Ceres took a sip of her tea and paused in thought as she gazed into the dwindling flames of the fire, those left following a hot breakfast. Likely she considered their next course of action, Waithe thought. For now, this was a much needed lazy day. It looked to be one of those beautiful autumn days that refreshed the spirit, with a cool crisp morning that would give way to a sunny comfortable afternoon, with just a hint of a breeze.

Last night, Alden had moved his bedroll to be next to Ceres. She slept most of the night snuggled up close to him. With the presence of others, especially Eira who always slept near Ceres, nothing more intimate happened. But the desires must have been there, even for these two.

Eira returned to the camp with Yorg in tow. The purple stains on her fingertips and around her lips indicated that she had again visited the blackberry patch. Waithe smiled. Yorg had become like a doting big brother to Eira, a very big one indeed. The contrast between the small little girl and the massive giant of a man still struck him.

Alden asked the question also on Waithe's mind. "What now, my Lady? Would we seek out and cure lands infested with the Taint?"

She shook her head. "There is too much of it, spread over far too much of the Realm. I would never cure it all. And no doubt Lord Scias' dark Shaman would oppose me."

"Then enlist the Order of Medice to assist. It need not be all on your shoulders, my dear Ceres. I know Reverend Quar opposed this, but with the evidence my mother holds against her, she may well be ousted at the next Council of Lords."

"That is too long off, by then Scias may secure his bid to become Overlord. A fugitive I still am." She blew out an audible breath. "Thus far have we evaded Scias, but eventually he would take me. And there still is the matter of the Darkness that Raste harnesses."

Waithe spoke up. "Something else troubles me. There be Darkness in Scias' land of Kust, but have you noticed that we have seen so little of the Taint here? Just that at the apple orchard near the eastern border."

Ceres lifted her eyebrows. "Aye..."

"Think of it. The Taint weakens the lands of all the other Lords, but not that of Lord Scias. Meanwhile, he builds a huge army."

Alden's eyes widened. "If the other Lands become weakened by the Taint, no one could oppose him. He would become Overlord by default, or easily take it by force. But how does he avoid the Taint in his land?"

Ceres answered. "Raste. With enough control over the Darkness, he may suppress it in his own land while allowing it to spread in all other lands. I know now this is possible. And the more Darkness there is in the Realm, the faster the Taint would spread. Somehow, I must stop this dark Shaman."

Alden grasped her shoulders. "Ceres, do not put this burden all on yourself! Come back to my land of Woest. Let us form a coalition to oppose Scias. My father would surely agree and many other Lords would also."

Waithe shook his head. "Scias would form his own coalition. There would be war. One we may not win."

Ceres dipped her head. "That is why I must face Raste."

Alden threw up his hands and raised his voice. "Ceres, nay! Great efforts have Scias and Raste made to capture you, and now you would deliver yourself to them? They have a dark purpose for you."

"But I have learned to control the Darkness. I may be able to wrest it from him and then send it away."

Waithe asked, "Why not just kill him and be done with it?"

Ceres shook her head. "Nay, although the man may die, the Darkness would remain. So it was with Sorne, the Darkness and Taint that he brought forth years ago did not pass with him."

Alden said, "Powerful and brave you are, my dear Ceres, but defeating Raste is far from certain." He raised his eyes to her. "And there is something else far more dangerous. You are the last Tau. If Raste does corrupt you with the Darkness, then it would be you, yourself, that would bring about the End Times."

Waithe turned toward Ceres. "Alden's concerns be valid, Daughter. The risk be too great."

"But if we do not stop the Taint, spread it will. And the End Times will come nonetheless, but over a Realm already desolated." Tears came to her eyes. "There must be some way."

*****

Ceres wiped a tear from her cheek as she took Eira's hand. "My sweet little girl, I hope you may forgive me for the burden I must give you."

Eira tilted her head and grinned, which only caused Ceres' lip to quiver as she looked away. Waithe followed them to the edge of the tree grove where the meadow began. He knew what Ceres was about to bestow upon Eira, and it was breaking her heart.

His voice was not as strong as he wanted to be. "My dear daughter--"

She interrupted without looking back at him. "Father, this must be! I know what I must do, but at the same time, Alden is right. I cannot risk the End of Times should I fail."

Waithe opened his mouth to counter her, but a realization came to him like a bolt from a storm cloud. This indeed had to be. The nature of the mysterious Woman of Light, who had appeared to him and only him, began to make sense. She always came accompanied by the Time Spirit Aon. Thus, it was not at all unreasonable to believe she could move back through time.

Waithe put a hand gently on Ceres' shoulder. "I understand, Daughter. This be your daughter's destiny, as it was yours, and your mother's before you."

Ceres turned and collapsed into her father's arms. Her tears ran unrestrained for a moment, then she wiped them away. Eira furrowed her brow as she peered up at them.

Ceres sat down among the grass and flowers of the meadow, but still within the comfortable shade cast by the tall trees. She held out her hands for Eira to join her. She mumbled, "I hope that Aon is willing of this."

"It seems that Aon does approve." Waithe pointed up.

Directly above Ceres and Eira floated a clear globe, nearly invisible but for the light that refracted around it. It seemed like a discontinuity in the fabric of space, bending reality itself. Save for a bubble around them, all motion stopped as if frozen in time.

Ceres turned her eyes down to Eira. "Did you call Aon?"

The little girl shook her head. The Spirit lowered itself and settled before Eira's outstretched hand. Ceres closed her eyes. A transparent shimmer formed above them, one like ripples in the air. It descended first to Ceres and then to Eira, giving them the appearance of being encased in a moving fluid, distorting their appearance. In a moment it lifted. Eira widened her eyes in wonder as she watched Aon rise and vanish.

Ceres pulled the top of her dress down. Her shoulder was now unblemished, the mark of Tau no longer present. She pulled aside Eira's shirt. It now resided on the little girl. Eira wrinkled her brow as she gazed at it then turned her eyes up to Ceres.

Ceres gathered Eira in her lap. "You, my sweet little one, a daughter I love, you are now the last Tau. Understand this you may not, but the guardianship of time is now yours. I pray that this is a blessing and not a curse."

*****

Ceres gathered the group together after supper. She sat cross-legged on a flat rock while the men sat in a row on a downed tree across from her. Eira plopped down in her lap. Ceres put on an air of confidence, smiling faintly and holding the gaze of those she held dear, but her eyes would sometimes dart down. In these fractions of moments, Waithe detected the reluctant sadness she hid.

She took a deep breath. "My dearest friends, we have shared a noble quest." She paused. "But the time comes when we must part."

Alden stiffened as his eyes went wide. She continued before he found his words. "I must face Raste and end this Darkness."

Alden jumped up. "Ceres, you cannot! He will try to corrupt you. You are Tau!"

She dipped her head. "No longer am I." She pulled the little girl in her lap into a hug. "As my mother bestowed it to me, so have I passed to Eira." She turned her eyes up. "My dear Alden, that is why you must take her away, back to the safety of your home, for she is now the last Tau. To her is the fate of the world."

"I shall not leave you!"

A sheen of moisture covered her eyes. "Please, Alden... An oath did you swear to look after Eira and I would hold you to it. Before us are paths more important than us together, more than our very lives."

Alden stood wordless, his breath faltering. A wave of sad acceptance came over his face as he tipped his head down. He turned and walked away. Ceres' moist eyes followed him. Her mouth opened to call out, but words failed her as well.

The heartbreak that Waithe feared for Alden and Ceres had begun. Taking Eira from Ceres lap into his arms, he tilted his head in Alden's direction. "Go to him."

She pulled her skirt up and ran, slowing as she neared him at the edge of the same meadow where earlier she set in motion this change of destiny. Waithe watched with some apprehension as Ceres approached Alden from behind with her head bowed. After a moment, he turned and they embraced, holding tightly on to each other.