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*It was high summer. Bright sunshine bathed the vast expanse of the northern ice cap, but it yielded no warmth to those who crouched on its surface below. Airy cursed through chattering teeth as she huddled between Jak and Camorra. *

"F...F...F...first...d...d...day, ...and...w...we...haven't...g...g...gone anywhere...M...M...Maker dammit!"

*Their supply sleds blocked most, but not all, of the frigid katabatic northern wind that blew past them with relentless fury before sweeping onto the plains of Storfay. Huge cumulonimbus clouds far to the south rose at the collision of the dry, furious northern wind and the moist, languid air from the south, spawning the thunderstorms that watered the grass that fed the Juht's horses. *

The distance of the storms was a small blessing for which Airy was grateful. The prospect of freezing rain and lightning while on the ice with so little shelter was an even more dreadful prospect than the howling wind.

*With his thick coat of fur, Jak was less susceptible to the cold's bite than Airy. There was no stutter in his voice as he shouted to be heard over the roar of the wind. "If one of those storms hits us here, we will die for certain." That was a fact they all knew and feared. Pinned down and unable to move, they had no alternative but to bear the storm in silence hoping for a respite. *

All day the wind wailed relentlessly until subsiding abruptly and mercifully just before dark. In the calm period as the temperature continued to plummet, Airy had them dig out a shelter in the ice and cover it with the canvas they had salvaged from Raeph's tent. Sleep came easy as they huddled together for warmth

---

As if having awoken in another place, they were greeted in the morning by a mild and welcoming day. They dusted the powdery ice from their clothes as they marveled at the change. The favorable weather was welcome, so Airy wasted no time in organizing them to begin making progress on their journey before another storm could pin them down. Airy urged haste because they were going to have a slow and difficult start to their trek across the ice with Cat disabled from her head injury. After a day of forced rest, however, Cat announced she was ready to drag her own sled.

Jak immediately objected. "You took a hard blow to the head and were knocked unconscious. One day of rest is not enough to recover from an injury that grievous. You must ride until you are fully recovered."

"I vill not be burden. I am the strongest vun here. Ve vill never make it across the ice unless I am doing my share."

The argument between the Wolf and Cat was heated and lengthy. Getting nowhere, Jak pleaded with Airy, but she could not bring herself to order Cat to lie on a sled and be pulled. Sharing a mutual goal of moving as quickly as possible to escape this realm of endless white and cold put Airy solidly on Cat's side of the debate.

"Enough, you two! Time is our enemy as much as the cold. We already lost one day. I won't spend another arguing. If she chooses, Cat may pull a sled like everyone else."

Loyal and obedient to his Princess, Jak fell silent and accepted her command. As the de facto group healer, he was compelled to alleviate pain and suffering. He made the best case he could for Cat's health, but in his heart, he knew Cat was strong enough to soldier on through whatever pain and discomfort she still felt. Like Airy, Jak also wanted their group to make speedy progress. The longer they stayed on the ice, the more likely someone would get hurt or die. There would likely be more suffering for everyone if he insisted on delaying their progress. Airy was striking an appropriate balance, and Jak found his own balance by vowing to watch Cat closely to make sure her condition did not worsen.

*The previous day and night had given them a small taste of the weather this land could deliver, so without complaint, everyone - including Cat - followed Airy's orders and began dragging their sleds on the first of what would prove to be many days of grueling toil. *

---

The ice sheet offered two varieties of terrain: flat, blinding monotony and broken, mounded ice split by crevasses. On the level, relatively smooth, stretches, they made rapid progress. Where the surface was rough, it took days just to advance a dozen miles. The broken zones put them in fear of the incident in the ice cleft where Cat and Camorra had nearly died. Airy ordered caution whenever they could not find a faster way around these hazards.

*To complicate travel further, the storms that they had observed over the plains of Storfay occasionally formed over the ice, where they became truly horrendous events that began with little warning. Though they lasted for no more than a few hours, being caught in one was terrifying. Winds carrying sleet and hail blew with gale force, and visibility was reduced to near zero. *

*After the experience of their first day, Airy made sure everyone paid close attention to the weather and ordered that all of their sleds be roped together. Her foresight saved their lives. On the eighth day on the ice, a storm blew up with no warning. Jak was in the rear following Airy's orders to watch for just such an event. The storm manifested itself suddenly as a wall of swirling white sleet and lightning advancing like an avalanche from the south. His shout of alarm was just enough to allow everyone to stop and begin to bunch together for shelter. Even with Jak's warning, the storm was upon them in minutes, and they immediately lost sight of each other in the blizzard. The wailing and screeching winds made their shouts inaudible. Only the ropes that bound them together permitted them to assemble in a pile of bodies within the pitiful shelter their sleds offered until the storm passed. *

*The hazards of travel in this land were formidable, but becoming lost was not one of them. The Earth Spine rose high in the west providing a fixed reference point to guide their journey. During the times when poor weather obscured the mountains or when they were moving through rough terrain where the normally looming presence of the Earth Spine was lost behind jumbled ridges of ice, Jorveth had a magical device with a metal needle that always pointed north. *

Everyone in the party except Camorra was amazed by this new wonder. Jorveth explained that it pointed to a place that was near true north, but not quite. He was making careful observations as they journeyed in hopes of more precisely determining where the needle did aim so he could create a table to correct the position no matter where on the globe a traveler went with the device.

"Globe?" questioned Jak skeptically. "Are you saying the earth is round like a ball?" His tail switched back in forth in annoyance at the absurd idea. "It looks flat to me, especially up here on the ice."

"Yes. It does appear to be flat from our perspective. However, I have deduced that it is shaped like a globe by observation and measurement. It looks flat because it is huge, but there are ways to observe the curvature. I have watched sailing vessels disappear over the horizon. Water, being a liquid, seeks its own level. Without a force to disturb it, it stays flat. To explain why a ship appears to sink when it is staying afloat, one must conjecture that the surface on which it is traveling is curved."

Jak's puzzlement showed on his face and the backward posture of his ears. The Wolf was having difficulty following all of the words Jorveth used. It was Tigan, though, in her blunt and cantankerous way, who directly confronted Jorveth's explanation.

"You just said t'at water stays flat. How come it doesn't flow over t'is curved surface to one side or t'e ot'er?"

"That is a question that I have pondered myself. The force that we feel pulling us downward wherever we go must act normally to the surface as though we were all being pulled towards the center of a ball."

Tigan was not convinced and made a large snowball with her hands. Jak was concerned she was going to throw it at the Horse, but then she placed a piece of dried cheese on the bottom. It fell to the ice as soon as she let go. "Why t'en don' t'ings on a ball t'at I hold in my paw all stay on t'e ball unless t'ey are on top?"

*Normally Jorveth was shy and reserved especially around Cat. Only when discussing his theories about how the world or his inventions worked did he discard his cloak of introversion. Being questioned or doubted by the old Skunk did not seem to bother him at all. In fact, he became more animated and expressive than usual, clearly enjoying the discussion. *

"I propose that the strength of the downward force that keeps us on the ground is proportional somehow to the size of the object that generates the force. Since the Earth is many times larger than your snowball, its force overwhelms the tiny force of your snowball."

"Bah! Your argument is nonsense. T'is all sounds like circular reasoning to me." Tigan laughed hysterically at her own pun.

*Jorveth was nonplussed by her outburst and oblivious to her humor. He continued speaking when she quieted down. *

*"I admit it is a concept that is hard to prove directly, but I am working on that. There is a place far to the south of Storfay where on the longest day of the year a well casts no shadow on its bottom. This means that the sun must be directly overhead on that day. By measuring the length of the shadow of a tall object farther north a known distance away and using mathematics that I have developed, I calculated the angle between the well and the tall object from the center of the earth. From there, it is simple to determine the circumference of a globe shaped Earth. *

*Jak did not think anything about this explanation was simple. His ears laid flat back on his head and he shook his head in confusion. *

"I sent a team of students to observe this phenomenon. Based on their measurements, I calculate the earth to be approximately twenty-four thousand miles around." Jorveth became sad. "The Juht would not let me go with them."

*Airy was somewhat less perplexed than Jak having had tutors who had put forth various arguments to her about the shape of the earth including that it was a ball. *

"I have heard similar theories from my tutors in Rikifur. Your shadow measurement idea is new to me, but there could be some other explanation for what your students saw. To truly prove your theory, you would have to travel completely around the earth measuring your steps as you went."

Her point revived Jorveth's jubilant mood. "Exactly what I proposed to the Juht, except that I recommend it be done by boat. With my north-pointing needle, sailors can safely travel out of sight of land without getting lost. Ships made in Storfay could sail around the world and end up in your kingdom, Princess. That would furnish the proof I need."

*Airy gasped, imagining a huge armada of Storfayan ships descending upon her people's unprotected shores. It was fortunate for her that Storfay was not a maritime nation. *

Jorveth had learned this to his own sorrow. He pouted like a small child whose toy had been taken away.

"The Juht does not like boats, though, and he refused to let me make the journey."

Camorra hugged his arm reassuringly. "But think on this, Love. The Princess is much more open-minded about these things. In Rikifur you will have the freedom to test your theories."

Jorveth was mollified by Camorra's words, and so was Airy. Radical ideas and new insights sprouted from the Horse's brain like weeds in a garden. It was not always obvious at first, but much of his thinking had practical applications that offered advantages, often military advantages. Every time he spoke, it reinforced the prudence of her decision to help him escape from Storfay. She wasn't sure she would be any more inclined than the Juht to let Jorveth do anything as dangerous as sail out to sea, but she would give him whatever ships and apprentices he needed to test his theories no matter how crazy they seemed.

The world was a larger and more dangerous place than Airy could ever have imagined before her accidental exile. Physical barriers like the ocean and the Earth Spine that her people had relied upon for protection for centuries did not feel so secure any more. Storfay was a threat that would eventually have taken Rikifur by surprise and still could if she did not return with the news of her discovery. If she had not stolen Jorveth away, the inventor would have no doubt eventually given Storfay military advantages greater than Rikifur's secret of steel. For far too long, her family had been obsessed with defense and looking inward to keep Rikifur safe. Understanding that her people could not hide in holes and hope that enemies would give up and go away was hard to accept, but she accepted the new reality. There were threats that required knowledge to understand and defeat. Jorveth was opening her eyes to new ideas to bring back to Rikifur. She hoped that her father would be willing to listen and be able to adjust to the inevitable and necessary changes.

---

Each day of sled dragging toil merged into a seemingly endless series of days that wore them down until they were permanently bent over from the effort. The mountains mimicked their decline in posture by steadily losing their lofty heights as the weary group continued north by northwest. By their twenty-first day on the ice, the ridgeline was low enough that a traveler standing at the summit could do what was impossible elsewhere on the Earth Spine, breathe the air. In order to do so, he would have to climb the crevasse-covered glaciers that hugged the mountain's flanks like an icy blanket and then scale the knife like arêtes that formed sheer castle-like walls that rose from the ice.

Though her goal was on the other side of those mountains, and crossing them could possibly save weeks of travel, the short cut over them did not tempt Airy. Storms that lasted for days or weeks formed frequently and swiftly on their peaks. To be caught in such blizzards would mean certain death. Whiteouts on the ice sheet were bad, but they lingered only a few hours at most. Thus, she willingly, if not happily, kept to her course even though it meant a longer journey.

Still, each passing day weighed heavily on her even as their pace increased with the lightening of their loads from a dwindling food supply that portended starvation. Even though they had brought as much food as they could reasonably drag with their sleds, it was astounding how much they needed to eat just to keep up their strength working so hard in the constant cold. It became challenging to eat as much as they needed. Most of the food they brought was meant to keep without spoiling and was bland with little variety. In the evenings, they sat for hours before going to sleep mechanically chewing and swallowing their rations. Eating became a chore; they ate because they had to, and each day there was that much less for the trip down the west side of the mountains.

Airy confided her concerns to Jak. "In a few more days, more than half of our rations will be gone. We need to round the northern extent of the Earth Spine before then. We risk starvation even if we make the other side with half our food remaining. There is no guarantee that the journey on the west side of the mountains will be faster or easier than it has been on this side. It may even take longer; we just don't know. My people never traveled far enough north to know where the ice ends. It is land inhabited by Wolves and Foxes."

*Jak listened, but had no advice to offer, only support that he gave freely. "You are our leader, Airy, and our Princess. You must determine what to do. A decision point is fast approaching, and yet no one, not even Cat, will question your authority to make that decision. You have led us through peril and hardship without injury or delay. Jorveth's observations and nightly calculations confirm that our path and progress is as direct and expeditious as possible over this confusing terrain. The others will follow wherever you lead." *

Her Wolf lover's words gave her courage and strengthened her resolve. Grateful for support, Airy wanted so badly to make love to him at that moment. She dared not, though, due to the lack of privacy. Being a leader meant sacrificing her desires for the good of the group. Not for the first time in her life, she wished she hadn't been born in to the royal family or that she had at least been lower in the line of succession. Nobody remarked when Jorveth and Camorra took some extra blankets and left the group in the evenings, returning less than an hour later smelling of sex. Years of military training prevented Airy from doing something similar with Jak. Experience had taught her that in dangerous and stressful situations like this, she had to set herself apart from everyone to maintain the respect and obedience of the group. Thus, she vowed to wait until they were safely off the ice again. Then she would drag Jak off to a private place for much longer than an hour.

---

The day of reckoning came on their thirtieth day on the ice as they stood before a persistent north-south trending fog that loomed in front of them obscuring the view to the west. They were close to the steeply rising front of the much-diminished Earth Spine. A walk to the west of just a dozen miles would allow them to touch rock instead of ice for the first time in over four weeks. The mountains rose only a few thousand feet over the ice, but their flanks were nearly vertical, and the ice at their feet was jumbled and broken, making travel slow and hazardous the closer they approached. They could not cross to the west yet, but the mountain's end was near. Jorveth had been calculating the rate of reduction in the mountain range's height and estimated another two days of travel would take them to the crossing point.

Airy stood staring silently at the wall of fog as the long, northern twilight began. Daylight lasted longer this far north. Night was reduced to only a few hours as the sun skimmed along the rim of the horizon. The rest of the party sat down to the mechanical task of eating acutely aware exactly how much food remained.

When Airy gave up scowling at the immovable fog and joined them in their familiar circle, she sat on Jak's right. Clockwise from the Wolf sat Jorveth, Camorra, Tigan and finally Cat on Airy's right. It amused her that every night they sat in the same order even though Airy had established no rule requiring it. The familiar ritual made them feel safer in this hostile land.

Jak had prepared some food for Airy while she was observing the fog. The hard bread, cheese, and dried fish were unappetizing, but she ate in silence with the rest before broaching the subject that everyone was anticipating.

"We can push on for maybe two or three more days before we will have to decide whether to continue or to turn around and return to Storfay before our food is gone." The others stopped chewing for a moment. Questioning glances were exchanged among the group. Airy paused to give them a moment to think about her words before continuing.

"Jorveth says we are approximately two days from the point where we should be able to cross the mountains. We can't see the crossing point because of the fog, but it is there. I am certain of it."

Airy expected dissent from Cat, but Tigan broke the silence instead.

"Certain or hopeful?"

"Both. Jorveth is a genius. If he says the mountains are going to disappear under the ice, I believe it."

Tigan shrugged and said no more. Jorveth had astounded everyone with his uncanny mind. No one was inclined to challenge him.

"I propose we continue north. The fog must end somewhere, and we will then see that Jorveth is correct."

*"Vhat if fog extends past point of no return?" It was a question put simply. There was none of the typical animosity in Cat's voice. *

"I will push on west through the fog. I shall return to Rikifur or die trying. I will not order anyone to follow. Whoever wishes to return to Storfay may take their sled and all of its contents back south. Does anyone wish to turn back now?"

Eyes shifted around the circle, ears and tails twitched, but no one spoke. The rest of the meal was consumed in grim silence. They went to sleep, each one sharing Airy's dream: to reach Rikifur or perish in the attempt.

---

Several hours later, Airy awoke to a feeling of emptiness behind her. Cat was gone. A quick survey revealed that everyone else was still present. A gentle nudge from Airy brought Jak instantly awake. He also noticed Cat's absence. Together, they crawled from under the cover of their nightly shelter into the frigid morning air just as the horizon began to turn from indigo to light blue.

Cat had not gone far. She was sitting at the top of the pressure ridge of ice against which they had harbored for the night. As if watching for some unseen prey, the vigilant feline gazed intently north, completely immobile. As silently as they could, Jak and Airy climbed atop her perch to crouch beside her. They were not quiet enough.

"Shh, you clumsy fools," Cat hissed. "Listen."

Jak and Airy obeyed, and cocked their ears towards the north. Ignoring Cat's insults and insolence was never easy for Airy. Obedience from her Rabbit subordinates was something she took for granted in Rikifur, but this was not Rikifur, and Cat was not one of her subjects. In this place and with this particular creature, Airy had to earn her follower's respect. Certainly, the recalcitrant feline had earned Airy's respect. Thus, the Princess silently forgave Cat's harsh words. Besides, Airy reasoned, if Cat thought something was so important that she would expose herself alone to the coldest part of the day, then Airy trusted it was a threat or opportunity that should not be ignored.

Minutes passed. Airy and Jak made no sound or movement other than to shiver uncontrollably despite the thick insulation of the heavy wool garments they wore. It was not until Cat relaxed her posture and scratched her claws in frustration across the ice that Airy spoke.

"What are we listening for?"

"Nothing now, but earlier...I don't know. I thought I heard something like distant animal noises. It voke me up. I climbed up here to see, but it vas too dark. I am certain I heard them vun more time before you came out, but now I hear nothing. Maybe with light ve shall see vhat can no longer be heard."

Despite her outwardly stoic appearance, Cat was shivering. What little warmth this land held vanished with the sun when it set. It took hours after sunrise before the temperature became bearable again. The thick wool clothes that Raeph had provided were not enough to keep any of them from freezing when exposed for long to the dark and early morning chill. Only by huddling together in their shelter could they stay warm enough. To keep Cat and themselves from freezing to death, Airy sat against Cat's left side and Jak against her right. Despite her normal aloofness, Cat had become accustomed to their presence each night. She did not push them away as she would have just a few weeks earlier.

"We'll keep you warm. You'll freeze to death out here by yourself." Jak produced a large hunk of cheese out of a pocket of his fur-lined parka and held it in front of Cat's snout in the palm of his mitten. "Eat. You need it."

Cat wrinkled her nose at the offered food. "Do you think I am Cow to eat hardened milk?"

Jak laughed. "Don't pretend you don't like it. I saw you swap Tigan dried moose meat for cheese."

His exposure of her secret earned him a scowl. "It is hard to keep secrets vhen alvays in close company." Cat took the cheese and bit into it greedily. Her angry expression was banished by a look of rapturous contentment. "This is surprisingly good. I do like it."

Jak extracted another chunk of cheese from his pocket and ate with her. "No need to keep it secret. I developed a taste for it myself when we were among the Storfayans. It's a good thing Tigan has an appetite for meat so we can trade."

Cat nodded but kept her eyes focused northward. They sat together until after the sun rose completely above the eastern horizon but saw no movement anywhere on the ice. When the others arose, Airy explained Cat's concern. It was difficult to imagine anything living out here, but the potential threat was taken seriously. As they pulled their sleds all that day, they kept their heads up and their eyes and ears alert. Airy chose paths that kept them in the open, away from ice ridges and gullies where something might hide and surprise them. They found no marks on the ice or any evidence they were not alone, but they remained uneasy. Until this day, they did not feel they needed to set a watch at night. Now, to be safe, Airy began having each person take a shift staying awake and on guard while the others slept.

---

On the second morning after Cat was awakened by the unexplained sound, the fog was still on their left. It blanketed the west as far to the north as they could see. Before they broke camp, Airy gathered the others together to speak with them.

"This is the decision point where we must either go through the fog hoping to cross north of the Earth Spine, or turn back towards Storfay. I shall not turn back, but as promised, anyone who wishes to return to safety may go with my good will. You each should have enough food to make it back."

Airy turned first to Jak, who gave the answer she expected. "I will remain at your side, Princess, no matter what the peril. Storfay holds a fate worse than death for me. I will not become like Mongrel, a slave to tyrants."

Camorra spoke next for her and Jorveth. "We also are committed to whatever end you may lead us. There is no life for us either in Storfay. We trust you with our lives."

The three who had spoken turned to the remaining two travelers. Cat and Tigan's eyes met, and they stared at each other as if having a contest of wills. After a few tense moments, Tigan spoke.

"I have not'in' to fear in Storfay. I also have not'in' to draw me back t'ere. I will go eit'er way dependin' on t'e will of t'e group. I am old, and don't have many years left. Adventure and discovery are wort' more to me now t'an protectin' t'ose years. I am wit' you to whatever end you lead us, Princess."

Done with her speech, Tigan folded her arms over her breasts and waited for Cat. Breathless expectation filled the silence as the others awaited Cat's decision. Everyone in the group knew that Airy and Cat had made a sort of peace, but Cat remained as independent and unpredictable as ever. Her motives and her loyalties remained a mystery.

"I am not so old that I vill lightly toss the rest of my life avay as you, old Skunk. Storfay holds no threat for me. I can easily cross back to Asearth unharmed. Being the prairie demon, I can even inflict vhatever terror I choose on those stupid Horses as I pass through. In contrast, to brave this fog on the hope that the mountains are gone and that the other side holds no surprises is foolish thing."

*Airy was not necessarily surprised that Cat would leave their company, but she was disappointed. That Airy would actually miss the obnoxious feline was the more astounding emotion she felt. "Then you wish to return?" *

A familiar twinkle of mischief returned to Cat's eyes. "No. That is not my vish. My vish is to follow you, Bunyic." Airy's relief was obvious. "My reasons are my own, but I vill say this: you and Horse have led us vell so far. You said earlier that I had earned your trust and respect. Now you have earned mine. Besides, I am certain ve are not alone out here. Something has been prowling at the edge of my senses for days. If other creatures can live out here, that means there is food to be found. If ve run low, I vill hunt and find us food. I think even you vill eat meat rather than starve." Cat grinned widely, deliberately exposing her long canine teeth in the closest expression she ever made to a smile.

The remark was intended to provoke, but Airy let it pass, grateful for Cat's support and elated that the party unanimously wanted to press on. "Thank you, Cat, and all of you. With Jorveth's compass we should have no problem navigating through the fog."

Airy wouldn't admit it aloud, but she knew Cat was right about eating meat before starving. Rabbits could digest the flesh of other creatures and live off it just as easily as the carnivores. Shunning red meat was a strongly ingrained cultural preference, though, that she was loathe to break. She prayed silently to the Maker that she wouldn't be forced to make that choice.

---

The fog was dense. It completely obscured the sun. Silence engulfed them in an oppressive gloom. Visibility was limited to less than twenty feet. To stay in sight of each other, the ropes between their sleds had to be shortened, and they doubled up side by side instead of single file. There was no way to tell from the land or the sky what direction they were traveling, so they relied entirely on Jorveth's compass to guide them. Airy kept their pace deliberately slow to avoid stumbling into in a crevasse. Thus, it was nearly noon before they emerged from the fog, relieved to see the sun again until they realized they had exited back on the eastern side of the mist. Somehow, they had become turned around.

"How is this possible?" asked Jak. "I am certain that we walked in a straight line. I was next to Jorveth the whole time, and the compass needle was always pointing to our right."

The unsaid thought was that something was wrong with Jorveth's invention, but the Horse said nothing in its defense until Camorra prodded him.

"Jorveth, is their some reason your compass might not work now?"

"Yes. At least I suspect there is something. There are certain kinds of rocks that attract iron and will draw the needle away from north if they are close enough. So far, that effect only functions if the rock is held close to the needle. I suspect that somewhere far to the north is a very large rock of this kind. Maybe there is another such rock near here that exerts a stronger pull on the needle? I will be disappointed if that is true. I had hoped it would work anywhere on the earth."

Airy took the instrument from Jorveth's hand, and examined it. Looking at the sun, she confirmed it was pointing in its usual northerly direction. "Why does it work fine here but not in the fog? That seems like a strange coincidence. Could the fog be interfering with it?"

Jorveth considered Airy's idea. "It's possible but unlikely. The fog is just moisture. See how it has condensed on the fur on your face?" Jorveth touched his finger to Airy's cheek and it came away wet. "Water has never affected my compass before. There is water all around us in the form of ice. Why doesn't that affect it? There would have to be something unusual about this fog. I have used the compass successfully in similar conditions back in Storfay."

"I say t'is is a cursed fog." Tigan eyed the nearby mist with displeasure. "I don't like t'e feel or t'e smell of it. My fur stood on edge t'e whole time we were in it."

"Enough of that talk," Airy ordered. "We can't let it scare us. It is just fog. Jorveth is likely right about the rock. We are near the mountains. There could be a lot of iron attracting rock right beneath our paws. We just need to ignore the compass and try to walk in a straight line. I suggest that Jak and Cat take the lead and try to keep us all walking due west."

No one had a better idea, so they moved out as Airy suggested. Despite Jak and Cat's best efforts to travel in a straight line, by evening, they found themselves on the east side of the fog bank once again. An entire day of effort had only managed to get them farther north but still on the wrong side of the fog. Airy's patience with the vexing cloudbank disappeared. Irritation and anger showed on her face and in her voice.

"Maker dammit! How did we do that again?"

Cat stood with her arms across her chest clearly as frustrated as Airy was. Jak shrugged. "I don't know. We kept to a straight line. Of that, I am certain. Cat was on my left and wasn't bumping into me and forcing us right, and I wasn't dragging her north and east either. I just don't see how we could constantly be turning to the right together without noticing."

"That is non-random, and implies that something was forcing us all right." Whenever Jorveth spoke, the others listened no matter how odd his statements. Their trust in his logic and intellect to solve problems was becoming nearly absolute.

"But I felt nothing pushing me," protested Jak. "I am certain I kept traveling in one direction.

"I watched the compass during our second pass through the cloud. It showed us consistently heading west just as before."

Jak threw his paws in the air. "Why didn't you say something? We could have corrected and turned left instead."

The Horse cocked his head and furrowed his brow. Clearly, Jak's question struck him as absurd.

"I did not want to prejudice the experiment. Last time, you and I were in the lead using the compass. This time you and Cat were in the lead without the compass. We achieved the same effect. We can now say that whatever makes us turn right is not caused because the compass is wrong, even though it is. Rather, the fog also affects our sense of direction."

Cat's patience was gone. "How does that help, bright pony? Ve follow compass and ve go wrong. Ve ignore compass and ve go wrong. Either vay, ve are stuck back here with less food than this morning and nothing to show for it."

Jorveth flinched away from her aggressive tone. Camorra scowled at the Cat and comforted the Horse until he spoke again, but he would not look at or speak to Cat. He focused on Airy instead.

"I think that we can use the compass to get through the fog. We know it shows that we are going west when we are in fact traveling in something approximating a half circle. That means that the angle of error of the compass changes with distance into the fog bank. The math is very tricky, and I have to make a lot of assumptions about how the compass may react as we go farther west, but I think I can keep us from circling completely back again."

Attempting to get through the fog as a series of experiments did not appeal to Airy. "Does anyone else have a better plan?"

When no one else offered any ideas, Jak proposed they try going farther north. "The fog must end somewhere. When we reach the end we go around."

"That means an unknown extra number of days of travel. We don't have the food for it."

"Our sleds are getting lighter as we eat our supplies. We are traveling farther each day. We will make better progress on the other side."

"We can't count on that. We need extra food reserves just in case. The ice may extend farther south or there could be obstacles..."

Tigan interrupted Airy by placing her paw on the Princess' shoulder. "Storms comin' and it looks like a bad 'un. We'd best take shelter and decide what to do in the mornin'."

Airy gazed to where Tigan was pointing and saw a line of dark clouds advancing over a space so black it might as well been midnight underneath them. Lightning strobed rapidly and violently within that maelstrom. The cold wind from the north that often accompanied these storms began to blow. A sudden gust of frigid air nearly knocked them over and soon became a constant push signaling that this event was likely to be mightier than any they had experienced thus far.

A place to hide was needed immediately. A few hundred yards to the north, the flat ice ended abruptly against the most tortured terrain they had yet encountered. Ridges of ice rose up to thirty feet in the air. Normally, Airy would have cursed having to cross it knowing it would slow them down. With the storm fast approaching, it was a welcome place where they could find shelter.

Orders were unnecessary. Each member of the party knew what to do. As one, they all began dragging their sleds. The wind slowed their progress, but they were in and among the ridges of ice with time to spare before the blizzard could engulf them. Jak, Cat and Airy began digging a pit for their shelter while the others collected blocks of ice to make some walls and to hold down the canvas they used as a cover.

It was while collecting ice for the walls that Tigan screamed and disappeared. Camorra found the Skunk at the bottom of a crevasse. Nearly every other crevasse they had encountered was bounded by vertical walls of ice that were often so deep, the bottom was not visible. A fall into one typically meant death. Fortunately for Tigan, his one was shallow and had a gently sloping entrance at one end that appeared as though someone had carved steps in the ice.

The Skunk had tumbled down those steps and was picking herself up off the bottom as the rest of the party gathered above to discover if she was all right. She was unhurt but cursing mad.

"What fool dug t'is damn hole here and t'en covered it up? I could have broke my neck falling in t'is trap."

"What makes you think it's a trap?" asked Airy.

Tigan reached down and hefted a large white animal skin that she had fallen on and held it up. "T'is. It was coverin' t'e hole."

"Cat was right," said Jak. "We are not alone out here."

"Of course I vas right, but this is vorse than just animals. Something intelligent built this place and not as trap, I think." Cat sniffed the air and Jak mimicked her action.

"Blood. The smell is faint, but unmistakable." Jak began descending the steps. "What else do you see down there, Tigan?"

"A passage t'at bends as it goes back into t'e ice." Jak stood next to the Skunk and confirmed what she saw.

"The light is faint, but enough is getting through the ice above that I can see. The tunnel is big enough for even the largest of us to pass. I will explore and let you know what I find." He drew his steel knife and moved down the passage. He was only gone for a minute or two before returning.

Airy was anxious. The storm's fury was increasing and they needed to get into shelter soon. Time was running out to finish their shelter. This cave was rapidly becoming their only option. "What did you find?"

"I'll say it again. Cat was right. It did not form naturally. This passage was carved using tools. It's not a trap either. It's a storehouse."

"A storehouse for what?"

"Meat."

---

*The builders of this place could return without warning. It was possible they would react violently when they found it occupied. Staying for any time was risky, but the arrival of the storm forced them inside. It was without doubt, the most violent storm they had encountered yet on the ice. Hail driven by hurricane force winds would have ripped holes in their canvas cover if they had ever finished building their shelter. If the hail didn't destroy it, the accumulation of ice from the sleet and freezing rain that followed would have made it collapse under the added weight. The fortuitous discovery of this cave likely saved their lives. *

*The snug larder was intermittently lit by the eerie flash of lightning strikes that arced overhead with such brilliance that the light easily penetrated the several feet of ice, thus illuminating its contents. A wave of uneasy alertness swept through the group with the discovery that they were not alone on the ice. Their discomfort was exacerbated when they beheld the piles of fish, numerous frozen seal carcasses and stacks of whale meat and blubber that surrounded them. *

*It seemed unlikely, though, that anyone could travel in the current storm. That helped ease their mood, as did the realization that their food crisis was solved if they were willing to plunder these supplies and risk angering the mysterious owners. They were temporarily safe from the weather, and except for the lightning, it was as dark under the storm as it got in this land of near perpetual light, so they decided to take their rest. *

Airy assumed the first watch with her sword drawn as she sat near the entrance to the cave. She could not fathom how anyone could travel during such a violent weather event, but she was unwilling to take any chances. Nature was dangerous, but not purposefully malignant. Whoever built place might actively want to harm them. That thought kept her awake through the dark, lonely hours of her watch.

---

The storm passed, and silence engulfed the land again. Each person took their shift while the others slept. Near the end of the last shift, which Jorveth manned, the owner of their commandeered shelter returned and caught them by surprise.

Slabs of stacked whale meat concealed a second entrance. Jak was closest to this secret passage and awoke with a start as a giant, white form crawled out from behind the frozen carcasses and stood to loom hunched over in the place where even Cat could stand without hitting her head.

Jak managed a shout before the white furred beast grabbed him by the neck with a giant paw and lifted him off the floor as if he were a pup. Awakened by the alarm, the others readied what weapons they had. Airy's sword gleamed in the faint light. Tigan held a dagger ready to throw with deadly precision, and Cat notched an arrow to Jak's bow. Jorveth clutched Jak's spear unsure what to do with it especially with so many others between him and the intruder. The appearance of three huge, feral wolves at the front entrance decided for him. He screamed, dropped his spear and backed into Camorra, who kept her eyes on the white giant, even as three more of the wolves stepped out snarling from behind the huge beast.

*Outnumbered and surrounded, their prospects to triumph were poor. Jak tried to break free by kicking his opponent hard in the stomach and chest, but the creature paid him little heed. Instead, its grip tightened leaving Jak unable to draw breath. In moments, the hold about his neck would tighten enough to crush his spine. *

Airy would not wait for that to happen. Fearless aggression, even when victory seemed hopeless, had always served her well in combat. The commands to order an attack were barely forming on her lips when Camorra began speaking loudly and rapidly in an unfamiliar language. The white giant responded to her speech by lowering Jak to the floor and loosening, but not releasing, his grip on Jak's throat. In a deep and angry voice, their assailant responded to the Cow in the same guttural tongue.

*Camorra and intruder spoke back and forth in brief sentences. Camorra's voice was calm and reassuring. The hostility drained gradually from their opponent's voice as they conversed. Fear and tension still permeated the air, but Airy held her paw up for Cat and Tigan to hold their attack. After this brief exchange, the giant growled a single word of command to the wolves. *

The large female wolf had pinned Jorveth to the floor. Her fangs hovered over his neck threatening to tear out his throat. Jorveth whimpered with relief as she closed her mouth on empty air. Before pulling away, she growled in his face. Her hot breath nearly made him faint, but she sat, as did the other wolves in obedience to their master's decree. The wolves' eyes never left the Rikifurians. They remained ready, to attack, at a single word from their master.

Airy was also still ready to fight if necessary, but it seemed that the meek Cow slave may made combat unnecessary. "Camorra, what did you say to it? What is happening?" asked Airy desperate to know if she should attack or try to make peace.

"Not it. He. His name is Isven Sagart. I told him we were sorry to have invaded his storeroom, but we were desperate to escape the storm. I also told him that we are travelers like him seeking truth and peace with the Makers. The last is a typical greeting among his people."

Airy looked closer at Isven now that she did not have to fear an attack by his superior forces. He was a Bear, wearing animal skins crudely stitched together with leather ties so that the fur of the pelts was on the inside. Memories of previous encounters with the few bears she had met in Rikifur came back to her. This one was larger and uniquely colored. Never before had she seen one with all white fur, but for all she knew, it was common color among their kind. She had met so few of them.

"What language do you two speak? I have never heard it before. All the Bears I have met before speak the common tongue."

"They have their own secret language that they typically speak only among themselves."

"How did you come to know it?"

"Bears are frequently present in the Juht's court. Their spiritual knowledge and closeness to their Maker is respected and valued. The Juht thirsts for evidence that the gods favor him and his people. A particular Bear - her name was Engrith - spent many months in the Juht's camp. She took a liking to me, so I was encouraged by the Juht to spend all my time with her to learn what I could from her for the Juht. This was before I became Jorveth's...servant. Before I met Jorveth, my life as a slave seemed meaningless and without purpose. I sought spiritual guidance from Engrith to try to understand the meaning of my life and why the Makers let the world become the way it is. She accepted me as her pupil and taught me much about her culture including their language."

"Does he know our language?"

"I do, Princess." The Bear spoke in a deep, calm voice that echoed off the ice cave walls. Despite his strength, size and earlier aggression, his demeanor was now calm and respectful. "You are the Princess Airiphryone of Rikifur are you not?"

The Bear's knowledge of her identity surprised Airy. "How do you know that? Did Camorra tell you?"

"She did not. I have communed with others of my kind who have met you." As the Bear spoke, he released Jak and courteously smoothed the fur around his neck. "This is an odd place to find a Princess. What brings you here with such unusual company? Are you here, as I am - a pilgrim pledged to kneel before a Maker?"

Unsure whether to say yes or no, Airy turned to Camorra, who was once again exhibiting her knack for diplomacy. The Cow's eyes strayed from Airy's towards Cat and Tigan, who still stood with their weapons ready. The meaning of that glance was clear.

"Cat, Tigan, lower your weapons. Isven is not our enemy."

*Cat lowered her bow, but growled as she did. "Bear is friend, maybe, but vhat about these volves?" The ferals were making Cat nervous. "They look vild to me. Can he control them?" *

Isven laughed, and the walls of his cave nearly shook from the sound of it. "As I am obedient to the Maker's will, they are obedient to me, lady tigress." With a curt command in his strange Bear language, the wolves all went down on their bellies in unison. "See? They are tame to my will. You need not fear them as long you don't attempt to harm me."

"I am not afraid. I have much history dealing vith volves..."

*Camorra interrupted before Cat could possibly deliver some insult. "On behalf of the Princess Airiphryone, I thank you for your hospitality and the use of this shelter. In answer to your earlier question, the Princess is on a spiritual journey of sorts. She became separated from her people when the volcano erupted in the pass over the Earth Spine. Since then she has endured many trials and hardships and acquired a unique collection of allies. The Wolf that you nearly strangled is Jak, once known as White Paw when he was the chief of Blackrock Pack. He saved the Princess' life and has sworn allegiance to Rikifur, to protect her life and deliver her home no matter what the personal cost to himself." *

Jak held out his right paw to the Bear, who engulfed it with his massive paw. "Please pardon me for handling you so roughly, Jak. You and the Cat seemed the most dangerous, so it was one or the other of you. You were closer, and my wolves are more easily convinced to attack a Cat than one like you who they may see as distant kin."

*What the Bear said was true. The three wolves that had come in the rear door with him had their eyes fixed on Cat as did two of the three that had entered through the front. Only the largest of the six ferals, a white female, paid the feline no heed. Her interest was fixed on Jak, whom she nuzzled as though she wanted to be his friend. *

"May I?" Jak asked.

*The Bear laughed in his booming baritone again. "Certainly. I think you have made a friend of her. She is called Ebusika. She is the leader of my team and can tell friends from enemies. Since she trusts you, I trust you. Ha! We all trust you." *

*Jak knelt down to scratch behind her ears, and Ebusika and he became instant buddies. The tension that had permeated the stuffy air of the storeroom vanished. Without further orders, everyone set their weapons down including Cat. *

Camorra continued the introductions. Pointing to Cat, she said, "This is Cat. Her true name remains hers to give when she is ready. She also saved the Princess' and Jak's lives from her own kind. She is strong and stealthy, and has done much to keep us all alive. Though independent an unaffiliated with Rikifur, she travels with us and is an invaluable ally."

"You don't need to embellish for my sake, Cow girl," said Cat as she walked towards Isven and stood in front of him. All of the wolves but Ebusika growled as she moved. Cat was the tallest of the Rikifurians, but the white Bear would have stood half a head higher than her if he wasn't hunched over to avoid hitting the ceiling. "I am here for my own purposes. At present, they coincide vith the Bunyic's. I am my own person. I vant that to be clear."

"I expect what you both say is true, little kitty." With one paw, Isven reached out to pat Cat's head, but she ducked too quickly for him. He found only air.

"Vatch it, vhitey. You vant your paws to stay on the ends of your long arms, you keep them to yourself."

"Cat!" Airy reprimanded.

"Please forgive us..." began Camorra, but Isven waved his paw in dismissal.

"There is no need to apologize. I have met Cats before and know what to expect. I was only playing with her."

Hissing low and mean, Cat let Airy pull her away from their host. Camorra then introduced herself and Jorveth.

"We are formally of Storfay. Now we are of Rikifur and travel under the Princess' protection." Isven inspected Jorveth carefully with his eyes as though he recognized him, but said nothing.

*"Finally, this is Tigan." The Skunk curtsied, and Isven bowed slightly. *

The Bear recognized Tigan and made no secret of it. "You are the Juht's prophet."

"Was t'e Juht's prophet. I am t'e Princess' prophet now."

"Interesting. Does she have a greater destiny than the Juht?"

"Perhaps. T'e Makers have a purpose for her, I bet. Look at t'is group. Her first ally, and lover, by t'e way, is one of her kind's greatest enemies." Airy frowned at Tigan's revelation of her relationship with Jak. One of Jak's ears turned towards the Skunk, but he continued to scratch behind the white wolf's ears unconcerned.

The Skunk pressed on oblivious. "How else do you explain a Cat, a Cow, a Wolf, a Skunk and a Horse all toget'er under her leadership? Somet'in' exceptional is happenin' here. T'ere has been no cooperation between t'e races since t'e time of legends before t'e Makers fought, but I don't have to tell you t'at."

Isven rubbed his shaggy chin as he considered the group before him. Airy was trying to follow their conversation and remember what she had learned of Bear philosophy when she was young. "I talked to a Sow of your kind long ago who told me that there were once many Makers. Each race was created by a separate Maker, and they lived among us."

The attention of the Bear switched from Tigan to Airy. "I am surprised that you would know that, Princess. Your priests do not agree with our accounts."

"I didn't say that I did either."

"It is not in your family's interests, is it? What do you believe, Princess? What do you think is happening to you? Can you feel the presence of a Maker at work here?"

It was beyond heresy for one of the royal family to consider anything other than Rabbit orthodoxy. Her family's right to rule was built on the concept of one Maker who favored her people and her line in particular. Loathe to relinquish what she had believed for so long, she defended her beliefs as best she could.

"I suppose the Maker is guiding my actions. To have come this far just on guts and determination seems improbable. When I breathed the Maker's air in the high pass, my father appeared before me and told me the Maker was guiding my destiny."

"You had a vision. That is good but not what I meant. Do you feel the presence of a Maker nearby?"

"No. People, some priests, claim to feel the Maker, but I don't believe them. The Maker gave my ancestors steel to defend Rabbits from the predatory peoples. If the Maker would speak to anyone, he would speak to me and my family."

"Perhaps this is not your Maker, then."

"What do you mean by 'this'?"

Isven reached out and took Airy's small paw in his huge one. "Let's go outside. It is always cold down here. That's why I store my food in places like this one. The sun is up now, and I prefer what little warmth it offers this far north. We shall talk about Makers and what we know and why we know it. I think you have heard some of this before Princess, but not everything and not among such diverse company that have their own stories and legends concerning their origins. Perhaps your beliefs may be tested."

They gathered outside, sitting on their sleds in a circle. Three of the feral wolves sat by Jak clearly enjoying his company as if he were a long lost member of their pack. The other three sat quietly and watchfully near Cat. Their eyes followed every move she made. Cat ignored them as best she could.

In the dim warmth of the early morning sun, Isven shed some of his sealskin cloaks and stretched his huge, fur-covered muscles. "This is much better. I hope my storehouse was comfortable for you. I find them cold and cramped myself, but in a storm like last night's it must have seemed like a haven." Unlike the others who sat on their sleds, the great Bear made his seat on the ice so his head was even with the others.

*"I do not mean to be rude, Princess, however, you are wrong about a great many things. The Makers talk to me. They talk to all Bears. In the beginning, only the Maker of the Bears communicated with us telling us stories, for we are his children. When the Makers fought among themselves, we became able to hear them all and share what we heard with other Bears even when far apart. That is the gift given to us by our Maker. *

"Much of what the Makers said during their fight made no sense to us, but why should it? They are gods and we are but their children. We remembered and passed on what we did hear though, and still hold onto that knowledge when the other races have forgotten. Hundreds, maybe a thousand years ago, the Makers went mostly silent. Now, we hear much less from them, but their voices can sometimes be heard if we listen very carefully. We believe their talk is stronger when we are near them."

"Whoa. That's a lot of legend in one breath. A different Maker for each race? Makers fighting? You talk to the Makers? Why should I believe any of that?"

"I am not sure what proof I can give you other than knowledge of events for which I should not be aware. Like the Rabbits, who were given steel, our gift is the ability to hear the Maker and to be able to sense other Bears' thoughts no matter how far apart we are."

The skeptical look that Airy gave Isven made him pause and reconsider what to tell her first. "I think you need proof before I explain what else I know about the Makers. Very well. Explain how I knew your name and who you were before we were introduced."

"You could have been to Rikifur before and seen me then."

"That is certainly possible but untrue. I have never been west of the Earth Spine except in the open waters farther north when hunting, but I cannot prove that. How about this then? I know that Jak fought General Moordenar in the Aarosht. Do you think that I somehow hid myself among the Juht's company and then outran you to meet you here on the ice? That would be improbable wouldn't it? Look at my sled. It is full of fresh seal meat. I have been hunting farther north where the ice gives way to the sea. How could I travel ahead of you and your company and accomplish that also before returning here?"

"You have six wolves to pull your sled. You could move much faster than us."

Isven sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "What proof would you have of me? I could tell you of events in Rikifur right now, but I don't think you would believe them."

"You'd best listen to him, Princess," said Tigan. "I'm a bit of a trickster myself, and so am not easily fooled. He's telling t'e truth and revealin' to you somet'ing his kind don't often share." The old Skunk twitched her snout and eyed the Bear with suspicion even as she defended him.

"Why are you tellin' us t'is? I spent many years of my life tryin' to learn such secrets, and t'ey were never given freely before. Why tell a bunch of strangers now?"

"Because I am close to meeting a Maker or maybe all the Makers in person, and I believe that your little troop is going to help me find them. I am a pilgrim who has spent his life trying to track the voices that I hear. My journeys have led me to this wasteland and this fog bank. I avoided the ice for a long time thinking that this was not a fit place for a Maker to live, but I am convinced that somewhere in that fog is a Maker. The mist is magical and designed to keep the unworthy out. Have you tried entering it?"

"Yes," answered Airy. "Twice. Both times, we attempted to walk west but ended up back on the east side."

"I have had a similar fate every time that I have tried. My wolves won't go in any more unless I force them. If it is Maker magic to repel the unworthy, then that thought makes me sad. I have been trying to cleanse my soul and prepare myself to meet a Maker for so long; it is disheartening to be turned away when I am so close."

With a consoling voice, Camorra said, "I think you would only be found unworthy if you gave up. I am curious, though, as to why you think we can help."

"Because you are a unique group. Nearly all of the races are represented here. That should please the Makers. If we all work together as we once did shortly after our creation, perhaps that the Makers will allow us past this barrier."

"Why are you so devoted to finding a Maker?" It was Jak. "What do you expect from them other than broken promises?"

Before the Bear could answer, Tigan interrupted. "T'e Wolf has a point. Makers are dangerous. T'ey nearly destroyed t'is world with t'eir war. Many furs died in t'at war accordin' to legend."

Isven sighed. "Who are we to question their wisdom?"

"We are - t'e poor victims who suffered at t'eir will."

"That was long ago, and the Makers have left us in peace since then. We have not emulated their example. We fight with each other endlessly. I think there is much the Makers can teach us if we can only meet them. I think they are waiting for the worthy to find them. The fog is a test. Thus far, I have failed their test."

It was tragic to see Isven's obvious regret. They all fell silent. Insensitive to the Bear's feelings, Jorveth asked, "How long has the fog been here?"

"This is my third summer on the ice, and it has never dispersed during that time, even after storms like last night." Everyone turned to look to the west confirming that the disconcerting fog was still there.

"It is an unusual phenomenon that I find difficult to explain," mused Jorveth. "I have heard of places that are frequently foggy, but never under any and all atmospheric conditions."

"So you t'ink it's Maker magic, t'en?" The Skunk knew that if Jorveth was convinced it was magic, so would the others. His response shocked her, though.

*"I don't believe in magic or Makers." His matter of fact statement staggered everyone except Camorra, who was used to Jorveth's ways of thinking. Even Jak stopped playing with the feral wolf leader to cock an ear in Jorveth's direction. The white pilgrim was the most outraged. *

"How can you say that?"

"Easily. I think everything has a natural cause and follows rules that are an inherent part of our world. Whether the rules were made by a Maker or Makers long ago I don't know, but I have found through thought and experiment that many things that seem like magic obey a set of rules that operate whether we wish them to or not. My compass needle seems like magic to many, but it is obeying natural forces even when befuddled by the fog."

Isven shook his head in confusion. "What is this compass of which you speak?"

Jorveth produced his north-pointing needle and explained its function to the Bear including how it had failed them in the fog.

"Then the fog must be magical as I said to defeat your clever device."

"That is not necessarily so. When trying to establish the laws that order our world, there are often exceptions that, once understood, help refine the law and provide a deeper understanding of the workings of nature. To believe in magic is to abandon reason and to stop looking for the real cause."

Isven took offence at the Horse's assertions. "A man without faith is like the land without rain - barren and empty."

"I find that doubt is the key to all knowledge. My lack of faith has served me well so far."

"The Makers are real, and their magic is real. I have heard the stories told by my Maker and the echoing voices of the other Makers. If we forget them, then we forget ourselves and become nothing but animals."

"We are nothing but animals; very sophisticated animals, but still animals."

"We are the Makers children, made in their image. We are more than the animals we resemble. We're special and..."

"I have a theory about that also. I don't think that our resemblance to other species is coincidence. Species may change and become more complex with time. We may be just more advanced animals."

The Bear was preparing a response when Camorra interrupted their exchange. "You need not argue over this. Faith and reason are not enemies. They are companions who explore the world together to discover the unknown. You both have knowledge that may help us get through the fog. You should work together to solve this problem."

*Jorveth was irritated by the Bear's reliance on stories and mythology to guide his actions. "I don't see how. He has told us what he knows, and all of it is what he has been told by voices in his head. If no one else can hear those voices, how do we know they are real? He may be delusional." *

Isven scowled at Jorveth and Camorra upbraided her lover. "Jorveth, your manners!"

The horse seemed surprised by her admonition at first, but then reconsidered. To Isven he said, "I apologize. I have my way of viewing the world. Seeing the way others do is difficult for me. Camorra is my guide to stop me when I offend or say inappropriate things. Clearly, I have offended, though that was not my intent." There was little emotion in Jorveth's voice but it was clear he meant what he said.

"It is alright, friend Horse. I am a bit of a zealot even among my own kind. For you and I to find common ground on this issue would likely take longer than the remaining span of our lives unless we can get through that fog to prove who is right."

"But you have tried for years with no success," interjected Jak. "It's hopeless. Airy, we must go around if we hope to reach Rikifur. If Isven will give us some of his food, we can make it."

The white bear shook his head. "There is no other way back to Rikifur except by boat. The perpetual fog that confuses and turns you back extends all the way north to open water many days journey from here. I can see by your expressions that you did not know that. I have a small boat that I use for hunting, but it will not carry your sleds. We would have to return to Storfay to get the materials to build a boat large enough for you to go around. By the time we did that, it would be Fall, and travel this far north will become impossible."

Airy would not hear of it. "Returning to Storfay is not an option. They want us dead. We must remain dead to them or Raeph will suffer. There has to be a way through the fog."

"The fog deceives us deliberately, Princess. We Bears have a saying that applies here: A lie twists and bends around like a snake. The truth flies straight like an arrow."

"An arrow!" exclaimed Jorveth. "That is an excellent idea. We can try that. It just might work. The birds get over after all."

"Camorra," asked Airy, "what is he talking about? Does he have a plan to get through the fog?"

The Cow sat next to Jorveth and put her hands on his thigh. "Please explain your idea, Love."

"Birds fly above the fog and are not turned back. I have watched flocks of seagulls and geese travel over the fog and not return. They seem unaffected. Maybe it is because they do not enter it. The fog is not high above the ice. Using Jak's bow, we could shoot an arrow with cord attached to it high enough that it will fly straight before landing in the fog. We would then follow the cord to the arrow. That should keep us moving in a straight line. When we reach the arrow, we line up the next shot with the last twenty or thirty feet of cord and shoot again. Doing that repeatedly may keep us moving west."

The Cow hugged her lover. "That's brilliant, Jorveth. See what happens when you work with others?"

Jorveth scratched his head. "No. Isven was speaking metaphorically. I used real world principles developed from experimentation..."

Her hand to his lips silenced him. "We can talk about it later, Love. You did well."

"It is brilliant." Airy was excited and began issuing orders. "Tigan, find some cord. Cat, give Jak his bow. Jak, stop petting that dog. Can you shoot along the line of the cord like Jorveth wants?"

Pushing Ebusika from his lap, Jak stood. "She is not a dog. She is a wolf."

"What? Ok. She is a wolf then. Can you do it?"

"Yes."

Soon, they were assembled and standing at the edge of the fog. Jak was tying cord to an arrow to launch it on Airy's command. Isven stood next to Airy with rapturous expectation.

"The mark of the Makers' paws are in our chance meeting Princess. They have brought us together for a purpose. This is destiny."

"I am not sure whether to take comfort in that or not. I have learned and seen so many new things that I am no longer sure what is truth and what is not. Much of what I used to believe is clearly wrong. This journey has changed me irrevocably. It all makes me wonder what meeting a Maker will reveal."

"Most journeys, be they physical or spiritual, change us, Princess. I think that is the real point of a journey; not to just get somewhere, mind you, but to transform and become someone new."

"Airy?" It was Jak. He held the bow and had an arrow notched with a thin cord attached to the tail.

"Yes."

"I am ready."

"Proceed, then."

Jak bent the bow with his mighty arms and loosed the arrow high into the air over the top of the fog bank. The twine uncoiled in the arrow's wake. The arrow landed somewhere far out of sight as due west as Jak could aim. The twine was pulled tight and affixed to the lead sled. No more words were wasted as they followed the line into the mist.

Keeping to the arrow's path should have been easy. The ice was smooth and level, the brown cord was easily visible against the snow, and it remained affixed to the arrow, which lodged itself firmly in the ice each time it was launched. There should not have been a problem, but performing this task was more effort than crossing the most difficult terrain they had yet encountered. Some unseen force or malevolent will worked against their bodies and sense of balance. Nausea afflicted each of them when they kept to the path marked by the string. Jorveth, Camorra and Tigan were affected the worst. Merely walking four or five paces forward made them fall to the ground and vomit. Moving to the right alleviated the nausea and brought instant relief, but it also meant returning in the same half circle they had followed previously. Jak, Cat, Airy and Isven were also sickened, but with the help of the wolves, were able to tow the others on their sleds. Though slow and replete with misery, their progress was steady because they all sensed that they were defeating whatever was working to turn them back.

After nearly a dozen grueling hours, they were exhausted beyond endurance. The cord attached to Jak's last launch of the arrow continued to play out until it pulled taut against the lead sled. They were uncertain what this meant and were too tired to care, so they crawled the last hundred yards desperate for relief from the spinning sensation in their heads that made them so weak and queasy.

They were nearly blinded when the fog ended abruptly a dozen yards short of a cliff that plunged nearly three hundred feet into an astonishing valley. At first, they thought they were imagining things or victims of a hallucination brought on by their journey through the fog, but as the debilitating dizziness departed, they knew it was real.

In contrast to the vertical walls of ice that bound this valley and the hostile landscape that extended for hundreds of miles away from this place, lush greenery divided by sparkling clear streams and placid lakes was spread out incongruously below them. The fertile land ran north to south for many miles and up to the foot of the Earth Spine, which was no longer a barrier at all. Rather the ice-covered land had become gently rolling hills that invited exploration of their alluring tree and meadow covered flanks. Minutes passed as they gaped at the enchanting spectacle. Birds became visible to them flying among the trees and beasts such as deer and elk could be seen crossing grassy meadows.

*Isven stood up first and held his arms open wide in rapture. "It is a wonder! We have made it. This is the home of a Maker. It can be nothing else. Look. Something approaches from the west. It may be the Maker coming to greet us." The Bear fell back down to his knees in supplication. *

Airy shielded her eyes, but could not discern what kind of flying creature it was, though she would know soon enough. It moved incredibly fast without beating its wings. Cat had the best vision and squinted into the setting sun, but was equally perplexed.

"Like nothing I have seen before. Ve may be safer in the fog if it is hostile."

"No. We stand here. I will not go back into that cursed fog. We fight if we must, but I will pray to the Maker for that to be unnecessary." Airy fell to her knees alongside Isven and prayed until the strange creature was nearly upon them.

[END OF CHAPTER]