‘Perhaps I’ve upset theplan,’ Miranda offered.
‘Perhaps and perhapsnot. This high priest Ishteth knows who I am, and that Zephira wasmy cousin. He must have got that information from Jaztrix, as shemost likely came here straight after seeing me being reincarnatedas a bear. But why were the Yith here in the first place? It’sunlikely that the mask knew they were here, so why did Jaz comehere unless she knew they were also here. That would suggest shewas already in league with them.
‘Alin Amber is a Yithand my father was associated with some Yith faction. The questionis, whether these Yith are associated with Alin Amber and myfather. If so, Jaztrix might have been an agent of my father. Itwould make sense as she kept a close watch on me, even helped meboth directly and indirectly to find information that I was afterin Featherdown’s library, and tried to help us when we wereattacked by Curbut.’
‘Alpha. Miranda hastold me that Granddad told you of some sort of plan to hunt for theFounts of Wisdom prior to coming to Mudrun. Is that true?’
‘Yes,’ Alpha replied,‘but it was only in very general terms. He gave me no details, onlyan indication of what might happen.’
‘Did he mentionanything about Jaztrix, the priest called Ishteth, or thistemple?’
‘No. Nothing at all,’Alpha said. ‘You’re not going to hand me over to the priest areyou? He might destroy me. I cannot help you if I am a prisoner ordestroyed. Your mission is much more important than Zephira.Without me you will fail, and that will cause the deaths of manyhundreds of thousands of lives. Are you prepared to risk thoselives for Zephira? Your grandfather can have her resurrected. Youmustn’t give me to them.’
‘You can’t just letZephira die, Tain,’ said Miranda urgently. ‘Resurrection depends onthe whim of the gods, and none may let her live again. Alpha’swrong. No one’s died yet. You haven’t failed yet. These things areall in the future and it can be changed.’
‘Don’t listen toMiranda, Aquitain,’ said Alpha. ‘Only I have the knowledge you needto succeed. She is trying to make you fail. She may be on the sideof the enemy. You can’t risk it.’
‘That’s a terriblething to say. I’m not on the side of your enemy, Tain. I swear inthe name of the Lady that I’m your friend and I love you, and willnever willingly do anything to harm you.’
‘Stop it both of you!The decisions are mine alone and I will make them. First I must getthe mask, at least that part is easy. What I do about Zephira Istill have to decide.’
‘Listen to me both ofyou,’ said Alpha. ‘Aquitain cannot lift the cursed tattoo from youMiranda, because he cannot fulfil the two remaining conditions. Hethinks he might be able to but he can’t and he never will. While hemight somehow fulfil the third condition, he can never fulfil thesecond because he is not what he seems. You two can never have thesame blood.’
Both of them wereshocked at Alpha’s panicky outburst.
‘How do you know this?’asked Aquitain.
‘Your mother lied toyou. Your father was not a newman. You know this but have chosen toforget it. The goddess knew you would eventually meet, so has fixedthe tattoo to stop any possibility of you joining. Why do you thinkthe goddess gave you a bear body that can’t be the same size asMiranda’s? Part now before it becomes even harder. Save thechildren if you must, but you must sacrifice Zephira and continueon the quest. Many lives depend on it.’
‘That’s not true.,’said Miranda. ‘The Lady sent me a dream that I can one day turninto a bear. We can both join as bears.’
‘So you would breakyour vows to the Lady who strictly forbids that type of behaviour,would you Miranda? If you did she would forsake you and take awayyour druid powers, and then what? No one would want to associatewith either of you. You would have to live in isolation as a newmanwoman and a bear together, yet always doomed to be apart until youdied. Is that what you both want? Think carefully about what youare about to do, Aquitain. This is one of the most importantdecisions that you will ever make.’
‘Loma and Miranda comewith me,’ Aquitain said to the group. ‘We must get to Kami toretrieve the mask. The rest of you wait here, but be on guard.We’ll be back as soon as we can. Hop on my back both of you. I canget us to back to Kami faster.’
‘No I can’t. It’s nothow it was in my dream,’ said Miranda.
‘I’ve told you Mandy.Dreams are only what might happen. We make the decisions as to whatwill happen. Trust me. It’s more important now than ever.’
She was sure that ifshe did this then she would change the sequence of events outlinedin the dream from the Lady. It was now time to choose.
With tears in her eyesMiranda climbed on Aquitain’s back, wrapped her legs around himtightly, and hung on to a roll of skin on his back. Loma climbed onbehind her and hung on tightly around her waist and they were offat a run. Five minutes later they were with Kami and Aquitainquickly explained that if they were to save the Barra children thenthey must retrieve the mask. Kami questioned the wisdom of givingthe mask back, as it would lead to further deaths and greaterdestruction, and he and Loma exchanged a few angry words beforeAquitain calmed them both.
‘It is my decision andmine alone. I will not have the Barra children die on my account.If others die then it rests on my shoulders, not yours Kami. Icaptured the mask - I wish it returned to me.’
‘As you are wishing,Spirit Lord,’ said Kami. ‘Who am I to be arguing with a SpiritLord?’
‘Kami. My grandfatheronce said that it is our actions that define who we are. Historyrecords what happened, not what people think might happen in thefuture. If we act on what we are told might happen then we arefulfilling other people’s wishes, not our own. My wish is to savethe Barra children. If
