Frightened and angry Fand followed Gruin. As they made their way to one of the stone arched doorways, Fand noticed that all the stone inside this cavern was like the stone in her room behind Dr. Kran’s office. That made meant it was impenetrable. No one would be able to sense where she was, and no one would be able to find her. The only way she would get out of here is if she found a way out herself. This was just getting worse and worse. In her arms the baby wiggled. Fand pulled her closer.

When Gruin slid open the door, Fand saw that it was made of the same stone. This was her prison. It seemed she kept ending up in prisons, but then she also kept getting out of them. The door slid shut behind her. They were in a well furnished room. Gruin put Fels down. He toddled off toward a box filled with his toys.

With quick eyes, Fand took in her surroundings, this was not some hastily made fortress, this was an abode. There worn rugs on the floor, there was a large bed with a intricately sew quilt and there was an angel bed. How often did the Sonpur capture angels? Fand shuddered as her eyes traveled across the room. Everything in the space looked like it had been there for a while. Apparently, the Sonpur hadn’t just lived in Kammin Spire, they also resided here. Where there other caverns in other mountains that hid the Sonpur away? How many Sonpur were there in the world. Fand wished there were none.

Near the fire place was a large masculine looking chair. Was it Trug’s? How often did he come here? Did he sleep here? Again Fand shuddered. Trug. His dark ugly face and muscular body still haunted her dreams and now he had returned to her present. How much would she have to interact with him here? She could only pray that their contact would be minimal. From Trug, Fand’s mind darted to Angs. The memory of him caused her to flinch. She could still see him approaching her bright with pulsing light and desire. If not for Jerim’s relic, he would have raped her in front of the entire Inner Sanctum. A strange sensation shot through left hand as if it too were remembering that awful night. Fand had survived that night because of Jerim’s Relic. What if anything would save her and the baby this time?

Fand took the baby to the angel bed and laid her down. Memories bad and painful kept running through her mind. As she took the soiled napkin off the baby, the image of Kerzee swirled in her mind. Where was Kerzee? The old woman had given her tainted tea and began the process of turning her into what she was now. Behind her, her feathers flared out. What was she now? An angel, a ruler of the Sonpur? She was neither. Folgen ruled the Sonpur he always had. Angs powerful as he was had just been the symbolic ruler, a necessary tool in Folgen’s dominion. What was this creature, Folgen? Loren would know or maybe even Pyre. If Pyre still lived. She stretched out her heart and her mind. If Pyre were dead, wouldn't she feel it, know it? He was such a part of her. Silently she prayed, Please let him be alive.

The babe, scrunched up her legs and grunted. The baby. Fand forced herself to focus on the baby. Would this child live long enough to receive a name? Babies were not named for the first two weeks of their life because so many died. This baby looked strong, seemed strong, but what kind of future would she have? Carefully Fand examined her to make sure every inch of her was all right. All her fingers and all her toes were fine. Her breathing was strong. Her tiny body perfect. The cleft in her chin brought Zog close. If only he could see his child, his bastard child.

Gruin handed Fand a tiny gown and a fresh blanket. With deft fingers Fand dressed and swaddled the baby. Such a fete would have been harder with one hand. She was at this moment very thankful for two hands. But her wings, she would never be thankful for them. If not for them, Renate could have had the baby in the Council City. The child would be safe with Loren, and not here. NOT HERE!! She snuggled the baby close and placed her hand on her back. Steady and sure, her tiny heart beat. Weary Fand sat down on the angel bed, drawing her wings around her and the baby. The wings did not fully encompass her, but they did create a sense of security.

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Gruin picked up the soiled clothes and washed them in a basin. Fels crawled behind his bed with a doll of some kind clenched in his tiny teeth. He was growling and the sound was menacing. For the first time Fand saw his resemblance to Trug, and it unsettled her. What would this little creature become?

After Gruin finished, she sat down beside Fand on the angel bed. Of their own accord, Fand’s wing fanned back. They seemed to completely independent of her thought. The Sonpur’s gaze went to the baby. Fand wondered if she had ever seen a human child. She also wondered just how much the beast understood. In the past Kerzee had spoken to her and she had always responded as if she understood. She thought of how Folgen had addressed the crowd in their own language. Was Gruin the only Sonpur who could understand human language? For the first time Fand spoke to the beast, “How many of you understand human?”

Gruin pointed to herself and at the bed where Fels was hiding. Then she said, "Trug."

"That is all?"

The beast nodded.

Fand asked, "Is Kerzee here?"

Gruin's eyes filled with tears. She shook her head.

"I am sorry. How many were killed that night?"

With trembling fingers, Gruin held up her hands. Over and over she opened and closed them. If Fand's calculations were correct over a hundred adults and children had been killed the night Kammin Spire fell. Pity for the creatures washed over Fand. It was unexpected, and just as swift and strong as it had been when she had stood before the horde in the cavern. Hate for these creatures would be so much easier and yet for some strange reason compassion kept springing up in her instead.

There was a loud and angry baa from behind the bed. Fels popped up and cried, "Goat! Goat!" He grabbed hold of something and hoisted it up. It was indeed a goat, not just any goat though, it was the goat Pyre had brought with him! How had it gotten here? Fels was strangling the poor thing and her was udder swollen with milk.

Gruin grunted something to her son.

Anger flashed in his eyes. He shouted, “Mine!”

Swift and decisively Gruin sprung from the bed and went to her son. She scolded him with a low growl. The little creature frowned, but he did put the goat down. Under his breath he said, “Mine.”

Grateful to be free the goat quickly scampered away from Fels. She leapt onto the bed beside Fand and hid behind her wings. Fand turned to the goat and stroked her silky head. "Poor thing. But oh I am thankful for you. You once again have brought my baby milk." In her mind the thought took root, if the goat survived, perhaps the others did too. Where they here too? She asked Gruin, "Were there any other prisoners besides me?"

Gruin shrugged. She did not know.

*

Though there was not way to tell, it was night. Fels was tucked in bed with his mother. The goat was also asleep in a basket beside Fand's bed. Even the baby slept. As weary as she was Fand could not sleep. The day had been too full and too awful. Her worry would not shut off. She closed her eyes and tried to pray, but was unable to do so. All the sudden a prayer drifted into her mind. She locked onto the words. The words were thoughts, Pyre’s thoughts. He was praying, praying for her and the baby. His words filled her heart, “May you cover those in need with your light and with your love. May you give hope to the lost and frightened. Send comfort to the lonely…” How was it that his thoughts were coming to her? They should not be able to pass through this mountain’s and yet they were. Was this just some trick engineered by Folgen? Perhaps. She dare not call out to Pyre, if it was a trick. But if it was Pyre, it meant that he was very much alive.

A strange warmth tingled in her brain. What was happening to her, more angel mischief? All at once she had a vision of Pyre in moonlight riding a horse. He was not alone, but she could not make out the others. As quickly as it came, the vision vanished. There was something very familiar about the way the image had come to her. It had come like the images she had once seen on Jerim’s Relic. What did this mean?