The Goddess might have left, but her palatial tent remained. Linca led Chihiro back to the warmth and comfort where she slept till dawn. When she woke, she and Linca picked at the remainder of the food. Neither had much of an appetite.

"We should go," said Chihiro listlessly.

"Yes," replied her sister in a dead tone. Both were dreading what they would find at the Citadel.

They had barely left the tent when they heard the pounding of hooves. The Nygel burst into the woodland clearing. The normally charming pony was clearly distressed. His flanks twitched, his nostrils flared, his ears were laid flat on his head. His usually serene brown eyes rolled with fear and his bay coat was covered in foam.

"Water!" the water horse wheezed. His legs buckled and he collapsed, rolling onto his side, legs flailing.

Chihiro heard Linca mutter something and a small grey cloud materialised above the Nygel. A steady rain began to fall on the spirit horse. Chihiro fetched a bowl from the tent which had been used to hold fruit and held it under the rain until it was half full. She knelt by the Nygel and lifted his head up so he could drink from the bowl. Reassuringly, the horse started to drink noisily.

"More!" he gasped when he was finished. Chihiro repeated the process, while Linca rubbed the foam from his flanks. The Nygel's fluffy coat darkened and became sleek and shiny under the rain. Chihiro reminded herself that the Nygel was a water spirit. She had never really thought about how uncomfortable it must be for him travelling long distances over land. He was supposed to be spending his days submerged, catching fish and tormenting the odd human, not carrying them thousands of miles across dry land. Yet he had never once complained or asked for anything in return. Chihiro felt a stab of guilt. She had taken his loyalty completely for granted.

"I think he is dehydrated," murmured Linca absently. "His tail is a little singed. He must have got caught in the fire."

"I did," snorted the Nygel. "The drain I used to enter the city was blocked off by a fallen building. I had to find another way out. The flames almost caught me. I returned to the Palace, but by that point, the guards were fighting each other and all was madness. I hid in a lake until the worst of the flames were gone, then I ran through ashes of the lower city and escaped."

The Nygel tried to roll onto his belly but his legs would not co-operate. He gave up and drank another bowl of water, then spoke again.

"I saw Mistress Rin," he murmured turning his face up to the rain and blinking blissfully as the water fell on his face."She was well. She somehow knew what I was going to tell her..."

Chihiro said nothing, though she burned to ask questions; she did not even move back from the rain cloud. She merely sat and waited, getting steadily soaked.

"Quite a clever plan, really," whinnied the horse. "She started a fire in a deserted section of the lower city, or rather those two cat spirits did it for her." The Nygel shook his head vigorously, spraying his attendants with water. "They have a deal of some sort. Anyway, the residents of the lower city fled. The guards left the Palace to deal with the fire at Lord Hikaru's order." The water horse swallowed and snorted water from his nostrils."She saw me just before she started the fire, warned me of her plan and told me to return to you. I could not get out! When I returned to the Palace I learned that Lord Hikaru had perished and that Mistress Rin had taken control of the Citadel. The majority of the guards had taken her side immediately, knowing she would govern more appropriately. However, some remained loyal and from what I saw they were slaughtered. I hid in the lake in the garden until the fighting and the fires had died down. Then I ran back here."

Chihiro looked from the Nygel to Linca and back again. The Nygel groaned and laid back down into the rapidly growing puddle that Linca's cloud was creating. Chihiro patted his neck absently. She looked back at Linca again. The spirit's white eyes were unreadable. She knew that her sister was thinking the same thing she was.

"I don't believe it," Chihiro whispered.

"You don't want to believe it," corrected Linca. "But it is probably what happened." The white-haired spirit sighed and stood. "She has been more than provoked; her motive would be considered justified. The justice system is very different here, Chi." murmured the spirit. "In such a case there would be no penalty; not even a bond of servitude would be issued."

Chihiro swallowed. She did not want to listen to Linca justify the reasons her sister may have committed murder. Rin was brash, but she was also kind and loving, not to mention fiercely protective of those she loved. Then again, could that protective element of her character driven her to...

Chihiro shook her head.

"She didn't do it!" she protested.

"You know in your heart she probably did," said Linca in a small voice. "And I for one do not condemn her." Linca's white eyes narrowed. "Or would you prefer she had bonded to the insane bastard?"

That brought Chihiro's protests to a halt. Perhaps murder had been Rin's only way out? No matter how abhorrent Chihiro found the idea, she was aware that the spirit world would view such a death as a lawful killing. Rin had been deeply wronged and had perhaps sought retribution. It was her right to do so. But Chihiro still hoped she had not. It was a stupid, childish hope, but she nurtured it nonetheless.

"Let me ask you this," said Linca lightly, stooping and offering her hand to her sodden and confused sister. Chihiro took her hand and let Linca pull her up. "What do you think you will do when we finally track the Night Wind down?" she queried softly. "Do you think after you have had a civilised chat over a cup of green tea that he will let Haku go and reverse his spell?"

Chihiro paled. She had deliberately not thought about what she would do when she finally faced her enemy.

"What will you role be?" continued Linca. "How will you end this and fulfil your quest?"

"I don't want to kill anyone!" Chihiro almost wailed. "It's not right!"

"How many people will he kill?" asked the sprite, still in the same soothing tone. "I can assure you he will not agonise over disposing of you if you become a real threat to him."

Chihiro stared at Linca, open-mouthed. Her whole perception of her situation and mission had just been well and truly undermined.

"I... I will not stoop to his level," she stammered. "If I act like him, then I am no better than him."

"Nonsense," snapped Linca, her normally inscrutable eyes blazing for a moment in annoyance. "Don't quote that pacifist claptrap at me! I know the harsh reality of the situation that we are in, and I acknowledge it." She pointed an accusing finger at Chihiro. "Make no mistake, Chihiro, you will have to find a way to neutralise Kenshin and his spell. The easiest way to do that is to end his life. If you want to win against him, then you have to be prepared to go to any lengths to do it!" She tossed her head and irritably flicked a few stray strands of white hair out of her eyes. She appeared to be quite agitated by Chihiro's attitude towards bloodletting. "If you want a quote, how about this one? 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.' If you refuse to stain those pretty, pale hands of yours when the time comes then millions will die!"

Chihiro glared at Linca; she was angry at her words and did not want to admit that the sprite had a point. Could she afford to cling to such sensibilities when so much was at stake?

Linca's voice became calm once more, but it had a cold edge to it still.

"And if that is too much for the human mind to contemplate, try thinking about it this way." She put her head on one side and pinned Chihiro with her icy eyes. "Given the choice, who would you rather save, Kenshin or Haku?" Chihiro felt as if Linca stabbed her in the chest with an icicle." If it came to it, would you strike him down to save your mate?" whispered Linca.

"He... he is far too powerful... he would never..." stammered Chihiro, almost unable to order her thoughts.

"Would you strike?" interrupted the sprite. Chihiro trembled with emotion and let her eyes slide shut. There really only was one answer, and both she and Linca knew it. She resented Linca for forcing her to admit it.

"Yes," she whispered.

"That's what I thought," grunted Linca. "That is the way things should be. You are his mate, and entitled to seek vengeance against the one who has harmed him."

"What were you before you came to the bathhouse, Linca?" muttered Chihiro ruefully. "Some sort of spirit lawyer?"

Linca actually laughed.

"I am well acquainted with spirit law. I was bonded into servitude twice, remember?"

"Yes," murmured Chihiro. "Once, for being a total harlot and seducing a mated spirit and the other for something else but you have not told me what..."

Linca smiled weakly.

"I deserved both, one more than the other."

There was a light cough behind them. Both the spirit and human spun around to see one of the identical lion spirits standing on the road, apparently waiting patiently to be noticed. Neither had heard him approach. The spirit was resplendent in white linen tunic and trousers. The tunic was simply tied in the middle with a black silk belt. His face was expressionless, as was normal. His eyes, however, blazed with golden fire. Chihiro felt the unsettling urge to run. Why did predators have to cultivate that look? Even Haku was no exception. The lion spirit smiled at her, sensing her unease.

"Do not fear, mistress, I am merely happy," he purred. Chihiro blinked. His tone was very different from the servile one she had known him to use previously. "Though my circumstances have changed, you are still a Dragon's mate. You remain my social superior." He bowed, but only shallowly. "I will not harm you, or anyone you call 'friend'. You have my word on that as a free spirit."

"Free spirit?" echoed Chihiro, still reeling from the conversation she had had with Linca. "What you mean?" The lion spirit grinned, baring sharp, white canines.

"Do you honestly think I and my brother stayed in that stinking city by choice?" he asked. "Lord Hikaru liked to travel as a young spirit. His wanderings brought him into our territory." The lion spirit shrugged. "He was not to know, I suppose, that he was violating our laws, and we were not to know how powerful he was." He shook his head. "The females attacked and he killed them all. He took pity on the six cubs that were left behind. Now I and my brother are all that remains of our pride."

"What happened to the others?" asked Linca softly.

"They died," said the spirit flatly. "Some, when they were cubs, others when they reached maturity," he smirked mirthlessly to himself. "The females, especially, found it difficult to serve an overlord who had murdered our mothers. We are a proud people. When they realised escape was impossible, they took their own lives." The lion spirit's eyes blazed again and he growled under his breath. "My brother and I swore we would swallow our dignity and survive. Now we are free. We have but one task left to fulfil and we will do it gladly. Then we will return to our home and find some lone females." He clenched his fists. "We will found the strongest pride on the great grasslands and all will respect us."

Linca raised an eyebrow as if she was sceptical. Chihiro felt she understood the lion spirit's goal. From what she had seen on documentaries she knew lions lived in semi-patriarchal family groups. The females hunted and provided for the cubs. The males, normally just one or two of them, provided protection. Chihiro knew it must have been very difficult for such a spirit to live away from his territory and away from his family. As a male, he should have a small harem of females and a swarm of cubs. But he had been raised in servitude. Small wonder only two of the six cubs had lived. She had no doubt that he would do as he said and found a great pride; making up for his years of bondage. One thing puzzled her, however.

"You are wondering what became of my father?" said the spirit, again predicting Chihiro's thoughts; she began to wonder if he was slightly telepathic. "He committed the most dishonourable crime," the spirit growled. "He abandoned his pride when he realised how strong Hikaru was. Without his support, the females were practically helpless. He left them to be slaughtered, while he ran like a dog."

Chihiro thought the spirit was being rather unfair to dogs; then again, a cat spirit would be.

"But I digress," the spirit said in a more controlled tone. "I am here to escort you back to the Palace. Lady Rinako wishes to speak to you."

Chihiro frowned and finally refocused her mind. She should have asked about Rin first! Linca really had addled her wits.

"Please, lion spirit, tell me what has happened," she asked softly.

The spirit smirked at her. Chihiro blushed a little; she could not tell one spirit from the other.

"I am Baakir, mistress, please do not feel embarrassed. I know it is difficult for a human with a limited sense of smell to tell me and my brother apart. I am not offended." The spirit chuckled to himself but then his face turned serious. "Lady Rinako seized control of the Citadel after Lord Hikaru perished. There was a brief counter-revolution attempt but nothing serious. Most supported Lady Rinako as we remembered how capable she was and knew she would be an improvement on Lord Hikaru and bring stability. After all, Lord Hikaru was dead and she was to be his mate. It is only natural that she should have leadership of the Citadel."

"But what about her daughter?" cried Linca. "We thought she was submitting to Hikaru's will so that..."

The lion spirit raised a clawed hand, silencing her.

"That was easily countered," he said with a wolfish grin. "As soon as we informed Lady Rinako that we knew her daughter's location, she offered us our freedom in return for reuniting them."

Chihiro gasped. She knew it was looking more and more likely that Rin had taken matters into her own hands. With confirmation that Tori was alive and well, Rin would have had no reason not to act against Hikaru.

"Of course, we had to put her into a position of power first, so we could be granted freedom. So we created a few opportunities for her." The lion spirit grinned to himself again. "I knew weasel spirits were reputed to be devious, but even I was surprised by her acumen."

Chihiro's last optimistic hope was crushed. It seemed certain that her sister had killed someone in cold blood. She knew she should not be disturbed by this. Rin was entitled to vengeance; she would not be viewed as an outlaw. But it made Chihiro's heartache to think that Rin had killed someone. Maybe there were certain things a human could not accept, no matter how long they lived in the spirit world.

They left the Nygel in a nearby pool to recover and followed Baakir back to the Palace. Chihiro realised she dreaded meeting Rin. She might understand her motives and she loved her dearly, but she could not escape the feeling that from now on her sister would be a much more distant figure in her life. So with a heavy heart, she approached the burnt out shell of the city.

She may have shed one or two tears, but Chihiro had too much on her mind to notice.