Saido flew to the window after the girl was asleep. He perched precariously on the sill and admired the detection and alarm spell that Xander had proficiently put down. It could not be set off by himself in bird form, Xander had taken that precaution, for that he was thorough. Saido admired that too. He saw the anchor points tethered to runed scales from a worm. Very clever to use magic infused scales to feed the magic.

He ever so lightly shook himself and became smoke. He traveled through a crack in the window that had a minuscule hole in the both the spell and the sealant holding the window frame to the wall. Once on the other side he rematerialized as his human shape and quickly opened a port.

He stepped back into the forest that had been torn down and one by one set upon the soldiers searching and put them in a trance. Each had their own favorite happy place they would see for the duration of the spell. Finally the Lady of Fire within the tent. He approached cautiously and peeked in between the slightly open entrance. She looked like she was sleeping but he could not be sure. He stepped into the tent.

"My Lady," Saido quickly fell to one knee. The woman looked over to him then looking more startled sat up.

"Who are you?" She said angrily.

"I am an emissary of ...the gods," he smiled and stood up, "I have an urgent message."

"The gods have a message? For me?" She looked incredulously at him, "And they sent you?"

He laughed jovially and brought out his pipe but did not light it.

"Not everything is as it seems, My Lady of Fire," He smiled at her expression of perplexity, "The one you seek is safe, and not meant to be found ...for the moment."

"So the gods would send us the conduit, then take her away as soon as we find the girl?" Kenna folded her arms and stared him down.

Saido sighed a deep breath and lit his pipe. He exhaled a little smoke and watched Kenna become distracted just for the moment then saw her relax just enough.

"The girl is not strong enough yet. There is much for her to learn," He let more smoke go and Kenna shook her head, "You must teach her the way of a warrior. My Lady of Fire."

She tried to say something to him with confusion smeared across her pretty face, and then she laid back down and slept. He put the pipe out by holding his thumb over the bowl and put the pipe in the sash at his waist. He was about to open a port when he heard rustling behind him and knew it was for his benefit otherwise his visitor would have remained silent. He turned slowly.

"Do you not think it wise to tell them which god you herald?" Jelen smiled at him in that way he had of putting anyone at ease.

"Right now they still believe my god to be the enemy," Saido said knowing it was obvious and not what Jelen had meant, "Yes, I know Itzal has his own agenda, one I must see filled. This is not an altruistic endeavor."

"All these secrets are unbecoming of a god. I only keep it because of the help he has given," Jelen looked a bit sad, "You must see that Elda lives to return to Sid Hayef. I will take no other answer but yes from you Crow Brother."

"Ah, so The Ancient One has developed a soft spot after all for a daughter of Shadow," Saido for once in his life looked most serious, "If her fate wills it, I will deliver the Hatyri to Sid Hayef."

Jelen bowed his head in acknowledgment and then stepped into a fold between realms and was gone. Saido opened the port and went back to the estate. Quietly he shook himself into smoke and reentered Elda's room through the same hole. He became a crow once again. He gingerly stepped to the door on tiny feet and tapped until a servant passing by let him out.

He flew down the hallway and landed at the door where the boy slept. These people did not put protection around him. They would if they truly knew who he was. The High Dragon Hima. The one who could reclaim his body from Death. Right now, though, he was tortured and incoherent. He would need to change that. How fortuitous the gods let this detail slip from their own grasp.

He smiled and shook himself into smoke to enter the room. Once in, he transformed and sat in a chair as himself, lit his pipe and let it do its work to lull Hima into a deeper state of sleep. Once he was in a lucid trance the boy would be open to communication with Itzal, and the help he needed to reclaim his sanity and his body.