Having left Quiln and his father behind, the choice of next destination for Lucinda and Varmia was made for them before they made it far. The part of the circle clearing they were in was close to the newly expanded outer wall, and it was by a certain section of said wall that the circle leader was to be found. As a smile and waved greeting passed between them, Lucinda felt heading elsewhere at that point would have been nothing short of rude.

“Hello, girls,” Yalia greeted warmly as they reached her.

“Hey, Gran,” Varmia replied.

“Hi,” Lucinda added.

The circle leader was seated in a very comfortable looking chair. Largely made of greenery, as was the norm in the Circle of the Wild, it also had a sizeable contingent of flowery parts. There was no doubting that more care had gone into its construction than was typical. Further adding to the seeming comfort of the oldest Druid, a number of animals were to be found on and around her: Under the chair, an orange fox and a similarly sized, fluffy white dog were playing as much as they were brushing against her legs; on her lap sat a brown and black striped cat, who was enjoying an afternoon nap; and upon one shoulder, a single brown owl.

“That looks like a nice place to sit,” Lucinda commented..

“It certainly is, Dear. Of course, I am not just resting on my laurels, as this mysterious wall you’ve no doubt been wondering about does, in fact, contain a fun activity that I am managing.”

A look passed between Yalia and her granddaughter. “I haven’t told her about it,” Varmia offered.

“Then I shall,” the old woman’s smiling face turned squarely upon Lucinda. “The abilities of our dryad allies are many and varied, if all to do with nature, naturally. The particular skill of manipulating plants and trees so expertly, lends itself to all sorts of useful applications, and plenty of ‘for fun’ ones too. It likely won’t surprise you to learn one from the latter group has been put to good use behind me. What it has produced can be described simply: A maze.”

“Oh!” Lucinda glanced towards the opening she’d spotted in the wall, it was smaller and narrower than one would expect from the entrance to such a place.

“I can see the question forming in your mind,” Yalia continued, bringing Lucinda’s attention back to her. There was no missing the increased intensity of the woman’s smile. “It is an ordinary maze in terms of layout, well mostly, yet as you’ve noticed it is smaller than one would expect. That is because it is intended to be explored by small animals, rather than people.”

Lucinda smiled excitedly as the truth became known to her. “That sounds great! But…Umm…”

“What about the people here that can’t shapeshift into small animals, or shapeshift at all?” Yalia asked with a knowing smile. “That is partly the reason I am managing this particular game. Varmia, I shall demonstrate on you.”

“Lucky me,” Varmia replied, though her expression showed no hint of annoyance. “Do I get to choose?”

“Not today, no.”

After motioning her granddaughter to step within reach of her chair, Yalia began casting a spell. The purpose behind the magic wasn’t hard for Lucinda to determine, or so she thought, but she was still eager to see it happen. The circle leader’s casting motions were swift, though the spell itself still took numerous seconds to complete. When it finally did, a shimmering wave of magic passed over Varmia, and barely a few heartbeats later, the mostly expected change Lucinda had anticipated.

“Ooo, so cute!” Lucinda exclaimed as she knelt down to pet the head of the almost purely white cat her friend had suddenly been transformed into. Her reaction was somewhat over-the-top, but intentionally so; she felt it was way past time for some petting payback. “I had no idea Druid’s could do that…” she said to Yalia.

“It’s a nice little spell, albeit with plenty of drawbacks. Especially ineffective on Druids and Shifters under normal circumstances, as my granddaughter can shift out of it whenever she so chooses.”

With the way Varmia was pushing her head against the hand petting her, Lucinda doubted that was going to happen any time soon.

“However, it does facilitate exploration of the maze behind me.”

“…And your collection of animals is for my benefit?”

“Exactly right. I considered it quite likely you had most or even all of them already. That I still get to enjoy their company if that turns out to be true makes it a moot point. As for this magnificent bird – I do remember you mentioning you cannot fly just yet – she landed on a nearby branch just a short while ago, whereupon I decided to borrow her for the purpose of making myself seem wise and imposing.”

“Then, thank you. I don’t have a fox form as it happens. May I?”

“Go ahead, Dear. They’re all just as well-mannered as you. Except for that cat you’re petting, of course.”

Varmia took a moment to hiss at her grandmother, bringing laughter from her and from Lucinda. Offering the cat-shifted Druid a few more pets to placate her, Lucinda turned her attention to the fox. It turned out there was no need for her to climb under the chair, as the animal came out to meet her without prompt. Assured by Yalia’s words, Lucinda did not hesitate to turn her affections upon the small animal. Bringing her hand to land upon its soft fur, she began gently caressing it, and was soon rewarded with a notification.

Shapeshifts Name Base Attributes Attribute Bonuses Base Level Rank Bonuses STR AGI END STR AGI END Fox 12 14 14 1.0 1.1 1.1 2 1 Leap Attack Leap Attack (Fox)

Leap into the air to attack an enemy. Damage increases with distance travelled.

Effect Scales with Base Level.

Cost: 15% Base Mana

“Thanks, Yalia!”

“There’s really no need, especially a second time. I can see how pleased you are just by looking at you, and that is reward enough for me.”

Lucinda matched the older woman’s smile as she continued to pet both the fox and Varmia’s cat form.

“Is one of these your companion?” she asked.

A sudden cackle burst from Yalia’s lips. “Oh-no. That would be far too easy, wouldn’t it? The dog is partnered with one of our rangers here, but does not care a jot who he ends up spending the day with; a typical friendly canine in other words. The cat is one the circle adopted some years back; she was abandoned elsewhere in the forest. Since then we have taken steps to ensure she leaves the local wildlife alone, while otherwise letting her live her life as all lazy cats are want to do. As for the fox, she is yet another wild animal I’ve appropriated temporarily. Like the owl, I intend to give them both a healthy meal as thanks for their company today, before sending them off on their merry way again.”

Lucinda nodded as she took in the information. “I take it you want me to do something before you’ll let me see your companion?”

“Another demonstration of your keen wits, marvellous. You are quite right, I do have something in mind. But can you guess what?”

There was really only one obvious possibility she could see, even if the details were much harder to pin down. “Something to do with the maze?” she asked.

“Wonderful! Quite right, Dear.” Yalia added a short round of soft applause alongside her praise. Her mouth opened to continue, but closed again as a frown found her brow. The cause was obvious: Varmia had decided to reposition herself on Lucinda’s lap, her belly exposed in an obviously demanding way, made even more obvious by the mews she was emitting. “Really now, Varmia? I can’t help but think you are taking advantage of Lucinda’s kindness at this point.”

Varmia hissed again at her grandmother, before wriggling against Lucinda’s body. Her mewing became more demanding, prompting Lucinda to sigh and then laugh as she gave in and began rubbing her exposed feline belly.

“If she weren’t so cute, I might be more annoyed,” Lucinda said. Barely a second after her words were spoken, she froze in place as her cheeks heated up rapidly. “Ahh…” she stammered. “I mean… in cat form!”

Yalia boomed out a laugh of undisputable amusement. “I am well aware of how much time you have been spending together,” she said with a thoroughly amused grin. “Just as I am aware of Varmia’s preferences. Whether you feel the same way or not matters nothing to me. What does, is your happiness and comfort. Here, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, you are free to be true to yourself – as long as you’re not hurting anyone else while doing so, of course.”

That’s mostly what Grissa said…

“Could we… talk about your companion and the maze?”

Yalia laughed again, though less intensely than before. “We may, Dear. First, I think I shall tell you a short tale. Then after that, we shall talk of the maze.”

“Okay.”

“You see my current companion is actually the second companion I have been partnered with in my long life. Our statuses make no mention of such things, yet it is true that the companions we choose enjoy much longer lives than the rest of their kind. Naturally, how beneficial that is depends upon the species. Large birds of prey are, as far as I know, relatively long-lived all things considered; but not all animals are so fortunate. Take my impetuous granddaughter’s Ingala as an example, as giant otters usually live perhaps a decade or two at most.”

I hadn’t thought of that… Or maybe I didn’t want to?

Lucinda glanced down at Varmia as she considered things. The young Druid had her eyes closed, clearly immensely enjoying the continuing caresses of her soft belly fur.

“How long?” Lucinda eventually asked with no small amount of hesitancy.

“You’ll be glad to hear that however the magic behind it works, it does a top-notch job of it. Of all the nature-classes with companions I have known, nearly all have watched their partners grow old alongside them. That is to say, a roughly human-length span of years is granted to them. The exceptions are those who lost their companion to some other complication: sickness, or battle, most commonly; or with a companion whose natural lifespan exceeds ours.”

“Oh… Phew.” Lucinda released a relieved giggle. “I was worried for Ingala… and others too. Umm, so your first companion…?”

“Died of old age not so long ago. Before you start to feel sorry for me: there’s no need. I still carry the wound, naturally, but I like to think I was better prepared for it after the loss of my husband.”

“Ah, right. What kind of animal was he? Or she?”

“She started off as a giant caterpillar. You may have noticed my shapeshift?”

“It was hard to miss,” Lucinda said with a beaming smile. “I had no idea they were so big!”

“Big she was. Even bigger when she changed into a giant butterfly too.”

“What? Oh, wow… I mean it makes sense, but…”

“It is unfortunate you can’t meet her, I have no doubt you would have enjoyed her beauty. Of course, you would not have been able to acquire her form; her being able to fly, and being too high a level.”

I always thought butterflies were fragile… Hopefully that’s not true for giant ones. I wonder how big she was? Giant eagle sized? Yalia’s right… She must have been beautiful!

“You didn’t choose another butterfly for your second companion?”

“No, I did not. For a number of years I wasn’t sure I was going to gain another. With my age what it is, it seemed largely pointless. However, when you’ve lived most of your life with a bond of that kind, suddenly living without it is… difficult. In fact, if it was as easy to acquire a new husband I might have done that too.”

Lucinda only slightly awkwardly joined in with the old Druid’s subsequent laughter.

“What did you choose?”

“I’m afraid your persistence will get you nowhere, Dear. I have no intention of telling you.”

“Oh…” A pout forced its way onto her lips as the truth reached her ears. There was, however, a faint ray of hope. “What about after I’ve explored the maze?”

“Almost right! Here is what I have in mind: You will enter the maze as a small animal of your choosing. Once there, you will endeavour to find the exit, which emerges slightly further along the wall, past the entrance. Clear so far?”

“Yep.”

“Wonderful. Now, here comes the fun part. While you are in the maze, so too will be my animal companion. Your task is not to find him as you might assume; instead, it is to avoid him finding you. Put another way: my animal companion will be stalking you, and if he corners you, there will be trouble.”

“Ah…. Trouble?”

“It will be somewhat unpleasant. Not overly so; though enough for you to regret getting caught.”

“I see. That’s… sort of worrying.”

“Exactly as intended! That’s what makes it fun. Before we get started, let me clarify a few things. Firstly, he will not travel faster than you no matter what speed you move at; secondly, even if you do fail, I will let you meet him afterwards; thirdly, before you get your hopes up too much, he is far too high a level for you to acquire.”

“Aww…Okay.”

Far too high a level, but small enough to fit in the maze? I wonder what he is…?

“Well, shall we get started? Varmia, I think that’s more than enough fooling around from you.”

The white cat hopped off of Lucinda’s lap and began shifting back to human form without delay. Varmia turned and smiled at Lucinda once she was done.

“Sorry, hope that wasn’t too weird,” she said. “I was probably enjoying it a bit more than I should have…”

“That’s okay,” Lucinda replied. “It’s as you said: it’s not like it matters when you’re in animal form.”

Vamia’s expression had shown a hint of worry but that faded in the face of Lucinda’s statement, being instead replaced by a pleased smile.

“I wasn’t sure you’d bought it. Ah, not because I was trying to trick you! Because it’s true… Yeah, Gran?”

“I should inform you, that although it has not caught on here, there are circles where the members are happy to show their affection for one another in all manner of ways, regardless of form.”

Lucinda’s eyes shot wide as she realised Yalia’s meaning. “Really?” she asked. “…With animals?” There was no keeping the look of disgust off her face.

“Shapeshifted animals. Does it truly matter as long as both parties are willing and able? Not that I have ever been tempted to try it. Well, except for that one time…”

“Gran!” Varmia shouted. “We don’t want to hear that!”

Yalia cackled loudly at the interruption. “You did ask. Anyway, I believe it is high time our Shifter friend got ready for her exciting trip through our wonderful maze.”

“You’re forgetting something.”

“Indeed?”

Varmia rolled her eyes. “Do you know the easiest way to escape a maze, Luci?”

“Umm, no?” Lucinda replied.

“You pick a side and keep following it. That won’t work here.”

“Oh. It won’t?” The solution did seem obviously sound, making Varmia’s second statement a confusing one.

“The walls change,” the young Druidess explained. “Cro’s…”

“I think that’s enough,” Yalia interrupted. “You’ve more than explained the situation. Well, Lucinda, are you ready to get started?”

“Will it just be me in there?”

“Possibly, possibly not. Of course, my companion will be. For your sake, you should hope you don’t run into him.”

She’s trying to make it sound as ominous as possible! Maybe it’s not actually that bad… I guess I’ll find out.

As she moved over to the entrance to the maze, which externally and internally appeared to be constructed of the same dense mass of trees that surrounded the circle, Lucinda mulled over which of her small forms to assume.

Probably not dog, I think mine might be a bit too big. Can I acquire a smaller breed? Something to try in the future… Cat could work, or should I try fox?

Peering into the interior, her intention to try out her newest form didn’t last long.

Whatever form I pick I’ll be stuck as it. I don’t think there’d be room to shift back. In that case, going with cat form seems like the best choice; I’m pretty comfortable with it.

“Ready, Luci?” Varmia asked.

“I think so.”

“Then good luck! I’ll smell you later.”

“…What?”

“I worry about you at times, Granddaughter,” Yalia said. “And if this is how you try and woo potential partners, it’s no wonder you’ve been single for so long.”

“Gran!”

Yalia cackled in her usual way as her descendant’s cheeks took on a red tint. Still baffled by the exchange, Lucinda turned towards the maze entrance and began shifting into cat form. She’d barely finished when an appreciative coo sounded out from behind.

“Luci!” Varmia exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me you had such a cute cat form!?”

Unable to resist teasing her friend, Lucinda titled her head in the young Druid’s direction and mewed softly. The pained look of want that appeared on Varmia’s face made her teasing all the sweeter.

“Tomorrow, or the day after!” Varmia stated loudly. “You are showing me all of your forms, no refusals allowed! I’ll be cuddling the cute ones too!”

I guess I didn’t have any other plans. Showing them off wouldn’t be so bad either… I just need to figure out how I feel about… us? And is it just the harmless fun she’s after still?

“You can enter when ready, Lucinda,” Yalia said. “Be careful in there,” she added alongside an exaggerated wink.

Glancing over at Marrow, who had begun some unknowable game with the fluffy, white dog, Lucinda focussed on the bond they shared.

“Marrow, I’ll be busy for a bit. You can stay here and play, or pester anyone if you need something. Okay?”

“Marrow! Play!”

With everything in order, Lucinda turned back to the maze’s entrance. After everything Yalia had told her, the dimly lit interior produced a faint sense of foreboding within her. Shaking her feline head to dispel the troubling notion, she started forwards without further delay.

As the walls closed in around her, the available light rapidly diminished further. It was narrow, though actually being inside the tree-lined tunnel made it seem like there would be room for her human body after all; just not comfortably. She followed a seemingly straight path for what seemed like a few metres, before the maze part of the game became truly known to her. There was a horizontal fork, branching off to the left and right sides.

A maze with shifting walls… This might not be easy.

Lucinda was about to head down the left passage, when a faint smell hit her nose. She stopped to sniff the air, her feline senses helping her identify it without much difficulty.

Is that milk? No… Cheese? From outside?

Twisting her form around so her head was pointed towards the entrance she’d entered from, Lucinda soon discovered the smell wasn’t, in fact, coming from outside. Or did not appear to be at least. Then as she swivelled back around, a hint of another aroma caught in her nostrils.

That one’s easy: Fish. Smells great too! Oh! Was Varmia giving me a clue? ‘Smell you later’. Do I just follow my nose, or is there more to this?

Lucinda sat back on her haunches as she considered her situation. A small bit of further investigation was all it took for her to conclude that the two smells appeared to be reaching her from the left and right paths respective of the order she’d detected them in. It was obviously a choice of some kind, yet so many of the details were still hidden from her. Her considerations only made it so far, before she felt she had nothing else to do but choose one of the two options at random.

If Cro’s manipulating things here, it could be anything… Fish would be the obvious choice for a cat, but does that actually mean something? It does smell good though…

After a small amount of further hesitation, Lucinda settled on taking the right path. With the only mentioned danger being Yalia’s companion, she felt reasonably safe in her decision despite how obvious it felt.

Her chosen path turned out to be highly varied in shape. Through uneven twists, harsh bends, and long stretches she travelled. The scent she was tracking proved easy enough to follow, at least generally. Time and time again she found herself with a choice of paths to take, and a clear winner in terms of the strength of the smell emanating from each branch. However, it wasn’t all plain sailing, for even with the help of her nasal guide, she still found herself encountering dead-ends with surprising frequency. In those cases she was forced to retrace her steps and re-evaluate her choice at the nearest intersection. If not for the wall-shifting warning, she would have been utterly confused; instead, it was an annoying hindrance that she tried her best to deal with.

Some time later, as the alluring smell of fish had reached mouth-watering levels of intensity, Lucinda’s path brought her to a small, circular clearing. It was about three cat-lengths in diameter, with a slightly higher ceiling than the rest of the maze. Far more important, was the small pedestal in the centre of it, and the small chunk of fish that rested upon that.

Ooo… That solves that mystery. Do I eat it? Should I?

Glancing back the way she’d come, Lucinda’s thoughts turned to her apparent stalker. She’d seen no signs of another animal, but that didn’t make her feel much better about the situation.

Did he enter behind me? Or was he here already? WIsh I’d managed to avoid those dead-ends…

She winced as she recalled how much wasted journeying she’d already committed. Fortunately, it did not take her much to conclude she wasn’t entirely at fault; navigating a maze as a small feline was certainly a new experience for her. With a strong conviction to be more careful moving forwards, she turned her eyes upon the small chunk of fish once more.

It seems like it’s here for me, it really does. Come to think of it, I don’t see another way out of here… Okay, it’s decided!

Moving forwards with a reasonable amount of eagerness, her jaws found the small morsel and quickly devoured it. It was fresh, though her other senses had already confirmed that bit of information. What was new, however, were the delicious flavours consuming it brought about.

As she was finishing the last of it, a welcome alteration to the small room took place: a new opening in the dense tree-wall opposite her. Feeling pleased with her meal, and the seeming correctness of her decision, Lucinda didn’t hesitate in exiting through the newly revealed doorway. Beyond she found more of what had come before; dimly-lit, narrow corridors. Of course, the bond she shared with Marrow did provide her with a hint of sorts thanks to her ability to sense her companion’s location, as it meant she knew roughly which direction the entrance and exit were supposed to be in.

Lucinda continued onwards into the maze, this time more wary of her supposed stalker. Not far beyond the fish-containing room she reached another branching path, again with two options for her to consider, and two accompanying smells.

That’s not good… More fish, a different one. And then on the other path: Honey. Ahh… I don’t know enough about Cro to decide which might be the right path! Maybe it doesn’t even matter? But then why give me a choice?

The seconds passed as Lucinda pondered her options at length. Her thoughts ran in circles, always ending up in the same place; she could see no clear way of knowing which was the right option. The temptation to choose the direction that was to her mind cat-focussed, was strong, and not just because she felt her feline form would prefer eating the treat that awaited her. Ultimately, she did settle on pursuing the fish again, while repeatedly telling herself it didn’t matter even if she was wrong.

Another meandering journey through the maze took place. Lucinda kept her wits about her, and tried her best to avoid any dead-ends where possible. She was more successful than on the first stretch, yet she had no way of knowing if that was due to her own choices, or the layout of the maze itself.

With still no sign of her apparent pursuer, another circular room eventually came into sight. It was identical to the first, with the minor exception of the type of fish that rested upon the leafy pedestal. The second time around, committing to the consumption of the offered treat was far easier.

Lucinda proceeded through the next door almost as soon as it had opened. From there, it didn’t take her long to find another scent-based fork. The two options were again similar. On the left path: Egg. On the right path: Yet another type of fish.

Wait a second… Cheese, honey, and eggs? All made by animals! Versus foods that are animals. Does that mean anything? Ah… Or are eggs both?

Lost in thought as she was, the two sudden thumps that sounded out from behind her brought a startled cry from her lips, or more accurately, a feline shriek. Turning to seek the cause, her eyes met with a curious sight. There was a small rabbit a short way down the path she’d come from. It looked perfectly ordinary, except for two major discrepancies: Its uniformly blue fur, and its entirely coal-black eyes.

Is that Yalia’s companion? A blue rabbit!?

A small string of laughter that her feline form couldn’t quite produce properly, emerged from Lucinda’s lips as she continued to stare at the strange animal. It was about as far from her expectations as was possible, and looked entirely unthreatening.

It took her a few moments to get over her surprise and amusement. Once she had, she forced herself to take the unknown creature’s presence seriously as best she could. It took considerable effort, but she felt believing the words of Yalia was the most sensible option despite how things seemed. That the rabbit hadn’t moved since she’d laid eyes upon it certainly helped in that regard.

Okay, I carry on, avoid any dead-ends, and I should be okay…

Having already been discovered, deciding which route to take suddenly seemed far less difficult. A short span of seconds was all it took for her to settle on hunting down another chunk of fish, and a few more after that before she set off again with her stalker following closely behind.

The third stint of her maze-bound journey proved to be slightly more entertaining than the previous two. Her pursuer copied her pace perfectly, remaining the exact distance away from her as it had been when she’d first spotted it. Though not exactly worried by its presence, Lucinda continued to try her best in choosing the correct paths forwards. She continued on for several minutes with no dead-ends or other problems to speak of. There was still no way for her to determine the cause of her seeming success, though an increasingly large part of her was willing to attribute it to her improving skill in scent-base maze navigation. The idea became more and more believable as the minutes passed by, and was still doing so when she turned a new corner and came face to face with a veritable dead-end.

Aww, crap… Did I choose the wrong scents to follow? Or did I just get lost too much?

Resigned to her fate, she waited patiently as her stalker closed the gap between them. It did so at a languid pace, its soft footfalls evenly spaced and unhurried. Even at that point Lucinda struggled to think of what it had in store for her; her thoughts instead too focussed on how unfair the maze seemed to be.

Finally appearing from around the corner, it hopped across the remaining distance at the same sluggish speed. Lucinda had half been expecting it to transform into some hideous monstrosity; instead, it was exactly the same as before. It stopped before her at last, turning its coal-black eyes upwards to hers.

Do your worst, bunny. Ah, on second thoughts, maybe don’t.

Lucinda flinched as the small rabbit’s mouth opened; the thought that it might be hiding a set of very un-rabbit-like teeth had crossed her mind. What hadn’t crossed her mind, was the obviously magical effect that began pouring forth from its open maw as a fine blue mist. Trapped as she was, there was no avoiding it; nothing to do but wait as it travelled through the air towards her. It hit moments later, and with it a sharp chill that shot through her entire body in a flash.

A whimpering feline cry escaped her as the cold hit in full force, while her body began shaking involuntarily. It was most certainly an unpleasant experience, and as the blue rabbit closed its mouth and turned about, revealed itself to be the extent of her punishment. However, even a short while after the small animal had disappeared back around the corner, the effects showed no signs of abating.

Dammit… I still have to get out of here like this? Stupid blue bunny…

With her attempt at relieving her own discomfort through self-amusement proving to be of minimal use, Lucinda forced herself to resume her search for an exit instead. The cold sensation suffusing her body made things far more difficult, yet after retracing her steps to the crossroads, she found the way forwards on her second attempt.

Walking at a marginally slower pace due to her altered condition did not prevent Lucinda from eventually finding the third small clearing. The thought of eating the piece of fish she found there was far less enticing than it had been moments before; however, as with the previous two clearings she had no choice but to eat it regardless. Before doing so, she decided to make use of the larger space to shift into her dragonling form. Unfortunately, her attempt to diminish or even dispel the icy magical affliction met with failure.

As she noisily finished her latest snack back in cat form, a great sense of relief found her as the ample light of the space beyond revealed the closeness of the exit. She wasted no time in dashing towards it, hampered only marginally by her lingering chill. Her relief grew greater still as a short traversal through the maze tunnels brought her past the outer wall and back into the circle clearing at last.

Phew… That was kind of fun up until I got caught.

“Friend?” came Marrow’s mental voice. It was tinged with ample concern.

“I’m okay, Marrow. Just a bit cold.”

“Welcome back, Dear,” the unmistakable voice of the circle leader called out. “Let’s restore you to a more healthy state, shall we?”

Kneeling down beside her, Yalia began a spell cast without further discussion. A pale golden ball of mana formed between her hands, and in seconds was shaped to completion. It cast a warm, bright light over Lucinda’s vision for a brief instant as the spell hit her, and with it the continuing cold she had been enduring finally abated.

“There now, better?”

Shifting back to human form, Lucinda cast her Morning Sun spell as Marrow moved in beside her. The warming glow her efforts brought into existence was a very welcome bit of magic, while the hand she brought to bear upon her companion’s soft feathers further pushed her towards a swift recovery.

“Sorry,” Lucinda said in explanation of her silence. “I feel a lot better now,” she continued with a smile. “That was… pretty unpleasant; even with your warning. Did I choose wrong? I wasn’t…”

“Ah!” Yalia interrupted with a raised finger. “There are lessons to be learned from your trip through the maze, two key ones, in fact. While I could detail them for you right now, I find it is better to let one ruminate on their own experiences for a time first. Tomorrow afternoon we may talk of this more. But do not fret if you have not reached any conclusions by then. I am not overly cruel.”

“I think she’d have had an easier time believing that before you sic’d your rabbit on her, Gran,” Varmia said from nearby.

“Speaking of my companion,” Yalia continued without seemingly acknowledging the accusatory portion of her granddaughter’s words. “Would you like to meet him again? I promise he will be nothing but friendly. Of course, if you’d rather partake of more games, or have no desire to see him again so soon, we can do so another time.”

Lucinda smiled at the older woman. Thoroughly warmed thanks to Yalia’s and her own magic, her prior suffering seemed far less troublesome than it had in the moment, while learning more about the mysterious beast seemed almost as alluring as it had before her trip through the maze.

“I’ll meet him.”