Nim sat on the floor between his bed and the mirror he used for scrying Joanne, as usual. He was no longer in one of Pt’this’s guest rooms but had a room of his own. Upon his return to Torthoc, he had been made emissary of the council again. They had then given him an indefinite assignment at the palace to help ensure treaties were not being violated. It had been brought to the council’s attention that a single treaty may have been violated seventy-three times without repercussions. This concerned the council and they wanted him to check for other violations. King Emeton had given Nim his own set of rooms on the floor above Pt’this’s. The king had one of the walls taken out between two rooms to allow him enough room to take true form. It was still a little close for him since he was on the large side, even for a dragon, but he was able to sleep comfortably if he wanted to sleep in true form. Joanne had taken it upon herself to decorate the room, hanging several of his drawings on the walls. She’d had several arguments with the palace decorators about this. Finally, they gave in. He cast the spell. Joanne was sitting at her desk, writing. She had a special mirror with her for him to connect to. It could be stood up if she wanted her hands free or be carried so she wasn’t restricted to a single location. He watched her work for a moment. “Hello, Nim,” she said without looking up. When he scried her, the bond they shared could be felt. He smiled. “Hello, Joanne.” She looked up. “What’s wrong?” He told her about how Ann and the baby had been poisoned and how he felt partially responsible. He had never taught her about the flower. He hadn’t even bothered to find out what it looked like. “It’s not your fault,” Joanne said. “You didn’t bring them in. And when you were her mentor, you thought she was human.” “I know, but I saw the flowers. If I’d known what they looked like, I could’ve stopped them.” “Nim, you can’t know everything.” “But they’re going to die.” He was on the verge of tears. “No, they aren’t. They’re going to go to get the cure. Ann is strong and so is Bre. Pt’this and Andy will keep them strong so they make it. They will survive.” Nim nodded but didn’t look convinced. “Do you need me to come there?” She asked. “No. You’ve missed enough work because of me.” “You’re not planning on coming here, are you?” “No. King Emeton won’t let me near the gate, and I don’t have the strength to transport that far. Besides, I have to take care of Pt’this’s responsibilities while he’s gone.” “Good. That will keep you busy and out of trouble.” “We’ll be going to Yarba in a little while.” He was assuming he’d be going in Pt’this’s place. Part of his responsibilities as emissary was to fill in for Pt’this as needed. There was no way Pt’this would be going anywhere while Bre was sick, except to get the cure. “How soon?” “I’m not sure. Originally, Ann was going to transport the delegation up there. Now, we may have to go on horseback through the Erulian pass. That will take quite a while.” “You can’t fly there?” Nim smiled. “Not whole delegation. Besides, they don’t allow dragons in Yarba. They’re making an exception but I’ll have to stay in human form.” “Why don’t they allow dragons?” Nim shrugged. “I don’t know. No one seems to, except perhaps they feel we can’t be trusted.” Well, I know one dragon that can’t be,” Jo said. “He keeps sneaking into places he shouldn’t be.” “I had to see you.” “Then let me come there.” “Joanne, we’ve been over this.” “Yes, we have, many times for the last year and a half. Nim, it’s just a job.” “But your family…” “My family doesn’t want me. Sometimes, I feel you don’t want me.” “Jo, don’t say that. You know it isn’t true. Can we not fight tonight? I don’t know how many times I’ll be able to scry you before we leave.” Jo sighed. “Okay. We’ll talk about this when you get back.” Nim nodded. He asked about work and the kids there. He had gotten to know some of them when he visited Joanne for lunch or went to help out, and he had taught some to draw. “I should go. I’ll scry you soon and let you know our plans.” “Okay, I love you.” “I love you too. I’ll talk with you soon.” Joanne nodded and he ended the spell.