(M) Unexpected Encounters of the Knights (IC)

[DreamDragon101]

Valeria gave Alastair a funny look when he asked if she was weakened from some condition. ”No I don’t know of

anything that is wrong with me. I sometimes faint when I have not eaten anything in a long time. But if we ever find

our way back home I would be glad to see a doctor if that would make you feel better.” she said as she look up at him.

Then nodding her head when she hears the phoenix speak and tell her about the spring of water that runs into a pool

near his house. “Oh that is wonderful I shall check it out later on when I rest. Alastair will you join me then for a

swim?” she ask as they started to walk.

Valeria’s eyes grow wide when Alastair tells her all about the ogres. “Does anyone know why the ogres are coming from

the north? Will you have to go fight them again? How long will my brother have to fight them for?” she ask with a

confused look on her face.

Valeria smiled when he ask her a question about the mermen and mermaids. “Yes there are mermen and mermaids

beyond the inlet. I have been there to see them and I have a few friends that live there. What I have seen about them

is they are really friendly to be around. My friend even told me that some of them have magic powers. But I am not

sure about them being immortal beings. If we do find our way back home I could take you there and let you meet my

two friends if you want.” she said as they came to the platforms. “Oh and about the wizard question I can answer that

later on when we are swimming. “ She said as she brushes a strand of her brown hair out of her eyes.

As Valeria stood there looking at the many platforms that appeared around the phoenix’s house she heard the phoenix

speak to them telling them they could sit anywhere they wanted to and could rest on any of the platform as well.

“Thank you phoenix I shall check them out and you will be the first one I come to if I have any more questions.” she

said as she looked at Alastair who had ask the phoenix a question about the platform and then hearing the phoenix

answer the question so willingly.

Then nodding when Alastair asks if there was really away back to the world they were from. “Alastair did the wizard

that sent us here say of any way of getting us back home again?” As she waits for Alastair to answer her question she

leans down to get a drink from the bowl of water the phoenix had provide for them to drink out of.

Then after she had eaten some food she then looked over at Alastair and said. “Alastair I think I will head on down to

the spring of water for a swim now. If you are up to it feel free to come join me.” she said as she stood up and started

to walk down the steps.

As she walked she wondered if Alastair would join her. Then after she had gotten to the bottom of the steps she turned

around and looked behind her and saw Alastair had deicide to join her. “I am so glad you decided to join me because I

think we will have a lot of fun swimming together. So have you done a lot of swimming and are you good at it?” she

asks as she waits for him to come up next to her. Then she started to walk again when he got up to her side.

After a few minutes of walking and neither of them said a word Valeria finally spoke. “Alastair I guess I can tell you

about the wizard. The first time Zad appeared to me was on the night of my twenty six birthday. I had just finished

saying good bye to all of my friends and had started to sing when he appeared to me and told me to stop singing. I

told him no, I would not stop singing and he could not make me do it.” Valeria then stopped talking and bit down on

her bottom lip. “And that is when he told me if I did not stop he would take my voice away. I begged him not to do it

and he just laughed and said then come live with me at my place so I can enjoy your beautiful voice. Again I told him

no, I would not go with him and that he had to find someone else.

Valeria then stopped talking as they walked up to the spring of water that ran into a pool near the phoenix house. The

pool of water was deep enough that anyone could swim around in it. It even had a few rocks laying in it. Now as

Valeria stepped up next to the water she looked back at Alastair and smiled. Then slowly she stepped into water and as

her feet and legs went in to the water all of a sudden they started to disappear and a beautiful long gray tail appeared

in the place of them. Then as Valeria turned to see how Alastair had taken it all she started to swim around. “Well then

you see Zad was not happy and he cast a spell on me and turned me into a mermaid and what you see now is what I

got when he did it. He also told me I had to be back in the water before the sun sets everyday otherwise I would lose

my legs and no longer be able to walk.” she said as she lifted her tail out of the water a little bit for him to see it better.

“How the spell works is as long as I am in the water I will have a tail but when I get out of the water and the sun or air

hits my tail it will dry up and my legs and feet will appear again.” She said as she playfully slashed some water out

onto Alastair with her tail.

You also saw earlier that Zad is a really mean wizard. He will laugh and spit in your face when you are talking and he

knows a lot of spells that he is not afraid to use on you. Oh and the spell he cast on me also lets him see where I am at

all the time. So that is why he knew where I was earlier when he appeared to us. Also the only way for the spell to be

broken is if a Knight was to fall in love with me and if Zad sees that he loves and cared about me he will then give him

three task to complete which will then break the spell. If the Knight can not complete all of the tasks the spell will not

be broken and I will remain a mermaid the rest of her life. Zad has never told me what the three tasks are so you

would have to ask him about that. Has what I told you answer your question about the wizard?” she ask as she keeps

splashing water on him with her tail.

Then she starts to laugh. “Why don’t you come join me in the water since you are kind of wet now and you did say you

would join me.” she says as she smiles up at him and splashs him again. She knew he would have to give in and join

her sooner then later and if he did not she would make sure he did join her in the water for sure.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair explained, "I have not heard how the ogres came to live in the wastes of the north. But it is really an issue in these times when they do not stay there but come and make trouble where the humans live in all the settlements of our country. I am stationed still where I serve as a knight, and need to return there. I do not know when your brother and those with him will be relieved by another shift of warriors coming to defend that area."

Alastair explained further, "When I came here to this world it was to get you, and be in the location where I appeared here, within a few minutes, and we would have been summoned back to our world. But now we need another way to get back to it."

When Valeria explained her history that came to her being a mermaid, he responded, "That is a lot of power that would cause that! You were transformed! Did this wizard use a wand or artifact? You did not mention that. If he did not, he would not just be a human. He would be from a realm of powerful beings and immortals, who are beings that are beyond human."

Alastair accompanied Valeria back down to go to the pool on that other side, and Valeria hurried into the pool. He said, "I see why we should come here now that you explained, the sun is finally going down. I do have strong feelings for you, I admit. I had already wanted to touch you but I restrained myself. But I cannot just get my fine clothes wet, I do not have anything I might wear when I would swim."

But being splashed, he said, "I agree. I will join you." He took everything off, and came into the pool with Valeria.

[DreamDragon101]

As Valeria listen to Alastair explain about the ogres and the issue that they bring she wondered why she had never seen them at the pond she lived at. “Do the ogres like to be around water? I ask because I have never seen them around the pond where I live at.” She ask as she looked into his eyes.

After she told him about the wizard Alastair then responded with a question about the wizard powers. “Oh I am sorry I forgot to mention anything about that. No I have never seen him use a wand when he cast spells. He simply just says a lot of words that I cannot understand and things disappear or change. In fact a few days ago before I was sent here he found me playing my flute in the meadow and he took it from me and started to say some funny words as he did it made my flute disappear and that is all he did when he cast the spell on me as well.”

“Now what you said about him not being a human is true. I am not sure where he has come from, but he does not seem like he is human the way her disappears and appears again when you are not expecting it. I am not sure if he could send us back to the place we came from. But you could ask him next time he appears to us.” She said as she swims around in the water.

Valeria nodded her head when Alastair spoke about them coming down to the pool in time because it was getting dark. “Yes I am glad we came down here to. I would not want to be late coming down here.” she said as she smiled at him.
Then when Alastair told her he had strong feelings for her and that he already wanted to touch her but he restrained his self. Valeria smiled and her face turned red as she blushed. “That is so sweet of you to tell me this Alastair. I will be honest with you I also have some feeling for you, because I see something in you that I have not seen in any other man before.” She said as she looked away and smiled.

As she kept laughing and splashing him with her tail she hears him say he did not have anything to wear for him to swim. But as Valeria was about to dive under the water Alastair surprised her and tells her he will join her now in the water.

Valeria eyes then grow wide as she sees Alastair start to undress. When he takes his shirt off she bites down on her bottom lip as she sees how strong he was. It had been a long time since she had seen a man without a shirt on. But this did not stop her from enjoying what she was seeing right now.

When Alastair was undressed enough to get in the water Valeria started to laugh when she sees him getting into the water. “Well it is about time you get into the water.” she says as she starts to swim around him and laughs as she keeps splashing him with her tail. She splashed him because she was trying to get him to join her in the fun. “Are you wet enough? “ she ask as she dives under the water and swims around him. Then as she swims around in front of him she pops out of the water. “Alastair please come swim with me, because I want to see how good a swimmer you are.”

As she starts to swim Valeria wondered if Alastair would surprise her and pull her into his strong arms and kiss her. She knew he probably would not do it, but what a perfect time to do it when they were already close in the water and she now knew he had strong feeling for her. But Valeria was not going to worry about it anymore right now she was only going to enjoy the time she had with him.

When he joined her in swimming she watched him swim around. “Hey you are a really good at it. Was this something you had to learn when you were training to be a Knight?” she asked as she rolled on to her back and lay there in the water watching him swim for a few minutes.

Then when she saw him stopped to rest Valeria swam over to his side. “Alastair please tell me more about yourself. How old are you? What do you like to do when you are not out fighting? What do you like to eat? Do you like to play any instruments? ” she ask as she takes her hand and reaches up and brushes a strand of wet hair out of his eyes.
After they had talked a little bit more Valeria starts to yawn. “I do believe I am rather tired now.” she says as she yawns again. “Alastair thank you for coming down to the pool with me to swim. I have enjoyed the time we have spent together. I look forward to doing more with you later on.” she said as she takes the back of her hand and reaches up to rub his cheek and as she does she smiles again at him.

Then as she was about to turn to swim over to the rocks she stops. “What are you going to do when I am sleeping?” she ask as she looks up into his eyes and waits for him to answer her.
Now as Valeria and Alastair were talking little did they know that Zad had been standing out in the trees watching them. He knew it was about time to pull Alastair aside and have a good talk with him and he had to do it soon before Valeria had gotten too attached to him.

So as Zad stood there he started to rub his hands together and as he does that he say these words. “Tea - We - Ma - Low - Fin - Way - Toe.” Which means: “Come To Me Young Man Come Now.” After he says that he then claps his hands two times and cast the spell on Alastair. But all Zad had to do now was wait for Alastair to come to him.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair saw that Valeria liked splashing around and splashing at him. So when she splashed once again and she was not ready for it he directed a great splash at her. She asked him to swim with her then, and started using her tail that enabled her to swim yet better. But he moved through the water swimming to keep up with her. He admitted, "I used to swim when I was younger, before joining with the military and even before my sister was born, but then I did not for a long time, until there was training that included swimming when I came to the military. I do not swim as well as you, though."

Valeria stopped swimming soon, as this pool was enclosed except where it poured out and there was the creek beyond that. So as she lay back just watching, he stopped soon and came to join her where she lay back, along the rocky side.

They talked and Alastair explained, "I just turned twenty-seven other knights where I am stationed are younger. But we all have some unique talent. I have played a flute, but it has been a while. And I enjoy eating lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds are good too, I avoid mushrooms still."

He saw that Valeria was getting tired, and very soon she was sleeping. He did not want to just stay in the water, so he stepped out and put the things he wore back on again. For some reason he started walking, and he realized that the one he approached was that wicked wizard. But then the fiery phoenix came down screeching, and that wicked one vanished.

[DreamDragon101]

Post 12/4/2023

Valeria started to to laugh when Alastair surprised her and returned a splash.”Oh now you are ready to playand you are asking for it.” she said as she returned a splash back at him. As they play in the water for awhile Valeria starts to wonder if Alastair was truly the one that was ment for her.

Then hearing him say he used to swim whe he was young and the training that was included whe he came to the military but he was not as good as she was . “Oh Alastair you are doing a great job keeping up with me. I think with a little more time in doing it you could be as good as I am. As long as we are here together I think I should have you work on swimming, so when we do get back home again you will be ready to swim with me to that other island where the mermaid are at. Will you do that with me? And will you work with me to get you better at swimming?” she ask a she placed a hand on his arm.

Then when he explained he just turned twenty seven Valeria’s eyes grow wide. “Oh really I just turned twenty seven as well. What is the date of your birthday Alastair?” she asked as she wondered if they had the same birthday.
Then when he said he played the flute but it had been awhile Valeria smiled. “Well if I ever get my flute back from Zad would you like to play with me?” she ask as she studied his face closely .

Then nodding her head when he said he enjoyed eatting fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds but he avoid mushrooms. Valeria frowned at him. “Why do you avoid mushrooms for?” she asked as she diped her head under the water. “Well I enjoy playing the flute and the harp and I like to read and write poetry and of course I have told you I love to sing. Then when it comes to food I am not a picky eater, I will eat most anything you put in front of me. Have you ever eatten fish before?” she ask as she burshed a lose strand of hair out of his eyes.
Then as Valeria made her way over to the rocks and lay down on them she then made herself comfortable and soon fell fast asleep.

As Zad watched Valeria fall asleep he knew it would not be much longer until Alastair would be coming to him. Then he was right Alastair did get out of the water and got dressed. Then he saw him start to walk over to him. ”Yes come Alastair come over to me. I know away to get you and Valeria out of here.” he said as he looked up and saw the phoenix coming down right at them and it was screaming as it did come.
Then Zad screamed out “No” but it was to late the Phoenix then made him disappear. Now Zad was not one bit happy about this but he knew he still could watch Valeria even if he could not be there with her.

Now as Valeria slept Zad had a plan he wanted to try on her. He would try and play inside of her mind by making her dream some strange dreams. Now this dream was him telling her he had away for her and Alastair to get away form there and she had to do something if it was to work. But Valeria never found out what that was because she started to wake up.

As she woke up she screamed out “No Please go away.” Then as she sat up she looked around and seeing Alastair was no longer in the water she then called for him. “Alastair where are you at?” She called out as she then dived into the water and swam over to the edge of the pool. Then she pulled herself up out of the water and fliping her tale out she lay on the ground as she did her tale started to dry up and her legs started to reappear again.
After her legs had come back she sat up and started to look around as she did she also started to take her hair down slowly. After it was down she took the comb that she had in her hair and started to comb her hair out until it all lay neatly out over her back and shoulders. As she did this she started to sing. “Early one morning just as the sun was rising, I heard a young maid sing in the valley below.…” But Valeria suddenly stopped singing when she heard a tree branch snap near by. Then she turned in the direction the sound had come from to see what it was.

When not seeing anyone she then went back to combing her hair . As she finished doing that she then pulled some hair to the side of her head and the placed the comb in it to hold it in place. Then leaning forward she looked down into the water to look at her reflection and when she saw it she smiled for she liked how she looked when she had her hair down.
Then she jumped when she not only saw her face in the water but also saw Alastair smiling face looking down at her. “Oh my Alastair I did not see you standing there.” she said as she turned and looked up into his face and smiled at him. “I was about to come and look for you.” she said as she took his hand that he held out for her to help her stand up.

After she was standing up both of there eyes met for a minute, then blushing she turned her head and looked away as thoughts started to rushed through her mind. What did she see in his eyes they held kindness and love. Oh how she longed to be held in his strong arms but knowing that would come when he was ready to do it.
Then turning back to look at him once again. “What shall we do today for I am all rested up and ready to do something. Even though I did have this strange dream when I was sleeping.” she said as she started to brush her dress off.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair said, "Certainly the night went quickly which I did not expect since there had been daylight for such a long time. It is a strange thing about this world. There must be other strange things about it. But if we can find such a way to leave this and return to our world is most desirable. I would rather we ask the high phoenix if there is a way for that than to talk at all with that alien wizard. We probably should not trust that one because any harm to us that would serve his purposes would happen. The phoenix, this one anyway, is benevolent. If you would like to do so now, we could go up there to speak with this Frah, and maybe find out."

They soon agreed it was good to do this if they could then, and so when they made themselves ready they went up those steps that wound around the pillar that was like twisted trees with strong light shining through the tight space left, and the great platform and small platforms on top. They still had questions that each answered the other.

Alastair said, "My birthday was on the fourteenth, but among the others guarding the prominence it did not have much attention. I will listen to you play the flute if you ever do again. I would try it too if you would like that. But maybe you are not safe even whenever we get back. Maybe I can get arrangement for a spare place where we are stationed to be provided to you for your shelter and safety." He went on as they talked, still going up, "Mushrooms are fungus parts, you know, and taste very different, and there are people who can't stand any of them just as there are those who do like them. People are really divided on whether they taste good or not. To me they are like what they grow in, I cannot like them."

"I did eat some fish, long ago, but not recently. You know, if you may stay where I am stationed, there are interesting books and devices I might show you, and there are interesting creatures in the sea that you might still want to know about that I can show, some fish, but some other creatures too." They were almost at the platform at the top, where the high phoenix was often at.

[DreamDragon101]

Valeria nodded her head when Alastair spoke about how quickly the night went by. “Yes it is very strange how some places have shorter nights. We are just not use to it yet. I think that is why. What did you do while I was sleeping? I ask because I had a strange dream. It was almost like Zad was standing right here talking to me. The dream was Zad telling me he had a way for us to get away from here but we had to do something for it to work. But I woke up before he could tell me what it was.” She said as she starts to stand up.

Then Valeria started to shake her head when Alastair suggested they talk to the high phoenix and see if there was away he could help them return to their world. “I am still not sure I can trust Frah enough for him to help us get back to our world. I know he has let us stay at his house and gave us things to eat which I am grateful for, still I don’t know him well enough just yet to believe he can truly help us out. But if you want to talk to him I am fine with that.” she said as they started to walk.

As they walked they both asked questions. Now when Alastair answered her question about when his birthday was, Valeria’s mouth dropped open when he told her. “Oh my goodness no way the fourteenth is also my birthday. This was the first year my whole family was not altogether to celebrate it with me.” she said as she held a smile on her face.
Then when he told her he would listen to her play the flute if she even does again and he would try to if she would like it. Valeria nodded her head. “That would be wonderful and yes I do want to hear you play as well.” Now when he said it might not be safe for her to even play when they got back Valeria frowned and shook her head. “No I think I would be alright if you are with me when I play because Zad only tense to go after me when I am alone. Plus if he sees you are instead in me he won’t try to do anything when you are around.” she said as they kept walking.



Then Alastair said he had eaten some fish a long time ago. Valeria nods her head again. “What kinds of fish have you eaten? Because I know there are so many different kinds and I just happen to like to eat them myself and I love to go fishing for them. Have you ever been fishing before?” she asks as they started to climb the steps of the phoenix home.
Then as Valeria was still thinking about the different kinds of fish Alastair interrupted her thoughts and started to tell her if she was to stay where he was stationed at he would show her some interesting books and devices and other interesting creatures in the sea. Now when Valeria herd this her eyes grew wide as she turned to look at him. “Really you would do that for me? Of course I could not turn that offer down if it means I could be with you Alastair. But I would need to have water nearby for me until I have the spell removed from me.” she said all this as she clapped her hands. “But what kind of books is there for me to read if there at a fort?” she asked as a worried look came appeared on her face.

When they reached the top of the platform Valeria started to look around for the phoenix. Then turning she looked at Alastair. “I wonder where Frah is at.” But as she ask that Frah appeared right in front of them. As Valeria saw him she jumped. “Oh my there he is. I had just finished asking Alastair where you might be at. Good morning Frah. We have come to ask you if you could help us with something.” she said as she turned to look at Alastair.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair answered, "I had thought I was alert still awake in some way, and yet I found myself walking toward that wizard that you call Zad, though he may be alien to our realm, but then that Frah, the high phoenix, came down and made a screech, and that wizard was gone suddenly, I do not know how or if the wizard fled that way, or the high phoenix cast him out from his realm. I do trust this Frah, the wizard who sent me to find you said that this was a very safe place because it was the realm of the phoenix, so I do not have reason to not trust him. And, I remember when younger our community had caught a whalefish, and there was a portion for everyone living there, and I had a portion then. I did not dislike it. But when older I had been learning about the whalefish societies, where each among them look out for each other. I did not want to eat anything from whalefish again after that."

The high phoenix returned just a little after that, Alastair then addressed the huge shiny bird, "We know we do not belong in this world, that we should stay, and there is that wizard that Valeria calls Zad, who has a way somehow to get here and follows after us, seemingly for mischief against us. We would want to know a way back to our world, and I could bring Valeria to where I am stationed, where she could be safer there, if we managed going back."

This bright Frah said, "Where you would go the wizard made known as Zad will still know where you are to follow you. I sense he is an alien from a realm where he and others there have powers that any in your world do not. I still have more power, that has not been shown, and it will be ages before a lot more of it is made known. Yet to return there are the plates from the high place between the close peaks, that you must bring back there to where you are from. Before you ever go from here, I would give you these head coverings, they go over your head with covering over your ears. Should that wizard made known as Zad ever come to you again, call out while you still wear it, 'Frah' and I will come and immediately deal with him. And if you would ask more, you can ask me now."

[DreamDragon101]

When Valeria hears Alastair tell Frah that Zad was only here to follow them around and bring mischief to them she started to shake her head. Then when Frah gave them a head covering that they could wear over their ears so if Zad was to ever come again and bother them they could call out for Frah’s and he would come and deal with Zad. Now Valeria had enough of this talk about trying to get rid of Zad and she finally spoke.

“Alastair I want to tell you something about Zad that you may not know. He is only following us around because he needs to gain your trust and he needs to see that you are able to care and love me then when he sees that he will then know that you are the right one to break the spell he put on me. Zad is not trying to cause trouble and get in the way or wanting to hurt us in any way. When Frah cast Zad out of his realm it made it hard on me because of the spell. Now when you are ready to have Zad around again you can come find me and let me know.”

After Valeria said that she dropped the head coving on the ground and turned and started to walk away from Alastair and Frah, she did not care if Frah could help them get home she just wanted Alastair to understand that Zad had to be around as well even if he did not like him.

As Valeria started to walk down the steps she also started to cry. She just wanted to get away from Alastair and be alone. She did not care if he did come after her but if he did he better have a changed feelings about Zad.

Now when Valeria got to the bottom of the steps and was standing on the ground again she took off running she was going to head back to that small pool where she could be by herself. When she finally reached the place where the pool was she was out of breath but that did not stop her from dropping on to her knees next to the water as she did she covered her face with her hands and started to cry again.

After a few minutes of crying Valeria started to hear her name being called out. Now when she hears this she brings her head up and looks around. Then when she sees it was Zad calling her down near the trees she stood up and started to walk over to him.

But before she could say anything to him Zad started to speak. “Valeria I am very pleased with you for talking to Alastair about me and what you told him was the right thing to say. Since you stood up for me and said all that I will reward you with a few things.”

As he said that he lifted his right hand and waved it in the air and made Valeria’s dress she was wearing changed into a brand new dress and this dress was red with tiny little white dots all over it. Zad also made Valeria’s flute reappear at her feet with her bag as well. Now when Valeria saw what Zad had done her mouth dropped open and she dropped to her knees and picked up her flute. “Oh Zad thank you so much I don’t know what to say about all this.” she said as she looked up at him. Zad respond by nodding his head and smiling at her. Then as he did that he disappeared.

After Zad had gone Valeria sat there on her knees for a few minutes not sure what to say about what Zad just had done. What would Alastair say and think when he saw her wearing a new dress and he saw she had her flute back? She did not know but she did know he would probably be surprised. Would this make him change his mind about what he thought about Zad? But she would let him come to her first about it.

[GodlyD&D]

Alastair looked at the high phoenix, and said, "I do not understand. She is right about that. That wizard she told me was wicked had changed her, and threatened her, and made her cry. So I do not know how I had that wrong. And I thought Valeria liked me. I know I need to take her back with me to the world we are from, still. But Frah, how are the plates that need to be found important for taking with us?"

Frah the high phoenix, the bird with legs that were about as long as those of any storks that he had a resemblance to, and still more muscular, a neck almost as long, and a bill about as long, but having the appearance of flames of fire being displayed where the feathers were, more than bright colors of red, orange, and yellow, moving like flames would be, spoke in answer. "Your friend, Valeria, does care and wants you there. But there are things she is not telling you, but keeping to herself, and she keeps those things from me. The plates are important for your world. They are the gateholder plates. They are in position there holding a gate to other gates closed. But it is not critical to my realm to have them there for that. If you take the plates when you find them, removing them from what they rest against, between those peaks, you will see a gate open, that does not look like it could be there. You can pass through it, and there are four gates beyond. The gate on the right will be the gate into your world. The other gates are into other realms, not for you to reach. But when you take the plates with you there to your world, you can go on a mission with approval of those you report to, to bring those plates to the location where the ogres appear from. For they come to there from somewhere else, also through a gate. Some of the ogres can be driven back. Then when you lay the plates against what they pass through the plates will have the gate there become sealed, as long as they remain. Now, you may take the head covering for you, or, both of those, if you will. But you might not want to wear the one for you soon. I would advise listening, for your friend will not tell you all things that she might, but you can catch some things if listening very carefully for those, sooner."

Alastair wondered about what it all meant. He wished he could know more. But there remained the need to return to the world they were from, and he needed to have Valeria understand they could do that, in any case, and he would hope she would willingly go then, too.

He said, "Thank you, Frah. You have been abundantly helpful to us in our need, though we had done nothing deserving it for you. Almost anyone else would have demands for giving such help."

The Frah said, "There is great benevolence from me, it would not be what may be found from another phoenix. You go now with blessings from me."

Alastair then went down the same steps, which he had come up a second time, again, with the things he held with him. He would look around, when he would come all the way to the bottom, for where he might find Valeria had gone to.