The female Mage returned to Mari and Alain's room, speaking her new message in the same impassive tones. "Elder, this message came to this one from a Mage in Danalee. Master Mechanic Alli and Mechanic Calu of Danalee speak of several who say they have seen the one Kira in their city. Three have been overheard since the day before using the Mechanic message creatures to speak with the ship from Urth in search of reward. That one Alli speaks of Danalee buzzing with those who seek to find the one Kira. The Urth creatures called drones have been seen flying. That one Calu says he thinks the elder and the master of mages should come to Danalee."

Alain looked to Mari after the Mage had left. He knew she was torn between rushing to her daughter and trying to protect Kira by keeping attention focused elsewhere. "Two Roc Mages wait on us. We need only decide to go."

"Is one of them Mage Alera?" Mari asked.

"No. Mage Saburo and Mage Alber. I am told that Alera is north of the Sea of Bakre, seeking again to speak with her relatives."

Mari grimaced, looking down at the table. "We should be helping her with that. Even Mages a lot more outgoing than Alera have had trouble reconnecting with the families they lost when the Mage Guild took them for training."

"We have been busy, and you are not speaking of Danalee," Alain prodded gently.

"I am deliberately avoiding that, as I am sure you know," Mari told him. "We shouldn't rush it. If the Urth people aren't already focused on Danalee, you and I going there will bring their full attention to that city."

"Three have spoken to the Urth people, saying they have seen Kira there," Alain reminded her.

"But there have been other claims, in a lot of places," Mari said. "The long-distance far-talker in Tiaesun has picked up several of them. Sien's decoys are doing their job."

"Why do you seek to argue yourself out of going to Danalee?" Alain asked.

She didn't answer for a moment, hunched over the table, her eyes closed. "Because I want so badly to go. I want to be there. I want to be right beside Kira. I want to be between her and any danger!"

"You do not need to second-guess yourself. Calu believes that danger is already focusing on the area around Danalee," Alain said. "He would not urge you to come unless he knew that was so."

Mari opened her eyes and looked at him. "If we go there, that danger will focus on us."

"Yes."

"Then as Kira's mother and father we have to do that." She gave Alain a rueful look. "I have a lot more sympathy for my parents than I used to, even though they never actually got shot at because of me."