"How do you know!? Oh yeah you are genius boy, yeah- you've got all the answers huh? Tell me you can save her! Tell me there's some machine just been built that will save her!" Tommy yelled at him in a curious mixture of anger and hope.

"I can't do that." Billy replied softly with regret.

Tommy roared and for all his drunkenness there was no way Billy could have evaded the lightening flurry of punches that floored him.

"Tommy.." Ow...not easy to speak! "I'm not going to fight you...drunk or sober, you can beat me and we both know it.""You'd better believe it. Heck, Chala, who holds the Sword of Heart, she had to disguise herself as a boy to get into the House of Swords. They're the bodyguards to the king," he explained quickly. "We're out of the 'women should be seen and not heard' stage, but there's still a fair amount of prejudice out there. I, of course, had all that wiped from my mind the first time I sparred Dulcea." The older man winced, rubbing the back of his neck, remembering. Saryn seemed to consider that, and it struck her suddenly that he was sitting in a particularly flattering patch of sunlight. He had probably done it on purpose. Or at least "accidentally on purpose", which seemed to be the way diplomats did everything. If there was one thing she had learned about his profession, it was that nothing was ever as coincidental as it seemed.

"That is very insightful," he said at last, and it took her a moment to remember what he was talking about. "You think she can hold the Kerovan team together?"

Cassie shrugged, gazing idly at Saryn's fingers on the bowl in front of him. "I don't really know. But Andros has a better chance of keeping Ashley with Kerone than without her, and Kerone will keep Zhane from giving up if Andros doesn't stop ignoring him." Saryn's grip was loose now, but she knew it could turn possessive in a heartbeat.

          "So what do we do?" TJ asked. "Is there any way we can sway the nobles to our side?"
          Zarador nodded. "Yes, and your timing is nothing short of impeccable. Two days from now, there's going to be a gathering on the Sea of Grass. It's ostensibly to honor the Goddess at the ancient Temple of the Winds, but for centuries it's also been a time for the king to meet with his nobles and get some work done. You will have to prove yourselves in combat, against the best warriors of Danata. Do you think you can do that?"
          Rocky grimaced. "Do we have a choice? We need as much support as we can get."

"Come on... lets see that Wolf of yours Billy!" Tommy growled kicking at him.

Billy suddenly understood what Skye had meant about not fighting back...if he did, Tommy would lose it completely. As it was the Red Zeo Ranger appear to only just be clinging to the edges of his control