Lira's Journey  
by Iczerman



           Lira Brookslake is a character created by Red Silver.
     1 
     "Little Hood, Little Hood!" Shouted craftsman Brookslake. " 
Come in and eat supper when you're done with that! Maribore made 
your favorite stew!"
      " Okay dad! I'll be in soon!"
      'Little Hood.' The name brought a smile to the burly man's 
face.  Lira looked so cute when she came in from the rain with 
that hood over her head so many years ago. His wife was the first 
to call her that when she was getting her out of those wet 
clothes. And now here she is, carrying logs thicker than her five-
foot height. The wood of the trees from the northern mountains 
made fine furniture. Lira had the skill and strength to shape any 
log into planks of usable timber. The scraps were sold as 
firewood.
     He remembered the day she came home from school crying. The 
kids made fun of her. She made friends easily before but when she 
turned 12 her body began to change. Her muscles began to grow much 
faster than the rest of her body. As did her strength. The boys 
didn't want that much to do with her and the girls whispered 
things behind her back. They stayed up late into the night holding 
and comforting her. It was decided that she would not go to 
school. She was a good student and learned much, but the mountains 
offered the education of solitude, her family providing a secure 
and loving environment.
     But when she turned 18 last week, she started to withdraw 
into herself. She tried to hide it from her parents, but they knew 
her too well. It was as if something inside of her was calling out 
to her. Tonight was the night they had to tell her, for they knew 
she would ask the question.
    " Here you are Lira! Come and eat this before your father eats 
all of it!" Maribore was a tall woman, as tall as her husband. She 
was also the finest cook in the province. For a long time she 
joked about how her cooking made Lira so strong.
     " Uh..no thanks..I'm not hungry. I'll be upstairs."
     They both looked and nodded at each other, now was the time. 
Knocking on her door, they waited for her permission to enter her 
room. They made it point to respect Lira's privacy.
     " Come in." Her voice sounded distant.
     Lira was sitting by the window, looking far into the 
distance.
     Her parents came and sat close to her, Maribore and Thaddus 
each held one of her hands. Lira could see how much they loved her 
and how worried they were about her. 
     " Your not my parents...my real parents...are you."
      " No. 18 years ago we found you outside our doorstep. Those 
books on your shelf over there were the only things we found with 
you. Maribore and I fell in love with you the second we saw you. 
We didn't want to have those books translated because that would 
attract undue attention. But that failed when you turned 12 and 
started to grow so big and strong. The tattoo on your back is seen 
many times in one of those books, so obviously there is a 
connection." 
      " Thaddus, I think its time that Lira find out about 
herself. I hear that in Riverglenn there are scholars that could 
help. We could bring some of your finest pieces of furniture to 
trade for their services. The three of us could leave in two days 
time."
     " No." Said Lira. "I feel I have to do this myself. A part of 
me wants to stay with you. But something deep in my heart tells me 
I must do this myself. But...but...." Lira started to cry.
      The three of them held each other for a long time, finding 
comfort in each other's embrace.
     " I know you must do this Lira, but can you stay for just two 
more days?" 
     " Thaddus, I'm ashamed of you! Wanting to get the last amount 
of work out of her before she leaves!"  
      " Now don't get excited Maribore. I'm not going to work. I 
just want to be with my little hood for a little while longer."  
2
     After long hugs from both her parents, Lira started on her 
journey to Riverglenn. The map her father gave her came in handy, 
Lira never liked going somewhere not knowing where she was going. 
She camped out under the stars that first night, studying the map 
and planning the next day's journey. Her hood gave her shelter 
from the sun and provided warmth at night.
     She had not taken so long a journey from home before. Her 
pack felt light against her thick, muscular back. Her strong, 
bulging legs made a mockery of the rough terrain. Soon she came to 
an area that was different from the map. On the map the area was 
supposed to have one trail, but before her lay two separate paths. 
The documented path looked like it hadn't been used in quite a 
while. A newly erected signpost pointed to the other. While 
pondering what to do, a wagon of grain lumbered up along side her.
     " Don't waste your time going that way lad." Said the driver. 
" That trail used to be a shortcut, but the ogre's blocked that 
path with boulders a long time ago. Even though we've had no 
trouble from them for a while, that trail is still blocked. Why 
don't I give you a ride to the next town, take that heavy-looking 
pack off and sit up here."
     " Thank you, but my path lies in this direction. Boulders are 
just an annoyance."
     The driver looked a little shocked when he heard her voice. 
Even though she was far stronger than many boys her age were, she 
sounded in every way like a young woman.
     " Well, I thought...." The driver stared at her for just a 
moment, the look Lira knew all too well. She was different.  Wide, 
muscle-shod shoulders, huge arms, and bulging legs and calves 
should not belong to a girl. Not a proper one at least.
     Lira had gotten used to the looks, but it still made her feel 
sad that she was not accepted for what she was.
     " Good journey to you." Lira turned around and headed toward 
the path that was laid out on the map. Soon she could hear the 
wagon turn and pull up beside her.
     " Well, at least let me give you a lift. I heard stories, 
rumors really, about strong girls fighting ogre's. I don't say 
that I believe them. A girl shouldn't be strong, that's not 
natural. "
     " I'm not some circus attraction." Said Lira, looking 
straight ahead and not slowing her pace. " And I apologize for not 
meeting your expectations of what a girl is supposed to be."
      Farnam then fell silent. He had heard about that new way of 
thinking those people at Riverglenn adopted that women were equal 
to men and they could be strong and still be attractive. These 
outlandish thoughts just started over a year ago, at the same time 
those stories and rumors started to circulate. But he was a 
gentleman after all, and after a while he felt he should again 
offer this young woman a ride...and maybe an apology.
     " Um... Young maiden? I apologize for insulting you. Please 
accept my invitation and take a load off your feet. It's still a 
long ride even though we're taking the short route." Farnam 
stopped his wagon and waited for Lira's response.
      "Young Maiden." That was what people called girls who were 
about to become women. The title also was used to describe someone 
attractive. Lira had never been called that before. She could tell 
by the tone of the driver's voice that he was not mocking her. If 
he was, she would just start running and leave him and his wagon 
far behind. Even after a full day of traveling, she still had the 
energy to run for a long distance. She turned around and saw the 
man hold out his hand to help her up. But she didn't take it. She 
walked up to the wagon and lightly sprang up on to the seat beside 
him. Taking off her pack (but leaving her hood on), she sat down 
beside the driver.
    " The name's Farnam, and you?"
     " Lira...Lira Brookslake."
     " Brookslake. Hum... The name sounds familiar. Are you 
related to the craftsman from the northern mountains?"
    " Yes, I am.....their daughter." Even though they were not her 
real parents, she knew that they loved her like real parents 
should.
     " Far from home. What brings you out this far?"
     " I ...I don't know yet. I just started my journey to 
Riverglenn three days ago."
     " This far in three days!!??" Farnam was impressed. " I could 
find you some work on my farm as a runner, orrrrr ...as a farm 
hand. You do look like you could wrestle an ox."
     " Thank you." Lira's attitude toward the man softened. She 
liked to be complimented on her strength. She remembered how her 
father held her in his strong arms and praised her for that day's 
feat of strength. ' My little hood with the mighty little body.' 
The memory made her feel warm inside.
     Soon they came to the end of the trail. As Farnam said, it 
was blocked with huge boulders, some of which were close to twenty 
feet in diameter.
     " Like I said, this trails blocked. I came with you so you 
wouldn't have to walk all the way back." Farnam was a good man. It 
was the custom of country folk to help those who were lost.
     Something spoke to Lira, a voice deep inside her breast. She 
sprang down to the ground and walked over to the immense pile of 
boulders. One by one she lifted each boulder and tossed them 
aside. After half an hour the trail was cleared. She again sprang 
up beside a dazed Farnam. The light of the setting glistened red 
on her body from her sweat. She took a drink from the water flask 
Farnam offered her. She loved the feeling of her muscles after a 
challenge. Arching her back, she stretched out her arms, and 
unconsciously flexed her biceps. Massive peaks of veined might 
sprang from her arms.  She began to flex them repeatedly, loving 
the feeling of power build within them.
     "You are a strong one! But have you realized what you've 
done?"
     "No...wh..what have I done? I just cleared this path, I 
thought I was doing everyone a favor."
     " We now have to go back and change that sign, now that this 
trail is open. Hope you don't mind riding along with me for a 
while, I could use the company!"
3
     As it turned out, Farnam was also on his way to Riverglenn as 
well. They stopped at several towns along the way, trading sacks 
of wheat for supplies that Farnam couldn't make on his own.
     Lira noticed the looks the townspeople gave her. Her hood 
sort-of hid her massive arms and shoulders, but it was her legs 
that gave her away. The bunching up of her muscles as she walked, 
and for that matter, when she just stood there, made her stand out 
from the crowd, even if she was only five feet tall. She pushed 
down the feelings of rejection and held her head high. Even Farnam 
was starting to get annoyed with the ignorance of the townspeople.
    " Don't mind them Lira. Many of those men secretly wish they 
had what you have. And the women are jealous of your pretty face. 
I can say that your pretty can't I, without you thinking that I'm 
trying to take advantage of you? I know that I'm an old man, but 
I'm being honest."
     Lira didn't know what to say. Only her parents told her that 
she was pretty before this. Farnam reached over and squeezed her 
hand.
     " Thank you." That was all Lira could stammer.
     Their last stop was Riverglenn, the center of learning for 
this province. Lush, deep green grass covered the ground and the 
rolling hills. Birds flew from tree to tree, singing their happy, 
contented songs. 
     The guards at the gate smiled and waved them by. As they 
traveled along the busy streets Lira noticed something. The people 
of Riverglenn acted...normal. Or acted as if she herself were 
normal. Some of the townspeople knew Farnam and greeted him with 
waves and some even shook his hand. When they saw Lira they also 
warmly greeted her with kind words.
     " These people are not staring at me like I'm some sort of 
freak. Some even seem to like me."
     " Riverglenn does seem to be the most open of all the towns 
in this province. It seems to be that way with most places of 
learning. It was here that those stories about a strong girl 
fighting ogre have started. Well, Lira, I'm done with my trading. 
This was a good journey and I'm ready to get back to the farm. If 
you...uh... ever want a place to stay or get some work, you're 
welcome to come to my place. Just ask anybody around the area 
where we met where Farnam's farm is. They'll show you the way."
    " Thank you. But I must keep moving. Good journey." Lira shook 
Farnam's hand and jumped off his wagon. She looked in his 
direction long after he turned his wagon around and clippity-
clopped away.
     " Now what?" She thought. Here she was sanding in the middle 
of the street with people walking to and fro around her. The 
books, she must find out what the books said about her and where 
she came from. Were there more like her around? Asking some of the 
townspeople for advise on where to get some books translated, she 
was directed to a part of the town that was noticeably quieter 
than the rest. The shops along the street had chairs and benches 
where people could sit down and read. The smell of morning brew 
was in the air. Rounding the corner she stopped cold...
     Outside what looked to be a trendy food shop sat one of the 
legendary flyers of Riverglenn.
She had heard her father tell stories about the wondrous beasts.. 
but to actually see one! Its long tail lashed lazily back and 
fourth. She noticed people walk on the other side of the street, 
giving the flyer a lot of room. Then out through the door came a 
very tall girl, not that much older than herself. She must have 
had the biggest breasts Lira had ever seen! How could she walk 
with those big boobs!? She had on a short dress that displayed 
long legs and thick muscular calves. Lira saw that the girl's 
waistline was not hat much bigger than her own, and she was a lot 
shorter! The flyer snapped to attention and gave his companion a 
playful nuzzling. With light steps, girl and flyer started up the 
street toward a high tower.
     Lira followed the pair until they rounded a corner. Not 
wanting to loose them she ran to the corner and stopped with a 
skid. There was no one there! The street was a dead end.
    " Hi!" Came the friendly voice behind her. Whirling around she 
saw the girl and flyer blocking the way out into the street.
    " You've been following us for a while, is there anything I 
could do for you?"
     She's not angry. Lira thought. Looking up into her face she 
saw the clear eyes and the bright smile. She could feel an aura of 
great strength coming from her.
     " I...I'm new here. I came from the north to ..well..find out 
who I am. I'm different from other people." Taking off her hood 
Lira presented herself to the young woman. The girl's eyes looked 
up and down Lira's massively muscled body. A smile seemed to come 
to her lips.
     " What am I doing?!" Thought Lira. " I just barley met this 
girl and I'm showing myself to her at a drop of a hat!"  Then she 
realized that she wasn't ashamed. She felt safe in this young 
woman's presence, like she felt with her parents.
     " My name is Amy. And this is the Prince's flyer, Lessa." Amy 
held out her hand and Lira clasped it. She then noticed Amy's 
thick, bulging biceps and forearms. They had something in common, 
which made Lira relax. Lessa came over and sniffed a Lira a couple 
of times, then started to lick her on the cheek. 
     " My name is Lira Brookslake." She tried not to giggle from 
Lessa'a affections.
     "Nice to meet you. And I think you KNOW.... who you are. Tell 
me about yourself."
     " I'm not like my parents. They are taller than you and look 
at me, I'm short. But I'm also much stronger than they are. So I 
guess that I was not born to them, even though I know they love me 
like I was their own. All I have to go on are some books in my 
pack and this tattoo on my back." Lira turned around and showed 
Amy the mark on her back. " One of the books have the same symbol 
written in it."
     " Lira, let's go to see Master Emil, he may know of some 
people that can help you."
4
     It was hard work to carry giant logs and shape and true them 
onto fine lumber, at least at first. It became easier as her 
strength grew as she got older. But that didn't compare to the 
next 4 weeks in Lira's life. But she only had herself to blame. 
Amy introduced her to Master Emil, who took on the task of 
translating Lira's books. When Master Emil asked Lira about her 
education and found out that she reached only the sixth level, he 
immediately arranged for her to complete her education. Lira was a 
bright, eager student and progressed quickly, but not without long 
hours reading and studying. Her teachers actually looked forward 
to their sessions with her.
       One day Lira happened to see Amy practicing her unique 
style of marital art. Lira was impressed about how Amy could fight 
with her huge breasts. Lira then asked Amy if she would train her, 
to which Amy accepted. There were some days when Lira regretted 
that decision, for Amy put her through a very intensive training 
regimen. First it was hand to hand fighting.  Julia used sparring 
as a teaching method, so that is what Amy used with Lira. Amy was 
taller, faster and stronger (much to Lira's surprise) but Lira's 
reflexes were quicker. She could dodge a punch much better than 
Amy could. But when it came to grappling and wrestling, Amy was 
superior. The choice of a weapon for Lira was a difficult task. 
Amy looked at Lira and her intuition told her that Lira would be 
best with the staff. But Lira wanted to try all kinds of swords, 
hammers and throwing implements. Lira turned out to be quite the 
marksman, becoming very proficient at throwing hammers and spears. 
But after a while it became apparent that Amy was correct in 
choosing the staff for Lira, and soon Lira and staff could not be 
separated.
     But there was sad news for Lira. Master Emil had consulted 
all of the best scholars of Riverglenn and could find none that 
could translate Lira's books.
     " I'm terribly sorry, Lira." Said Emil as he put a comforting 
hand on Lira's shoulder. "We had the best scholars of the whole 
kingdom at our disposal, the text is alien to this land."
     " Thank you for trying, Master Emil." Said a downcast Lira.
     " I should have brought my computer with me." Said Amy.
     " A.....compooper?" Asked Lira quizzically.
     " No.. my compact  com-pu-ter. It has a language program that 
could translate these books instantly. I left it at my Sensei's 
mansion on Earth."
     " When do we leave?!" Asked Lira in a rush of excitement. "It 
would be great to visit an other world, and finally find out about 
these books! You can present me to your Master, Amy!"
     Amy's face hardened her ready smile disappearing.
     " You don't know what you're asking. She is the Arms Master 
of Jade, One of the Ten. If you dishonor yourself in front of my 
Master, I am dishonored. She will welcome you as my guest, but if 
you want to learn from her, you must give all of yourself and then 
some more. But you're talented and strong, I believe I will not be 
ashamed."
     A small smile crept onto Amys face.
     Lira stuck out her muscular chest, her pert breasts almost 
pointing straight up. She clenched her fists, causing every muscle 
of her body from her arms down to her legs to grow and swell with 
power.
     " I will not dishonor you, Sensei!"
    5
     Julia tried not to look too anxious when the familiar portal 
opened up and Amy jumped out. Julia was going to give Amy a good, 
hard hugging when Lira jumped out after Amy. She stopped abruptly 
in her tracks and with hands on hips, staring coldly at Lira.
     "And who is this?" Julia said sternly. She could tell in an 
instant that this other girl had been trained in the martial arts. 
The way she held that staff...
     Amy bowed low to her Sensei. A clearing of the throat 
signaled Lira to do the same.
     " Sensei, your humble student wishes to present a student of 
her own. Her name is Lira. I believe she is worthy of your 
instruction."
     " You do? Since when have you become an Arms Instructor? "
     " Since I cannot become a Arms Master of Jade, I intend to 
bring honor to our name and attain the highest rank I can."
     " Our name?" Thought Lira.
     " You, Lira is it? What makes YOU think I should teach you?"
     " Master I...."
     " Don't address me as Master! Just answer the question."
     " I wish to learn martial arts to defend myself. I am strong 
and fast. I fa...fa..feel I have a great purpose to fulfill." Lira 
was trying not to sound nervous.
      " Very well then. I will not waste my time with you like I 
did your teacher." The word 'teacher' came out sounding like a 
sneer. " Put down that staff and come over here, be quick!"
      As Lira did so Julia went into her 'testing" stance.
      " This is the test I give all my would-be students. If I 
deem you worthy I will teach you on a week to week basis until I 
satisfied with your progress or you fail. Understand? Now try to 
grab my hand.
      Julia held out her hand as Lira studied her eyes and stance. 
Lira's hand seemed to disappear as it raced to grab Julia's hand. 
Julia did her customary evasive move and caught hold of Lira's 
wrist.... but her hand grasped empty air. Julia felt an iron grip 
fasten around her own wrist as Lira evaded Julia's grasp and 
caught Julia's wrist with her left hand.
     " Either I'm getting old, or you're the fastest I've seen in 
a while. Not many have passed my test, not even Amy here. I accept 
you as my student and I will begin your instruction now.  Amy, go 
shopping for us and cook the evening meal. YOU." Julia said as she 
stared at Lira. " Better not hold back or I'll make you wish you 
hadn't."
     " And don't think I'm through with you either." Said Amy. " 
Julia will be training your body, but I will be training your 
mind. You have reached the 10th level in reading. That's not 
enough. You must be at the 14th level before I'M satisfied."
   " Now I'm really in for it." Thought Lira.
5.1
Lira's Schedule:
0530: Wake-up  
0600: 20k run
0700: Shower and breakfast
0800: Reading and Writing
1000: Hand to hand fighting
1200: Lunch and nap
1330: Weapons training
1530: Mathematics and Barbarian Philosophy 
1730: Household maintenance (Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday)
1730: Mea-weight training (four day split system)
1930: Supper (special protein drink)
2000: Study and Meditation
2200: Shower and bed
5.2
     Lira lagged behind Julia and Amy when they went on their 
daily runs...at first. Lira quickly gained the speed and stamina 
to keep up with Julia, but not Amy. (Much to her chagrin) Julia 
always thought competition between students would bring out the 
best each had to offer, so Lira had Amy as a sparring partner. Amy 
was superior in strength and raw speed, and Lira could not match 
her when it came to hand to hand fighting and swordplay. But Lira 
had much quicker reflexes and was superior with the staff. Even 
Julia had a hard time trying to keep her challenged.
     Four weeks passed quickly. It became apparent to Julia that 
both Amy and Lira grew in size during this time.  Julia herself 
also gained some usable muscle mass. She could not accurately 
gauge how strong Amy really was, but Lira definitely made 
significant gains in strength. Lira at five feet tall had very 
broad shoulders and thick, muscular legs. She looked very powerful 
and sturdy. But Amy seemed to be getting... sexier? That was the 
only way Julia could describe it.  Her nipples and areola poked 
out from all her clothes a full two inches. Amy would wear low cut 
t-shirts and blouses (plus a short skirt form time to time) when 
she went out shopping, but she didn't ACT like she was wearing 
anything out of the ordinary.... at least for her. So the people 
whom she saw regularly at the store and the mall got used to her 
appearance. 
    Lira and Amy four days a week worked out with a special 
Graviton Bar (pat. pending) that could warp gravity around the bar 
itself, increasing or decreasing the weight according to the 
settings. Lira felt that she did grow stronger, but was still 
amazed at how strong Amy was. Amy wasn't as "ripped" as Lira, but 
when she saw how Amy, with the bar set at Lira's heaviest setting, 
suspend the bar with it tied to her nipples...she was flummoxed.
     " How'd you do that?" Lira would ask.
     " Control." Was all Amy would answer. 
     The lessons regarding Barbarian Philosophy and teachings were 
sources of lively debate.
     " If sex is so wonderful, why keep yourself from enjoying 
it?" Lira would ask.
     " You don't want to give yourself to just anybody that comes 
along."  Said Julia.
     " What about you Amy? Have you had sex?"
    " No, but I've had very wonderful, realistic dreams about it. 
I don't want just any guy inside me."
     "I think its possible to like more than one guy. Why limit 
the experience?" 
     "Amazon Breeder." Amy and Julia said in chorus. 
     Then came the night that changed Lira's life.
      Amy used her compact computer to translate the three books 
that Lira brought with her. When she came down the stairs, Julia 
and Lira could tell something was wrong from Amy's expression.
     " Are the books translated?" Asked Lira.
     " Yes." 
     "Well, what did they say?" Julia was getting impatient.
     " I stopped reading after the first few pages. These are 
meant for Lira alone. She must read these books and decide for 
herself."
5.3
     After hugging Julia and Amy, Lira stepped into the portal 
that led back to Riverglenn. Julia had her arm around Amy's tiny 
waist, as did Amy with Julia.
     " Amy, I am proud of you, you are qualified to become an Arms 
Instructor of Jade. Your first student was well taught."
     " Thank you Sensei."
    " She has reached the intermediate level in hand to hand 
fighting in 8 weeks. But she is about as good as any Arms Master 
with the staff. She will succeed."
     " Sensei, I was wondering. You said that Lira was one of the 
few who passed your 'test'. Who were the others?"
    " There were no others."
6
    Master Emil greeted Lira as she stepped out from the portal. 
How did he know she was coming?
     " Lira..nice to see you!" Said the Master cheerily.
     " Hello Master." Lira felt welcome in this place... too bad 
she had to leave it soon.
     " Is my eyesight playing tricks on me? Or have you grown a 
bit since the last time?"
     " Yes..I have gotten a little stronger over the last eight 
weeks."
     " Great!  Lira, I want you to know that we here in Riverglenn 
want you to stay. I know Amy's Master has taught you fighting 
skills, you could teach the guards what you have learned. You 
could also be an example to the young girls here, that they could 
be strong and still be feminine."
     " Master...Why is it different here than anywhere else? I was 
treated like a freak at the other towns. But here I feel like I'm 
just like any one else."
     " It was Maiden Amy who brought about the change in thinking, 
especially after the Ogre attacks. But that story is for another 
time. I believe the books have been decphypherd and translated, 
but you have not read them. There is a room for you at the Hall of 
Learning, you can stay there until you're done."
     The three books were not huge tomes of thousands of pages, 
but of moderate size...about 500 pages each. Lira had already read 
the first one. It was a history book that told of a civilization 
not of this world..or even of Amy's world. It told of wondrous 
machines that could fly, wonderful gardens, and heroic deeds of 
people long dead.
     The second book had a lot of symbols that could not be 
translated. Lira guessed it to be a technical manual of sorts. 
There was also some hand written notes at the end. She skimmed its 
pages and set it aside.
     The third book was like the first in that it was a history of 
the unknown civilization, but told from another perspective. After 
reading this book Lira could understand the events recorded in the 
first much more clearly. The last chapter of the book contained 
the name of the civilization...Obsidian.
    Then the prophecy.
The last part of the third book predicted the downfall and the 
deliverance of Obsidian by a member of the royal family. It was 
here that Lira's tattoo appeared for the first time. When she read 
the last chapter, she walked to the window and looked out at the 
stars. She noticed how beautiful they were, as if for the first 
time. She began to see things differently, as if her mind's eye 
was opened. A feeling of calm and assurance covered her body and 
hugged her. The calling of her heart finally found words, and they 
told her the story of great deeds and dreadful dangers.
She now knew what she had to do, but where to start?
    When she told master Emil about what she read, he lapsed into 
his 'remembering' mode.
     " There is a old legend about something falling from the sky. 
It supposedly landed in an area outside this Province...somewhere 
to the east. Our information about that area is sketchy at the 
most, giant gorges, loss of livestock in the surrounding area that 
sort of thing. That seems to be as good a place to start as any. 
But I'm not sure how safe it is, you may need someone to go with 
you."
     " No... I must go myself. Anyone else could slow me down, I 
leave in the morning."
     7
     After giving Master Emil her thanks and a long hug, Lira set 
out on her second journey. Master Emil made her promise to come 
back and stay here in Riverglenn, a promise she intended to keep. 
The Prince himself flew Lira to the edge of Riverglenn, where 
Lessa gave Lira an affectionate nuzzling.
     "Good journey to you Lira, and good luck."
     " Thank you, your highness." Lira waved to them as they took 
flight.
     Alone again. This was the second time she was left all by 
herself. In the distance she could see dark mountains rising like 
jagged teeth, and a thick forest lay before her. She liked the 
open lands better, it was harder for someone to sneak up on her. 
Putting her doubts aside, she began her trek.
The weeks of training and Amy's drink made the trip easier, to the 
point of Lira picking up her pace and almost running the entire 
time. Her body felt light carried by her strong legs, and her 
endurance seemed limitless. The only thing that stopped her from 
continuing was the setting sun.
    Setting up camp she ate a small supper consisting of cheese, 
bread and some rabbit. She picked a place where she could look at 
the stars. Was it out there where she came from? Was there any 
more like her? She started to go over in her mind the lessons that 
Julia taught her, about the responsibility of strength, the 
woman's role in keeping a family together, of pleasing her mate. 
She lay on her back with her hands behind her head, her hood 
providing warmth. She unconsciously tightened her biceps, feeling 
them grow and fill with power. She then arched her back, feeling 
her abdominals and glutes tighten. 
     When she relaxed her muscles, she thought she heard 
something. She also had the feeling that she was being watched. 
She was not afraid, but...curious. Grasping her staff, she soon 
fell into a restful sleep.
     The next day was the same, a long, fast invigorating journey, 
with stops along the way to eat and gather her bearings. Soon she 
was short of provisions, good thing part of her training was 
wilderness survival. She caught a fish from a running stream with 
her bare hands, and soon had it cooking slowly over a small fire. 
She went away to gather some greens when her senses alerted her to 
a presence, the same one that she sensed the last couple of 
nights. Returning to her camp she saw her dinner gone. The sound 
of a snapping twig told her where the thief was going, and as fast 
as the wind itself, she caught up with the culprit. But the 
creature was fast itself, and evaded her grasp. It looked to be 
like a wolf of some kind, by its long nose and sharp teeth. Lira 
then decided that a wolf would not get the best of her, and using 
her tracking skills, soon had the creature cornered. 
     When she came closer she looked into the creatures eyes, she 
could see that it was not a wild creature. In fact, it looked 
afraid. Lira looked at the creature's skinny, quivering legs, and 
heard the sad whimpering of the creature. The poor thing was 
hungry. 
     " You look like you need that more than me. I could easily 
catch another. Good meal to you."
     Lira then caught a bigger fish and after a hearty meal, she 
again lay down and looked into the night sky. She felt oddly good 
for sharing her meal. Helping others, that was one of the tenants 
of the Barbarian philosophy. Also taught in that lesson was how to 
tell when someone was taking advantage of one's goodwill. There 
always must be a balance between giving and taking. Again her 
senses alerted her to a presence, it was the wolf. She could feel 
its eyes looking at her, as if studying her. Following her 
intuition, she slowly scanned the area until she could see the 
glowing, yellow eyes. They looked at each other for several 
minutes, at least it seemed like that to Lira.
     Then the yellow eyes vanished
     The next morning held a surprise for Lira. She opened her 
eyes and saw that the wolf was not more than three feet from her, 
curled up into a ball and sleeping soundly. A snap from a twig far 
to Lira's left caused the wolf to awake and bolt behind a startled 
Lira.
      " You're a skittish one aren't you? It was only a small 
animal of some kind." Lira tried to sound as soothing as possible.
The wolf came out slowly and sniffed Liar's hand, then ran away.
     After a small breakfast, Lira continued on her journey. All 
the while she had a feeling that she was being followed. Even when 
she picked up her pace, her shadow creature followed her. The 
forest was full of running streams, so finding lunch was no 
problem. The smell of cooked fish filled the air as Lira ate 
heartily and settled down for a short nap.
     Her training at the hand of Julia Diggers taught her how to 
listen to what was going on around her while at the same time 
getting some rest. She could hear faintly small footsteps come up 
to her unfinished meal and the soft sounds of eating. Slowly she 
sat up and looked at the hungry wolf make short work of her 
leftovers. As the wolf turned to leave, he wound up face to face 
with Lira. The wolf froze in its tracks.
     " Are you still hungry? You look like you could use some 
regular meals." Lira tried to sound as soft and soothing as she 
can. She held out her hand, palm up. " I'm Lira." She smiled 
warmly.
     The wolf looked into her eyes.  Lira noticed for the first 
time that the wolf's eyes showed intelligence.
     " Kerr."
      Lira thought the wolf coughed or something. But its head 
remained still.
    " I'm Kerr."
     The wolf then bounded away into the forest.
8
     The mountains loomed taller and Lira neared them. She could 
make out the different formations, picking the route of her 
ascent. Clouds covered the very tops of the mighty peaks.
The land took on a different form as she approached the jagged 
teeth of stone. It seemed like she stepped suddenly into a 
different world, for the trees abruptly ended and rolling hills 
with long grass took its place. Far in the distance she could see 
a village at the foot of the mountains. Smoke from many chimney's 
rising into the sky reminded her of her home in the north. 
Home...the thought of her real home and her parents caused her to 
feel warm inside. She almost ran the remaining distance to the 
edge of town, she wasn't even breathing hard from the exertion. 
Straightening her hood and pack, she strode into what must have 
been the main street of the village.
      She noticed that the town's people looked at her the same 
odd way, but from curiosity, not disdain. She didn't feel any 
animosity toward her at all. Maybe she could ask someone where she 
could find as place to stay for the night. She saw a group of men 
looking at her, so she decided that they would be the ones she 
would ask.
     " Good afternoon. I've come on a long journey and would like 
to find a place to stay. Is there a Inn close by?" They seemed to 
be friendly people.
     " Long journey eh?" said the eldest of the men. " From where 
abouts?"
     "From Riverglenn, and before that, from the north." 
    " She matches the description, Sheriff. Short, sturdy, female 
about her age." One of the men said in the Sheriff's ear. " One 
thing left...does she have the mark?"
    A cold shiver ran through Lira's body, these people looked 
friendly, but she could've been mistaken.
     " Now don't worry young maiden. I've been Sheriff around here 
for a long time and I know about how things can get mixed up. You 
see, someone that closely matches your description has been 
stealing livestock from this village. There's been even a scuffle 
or two between our thief and the owner of the cattle. Our thief is 
female, about your height, and strong enough to run off with prize 
cows and steers. But I doubt that if you were our thief that you 
would walk into town openly like you have. We saw you coming from 
afar off, from the west. Our thief has been tracked to the north. 
My deputy has a point about the mark, but I'm not going to ask you 
show yourself just like that. The inn is down this road and to the 
left, you can't miss it. If anybody gives you a hard time just let 
me know, I'll set'em straight."
     Lira found the inn just as the Sheriff said. Since she had no 
money, she offered to do some work for her lodging and meals. When 
the innkeeper said he needed firewood and pointed to a huge pile 
of logs, Lira knew what to do. Using her strength and skill, she 
made neatly stacked piles of firewood. The afternoon was hot so 
she took off her hood. Her muscles glistened from her sweat, 
pumped bigger than ever before. One of the waiters from the inn 
came out and offered her a tall glass of water, which Lira 
gratefully accepted. After giving him her thanks, she returned to 
her activity refreshed.
    The waiter studied her massive back as she walked away and 
started to work. A furrow of jealousy appeared of his brow. She 
was a nice girl he thought, but he had to tell the Sheriff the 
truth.
    " Yes, sir." The waiter said. " She has the mark"
     9
     " Well, what are you going to do now?"
      " I have no choice but to question her." Answered the 
Sheriff. " I don't think she's the one, she has light hair and the 
witnesses said that our thief had dark hair."
     " They may be working together or belong to the same group of 
thieves." Said the Innkeeper.
     " Looks like she's done...I'll go out and..uh ...oh..."
     When Lira was finished with her chores, she was approached by 
five large men armed with clubs and swords. The Sheriff recognized 
the largest one and Slemm, the son of the richest rancher in the 
county plus the one that suffered the most losses from the thefts.
     " Look here lads! Our thief is dumber than we thought! Here 
she is in open daylight, right where we could finally catch her 
and bring to justice!"
     " Take it easy Slemm." Interrupted the Sheriff as he came out 
into the yard. " I will question her and then decide what to do. 
None of your prying into matters of law."
     " My father is the law around here! And he wants the thief 
caught. Don't get into my dad's business, you'll regret it."
     " I'm not the thief, and I won't allow myself to be taken." 
Said Lira.
     What happened next occurred so fast that the many stories 
told about the incident were different in the details, but the 
most accurate account said that Slemm spat out a curse and tried 
to hit Lira with his club. But the girl dodged the blow and 
slapped Slemm square in the jaw, knocking him down. The Sheriff 
tried to intervene but was restrained by one of Slemm's large 
companions. Lira then acquired her staff and shortly thereafter 
five thugs lay groaning on the ground.
     " I'm so sorry to have caused so much trouble, I will leave 
tonight." Lira said to a stunned Sheriff.
     "No you won't." Said the Innkeeper walking up beside the 
Sheriff. " You can stay for as long as you like. It's worth it to 
me to see these ruffians put in their place after disrespecting 
the law. By the way, I had in mind that you would make fire wood 
from only one log, not ten. You have more than earned your keep."
     " That's right. But Lira... I must do my duty and question 
you about these recent thefts. I must be able to prove that you're 
not the one responsible."
     " Yes Sheriff." Lira walked over, put on her hood and 
followed the men inside.
     Lira's questioning lasted for about half an hour. A witness 
was called in who scuffled with the thief and he confirmed that 
Lira was not the one, but that the thief was a little taller and 
had dark hair. But she and Lira definitely had the same marks on 
their backs. Convinced that Lira was not the culprit, the Sheriff 
invited her to eat with him in the common room at the Inn. A big 
meal was provided by the Innkeeper free of charge and the history 
of the thefts were told once again.
     It was about six weeks ago that a girl like Lira appeared in 
town. A short, powerful looking girl with a cute face and bright 
smile. But Slemm and his buddies harassed the girl and tried to 
ravish her. They never succeeded (due to the fact the she was much 
stronger than they were) but she was not seen in town after that. 
It was soon after that the thefts started.
     The thought of another girl like herself caught Lira's 
interest.  Was she related to her in some way? Maybe a sister or 
another one of her race. Lira excused herself form the table and 
the Innkeeper showed her to her room. It was large, but didn't 
have that much furniture, only a table and chair, plus a 
comfortable looking bed.    
     " Here's the lock for the door and breakfast is one hour or 
so after sun up. I again apologize for the behavior of those 
dolts. Some people just don't grow up. You can stay for as long as 
you like."
     " Thank you sir, but I must be moving on soon. But I do need 
to rest for a day." Even though Amy had almost limitless 
endurance, she taught Lira that to rest the body AND mind was 
important to maintain balance.
     " If you need anything...just ask!" With a wave, the 
Innkeeper left the room.
     Alone at last! The room was situated far away from the common 
rooms in the more expensive and quiet part of the Inn. The window 
had a great view and even though it was night, she could see the 
town's river trail off into the distance, glowing silver in the 
moonlight. She sat on the bed and found it to have just the right 
amount of firmness. Taking off all her clothes, she decided to do 
some of the excercises Julia taught her, the stretching and 
relaxation routine. Her muscles were tight from her travels and 
work, but soon they loosened up in response to her prodding. She 
liked to feel how her muscles would expand and relax when she used 
them. After 30 minutes of stretching, Lira flexed her biceps. A 
huge mound of veined muscle leapt from her arm. Lira couldn't help 
but smile to herself as she flexed her muscles over and over, 
seeing the veins growing larger each time she flexed. She 
tightened her legs and saw the thick cords of muscle jump from her 
small knee joint. She did get bigger after her training with Amy 
and Julia. 
     Suddenly her stomach tightened, almost causing her to double 
over. It wasn't pain, but a deep clenching of her gut. Something 
was about to happen, she was sure it! Putting on her clothes and 
getting her staff, she left the inn and proceeded 
to....where?...she didn't know. Only it was that she should hurry. 
She followed the street out to the edge of town, then out into the 
farmlands. It was a beautiful night, the air was clean and smelled 
like wildflowers, the moon shone brightly. As she rounded a bend 
in the path, she saw a cow floating across the grass...sideways. 
Looking harder she noticed that the animal was being carried by 
someone. This was the thief! At that realization, her gut started 
to ache again, was there a connection? She had to find out. 
     The thief traveled with a quick, effortless stride. Using 
Julia's lessons on tracking, she followed the culprit far into the 
forest. So far she had not been detected. The forest abruptly gave 
way to a small clearing. She saw that the cow was already confined 
in a wooden pen. Looking around she saw that the place was well 
maintained a small cabin looked to be well built.
    If it weren't for Lira well tuned intuition, she would have 
been mortally wounded. A wicked looking hatchet narrowly missed 
her head. The second one Lira caught with her left hand. A dark 
shape leapt from the opposite direction, and landed a punch to 
Lira's jaw that knocked her off her feet. Rolling with the punch 
she came to her feet, staff ready and waiting. Shaking her head to 
clear it, she barely had time to deflect another of her 
assailant's kicks. 
     As soon as the thief landed from her missed kick and turned 
around, she found herself face to face with a three inch thick 
wooden staff. She tried to slap it away, but it whipped around and 
again was no more than three inches form her nose.
      " Nice punch... let's see what else you've got." Lira threw 
away her staff and the both of them looked at each other for the 
first time.
     10
    Lira saw a girl that was close to her own age. She had long, 
dark hair that was arranged in a ponytail. She stood at least 2 
inched taller than herself and had intense eyes. She wasn't as 
heavily muscled as Lira but still looked powerful. This girl also 
had much bigger breasts than Lira, but not as big as Amy's, Lira 
found herself thinking. She was beautiful.
     " You want to see what I've got?"
     Lira could tell by her voice that she was confident, but also 
a little nervous. The girl then closed her eyes and clenched her 
firsts. Her arms and shoulders started to expand, as did her legs. 
Thick veins started to form on her biceps and shoulders as they 
grew right before Lira's eyes. She seemed to grow a little taller 
and her breasts also seemed to enlarge, almost pointing upward. A 
smug smile crept on her face as she opened her eyes.
      " Now lets see what YOU'VE got!"
     The girl lunged at Lira , and tried to grab her. But Lira was 
too quick, she dodged the lunge and landed a kick to the girls 
behind. Lira could sense that the girl was stronger than her, but 
Julia taught her that strength alone is not enough. The thief 
quickly recovered and tried to punch Lira, but this time Lira was 
ready. Using the girl's own momentum she grabbed her wrist, rolled 
backward on the ground, and using her right leg, sent the girl 
flying toward a tree. The tree shook violently as her body bounced 
from the thick trunk.
     The thief got up slowly, glaring at Lira with hatred spiced 
with humiliation. Gritting her teeth, she again clenched her 
fists. Her body exploded with muscle, her arms becoming bigger 
than Lira's legs. The air seemed to crackle around her as she grew 
stronger and more powerful. A ferocious scream vibrated the air. 
Then, a look of sneering smugness. 
      Lira was starting to get scared. This thief looked to be 
much stronger than her now. How did she do that? A trickle of 
sweat traced its way down her cheek. She adjusted her stance and 
steadied her mind. Julia's lessons was all Lira had by way of an 
advantage now. She remembered lesson 15 about one on one combat 
against a berserking attacker....be patient..wait for the right 
moment.
    The thief leapt at Lira with astonishing speed, and started to 
rain punches on her. She was a lot faster and stronger now, and 
every blocked punch made Lira wince in pain. How long would she 
last? The thief showed no signs of tiring.
     Wait
     Block/pain
     Dodge
     Block/pain
     Wait
     Block/pain
     Wait
     Opening  
     NOW!  
     Julia taught her not to hold back in a fight, Lira didn't. A 
wild punch missed it mark, leaving Lira's opponent wide open. With 
fists that turned into blurs of speed and power, Lira landed blow 
after blow, putting all of her strength into them. The thief was 
strong, but not that tough, five punches rendered her knees 
wobbling, a fierce spin kick from Lira sent the girl flying 20 
feet to land with a thud on the ground. Lira came and stood over 
the girl and saw that she reverted to her " normal" size.
     " That was close." Lira thought as she rubbed her forearms, 
they would be sore tomorrow. Turning the body over, Lira's gut 
again clenched, for on the girls back was the same tattoo that 
Lira had. Is this girl a member of my race? She could have been a 
sister or a cousin for all I know.
      " What are you going to do now, kill me? Or take me in to 
those...those..." The girl started to sob.
     " I'm not here to take you in. I was in my room getting ready 
for bed when I was...called...that's the best way I could describe 
it...called outside. I followed my instincts and that led me to 
you. It appears we have a common bond. By the way...my name is 
Lira, Lira Brookslake." Holding out her hand to the thief, she 
helped the girl to her feet.
     " Anna Langs. And what are you talking about..a common bond?"
     Lira turned around and heard the small gasp of recognition 
escape from Anna's mouth.
     " You see now? We do have a something in common, we may even 
be related." Lira said in a soothing voice.
     Anna look softened, Lira could detect deep inside Anna's eyes 
loneliness and a yearning for understanding. 
     " Come on inside, I need something to drink and eat. We have 
a lot to talk about."
     The cottage was clean and cozy. A table with two chairs, a 
small kitchen, and a comfortable looking cot stuffed with the soft 
grasses from the fields. Lira told Anna about her life and the 
books and what she had learned. The thought that she might have a 
family...a real family interested her.
     " I was found also but I wasn't as lucky as you. I was one of 
8 children and when I started to grow stronger, my 'parents', the 
word was almost spat out, decided to put me to work. That was all 
I did for six years until about six weeks ago when I felt 
this...longing.... to come out here. I was through being a slave 
to those people. And when I came to this place I thought I found 
my haven, but when those men.... I had to get out of there. I now 
live here all by myself, taking from those people trinkets in 
comparison to what they were trying to take from me."
     Tears started to trail down Anna's face, and soon Lira joined 
her.
     " Anna, the world is not like this place. There are people 
out there, in one place in particular, that would welcome us. You 
would be safe from people treating you differently, I know." Lira 
put a hand on Anna's thick shoulder.
     " I....I don't know. I don't think I could trust them..those 
that are " normal. Say!" Anna started to get excited." Why don't 
you stay with me? Between the two of us no one will be able to 
stand against us."
     A part of Lira wanted to stay with her. But she couldn't live 
the life of a thief.
     " I'm sorry Anna. I can't accept. Even though you may have 
had good reason to take from those who would do you harm, I cannot 
do the same. There are some good people out there, even in that 
town. I cannot tell you how to run your life. But I can try to 
give you a new one."
     " How so?"
" I will go to the Sheriff and offer to pay for any losses that 
the farmers might have incurred, either by money that I have or by 
working for it. If you want a new life, you can come with me on my 
quest, or you can go to Riverglenn far to the west. I will write a 
letter of introduction to man that will see to your protection and 
also help you start a new life. But I cannot accept the way you 
live your life for myself. But if you continue in this way, as is 
your right, I may have to fight you again." Lira tried to sound as 
confident as she could. But she knew that Anna could be far 
stronger than she was, could she grow even stronger in the future?
     Anna was silent.
     11
     Lira thought about the last 24 hours as she walked back to 
town. About her and Anna's fight, about Anna's reluctant promise 
to think about Lira's offer. She knew what she had to do before 
continuing her quest, she had to at least try to give Anna a new 
life. Lira tried to ask Anna how she grew in muscle mass and 
strength, but Anna didn't know herself. She discovered that she 
had this ability only about six weeks ago. Could it be a trait of 
her race? Anna pointed out the general direction of the town, 
everything looked so different now that it was daylight. The 
mountains loomed high above the small buildings of the town. What 
was this towns name anyway?
     Lira was met by the Sheriff when she got into town. After 
Lira explained her offer to Anna to him, he offered to be a 
representative for her. A deal was struck that Lira would pay for 
Anna's freedom with money Lira had on hand plus labor on the 
rancher Thromm's farm. But if Slemm or any of his men tried to do 
anything dastardly to Lira, the arrangement would be null and 
void. After a couple of days of observing her work, Thromm warned 
Slemm that if he ruined this deal, he would be written out of the 
will.
     " See what greed could sometimes do for you?" Said the 
Sheriff to Lira after the evening meal.
     " I understand, but I don't have to like it." Said Lira 
sullenly.
     Lira told the Sheriff where Anna's cottage was located, but 
if she took Lira's offer seriously, she would probably leave and 
on her way to Riverglenn by now. A search was conducted and the 
cottage was found....deserted.
     After two months of service, Anna's debt was repaid and the 
charges dropped. Rancher Thromm took a liking to Lira and offered 
her a room to stay in the main ranch house, far away from Slemm 
and the others. His wife, Marian, made another two hoods for Lira, 
plus some warm clothes for travelling.
     " So where are you going tomorrow?" Said Thromm at the head 
of the dinner table.
     " I'm not sure, but I know I have to head up the mountains 
and beyond if need be." Said Lira between bites of beefsteak.
     "Now you be careful, up there the ground is unstable. You 
sure about this? Marian and I would like you to stay. My wife 
always wanted to have another woman in the house." Thromm reached 
over and held the hand of his blushing wife.
    " Thank you so much, but I have to do this."
     The next day Thromm drove Lira to the foot of the mountains. 
The peaks seemed to erupt from the ground, rising at a steep 
angle. Sharp craggy stones gave the appearance of teeth. The 
carriage stopped at a path leading up through the jagged stones.
     " Not many people have used this path, it has been here for 
years. You have a pretty large backpack with enough provisions to 
last for about a month. Are you sure you're okay?" Thromm was 
concerned.
     " I'll be fine." Lira said cheerfully as she hopped down from 
the carriage. Thromm could not hear her land on the ground. 'Light 
as a feather' he thought.
      Thromm looked at her hard and long. " Be careful, and come 
back to us."
      " I will." Lira waved to Thromm as he turned around and 
headed back to town.
     Alone again.
     Lira started her ascent, her strong legs propelling her 
upward easily. The air seemed to get cleaner as she got higher and 
soon she was breathing deeply, not from the exertion, but just to 
savor the aroma of the mountains. She remembered when she was 
young the trips into the mountains she and her parents took into 
the mountains. They would sleep under the stars and talk about all 
sorts of things. She chuckled to herself at the excuse her parents 
gave her when they had sex under those blankets, about bugs giving 
them a hard time.
     She started to think about her life and her adventures. 
Meeting Amy and Master Julia. The night before she left them Julia 
said that when she came back, the three of them would go to Jade 
and meet "Grammy". She found out that Julia adopted Amy as a 
"Brigand" daughter and was made part of her family. 
     Did she have a family? A family of her own kind? Anna was the 
only one she met all her life that was like her. At least Anna 
could have a clean start. Lira then realized something, Thromm had 
hounds that were good at hunting, how could Anna elude them? When 
she tracked Anna she had her gut feeling to rely on, but it seemed 
possible that the hounds could follow her scent also. Was that 
another one of her abilities? Not being able to be tracked?
     After what must have been five hours of steady climbing, Lira 
found that she was half way up the mountain. She found a nice spot 
to rest that had a magnificent view of the land. She thought she 
could see Riverglenn far into the distance, but was not sure. 
After a small meal of meat, fruit and cheese, Lira decided to 
spend the night at this spot. The sun was almost down and she 
could see the stars starting to come out. Looking up at the many 
stars of the night sky, she thought of Anna. Where was she now? 
How could she grow in size and strength by what seemed just a 
thought? Did Lira herself have the same ability?
      Lira slept soundly for about eight hours and rose early the 
next day. After eating a hearty breakfast and reviewing some of 
the reading lessons Amy gave her, she broke camp and again 
ascended the steep mountain. Lira thought she could jog up the 
remaining way up the path, her pack had pads built in to cushion 
her shoulders. When she reached the top after three hours, she 
could see her objective. A fair distance away there was a great 
canyon in the mountain range, her heart skipped a beat when she 
saw it. That was where she was to go! It looked like a day's 
journey from here, but the sense of urgency was gone. A wave of 
happiness washed over her body, removing any signs of fatigue.
     Moving at a more leisurely pace, she traveled four more hours 
and made camp under a great cliff. She was glad that she still had 
some of Amy's protein drink, which was her supper that night. 
Curling up in a ball, she was looking forward to a peaceful sleep.
     It was the sound that woke her up before the heaving of the 
ground. A deep rumbling that became louder and time went on. Lira 
was jolted awake as the ground around her started to separate, 
making great cracks in the stone. Something in her gut told her to 
look up, and she wished she hadn't. A huge piece of the cliff 
above her was starting to fall on top of her! She was too 
frightened to start running, she wasn't sure it would do any good. 
Seeing what looked like a ditch in the stone, Lira dove in. 
Covering her eyes with her arms, she waited for the end. The sound 
of the cliff falling on top of her made her ears ring. Opening her 
eyes, all she could see was darkness. She was lying on her back 
and when she reached up toward the darkness, she felt the cold, 
hard lid of her coffin.
     Trapped!
     Lira never thought about death before and here it was about 
to bury her. She could feel her lungs trying to gasp for air, but 
it was no use. She was completely entombed. She never thought she 
would panic, but she felt it grow from her feet to her chest. Soon 
her oxygen ran out and Lira could feel herself pass out.
      At least I died following my heart, Lira thought.
     In the last moments of consciousness, Lira thought she could 
see a dim, golden light in the distance. It seemed to move toward 
her, growing brighter as it came nearer. It then started to look 
like a ball of flame as it came faster and faster toward her. Not 
only am I buried alive but now I'm burned alive too! She felt the 
fireball hit her body viciously, her screaming found no voice.
     Lightness? Is this what death felt like? Lira's body felt 
light and free, with no feeling of confinement. She had the urge 
to open her eyes. What would she see? She had never given thought 
of the afterlife, that was lesson 35 in Barbarian philosophy, she 
had only gotten to lesson 30. She could hear herself laughing. 
Opening her eyes she saw a blue beautiful sky with white billowy 
clouds. Looking around her she saw that she was still in the 
ditch. How did she get free?
     Standing up she could feel the cool breeze against her face 
and buttocks. BUTTOCKS!? Looking down at her body she saw all her 
clothes were ripped to shreds, only strips of fabric remained. 
Huge, vascular thighs met her eyes! She then looked at her biceps, 
they were about three times as large as they were before! Her 
headache from lack of air was gone, her heart sent floods of life 
into her eager muscles.
    She saw what was her stone ceiling 100's of feet away. 
     "I must have pushed it off of me." Lira thought. But she 
couldn't contain her happiness. She was now far bigger and 
stronger than she ever had been before! Flexing her biceps slowly, 
she saw it grow bigger and rounder until the peak reached above 
her wrist. Huge veins appeared on her muscles as she flexed them 
over and over again. She could even see them pulsate with each 
heartbeat!
     She then started to think about what happened. She was 
trapped with no hope of escape...her life about to end...could 
that be it? Doing some mental calculations, she found that Anna 
gained her powers after Slemm and those thugs tried to ravish her. 
Was Anna afraid for her life? With about twelve strange men around 
you and you were frightened, a woman could easily think that 
either she would service these animals or loose her life. Maybe 
that was how she got away from them. The thought of Anna being 
raped caused Lira to feel sad for her. 
     After a while, Lira reverted back to her "normal" size. She 
found her pack with most of the provisions intact! Not only was 
she stronger but also lucky! Before putting on her new clothes, 
she decided to give herself a test. She closed her eyes and 
clenched her fists like Anna did. She again saw the ball of flame 
coming toward her, but instead of hitting her hard, the flame 
seemed to caress and envelop her body with warmth. She envisioned 
her muscles getting larger and more powerful. Opening her eyes she 
almost cried for joy when she saw that she was again huge and 
strong!
     How come it seemed harder for Anna to get big and easier for 
Lira? Anna didn't mention anything about being trained in the 
martial arts or anything. Control of one's body was one of the 
first things Julia taught Lira, so that must have been the reason. 
Lira felt it was unfair that this gift should come so easily to 
her. But remembering how hard she trained and studied Lira didn't 
feel so guilty after a while. 'When something good comes along and 
offers itself to you...take it!' That's what Julia taught her.
     The remainder of her journey to the canyon was uneventful and 
pleasant, but not too easy. Lira still had to do a lot of climbing 
and jogging. But soon her efforts would be rewarded, for now she 
stood at the canyon's edge.  
     12
     Looking left and right, she noticed the canyon was really a 
giant, wedge shaped gash carved into the stone. She stood at what 
was the widest point of the canyon, it tapered to a point far to 
her right. Walking along side of the canyon Lira noticed that the 
canyon walls were smooth, not sharp and craggy. Looking far ahead 
she could see where the canyon narrowed to a point, and the object 
that was imbedded far into the stone. It took two hours to reach 
the area where the canyon narrowed into a point. Buried halfway 
into the stone was the smooth, black spearhead.
       Lira climbed down the canyon wall and stood next to the 
huge object. Its walls were smooth to the touch, this thing was 
obviously man made. Lira recalled the legends of an object falling 
form the sky. If this thing fell from outer space, it would burn 
up in the atmosphere, but here it was, intact. That may have 
accounted for the smoothness of the canyon walls, this object must 
have gotten so hot that it melted the stone as it crashed landed. 
Lira was thankful for Amy's science lessons.
      Walking around under what must have been the hull, examining 
the walls she found a familiar looking symbol. Taking out the 
second of her three books she quickly found out that this was an 
entrance point. The book said to press certain buttons on a preset 
sequence to open it. Doing do, lines formed what was an outline of 
a door, and it started to open, but only a little.
Trapped air inside almost blew Lira's hood off her head. Using her 
strength she forced open the door the rest of the way. Looking 
inside her pack, she was relieved that the light tube that Amy 
gave her was not crushed. "Everyone needs a flashlight on a long 
trip." Lira remembered Amy saying.   
     The inside was cold but dry. Strange machines were strewn all 
over the ground. The place was immense and Lira didn't want to 
spend time stumbling around in the dark. Setting up camp near the 
entrance, she sat down and studied the second book. Her hunch was 
correct, the book contained a map of the inside of the ship, she 
knew where to start from those strange shapes that were attached 
to the outside of this spacecraft. She hesitated at what she just 
thought...spacecraft. Whoever built this was far in advance of 
anything Lira knew before. Amy seemed to know something about 
these things, she didn't even doubt their existence.
      Reading the second she found at the end what looked like 
personal notes, written by hand. Bringing out Amy's computer 
translation she discovered that this was a colonization ship. This 
planet was not the destination of the spacecraft. It was meant to 
go to a planet that was the third from a sun, Amy's Earth. That 
started Lira to think, where was THIS planet in relation to earth.
The ship crash landed on this planet and all its resources were 
used to repair a teleportation device that sent the crew back to 
the homeworld except one, the captain of the vessel. These notes 
were written in the captain's own hand. The last few pages 
chronicled the captains last few weeks on this planet, of the 
self-imposed exile, of the birth of her three daughters.
     Three.
     The last entry talked about how she had no one to help her 
give birth and that she was slowly dying. She did what she could 
to find people to take care of her babies. No entry was found on 
where she died. The last thing written was an admonishment to her 
daughters that they should try to find and care for each other, 
and that she loved them very much.
     The captain's name was Kirsten Langs.
      Below the name was stamped the symbol of the captain's 
family. The same symbol that was tattooed on Lira's back.
      A pool of tears formed at Lira's feet.
      13
       Lira's emotions were in a jumble. She was happy that Anna 
was really her sister and that she had one other. She was sad that 
her mother died to give life to them. She was angry with the 
people of this world who wouldn't help her mother when she needed 
it. She felt pride in the fact that her mother was a woman of 
honor and dignity, plus she held a position in which people looked 
to her for strength.
Examining the layout of the vessel, she soon found the 
teleportation device. Maybe they had this device in case of an 
emergency if things didn't go well on the planet of choice? Lira 
was thankful to Amy for stressing education in her training as she 
quickly found out how to activate the device, but would there be 
enough power to make it work? Typing in the proper sequence for 
power up on the control panel rewarded Lira with the room being 
lit and the hum of power energizing the machine. The teleportation 
sequence was all pre-set, so all one had to do was activate it. 
Lira also found that there was a delay built into the machine, in 
case there was only one person remaining. Her mother deliberately 
chose to stay behind.
     If Lira went to her home planet, would she be able to return 
back here? Would the people she would meet welcome her? Would they 
let her return? Would she be in trouble? Did her mother stay 
because of honor and responsibility?  Or shame? For that matter, 
would she be able to understand their language?
     Lira went back to her campsite dejected. To think that she 
would just teleport away without knowing where she was going or 
even how she would communicate. Rummaging through her pack for 
something to eat, she noticed a box tucked away in a small pocket. 
It was made of a strange metal with a small green germ imbedded in 
the top. Opening it from curiosity, she found a small note inside 
plus a small badge. The note was from Amy, it was one of her new 
inventions, a language translator device that was meant to be worn 
of the collar, it would automatically translate any language so 
the wearer could hear and speak in any language encountered.  Amy 
once again coming to her aid, how did she know she would need 
something like this? 
     Quickly walking back to the teleportation room, Lira pinned 
Amys badge to her shirt-top.
She was now ready to face her past and her people. She wanted to 
know who she was and where she came from.
     Activating the teleporter, Lira saw a soft golden sheen 
appear. Looking hard into the golden light, she could barley see a 
landscape and some shapes moving about. Swallowing hard, she 
stepped into the tingly golden shower.
     14
     The shapes of the landscape and people solidified as Lira 
stepped out from the portal. The sky had a golden hue instead of 
blue and the clouds were a light shade of red. But the air was 
just like that of where she came from, but better. She took in one 
or two breaths and all fatigue fell from her body. Her muscles 
seemed to swell and tighten when her blood carrying this new air 
reached them. Her body felt even lighter than before. This indeed 
was home.
      The transport device was built on a platform out in the 
middle of a wilderness area, for there was grass and tress all 
around the place. She could see children playing among the trees 
and their parents preparing food or hugging and kissing their kids 
or each other. Lira gasped when the shadow flew over her head and 
landed in the distance, it was one of the flying machines that the 
first book told about! When Lira saw it land she then noticed the 
buildings far in the distance surrounding this grassy area. This 
must be a recreational area instead of the wideness!
      Stepping down from the platform she noticed some of the 
people looked at her and pointed. Some of then ran off into the 
distance, but a small family of three walked towards her. As they 
came closer Lira noticed that both the man and the woman had very 
thick, muscular shoulders and arms, but she was a full head taller 
than they were. Lira could hear one of them speaking as they came 
closer.
     " She must be, she has the Captains eyes and nose." Said the 
female.
     " That's true, but look how much taller she is than us." Said 
the male who held her hand.
     " Will I look like that when I grow up?" Asked the little 
girl who stood behind the male. The child wasn't afraid, but 
looked at Lira with admiration.
     " Maybe some day Tulip." Said the male as he mussed the 
child's hair. Lira saw the love in the male's eyes both for his 
mate and for his child.
     "I'm Lira. I evidently come from a long way from a very 
different place."
     " She could speak our language. How did she learn it?" Said 
the male.
     " I don't know your language, but I have a translator device 
that helps us communicate with each other." Lira pointed to the 
small badge that Amy gave her.
     " The captain didn't report any such technology from the 
planet you came from, where did you come by that device." The male 
was interested.
     " One of my teachers crafted it for me, She...does not come 
from the planet or dimension that I'm from."
     " There are other worlds with technology like ours, the 
scholars would be interested in this. But where are my manners? 
Lira, I'm called Tor, and my mate here is Hilda. The little scamp 
holding on to your leg is my daughter, Gretal." Both parents 
chucked to themselves when Gretal looked like she got caught 
stealing sweets.
     Picking Gretal up, Lira tried to give her back to her 
parents, but Gretal wouldn't let go. It was then that they both 
noticed Lira's massive biceps and forearms.
      " I think you've found a friend Lira. "
      " I guess so." Lira said as she mussed the child's hair like 
her father did. " Where am I ? And what is this place?"
      " This is the planet Obsidian. And this is the memorial park 
for the Captain of the Thornsgalang, a colonization vessel. My 
husband and I were members of the crew when the vessel crashed on 
your world. We are the few who honor the Captain's name by 
building and maintaining this area." Whiled said as she held her 
mates arm.
      " What happened?" Lira felt the pieces of the puzzle that 
was her life were now coming together. 
     " We were far off course, why, I don't know. But the ship was 
heavily damaged. The Captain decided to scout the area around the 
crash site. She was gone for a long time, many of us feared that 
she was dead. But one day she came back with one of the males from 
that planet. She had fallen in love with this man and was close to 
giving birth to his children. Some of us could see how much she 
loved him, but the majority thought that someone of the Royal 
family should not marry a common man. The penalty for breaking 
that law was very strict and severe." Lira could see that Hilda 
was disgusted with that law.
     " The Captain was a member of the Royal family?" How did she 
get a command of a ship on a colonization mission?" Asked Lira.
     " The Captain didn't quite mix in with the rest of her 
family. When she was young she wore boys clothing to school, she 
pointed out that there was no law against it. Many of the royals 
stayed aloof from the rest of us, but not Kirsten. She insisted 
that she should go to the same schools as the rest of us. Then she 
entered the military and quickly rose in the ranks. But that was a 
hard road. Many speculate that she was sent away from here, and 
some say that she wanted to get away from her family. And when she 
became pregnant by the man the man from your world, she almost had 
a mutiny on her hands."
       " He was good looking and brave." Said Hilda. "Many wanted 
to kill him for his crime and terminate the Captains pregnancy, he 
would have stayed and fought if the Captain hadn't sent him away. 
A few of us took the Captains side, myself and Tor included, but 
we were out numbered. All the ships resources were used to repair 
and power the teleportation device and the Captain insisted that 
all of us teleport back here to Obsidian. She stayed behind to 
make sure that her child would be born."
     Lira grew silent. She left most of her supplies back where 
she came from, but she made it a point to bring the three books 
that was left with her. She then handed them to Tor.
     " These are the books your Captain left with me. One is a 
history book of this planet, The second is a technical manual of 
the teleportation device, the third...." Lira stammered when she 
told them about how her mother had no help in her delivery, how 
she found homes for her daughters, and her death shortly after.
     " So you are the Captain's daughter, one of three." Said 
Hilda with awe. " How is it that you're so tall?"
     " I'm not convinced yet." Said Tor sternly. " The royal 
family have a mark on their back, a birthmark. If Lira here has 
it, that will be proof enough for me."
     Lira took off her hood and turned around. She put her fists 
on her hips and slowly spread her lats to their full width. She 
could feel them grow and fill with power and she took two long 
seconds to fully expand them. She couldn't help but expand her 
lungs, causing her firm breasts to almost point upward.
     Lira turned around when she heard the small gasp coming from 
Hilda. She saw in Tors eyes a mixture of relief, admiration, and 
also jealousy.
     " Your...majesty...welcome." Began Tor before Lira 
interrupted him.
     " I'm am not royalty, I am only Lira."
     " What ever you wish, but you cannot deny that you are the 
Captains daughter and you have the mark. It is your responsibility 
to assert your claim to the leadership." Hilda said seriously.
     " What do you mean?"
      " The Royal family was overthrown shortly after we arrived 
here. It was because of the Captains actions that they were thrown 
down. But they were a bunch of worthless rulers anyway. Maybe that 
was her plan, to do this thing to give rise to a rebellion, but 
now we have a problem. You must assert your right to rulership, 
but the Family that took over has been the best thing ever to 
happen to this planet. They brought about much needed reforms to 
our society. But there are rumors of zealots that are still 
faithful to the old Roylas, they would rise up to take over at 
your command." Tor fell silent, thinking.
     " The solution seems simple to me. Take me to the Rulers of 
Obsidian and I will abdicate the throne in favor of the present 
rulers."
     " It may not be that easy." Said Hilda as she pointed to the 
solders that were coming toward them. 
     15
     Lira thought it best not to resist. The soldiers were polite 
and also permitted Tor and Hilda to accompany her to the palace. 
The vehicle they traveled in flew about 100 feet above the ground 
giving Lira an opportunity to scout out the place. The city was 
well kept and clean, gardens were everywhere along with various 
kinds of trees. The buildings were not like those of Amy's earth. 
The earth buildings were built along vertical lines, here they 
were horizontally oriented. No building was more than 50 feet 
high. The streets were wide and well traveled with machines 
similar to Amy's cars, some also flew through the air.
     After about thirty minutes of travel Lira could see the one 
building that was much taller than the rest in the distance, the 
Royal Palace. The grounds of the palace were stunningly beautiful 
with sculptures made of stone and gardens were also used as 
sculptures of sorts, forming interesting shapes.
     When they landed they were met by many high ranking officials 
and immediately brought into the main throne room. The room itself 
was like an art museum. Paintings and sculptures lined the walls 
that were held up by ornately decorated pillars. At the end of the 
room at the top of several steps was the throne itself, a young 
woman not much older than Lira sat upon it. She looked to be of 
average height for this world, but Lira could sense how powerful 
she was. The Queen wore a long white gown that had a long slit up 
the right leg and a low slung neckline the revealed big, firm 
breasts. The sleeveless gown was also made to draw attention to 
the Queens's bulging biceps and shoulders. The Queen looked Lira 
straight in the eye, a smile was trying to creep on the queens 
face, but was suppressed by the requirements of decorum required 
of royalty.
     " Welcome to Obsidian." The Queens voice was soft and 
feminine, but Lira could sense great , hidden power that could 
spring into action at a moment's notice.
     " I'm Lira Brookslake, I've come from a different world, but 
I can see I am of this world. I have followed a calling of my 
heart that led me here. I have journeyed far and have had to 
defend myself more than a couple of times."
     " She is not one of us!" Said the Captain of the Guard that 
stood at the Queens right hand. " She may look like us, but look 
at her height!  And the reports say that she is the daughter of 
Captain Langs of the Thornsgalang which means she is a half-
breed!"
     " Silence! I will not have someone who has traveled so far 
treated like this in MY throneroom. Lira, lets be honest and 
brief. I don't think you know that much about your family, but 
they almost ruined Obsidian by their excesses. The fate of the 
Thornsgalang was the last thing my family needed to overthrow the 
previous regime. You see, Kirsten Langs was the most popular and 
just of her family line, and when she chose to remain on your 
world in shame, that gave us the opening we needed to accomplish 
the coup de tat. That Kirsten was safe was also a factor. I do not 
know your intentions, but I will do what I must to keep the rule 
of this planet. Even to the point of fighting you."
     " What is the point your Majesty. Does she have the Mark? If 
she doesn't then this audience is over." Said the Prime Minister 
on the Queens left.
     " I do have the mark, but I will not deny my parentage. I 
have no intention of ruling here. The people are happy and this 
city is beautiful. You have allowed people who may cause trouble 
for you to erect a park in honor of someone who might have been 
and enemy. Here, look at the mark of my family!" Lira took off her 
hood and spread her lats while slowing turning in a circle to 
allowing all to see. Gasps from the audience echoed throughout the 
throneroom. "I am of the royal family and have legal claim to the 
throne. But here and now I abdicate the throne in favor of the 
present ruling family!"
     " You must not!" Cried the Captain of the Guard. " In one of 
our holy books it says that someone of the Royal Family will 
deliver our people. You are the fulfillment of that prophecy."
      " Yes, you are correct, I will deliver my people from 
oppression." Said Lira. 
      At that moment the Queen stood up and walked down the steps 
to come face to face with Lira and assumed her battle stance, 
never once talking her eyes off Lira.
       "You don't understand, in abdicating the throne I have just 
delivered Obsidian from the oppression of my family." Walking over 
to the Queen, Lira knelt down on one knee in front of her.
      " No! This cannot happen. The Langs family are the rightful 
rulers of Obsidian." Said the Captain of the Guard. " There are 
many of us who are faithful to the old regime who were waiting for 
this time to retake the rulership. If need be, I will fight the 
Queen myself!"
     "So Thirim, you're a zealot? I should have known." The Queen 
started to walk over Thirim when she was stopped by Lira.
     " Please, Your Majesty, let me champion you. This will 
further strengthen my abdication and your claim."  A nod from her 
head and a small smile gave Lira permission.
     The captain of the guard was tall by Obsidian standards, but 
Lira was still taller than he was. But when he took off his cape 
and helmet, he looked to be very strong and fast. Lira wondered if 
he could grow stronger like Anna with just a thought. Her question 
was answered when he clenched his fists and concentrated, causing 
his muscles to grow far larger than Lira's. Before she could 
react, he leapt at her with blinding speed and landed a kick to 
her midsection. Lira had just enough time to tighten her abs to 
absorb the blow, but she still was knocked off her feet. His style 
of fighting was different than anything Lira had seen before, and 
several times he landed several bone crunching punches to her jaw 
and body. Blood began to trickle from from Lira's nose.
    Seeing that he had the advantage, a sneer of smug confidence 
crept on his face. Again clenching his fists, he let out a scream 
as his muscles again grew in size and strength. Thinking that Lira 
was nearly finished, he waded into Lira uncontrollably, his 
punches and kicks were wild and not well focused.
    Lira's arms were again becoming sore as they took the brunt of 
the Captain's onslaught. She again noticed that when someone of 
her race increased their muscle mass and strength twice, they 
became sloppy and careless. Waiting for the right moment, she 
punched the captain square in the jaw and followed up with a 
blinding combination of punches and kicks. Leaping 10 feet through 
the air, Lira landed the finishing kick to the Captains jaw. He 
flew against a nearby pillar and crumpled to the ground, broken 
chips from the pillar covering his body.
     " Anyone else question my decision?" There was silence in the 
great hall. Lira walked over to the Queen, who lost her royal 
bearing and almost ran over to give Lira a hug.
     " I knew from the moment I saw you that you were not an 
enemy. But I must agree with the Captain, you are not a full 
Obsidian, but Kirsten's choice of mate seemed to have combined the 
best of both races. But I must be convinced that you are indeed 
one of us, for you could have had that mark tattooed on your back. 
All of us are capable of 'The Strengthening', whereby our muscle 
mass and strength is increased. If you could prove that you have 
'The Strengthening', that would be proof enough of your heritage 
and the legality of your abdication."
     Lira started to will her muscles to grow, and to her surprise 
they were eager to respond. Lira felt the power rush into her body 
as her muscles started to swell. Huge veins started to pop up on 
her arms, shoulders and legs. Unconsciously Lira flexed her 
biceps, which exploded from her arms, rising higher and bigger 
than ever before. She could feel the blood causing all her veins 
to throb. A small smile started to appear on Lira's face as well 
as the Queens.
     " Lira indeed has 'The Strengthening'. Plus she defeated the 
Captain of the Guard at his full power without using it herself. 
This day will go down in history as the fulfillment of the 
prophecy of the second Holy Book. We must all celebrate."
     16
     The festivities lasted for almost two weeks. During that time 
the official transference of power was blessed and sanctioned by 
both branches of the Obsidian government. Representatives from all 
parts of the planet came and joined in the party. Contests were 
held, food was eaten, races were run. Gifts from all over the 
planet were given to the Queen and Lira.
     During this time Lira and the Queen, whose name was Anja, 
became close friends. Many people saw them running through the 
city every morning and training together in the afternoon. Anja 
considered this time a well-deserved vacation, and left all 
affairs of state to the new Prime Minister. They spent much time 
talking together about Lira's life and travels. Anja told Lira 
that 'The Strengthening' came to every Obsidian youth at the age 
of twelve, and that is was a rite of passage into adulthood.
     " One day it would just appear?" Asked Lira.
     " Yes, and the celebration would last at least seven days. 
Contests would be held to see how strong they would become and if 
they were worthy to become palace guards, which is one of the 
highest-ranking jobs on the planet. Baldur, the guard you 
defeated, was the champion of all of this province of Obsidian."
      " It was different for me. I had to have a near death 
experience before it would come to me. I guess that's because of 
my mixed heritage."
     " Don't be ashamed of that Lira." Said Anja as she put her 
hand in Lira's. " Let's not talk about that now, tell me more 
about your teachers, this Amy person is quite interesting."
     Soon it became apparent to Lira that her purpose on Obsidian 
was fulfilled. Lira felt like a huge weight was lifted from her 
heart and mind. She was now free to become whatever she wanted. 
The Queen offered Lira the job of Captain of the Guard, but Lira 
refused. She had many things to learn and do. One of which is to 
find Anna and her other missing sister.
     When it was time for Lira to depart, many people came to see 
her off, among them Tor, Hilda and Gretal. Lira shook many hands 
and gave many hugs, lastly to Anja.
    " Good journey to you Lira" said Anja. " Remember, you are 
still my Champion, I've not released you from that obligation. As 
a token of your position and of my friendship, please accept this 
ring. It has the crest of my family and when you show this ring, 
you will be granted the privileges that one of your rank deserves. 
Come back to us anytime you want to get away from your world."
     " Thank you, I accept."
     Holding each other for a long time, Lira then turned around 
and walked into the teleportation portal. The familiar golden 
shower made her body tingle, and the next thing she knew, she was 
back on the Thorngalange. Finding her flashlight she found her 
campsite and her belongings untouched. It was night outside and 
Lira stayed up a long time looking up at the stars. It was here, 
not Obsidian, that was her home. 
     17
     The journey back to Riverglenn was uneventful and even fun 
for Lira since she no longer had that sense of urgency she had 
before. She took a full three days to descend the mountains, 
taking in the view she had of the land.
     Staying for another month at farmer Thromm's she earned 
enough money to travel by carriage to Riverglenn if she wanted. 
But she wanted to go back the way she came, to revisit the various 
stages of her journey.
Thromm drove Lira to the edge of the forest, and with a hug and a 
wave, started to retrace her steps. She walked until sunset where 
she made camp in a clearing that had no trees for about 100 feet 
in each direction. While cooking her meal she could sense she was 
being watched and sure enough, she could see the familiar yellow 
eyes of Kerr hiding in the bushes. Much to her surprise, Kerr 
walked over and sat down next to her.
    " Where have you gone? I have been waiting here for a long 
time." Asked Kerr after Lira fed him a nice chunk of beef.
     " It's a long story, but why didn't you follow me like you 
have before?"
     " You have no scent."
     "That's why Anna couldn't be tracked by Farmer Thromm's 
hunting dogs." Lira thought. " This could be an advantage in the 
future."
       Kerr now became Lira's companion for the rest of her 
journey, but she couldn't figure out why he left whenever she came 
in contact with people. Maybe he was just shy, or a talking wolf 
would draw some unnecessary attention.
      The land started to look more and more familiar as she got 
closer to Riverglenn. When she arrived at the point where Lessa 
and the Prince dropped her off, she was surprised to find them 
there again, waiting for her.
     " Hello Lira. Lessa insisted on coming out here today instead 
of going on patrol. Now I know why. Say, who's your friend over 
there?" The Prince had very sharp eyes and could see Kerr behind 
some trees.
      " His name's Kerr, and I kind of adopted him. Do you think 
Lessa would let him ride along with us?"
      " Call him and we'll see." The Prince was sure that the wolf 
would pose no threat to Lessa.
      Calling Kerr several times, he came out slowly from behind 
the trees. Sniffing the Prince's hand and one of Lessa's paws, 
Kerr climbed on Lessa's broad back along with Lira and the Prince. 
When Lessa ran a few steps to get enough speed to take off, Kerr 
buried his head in Lira's lap and refused to look at the land 
passing below them. 
     When they landed outside Riverglenn, Kerr remained close to 
Lira's side. Again all attention was focused on the four as they 
made their way to the Hall of Learning where they were met by 
Master Emil, who showed Lira to her room.
     " I would like to hear the details of your journey, about 
what the books said, and how you came by a wolf for a friend. I 
think it would make for quite a tale." Emil said as he nodded to 
Kerr. 
      " Yes, it would. But now I need to rest for a bit. I'm 
tired." 
      " I'll send up some supper later, good night." 
      Lira walked over to the window to see the setting sun and 
the stars coming out. Kerr came over and nuzzled Liras hand, 
asking for his head to be scratched.
      She thought of Anna, where did she go?
      And her lost sister, what was she like? Did she have the 
same link with her as she did with Anna?
      She thought back on what happened the last several months, 
how much she learned and the people she met, also about her new 
abilities. She wondered if she was as strong as Amy now that she 
could become stronger with just a thought.
     "That would be fun to find out."

       THE END