Nuala went down on one knee, bowed her head and replied.

“My goddess, I have to confess that I was not free from doubt as the years went by. I never thought you a liar, but wondered if even the gods could be mistaken from time to time. As I grew older your promise to me seemed to become impossible to fulfill.”

“I grant that you had a long wait, daughter. There is nothing shameful in doubt. And nothing more dangerous than absolute certainty in your own beliefs, words or actions. The one you were forced to judge just now is the best proof of that.”

The slow smile that appeared on the goddess’ face now seemed to light up the whole cave.

“But on this day, there is reason for joy as well as sadness. You have lost much in my service, daughter. Today you may gain something for once.”

The Vixen turned to Dawn as she continued.

“You have shaken up the peaceful lives of my children in blood. Though you had the demons in your wake, your arrival here was not all bad for the tribe. You brought change and caused my children to abandon their set ways. It is no wonder that some of them look on you with scorn and distrust, for change often is uncomfortable and hard to swallow. While the death of so many of my children pains me greatly, you saved the life of my priestess and for that alone I would be willing to forgive you much greater transgressions than sheer naivety.”

The Vixen paused for a moment, then carried on.

“In some communities it is held that you are responsible for the ones whose lives you saved. Now this responsibility may express itself differently from case to case, but I wonder if I might task you with keeping an eye on my priestess hereafter.

For long ago I looked on my priestess and recognized her greatest wish and her deepest sadness. So tell me Dawn: Are you willing to fulfill my promise and Nuala’s wish and bring an end to her sadness?

“If I have the chance to do that, of course I am willing,” said Dawn, looking at the Kharlin priestess with great fondness. “Nuala is the warmest, wisest and most loving person I encountered in all my life. There is not much that I wouldn’t do for her.”

The Vixen smiled at her benevolently. “Your words prove that sometimes you don’t even need a skill to see truth. Are you then willing to accept Nuala as a mother, to care for her as if you were bound by true bonds of blood?”

Dawn looked first at the Vixen, then at Nuala in wonder, then smiled and said simply. “It would be my honour, goddess.”

“And you my priestess, are you content with the daughter I found for you? Are you willing to care for her as if she was your own flesh and blood? I have a premonition that it might not turn out to be an easy task in the future.”

A radiant smile of overwhelming joy illuminated Nuala’s features as she said.

“Contentment is too small a word. I am overjoyed. For truly it is a gift beyond price that is offered to me. Be the task easy or hard, let the future take care of itself, for today I gained something precious, a daughter of my own.”

“So let it be done. You my children are witnesses. Here stand Nuala and Dawn, mother and daughter from this day on. Let no one gainsay me in that. Blessed be.”

She marked both Nuala and Dawn on the forehead with an insubstantial finger. Then she turned to Nuala once more.

“For your service and the burdens put on you, I offer you a boon on this auspicious occasion, daughter. What is it you wish for?”

But Nuala just shook her head.

“I have already been lavishly rewarded today for all my troubles in the past, my goddess. It would be insolent beyond belief to claim more from you.”

“You were always humble and selfless, daughter. But if you won’t express a wish, perchance there’s something else I can do.”

The Vixen laid a hand on Dawn’s shoulder.

“You were marked by man and monster and have lamented the dearth of willpower that caused you to succumb to their machinations. As a gift to my priestess, I offer you a measure of willpower to grant you a smidgen of safety for your future endeavours.”

Dawn felt warmth rising on her shoulder underneath her shirt until she felt like her shoulder was burning. She squirmed and was hard pressed to keep silent. When the sensation at last receded, she was confronted with a notification.

You have been granted a boon from the Vixen.

Willpower +10

Her eyes widened as she read it. Rubbing her shoulder in relief, she saw that the Vixen had already turned back to Nuala giving her no chance to express her gratitude.

Meanwhile the goddess’ voice sounded in her head, addressed to her alone.

[Fear no barbs to my gift, child. It is merely an expression of gratitude for my priestess’ service that I offered you in her stead.]

The goddess touched her hand softly to the priestess’ cheek.

“I cannot take back the years you had to wait until you found your daughter. But it is in my power to gift you a little more time with her in the future.”

As she spoke Nuala’s grey fur started to develop patches of brown, her eyes shone brighter and the wrinkles around them and on her forehead receded slightly. When the process stopped, the priestess looked more than ten years younger and the bright apparition of the Vixen had dimmed to an unsteady flicker. Nuala looked at her hands and felt her face in obvious disbelief, then bowed to her goddess reverently. When she looked up again her eyes were filled with tears.

“Truly your bounty is abundant today, my goddess.”

“Veritably I am selfish in this. It fills me with joy to gain more time with my beloved priestess. Use your time together well, daughter.” The Vixen whispered and one moment later her light extinguished completely and her presence vanished. The village seemed darker without her, though the light of day still came in through the skylights overhead.

The villagers who had looked at and listened to the proceedings in silence, slowly started to talk once more, their voices rising as they expressed their awe with the visit of their goddess and the unconventional adoption ceremony they had witnessed just now. It would certainly be a story for the ages in their tribe.

Dawn looked at Nuala and smiled tentatively.

“Whoever would have thought that I’d gain a second mother today?” she said wonderingly.

The old Kharlin patted her hand.

“Not me.” She replied huskily and shook her head.

“To think that the Vixen herself would care that much about me and my concerns. It is amazing.”

The priestess was deeply touched and shaken. It had been a transcendent experience for her to be in the presence of her goddess. To obtain tangible proof that the Vixen watched over her and truly valued her as a person and not just as a priestess had almost overwhelmed her.

Ankou rose and padded over to Dawn on silent feet.

[That was unexpected.] he told her, sitting down by her side.

[The presence of the high one was uncomfortable.]

“Was it really?” asked Dawn somewhat astonished. Looking at him, she saw that his fur had risen up, standing as if electrified.

“Oh,” she said. “You’re right. I’m sure that feels very awkward.”

Then she considered. “Do you have your own god? And did you ever meet him?”

The cat humphed.

[The great cat is busy with important things. He cannot spend his power on minor concerns.]

“So he is more important than the Vixen?” Dawn asked with raised eyebrows.

[More reasonable and wiser at least. As it should be. He is a cat after all.]

Dawn snickered. Apparently even the gods were not safe from Ankou’s criticism.

The lynx stood up, flicked his ears, swished his tail and returned to the cubs who were awaiting him under one of the tables with somewhat dampened spirits.

[I will take these two hunting,] he informed her curtly. [They might even listen to a word I say, now that they are a bit shaken up.]

Halvar cleared his throat loudly and spoke to the assembled Kharlins.

“Today, we have witnessed an extraordinary event and were blessed with the Vixen’s own presence among us. I hope her verdict for Ristop and her gift to Nuala and Dawn will put an end to the controversy between us at last. Dawn’s presence in our village has been approved by the goddess herself. And as the adopted daughter of our priestess, her right to stay can be in no further doubt. Let none of us meet her with enmity from now on.”

His gaze swept over the gathered Kharlins slowly, then he continued.

“But we have no time to simply stand around now. There is still much work for us to do, if we want to fortify the village and gather enough provisions before winter comes. We will have occasion enough to discuss today’s events after the evening meal. Let us use what remains of the day productively.”

He clapped his hands and soon the villagers started to depart and to take up their interrupted work again. The rising buzz of voices witnessed that the events of the day were talked over with enthusiasm as they worked.

Dawn accompanied Nuala to one of the tables where they sat side by side for a while in silence, each pondering the visit of the Vixen and its results.

“Seems now you’re stuck with me, mother.” Dawn said with a sweet smile and shook her head.

“I am very glad about that,” replied Nuala with conviction.

“And I’ll be pleased as punch when we return to my own village and the tribe gets to know you and hears about the adoption.”

“It must be hard for you, such a long time away from your own tribe and your friends and family.” said Dawn.

“It is, and it isn’t.” Replied the priestess thoughtfully. “I like being able to help. It is a source of great contentment and satisfaction to me. Though often I arrive after great misfortune and upheaval has struck the tribes. And even today, as much joy as the day brought me, I’m still shaken up after that trial. That one person is capable of containing such rage and hate…” she trailed off.

“I can certainly understand that. And though I am angry at Ristop for his attack on me and his disdain for me, in a way I pity him too. He has lost friends and family too, after all. And now he lost his home.” Dawn sighed.

“And though I am happy to have you as a second mother, I feel like I betrayed my mother, too.” She frowned and lowered her head.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Nuala and patted her hand. “It is not as if you renounced your mother. As you said, you gained a second one. And now you can stay with my folk. You have time and a place to grow into your path. You have the safety of a village, of friends and even family. It may be unconventional, but that should suit you. If you were fond of doing things the conventional way you would never have left your own village and family in the first place.

Dawn brightened. “You are absolutely right!”

Nuala had the ability to find the right words in every situation. She was free to stay with the Kharlins. She could learn to fight from Nestor and Niko and study alchemy with Lutha. And she wouldn’t be parted from Ankou and the cubs, the villagers were already used to the cats and looked especially on the cubs with fondness.

“And now we have all the time in the world to talk and to have adventures together.” She said mischievously and laid an arm around Nuala’s shoulders.

“Vixen protect me!” she said in mock horror and raised her hands in defense. Then she laughed and told Dawn:

“Run along now and make yourself useful. You are a member of our tribes after all, so you need to pull your weight. There is much to do and never enough hands around to do it.”

Dawn laughed as she stood up. “And here I thought I had escaped the dreaded chores when I ran away from my home.”