Alden cradled Ceres in his arms as he lowered her on the flat granite rock. Waithe leaped up and knelt at her side. The color drained from her face as her breath became shallow. She looked up at the men beside her, those who cared for her. "Alden... Waithe... I am so sorry." 

Waithe tried to sound optimistic. "Hold on, my dear Ceres. We have come through much peril before and we shall come through this."

Alden's eyes watered from the same cold fear that twisted Waithe's gut. Battlefield experience told Waithe that such wounds were usually fatal. He resisted the urge to immediately pull out the damned bolt that violated her since, if not done correctly, that would only hasten death.

A hot wave of shame came over him. As her protector, he failed. He should have taken the bolt himself. And his failure was not just to her, but the whole of the Realm. He mentally shoved those thoughts aside. There must still be a way to save her, but she seemed much too weak to heal herself.

Eira... Could she?

Eira sat among the rocks trembling, her knees drawn into her chest. Waithe jumped down and scooped her into his arms, holding her against his chest. Silent sobs shook her as he stroked her dark hair. The battle must have touched a deep dark memory, something that before left her mute and alone. And now with Ceres being so near death, she must fear becoming alone again.

He spoke gently. "My dear Eira, the battle be over and you be safe now. But Ceres be hurt. Would you help make her better?"

Eira's tears dripped down on Waithe's torn shirt as she nodded her head.

Waithe carried Eira and set her down next to Ceres. Waves of tears and shudders came to the little girl. Her despair cut deeply into his heart. This little one had seen far too much death in her few years. Waithe chastised his thoughts - not this time! 

Ceres' head rested in Alden's lap and blood from her wound stained red the rock slab under her. She put on a weak smile.

Waithe sat down next to the little girl and took up one of her hands. He spoke with all the confidence he could muster. "Enough crying, little one. We have Spirits to call and a fair Lady to heal! Together we shall. Would you call Anu as you did for me? And Phy, she would surely want to come too."

Eira sniffed and nodded. She closed her eyes and began to hum, mimicking Ceres' usual methods. But nothing happened. A silent sob wracked her again.

Ceres reached out a stroked Eira's cheek. She spoke faintly in a breathy voice. "Relax, little one. Think about how you like to play with Phy. The Spirits will come."

Eira slowly nodded and closed her eyes again. Her breath slowed and deepened. In a moment Phy's green light appeared and hovered above them.

Ceres smiled. "Good, my little girl. Now think about Anu. Imagine reaching to the sky to bring her to you."

Eira took a deep breath, her eyes still closed, and reached up with both hands. Anu's silver light pulsed above her. Phy and Anu began to chase each other in an expanding circle.

"Good. Now tell Phy and Anu to behave. Be firm with them."

Eira furled her eyebrows and tightened her lips. The Spirits stopped their chase and settled on either side of her.

"Wonderful, little girl. Now reach out to them with your mind and think about fixing me, making me better. Like you did for our friend, Waithe. You can do this."

Eira reached up again and let her arms swing wide. The Magic, as shimmering white lights, appeared as a mass above each hand, disappeared, then appeared again. Eira lowered her arms slowly. The shimmer descended and enveloped Ceres.

Ceres arched her back and took a deep breath. She squeezed Alden's hand. Color began to return to her face, now showing the beginning of a smile. "You are doing so well, Eira. My strength returns. Let me help you guide the Magic now."

The white shimmering lights became brighter, enough that Alden shielded his eyes. They swirled around Ceres.

As before when Ceres channeled Life Magic, visions of Waithe's lost daughter came to him, the memories so vivid that it seemed he relived them again. This vision made him gasp.

"Aala!" Waithe called out in the morning twilight, his voice as much a cry as a yell. He spun around, searching with red tired eyes. A faint whimper came to his ears and he froze in place, it seemed both close and far away. The whimper came again and he ran toward it, nearly falling into the dark shaft from which it originated. "Aala!"

A desperate cry came up from the depths. "Daddy..."

"I be here, little one." He turned his head and yelled. "Fera! I found her!"

Waithe lowered himself carefully down the old mine shaft, scraping against the sharp rocks that lined it, and sometimes letting loose small showers of dust and gravel. Fera peered down from above, sending words of encouragement to her daughter.

Aala sat huddled in the dark at the bottom of the shaft, dark dust clung to her face along the dried paths of many tears. He knelt and embraced her. She yelped as he lifted her up. Dried blood streaked her left leg under her torn dress, originating from a large gash on her upper thigh, one that would surely leave a scar.

"My dear little one, what say you that we get out of this dark hole?"

Aala wrapped her arms around her father's neck as he carefully climbed up, at one point having to hold her up above his head in a narrow section. Finely, near the top, he lifted her into Fera's grasp and the little girl emerged into the loving arms of her mother.

Tears traced Fera's cheeks. "My dear Aala, we searched all night for you. You be safe now. We love you so."

Waithe emerged from the hole and embraced both of them. He brushed the hair from Aala's face and peered into her light grey-blue eyes. "Let us return home and be a family together once again."

Ceres held her breath as Waithe's memories centered on the dark shaft, then exhaled slowly and smiled at the vision of Aala emerging into the morning light. Ceres turned her head toward Waithe, her eyes now moist with tears. She mouthed the word 'Aala'.

The shimmering Magic pulsed around her. The crossbow bolt began to slowly back out of her side. Once fully emerged, it clattered down onto the rocks.

As the shimmer faded, Ceres smiled up at the two Life Spirits floating above her. "Thank you, my friends." They then disappeared.

Ceres sat up and rubbed her wounded side. She reached out to the grinning Eira and pulled the little girl into a tight hug. "My dear Eira, you saved me. Again, you are my hero."

Alden helped her stand up on wobbly legs, nodding with a smile as she balanced herself. Ceres turned to him, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him into a hug. "And you, my brave Alden, you are my hero as well."

Waithe stood, holding on to Eira's hand. He asked, "Ceres, can you ride? We should not stay here long."

Ceres nodded. "Aye, I think so." She turned to Alden. "Would you take Eira and get the horses ready? There is something I need to discuss privately with Waithe." Alden lowered his eyebrows, but before he could speak, she pleaded, "Please..."

As Alden walked away towing a bouncing little girl, Ceres turned back to her protector. "Waithe--"

He interrupted her as he bowed his head. "I am sorry, my dear Lady. I failed."

Ceres put her hand on his shoulder. "No, Waithe. You fought valiantly on my behalf. You once told me that the outcome of a battle is never certain. And then you brought Eira to me. But this be not what I wish to discuss. Your vision of your daughter, I shared it as well. I have no memories of myself at that age, but one. I..." Tears came back to her eyes as her voice faltered.

"Ceres, what concerns you?"

"Aala's eyes, I saw them, they were a light grayish-blue?"

"Aye. Rare and beautiful they were."

Ceres looked up with her dark blue eyes, deep emotions seemed to swirl within them. "Once my eyes were of that color, but they darkened as I grew older. And the shaft she fell into, how long did it trap her?"

Waithe shook his head. "All night. It terrified her greatly."

"That is my deep fear, a nightmare that sometimes terrifies my sleep. In your vision, I remembered that very dark close place that trapped me so alone."

"My dear Ceres, what be you saying?"

"Waithe..." Words failed her again as a single tear traced her cheek. "Your lost daughter... I think she is me."

Waithe stood frozen. A wave of emotions welled up within him, those built from nearly a decade of searching for his lost daughter and then buried deep as he gave up hope. Now they burst forth. Part of him wanted to deny it, so as not to face the agony of lost hope again. "Ceres, could this be?"

"I have wondered how we have such a connection, and why Phy originally led me to you."

He had to be sure. "The scar, do you have it?"

Ceres reached down and lifted the left side of her dress skirt, revealing a jagged old scar on her upper thigh. Waithe's eyes began to water as he held his breath.

He could only manage a single word. "Aala..."

She pulled in to embrace him as he wrapped her in his arms. They held tight on to each other. With her head nestled against his shoulder, she whispered, "Father."