Roc walked out of the cave. “I have an idea. I have a magically well-versed friend. She may be able to help find Jacard and where he went.”

Elef followed. “Okay. What do we need to do? Where do we need to go?”

Roc looked up to the top of the ravine. Many of the pack were looking down, some in wolf form and others human. “I can only take one with me. You would want to be that one?”

“Of course. Let’s go.”

“I will pick you up once I have told Hightower.” Roc jumped into the air and shimmered, and the humongous eagle-like bird reappeared. He went to the top of the ravine where he briefly spoke with Hightower.

Roc launched into the ravine once again, changed, and plummeted straight toward Elef.

“What do you mean by ‘pick up’? I can follow you once I get to the top of the ravine,” Elef exclaimed.

Roc let out a piercing cry and gently grabbed Elef around his waist with one claw.

“Uh Roc, this is not what I had in mind,” Elef yelled loudly.

Several members of the pack, including Daniel, laughed wholeheartedly at Elef as he flew by in Roc’s claw.

Roc flew up high and headed towards a distant mountain. His speed was faster than any wolf could ever run. After a short while, they approached the mountain. There was a large ledge near the top where Roc set down Elef.

Elef was still flustered and red in the face. “Roc, please never do that again.”

Roc shifted back into a man. “I will have to at least once more. Unless you would prefer to jump down.”

Elef peered over the edge of the ledge. The drop made the ravine look like a child’s jump. “No. One more time will be just fine.” He turned back to behold a wondrous sight.  The ledge was part of a man-made structure. Ice composed the whole architecture, but the detail of the carvings and images on the walls were amazing. They mostly centered upon a gigantic mirror that was fifteen feet tall and half as wide. There were writings in a language he could not read. Creatures and trees he had never seen wove throughout the ice.

Roc walked up to the mirror and pulled out of his pocket half of a small circle necklace medallion.

Elef did not get a good look at it before Roc started spinning it and called a name. “Raias. Raias. Raias.”

Elef looked around, expecting something to happen. Nothing.

“Now we wait.” Roc put away the medallion, laid down, and closed his eyes. “You should rest while you can. This could be a few minutes or take a while.”

Elef, unable to be still, walked the ledge and looked closer at the detailed architecture. It showed winged beasts, different from Roc, lizards, and even a lion. Robed women were doing various activities. Strangely, there were no men anywhere.

The mirror took on a liquid guise. Ripples appeared from the center, flowing outward. An eerie whistle surrounded the mirror. A woman wearing a robe over a leather outfit, armed with a sword and several daggers, all sheathed, walked out. She pulled back the hood, revealing short blond hair. She was stunning. She had a flaw, a scar across one eyebrow. It added character rather than diminish her beauty.

The woman saw Elef. “What the hell?” She drew her short sword in one hand and a long dagger in the other. “You are trespassing on sacred ground. How did you even get up here?”

Roc woke up. “Raias calm down. I brought him here.”

“Roc, I heard your call, but you know to never bring anyone with you. You are not even supposed to know about this place, let alone be here.”

“I know Raias, but this is an emergency. We need your help.”

Raias sheathed her weapons. “So not a social call?” She stuck out her lower lip a little. “I was in the mood for.” She paused, “Fine. I had a hard time getting away as it is. We have a situation of our own going on. What is this emergency?”

“My friend Elef here,” Roc motioned his arm to Elef. “Has lost his best friend and we know it involved magic.”

“Elef? As in Jacard’s Elef?”

Elef jumped forward at the mention of Jacard. “You know of him? Do you know where he is? Is he all right?”

Raias took a good look at Elef. “You must be the one Jacard was looking for when we found him. He is fine, now. We healed him and helped him back into his human form.”

“Did he make his first change? He became a wolf?” Elef’s face lit up. His eyes shone, and he smiled.

“No, not a wolf. He was becoming something else, but he could not complete the process. Our Magna said he did not have enough energy to complete the transformation. He is to start his training with her in the morning. That is an honor. The Magna herself training someone is most unusual.”

Elef’s smile shifted to a grimace. “He begins his training tomorrow? NO! We finally found him. He needs to come home. He can leave? Right? You are not holding him against his will?” His eyes narrowed and the hair on his head raised.

Raias laughed. “Roc, calm your little friend down before he gets himself hurt. Elef, you are more than welcome to take him home. I truly wish you would. Maybe you, being such a good friend, could convince him to leave.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If I could only be so lucky. I will try to arrange an audience. We normally do not let outsiders in the coven. It is doubtful. Neferita would say no. It may be possible with the Magna since it involves Jacard. The rules do not seem to apply to him. You should know that I doubt he will want to leave.”

“What do you mean? Why?” Elef raised his eyebrows.

Raias turned her attention back to Roc. “Roc, maybe you can explain it to him better. Alara gave him some of her soul energy to save his life. Plus, according to our Magna, they are each other’s destiny. I will see what I can do to arrange a visit. It does not happen often.” She sneered. “But, since it involves Jacard.” She broke off and sighed. “AND! You, Roc, my love, we need to talk. Later, though.”

Raias returned to the large mirror. She drew some complex symbols and whispered. The mirror became translucent. Barely seen on the other said was a large room. Raias walked through. Another ripple effect ran across the mirror, and then it was normal once again.

Elef sat down to wait. “Roc, what did she mean by all that?”

Roc sat down across from Elef. “Raias and her people are witches.”

“Real witches? As in magic, casting spells?”

“Yes, they are a coven. A rather large one. You probably have guessed that Raias is also my girlfriend. Or more realistically, I am her boyfriend. She chose me.” Roc looked into the sky and smiled.

“Congratulations, but what has this to do with Jacard?”

Roc lowered his head. “I will do my best to explain this. I am not an expert, but I have known Raias long enough to know a few things about magic. She stated Alara, one of her sisters, and also her best friend, shared her soul with Jacard. That is forbidden magic. Once done it creates a bond between the two. I do not know all the details. That bond, once forged, is unbreakable without killing at least one if not both. It is forever.”

Elef shook his head. “This cannot be. It is not right. So now she has some claim on him? He cannot leave?”

“Oh, he can leave. He just will not want to. The way it sounds, Jacard would have died if she had not done this. It must have been necessary. For a witch to do this….” Roc paused. “It is forbidden magic, and the punishment is banishment or death. The only reason that I can conceive is love. Alara must be in love with Jacard. Why else would she take the risk?”

Elef lay down. “We will get this figured out once we see him.”

“I have been with Raias for eleven years and I have never been inside their coven. Might as well get some rest. This may take a while.” Roc spread out and went to sleep.