Ilona and Hannes

          It had been two days since Ilona had died. It had also been two days since the Goddess turned loving eyes upon her, weighed her soul, measured her heart, and found her worthy to be a representative of the Goddess on this earth. The Goddess had sent her back to her body from the afterlife, so that she could work hard to do the good works of her gracious deity.
          Every initiate of the Goddess, who followed a calling to become a priest or priestess, underwent the ritual that took their life and left it in the hands of the Goddess whether she would keep their souls with her in her heaven, or return it to the earth to serve her there. Many gave up on their trials before they got to the final ritual. Those either went home in disgrace, or joined the monks and nuns, who served the Goddess in other ways. Ilona had always known that it was her calling to be a priestess and nothing would stop her from achieving her goal. A watery death simply meant that she would be in the presence of the Goddess quicker. Not finishing her trials had never been an option.
          The older priestesses had told her to take a few days to recover, so that she could set upon her journey serving the Goddess in her new capacity with renewed strength. Ilona had felt renewed the second the Goddess let breath flow back into her lungs. She kept trying to find things to do; ways to be useful, but no-one would let her do any tasks until the High Priestess gave her approval, which would not be until the third day.
          She was becoming so restless that the Seer Priestess could not stand to have her around anymore, so she had sent the young woman to see if she could catch some fish. It made Ilona productive, but was not too arduous of a task, that she could not relax and continue her recovery.
          Seers were rare, even among those blessed by the Goddess, so the old Priestess was highly esteemed among those at the Temple at the Goddess Mountain, so it reflected well on Ilona that she had been chosen to be the assistant to the Seer during the year she had been at the Temple before her trail. Though she had no 'sight' herself, she had spent her entire life memorizing and translating the sacred texts and prophecies, so she seemed the ideal match to be caretaker of the Seer. She would have preferred to have been the right hand of the High Priestess, but only full-fledged priestesses, not initiates, could work directly with the High Priestess. Now that she had passed her trails she expected to be called into the service of the High Priestess.
          So lost in thought, of the grand things she would do for the Goddess and how proud she would make the High Priestess to have her by her side, was she that she almost did not hear the sounds of splashing, until she was about to walk out of the woods, onto the banks of the stream. She chastised herself for being so oblivious. She was a few miles from the closest dwelling that could be considered part of the Temple complex and a good five miles from the Temple itself, so if she were mauled by a bear or attacked by some other form of wild life, there would be no one near enough to hear her cries of help. She slowed her steps, trying to walk as quietly as she could, sending up a quick prayer for safety, adding to it an apology for being so unthinking and putting the vessel of the Goddess in danger.
          Silently she set her fishing equipment down, edging up slowly until she was crouching behind a tree at the water front. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, sending up another quick prayer for the Goddess' protection, before peaking around the tree.
          Quickly she pulled back, pressing against the tree, her heart pounding nearly out of her chest. She rubbed her eyes, as if by doing so she could dispel the vision that she had just seen. Perhaps the walk here had taken too much out of her. Maybe all of the old, nagging priestesses had been right, when they told her to rest. She quite assuredly could not have actually seen what she thought she had seen.
          Brushing the stray blonde hairs that had fallen from her braid back out of her face, she steeled herself and looked around the tree again. There he stood, very definitely not illusionary, in all of his naked glory, wild red mane blazing in the afternoon sun like fire, spear raised, as he stared hard into the water swirling around his knees. He looked like a statue standing poised for the kill. Taunt, bulging muscles seemed chiseled of white marble then tenderly brushed to sun-kissed perfection. Despite his apparent perfection, he was littered with scars, some jagged, large, angry and ugly, and others small and puckered, while still others faded almost to the point of barely being noticeable. He was obviously a man who had seen more than a few battles, but the imperfections of flesh did not detract from the appeal of his form. As she admired the strength of his arms, the broad expanse of his chest, the definition of his abs, he looked up and saw her staring at him.
          He stood, locking eyes bluer than the clearest sky on her. A cocky smile played over his lips, as he lowered his spear, his shoulders drawing back so he stood his full towering height. He made no attempt to cover himself, nor showed any sign of embarrassment. He looked so arrogant, so brazen, and so utterly beautiful. She knew she should look away, but she just could not bring herself to do so. Her gaze lowered, only to find herself staring at what was between his legs. Her eyes widened, jarring her to pull her eyes from that area of his body back to his face.
          His smile broadened, as he spoke to her in a language that was unlike any she had ever heard before. He turned around, as if putting himself on display for her, speaking to her again, when had come back around to face her.
          His posture, the tone of his voice, and his facial expressions let her know that he was asking her if she liked what she saw. She found herself blushing deeply and, to her great chagrin, nodding her approval. This was not the first naked man she has seen. In her young life she had taken two lovers, both before she had left the temple near the village she was born in to come here to the Temple. They were both comely local boys, who all of the young women had wanted, but neither of them made her heart pound and her breath catch as this stranger did.
          The man lurched suddenly, startling Ilona, causing her to scurry away, only to end up flat on her bottom, staring like a cornered rabbit at him. He let out a resounding laugh, which startled her again, but drew her eyes back to him. He held up his spear, showing her the fish dangling at the end. He spoke in his peculiar language to her again.
          Gathering up her courage, she lifted her chin and said, "I do not understand what you are saying to me."
          He tilted his head sideways, looking her up and down, as if he were trying to figure out just what she was. Finally, he nodded resolutely as if coming to an obvious conclusion, then spoke slow and mollifying, gesturing first to himself, then to her, pointing to the fish, then making eating motions with his mouth. He repeated the mime, then smiled at her, nodding his head happily and wiggling his eyebrows in a, "you know you want to," way.
          She could not help herself. She smiled at him, chuckling softly and nodded back at him. This caused a big grin from the man. He strode confidently out of the water, to where she could now see his clothes and supplies were piled in a little clearing. Sticking the spear, blunt end in the ground and fish end in the air, he walked over and started getting dressed. She was a little surprised that she was disappointed to see him cover up. She got her feet back under her, moving to the tree again, but not getting any closer to him yet. She was fascinated by every movement he made as he started a small fire in a stone ring and began preparing the fish for cooking. She realized that the stones of the cooking ring showed signs of charring, before he started his fire, therefore this man must have made at least one other meal here.
          While the man was cooking the fish, Ilona retrieved her fishing gear and set up three lines. She did not want to have to explain to the Seer that she had brought back no fish for dinner, because she was too busy staring at a handsome stranger, to take care of her work. The truth was she was finding it hard to do her work, because she could not keep her eyes off of the stranger. Occasionally, he would look over at her and smile, causing such a thrill to go through her that she prayed to the Goddess to let her be able to take this man as her lover, even if for just the one day.
          After she was convinced that the lines were secured to the shore enough that a fish getting caught on one would not pull the entire line into the water, she said a prayer over the lines, and then went to sit near the man's fire. She shifted as if she were uncomfortable, repositioning herself this way and that and finally pulling her robes up, so that the thigh, just above the knee was showing. She breathed in deeply and let it out quickly, causing her breasts to heave. She coyly looked up at the man through her long lashes, all of the embarrassment and shyness gone from her, as she attempted to flirt with the man.
          The smile that crossed his lips this time made all of the embarrassment and shyness come right back and she blushed deeply, trying to quickly readjust her robes, to hide her legs again. Her breath caught in her chest, as his hand, rough in texture but gentle to the touch, reached out and staid her hand. He moved closer to her, leaning in, so that the expanse of his chest was almost, but not quite touching her arm. She could feel the heat of his breath on the side of her face. His hand dwarfed hers, as he softly caressed it. He began moving up her thigh, slipping his hand, under her robe when it reached the hem. He let his hand linger there, tracing circles on her flesh, while he gauged her expression. After a few moments it continued on its journey up her leg, edging little by little closer to the secret pleasure that she had between her thighs, which was growing rapidly more excited and moist with each tiny movement he made toward it. She still held her legs together and he made no attempt to separate them, nor did he need to, to cause her passion to rise. When his hand reached the apex of her leg, two fingers, quickly reached out to brush against the cloth covering her. A soft moan escaped her and her body pressed toward him, of its own accord.
          His hand stilled and then moved down and out of her robes. The smile on his face never changed, but he moved away from her, to squat on the other side of the fire, where he busied himself turning the fish on the makeshift spit, so that it would cook evenly.
          She was shocked. Did she really displease him so? He could have had her right then and there, but he pulled away from her. Her embarrassment was so great that tears almost started welling up in her eyes, but then she saw the look on his face. He caught her eyes with his gaze and removed his shirt, tossing it to the side and flexing the muscles of his arms and chest. He was playing a game; starting a mating dance. He did not want her to just give herself over to him. He wanted her to entice him and he wanted to be able to entice her. He wanted her to join in on the game. As soon as she understood that, she grew emboldened.
          Deliberately she took off her boots and set them aside, keeping her eyes on his gaze. She stood, never looking away from his face. Her hands felt as if this were her first time trying to seduce a man, fumbling at the belt of her robes. Once she had the belt off, she let it slip from her hand to the ground then slowly pulled her robes over her head to let them drop down beside the belt. She stood before him in nothing but her modesty cloth. She started to cross her arms over her bare breast, but stopped herself, trying to force her arms to remain casually at her sides.
          She let him drink in the site of her near naked body for several moments, before she moved over to the where he squatted. She pushed him backward, away from the fire, and he let himself be pushed, until he was sitting on the ground, looking up at her. She moved so that one foot was on either side of his hips, and started to straddle him, but his hands came up and grabbed her hips, stopping her. He leaned forward, his face burying in her womanhood, and breathed in the scent of her deeply. He tilted his head back enough for her to see his eyes closed and his face twisted in the beginnings of passion. He moved his face back to the nook between her legs, but this time his mouth covered her, over her modesty cloth, the hot breath that had tantalized her when it played on the side of her face, now caused her vagina to clench and a rush of desire to surge into her womb. She let out another moan, her breath growing ragged. He pulled his head aback again, his own breath starting to get heavier.
          He inhaled the scent of her one more time, before tugging on her hips, to bring her down to sit on his thighs. His hands moved up her sides, and along her arms, until he took her hands in his. Even though she was seated on top of him, he still had to tilt his head down to let his lips brush against hers. This time she took the lead and pressed her lips eagerly against his, letting all the desire she never realized was trapped within her come out in one longing kiss. He returned her kiss with equal fever, but never let her hips move any closer to him than they were.
          His mouth found its way over her neck, shoulder, arms, to her breasts. Any part of her flesh that he could easily reach in their current position became his playground for administering lustful kisses, titillating flicks and licks of his tongue, playful nips, and gently sucking. She freed one hand from his, to tangle it in his hair, while the other caressed the ripping muscles of his body. She arched her back, leaning away from him, her breasts in full display, nipples pointing toward the clear skies, while his mouth worked its way as far down her tummy as his height and their position would allow.
          Her hand moved down over his pants, to where his arousal was most evident. A sudden growl came from his throat, causing her to pull her hand reluctantly away. Her eyes snapped back to his face, afraid she had upset him, but all she found there was deep lust. He pulled her forward enough to put his hands back on her hips, and lift her up. He positioned one of her legs over a massive shoulder, abruptly ripping her modesty cloth from her body, as if it were no more than a flimsy web to be brushed aside. His head started to move toward her, but then he stopped and looked up at her. He spoke to her very tenderly. She did not need to speak his language to be able to understand his tongue. He was asking her for permission. It was obvious that every fiber in his being wanted to take her at that moment, but he was still stopping to ask her with complete earnest for her permission.
          "Yes," she said, breathlessly. "Yes." She gently pushed his head toward her.
          He needed no more invitation to move the warmth of his mouth over her. He repositioned her leg on his shoulder, opening her up more for him, using his tongue to slip her the rest of the way open. He pulled back a little and looked at her open and ready before him. He started speaking rapidly, but in the same tender tone, stopping only briefly to inhale her scent again. His eyes darted back and forth between her face and her womanhood. The canter of his voice rose and lilted, until she was sure that he was reciting poetry in honour of what she had displayed before his eyes. He ended his poem with a deep moan, before his tongue came out and slowly slid up the length of her, from her already pulsating opening to the hard, overly excited clit. Her fingers tightened in his hair, her leg nearly giving out, causing her other leg to fall heavily on his shoulder, which bore her weight without strain. His arm came around to hold her up the rest of the way, while he began tracing lines and circles over her, searching for the areas that elicited the most positive reaction out of her. When he found things that she seemed to like, he narrowed down his search, until he had her squirming and nearly screaming through her breathlessness. The more she showed her desire and pleasure to him, the more enthusiastically he worked on her. He seemed to be savoring the taste of her, as if it were the nectar of the Dieties, and the site of his face etched in such desperate worship of her body, made her feel almost like she was a goddess herself, even if it were blasphemous to think such things.
          The tightening started, as the tingling started growing more intense. She urged him on with words he could not understand and the movement of her body, until the white light and rush of pleasure overtook her body and rocked her to the core. He kept up his actions, until she pulled back from his mouth, then he gently and slowly continued, until her body started relaxing out of the height of her orgasm. She stayed with her leg over his shoulder, his head now resting on her thigh, his arm holding almost her full weight, as she leaned her body over his head, trying to catch her breath.
          They held this position for several minutes, before she suddenly became desperate to have him inside of her. She moved from him, pulling her leg down and kneeling next to him. He had never put his boots back on, so his pants were all she had to remove from him. She began to pull at them, but his hands moved to slow her. She no longer wanted slow. She wanted now. She leaned in and kissed him deeply, tasting her own fluids still in his mouth. Her hands moved his out of the way and pulling open his pants enough so that she could reach in and feel the fullness of his erection. It jumped in her hand, and the kiss they were still holding became more impassioned.
          Together the two of them worked together to get his pants off, him now as eager as she was. Straddling him, she slowed down at last, reaching down to guide him into her. She wanted to savour every luscious bit of him, as he slid little by little into her. He groaned so loud, she feared that they would be able to hear him at the Temple miles away. It spurred her to get him all the way inside of her then start setting a steady rhythm, moving him in and out. He leaned back, one arm holding up his body, and the hand of the other arm caressing her body. His head fell back, as a sound of part laughter and part animal desire came out of his mouth. His hips moved up to meet hers, but he let her set the pace. She moved her body over him, closing her eyes so that she could get lost in the feel of him, but then opening them again to drink in the glorious beauty of his form. He seemed to be lost in the same conflict of closing his eyes with passion and wanting to impress every detail of her body into his mind. She smiled and worked him inside of her to just the spots that sent her closer to the heavens.
          He sat bolt upright, grabbing her hips, his mouth covering hers, his thrusting growing more fevered as he yelled into her mouth. He began speaking rapidly again, and she could feel him spilling inside of her. She relished the feel and sight of him caught up in his orgasm and expected that he would collapse down after he was finish, but instead his hand went to her nether regions while he was still semi hard inside of her, and kept working her, so that he could send her over the top one more time.
          When they were done, they sat there leaning against each other, panting and laughing. After a bit, he gently kissed her, and then gestured to the fish, tilting his head in inquiry.
          She smiled. "Yes," she nodded. "I am very hungry now."
          They dressed quietly, then sat leaning against one another, as they ate, not quite ready to physically separate from each other. He made a clearing sound in his throat, looking at her as if he wanted to say something, but was contemplating how to do so. Finally, he pointed to his chest. "Hannes."
          Was that his name? Was he introducing himself to her now? After all that has just occurred? Had all of that just occurred before they introduced themselves to each other? She could feel the blush heating her face again. "Ilona," she said, pointing to herself.
          "Ilona," he said slowly, as if considering the world. When he spoke her name, it sounded like sweet music, rumbling smoothly over his lips. He smiled and said her name again, nodding slightly. He looked at her as if she were a prize possession, something to be cherished. He whispered her name once again, his smile softening, like someone recalling a fond memory.

          Our Goddess is a great and giving lady! The most amazing thing happened today!" Ilona said, entering the small cottage, alongside the main temple, where she and the Seer resided. She plopped the two good sized fish that her lines had managed to snag, on the counter, then quickly went and knelt by the old Seer as she prayed by their Goddess alter. She had completely lost track of time and did not realize it was time for late afternoon prayers.
          When she finished the flood of prayers that issued silently from her soul to the Goddess, she looked over to the elder Priestess, who was staring at her, with tears coming from her eyes.
          "Seer!" Ilona said, panic suddenly gripping her. She had never once seen the Seer looked upset. The older woman had always handled every situation with complete aplomb and dignity, even when her dearest friend had moved onto the presence of the Goddess the month before. "What is wrong? Why are you crying?"
          "What have you done child?" The Seer almost did not get out the words, through the sobs that racked her.
          "I -I..." Ilona was at a loss. What could she have possibly done to cause this reaction? The eyes of the old woman were terrified.
          "I see such pain, such sadness, so much blood and death!" A hand that was normally gentle and soothing was suddenly like a taloned claw digging into Ilona's arm. The young woman started to pull away, but all of her years of training would not let her move away from the superior Priestess. "You have changed the fate of the world!"
          Finally getting back her voice, Ilona practically whispered. "I just met a man."
          "You must never see him again!" The woman clutched at her desperately. "Do you understand? The Goddess has shown me such sorrows! I see the birth of a child with flame red hair. A great enemy will follow this child across our lands destroying our sisters and brothers. If this child - your child - is born, then a prophecy that is yet to be set in the web of fate, will come to being and the Goddess will be forced to choose an Avatar to help protect us all from this enemy. So much bloodshed! Promise me you will have nothing to do with this man you have met, ever again!"
          The words were reverberating in her head like the beat of a war drum. Flame red hair, your child, enemy, blood, never see him again. Tears were now streaming down her face. "You said the prophecy was not yet set on the web of fate. It can be changed?"
          The old woman tried to regain her composure. "There are prophecies that the Goddess in her wisdom has set upon the web and none can change them, but there are others that belong to threads of the web, that have yet to be created. Those prophecies will only come into being if we do not see the signs and keep those threads from taking hold in the web." She looked Ilona in the eyes. Do you promise, child?"
          Ilona nodded her head vigorously. Surely she would not be with child after one time lying with a man. What cruel fate had led her astray? She had prayed to the Goddess and had received such a marvelous event in her life, only to find it was not a Goddess gift, but some trickster's cruel twist to bring misery into the world. How could such a joyful union with a man that seemed so wonderful, lead to such an evil set of events?
          "I promise, Seer." She almost added, "By the Goddess," to that, but stopped herself. Her entire life she had felt as if she was touched by the Goddess and had a special destiny. Her self-confidence had been the driving force that had brought her through her trials to become a Priestess. She knew, just knew, with every bit of faith within her that it was the hand of the Goddess she had felt guiding her toward the beautiful foreign man today. But seeing the terror in the old woman's eyes and then seeing her complete relief when Ilona gave her promise, gave her pause. She had to see him again. If for no other reason, then to explain to him that she could not see him any longer. Even if he could not understand her words, he would understand their meaning. He had to. This is why she left the promise open ended. She did not say what she was promising, simply that she promised. She knew it was a deception, but her heart was telling her it was necessary.
          She prayed to herself, as the Seer hugged her. "Please, Goddess. I know that the joy that I felt with this man was given to me by you. Do not take this away from me. Please, let me find a way to change the course that this thread of fate takes through the web."
          "We will keep this to ourselves," the Seer said in what was meant to be a reassuring tone. "If you never see this man again, then he cannot fill your belly and these events will never come to pass. You are a good girl, Ilona. I know the Goddess will put it in your heart to do what is right. So long as you keep your promise, there is no need to tell the High Priestess or anyone else about this."
          Ilona smiled at the old woman. "Thank you, Seer. Let us put this behind us and I will cook the fish that I caught today for us." She gave the elder priestess another quick hug and went to prepare the fish. Her hand rested on her belly. One time with a man could not be enough for his seed to fill her belly, could it?


         Ilona was one of only two Initiates that had made it all the way through to the final test this year.  The other Initiate had been a male.  Few males chose to follow the path of the Goddess instead of the path of the Twin Gods, therefore all held out high hopes that he would make it through his trials to become a priest. Ilona had felt resentment toward the man, because of the attention he garnered. She knew it was wrong to feel such vanity, but she had wanted this to be her time to shine for the Goddess; to be the brightest star in the eyes of the Lady. 
          
         She had gotten her wish.  After seeing Ilona go through the final test, having the air taken from her, her lungs filled with water, her body thrashing until she went calm and her eyes became fixed and there was no spark of life in her, even after the Goddess brought her back to do her will as a Priestess, the man had lost his will.  His would be a different path than that of a Priest.
          He was in the room with her, waiting for the High Priestess to call each of them in and speak with them privately.  His eyes were downcast and filled with shame.  She knew those eyes were cool, pale blue and until the night of the test had been filled with a self-assured spark that matched her own.  He ran a hand through his short, dark hair and sighed deeply for the third time since they had been sitting there.
          "The Goddess has a different plan for each of us. Not being a priest does not mean you cannot still serve her in a way she intended you to serve." Ilona said, trying to sound comforting. She could not imagine what he was feeling now, because she could not imagine herself being in his situation.
          He looked up at her and smiled wanely. He had a very handsome face. She had thought so since she first laid eyes on him. She had even considered him as someone she might take as a lover some day in the future. He glanced at the door, leading into the High Priestess' receiving room. "That is what everyone keeps telling me. Every time someone tries to be nice to me and make me feel better, I feel more like a failure. My friend James and I made this pilgrimage together. When we arrived a few months ago, he knew that he was destined to be a soldier in the service of the Goddess and I was sure I was meant to be a Priest. One of us was right, at least."
          Ilona did not know what to say. So she stayed silent and waited to see if he would continue.
          "James says that I am still young and just as strong as him. I used to practice with him when we were back home, so I know a thing or two. He thinks I should ask the Priestess to be a soldier like him."
          "Are you going to ask her?" Ilona inquired.
          "I am not sure. Perhaps it is best to just let the High Priestess divine what the Goddess wishes of me, instead of trying to figure it out myself and being wrong again." He looked at her. "Congratulations. When they pulled you from the water and I saw you starting to turn blue, I did not think you would make it back. I prayed to the Goddess that you would be brought back to serve with us instead of being taken to her."
          Ilona was a little shocked by this revelation. "Why would you do that? Whether we serve the Goddess here or in her heaven, we still serve."
          "Because everyone here knows how special you are. They all want to be close to you hoping that some of the favour that the Goddess has bestowed on you will rub off. And also," he blushed before he continued, "you are the most beautiful woman at the Temple complex. If you had been taken, we would no longer have the pleasure of seeing you."
          She opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the door the High Priestess' room opening up. The High Priestess herself stood at the door. She looked at Ilona and then at the man. "Roan, please enter." She turned and went back into the room, without waiting to see if he was following.
          Ilona tried to give him an encouraging smile, which he tried to return. The door shut behind them and Ilona was left alone with her thoughts. For the first time since she and the Seer had spoken, thoughts of the stranger were overtaking her mind. What if the Goddess showed the High Priestess everything? What if she decided to cast Ilona out before she could be the catalyst to a prophecy?" The door was opening again, before she knew it and by now her mind was in turmoil.
          Roan was smiling when he came out. As he passed by Ilona he whispered. I will wait for you to come out, so we can compare notes."
          Ilona was not sure why he would want to stay and speak with her afterward, but she really did not have time think about it. The High Priestess called her into the room. Ilona was not sure what she expected, but it was not the simply furnished room, and was definitely not the High Priestess sitting in a high back chair, picking up needlework to do, and gesturing for Ilona to sit in a similar chair across from her. The High Priestess poked the needle with the brightly coloured thread into the cloth.
          "I have prayed for you the last few days. I have prayed that the Goddess would let me know which path was the best for you to travel." She paused as she made several careful stitches. "She has let me know that she has a special destiny for you. You are to stay here among those who are chosen for the Temple at the Goddess Mountain. You are still young and there is much for you to learn. Your way here will not be easy. You are to learn all of the ways of the Goddess Temple, from the lowest of labor to the greatest of tasks. In fact, your first task will be to work with those who take care of our herds and who tend our crops. When the Goddess has shown me that you have learned the lessons she requires of you there, then you will be given your next assignment. When at last the Goddess is satisfied that you know all she wishes you to know then you will come to learn under my hand." She stopped her needlework long enough to look at Ilona sternly. "You will have the rest of the day to pack your things at the Seer's and teach the initiate that I have sent over there the basics of caring for the Seer, as you were taught. You will stay one more night with her and then you will present yourself to the herd mistress. You may go now."
          Ilona was stunned. She had thought that she would be working beside the High Priestess right away. How could she be betrayed like this? Was the Goddess testing her resolve? She hid all of her thoughts and her anger away, giving a silent prayer to the Goddess for understanding. "Yes, High Priestess. Thank you." She bowed respectfully, before seeing herself out.
          As promised, Roan had waited for her. "She has made me one of her personal scribes and she wants me to train with the soldiers, also, so that I can also be a personal guard." He was very excited and practically bursting to tell her all about it. "Everyone knows that you would be picked to work with her, so we could be seeing each other a lot more."
          "No, we will not." Ilona said, trying not to burst out in either tears or screams. "I am to be sent to the herd mistress.
          "This cannot be." The tone in his voice carried genuine bewilderment.
          She snapped at him, "It is so! I am to be the lowest, doing menial work! The High Priestess says that I must learn all of the tasks of the Temple, before I am allowed to learn from her. She says the Goddess has much to teach me." She bit her lower lip hard before continuing. "I am not good enough to serve by the side of the High Priestess yet."
          Despite her shame, she steeled herself and looked into the eyes of the man. She wished she had not, because he was grinning like an idiot. She was instantly infuriated.
          "Do you not see what this means?" Roan asked. When he saw in her face that she did not, he explained it to her. "There is only one person at the Temple to whom the Goddess teaches the lessons of all."
          Ilona stared at him in confusion for several seconds before realization started to dawn. "Do you mean to say...?"
          He laughed. "Ilona you are being tested to see if you are to be the next High Priestess!"
          She could not contain herself. She was so excited that she threw herself at the man and kissed him on the lips. She realized what she was doing after a few seconds and pulled away shyly. "I am sorry. I got a little carried away in my excitement.
          "It is fine with me. You can get carried away like that with me anytime you want."
          She blushed deeply. "Do you really think that I am being groomed to be the next High Priestess?"
          "I think that if you work hard, show humility in all things, and prove your devotion that it is very likely you will become the next High Priestess." He said.
          She kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you Roan!" With a new found energy, she rushed back to the Seer's house to start on the next leg of her Goddess journey.
          Ilona instructed the new Initiate in how to properly care for the Seer. Clara was a quick study and in no time Ilona's few belongings were packed and for all intents and purposes, she had been replaced.
          Darkness was falling as she knelt before the Seer. Ilona would rise and leave to meet the herd mistress well before the Seer was done with her morning meditations so there would be no time for morning farewells. The old woman sat at the edge of her bed and placed her hand on Ilona's head and whispered a prayer of blessing. Ilona searched her face for specific guidance, but the Seer just shook her head before lying down and placing her head on her pillow.
          Ilona and the Initiate tucked the covers around the Seer and left the room. "Get some rest Clara" Ilona told her. "I have a few more things to see to".
          "Yes Priestess" the girl replied. Ilona froze for a moment. This was the first time she had been addressed by the title and it seemed strange. A smile bloomed across her face as the Initiate retreated to her room for the night. Ilona had other plans however, that included very little sleep. As the sun lowered on the horizon, she sought out Roan.
          When she found the scribe, he was sparring with a tall dark-haired man. The soldier noticed her arrival before Roan did and as Roan's practice sword swung towards him; the fighter mis-stepped and fell to the ground.
          "James! Are you okay? What happened?" Roan exclaimed as he sheathed his sword and rushed to his side.
          "Oh! You're just too much for me" the soldier said.
          Roan cocked his head to the side. "Did you hit your head when you fell?"
          James took the hand Roan extended to him and nodded his head in greeting to Ilona. "Priestess, be careful of this one. He's fierce".
          Roan looked over his shoulder in surprise and then shook his head and chuckled, "Hello Ilona. Don't mind James. He's trying to make me look good."
          "He does not have to try very hard. You always look good," Ilona said, pushing down the flush that her forwardness was bringing to her cheeks.
          Both men turned to her. Roan with look of surprise on his face and James with a look of knowing on his.
          "And I think that is my cue to leave," James said with a broad smile. "Goodnight, Priestess," he said to Ilona with a small bow of reverence. "I will see you in the morning," he said to Roan before heading off.
          Roan watched his friend leave, then turned back to Ilona, "To what do I owe the ple--." He never got the chance to finish his sentence, because she crossed the short distance between them and was standing on her tip toes, pulling him in for a kiss, before he could.
          He stiffened for a moment, but quickly eased into the kiss. A couple of minutes she pulled back from him. His breath was heavy, and he was obviously receptive following her wherever she wanted to take this.
          "I thought a ... celebration," she smiled coyly, "would be appropriate. For the life changes we are about to embark." She had considered taking him as a lover before. And if a seed had already been planted inside of her, then he would make a good father. She just needed to make sure it was believable that it could be his.
          "Yes, Priestess," he said as he allowed himself to be lead away.


         For weeks Ilona worked from before the sun came up and well passed when it went down. The herd mistress believed that idle hands were a sin against the Goddess and that if you did not go to bed aching and too tired to stand, then you wasted your day. Even though the Goddess believed in hard work and pushing yourself physically and spiritually, she also taught peace of mind and body, as well as taking time to enjoy life and experience the goodness in the world.

Normally, Ilona would be quietly complaining to herself about working so hard for so long, without a chance to have time to herself for enjoyment, but there had been much on her mind and throwing herself into hard work kept her from thinking about it. One worry had left her mind, when her woman's time came to her. She no longer had to worry about if she were carrying the red-headed stranger's baby. It did not keep her from longing to see him again and simultaneously fearing she would see him again. He was just a man she has passed a few hours with, so she did not understand why he permeated her thoughts so thoroughly. She dreamed about him almost every night and every morning she awoke with his name on her lips. When she lay in the bed that she shared with two other priestesses, she would have to pray to the Goddess to give her strength, because she could still feel his hands on her body and she longed to feel it again in person.

Today she finally had a day to herself. The herd mistress had gruffly dismissed her this morning when she reported in for her daily assignment and told her to spend the day doing as the Goddess willed and to report back the next morning. She could have gone to visit Roan and see if there was anything she could do to help him with his work. The man had been showing up regularly, when he had time free, to visit with her and to help her with her own work. She was quickly beginning to think of him as a friend, more so as her best friend. He should be the man that she took as her regular lover and if she were to have a child in the future, then it should be his. He was kind and caring, intelligent, handsome, devoted, and could make her laugh, even when she was trying to be in a bad mood. He was the kind of man she would have dreamed of the Goddess sending her before, but no matter how perfect for her he seemed to be, her mind kept going to the stranger. Roan's hand brushed against her hand and it was Hannes' hand that her flesh longed to feel.

As she sat at the far end of the field, watching the cattle, which were someone else's responsibility today, grazing and lounging, the warm sun falling on her and the light breeze blowing through her loose hair, she felt the presence of someone behind her. She felt a hand gently caress her blonde locks. A smile played on her lips, wondering how he had figured out where she would be. "I thought today was your day to train with James."

The person behind her leaned in to smell her hair.  The voice that answered her was deeper and richer than Roan's soothing, gentle voice and it spoke to her in sounds that did not form words that she recognized. His red hair splashed over her shoulder, verifying who was behind her, in case the voice had not given him away.

Ilona panicked looking about the field to make sure that no one else was there to see the man. Hopping up quickly she grabbed his hand and began running toward the tree line. Hannes laughed, causing Ilona to stop and put her hand over his mouth. She looked around again, to be sure that the sound has not alerted anyone, but the only one in sight was the girl in charge of watching the cattle today, and she was busy examining a cow that was heavy with calf, showing no signs of having seen or heard the man. Ilona put on finger to her lips then moved her hand and put the finger to his lips, glancing at the girl one more time, before heading toward the trees again.

She did not stop and turn to him, until they were well within the gloom of the woods. He pressed his body against her and backed her against a tree, whispering words she could not understand into her ear, but that seemed to be filled with meaning and longing that she could not misunderstand their meaning.  His hand gently caressed her cheek. He murmured her name, "Ilona." And in that one word she knew that he had missed her and had longed for her as much as she had him.

The emotions that were racing through her were insane. She knew next to nothing about this man and yet ... and yet her heart was telling her what her brain had so desperately been denying. The connection that they had made on that first day went far beyond just lust. This man was the mate to her soul. To the depths of her being she was sure of this now. May the Goddess forgive her; this was the man that she loved.

Her mouth found his and she poured every bit of her repressed emotions into him. He kissed her back with equal enthusiasm, but then he pulled back from her, the words like poetry flooding from his mouth again and washing over her. His fingers interlaced with hers and he took a step back. "Come."

Her eyes widened. "You can speak my language!" She did not know whether to feel relieved or betrayed.

He cocked his head sideways the expression on his face one of a man carefully thinking over what had just been said to him. The smile came back after a few moments. In his thick accent he said, "Very little." The stream of foreign words started again and she got the impression that he was telling her they did not need words to understand one another. He gently pulled on her hand. She followed willingly.

He led her through the woods, bringing them to walk parallel to the mountains. They grew closer and closer to the Goddess Mountain, the shadow of it deepening the gloom of the woods. Her heart began to race, when he started climbing the mountain. He looked back at her to see if she was having any difficulty, but she had already climbed this mountain for her trials. This was the easy part of the climb.

         They were about an eighth of the way up the mountain when he suddenly ducked behind a large boulder. The space behind the giant rock was barely big enough for him to edge through sideways, but he kept going. He took a few long strides then stepped backwards. Ilona had not even seen the opening until he disappeared into it. It was another several steps toward the mountain and the space slanted at an angle and widened slightly. The face of the rock at their sides grew higher. Ilona was amazed that Hannes had managed to find this place, when she was sure that no one from the Temple knew it was here.
         
The man stopped and knelt down. Looking over his shoulder, Ilona could see him trying to light a torch with a flint. It was not until then that she realized they were standing in front of an opening to a cave. Once the torch was lit and the flint back in his pocket, he led her into the cave.

Even with the torch they were barely able to see their way through the caves. She wondered where in the world he was leading her and more so she questioned her sanity for following so passively. They were stooped most of the way, sometimes even having to crawl, and the air was thick to breathe. To Ilona it seemed a timeless eternity that they made their way through the caves, but eventually the cave walls parted, they stood up straight and she could make out a pale light ahead of them.

As they walked through the opening, Hannes put the torch out. Dozens of small openings in the cave ceiling allowed sunlight to filter in, creating enough illumination for her to see that they were in a large cavern. The floor of the cavern was covered in tiny, shimmering, white flowers, nestled in thick moss and straining their blooms toward the rays of sunlight, which looked more like stars scattered over the dark night sky shining down, then holes letting in the sun.

Hannes bent down and plucked up one of the flowers, blowing on its petals. The white shimmer came off of the flower, sparkling in the air, leaving the petal clear like glass. He kissed the flower and then placed it in her hair.

         He lead her further into the cavern, until she noticed the glow of embers and a spot where a bedroll had been laid out along with several other neatly organized items. This must be where he had been sleeping. As they drew nearer, the aroma of roasting meat came to her. A small animal was on a spit over the embers and there were two plates that had an assortment of berries on them.
         
         Ilona smiled brightly. He had sought her out, specifically to bring her here to have a meal with him. She wondered if he had done this before, but had been unable to find her, because she had been busy at work.
         
         Hannes guided her over to the bedroll and let her sit down, before adding some of the roasted meat to the plates and bringing them over. He sat down beside her, placing one plate on his lap and took one of the berries off of the other and brought it to her lips. Ilona opened her mouth, chuckling. She had not been fed by someone else since she was a baby. He squished the berry slightly as he placed it in her mouth, causing the juice to drip on her lip. He moved his head close to hers, his lips hovering just barely over hers, and licked the juice up. He grinned leaning back, this time taking a bit of the meat and bring it to her mouth.
         In between the bites of food he was feeding her, he ate his own meal. Some of the berries that he fed her made it into her mouth without incident, but some of them would drip on her, which he dutifully cleaned up with his mouth. When he was down to one last berry he did not bring it to her mouth. Instead he squeezed it until the juice started coming out and brought it to her neck, just below her ear. He used the juice to trace a line down her neck, over her throat, and down her chest to the top of her robes, his mouth following behind to clean it up. The berry went back up her throat, over her chin, across her lips and into her mouth, soon followed by his mouth, which covered hers passionately.
         
         He tossed aside the plates as he lowered her to the bedroll. She thought he was going to ravish her, remembering the heated passion they had felt before, but it was different this time. He kissed her exposed flesh; his hands caressed her through her clothes. He whispered sweet nothings, in his native tongue, gazing into her eyes and running his hand through her hair. Their clothes came off slowly, piece by piece over time. Never did he try to take her, instead being completely fascinated by exploring her body, as if he were trying to commit to the memory of all of his senses every detail about her.
         Liona luxuriated in his attentions, caressing his flesh and exploring him in kind. Her heat was growing greater and greater the more they touched, but so was the heady build of energy between them. Though, just as passionate as before, this was a different experience. This was not just a meeting of the bodies to bring on a burst of pleasure. This was an exchange of energy as well as pleasure. The more they touched, the more she felt connected deeply to this man. When at last his hand went to the area between her legs, she opened up to him fully. As he moved atop her, her hands went to his back, the pads of her fingers pressing urgently into his strong muscles. As he entered her, she gasped sharply, her hips moving up to meet his.
         
         How long they made love in the cave, she was not sure, but the light from the openings in the cavern ceiling grew dimmer, until at last they were climaxing for the final time, in a darkness that would have been pitch, save for the slight glow of the cook fire embers that still lingered. They lay entangled with one another, sweat covering their bodies, still unable to stop touching one another, while they tried to catch their breath.
         
         Eventually, he shifted away from her. She could hear him moving around, but could not see what he was doing, until the light of the fire sparked to life again. He helped her up from the bedroll, kissing the top of her head.  Silently, they got dressed, stopping a few times to touch and kiss again. He retrieved the torch from earlier and lit it off of the flames from the cook fire. As they left that place, Ilona could not help but think she was leaving a special part of her heart behind in the heart of the Goddess Mountain.
         
         The night breath was refreshing, as they came out of the passage to the cave and after he extinguished the torch, they could not help but laugh and run through the woods. When they got closer to where he had met her earlier in the day they hushed. At the very spot she had been sitting that morning, he stopped and turned to her. The silvery light of the full moon shone down on them as he pulled her close. He lifted her chin, so that she was staring up into those bright blue eyes. There was a sadness there that she did not understand. His words were weighted and his speech slow. She had become so accustomed to the light-hearted tone of his voice and words that flowed quickly from his tongue like magical verse that she could not help but worry at the sudden change. She knew he was trying to talk to her about something serious, but she did not know what.
         
         Finally he sighed heavily. Tenderly he cradled her face in his large hands and kissed her fore head. He met her eyes, his mouth moving before words came out as if he were not sure he was about the say the proper phrase. "Hannes go home."
         
         The words stunned her. She had only seen this man twice, but the idea of him leaving her crushed her heart.  Tears started forming in her eyes.
         
         He moved took both her hands in his, and moved them to his chest. "Heart for Ilona." He looked at her earnestly. "Ilona wait?"
         
         She did not stop to think before she nodded her acceptance and clung to him desperately. They held on to one another for a time indeterminable, before he pulled away from her with one last kiss and walked away.
         
         She watched the woods, long after he disappeared. It was not until she heard the first song of birds start and saw the glow of predawn start in the sky that she turned to report to the herd mistress.
         
         
         
         
         The first days were the hardest, but soon the days turned to weeks, the weeks turned to months. People got so used to seeing her with Roan, that when her belly started to swell, it was just assumed that the child within was his. Since she had taken him as a regular lover, even Roan assumed it was his and proudly boasted about the strong, brilliant and beautiful child they would have. Ilona had been moved from her duty with the herds and in the gardens. She spent her days spinning thread or weaving fabric, except on the days when she assisted the other priestesses, priests, nuns and monks whose job it was to aid those who made their way to the Goddess Mountain to seek healing from the Goddess. She avoided going anywhere that she might run into the Seer. Ilona still loved the woman and missed the time they used to spend together, but she feared what the old Priestess would see if they were to cross paths. Luckily, the Goddess Temple and the complex were large and Ilona knew the Seer's routine enough, it was easier to avoid her.
         
         Her life was falling into a pleasant routine. She had a good man with her and she even had a sort of love for him. She knew she could never been connected to him in the same way she had been with Hannes, but she could have a contented life with him.
         
         Thoughts of Hannes always brought heartache and sadness. He had asked her to wait for him, but months had passed and she was near her time for her baby to come. She had heard nothing from him and even though her eyes often searched the woods for a telltale flash of flaming red hair, there was nothing.  Either he had forgotten about her after he left, or something had happened to him. She could not imagine that he lived so far away that he would be gone the entire time it would take for the child to grow within her.

         
         Ilona was having breakfast with the nuns that lived in the station halfway up the mountain. The High Priestess was going to be holding special winter rites at the Goddess stone at midnight this night. They had started the trek up the mountain at day break the night before, the High Priestess, many of the priestesses and priests, as well as many of the holy soldiers of the small army that protected the Temple. Roan had been called with two other scribes to document the events and James was one of the soldiers that went to guard the event. Ilona had wanted to go the entire way up the mountain, but the High Priestess had forbid it. Even at the base of the mountains, the Temple was far enough south that the winters were mild, but things grew harsher as you got to the top of the mountain, and the terrain became more dangerous. When Ilona had climbed the mountain for her trial, she had not been heavy with child and the top had not been so thick with snow.

         She had gone as far as they would allow her and now she just waited at the way station for them to come back down. She and the nuns were just gathering the dishes after their meal, so that they could be cleaned and put away, when they heard what sounded like voices. They stopped to listen. If someone in the procession that had gone up for the rites was heading back now, then they might be injured. One of the nuns was heading toward the door to investigate when the door splintered and fell in.

         Four large men with weapons came into the room. The first nun was killed before they even registered what was happening. Ilona's hand went to her belly and a she sent a prayer to the goddess, for her child's safety, when she became transfixed. Two of the men had bright red hair, an exact match for Hannes' hair. "No," she thought. "It cannot be. He could not have been a part of an invading enemy."

         The men were advancing on the two remaining woman. The men started laughing when the nun picked up a heavy pan and brandished it like a weapon. Ilona backed up, until her back was against the wall, but the men still advanced, weapons raised. They divided and lurched toward the women. A fifth man ran through the door a reverberating battle cry clawing its way from his chest. The two men advancing on Ilona were the first to fall. The Nun was killed before he could take out the other two men.

         Hannes glanced at Ilona and screamed something at her in his language. When she remained frozen, he yelled, "RUN!"

         She was moving as soon as the word was out of his mouth and was out of the door while he fended off the other men. She started to head toward the path that would lead her back down the mountain, but then she saw the flames from the Temple complex. "No," she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes, before she turned to head up the mountain, to what she hoped would be safety.

         It had been morning when she left the way station, but it was long past night fall when she managed to pull herself onto the clearing where the Goddess stone was. She had started having pains almost as soon as she had run from the station. They had gotten so bad and so close together that she was not sure how she was keeping herself moving.

         She had hoped to find a haven with the High Priestess and the others, but she was painfully disappointed. The clearing was littered with the bodies of the people of the Temple as well as those of the invaders. She frantically searched the bodies for signs of someone living, but most especially for Roan. As she came around the side of the Goddess Stone, she saw three figures. Two were knelt on either side of a third, propped up against the rock. The moonlight filtered down on the High Priestess, her breath loud and ragged, as she struggled to hang on to life. Roan and James both turned their faces to Ilona. As soon as he saw her, Roan left the High Priestess' side and moved toward Ilona. He got a few steps toward her and fell to his knees, coughing uncontrollably. She hurried over to him, but when he looked up at her, she realized that he had been coughing up blood. His hand was over a wound in his chest and another wound in his gut was bleeding steadily.

         A pain gripped her just then and she cried out, falling to the ground beside him. Roan managed to move over to her and put his arms around her. "It will be alright," he murmured. "I am here with you."

         "Ilona," the High Priestess said. Ilona looked over as the woman was giving whispered orders to James to help her over to the pregnant woman. James did as he was bid, gently lifting the Priestess up and carrying her the few steps to Ilona.

         The Priestess started again, though it was obvious that it was difficult for her to breath, much less talk. "Ilona, the Goddess has chosen you." The High Priestess pulled her prayer beads out of the pocket in her robes and pressed them into Ilona's hands. She fell back against James and let out the last of the breath in her lungs, her eyes becoming fixed.

         Ilona screamed out in pain, in sorrow and in anguish. James lowered the High Priestess to the ground, reciting a quick prayer over her and then moved over to Ilona. Roan was still holding on to life and trying his best to sooth Ilona through her labor pains. James lifted her and moved her to the Goddess Stone, before helping Roan over beside her. The two lovers held hands, as James attempted to coach Ilona through the birth. He was no midwife, but he was all that she had right now.

         She was feeling the urge to push now and he told her to go with her instinct, so she started pushing. About half an hour later, the sun was starting to blush the sky and Ilona was giving one hard push through the pain of contraction. She felt the baby slide from her. James caught the child and handed it to Ilona. "It is a girl."

         "A daughter," Roan croaked. He looked lovingly at the child, then at her mother. "A beautiful blonde haired girl, just like her mother." He smiled. "I would have proudly raised her as my own."

         The surprise must have been plain to see on Ilona's face, even in the dim light. Roan reached out and caressed her face with a hand covered in his own blood. "I met your red headed foreigner. He was excited to meet someone who could speak his language. The village that James and I come from is on the border of the North. It was common practice to learn the language for trade. He told me about meeting you. I told him that I had loved you since the day I had first met you, too, even though you never showed any interest in me. On the day that he went back to his people, he asked me to look after you."

         "You have done a good job my friend," said a voice to the left of them.

         "Why, did you bring them here?" Roan asked back in the Northern language.

         "I swear to you that I did as I promised you. I went back to my homeland and I told them that I found no temple at the base of the mountain. I told them that the rumours of a Temple to a foreign Goddess brimming with riches was just a myth. I told them there were only simple cattle herders here." He came to kneel beside Roan and took his hand. "They did not believe me. They tossed me in a dungeon cell and sent a small force, that they thought could make it through your lands without being detected, to find out the truth."

         "This is just a small force?" James asked, as he wrapped the baby in his cloak.

         Hannes saw the baby for the first time and reached out to touch her, but stopped when he saw the look on Roan's face. "Yes, this is a small force and you see how much damage it has done." He looked at James. "If any escape to get back home, then my people will return with a larger army."

         Ilona screamed again. The three men dropped their conversation to focus on her. Within a minute she was giving birth to a second daughter. James held up the tiny little girl with her flame red hair, plastered to her head.

         Roan chuckled, "That one I could not have passed off as mine." He cringed, biting back his own cry of pain. His breath was coming much harder now. "Now it will be your responsibility to take care of them."

         Hannes looked to the little red head that James was wrapping in the cloak with the other baby. He looked at the exhausted Ilona and then back to Roan. "We will call that one Roanna."
         Roan smiled, gave Ilona's hand a squeeze and let out his last breath.

         James and Hannes knew that Ilona and the babies would not last long on the top of the cold mountain, so they were forced to leave the bodies where they were for now. As they sun rose fully over the mountain, the three adults with the two little ones, started down the mountain.

         It took much longer than it normally would have to get down the mountain. By the time they got back to the Temple complex, people were already burying the dead and cleaning up as much as they could. The holy soldiers had actually taken out the invaders at the base of the mountain quickly, so not many people as they might have feared were killed by the enemy. Most of those killed had died in the fires that the invaders had started. The Goddess had seen fit to keep the fires from growing too out of control, so most of the complex was intact and the temple itself had not been touched.

         The exhausted trio stopped in the woods near the complex. Honey turned to Hannes, but spoke to James. "Tell him that if he comes in there with us, they will kill him."

         James translated and then translated what Hannes answered. "He says he will not leave you. He will not leave your children."

         Ilona looked at the prayer beads wrapped around her hand, then back to Hannes. "I am the High Priestess now. The Goddess has chosen me for this task and I cannot deny her." She looked at the red headed little one in her arms and thought about the things the Seer had told her. Was this just a taste of the future blood and sorrow that she foresaw? As James translated what she had said, she handed the baby over to Hannes. "You must take her. The two of you must get to safety. She has your hair, so they will blame her for what has happened here tonight."

         Hannes took the baby, and stared dumbfounded, as Ilona took her other daughter from James. He struggled for words, but none came. Holding the baby in one arm he wrapped the other around Ilona. They embraced, kissing with the passion of lovers that knew they may never see each other again, their children nestled between them. "We will all be together again, someday. I swear this to you."

         When at last they broke the embrace, Hannes turned and walked off, before he could lose his nerve. He had no clue how he was going to feed and take care of this little life that was in his arms, or how he was ever going to live without her mother, but for now he had to go.

         The tears would not stop as Ilona watched him leave. "What do I do now, James? How do I go on?"

         "First you get you and that little girl out of the cold," James said.

         "Hannah," Ilona interrupted. "Hannah, like her father Hannes."
         "You need to get you and Hannah someplace warm," James continued. "Then you will be the best mother you can to her, while you take your rightful place as the new High Priestess. Then you build the biggest army the Goddess will bless you with, and be sure they are trained to the highest standards. The army of the Goddess to remain unknown to the outside world, so if these invaders ever do come back, we will be prepared."

         Ilona looked up at the man, marveling at how well he kept his head through all of this. "Stay with me, James. I do not think I can do this without you there to advise me."

         "I will do my best, High Priestess." The pair walked toward the Temple and Ilona felt half of her heart walking in the other direction.