The Test

Aepida found herself in the realm of the two fathers. She did not look up at them but kept her head bowed. She did not want to look at them. She did not want anything to do with them. Grandma, The Witch, came and spoke to her. She looked up at her pleadingly.

"Here, child," she said. "Let me have the baby."

Aepida did not say a word but looked at the baby and then at Grandma. She handed the baby over to her. Grandma kissed her forehead even though she still had her helmet on and took the infant away.

"You did well, our child," the two fathers said in unison.

Aepida did not answer them. She removed her helmet and threw it aside. She did the same with the chest armor and the body armor. The shawl her mother made for her, she laid before her. She threw the cloak into a pile with the helmet as she did the sword. She removed her tunic and added the szoren cloth armor as well. She then donned her tunic but did not move or look up.

"You have earned your place as a goddess if you desire," said the two fathers

Aepida glared at them angrily. "I want to go home," she shouted. "I just want to go home."

"Would you want that if your man chose otherwise?"

"My man is dead. I watched him die. I want to go home."

"But he is not dead," said grandma. "he took a hard blow to the head, but he is alive. He is going to be fine in a couple of weeks."

"He is alive?" she asked.

"I am alive. Now answer the two father's question," said Hans as he hobbled into the room on crutches."

Aepida looked at Hans. "I want to go home. You can choose whichever your heart desires, but I want to go home."

The two fathers answered the question that was on Aepida's mind.

"Your man has already chosen as you have. There is one more task that has to be done. The Beast must be born as a man, loved, and raised as a child. Thus his power is limited. If he is loved, He will know kindness and empathy. Those are the things he lacked as part of the spirit world. He will have a much different view when he joins us once again. Can you love him knowing what he was? Can you nurture him; so he knows kindness?"

"If I bear him, I could do nothing else but love him," answered Aepida.

"Then it shall be so'" replied the two fathers.