‘I agree in general,but there’s another problem. After the bodies are burnt I have tomix the ashes and take a sample of the mix and add it to theircommunity urn. This has to be done in a ritual way, otherwise thespirits of the dead may get lost on their journey to join theirancestors.’
‘Where is thiscommunity urn?’ asked Aquitain.
‘I’m not sure, but it’sprobably buried somewhere in the centre of the village near thecommunity hall.’
‘By the Powers this isbecoming complicated. Right, we need to find the urn first, get itto the cave undetected second; burn the bodies, third; mix theashes, fourth; carry out the ritual, fifth; then escape unharmed,sixth.’
‘That sounds aboutright,’ Miranda agreed. ‘However, as soon as we start burning thebodies there will be acrid smoke for some time, then it will taketime for the ashes to cool, then it will take an hour to do theritual.’
‘Then we will need totake it in steps. We shall find the urn during daylight, then afterdark tonight we will smuggle it to the cave and burn the bodiesunder the cover of darkness to avoid unwanted visitors seeing thesmoke during the day. The next morning the air should be fresherand we will seal the cave, collect the ashes and carry out theritual.’
‘How will you seal thecave?’
‘I thought that youmight be able to do that, a wall of vines or some such druidconstruction to keep out the cats.’
‘Yes, that ispossible.’
‘We will need somemeans to remain hidden as well.’
‘That also ispossible,’ said Miranda.
‘Good, then we have aplan. Did you sleep well?’
‘As well as can beexpected. I am used to sleeping under the sky, not in some ancientburrow.’
‘We still have sometime before dawn. Can you tell me more about the littlepeople.’
Miranda agreed and toldhim what she knew about them. They were small reptilian creatures,who some believed were remotely related to the Yith. There weremany tribes of them scattered around the world, each worshipping ananimal spirit. They were nomadic for part of the year, travellingthrough the jungle to different sacred sites. They had a primitivelanguage and primitive customs. None could read or write, and onlytheir village shamans had any understanding of magic. Theinteresting thing about them was that they were the only landcreatures larger than insects that had survived the greatstorm.
When the druids hadfirst come to Mudrun they had found them hiding in caves, livingoff insects and fungi. The druids made a pact with them. They wouldbe allowed to roam freely and live off the land, provided theyhelped the druids renew the land and report any illegal gates orstrangers. They did a wonderful job replanting and nurturing newplant and animal life all over the world. They suffered now mainlyfor reporting poachers and other illegal activities.
Just before dawnAquitain and Miranda left their hideout to greet the morning sunfor meditation. The top of the hatch was wet and stank with caturine.
‘The female cat doesn’tlike me marking some of her territory,’ Miranda observed. ‘She hasissued a challenge. It will be more dangerous from nowonwards.’
They went to the edgeof the clearing overlooking the sea, and Miranda sat down towelcome the morning sun.
‘I’ll guard your backwhile you meditate,’ said Aquitain.
‘That will not benecessary. The Lady will protect us and besides, the cat would notattack the two of us together.’
‘That may be so, but Iwould feel better standing guard. I don’t need to meditate as mysource has been replenished.’
‘As you wish wizard,’replied Miranda.
So Aquitain stood threepaces behind her watching the surrounding area. He hardened hisskin and waited with a powerstone in his hand, wishing that he hadhis ball of chaos matter so that he could form a sword with it. Aslight breeze blew in from the sea and with it the smell of thebrine as the first rays of the sun fell on Miranda’s face; andthat’s when the cat struck.
It sprinted towardsAquitain at an incredible speed and at the last moment leapt uponhim. He grabbed it with both arms and went over backwards, almostfalling onto Miranda. It raked his body with the claws of both itsfore and hind legs and clamped its jaws around his neck for akilling bite, but failed to penetrate his skin. The hardened skinprotected his body from the initial onslaught, but this would soonwear off if the cat continued its attack.
He didn’t wait, butshape changed to his large snake form with his head at the endopposite to where the cat was biting, and struck at its hindquarters; but it was only a glancing blow that caused littledamage. The cat was totally confused, thinking that it had a newmanin its embrace only to discover it was a snake. It leapt away fromhim before he could loop any coils around it, and seeing Mirandachanging shape to a cat form ran off in great haste.
The whole attack andretreat was over in several seconds. Miranda sprinted off after thecat but returned half a minute later. Aquitain had reformed to hisnewman shape.
‘By the Powers, thatwas amazing. I never knew that this type of combat could happen sofast. If I hadn’t hardened my skin I would be dead.’
‘Wizard, now you knowthe first law of the jungle. There are the quick and the dead. Iapologize for my bad judgement. You were right to guard my back andI am glad you were there and not injured. I prayed to the Lady thatyou would be not so rash as to endanger us today. I will pray formyself tomorrow.
‘I feel that the Ladywatches over us. That is good. I have all the prayers that we willneed. Come let’s go to the village and find that community urn. Iwill be glad when this day is over. First let me use the prayer ofthe chameleon on you. It will last about an hour, and if you standstill you will blend into the background, remaining almostinvisible until you move again.’
Aquitain also created amindlink between them, got Alpha to grow legs, and placed it on topof his head for a better view. They set off cautiously, movingtwenty paces then stopping to survey their surroundings, listening,then
