Elsbet carefully gathers up the wands, save for the Hickory, and places them back inside the teak box, making certain the antler wands are on opposite ends. Once in her room, she stows the box securely under her bed, then wonders vaguely why she's thinking of it suddenly as hers. Well, really...since Therion is with them now, they can't all sleep in this little bed. Not like they're going to make him sleep alone. And besides, she reasons, the wizards are going to want time to themselves, as well as with her, and anyway, a woman needs to feel that she has her 'own space'.

As she leaves her room,...