Laszlo stood there, his mouth agape. “I…what?” he said softly.

“You heard me, holy man. I cannot remember this child. Nor can I remember how I got here, where I come from, what my purpose is; anything. And it’s all your fault, holy man. If you, in your fiery zeal, hadn’t insisted that we go ahead with that thrice-damned ritual, I would be whole, and be better able to take care of Risa!” Katira snarled.

Laszlo backed away from the angry bear. He had caused her to forget? “Katira, do you remember any of your other hosts- er…people?” he asked, nervous energy coloring his voice.

“Others? What? What do you mean, my ‘other’ people?” she returned.

Laszlo sighed. He had made one very grave mistake, indeed. “My family has been trying to remove you from Risa’s line for the past five hundred years. We thought you a demon, as the first person to appear before us had growths all over his body, and when he died, you were seen leaving his body, and entering that of his grandchild’s. So, we thought you to be a malevolent demon. And, as a result, a familial hatred of you was passed down from generation to generation. I am quite ashamed to say, that I shared in that hatred, too. Until today, that is,” he said, his head hanging low.

“You what?!” Katira roared.

Laszlo nodded. “Yes. It’s true,” he said quietly, clasping his hands in front of him.

Risa placed a hand on Katira’s shoulder. “Calm down, Katira. I want to hear what he has to say.” Turning to Laszlo, she said, “What changed your mind, Mr. Laszlo?”

Laszlo looked up, a sad smile on his face. “Do you remember the invocation today for the feast?” he asked. Risa nodded. “Well, when I looked out among the village, I saw it all. All of the village. Every man, woman and child. Every cat and dog. All the rats and mice and sleeping bugs. All of you. Bathed in Svarog’s Holy Light. And do you know what else I saw, Little One?” Risa shook her head, enthralled by his tale. “I saw her” -he pointed at Katira- “bathed in that same golden light. What does that tell you?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Laszlo,” she replied.

“Think, child. All this time with me, I’ve been pushing you to use that marvelous mind of yours to think, and to know. Try again, Risa. Please,” he replied, his eyes bright.

Risa looked up at her bear, who hadn’t taken her eyes off the priest. She leaned against her, feeling her soft fur and her warmth. She smiled as an answer came to her. “That she isn’t a bad bear at all. That she’s a good bear,” she said.

“Well, that’s certainly one way of looking at it. But you are right, in the truest sense. She isn’t a bad bear. I’ve been wrong this whole time. My family has been wrong. Just like you, me, Miss Sinta, the Čermáks and everyone else you’ve met here, Katira is a very good bear, and she is simply another of Svarog’s children. Just like us. I was wrong, Risa. So very unforgivably wrong. I can only beg for your forgiveness, and that of Katira. I have been trying to find a way to right this wrong that I’ve done to you, and I’m no closer than I was an hour ago,” he said, his shoulders slumping.

Risa walked over to Laszlo and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be okay, Mr. Laszlo. I see how much this bothers you. If Katira never regains her memories, we will just make new ones!” she said as proudly as any ten-year-old could.

Laszlo smiled and huffed a laugh. “That you will, my dear. That you will. But, just so you know: I am determined to find a way to fix this. Even if it costs me my life, I will fix this. I swear it,” he said solemnly.

“I will hold you to that, holy man,” Katira said angrily, and sat down on her haunches.

Sinta came over and gently pet the great bear. “What was it you said during the ritual, Laszlo? ‘By blood she is bound, and by blood she will be freed’? Could we maybe find an answer there?” she asked.

Laszlo ruminated for a moment. “Perhaps… I do not know. Nothing like this has ever happened to my knowledge, and I simply do not know if it could work,” he said.

“I am not comfortable with you hurting my child any further. Find another way,” Katira grumbled.

Risa made herself comfortable in front of Katira, as the great bear wrapped her arms protectively around her. “Well, hold on. Wasn’t there something about blood in the scrolls, Mr. Laszlo? You know, the part from Zachariah and Wolf?” she said.

“Zachariah? Wolf? Risa, I do not know what you’re talking about. There is nobody in your family’s history by either of those names,” he said, his confusion evident.

“You mean, you’ve not read them? They’re in the chest with the others,” replied Risa.

“I… no. No, I cannot say that I have. I thought I’d read all the scrolls that were there. No, I’m sure of it,” Laszlo said. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued, “Well, what did they say? If there is a hint there, I’m all ears.”

“Well, in his scrolls, he tells how he would gather herbs and ingredients from the woods, and brew them in a big copper pot with some of his blood. He was trying to talk with the spirits, or something. Well, one day, it worked! Some of his blood somehow made one of his ingredients burst into flame! And he passed out. When he woke up, Wolf was with him. She was just like Katira! I can only guess that after he died, she found another Person to belong to. In his journals, he tells of how his blood made some things burn up really fast, and others kind of smoldered, like rotten wood on a fire.

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“I thought that since I have Katira, something like that would work?” she finished.

Laszlo sat in thought, his chin in his hand. Sinta could hear him muttering to himself. After a moment, he looked up. “I’m willing to try, if you are. In fact” -he pulled his holy knife free from his belt, handing it to her, sheath and all- “here. You may take this holy blade, and use it however you see fit. I do not feel that I am worthy of such a gift from Svarog. Not anymore,” he said.

Risa’s eyes widened. Looking down, she slowly pulled the knife free from its sheath, noting that it was not bright and shiny anymore. Turning it this way and that in the firelight, she saw a dark reddish streak on one part of the blade. Probably where Laszlo cut her, she mused. There was also a light brown sheen covering the rest of the metal. With her index finger, she checked the edge of the blade, and yanked her hand back as it effortlessly sliced into her finger.

Stuffing the wounded digit into her mouth, her attention on the blade waned. Gasps from Sinta and Laszlo, however, brought her head up.

“That hurt! What? What are you looking at?” she asked.

With a shaky hand, Laszlo pointed at the blade. “Look…” he whispered.

Risa looked down, and saw what appeared to smoke rising from the blade. No, it wasn’t smoke. It was shadow. Smoke had a smell. This did not. As she stared, the shadow slowly covered the blade, warping its visible outline.

“The shadows….” Katira whispered.

“Shadows? Katira, is that what you were seeing out there?” Sinta asked.

Katira nodded. “That is all I was able to see out there, Sinta. Everywhere I looked, just more damned shadows. That it came from her blood makes sense. I followed that blood down the stream a long way. Blood normally can’t do that. What else did Zachariah and Wolf do?” she asked.

“Well, the scrolls spoke of magic liquids they made from his blood and some other herbs and stuff. Maybe we could try that?” Risa said, excitement coloring her words.

“I don’t want you hurt, child. I’m not comfortable with it. Your safety is my top priority and I don’t know why,” Katira said, her frustration evident.

“Risa? How is it that Katira became your guardian?” Laszlo asked.

“Mother said that they pricked my finger after Nana Marishka passed, and dripped my blood into Katira’s mouth. Why?” Risa said.

“Maybe you should do it again?” Sinta offered.

Laszlo nodded. “My thoughts exactly. Was there a ritual of any sort?”

“I don’t think so. Well, Katira? Want to try?” Risa asked.

Katira grumbled. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt.”

Risa stood and took one of Katira’s massive paws in her hands. “We will try yours first, Katira,” she said. With surprising care, she drew the blade down the side of the paw and then touched a finger to it.

It was warm on her finger, and she stuck it into her mouth hesitantly. She pulled a face, and said, “Tastes like metal. My turn.” She took a shaky breath and jabbed the tip of the blade into the same finger, seeing the wisps of shadow rise immediately from the blade, then poked the finger at Katira, who dutifully lapped the blood from the wound.

“It tastes like your blood, child. No different,” she said with a sigh.

“Well, maybe if…” Risa dropped the knife to the blankets, and grabbed Katira’s wounded paw once more. She scrunched up her little face, and held all her hope and desire for Katira’s memories to return in her heart. She then stuck her wounded finger to Katira’s wounded paw and squeezed some of her blood into Katira’s wound.

“Little One, I don’t think that will…” Katira trailed off as her mind was assaulted by visions of her and Risa wandering the countryside. Of her killing Malak and Barklin. Of her accepting the gift of Risa’s blood. And further back. All the way to her beginning, as simply One of a thousand thousand other Thoughts.

“Katira? Katira, are you okay?” Laszlo asked, suddenly directly in front of Katira’s face.

“I remember…” she whispered, looking into Laszlo’s eyes.

Laszlo smiled broadly and placed a warm hand on her shoulder. “Welcome to my fire, Katira. Stay for as long as you wish,” he said, his lips quivering.

Katira looked down at the tiny miracle in her lap, and hugged her tightly. “My child. My sweet, sweet child. I love you so much,” she said softly.

For another hour, the four of them sat in pleasant silence. Risa was snuggled up in Katira’s lap, a blanket wrapped around her, while Sinta had sidled up next to Laszlo, and shrugged a Blanket about their shoulders as well.

They sat and watched the fire die down to cool embers. Laszlo looked over at the mighty bear and sighed.

“Well, I suppose this night is the last I’ll see of you three. I would expect that you will want to get her home to her mother as soon as possible. And put me and the village of Blek firmly behind you three,” he said, sorrow creeping into his voice.

“Maybe. Maybe not, Mr. Laszlo. My mother never really seemed terribly thrilled about me, if I’m honest. Maybe I could stay in Blek?” Risa said hopefully, her eyes bright.

“What…?” Laszlo asked.

“Yeah. I have to say that I’ve grown fond of this little village, Laszlo. Be a shame to deprive myself of good hunting and good company, you know?” Sinta countered.

“Huh?” Laszlo repeated, his head whipping between the two women.

“I have yet to tell you of myself and my history, Laszlo. I think you would benefit greatly from hearing it,” Katira said, a broad smile on her face.

“I…wha…buh…” Laszlo stammered.

“Just nod your head, handsome. That would be the smart thing to do,” Sinta whispered in his ear.

Laszlo froze at the aural intrusion. A shiver went down his spine as he dumbly nodded his head.

“There we go! I think it’s high time we got back to the hut, however. It’s getting really cold,” Sinta said, huddling closer to Laszlo.

“I…uh…yes. Yes, I think that would be good. But… how will Katira be out here all alone? I don’t want to leave her alone,” Laszlo said, once he had gathered his wits about him.

“Oh. I can, um… I can shrink myself. I cannot change my form, but I can become smaller,” Katira said into the silence.

“Truly? That would be a remarkable bit of magic, indeed!” Laszlo said, leaning forward eagerly.

Risa got up, draping the scratchy blanket around herself, as Katira closed her eyes. Concentrating, Katira began to shrink. Down, down, down she went, until she was no larger than a small rat. Risa picked her up and placed her onto her shoulder.

“And there we are. I can now fit inside your hut, Laszlo. I can stay this way for as long as is needed. Are we ready to depart?” She asked.

Dumbfounded, Laszlo simply nodded. Sinta gathered up the blankets, and the group went back into Blek.

Back to their home.