Bella didn't even think, but pulled her mother into a tight embrace, whispering, "Stay in the garden, Mother. We had to set Tika charges around the city to get the fire pattern we want.", whispered into her mother's ear.

  Pulling back from one another, Bella tried to take in every detail of her mother's face and commit it to memory. It was then her mother pulled out a small box as they walked away from her father's office together as she said, "I have a gift for you, dearest. I had a blacksmith make a recreation of my family crest as a pendant and had it enchanted to change colors. We can use it as a signal to send letters back and forth using the log box that your father has made standard on his ships. It sends a copy of a report directly to his office. You would just need to have it altered to send to my box. I commissioned it weeks ago under the guise of keeping in touch with you when running an extended drill."

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  Overcome with emotion once more, Bella threw her arms around her mother tightly, holding on as tightly as she could, "I wish I could take you with me, Mother. I tried to convince Father, but he was insistent that you host the luncheon of the other backers, and we must use that time to sow the confusion we need to get out of port."

  "I know, child, now go and may Naomi and the Songstress watch over you were ever you roam.", said Bella's mother as she took the pendent from its box and slid it around her neck securing it in place the heavy chain a slight comfort to Bella knowing it was there and a physical reminder of her mother's love.

  Knowing the time had come, she pulled away from her mother for the last time and began the walk to the docks, being joined by many of the women and their children.