Isabeau waited for them to emerge, feeling anxiety tightening her chest muscles as the loch stayed calm
and empty. Water dripped, occasionally stirring the mirror image of the stone waterfall. She began to
pace and then to call their names, not knowing whether to fear for their lives or be furious at Maya for
attempting to escape. Anger won over anxiety, for she knew Fairgean rarely drowned. She began to
search the shores of the loch, stumbling over the slippery rocks. To her consternation she found the little
bundle of clothes had disappeared. She hesitated only a moment, then stripped off her own clothes and
dived into the water.
It was bitterly cold but strangely buoyant so that Isabeau had to work hard to swim into its depths. Even
with her uncanny eyesight she found it hard to see under the water, it was so dark. She cast out her witch
senses, searching, but the water distorted everything so that she could not be sure which way they had
gone. She felt the faint flow of a current against her skin, however, and followed it. Strange white shapes
loomed up at her and every now and again she scraped her skin against rock. She found the current
quickening and swam faster, her chest beginning to hurt with the strain of holding her breath. She sensed
the rock overhead lifting and swam to the surface, finding just enough room to put her mouth above
water and breathe. The air was dank and stale and cold but it tasted like wine to her air-starved lungs.
She took another deep breath and dived again.
This time she emerged in another cavern, with the river running through its center. She conjured witch's
light and looked about her. There was no sign of either Maya or Bronwen but she trusted her intuition
and swam on.
The river ran on through low caverns and lofty halls, sometimes so shallow Isabeau scraped her elbows
and knees. At last it emerged in a dimly lit cave and Isabeau was elated to see two pairs of webbed
footprints in the mud, leading toward the light. She followed hastily, anxiety now completely swallowed
by anger. Then she heard Bronwen's high voice saying, "But Mam, why? Where Is'beau? Why canna she
come too?"
Isabeau came up behind them so silently that when she said, "But Bronny, o' course I came too! What an
adventure, exploring down the river!" Maya started and screamed involuntarily.
Isabeau smiled at her and took Bronwen's hand, saying, "We canna go far though, else we may get lost
and we willna be able to find our way back again. That would no' be such an adventure, would it?"
"But Mam said ye couldna come," Bronwen objected.
"Happen she thought I could no' swim so far, no' being a quarter Fairgean like ye," Isabeau replied, "but I
was taught to swim by otters and they are wonderful swimmers indeed."

They were standing in the mouth of the cave, looking out across the valley below. The underground river
poured down the steep slope of the cliff and joined what Isabeau recognized as the Rhyllster below. She
looked back at Maya and saw the Fairge's nostrils flare and her mouth compress until it was a mere thin
line. Her fingers twitched and Isabeau said conversationally, "Are ye planning on turning me into an otter?
Or maybe a toad? Now would be a good time to do it, for I warn ye, I will no' let ye take Bronwen and
use her against Lachlan and my sister. That is no' why I took her from Lucescere."
The Fairge's fingers gripped into fists, then she laughed, rather artificially. "Nay, ye ken I do no' want to
ensorcel ye unless I have to. I meant it when I said I thought o' ye as a friend. Indeed, ye are the only one
to ever offer me the hand o' friendship and I'd be loath to reply in such a way. Ye make me very angry
though. Why did ye follow us? Ye must know I canna stand being shut up in that blaygird wee valley any
more. I always feel like all those animals are staring at me and condemning me . . ."
"They probably are," Isabeau replied swiftly and then wished she had held her tongue, for the Fairge's