Soft light flooded the room. Fand’s first reaction was to make sure the baby was still with her. She was. Fand’s second reaction was to check on Fels and Gruin. They were not in their beds. Where were they and what was making the light? Fand rolled over. She had not been able to roll over since she got her wings. Wings? Her wings were GONE! Her hand went to her back. There was nothing on either shoulder blade. What had happened to them? Folgen, had he taken them in her sleep? Fand sat up. Her heart was racing hard. Something was happening to her again. Was this a bad something or a worse something?

A familiar voice said, “We do have a problem.”

Fand turned to the door, Audra was the source of the light. Her magnificent wings glowed behind her. She came to Fand’s bed and sat down. Her cool blue eyes met Fand’s. “The plan was to fly you out of here. Folgen took care of that.” She paused and asked, “Was it awful?”

Confused Fand asked, “Was what awful?”

For several seconds, Audra studied her and then said, “Having your wings removed. I have heard it is excruciatingly painful.”

Fand had no memory of losing her wings. Nothing. She said, “I don’t honestly know. I had wings last night when I went to bed.”

“You what?” Before Fand could answer her, Audra pulled Fand’s gown down around her shoulders. Her cold fingers traced the place where Fand’s scars and wings had been. Stunned Audra said, “Its as if you never had wings. There are no scars. I have never seen anything like this. What magic has Folgen wrought this time?”

Fand ran her hand along her shoulders. Nothing remained of her scars and her wings. Frightened Fand said, “He must have come in here last night when I was sleeping. I have absolutely no memory of anything.”

“Perhaps he did. I can’t say for sure though.” Audra frowned. She ran her hand inches away from Fand’s shoulders.” She shook her head. “There isn’t any evidence of evil on you. How could Folgen touch you without leaving a trace?” Before Fand could respond Audra said, “I don’t expect you to know, but we have a real problem now. Without wings you can not pass through the stone of this mountain.”

There had to be a way out for her. Fand said, “When I was brought here, Folgen pulled the baby through.”

Again, Audra shook her head. “How the baby passed through I don't know. It is not supposed to be possible." A lot of things that were not supposed to be possible had happened. Agitated Audra began to pace. "Blast it all I don't know what to do. I am not strong enough to carry you, the baby and the goat. I am going to have to leave you here for now. I must consult my superiors. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I will be back.” In that instant, before Fand even had time to form a protest Audra walked straight through the wall and disappeared.

The front door opened. Gruin and Fels came inside. Gruin was carrying a basket of leaves and fish. She stopped when she saw Fand. Alarm flickered in her green eyes. Quickly she slammed the door closed. She motioned to Fand’s back.

Fand asked, “Did I have them when you left?”

The beast nodded.

Fels said, “Bird, not bird.”

The baby woke up and began to cry. Fand reached for her. Her shoulders felt so light. She had not realized how heavy her wings had been. She pulled the baby close and patted her back. Gruin went to the cupboard and set down her basket. She filled a teat with warm goat’s milk and handed it to Fand.

The baby had just begun to suck the milk, when the front door flew opened. It was Folgen. Two beasts were with him, one was Trug. Fels squealed when he saw his father and ran into his arms. Angrily Folgen told Trug, “Put him down!”

Trug did as he was told. Fels scurried to his mother and hid behind her skirts. Huge tears trickled down his chin. Instinctively, Fand drew the baby closer. She did not like the look on Folgen’s face. He was a hideous man to begin with and his rage only added to it. he shrieked at her, “Who has taken your wings?”

What the hell? Fand asked, “You didn’t take them?”

An ugly laugh came from Folgen’s wrinkled mouth. “Don’t play the fool, girl! So, you want to play games? Let’s play games. How bout we start with how long does it take to roast a baby?”

Fear tried to grab hold of Fand, but something blocked it. All at once she realized that Folgen’s anger was second to his fear. He did not know what happened to her. He did not know what magic had changed her. If he didn’t know and Audra didn’t know, who did? In a bold voice Fand said. “It is as if I never had wings, look. Gruin, show him my shoulders.

The foul little man came close. Gruin pulled down the back of Fand’s gown. Folgen’s hot breath warmed Fand’s skin. He ran wrinkled fingers across her shoulders. She felt his fingers tremble. He snatched his hand away as if he had been burned. He stepped back from her. In his eyes the anger had vanished and only the fear shown. What ever had happened was beyond his power.

A voice inside Fand’s shead shouted, BEIDENUNG!

With the baby clutched close still sucking the teat Fand felt her body levitate off the bed. A huge cloud of dust and light formed around her. She felt the same cold sensation she had felt when the disc of Jerim's Relic had touched her skin. It radiated through out her body. She whispered, “Kavos.”

Everything went dark. Completely dark. She had never been in such blackness before. It was heavy and pressed against her. The baby was still in her arms, she could hear her still sucking her teat. Light appeared below her. She was entering into another realm. When she popped into the light she was on a field of snow. In the distance, a shadow was moving away from her. She shouted, “Can you help me?”

The shadow disappeared. A goat bleated. On the ground beside Fand’s feet were winter boots, a heavy cloak and the GOAT. The goat looked up at her with her great liquid eyes and surveyed her calmly. This was no ordinary goat. Nothing here was ORDINARY!

It was so cold and strong wing was blowing. Hastily Fand put on the boots. She wrapped the baby beneath her cloak. The baby was not happy. Her meal had been interrupted and she was still hungry. Fand needed to get to shelter before she fed her more. She looked all around her. Far in the distance were mountains. Is that where she had come from or was it where she supposed to go now?

The goat looked over her shoulder and bleated at Fand. She struck out across the feild. The creature seemed to know where she was going. Fand followed. The goat was food and warmth. It has not been an accident that Renate had transferred this goat with Pyre when she had brought him to the cave. It was not an accident that the goat had appeared in Gruin’s cave as well. Now was not an accident either. Once again Fand was at the mercy of power beyond her control. And once again provision had been made.

The baby roared beneath her cloak. She was hungry. Fand was hungry. Was the goat hungry? If it was it showed no sign. The creature was headed straight into the wind.

All around the snow glittered. Fand had to keep her eyes on the ground. The goat’s hooves left a track for her that the wind quickly erased. The baby finally cried herself out and fell asleep. All around there was nothing but whiteness. Fand glanced back, the mountains had disappeared. Everything seemed to have the potential to disappear here, where ever here was.

Hours passed. The sun arced overhead and began its descent. Fand was so tired she could barely walk, but the little goat continued forward. Just as the sun was nearing the rim of the horizon, a thicket of oak and pine trees appeared. They were stunted by the fierce wind. Tucked within them was a small house. A candle glowed in the window. The goat went to the door and nudged it open. She bleated and went inside.

Cautiously Fand approached the door and peeked inside. Who or what lived here? The goat bleated again. Fand went inside. A fire flickered in the fireplace on the eastern wall. Potatoes were roasting in the ashes of the fire and a fresh teat of milk was warming in a pan. A cradle and a pallet were near the fire. Across the room was a table, a cupboard, and some pots.

Fand unwound her cloak and untied the baby from her chest. The poor thing was dirty and her tiny face was streaked with tears. The goat hopped on the pallet and nudged something on it. Fresh gowns, napkins and empty teats were laid out on it. Beside the pallet was a basin and a cloth. Fand laid the baby down and removed her soiled clothes. The child opened her eyes and sniffed. She had that look, the one she got right before she started to wail. As fast as she could Fand cleaned the child. The wailing started. The goat went to a far corner and hunkered down. She did not like it when the baby cried. And oh how this child could cry! The will of this child needed to be strong. Though she was flopping and angry, Fand managed to get the baby dressed. While Fand filled a teat with milk the baby really started to howl. It took her several moments before the child realized the teat was in her mouth. As soon as she did she latched down hard and began to suck hard.

Softly, Fand said, “Not so fast little one. You will give yourself a tummy ache.” Fand pulled the teat from the tiny mouth. The anger in the small eyes shot out at her like fire. Goodness, this child had spirit. Fand burped her and gave her the rest of her supper.

Dry, warm and with a full tummy the baby fell asleep. Fand laid her down in her cradle and then sank onto the pallet. She was so tired. Too tired to eat. She pulled off her boots and was about to lay down when the goat rolled a potato out of the ashes toward her. Fand asked it, “So you want me to eat?” Of course the goat did not answer, but at this point in time, in this place, where ever this place was, it would not have surprised Fand at all if the goat had said, “Yes of course.” The goat rolled a second potato out of the ashes. She settled herself down beside it as she waited for it to cool.

Fand stuck a wary finger at her potato. It was hot but not too hot to hold. She broke it open. Warm steam rose upward. The smell of it reminded her of home. In fact this cabin in an odd way reminded her of home. The table, the bucket of water were made of oak just like their table and bucket at home. There was even something familiar about the quilt that covered the pallet. Had she seen its pattern some where before? She was too tired to remember.

Slowly, automatically Fand ate her potato. From the bucket she took a long drink. Sleep tugged at her. She crawled beneath the quilt. The wind shrieked outside, but it could not reach her. She sensed that nothing could reach her. For the first time in months she felt completely safe. Her mind and body drifted toward sleep, a sleep undisturbed by nightmares or dreams.