‘Does that answer yourquestion? If so, will you answer mine? Why are you here?’
Aquitain was quiet fora minute or two while he correlated the facts. His father was partof the failed peace negotiations for this world. He had run offwith his mother somewhere, and she had returned to Panmagicapregnant. Could they have come here? After he returned her toPanmagica and was on the run for nearly eight years, he told themhe had found a perfect hiding place. Was it here? His grandfatherthought so, and Alin Amber was the link.
‘Who was the druid thathad changed to Yith form to talk to Featherdown?’
‘Alin Amber,’ saidMiranda, watching for his reaction.
‘Hmm. I can see now whyFeatherdown and Quab are so inquisitive about Zephira and myself.They are worried that we might be a part of some foul conspiracyinvolving this Yith. I can honestly say that I have never met theperson, and had never heard of him before we left Panmagica.
‘I’m surprised but verypleased that you have been so forthright and honest with me. Pleasetell them we are innocent travellers seeking only refuge for ashort time. I am here primarily for the reasons I told you;however, there is another, more personal reason. I am here to findmy father whom I haven’t seen since I was eight years old. AlinAmber acted as a shipping agent between him and my grandfather. Acouple of years ago my grandfather managed to trace Alin Amber tothis world, and consequently he thinks my father might be hidinghere somewhere.’
‘What’s your father’sname?’ she asked.
‘My mother knew him asRobertus and named me after him, but before I left for here shetold me that he had secretly named me Aquitain at birth. So I havechanged my name to that so that he might recognize me. He’sprobably known under another name here.’
Miranda was silent fora minute in deep contemplation, before she replied.
‘It seems we havesomething in common. I never knew my father either. All I know wasthat he was a wizard and my mother hated him. She won’t talk aboutit. I don’t even know his name. When I was younger I often wonderedwhat he would be like. I wondered what his name might be, how tallhe would be and what his voice might sound like. I don’t even knowwhether he is alive or dead.’
Aquitain couldn’t helpnoticing the profound change in her attitude towards him. Suddenlyshe could relate to him, she knew how he felt and why he washere.
‘I’m sorry to hear thatMiranda. I’ll help you find out about your father if you help mefind out about mine,’ he offered.
‘Really?’ She wassuddenly excited at the prospect of finding her father, somethingshe had dreamed about for her whole life, but had never quite knownhow or where to start looking.
‘Then we have some workto do. You’ll have to learn to fly if you want to get around thisworld.’
‘I was hoping you mightsay that,’ he replied.
Chapter 13 Decisions
They started workstraight away. He asked her to transform to a sea eagle and shedid. He realized that there was quite a difference in the way sheshape changed compared to his way. For him it was a modellingprocess. He had to imagine every nuance of a shape and then hecould be it.
The advantage was thathe could make changes anywhere at anytime. All Miranda had to dowas invoke the name of the Lady and think of the beast that shewished to be, and it happened. She took on the average shape, looksand coloration of the desired creature. She could however makeminor changes, as Quab had painstakingly pointed out.
Aquitain realized forthe first time that the bodies of all the creatures must be likeballs of chaos matter. The Lady must have a template for eachcreature shape, and when asked through prayer could somehow directthe druid’s body shape to take on that of the desired template.
The problem for him wasthat only the Lady had copies of the templates. He had to make hisown and it was a damn lot more complicated when you started as apool of goo. The curious thing was that when he got the externalshape and details right the body actually seemed to functionproperly, as if it had somehow known all along.
He had her walk around,turn with her wings spread out and by her side, take off and land afew times, until she rebelled. She was hungry so they opened up theoven and carefully removed the top layer of palm leaf. Underneaththe tentacle was a bit brown and dried out, but the next layer downwas milky white and melted in the mouth, which was perfect inMiranda’s estimation.
He ate the dried outburnt pieces as they tasted better to his Logicon taste buds, andshe scoffed down the whole of the second layer and half the third,while he finished off the rest.
After the meal they satside by side at ease, chatting about anything and everything untilhe started turning a little red. She noticed and apologised for notwarning him about the heat of the sun on exposed skin on Mudrun,and moved behind him, said a prayer to the Lady, and touched himfor the first time. He felt the tingle of magic pass over his skinas she healed the sunburn. She then sang a second prayer, one thatgave him resistance against burning. This time the tingle didn’tcome from the magic effect of the prayer, but the feel of her handson his shoulders.
Now that she had usedher magic on him, he felt that he had to impress her a little withhis own, so he asked her to wait while he retrieved something fromhis body shell, the ball of chaos matter. He sat beside her and lether examine it, and she thought that it was just a ball ofclay.
‘Let me show you someof my magic,’ he said, and placed the ball on the ground besidehim, touching it with one finger while closing his eyes andimagining a tunnel shaped frame over their heads. A rod of mindclay extended along the ground on his side for two paces, thenthree arches grew over their heads and touched the ground on theother side, progressing along
