All that remained was the fire. Fand was gone. Gone. Gone home. Gone to his home. That night she would sleep in Pyre’s parent’s house. Where would she sleep? A toxic mixture of emotions rose up inside of him. He pushed them away. Her feelings toward him had not changed, would never change. There had been moments over the past few weeks when he tried to convince himself she was looking at him with more than friendly affection. But, he deep down he was sure it was just wishful thinking on his own part. She was no longer the headstrong girl he had loved. She had become a mother and a woman. A woman that he did not know and might never really know. Baby Zel motivated Fand and changed her in a thousand ways. The baby also pulled her thoughts and her affection even farther away from him.

Behind Pyre, Rube Johan cleared his throat. Pyre turned to him. Everyone else had left the Common. Only Rube remained. He said, “I think its best we head to the Dining Hall to get whatever is left of Grayson’s literal mess.”

Pyre nodded. He followed Rube through the streets. A cold wind laced with winter was beginning to blow. The Council City was still battle stained, but roofs had been replaced, and the streets had been cleaned. Most people were back in their homes, and last night he and Rube had returned to the repaired Dormitory. He had not slept much. All he could think about was that Fand was leaving. Now she had left, would he sleep tonight?

They reached the Dining hall and went inside. The acrid smell of Cook Grayson’s infamous stew filled the air. Pyre so hated that stew. He had had it the first night he came to this City. It had only been a little over a year since that night, but it seemed like an eon.

*

Seated on a table in the examining room Pyre held out his ankle to Loren. It had been such a clumsy stupid accident. Three weeks ago unable to sleep, he had gone wandering through the Council City streets. It had been a miserable, moonless night. He had felt so restless. Something was gnawing at him, but he did not know what it was. A stupid stray cat had darted in front of him. Frightened he had jumped and wrenched his ankle. Since then he had been slow help in the Infirmary. Loren cut away the cloth that held the braces around his ankle. He removed the braces and flexed the ankle. Loren asked, “Still hurt?”

Pyre shook his head.

“Good, but we best put a light wrap around it for stabilities sake.” With deft fingers Loren wrapped the ankle in strips of an old sheet. When he finished he extended his hand. Pyre took hold of it. Slowly he stood and put his weight on his ankle. Loren said, “Slowly put your weight on it, then take a step.”

Pyre did as he was instructed. To his relief the ankle bore his weight well. He took a step forward. There was not any pain. Relieved he said, “It feels good.”

Loren said, “Excellent. Its still not completely sound so favor it a bit, and mind where you step.”

The door to the examining room suddenly swung open. Resen, who they had not seen since he had rescued them, strode into the room. He didn’t waste any time. He said, “Good, you are both here. Listen and listen fast, I don’t have much time. Word is Folgen sealed the mountain and the Sonpur are trapped. I have no love for those creatures, but Commander Rhys wants them all dead, females and children too. Supplies cant get in, and they can’t get out. Its a hell of a way to die. I know your mother had a relationship with those creatures. What would she want you to do?”

Loren stood, stunned and silent.

Resen grabbed hold of his shoulders and said, “I need your help Loren. I have found an old entrance, but only magic will unseal it, and magic is one thing I don’t have.”

The color in Loren’s face completely drained a way. He looked directly at Resen. Softly he said, “My mother would want me to help them, but even she did not have the power to break one of Folgen’s dark spells.”

Resen said, “You must at least try.”

Confused, Pyre stared at the two men. They were enemies and yet they were trying to figure out how to save those nasty beasts that kidnapped Fand and most likely killed Zog. This did not make any sense!

Anxious and upset, Loren looked around the room and then out the small window. He asked, "Have you got provisions for them if I do succeed?”

Resen nodded.

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“Let us go then.” Loren grabbed his medicinal bag from the examining table.

Resen turned to Pyre, and said, “You must cover for Loren. Lie, I know you are not good at it, but what the Militia is doing to the Sonpur is heinous. They have killed every creature they have found.”

Loren exploded, “What?”

Resen’s eyes flashed at Loren “You didn’t know?”

“No.”

With a shake of his head, Resen said, “Surely Appocca knows. Regardless, we need to go.”

Loren gripped his medicinal bag and placed his hand on Resen’s shoulder. There was an explosion of white light and then there was a great sucking sound as if the floor were about to pull them under. Blackness descended. Pyre felt the cold darkness of Transference. What the hell! He wasn’t supposed to be going too!

The darkness faded and they were at the snow line of a mountain. It was the Sonpur’s mountain. The one Pyre had seen from their look out camp weeks ago. He took in a breath of the icy air and coughed.

Resen spun around and saw him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I don’t know.”

Loren said, “He must have been standing too close to me.”

Agitated Resen growled, “Right, like you would make such a mistake.”

“I swear I didn’t bring him.” The old anger reignited between the two men.

Pyre wondered, who did bring me?

For a long moment, Resen studied Loren. He shook his head. “All right, whatever. You two follow me and stay close.” They did as they were told. Up they climbed to a shelf. On the shelf, sheltered by some rocks were Donner and two mules. On the mules were four dead deer. Donner had two large baskets of loaves on his back and a huge cask. A young man stood waiting with the animals. He looked a lot like Resen. A brother, perhaps a cousin?

Resen walked to a flat stone and said, “Stand here.” He stepped away from the stone, and Loren took his place.

For a moment or two Loren closed his eyes in prayer, then he told Pyre, “Sing the Song of Morning.”

Pyre began to softly sing:

Fair light come and light our way

show us what we can not see.

Bear us to the place of sight

cast all shadows into light.

Loren scolded, “Put your lungs into it man!”

Not a good singer, Pyre raised his voice. He actually saw Resen wince. A strange sensation rushed through him. As his voice grew louder a power he did not know he possessed seemed to also grow in the depth of his being. It got caught in the cold air and swirled around Loren. Loren stomped on the stone three times and shouted unintelligible words. To his left, a door slid open in the mountainside. Light poured into a tunnel. In the shadows waiting for them, was a female Sonpur. She stepped into the light. Her face was gaunt, but her eyes were exquisitely green. In her arms was a limp Sonpur child.

Loren took the little Sonpur from her. The beast’s breathing was very shallow. From his bag, Loren pulled a powder pot. Pyre opened it for him. With trembling fingers, He sprinkled the dust into the small Sonpur’s mouth. It’s breathing became weaker. Loren said, “On your knees Pyre and pray.”

“For a beast?”

Loren hissed at him, “For a life. Do you assume you are of more value to the Keeper simply because you are human? He made the Sonpur too.”

Pyre had never considered this. He sank to the ground. The female knelt beside him. Was it possible that Sonpur prayed as well? Pyre bowed his head. The female began to make soft noises in her throat, noises that sounded like words. Pyre glanced at her. She was crying. He didn’t know beasts had tears.

Slow and gently, Loren rocked the child. He asked Resen for some wine wine and dribbled it into the child’s mouth. The little beast smacked his lips.

An odd image sprung into Pyre’s brain. He saw this child, grown and with a young woman. It shook Pyre to his soul. A vision, had he just had his first vision? Keeper, if so, what did it mean? Would this little beast live to grow up?”

A tiny voice spoke, “More pweese.”

Pyre’s eyes darted to the creature. Had it just spoken?

Carefully, Loren dribbled more wine into the creature’s mouth. Again the little beast smacked his lips. His eyes popped open and he called out, “Mama?”

The Sonpur had spoken! Pyre could not believe his ears. He watched the mother go to her child. She took him from Loren and held him close. In words Pyre could not understand Loren spoke to the mother and then said something to Resen. Immediately Resen sprang into action. He, Donner and the man with the donkeys entered the tunnel. The female beast followed after them.

Loren looked from the cave entrance to Pyre. Pyre did not want to go in that cave. He steeled himself to face whatever came next. Loren said, “You are going back, my friend.”

Pyre protested, “What? No!” If Loren stayed he would loose another best friend! Hurt and angry he said, “I thought I was brought here to help you.”

“I don’t know why you were brought here but you did help me. I needed your prayers, and I will continue to need them. So do not forget me friend.” All at once Pyre felt the great sucking sensation again. Blast it all! He surrendered to the Transferrance. There was nothing else he could do.

Light appeared. He was in the examining room again. Standing by the window was Appocca. He asked, “Where is Loren?”

“I don’t know.” Pyre could feel Appocca’s gaze penetrate his mind.

Kindly, Appocca said, “Pyre, you are not in trouble. I know you did not take part in Loren's scheme willingly." Before he could open his mouth to respond, Appocca said, "You are dismissed.” He turned and stared out the window.

Pyre bowed to the Head Councilman. Surely he had just read his thoughts. Would he send someone after Loren?As Pyre walked back to Loren’s room he tested his mind. No one was currently reading his thoughts. Still he must be on his guard. Most likely Head Councilman Appocca had read all his thoughts and knew exactly where Loren was and what he was doing. His mind turned to Loren. He had broken one of Folgen’s spells. How much power did he possess and what would he do with it in the future?