[Mara]

Mara had little if no difficulty climbing up the tunnel that she made. Using her powers she melted hand and footholds into the snow and ice. They came in handy when Carriac would slip and almost cause the whole group to tumble back down into the make shift cave, but she was able to become the anchor, holding Rhea from stumbling backwards. She bit her lip to keep from cursing. Getting a face full of robe was not helping, and the trip up she thought never should have taken more than twenty minutes. But it felt like hours before they hit fresh, clean air.

But the moment she turned back, her heart all but stilled. The village they had left was indeed buried, leaving but a few rooftops sticking up from the packed snow and ice. These were the homes sitting on higher ground. She had hoped that the avalanche had only hit the pass, not the village. There was also something in the air she sensed that caused her to stomp her foot in rage.

Explosives!

"This was no accident! Someone has blown the snow down around us."

Her eyes narrowed as she searched the area for any sign of movement, anything that would point out the assassins that did that. She heard Carriac comforting Rhea, her ears twitched when she heard his say, "We must give them aid," meaning they were going back to see if anyone was alive.

A part of her felt sorrow for the villagers, another part felt anger for assassins that followed her there. Turning she shouldered her pack and stepped past Carriac and Rhea, her eyes and arms blazing once again. She felt determined that they would find someone still alive. So much so she did not notice the new found strength she had from tapping into the dragon's powers. An unlimited supply of power.

If she was able to control it!

"Rhea! Show me where your parent lived. NOW!"

[Carriac]

He recognized Mara's tone of voice all too well. The soldier persona had taken control. Carriac was surprised by the intensity of the heat he felt coming from her. How could she have possibly healed to the point where she could project so much? Something was at work here he didn't understand, and though he hated to admit it, it frightened him more than a little.

"Mara, we're a good two miles from the village. If you try to melt the snow from here, you're likely only going to cause another avalanche - or perhaps a flood this time. If we flood the buildings any survivors will be killed before we can get them out. We would be better off going back to the village proper and then freeing each building on an individual basis."

[Mara]

Mara glanced over her shoulder at Carriac, her eyes remained narrowed while she gave a soft, yet deep growl. The part that had taken over, the assassin part, hated to be told what to do and when to do it. Her long wild hair danced softly over her shoulders when she slowly turned her head back, before blasting a near by rock, turning it into molten stone. It quickly sunk through the snow and ice with a soft hiss, before she slowly walked away.

"Then quit standing there! We've little time to babysitting her weak emotions. If she can't handle this...then leave her here to wait for our return. She'll be no good to us if she's just going to bawl her eyes out over things she has no control over."

The flames that danced across her arms faded, causing her hair to fall around her face. Her steps quickly became sure and just as she walked, not even offering to look back.

"I doubt we'll find any survivors," she whispered, more to herself than anyone standing near enough to hear her. "But some may still be alive, if they prayed to their gods before bedtime. Let us hope they were listening."

[Rhea]

Rhea stood with Carriac for a moment, dumbfounded by Mara's words. Anger slowly replaced her sorrow. She turned to look at her teacher.

"She is a hard woman, Carriac." The words were spoken softly, but there was unmistakable venom behind them. "Hard and ungrateful. How can you love her?"

Carriac sighed. "Mara is much more complicated than she appears on the surface. Like with most people, time is necessary to fully understand her. You remember when I first came to the village?"

Rhea did. Carriac had arrived just before the winter snows had sealed the pass. The prospect of a stranger spending the winter in the village had caused men to speak harshly. It had taken quite a few months for the community at large to accept Carriac among them. Rhea remembered how difficult it had been for her parents to allow the elf to begin instructing her....

Thoughts of her parents threatened to bring more tears. She quickly blinked them back.

"Carriac," she said, "do you really think there is a chance my parents are alive?"

She drew comfort from his arm about her shoulders. "There is always a chance, Ellaer."

Ellaer. Elvish for "little one." He had not called her that since the elf woman had arrived. The sound of the endearment brought her some hope.

"Then let's go find out," she said.

[Narration]

The trek to the village was difficult. While the snow from the avalanche was relatively well packed, patches of it were sufficiently soft to cause the group to sink up to their waists at times. Carriac was forced to shape snow shoes from some broken trees and this helped their traveling tremendously.

When they arrived at the remains of the village, Mara insisted that they look for Rhea's parents first. With no disagreement, they got to work, trying to estimate where Rhea's home had been located. It took them several tries, but they finally managed to locate the buried structure. After an hour of digging and melting - Mara was much more careful this time, wanting to avoid a repeat of the previous cave in - they managed to clear enough snow away to allow for Carriac to ease himself into what was left of the house. Using his shaping powers to clear the way, he was able to quickly move through the collapsed structure. When he returned, it was with a heavy heart. No one in Rhea's family had survived.

Rhea took the news stoically. She cried a bit, but her sobbing was over. Death had come and she accepted it.

So it continued, house by house over the next two days. The results were grim. Of the entire village of Red Rock, only four individuals had survived the disaster. Carriac had been overjoyed to find that Widow Grenker was still alive and unhurt, save for a few bumps and bruises. Unable to sleep, she had been cleaning out the ashes in her fireplace when the avalanche struck and the stone structure had shielded her from the resulting devastation. Frances Lemay and her young son Carden lived in one of the homes on the higher ground. Frances had been in the loft area, consoling Carden from a bad dream and had been spared when the snow crashed into their home beneath them, leaving the loft relatively unscathed. Frances's husband and baby on the ground floor had not been so lucky. Carriac had found the last survivor in the mines. Ben Hodges, mine foreman, had been prepping the mine for the spring work schedule and had decided to spend the night there. He his home had stood in the town square and his family had not escaped.

The mood was somber as the survivors huddled around a fire in the mine. Carriac, Mara, Rhea and Ben had been through what remained of the village gathering what supplies could be salvaged. There was plenty of food and firewood to last the seven of them through mid-summer if they decided to stay. Carriac had argued for leaving the village to seek help in another town. Ben had been adamant about staying. This was their home, he argued. Widow Grenker was in no state to be traveling and it made no sense for Frances to take a four year old boy on a dangerous trek through the mountains at this time of year. The mine was secure enough. They could stay there safely until the weather improved.

In the end, all of the villagers decided to stay - all except Rhea. She and Carriac stood at the entrance of the mine, looking down on what remained of Red Rock Village.

[Carriac/Rhea]

"So you're decided, then? You intend to go with us, in spite of the dangers we face?"

Rhea nodded. "There's nothing for me here now. Heh. There was really nothing for me here then. I know it's going to be difficult, but look at the alternative."

She gestured at the mine. "This is what they want. This is the life they've chosen. I never made that choice. My choice is to come with you and see what life I can make for myself. Not to stay here and have that life forced upon me."

"Well spoken," said Carriac. "Your life should be what you make of it."

"I just hope Mara doesn't mind if I come with you. I know she wants you to...I know she wants time with you...you know, by herself."

Carriac laughed. "What Mara wants..."

[Mara]

"What Mara wants is for the both of you to shut up and come sit down next to the fire. I've prepared dinner for us all and I don't want it to get cold."

Mara's temper had subsided a long time ago, the change in her mood and behavior was dramatic, as if someone had turned off a switch. She had been scurrying around, checking on the Widow Grenker and the young lad Carden and her mother who was grieving. She had found a few toys in the rubble when they were searching for supplies and had given them to the young lad, to keep him still and quiet.

Her smile had returned as she looked up from the fire, her eyes reflecting the fires light causing her face to be all aglow. Reaching into the fire, much to the surprise of the other survivors, she pulled pan after pan off the hot coals before sitting them down beside her. With a number of wooden bowls surrounding her, she started dipping the hearty stew into each bowl, adding a slice of bread and a thick slab of meat to each one. Once she was finished she stood, carrying three of them to the widow, the young boy and his mother, offering each of them a kind word.

"Eat now! You must keep your strength up for the times ahead. We will send word, once we set foot in the next village, I promise. Now rest, and do not worry about a thing. You're in good hands," glancing over her shoulder at Ben Hodges, who was sitting there quietly. He looked up and she smiled, causing him to do the same. She gestured towards the fire, causing him to reach over to take a bowl. He sat quietly, looking out at the opening of the cave, his eyes full of tears that would not fall. At last he tore into his meal, his hunger winning the battle over despair.

"Come on you two," Mara called out once again. "You can talk later, but for now you too must keep your strength up by eating something. We'll rest for the night, and get an early start in the morning."

Stepping over she all but pulled Carriac away, but not too far. Looking at the other while they ate she glanced out over the destruction before looking up. "I need to ask you a favor. I know you're tired, as we all are, but if these people are to remain here until summer they must have better...'arrangements than what you see here. I...'I was thinking," as she glanced around, "that you could make a few rooms here and there, for privacy. They wouldn't have to be very large, just enough for comfort and to keep them out of the wind. Maybe a small room for supplies too...'"

She knew she was asking a lot from Carriac, but she felt that they needed something. Looking into his tired eyes she reached up to brush his cheek, before smiling. "I was going to do it, but I fear it may have caused a cave in, leaving everyone either buried, or without a home. Is...is that asking to much of you? They wouldn't have to be very big..." she repeated herself with a soft sigh.

She dropped her hand to his chest before glancing around him to see Rhea standing near. She knew that the girl had heard every word she said and she blushed, pulling her hand to her chest.

"You look tired Rhea. Why don't you sit by the fire and eat, before it gets cold. We'll join you in a moment, alright?"

Looking back into Carriac's eyes she surprised him, by saying, "She's a bright girl. She'll go far in this world. Strong, too."

[Carriac]

"She is that. I guess this means she's coming with us." He didn't ask the question. He could tell by Mara's expression that she approved of Rhea's accompanying them. He shouldn't have been surprised. Mara had said as much just before the avalanche struck.

Carriac sighed. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Mara always had him doing something. It wasn't that he minded, he was just used to making all those decisions on his own. It was strange having another person decide what you'd be doing next.

Mara handed him a bowl of stew. He accepted it as he got to his feet. "It's going to take some time to make those rooms. I might as well eat and work at the same time."

He took a bite of the stew and headed back down the tunnel.

[Rhea]

Rhea watched as Carriac left. She stared for a moment into her bowl, stirring the stew in circles with her spoon. Then she got up and walked over to Mara.

"Can we talk for a minute?"

[Mara]

Mara smiled as she watched Carriac go, before turning to look back out at the snow, wondering if the assassin was still out there....waiting for them. She turned sharply when Rhea came up, with a gasp. Quickly her smile returned and she nodded.

"Sure! Just give me a second."

Stepping over she picked up her own bowl of stew, taking a mouthful before smiling.

[Rhea]

"Thank you for letting me come with you. I'm going to be the third person, and I know what they say about three people being a crowd. I'm grateful."

She paused for a moment, trying to organize her thoughts. She could think of no easy way to say this, so in the end she just blurted it out.

"Mara, I don't understand you. Sometimes, like right now, I really like you. You're kind and thoughtful, putting others before yourself. At other times you...." She looked down at her bowl, but continued, "...you really frighten me. During those times I'm afraid...afraid for what you're going to do next. Afraid you might hurt me, or...or even Carriac."

She glanced up at the elf woman, eyes barely showing under her bangs. When she spoke next, her voice was very soft. "Why do you act that way?"

[Mara]

Swallowing slowly, Mara dropped her head and bowl, stirring it while in thought. She didn't answer for the longest time before she turned and looked at the young girl standing near. Smiling she stepped up, reaching out to pull on the heavy wool cloak around her before stepping back out of the cave.

"I don't really know," she said at last. "At times I feel as if I am not one person, but three. A time ago, long before I met Carriac I was held captive by a very evil man. He did...things to me, strange things that not even you can comprehend. I...I was not alone, for this man had others like me that did not survive his evil experiments. Only I alone survived, but at a great cost. I sometimes sense that there are others, like myself only different inside of me. Carriac has noticed these changes more than I have. Perhaps he has more answers than I am able to provide. I can only tell you so long as you do not harm me, or Carriac, you will remain safe in my...our care."

Then a sudden change came over her as her eyes changed colors, her hair danced lightly over her shoulders. "To defy such a request, will result in your death. Harm this body or that of its friend and you will feel the wrath of the Assassin. I am the protector, the only one you need to fear, except for death itself. No harm will befall you, for you are also called friend by the light hearted one that resides within."

Just as quickly Mara's eyes changed and her smile returned. "Let us see how Carriac's doing, shall we? Knowing him he'll forget to eat and we'll have his stomach growling all night, keeping us awake until we head out in the morning."

Reaching her hand out, she smiled once again. "Is there something wrong? Do you wish to ask me anymore questions?"

Laughing softly, she quickly took Rhea's hand. "Come! Let is see if he needs any help..." as the child within Mara awakened.

[Rhea]

Rhea swallowed - hard - when Mara went through her transformation. Feel the wrath of "the Asassin." So that's what the angry part of Mara called itself. It looked like that part was well aware of what happened even if the "light hearted one" was not. Well, she would just have to stay friends with the light hearted one, it seemed. She could do that. At least she thought she could.

"Ok." Together they went to find Carriac.

[Narration]

It took Carriac a good half day to finish the rooms. When he was done, the survivors of the village were quick to offer their thanks and move in. Mara and Rhea had spent the time preparing for their second attempt at leaving the canyon and becoming more comfortable with one another. Rhea explained to Mara what her life had been like in the village. Mara shared bits and pieces of the life she could remember, leaving out those events she felt Rhea had no need to know about.

The topic they both enjoyed talking about most was Carriac. He knew they were discussing him when they giggled as he entered the room, but he took it well. Better that they could find a common ground than be at each other's throats, even if he was the topic of their conversation.

When the time finally came for their departure, they were quick with their goodbyes, promising to send help to the villagers as soon as they could. Rhea hugged each of them in turn, and more than a few tears were shed. Then they were on their way.

Mara had wanted to try the pass again, but Ben had told them about a second way through the mountain. It was a small path that involved a fair bit of climbing, but it would get them out of the mountains.

The sun was shining brightly as the trio left the mines and headed to the path. To her credit, Rhea never looked back.

(to be continued...)