Zorish wraps himself fully around Tamora's brain, half surprised that he is still alive, and quickly connects himself to her fully. The first thing he checks is her current mental status. She is sleeping, but it is a shallow, nightmare-ridden sleep. If she had not been strapped down she probably would have been thrashing about violently.
<Time to wake up, Tamora,> Zorish murmurs to her. It takes some time for his thoughts to penetrate her dreams. He could force a more pleasant scenario on her psyche, but he has learned the hard way that it is better for her if she brings herself out of her sleeping terrors. She does begin to respond, slowly, after a few minutes during which Zorish's knowledge of the world beyond her mind is muted.
<Zorish?> She asks at last, her tone reeking of fear.
<Yes,> Zorish responds, <Welcome back to the waking world.>
<Zorish, I thought...I thought you were->
<I know,> Zorish responds curtly, suddenly realizing that this will be much more difficult to explain than he originally thought. He mentally steels himself before beginning, <Tamora, I am going to be leaving you. I am going back to the Empire alone. You will be safe with the rebels and...and the Andalites.>
<What? No! What do you...what do you mean I'll be safe with them?> Tamora cries after a moment of stunned silence, <They're evil! They are...they...you can't!> Her words stutter and she loses coherency, but Zorish can see her thoughts easily enough, even if she cannot put them into words. Hurt. Betrayal. Anger. Longing. He forces himself to brush the emotions aside and lie again.
<Tamora. Listen. You are right, they are the enemy. So do not trust them. But you will be safe with them. They went through a good deal of trouble to secure you, not me. That means that they are invested in your safety. They will not kill you. They do not need you for information, although what purpose they do have I cannot say. So do not trust them, but do not fear them either.>
Tamora does not respond, is unable to respond to this blow. Zorish closes his thoughts to her and instead opens his eyes. It displeases him greatly that the first person he focuses on is Myitt, but he keeps Tamora's face smooth and emotionless.
"I have informed Tamora that I am returning to the Empire alone," he says flatly, "I have assured her that she will be safe in your hands and that my return will be swift and painless." He cannot say it out loud, not without Tamora picking up on it, but he hopes that Myitt understands that a swift and painless trip anywhere does not include a return to the Empire. He would prefer a quick, easy death at their hands to Kandrona starvation.
