See Chapter One (A) for Disclaimers

She pushed herself to her feet and began running toward the hunters.  She didn't dare look back, could only hope that her brother had followed her desperate instructions.  And now, as the adult, Carrin could see her baby brother running toward the village, tears streaming down his small face.  A sight which broke her heart once more.

And, for the first time, Carrin could see there had been another hunter . . . who had almost caught her brother.  But then, a slender, blonde-haired woman appeared out of nowhere.  Carrin heard a hushed, "Pelagia!" from someone else, and realized with a start it was Marinde.

Pelagia dropped to her knees in front of the frightened little boy and swept him into her arms.  She swung her cloak around them both, and they disappeared from view.  Carrin was frozen where she sat.  Oh no . . . by the gods, NO!  Had her desperate flight all those years earlier . . . had it been in vain, if Pelagia had not shown up?

Pelagia reappeared on the edge of the Sula camp, still cradling the sobbing little boy.  Dar and Mira's father had begun calling for his daughter and son, when he saw Pelagia and Dar.  Dar cried out, "Mira's gone!  Papa, Mira's gone!" And then he was sobbing incoherently.

Carrin saw her father tenderly take his son from Pelagia's arms, and the goddess said quietly, "Mira sent Dar ahead, to warn you, while she tried to lead the hunters away from him . . . away from the village.  There might still be time to find her, if you organize quickly."  The man who had fathered Carrin . . . Mira . . . said nothing, just stroked his son's hair, his eyes filling with tears.

And then, the picture returned to Mira, now a struggling captive of the hunters.  She was tied up and tossed over the shoulder of one of the men, as if she was a sack of vegetables.  She screamed and kicked, and wept helplessly.  Beside her, Carrin heard her daughter whisper sympathetically, "Poor, poor Dar.  Poor, poor Mira."

Fresh tears rolled down Carrin's cheeks as she saw herself being tossed into the wagon with the other children.  Saw herself being sold to the Varoni . . . and saw the grim helplessness of the boy who became her husband.  Marinde asked into the silence that followed, "Mira . . . Mira is Carrin's real name?  She was born into the Sula tribe?"

"That is correct, Marinde.  I cannot know all of the future, but I do know that if Mira had not chosen to lead the hunters away from her brother that night, the little boy would have died," Pelagia said sadly.  She looked at Carrin and said, "You made the only choice you could have."

"And what did happen to the little boy?  Did he die with the rest of the Sula three years ago?" Marinde asked.  There was a strange note in her voice, as if she knew something which Carrin knew.  Curupira just responded with a mischievous smile that seemed hideously out of place.

"I will show you," the younger goddess replied.  Curupira continued in a much more somber voice, "The father of Mira and Dar never forgave himself for sending his two children into the forest that night.  He knew that if Mira had been alone, there would have been no need for her to send Dar ahead.  She would have never been captured.  And in his pain, he sought me out . . . he became the BeastMaster.  He was never able to find his daughter.  But he did find a peace."

Carrin's eyes widened.  The BeastMaster?  Hadn't Tao told her . . . no.  She wouldn't think about that.  Curupira waved her hand and continued, "This is the Sula tribe, sixteen years after Mira's abduction.  And it is but a few hours before the attack of the Terrons."

"How will we know my wife's brother?" Gereon asked.  There was a wealth of pain in his voice, and Carrin hated herself for causing him that pain.  As if sensing her anger with herself for never telling him of her brother, Gereon held tightly to her hand, then raised it to his lips.  And that gesture made her weep all the more.

"You will know him," Curupira answered simply.  The picture focused on a young couple . . . they were perhaps eighteen or nineteen years of age.  And with a start, Carrin realized that the girl was Kyra.  She looked so much like her mother, there was no way she could be anyone else.  Not with that hair, not with those eyes.

And then she looked at Kyra's companion.  A slender young man, with sun-streaked hair.  If she looked even closer, Carrin could see dark roots in his tawny hair.  And the face of the young man . . . was the same as the BeastMaster's.  Carrin choked out, "Dar?"

Kyra laughed and said, "Dar, you know we shouldn't be doing this.  We only have a few weeks until our pledging!" The tawny-haired young man just kissed her and Kyra laughed before she returned the kiss.  She ran her fingers through his sun-streaked hair.

After a moment, they broke apart, gasping, and Dar asked, "Kyra, there is something I've . . . I . . . there's something I need to ask you."  Kyra cupped his face in her hands, her dark eyes reflecting love and concern.  Dar whispered, "When we have little ones . . . could . . . could we name our first daughter 'Mira,' for my sister?"

Now a remembered pain was reflected in Kyra's eyes, and she replied as she released his face to take his hands, "There is no need to ask, Dar.  I loved Mira, too.  I had actually planned to ask if you would mind . . . if it would hurt too much.  I know your father hasn't mentioned her name since . . . well . . . since it happened."  She averted her eyes.

Carrin bowed her head, shoulders shaking.  Her daughter took her free hand, while her husband put his arm around her shoulders.  She felt his lips against her hair, and it was that which gave her the strength to watch what came next.  It was so familiar, really . . . she had seen it a thousand times before.  Once, when she had lived through it, and more recently, in her dreams and nightmares.

Men on horseback.  Dar and Kyra looking around wildly.  Women screaming, men shouting.  Death.  Destruction.  Carrin caught her breath as the two young lovers were separated, as Dar urged Kyra to run for safety.  But as she ran for the trees, one of the Terrons leaned down and grabbed her by the waist and swung her into the saddle.  She screamed and fought with all of her strength, but the Terron backhanded her.  Dar screamed, "KYRA!" He began battling like a madman, fighting back to back with his father.  As the Terron galloped away, Dar was caught between rescuing his love and protecting his village.

And in the end, all he could do was fight a losing battle.  The Sula had been totally taken by surprise.  He fought one Terron after another, his rage giving him strength.  But there was one Terron riding toward him from behind, and a ball hit Dar in the back of the head.

He crumpled to the ground.  Carrin's father, now much older than she remembered, screamed, "DAR!  No!" He ran to his fallen son, shouting to Kyra's father Laeson, "Watch my back!  I will not let them have him!" Laeson nodded in understanding, and Carrin's father lifted the boy into his arms.  He carried his unconscious son into the forest.

As he tenderly placed his remaining child on the ground, Carrin saw an arrow protruding from his calf, and she gasped.  He shouted hoarsely, "CURUPIRA!  Curupira, your BeastMaster calls upon you!  CURUPIRA!" He sank to his knees, tenderly caressing his son's hair, murmuring, "They won't get you, Dar, I promise.  I couldn't save Mira, but I will save you."

And then Curupira was there.  Carrin's father said weakly, "I have fulfilled my promise to you, divine spirit.  I ask now something in return.  I could not save my daughter, even with the powers which you gave me once I passed your test.  I have kept the promises I made to you.  So, I ask you now . . . make sure my son survives.  He's a good boy, if a little cocky, but that will change with maturity."

"I make you a promise, BeastMaster.  I will watch over your son," Curupira answered quietly.  The man smiled weakly, and kissed Dar's forehead, then both of his cheeks.  He whispered something, then stumbled back into the fight . . . and Carrin looked away, knowing what came next.

She tried to look away, but her eyes betrayed her.  Carrin knew she had to watch until the end.  That was the least she owed her father, her people, for living while they died.  Her father would die that day . . . she could see that resignation in his eyes.  But there was also a peace, because he had managed to save his last child.  And his death would be a distraction away from Dar.

As he ran toward the Terron who had struck down his beloved son, the BeastMaster screamed, "MIRA!" The last word emerged as a strangled cry as the Terron drove a lance through his chest.  Carrin covered her mouth, quietly weeping as her father fell to his knees.  But she still saw the triumphant smile on his face as he died.

She could watch no more.  Carrin stumbled to her feet, disentangling her hands from her husband and her daughter, and ran from the Great Hall.  Her shoulders shook with sobs and she kept running until her legs could take her no further.  And then, as she had nineteen years earlier, she just collapsed.  She could no longer be strong.

~*~*~*~

There was dead silence after Carrin bolted from the Great Hall, and Tao couldn't bring himself to look at Dar.

Gereon's face was wet, as was Marinde's.  But it was little Ari who asked, "Papa, I don't understand . . . who was that man?  The one who died?"

Gereon answered hoarsely, "That was your grandfather, little one.  Your mother's father . . . her first father.  You remember when your mother and I told you . . . about how we had other families once?" Ari nodded and Gereon continued, "That was her father.  And the boy was . . . is . . . her brother.  Dar is her brother."

"But why did he keep calling her 'Mira,' Papa?  Mama's name is 'Carrin,' not 'Mira.' Did Poppa give her another name when she came here?" Ari asked now and Gereon nodded.  He kept looking after his wife, and Tao could tell that he desperately wanted to go after her.

But his daughter wasn't finished.  Ari said with a frown, "Does that mean our Dar is my uncle?  Why didn't Mama ever tell me that I had an uncle?  She just told me that my big brother, the one who died before I was born, his name was Dar.  I have an Uncle Dar, too?" Now Gereon looked at his daughter, obviously confused.

"Carrin named our lost son?" he asked and Marinde nodded.  Tears were flowing down her cheeks as well, tears which she made no attempt to stop, and Gereon murmured, "Oh, Carrin.  I know it hurt you to talk about it, but you had no need to be strong for me, too!"

It was Gereon's whispered entreaty to his absent wife that gave Tao the courage to look at Dar.  His friend was staring ahead, his face ashen.  Dar whispered in a faraway voice, "She didn't die.  My sister didn't die that night.  Mira isn't dead.  Father, she didn't die."

"I'm sorry, Dar," Tao said hesitantly, "I realized it earlier this afternoon, but . . . I was told not to tell you."  Dar looked at him, confused, then looked at Curupira, who was watching them.  Tao nodded and continued, "I wanted to tell you.  But that doesn't matter right now.  Your sister matters.  She needs you, Dar."

"I have to go to her.  I have to tell her . . . I have to tell her that it's not her fault," Dar whispered thickly.  Tao nodded and rose to his feet, then helped Dar up.  His friend said softly, "I'll be all right.  This . . . I have to do this alone.  You understand?" Tao nodded.  Dar smiled weakly and said, "Good.  Thank you, Tao."  And then he moved slowly, but steadily, from the Great Hall after his sister.

~*~*~*~

Dar's head was spinning.  Not just from the revelation that Mira had  not died all those years ago, but from seeing his tribe slaughtered all over again.  As well as the expression on Carrin . . . Mira's face . . . when she had fled from the Great Room.

His ribs protested the quick movement, but Dar ignored it.  He would deal with the pain later.  Right now . . . Oh gods, why wouldn't his mind stay still?  Mira was alive.  Why had she never sought them out, why had she never returned to them?  He shook his head as he moved haltingly toward the statue-like figure just outside the ancient temple.

As Dar approached his lost sister, he heard her singing something.  A lullaby, which he remembered from many a night while he was a child.  Dar blinked back tears.  In the still air of the night, she sang, "Blow ye from, the earth's four corners.  Guide this traveler where she's bound."

Dar spoke the next words, "There's a ship, stands in the harbor.  All prepared to cross the foam.  Far off hills are fair and friendly.  Still there's fairer hills at home."  Mira froze and Dar said, "When I was a child, I heard that in my dreams.  And when I woke up, I would look around for you."

"And I would sing it to the other children," Mira said in a husky voice, "I would sing to them, and pretend that I held you.  That it was your head resting so trustingly on my shoulder.  And I hated myself all over again, for I didn't trust myself not to abandon them . . . as I abandoned you."  Her voice broke and she bowed her head.

Her back was still to them, and Dar softly implored, "Mira, look at me!" She shook her head, shoulders trembling.  Thankfully, his head had stopped spinning, so Dar could think more clearly.  The BeastMaster took a few steps forward and put his hands on her shoulders, gently turning her to face him.  He repeated gently, "Look at me, Mira."

He took his hands from her shoulders and cupped her face, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, as she had once wiped away his.  He said softly, "You didn't abandon me.  You saved me.  And if you could have, you would have returned.  If you could have, you would have escaped, and you would have returned to us.  Mira, I have never forgiven myself for leaving you . . . for running when you needed me."

"You were three years old, Dar . . . I'm your older sister, it was my job to protect you.  And I failed!" Mira cried out.  Dar shook his head, barely able to see his older sister for the tears.  Mira continued, her voice shaking, "I have missed you so much, Dar.  My baby brother."

"And I have missed you, Mira.  So much.  But we're together now . . . we're together, and there's so much I need to tell you.  It wasn't your fault . . . you weren't to blame.  You heard what Pelagia had said . . . if you hadn't taken the actions you did, they would have killed me," Dar told his sister.  Mira shook her head numbly.

"Oh Gods, little brother . . ." she whispered.  She blinked back tears, then gave a tremulous laugh and added, "I can't call you 'little,' any more, can I?  Brat.  You weren't supposed to grow up on me.  You were supposed to stay three years old forever."

Dar laughed, then winced.  Despite the pain in his ribs, he put his arms around his sister and asked, "Can you forgive me, sister?"  Mira stood statue-still in his arms, then she stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.  Dar kissed the side of her head, murmured, "We're together now, sister.  And you will never lose me again.  I swear it!"

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