Fand had leapt and in the leaping had jumped into pure sky for the first time in her life. It was a strange and glorious feeling as her wings moved and held her in the nothingness of air. Behind her she heard an angry roar but she dared not turn back though the temptation was strong. Pyre, was he dead? Was Resen dead? If not they soon would be. How had this happened? How? And why? Now was not the time for this. All her energy must be focused on finding shelter for herself and the baby. It was so very cold. The wind blasted her with pinpricks of ice. Her uncovered face ached with pain. Her arms held the baby as tightly as she could. Deep down she feared dropping the child. She must not drop Zog’s child.

It was all wrong. All of it. Audra was supposed to come, and she was supposed to never see this baby she held again. And Pyre was supposed to go back to the Council City take the baby to Loren. Only that was never going to happen now. What was going to happen now? She could not let herself speculate. She must keep her focus. Her eyes scanned the sheer faces of the mountains. How was it that Resen found her so quickly? If only he had not found her this time. Now, once again, everything had gone amiss. Everything!

The sunlight was so bright on the snow Fand’s eyes watered. Tiny icicles formed on her lashes. She flew toward the sun it was the only guide she had. Where it would lead her she did not know. She was traveling northwest. The mountains were beginning to thin out some. A few were smaller than others. In the distance she saw a vast snowy plane. Instinctively she knew, that out there was the place where Audra resided. Audra! For the first time Fand remembered her power of thought. She called out to Audra! Nothing. She called out to Pyre. Nothing. Then she tried Loren. Nothing. Had she lost the power? She must have.

As the sun began to near the horizon, the baby, hungry and tired of her confinement began to wail. All she needed was a sheltered ledge. Finally, just before the sun set, Fand found one. She landed hard. It jarred her spine. From her pouch she pulled a teat. The baby did not waste a second latching onto nourishment. She was so strong. It gave Fand heart to see the determination of this child. As soon as she finished, Fand burped her and in the shelter of her wings, changed the baby’s napkin and soiled clothes. When the child was changed and swaddled, she pulled the baby inside her robe. Her wings wrapped around her. They fluffed out creating a pocket of air around them. So this was how birds stayed warm in winter.

*

A strange sound awakened Fand. At first she thought it was the baby and then she felt her soul ripping from her dematerializing body. She was being pulled through solid stone. There was a soft pop as her body and wings regenerated inside a cave. Terrified the baby had not made it through too, Fand opened her robe. The child still slept. Quickly, she cradled the baby in her arms and raised her eyes to face whatever she was about to face.

In the shadows, a small man hovered behind a lantern. He held the lantern to his face and smiled. It was Folgen!

Fand stammered, “I-I thought you were dead.”

Folgen smiled and said, “No, I am very much alive.”

Two Sonpur emerged from a dark passage behind Folgen. Each held a long double-edged sword. Fand was certain, they meant to kill her. She stepped back against the wall. Was there anyway to pass back through it? She pressed herself against it. It did not give.

Folgen's eyes took in the span of her wings. An expression of delight twisted his features. He motioned toward the passage and said, “Come.”

Fand asked, “Do I have a choice?”

“You will be amazed by the number of choices you do have if you will just come with me.”

“I don’t want to.”

The Sonpur turned their swords. Lantern light flashed on the blades. They moved toward her. Fand batted her wings at them and they stepped back. Dust swirled around her. The ceiling was too low for her to hover. Panic set her heart to racing. They would kill her and this child.

The beating of her wings seemed to frighten the beasts. They would not come near her.

Folgen said, “Stop, you are wasting your strength and my time. We are not going to harm you. Now, please, follow me.”

There was no reason to trust this evil man, but perhaps the place he wanted to take her would have an exit. There was no way out of this tiny cave except to go through the Sonpur, and she didn’t want to risk the baby’s life. Fand stilled her wings. She took one step and then another toward the old man. He moved aside so she could pass. The corridor walls were roughly hewn. Fand noticed that the stone was the same stuff that covered the walls of the room behind Dr. Kran’s office where she had convalesced. As they descended, a strange glow began to pulsate at the base of the passage. The nearer they came to it, the brighter the light shown. Finally they entered a large cavern. At the center of the cavern a huge translucent stone hung from large ropes. It was like the small one in Renate's cave. Beneath the huge stone was a pot of fire. The stone caught the light and spat it all over the cavern. It was more fantastical than even Kammin Spire had been. All around Fand, were doorways. In these doorways were Sonpur families.

Out of the nearest door stepped Gruin with Trug. Gruin carried her baby. He had grown a lot since Fand had last seen him. The little beast squirmed and Gruin put him down. On tottering legs he rushed up to Fand, stopped and studied her wings. Delighted by them he said, "Bird." Shocked Fand stared down at him. Surely she was mistaken. Sonpur could not speak human language. Gruin scooped up her son and shook her head. The child bit his lip and buried his face in his mother's shoulder.

Trug took his place beside Gruin. The smell of him reminded Fand of the night he had kidnapped her. It had been terrifying, as this was terrifying. All the sudden, Trug threw back his head and howled. The other Sonpur in the cavern responded in kind. The sound was like thunder, deep and booming. In Fand’s arms the baby stirred. She looked down into the child's sleepy eyes. This was bad, so bad. Worse than the kidnapping, because this time she was not alone.

Folgen strode forward in his rusty black robes. He raised his hands. Silence immediately descended. Fand felt all eyes on her. Something was happening, but what? In the guttural language of the Sonpur Folgen spoke. Fand had no idea what he was saying. When he finished every Sonpur in the place bowed to her.

The Sonpur all rose. Their eyes were fixed on Fand. Scanning the crowd, she saw them, truly saw them for the first time. In Kammin Spire she had only seen Gruin, her baby and the guards, but here in this great cavern was a horde of creatures looking back at her with expectant and intelligent eyes. A strange sensation passed through her. She had hoped they were all dead, killed when Kammin Spire exploded and she had been grateful. But now, looking at them she saw a race of...people, People? Not creatures or monsters? How could this be? They must be monsters, that is what Zog had called. In her peripheral vision she could see Gruin. In Kammin Spire, Gruin had always been kind to her. Even now Fand could feel her compassion radiating from her. Gruin was not a monster, neither was her child. She asked, "What is happening?"

Folgen whispered, “Their prophets foretold the coming of a new angel, and you are their Angel. Their new ruler. You were Angs last concubine and you have been transformed."

This was too much. She protested, "I am not an angel or their ruler. It was not a miracle that made me like this. It was a mistake."

Folgen hissed, "Sometimes mistakes are miracles in disguise. This is your destiny. Do what I say or the babe dies. She has no wings and is of no use to me." His words were like white fire in Fand's chest. She was trapped, completely trapped. She was not a ruler or an Angel and Folgen knew it. But the beasts who had their eyes fixed on her did not. Desperate Fand send up a prayer for help. The Keeper had saved her twice, would He do so a third time? He must. He must!

Folgen told her, “Now, curtsey to them and accept the honor they wish to bestow upon you.”

This was crazy. The very thing she had escaped had come upon her again, only worse. Time is what she needed. Time to sort out what to do. For now, she must obey Folgen. With legs that did not want to obey, and a heart that knew that she must. Fand clutched the baby close and curtsied. She rose from her curtsey. A roar filled the cavern and echoed against the walls. Fand stared at the cheering Sonpur. Did they think she was their savior? Was she? She didn't know who she was or what would happen next, but she was sure of one thing, no harm would come to Zog's child. It would not happen. Somehow she would protect his baby.

Folgen raised his hands and the roaring stopped. To Fand he said, "Gruin will take you to your chambers. Go along now." Reluctantly, Fand followed after the Sonpur.