Malek where everything is and then retire to rest. Rest well. I will see you tomorrow."

"Sleep well."

Daniel expected Sujanha to quickly become stir-crazy being on medical leave until the complicated political situation was resolved. To his great surprise, she did not. For the next four days, she happily spent almost the entire time in her library, reading through a large portion of her books. She was a quick reader. Except for going out to walk in the garden once or twice a day, she barely stirred from the library except to eat. Ragnar and Ruarc were frequent visitors. Their orders, Ragnar told Daniel once with a toothy grin, were to guard Sujanha, not the Supreme Commander, so her current leave did not change their assignment.

Daniel used the downtime to catch up on some research at the Great Library, mainly on ascension, which the Furlings called the 'living death.' Though much ink had been spilled by the Furlings on the issue, Daniel also found Ancient writings on the subject among the massive collection of documents in the library. He found himself fascinated and intrigued but also somewhat confused. He decided that more reading would be necessary to come to a better understanding of the subject. He also used the downtime to visit Sha're twice and spend almost half-a-day on Abydos, visiting Kasuf and playing with Shifu, who was growing quickly.

By the morning of the fifth day, Sujanha was finally starting to become stir-crazy. After centuries of war, Daniel doubted that she was used to sitting still and doing nothing for days on end. Even between the wars, she had been quite busy. The potential problem was solved when, after breakfast, the door chime sounded as Sujanha and Daniel were finishing their tea.

Malek, who had been the one in control, bowed his head, and Sujanha retook control, "Who is it?" She posed the question to the 'auto pilot.'

"Ruarc," the voice replied.

"Let him in," Sujanha replied. "I need to change the settings," she added, half to herself, "to let them in automatically."

"I bring messages," said Ruarc, as he entered the kitchen, "or rather summonses."

Sujanha did the Furling equivalent of raising an eyebrow. "Speak," she said, waving her bodyguard to a seat at the table.

"The High King wishes to speak with you after Judgment today, now that you have had time to recover and regain your strength. It is time, he says, to put this political controversy to rest." Judgment, another lesson I missed…

"One way or the other, it is time it ends," Sujanha said in agreement, "And…"

"Your brother will return this evening to Uslisgas for a short time. Unless you do not feel strong enough to attend, you and Daniel are invited—summoned—to dinner at his house. He feels you have spent long enough inside."

Sujanha gave a rumbling laugh. Her eyes were amused. "We shall attend, if that is agreeable to you Daniel?"

"I would be glad to meet them," Daniel replied.

Sujanha glanced across at the chrono hanging on the wall. Both of them were on a somewhat different schedule, since Sujanha was on medical leave, and it was currently about half past the 8th hour. From the way she was tapping her claws on the table, she seemed to be deliberating something.

"Do you want to attend Judgment?" Ruarc asked.

"My seat is Algar's at the moment."

"True," replied Ruarc, "but with the Crown Prince absent …"

Daniel was glancing back and forth between his two friends, struggling to keep up with the conversation. They were speaking too cryptically for him to follow with his non-existent knowledge of what 'Judgment' was in the Furling context.

"Yes," Sujanha acknowledged almost hesitantly, "but the High Council has been in enough turmoil over me these past weeks. The High King, I am sure, would prefer if I did not make it worse."

"It is your choice. With the Prince absent, you have a right by birth to that seat, not by appointment as do the High Councilors and the High Chancellor."

"True…" Sujanha was silent for several minutes, "Very well. I have not been in quite some time. I should again. Do you wish to come with me, Daniel, or join us later? Depending upon how long the High King and I speak, I might go straight from the palace out to my brother's home?"

"Uh, explain to me what I'd be going too, and then I'll decide."

"Your pardon, Daniel. My duties have prevented me from attending Judgment since soon after you arrived, and the issue never came up otherwise," Sujanha paused again, apparently deliberating how to explain, "Once some time ago, you were telling me about earth and its different empires of ages past, and you spoke of the Romans and of Caesar." Her pronunciation was lacking, but Daniel understood what she meant. "Judgment is like 'Appeal to Caesar.' Any of our people from across the empire, they can bring any matter before the King for judgment, not just court cases. Usually some members of the High Council are available to give advice to the king if warranted, and there are also seats for the monarch's spouse and for the highest ranked member of the royal family present."

"Sure, I'll come," Daniel would happily jump at the chance to learn more about the Furlings. Despite living with them for 18 of their months, there was always more to learn about the ancient race. "When does it start, and how long does it last?"

"Judgment happens on the third and seventh of every week. It starts at the 10th hour and lasts until the 14th hour. Visitors are not required to stay the whole time. Portions of the palace are open to the public, and Ruarc could show you around."

The Royal Palace was located on the Acropolis, some distance from military headquarters and the other buildings that Daniel usually frequented. Daniel and Sujanha beamed to the Acropolis at half-past the 9th hour and were met by Ruarc, who had gone ahead to find his brother, and Ragnar, and the four walked together to the palace. Daniel had noticed that Sujanha seemed more willing to walk slightly longer distances now that she was a host. Whether Malek was masking any pain, she was feeling better after a long period of rest, or Malek had been able to heal her partially, Daniel did not know.

The Royal Palace immediately caught Daniel's attention as soon as the intervening buildings blocking his vision were gone. It was a massive, multi-level complex surrounding by a high, steep defensive wall. The whole complex made him think both of several European palaces of which he had seen pictures and of ancient Troy. The walls were built of shining white stone that reflected the bright sunlight to an almost blinding extent when the angle was right. The style of architecture was simple, an almost old-world style that reminded Daniel of some sections of Cairo and several old cities in Europe.

"It's huge."

Daniel had not even realized he had spoken in his surprise until Sujanha replied, a rare catch in her voice, "Our family was larger once, much larger, before the Great War. Counting my brother's wife and ward, there are seven of us left."

"No Queen?" Daniel asked, doing the math quickly in his head.

"No," Ruarc replied. Daniel's comment had inadvertently hit a button, and the young man saw a look of grief pass across Sujanha's eyes, before Sujanha bled into Malek. Ruarc caught his arm and slowed their pace, allowing Ragnar and Sujanha to walk on ahead.

"I didn't know…" said Daniel, who felt a rush of guilt at the grief his words had caused.

"You couldn't have known," replied Ruarc, "Do not let it trouble you. The lady will be fine in a few minutes. To answer your question, there is no High Queen. Ivar's wife Sunniva died over 1200 years ago during the Great War before Andorr, the previous High King and the brother of Sujanha's father, died."

Ruarc would speak no more on the subject, and the two picked up their pace to catch back up with the others.

The inside of the Royal Palace was as interesting as the outside. They entered the palace complex through a tall, richly decorated gate, carven with motifs Daniel did not recognize. They walked across a grassy courtyard and up an impressive flight of steps, entering the palace itself. The architecture inside was somehow straightforward and elaborate at the same time. Somewhat Gothic in style, the ceilings of the floor they were on were towering, supported by massive rib vaults. Archways could be seen down several hallways, leading off into other chambers. Some sunlight filtered in from the outside through small, colored windows high on the walls, but most of the lighting came from the simple blue-flame lamps that lit the High Council Chamber.

While the architecture was very Furling, adapted to the function and importance of the building but still similar in many respects to the other buildings on the acropolis, the artwork and decoration that Daniel could see was more eclectic but not gaudy. "Gifts from other races," Ruarc whispered to him.

Sujanha split off from them, hulking Ragnar at her heels. Ruarc led Daniel in the opposite direction. "We need to go find a place to stand," he warned, "There are no seats, but no one is expected to stay the entire four hours."

Ruarc led Daniel to one of two large balconies that ran the length of the throne room. Ruarc was quickly recognized, and the crowd already there made way, giving the two a place at the rail. The throne room was massive, at least 30 feet across and 90 feet long. Narrowed vaulted colonnades, above which were the balconies, stood on either side of the main hall. The pillars of the colonnade ran up the walls until they merged into the rib-vaults that supported the high ceiling. A tall dais ran the width of the far end of the throne room. On it sat nine chairs, five on one side and four on the other side of another smaller dais that held three chairs: the monarch's throne and the chairs for his consort and another member of the royal family. The whole room was lit by larger versions of the blue lamps.

A crowd was already assembling in the hall, and there was a soft but controlled drone of voices. Sujanha had already taken her seat on the upper dais. Several of the High Councilors were also present. Kari, the Chief Ambassador of the Furlings and the only one who looked human, sat on the far left. The ursine figure of the Chief Engineer, whose name Daniel could not remember, was crouched beside Sujanha. Inga, the Chief Scholar, whom Daniel had often seen around the Great Library, was just arriving.

Ivar, the leonine High King of the Furling Empire, arrived in the throne room precisely at the 10th hour. Daniel thought Sujanha, who stood well over 6 feet, was tall, but Ivar was probably at least 7 feet tall, though it was hard to judge precisely from the balcony. He brought the meeting to order and began to judge cases one by one. Daniel and Ruarc stayed for about two hours and heard a number of cases, ranging from theft to property rights to inheritance struggles.

After two hours, the two slipped out, and Ruarc gave Daniel a quick tour of the sections of the palace open to the public, including a great mirrored hall, full of elaborate paintings of historical scenes, used to host large events as well as a smaller hall used for private audiences that contained paintings of late members of the royal family. Ruarc pointed out the figures of Sunniva, the king's late wife, as well as Atar and Ioldis, the parents of Sujanha who, the bodyguard revealed, had died within a year of each other during the Great War.

After their perusal of the palace, Ruarc and Daniel left the Citadel and went down to the Great Square to buy lunch and pass the time looking at the shops. Just before the 18th hour, they were recalled by Ragnar and returned to find Ragnar and Sujanha waiting for them in the shadow of the great gate. Leaning against the wall, Sujanha looked exhausted but reasonably pleased.

"How did your meeting go?" Daniel asked.

"Well enough," she replied, "The High King and I spoke for some time. He asked many questions and was pleased with my answers, I think. He has not yet made his decisions, but I deem he will rule in my favor."

"When will you hear?" Ruarc asked.

"Within three days. He is going off world tomorrow, or he would rule sooner. What time is it?"

"The 18th hour, almost exactly," Ragnar rumbled, double-checking the time on a chrono he pulled from a pocket.

"We should head to my brother's home soon then, but I want to stop at Headquarters first. I am missing my pocket chrono and a book. I think I must have had them with me in my office before I left for Vorash."

The side-trip to Headquarters that was supposed to be quick turned into a long affair. Sujanha was quite popular with both the Fleet and Army, and as soon as news spread that she was in the building, half the building congregated to greet her, ask after her health, and inquire as to when she was going to return. Algar was not unpopular with the fleet and was an extremely competent and reliable lieutenant, but Sujanha was widely loved.

By the time the four left Headquarters and stepped out onto the broad, flat plane of the Citadel, it was just past the 19th hour.

"I am going to my brother's house for the evening and then home," Sujanha spoke, turning to Ragnar and Ruarc.

"Will you have need of us tomorrow, do you expect?" Ruarc asked.

"Likely not," Sujanha replied, "I might go to Drehond tomorrow and put this leave to good use. If so, I will not need an escort."

"Then we will bid you good evening, Commander, Daniel. We will return to our quarters. If you have need of us tomorrow, contact us."

Sujanha and Daniel beamed out into the countryside and appeared on a broad paved street, its stones so finely carved that a sheet of paper would not have fit between them. Sujanha led them up the road about a hundred yards and then turned off onto a side road.

"The walk is pleasant and not that long," Sujanha said to him, "and it will ensure that we do not arrive too early."

"What time is dinner?"

"About the 20th hour, assuming my brother is not delayed."

The road was lined with tall trees, whose branches spread a canopy of leaves across the path. With the sun starting to dip toward the horizon, the trees cast long shadows across the road. No buildings were visible as far as Daniel could see, only trees and rolling hills and, perhaps, far away the shadow of a distant mountain range.

"It's nice out here," he commented, "A lot of places on earth are becoming very urbanized—very built up—jungles of buildings, some call them. It's nice to see green."

Sujanha gave a rumble of agreement, "Malek says he has not seen so many growing things, other than desert fare, since he was a … youngling. I am not sure of the right word."

A little further on, Sujanha and Daniel crossed a stone bridge over a swiftly moving stream. They went left at the fork and quickly caught sight of a small hamlet some distance down the road. All of the five houses, Daniel saw as they got closer, faced the same plaza but were separated and were each surrounded by a high, gated wall.

"Neither of my brother's children speak English," Sujanha spoke, "Ansurr is a very energetic boy and spends as much as time outside as Asta, my brother's wife, will allow. He is a good tracker and hunter for his age and might have a career in the military in the future … if my brother allows it. Tevra, my brother's ward, is the younger. She is Cesneor like Asik. Anarr was friends with her parents and became her guardian upon their death. She is a bright child and fond of books and poetry. If you tell her stories of your travels and the sites you have seen, those stories fit for young ears, she will become quite fond of you."

Sujanha stopped at the second house on the right as they entered the central plaza. The gate immediately opened when she touched the lock, swinging open to give them passage. Within was a medium-sized garden with flower bed and lush grass. Trailing vines crawled up one wall of a three-story stone house. Two children sat in the shade of a nearby tree. One was a Furling with dark fur. Ansurr. The other was a human girl, somewhat smaller than her companion. Tevra. The noise of the gate alerted them that company had arrived, and Ansurr looked up suddenly and then sprang to his feet with a cry of delight.

"Eadigu Sujanha," the boy shouted, bounding towards her. Daniel wasn't sure of the exact translation of the Furling term, but in context, it must have been equivalent to 'aunt.'

Sujanha seemed delighted to see them both and opened her arms, twisting her body so that her right side, recently injured, would not be impacted by the thud embrace. Ansurr seemed to remember that his aunt was still on medical leave at the last moment and slowed at the last second, impacting his aunt at a slower speed. A quick look of pain flashed across her face but quickly vanished.

"Father said you had been injured. Are you better now? He said he was going to make you come see us again. Lehris Brets took me hunting yesterday. We think we saw a vadron," the boy spoke in a rush of breath. A vadron, Daniel wondered. He was not up on Furling fauna.

"A vadron?" Sujanha replied, "You are improving. Your father will be proud. I am much recovered."

Ansurr seemed to beam under his aunt's praise. "I haven't told him yet. Father was gone yesterday, and he isn't back yet." He paused and turned toward Daniel, asking Sujanha, "Is this Ingevt Daniel?"

Daniel was not sure what Ingevt meant but put it aside for the moment. He crouched, putting himself more on the boy's level. "Yes, I am Daniel," he replied, "Lady Sujanha has spoken of you several times with great fondness. I am happy to finally meet you."

Ansurr bowed in the Furling fashion as a greeting but did not say anything more. By this time, Tevra had risen from beneath the tree and approached quietly. She was a small child, even for a human, with large brown eyes and a long braid of brown hair that fell across one shoulder. She was dressed in trousers and a loose tunic that fell nearly to her knees. Under one arm was tucked a thick book. Sujanha turned to greet her, and further introductions were made.

"Come see, Mother!" Ansurr finally said and, gently grabbing the sleeve of her jacket, began 'pulling' his aunt toward the house. It was clear that Sujanha was allowing herself to be pulled.

The inside of the house would have been called somewhat rustic by earth terminology, Daniel judged, but seemed quite homey and practical and fitting with the architecture and setting outside. They entered into a large living room with a high ceiling. At one end was a large spiral staircase that led to the upper floor. At the other there were two large doors, leading into the dining room and kitchen. Shelves filled with books, scrolls, and odds-and-ends, probably collected by the children, lined the walls. There were several comfortable chairs and 'couches' in the center of the room, covered in hand-made cushions and throws.

"Mother, mother," Ansurr shouted, as soon as the door had shut behind them, "Eadigu Sujanha is here." From his tone, he had been impatiently waiting for them for some time.

"Do not shout, my son," a calm, quiet voice responded. Anarr's wife Asta appeared in the doorway from the kitchen. She was feline in form and tall, willowy in build. Her fur was short and a light golden brown. Her face was darker and striped, and her eyes were dark and keen. "Go put your things away, children. Your father will be home soon."

Ansurr disengaged from his aunt, grabbed his sister's hand, and the two trotted off upstairs. Once the noise of their footsteps had faded, Asta shook her head fondly and approached to greet them.

"It is good to see you, Sujanha," Asta said, clasping paws with her sister-in-law, "We were all concerned when Anarr told us you had been injured."

"It was an unexpected event," Sujanha replied, "but one the Creator willed. I am only glad that more were not lost."

Asta agreed and then added, "And my greetings to your symbiote, also. He is welcome here."

Sujanha paused, her gaze going distant, "He greets you as well. He will not emerge while we are here, unless you ask to speak with him directly. Even without the tells of a symbiote, he does not act like me and does not want to frighten the children."

"I thank him for his consideration," Asta said with a nod of thanks. She turned to Daniel, still speaking half to Sujanha, "And this must be Daniel. I am pleased to meet you. I have heard much of you from my husband."

"Thank you for having me," Daniel replied.

The interesting evening passed quickly. Anarr soon returned home from wherever he had been. It was strange but touching seeing the usually gruffer and grimmer of the two siblings enthusiastically greeting his wife and children. Sujanha, also, seemed to be having a good time, free for a time from the pressures and stresses of command. The evening was pleasant; the food was simple Furling-fare but quite tasty; and the conversation was wide-ranging and interesting.

Daniel spent a considerable amount of time sitting with Tevra, telling her stories of his adventures and interesting tales from earth (sanitized where necessary) and listening, in return, to the stories of her people passed down from generation to generation. The Cesneors, he learned, were a dying race, nearly wiped out by the Sicarii during the Great War. Those who survived were too few (to repopulate their race, Daniel's mind filled in), and the Cesneors were slowly becoming extinct. Scholars on both sides were working frantically to preserve the stories, legends, and history of the Cesneors before the end came.

It was quite late when he and Sujanha reached home. The sun had long since set, and the stars were shining brightly, very brightly in the sky above. Daniel wished her good night and headed upstairs to head to bed, while Sujanha settled down in her library to do … something for a little while before herself retiring to rest. Daniel had barely had time to sit down in his room and unpack and pull off his boots, when a shout came from the staircase.

"Daniel, come down please!" It was Sujanha's voice calling him. Why she had not used the 'auto pilot' to give him the message, he did not know, but there was strange tone to her voice that concerned him. It was strange enough that she was shouting. Sujanha never shouted.

Daniel quickly stuffed his feet back into his boots and hurried downstairs. Sujanha was standing in the entrance hall next to a fully-dressed Ruarc.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing is wrong," Sujanha replied. He almost thought he saw a sheen of tears in her eyes.

Ruarc then spoke, "I have news for you, Daniel, very good news. First, our procedure to free Goa'uld hosts has been completed. As soon as the High King passes judgment upon the Goa'uld for their crimes, their hosts, including your wife, can be freed."

Daniel physically staggered, as at last he finally saw his dream of being reunited with Sha're about to become reality. He put a hand out to steady himself against the wall, and Sujanha stepped towards him, concern in her eyes. He waved her off.

"What else?" Daniel asked, his voice choked with emotion.

"Five hours ago, several Goa'uld warships, belonging to two separate factions, appeared in the skies above Ausonia, one of our held-planets in the Milky-Way. Though the Goa'uld did not seem to realize that we had a base on the planet, our ships immediately moved to intervene and end the battle. During the battle, a death glider crashed on the surface. When our guards went to capture the pilot, we found that it was not a Jaffa pilot, but a Goa'uld. The host had been injured and was temporarily in control. He called himself Skaara of Abydos and begged for our help."

"Skaara!" Daniel murmured, leaning heavily on the wall. Both Ruarc and Sujanha knew the relationship between Skaara and Sha're from Daniel having talked about him before.

"He has been tended to by healers and transported to Asteria. He will be freed with the others."

"The darkness is almost over for them both," Sujanha spoke, slipping one paw under his elbow, since he was looking rather shaky, "Healing can soon begin."


Next Time on Ripples in the Deep:

Chapter 17: Judgment and Freedom - Justice long-denied is finally gained for two tormented souls, and Daniel is faced with a choice of his own.

Chapter 18: No Trespassing - Unexpected visitors to a Furling-controlled world prompt an unexpected but very welcome reunion and raised the possibilities of a new alliance for the Furling Empire.