Life...

Beat...

Heart...

Love...

Grace...

Power...

Teal knew what had happened. No one needed to tell him, and he didn't need to look at the horrified and distraught faces of the soldiers around him to know. Unable to look Jale in the eye, he wrapped his arms around his naked body and rose to his feet from where he had shifted to sitting on his haunches. He shivered although it was far from cold.

Silence held between the two men. It held between everyone present.

"I'm glad you're back," Jale finally managed to say.

It was the first time Teal had heard Jale's voice shake with uncertainty.

"Thanks," Teal replied, lifting his head. "It's good to be back."

Jale cleared his throat. "This incident will need to be discussed of course, but we need to secure the palace and ensure that the Emperor and Lana are safe."

"I'll help," Teal said eager to somehow absolve himself from what he had done. He hadn't looked in the direction of the dead person but in his peripheral vision, he could see the splattered blood. "I'll go to the trees and survey the area around the palace, make sure there are no other threats. My eyesight and speed are faster than everyone else."

Jale hesitated, an act that Teal didn't miss. "Wash your face before you go. You'll look less threatening."

Teal's body was covered in blood. He had no idea what had happened to the shorts he had originally been wearing. "I'll just clean up quickly."

Jale nodded and began to pull his shirt up and off his shoulders. He held it out.

"I won't go far," Teal reassured him as he took the clothing. "Just... let the guards know what I'm doing."

Jale waved to the soldiers around him. "Continue with a sweep of the forest."

They quickly moved away and Teal skirted back to the water. He rinsed his body, his eyes darting to the tree line. When sufficient enough blood had been washed away, he pulled Jale's shirt over his body. Being a fraction taller, Jale's shirt covered him more than adequately. Not that that was of grave concern now.

Teal bounded over the rocks towards the nearest tree and began to scale up its trunk. He could feel the soldiers watching him. Was it possible that they were more concerned about his presence than the possibility of more enemies lying waiting in the forest? He pushed the thought back when he reached the upper branches that were still able to take his weight and leaped from branch to branch deeper into the forest until he was able to hide from their eyes.

He continued moving, traveling round the perimeter, eyes surveying the scenery looking for any signs of more intruders and attackers. Once he had circled round the palace twice and even down the trail to where the horses' stables were, Teal took purchase high in the fork of a tree.

He welcomed the reprieve. He needed time to himself, to think and to contemplate what had taken place without those prying looks. It was a moment to pause and to collect himself, to pull himself together and acknowledge what had happened. Since hearing that the Lombock were meant to shapeshift to tigers, Teal had pushed back the inclination that the Presence lurking within him was the soul of a tiger.

He was confused, now doubting the times when he had attacked people in the past. Had it been his Lombock self or had it been the tiger? Had he shifted during those times? It was scary. He didn’t know. Twice Cokrin had seen him attack. Once when they had been kids and once when he had saved Cokrin a second time on the night they had met Brelan. Cokrin had never actually said. He had merely accepted Teal for who he was.

Those other times on the road when he had been trying to find Cleaven Estate, he had also killed. But who had done the actual killing? This time it was different. He knew he had shifted. He had been aware of it. Whoever had attacked though, this much was certain, he had attacked not out of a need to control, or vengeance, or power. It had been about a pure drive to protect. The Presence, the soul of the tiger, had come forth to protect Lana.

It was clear who had pulled him back though, who had been essential to Teal finding himself again. It had been Jale who had pulled Teal back to himself, who had reached through the Presence of the tiger and found him.

Teal blinked hard as his eyes skimmed the treetops, his heart pounding. He also knew more, much more and this truth wound to his core and circled around his soul. He didn't know which truth was more frightening: the truth that he could shapeshift to a tiger, or the secret that Lana held. A secret that she didn't even know yet herself.

>>

By the time Jale had reached the top balcony, Ralen had already settled Lana down in the dining room. It was a room, while open, had long wooden doors that could be drawn shut to close it off. The Emperor would be able to join them once the palace was secure. While they hadn't travelled with an official healer to keep their most qualified ones with the Empress, Ralen had enough basic skills that he was considered close enough on such journeys. Delba, worried but supportive, kneeled by Lana's side and gave her words of encouragement. Galton and the senior soldier, who had spoken with Jale down at the waterhole, had followed and were ready to act if needed.

"Is the palace secure?" Jale asked as Satner closed the door behind him.

"Yes," Galton said. "The kitchen staff and maids have all been placed under lockdown along with the Emperor's personal staff. Soldiers are at all key points. No one can move until I give them word.

"Let the Emperor know we are here," Jale ordered. Without waiting for a response, he turned to the table. "How is she?" he asked Ralen.

Before Ralen could respond, the Emperor stormed through the two doors and into the dining room surrounded by his personal guard. Furious, he approached the table.

"She will be fine," Ralen said reassuringly before the Emperor could ask. "She has some concussion and she'll need some stitches, but she will be fine." He waved to one of the servants hovering nervously by the door. "Go ask the kitchenhands for some hot water and bring me my travel bag."

"I'm okay," Lana responded weakly, trying to fend off their fussing.

"Stop," Ralen shushed her. "You are injured and will have to endure stitches." To Jale he said, "Where's the tiger?"

"Tiger?" the Emperor asked, turning to look at Jale questioningly.

"There's been an incident."

The Emperor nodded his head. "Teal?" he asked, although from his tone, it was evident he knew the truth. "What happened?"

"I jumped from one of the tree branches over the waterhole after I saw Lana being pushed over the balcony," Teal spoke from the entrance, doors wide open as he stood in the middle of the two wooden doors. He took another step into the room and continued, his voice loud and clear. Jale turned to face him.

"I pulled Lana out of the water, carried her to a rock and tried to revive her. In the process, her attacker snuck up behind me and tried to kill her again."

Jale noted the room remained silent; all eyes poised in Teal's direction.

Standing tall, shoulders square and an image of his confident former self from before he arrived at the palace, Teal continued to address those present. "To defend us, the Presence within me came forth completely. I let it take control and I changed, shifting into the tiger whose soul resides inside of me. And in doing so, I killed the attacker. I ripped his throat out."

Jale watched Teal fold his hands in front of his body and gaze at everyone in turn as if he was daring any of them to question or argue with what he had done. Silence resounded, even the sound of the waterfall seemed to have disappeared in the clearcut confession.

The Emperor closed the distance and stood before Teal. "You saved Lana's life and for that, I am eternally grateful." He placed his hand on Teal's shoulder, the difference in their heights suddenly seeming not so distant.

"If you want my help to protect you and the harem," Teal continued firmly, "you need to inform me on everything that is going on."

The Emperor leaned back, and Jale knew he was doing exactly the same as he was. He was taking his time to judge the change in Teal's character, wondering if this was a possible deal-breaker for Teal.

"Maybe we should tell him," Jale said from behind the Emperor. "This is cause for action. They can't expect us to not retaliate when they have acted in such a manner especially when they know we are all here."

The Emperor caught Jale's arm, a sudden flash of fear on the Emperor's face that caused Jale's heart to stop, his show of emotion outside of his personal quarters so unprecedented. "Except, we aren't all here, are we?"

The color drained from Jale's face. "No, we're not. The Empress!" he whispered.

The Emperor spun on his heels towards his personal guards. "To the palace! We ride to the Empress now!"

It wasn't just the Emperor who reacted. Ralen's head shot up in alarm at their words as well. "I'll will ride with you!"

"NO! Wait!" Jale ordered, grabbing the Emperor firmly, the only man who would ever get away with doing so in public. He looked back and forth between the Emperor and Ralen. "Do you both think that is wise? What if this is a set up? What if this is what they planned all along and they lie waiting to attack at your first move? We are never more vulnerable during this time of year. The Empress could be perfectly fine, but the both of you could ride off into the forest where they could be waiting!"

"You think I have turned into a coward?" The Emperor roared.

"Of course not!" Jale spat.

"I have had enough!" The Emperor shouted. "I won't let them control my Empire any longer! We are to leave now. If any of their men lie waiting, I will slice them down."

Jale cursed loudly. "Are you out of your mind?" he asked. "We have but twenty men who can fight and who knows, they could have two hundred men waiting in the forest. Who really knows who sent Lana's attacker?"

The room remained quiet so rare for anyone to argue and tell the Emperor what to do, but if someone was going to do it, Jale would. He knew he could.

Before the Emperor could respond, Jale continued with a force of sensible reasoning. "We can not leave now. Night will fall soon, we are down men and there is no way you can ride the horses at a gallop through the forest. It will be madness." His last words were spoken more than firmly. "Remember who you are! Your child is yet to be born and you do not want control to fall into your brother's hands! Alive, you have the upper hand."

The Emperor turned his back on Jale, seething with rage.

"We'll send two soldiers out as scouts," Jale continued, his voice much calmer now. "Once they return and can confirm that it is safe to travel, we will leave. The Empress is in the safest place possible in the center of the palace," Jale reminded him. "She is as safe as anyone can be."

"I will go." Teal interrupted. "I can ensure she is safe. I can get there faster than anyone else."

Jale looked at him in surprise. Clearly, both the Emperor and himself had forgotten there were others present as they argued. They nodded towards each other. It was a good idea.

"Go," the Emperor ordered.