None of Jasper's missions with Jonathan were as grueling as the first or laid back as the second.  Jasper gained experience and confidence with each exploit and skirmish.  Jonathan rarely showed it openly, but he was very proud of his Strianelian student.  Jasper had adapted well to the Sarconian culture.  The Council had their eye on the lad as well, for he was their link to the plains.  The Sarco Mountains were technically part of Strianel, but the kings and queens had long ignored them.  Now, however, the Sarconians had a link to the plains: Jasper.   Using him, they could reunite themselves with the rest of the kingdom, and they only needed the chance to bring the boy into play.  A chance came sooner than anyone expected.

"Please, sir," said Jasper, "I don't think I'm qualified to go with her."

The councilman got up and began to pace.  "You know more about Brenia than anyone here, Jasper.  If that doesn't qualify you, I don't know what would."

"I know I know more about Brenia, sir.  That's why I don't want to go.  Because of that knowledge."

The councilman turned.  "Explain yourself, Jasper."

Jasper took a deep breath.  The Council had just called him, asking him to accompany Alethea, who had successfully completed completed her internship with Master Kall in Corvan and become a diplomat, down to Brenia.  The Brenians had just suffered from a heavy hailstorm that had destroyed most of their harvest, and the Sarconains wished to offer them supplies.  "Sir, the Scouts are legend on the plains and not in a good way.  If I were to be seen with Alethea, it could easily spell death for both of us."

"You are certain of this?"

"Yes, sir."

The councilman flung his hands up.  "I cannot send her alone!"

"You could send Jack Breaker with her," said Jasper cautiously.  "He's very good with a sword and knows more about the tribesmen than most up here."

"So he is, so he does.  Very well, then.  Jack goes with her."

Jack Breaker slid his right hand under his cloak and grasped his sword hilt. He touched his heels to his horse and rode closer to  Alethea. He had felt honored that, at merely fifteen, he had been given the job of guarding his cousin on this mission, but only now did he realize the full responsibility of his job.

    He looked around at the townspeople, who drew back from him and Alethea in fear. He could see the beginnings of starvation in their eyes. He suspected that Alethea's offer of the mountain people's large excess of harvest would be welcomed.

    They dismounted in front of the city hall and were met by a guard at the door. Alethea stated her business, and she and Jack were allowed inside. They climbed up two flights of stairs and were admitted into the chambers of the town council.

    "Where do you come from?" the council demanded, unable to recognize either of them.

    "Sarconia City," Alethea replied. "My people have heard that you are in great distress."

    "A hailstorm has wiped out most of our crops." A council member waved his hand helplessly.  "Half of the city, if not more, will be dead by spring."

    "My people have had a bountiful harvest," said Alethea," over twice as much as we need. I have come to offer you our great excess."

   The council looked sceptical. "You no doubt expect payment."

 "We could give you the whole lot for, say, three thousand hios."

    Jack’s eyebrows lifted slightly. Alethea had named a price that was about a half of what the shipment was worth.

  "That is ridiculous!" the council said. "One thousand."

    "Twenty-five hundred. I will go no lower." 

    "One thousand!"

    "Twenty-five hundred. Take it and live, or leave it and starve."  Alethea gave the council a steely look.

    "You say you are from Sarconia City?"

    Alethea inclined her head slightly "Yes."

    "Then you come from the mountains."

    "We do."

    "You are trying to take advantage of us. No doubt you saw this coming through your Art; perhaps you caused the storm just to get money out of us."

    Jack spoke up. "She is no witch. The shipment, in truth, is worth about six thousand."

   Alethea nodded. "I have dropped the price as low as I can.  The farmers who gave the crops to us must receive some sort of payment to afford seed next year."

    "You can drop it lower, witch!" the council said angrily.

    Jack’s fingers flew to his sword hilt. "She is not a witch!" he yelled angrily, furious at the insult to his cousin and unable to contain his frustration at the council's impudence. "If she was, she would have already forced you to comply with her or killed you for your insolence!"

    "You’d best hope we do not kill you for your insolence!" retorted one of the council members, starting to rise from his seat and reaching for his sword. 

    Jack took an angry step forward, but Alethea stopped him. "Jack," she said, with a firm hand on his arm, "Why don’t you go outside, walk around for a while and calm down."  She gave him an almost non-existent push in the direction of the door.

    Jack paused for a minute, then pulled out his dagger and stuck it into Alethea’s belt. "She can use it well," he said meaningfully to the council, then turned on his heel and walked from the room.

 Jack stalked angrily through the dark, muddy streets. His mind vaguely registered that there was a girl nearby, but he didn’t particularly care.  He didn’t pay much attention to girls anyway. He kicked a rock viciously across the street, for once wishing that he was a wizard so that he could zap that whole stupid council.

    The girl near him slipped suddenly in the thick mud in the street. Reflexively, Jack reached out and caught her before she fell into a large puddle of mud.

    "Oh my," said the girl, regaining her balance and seeing Jack's steadying arm around her waist.

    "Are you okay?" Jack asked, dropping his arm, his anger briefly forgotten.

    "I...I guess so," the girl replied nervously, brushing at her skirt self-consciously. She bent and started picking up the packages that she had dropped.  Jack helped her. When all the packages had been picked up, the girl began to walk hurriedly away. Jack, who was still holding some of the girl’s packages, followed her.

    After a few blocks, the girl turned around. "Why are you following me?" she asked.

    Jack looked at her, puzzled. Wasn’t it obvious? "I’m holding some of your packages. I figured I’d help you carry them home."

    "Oh," the girl said, brushing nervously at her hair with her free hand and peering at her dim reflection in a puddle before she continued walking.

Jack fell into step beside her. The girl glanced at him like a frightened mouse. Jack cleared his throat. "So...what’s the weather been like around here?" he asked. What a stupid question, Jack, he thought. Just about everyone probably knows what the weather has been around here.

    "Most of our crops have been destroyed by a huge hail storm," the girl replied, sounding dejected.  Her shoulders slumped.

    "How terrible. Perhaps we should change the subject and not talk about such an unpleasant topic."

    The girl blinked and looked at Jack, apparently puzzled. "Well...if you want to..."

   Jack tried to talk with the girl about horses, but she knew next to nothing about them. She was also apparently very nervous, and when she did speak, she stumbled over her words. Finally she stopped, faced him, and blurted out, "Why are you trying to court me when we don’t even know each other?"

    "I wasn’t trying to court you," said Jack, now very confused. "What did I do that would suggest that I was attempting to court you?"

   "You caught me when I fell, around the waist, and then kept your arm around my waist until you were sure I was alright."

   "So? Isn’t it proper to catch a girl when she falls, and support her until she is capable of supporting herself?"

    "Boys don’t do that unless they are courting a girl!"

    "So you are saying that any other boy would have just let you fall if they weren’t interested in you?"

  The girl looked at Jack as if he had just said something mindless. "Yes."

    Jack was shocked. "That’s not proper!"  Letting a girl fall into a mud puddle when you could intervene was not tolerated among the mountain people.

    "You have strange opinions."  The girl started walking again.  "And you are walking me home when you are not courting me!"

    "It’s after dark. Where I come from, it would be considered inappropriate to allow a girl to go home unescorted after dark."

    "You come from a place with strange customs."

   "I could easily say the same thing," said Jack, deciding that the plainspeople were rather uncivilized, at least in their courtesy towards girls.

    The girl shook her head and quickened her pace. As she did so, her foot hit a rock embedded in the mud, and she slipped. Jack reached out, caught her, and, ignoring her protests, picked her up and began carrying her down the street.

    "This really isn’t proper," said the girl.  She sounded angry.

    "Humph," said Jack, thinking that the plainspeople had some of the most ridiculous customs he'd ever heard of. "I’m doing it anyway. Now, we might as well get around to introductions. My name is Jack, and you are..."

    "Kaia...Watson." Kaia was perfectly stiff and was starting to dig her fingernails into Jack’s neck.

    Jack winced in pain - Kaia's fingernails were tolerably long - but decided that yelling at the girl would only draw attention to them and worsen his situation.  Besides, the girl's name stirred a memory in him.  "Kaia...That’s a lovely name." Jack looked down at her as he tried to place it. "I have a sister."

    "You do?" The fingernails stopped digging in and came out of the dents that they had created.

    Ah ha!  Curiosity works! "Yup. Carried her six miles once when she twisted her ankle."  Jack shifted Kaia's weight and peered around the packages in her lap, trying to see where to go.

    "You’ve caught girls before when they fell?"

    "Yeah." Wouldn’t that be obvious, considering that I caught you out of pure reflex?

    Kaia's jaw dropped slightly. "You’ve carried girls before?"

    "Yeah." I picked you up without a second thought! Do you have any reasoning skills?

    "When you were not engaged to them?"

    "Mhm." Do I look like I’ve been engaged at all, Kaia?

   Kaia's mouth hung open in amazement.  Finally she managed to say, "And that’s acceptable where you come from?!"

    "It’s almost expected." 

    Kaia went limp with shock. "I’d like to try to walk on my own now."

    Jack slowly set her down. Kaia cried out as she put weight on her ankle. "I think it’s sprained," she moaned. Jack gently set her on a nearby porch and carefully probed the ankle with his fingers, assuring himself that it was not broken.

     Jack carried Kaia to her home and set her down in a chair in the kitchen. The people who appeared to be her parents thanked him for seeing her home. Jack went back to the city hall and waited outside with the horses for Alethea.

    Alethea came jogging down the steps a few minutes later.

    "What happened?" Jack asked, handing her horses' reins to her.

    Alethea swung easily into the saddle. "They want us to leave the shipment in a clearing a bit northwest of here."

    Jack mounted his own horse. "Did they finally pay you for it?"

    Alethea patted a pouch under her cloak.  "I have the twenty-five hundred."

    Jack and Alethea’s horses jogged along the Highway. It was late, and the wind was cold. Jack reached in his pocket for his gloves, and his fingers touched a small package; one of Kaia’s. Jack pulled on his gloves while he explained his situation to Alethea. She looked slightly amused.

   "What are you going to do about it?" she asked somewhat playfully.

   "Take the package back to her." Jack replied.

    "Any excuse you can find to visit a pretty girl, hmm?" Alethea grinned mischievously.

    "I didn’t say that!" Jack cried defensively.

  Alethea's eyes glinted with slight amusement. "So you didn’t. I’m heading back to Sarconia City. You find a place to camp and go down to Brenia in the morning. I have no doubt that you can handle yourself."  Alethea kneed her horse up the darkening trail.

     "Lethy?" Jack called after his cousin.

     Alethea stopped her mount and turned in the saddle.

     "Be sure and tell Melissa where I am.  If you don't, that sister of mine in apt to interrogate the entire country and hold the king and queen hostage to find out where I am."

     Alethea smiled.  "I'll tell her.  But it's not my fault if she teases you about it when you get back."

     "No, I guess it isn't.  I won't blame you.  But you will come to my defence, right?"

     "Depends." Alethea replied, laughing.  "You sure are nervous.  You are certain there's no more to this than returning a package?"

     "Good heavens, Alethea!  Melissa's teasing will be enough without you adding yours!  I am just returning a package, nothing more."

     "Alright.  Whatever you say."  Alethea continued up the trail, laughing to herself.

Jack awoke early the next morning. He packed his gear swiftly and rode back down the trail. He left his horse just outside of town and slipped through the silent streets to Kaia’s home.

    He vaulted the garden wall and slipped up to a kitchen window. Kaia was fingering the pendent on a necklace and mouthing words to herself.   Jack thought about the many times he had watched Jasper do that many times before Jasper had finally abandoned the service of the gods and committed himself to The Way.  Then Jack realized why Kaia's name had stirred a memory in him.  Kaia was Jasper's younger sister!  He waited until Kaia finished her prayers, then tapped on the window. The girl opened it and leaned partway out.

    "So you are courting me!" she whispered.

  Jack thought that she sounded slightly pleased. "I am not," he hissed. "One of your packages slid into my pocket. I came to return it." Jack handed the package to her.

    The girl's eyes brightened. "Oh!  I wondered where that was. Thank you." Kaia glanced around. "Are you a wizard?"

    "No," said Jack firmly.

    "So you can’t make yourself disappear or cast any sort of defensive or offensive spells?"

    "I can go so quickly and quietly that I may seem to disappear, but I cannot really disappear, and no, I cannot cast any sort of spell."

    "Then you’d best leave quickly and quietly. I think someone has seen you talking to me."  Kaia reached up to shut the window.

  Jack caught her arm.  "Wait.  Do you have a brother?"

    "J-Jasper?"  she whispered, the word sounding unused.  "You know him?"

    "Yes."

    "Give him my love," said Kaia dazedly. "Now, go!"

    Yells of alarm were heard.  Jack turned swiftly from the window and vaulted back over the garden wall. Instead of leaving, however, he hid in some shrubbery and watched as a mob came tearing up to Kaia’s door.

    "You were seen talking to a wizard!" the leader of the mob said angrily to Kaia.

    "I do not believe that he was a wizard, and I have not had previous association with him," Kaia replied calmly.

    The mob’s leader pointed to the package in Kaia’s hand. "A witness said he gave that to you."

    "Yes."  Kaia's hand shifted nervously on the small package.

    "What does it contain?"

    "Herbs. I..."

    "Herbs! To use in your potions and spell-casting no doubt! It seems that you are a wizard’s apprentice and therefore a witch!"

    "Burn her!" yelled someone in the mob, and the cry was taken up by the others. Kaia’s guardian moved to her defense, but was pushed roughly aside.  Jack's sharp eyes caught the flash of a small dagger in the man's assailant's hand and saw the telltale sign of blood as the man crumpled against the doorframe. Kaia’s hands were tied, and she was dragged by the howling crowd toward the town square.

   Jack followed the crowd long enough to ascertain that the burning was to be carried out immediately. He raced back to his horse. Something had to be done for Kaia before the innocent girl was subjected to the horrible death that had been suddenly planned for her on his account. He leaped into the saddle and galloped back into town.

    The crowd was roaring angrily at Kaia as Jack came up to the square. She was tied to a stake, and wood was piled around her feet. She looked frightened. Jack urged his horse forward and galloped into the square, yelling gibberish and violently brandishing a dagger. He hoped that the gibberish would sound enough like spell-casting to frighten the superstitious townspeople. It apparently did, for they drew back from him in terror, and some fled. He dashed up to Kaia, sliced the bonds on her hands and pulled her up behind him. Before anyone could gather their wits, Kaia and Jack were riding away.

    As they fled, a woman jumped in front of them.  Jack reined in his horse, and they plowed to a stop, barely missing the woman.  The woman came alongside them with a small bundle.  "The gods favor you Kaia," the woman said.  "Take this and fly!  The gods be with you."

    Kaia took the bundle, and Jack urged the horse back into a run.

    On the trail up into the mountains Jack stopped only to rest the horse. He did not know how far the townspeople would pursue him and Kaia.  He knew that his rescue of her would only seem to confirm the townspeople's idea that he was a wizard, and Kaia was his apprentice.   The sun was low in the west when Jack noticed that Kaia was sagging. He berated himself for forgetting that she did not have the endurance level he did. He stopped his horse near a stream, dismounted, and helped Kaia down.  She collapsed next to a stream, exhausted and frightened.

    Jack, Kaia and the horse drank deeply and gratefully from the stream. Jack caught a fish, started a fire, and baked his catch in the coals. The sun began to set as he and Kaia finished eating. Jack knew that the cold of night would come soon. He wrapped Kaia in his cloak and pulled the hood over her head. Flinging his blanket around his shoulders, he mounted. Kaia climbed up behind him, and they rode on.

    The night steadily deepened. Jack was forced to slow his horse to a walk. Kaia’s grip around his waist began to loosen, and he realized that she was asleep. He sighed, longing for his surefooted unicorn, Ember, who could see in almost pitch darkness and would not let a rider drop to the ground. Jack decided that as soon as he was on the high plains he would call Ember. His horse, Fern, knew the way home well enough.

    When they reached the high plains, Jack whistled; it was a clear call that had never failed to bring Ember to him. A minute later Jack could see Ember coming over the edge of the plain. Jack rode toward the unicorn, who stopped beside him as he dismounted. Ember nuzzled Jack’s shoulder, apparently pleased to see his master. Jack gently lifted the sleeping Kaia onto Ember’s back. He tied Fern’s rains around the saddle horn and gently told the horse to go home. Then he sprang up behind Kaia and lightly touched Ember’s sides with his heels. The unicorn immediately set off at a swift, smooth pace.

    They raced to the edge of the plains and down the trail that led into the brightly lit city. Jack circled the city, heading for the ranch house on the southwest edge. There were lights in the windows. Ember slowed as he reached the porch. Melissa came out of the house.

    "Finally decided to bring home a bride, Jack?" she asked playfully.

    Jack smiled. He knew his sister was teasing him. Melissa was in no hurry for him to get married, and so far showed no inclination to marriage herself. Jack liked it that way, at least for the time being. He was too young to be thinking of a wife anyway. He answered her, "No. They were going to burn her at the stake down on the plains."

    Melissa made a disgusted sound. "Without a trial, I suppose?"

    "Yes."

    "Bring her inside. I should have said that first, considering it’s so cold out." Melissa pulled her shawl closer around her shoulders.

    Jack lifted Kaia from Ember’s back. The unicorn brushed the top of Kaia’s head, touched Jack’s cheek with the tip of his velvety nose, and trotted off to the warm stable. Jack carried Kaia into the cabin and laid her down on a couch beside the fire. Kaia’s eyes slowly opened.

    "Where an I?" she asked.

    "Sarconia City," Melissa replied. "Heart of the Sarco Mountains and once capital of the Old Kingdom. I am Melissa Breaker, Jack’s twin sister. You are among friends here."

"My brother?"  Kaia asked softly.

Melissa glanced at Jack.  "He's probably with Jonathan at  Green Lantern Scout Station," she said.

Jack smiled at Kaia.  "I'll take you down there tomorrow."

Kaia awoke the next morning in one of the many guest bedrooms at the Breaker Ranch.  A folded dress was on a chair beside the bed, a shorter off white dress hung over the back of the chair, and soft leather moccasins were on the floor.  She slid out of bed and lifted the dark brown fabric carefully, holding the tunic dress up to herself.   It looked like it would fit, and her putting it on only proved the fact.  It was floor-length, with two bands of gold-colored embroidery a few inches above them hem and long, tight sleeves.  She drew the white over dress on over it, buckled the wide, soft leather belt about her waist and laced up the moccasins.  The white dress only came down to her knees and its wide sleeves only reached to a little beyond her elbows.  Gold embroidery identical to that on the brown dress was on the edges of the sleeves, hem and collar.  She pushed open her door and threaded her way down the stairs, following her nose to the kitchen, where Jack and Melissa waited for her.

"You ready to go after breakfast?" Jack asked her.

Kaia nodded shyly.  "Yes."

They ate pancakes and bacon, and then Kaia waited on the porch while Jack saddled Ember.  Kaia fingered her talisman and murmured the appropriate prayers to the goddess of the morning and the god of travelers.  Jack led Ember up to the  porch, mounted, and pulled Kaia up behind him.  They set off at a fast pace.
Kaia was stunned by the swiftness of the unicorn, despite having to bear two people.  She clung firmly to Jack's waist, frightened that she might fall off as Ember navigated the rough ground at high speed, jumping over the rocks and logs.  She prayed to the god of travelers again for good measure. 

They reached Green Lantern Station at dusk.  Jack tossed Ember's reins over the hitching post as his dismounted.  Turning, he lifted Kaia from the saddle and they went up the porch steps.  Kaia hesitated at the oak door of the station.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked her.

"My brother.  I...I have not seen him in so long.  I...does he remember me?"

"Yes," said Jack.  "He remembers you and prays, I think, for you often."

Kaia still hung back, not certain whether or not she wanted to enter the door.

"Here," said Jack.  "I'll go and get him.  You can meet out on the porch."

Kaia nodded gratefully and stepped away from the door.  Jack went inside the station, and Kaia looked around.  The porch was lit by lanterns that glowed green.  Runes were set over the door, supposedly with the station's name.  Vines crawled up the posts of the porch, across the walls, and, in places, they were over the windows.  Kaia moved to one of these places, watching Jack through the vines as he threaded his way through the circular tables.

The table that Jack went to had two boys seated at it.  One was almost facing the window, and Kaia could see him.  The other had his back to the window, and it was this boy that Jack spoke to, leaning over the lad's shoulder.  "Jasper," Kaia whispered.  She hastily jumped back from the window as Jasper rose from the table and followed Jack out of the station.

Kaia turned her back on the door and gripped the porch railing until her knuckles were white.  Her breath caught as the door opened and shut behind her.  She waited for Jasper to speak, waited to recognize her brother's voice.

"Kaia?"  The voice was deeper than she remembered, firmer, and it came from right behind her.

Kaia spun, terrified.  She hadn't even heard the boy cross the porch to her.  She caught a glimpse of tanned features and slightly overgrown hair before Jasper stepped forwards and flung his arms around her waist, lifting her effortlessly.  She got her hands on his shoulders and pushed, lifting herself away from him.  He still held her about a foot above the ground with ease.  In this attitude, Kaia was taller than Jasper, and he tilted back he head to grin up at her.  The grin faded slightly as she desperately searched his features, trying to recognize him, then widened again as Kaia slid her arms around Jasper's neck and dropped her head to his shoulder.

Jasper spun her around a few times, set her down, and hugged her tightly again.  Kaia gasped; Jasper had become powerful and she felt like she could hardly breathe.  He finally let her go. "Come on inside," he said, taking her hand.  Kaia hid shyly behind him as he led her into the room and blushed at the chorus of greetings that erupted as soon as the Scouts noticed her. She tried to stay behind Jasper, but he pulled her to his side and presented a general introduction: "This is my sister, Kaia."  This caused things to go very slowly as they went back to the table where Jack was sitting with the boy who had faced the window Kaia had looked into.  Almost everyone came over to greet her and introduce themselves.  Kaia clung to Jasper's hand and arm and tried to nod graciously to all the people.  Jasper was quite at ease among them, she noticed. 

At last they got to the table, and Jasper pulled out a chair for Kaia as Jack and the other boy rose to greet her.

"Kaia," said Jasper, "this is my mentor, Jonathan Carzim," said Jasper.

Jonathan bowed slightly to Kaia, smiling and exchanging the usual pleasantries.  Kaia sank into a chair between Jack and Jasper, and the boys sat down.  The ever observant station-master's wife brought Kaia some food: grilled chicken with rice.   Kaia was amazed to see the rice.  On the plains, it was only available to the rich.

"We import it extensively from Corvan," Jasper explained. 

Kaia, who was starved, did not protest, but began eating quite happily.  The dish had been drizzled with some kind of sauce that tasted wonderful.  The cool milk in the wooden mug calmed her nerves, and she slowly began to relax.  Jonathan and Jasper carried on some sort of conversation in quiet voices, leaving her to eat while the food was still hot.  Jack listened to them and made comments occasionally.

She missed the grim looks the three boys exchanged as she fingered her talisman and mouthed prayers to the house goddess, the god of travelers and a few others appropriate to the occasion.

Jasper was somber as he watched his sister finger the talisman.  He thought about how he had begun to forsake the polytheistic religion of the plains during his first semester as a Scout Student, and, on his second mission with Jonathan, had broken the final ties, quietly dropping his own talisman into the campfire.  Conforming to The Way, he had been immersed into Life the very night he had destroyed the talisman, and life for him had never been the same.  He knew he wouldn't trade his faith for anything, and now, watching his sister mutter prayers to false gods like he had, he knew that he had alot of work ahead of him.  He exchanged sober looks with Jack and Jonathan.  None of them stopped her, however.  Being disrespectful of the religion she cherished was not going to give her a favorable view of The Way, but Jasper knew that the new difference between his religious views and Kaia's would be presented to her that night.

Kaia stopped mouthing words after a few minutes and looked over at her brother, obviously wondering what would happen next.

"I'll impose upon Jack to share his room with me tonight," said Jonathan.  "That way Kaia doesn't have to be alone or with someone she doesn't know."

"Not a problem," said Jack.

"Just make sure you bolt the door good," said Jasper.  "Jack's taken off to parts unknown in his sleep before.  I can't count how many times I've had to chase him down."

The three boys laughed and Kaia looked a little confused.

The evening was pleasant,  full of storytelling and songs.  Kaia held Jasper's arm as they walked to the small bedroom. 

"Jasper," she said, "Remember how we used to say our prayers together every day?"

Jasper winced. Now it comes.  "Yes."

"We can do that again."

Jasper slowly opened to door and shut it.  "No, not the way things are now."

"No?"  Kaia dropped his arm.  "What has happened?"

"I have forsaken the gods, Kaia."

Kaia trembled.  "Forsaken the gods!  It is a wonder that they have not struck you down!"

"They could not strike me down, Kaia,"  Jasper said quietly.

"Do not blaspheme the gods, Jasper!" Kaia gasped.

"I cannot blaspheme gods that are not," Jasper told her gently.  "I serve the Lord of Heaven now."

"You follow The Way?"

"Yes."

Kaia shook violently, her eyes growing wide.  She fell to her knees, pulling out her talisman. 

"Kaia, no," said Jasper, going to one knee beside her.  "Drehannda, stocyos naom.  Cab-" he stopped, realizing with a jolt that Kaia did not know Old Sarconian.

"But, the gods will be angry.  They will kill you if I do not beg their mercy on you!"

"No,"  He gripped her shoulders.  "I do not fear the gods, Kaia, nor should you.  They have no power, much less over those who follow The Way."

Kaia looked up at him, terror in her eyes.  "You...you...speak so strangely.  They will strike you down, Jasi, and then fling your soul into immortal misery!" She covered her face with her hands.  "Oh, oh, my brother, my brother," she moaned as she began her prayers.

Jasper let go of her and rose, choking on tears himself.  Turning away, he kicked off his boots, swung up to the top bunk and punched the pillow in frustration before he sunk his head into its soft depths and began his own prayers to a God who has ears.