Free Wolf's Blood by Jane Lindskold

translucent white in which pale blue pupils stood out in eerie contrast, but they were certainly not blind. Truth now saw more than ever before.
    The jaguar had confessed this change only after irregularities in her physical actions had given her away. She would move to avoid things or people that were not present. More seriously, Truth froze completely when the conflicting visions offered her too many courses of action. Whereas before her battle with Ahymn, Truth had been able to summon visions at need, now she lived in the midst of them and dealt, as well, or as poorly, as she might.
    Her battle with Ahmyn had only raised Truth’s importance in the view of those who followed the faith of the Liglim, and her surviving querinalo as “Once Dead” had given her status among the Old World residents of the Nexus Islands.
    Really, Firekeeper thought without animosity, there is some veracity to the claim that cats always land on their feet.
    That neither Skea nor Ynamynet questioned the jaguar’s appearance said a great deal about the many changes on the Nexus Islands. Certainly there had been Wise Beasts there before the New World contingent had arrived, but they had been captives in close-fitting cages, often tortured or brutalized at the whim of the Once Dead.
    Ynamynet, the only surviving Spell Wielder, had sworn she had had no part in tormenting the yarimaimalom. Her oath would have meant nothing, however, had the Wise Beasts not supported her claim.
    Firekeeper recalled what Enigma, a puma who was now something like Ynamynet’s apprentice, had said: “Ynamynet was not kind. She partook in rites that used our abilities—but she never initiated them nor delighted in our captivity as some others did. I am even willing to allow that she might have been as much in fear of those who were her rulers as we were, and have acted as she did rather than face the penalties that would have been visited not upon her, but upon her kitten and her mate if she had refused.”
    So Truth and Blind Seer returned Ynamynet’s greeting as politely as they would that of any human, then all turned their ears to what Skea had to report.
    He began with military efficiency. “I was taking my watch on the gateway hill and saw that the gate from the Kingdom of the Mires was sending. You New Worlders may not recall the name, but certainly you recall our tales of how there was one kingdom that gave sanctuary to those with magical ability. This was the Kingdom of the Mires.
    “Like several other lands that possessed active gates,” Skea went on, “the Kingdom of the Mires continued to work with us after we had taken command here. I won’t say their king liked having to pay for services that had been his to command shortly before, but for all his ambitions toward conquest, Veztressidan was a good ruler, and did not see why his people should suffer any more than they must following the failure of his venture. Therefore, I went over to the gate with some feeling I knew who might be coming through.”
    Ynamynet had been listening intently; now she looked at Skea. “Amelo? Amelo Soapwort? I’d forgotten the time had come for the early-spring shipment of medical herbs from the Mires. Was the cage in place?”
    “The cage was in place,” Skea assured her. “I went in and spoke with Amelo. Tiniel was there and can testify to what went on. In fact, given that Amelo was by way of being a friend, perhaps it would better if Tiniel continued this account.”
    The young man nodded. “I can do that. I hung back as we had agreed was best in these cases, but I heard everything.”
    He went on to report the conversation between the two men in admirable detail.
    “Finally,” Tiniel concluded, “this Amelo Soapwort realized he could do nothing really but go back. He managed the spell, but I think the iron in the cage bars inhibited him a little. He didn’t like drawing his own blood again so soon after the first time either. Still, I think he should have