**As Fyre and Geode trudged through the snow, Ursa and Morrin at the lead, the village came into view. Ursa, laden down by 2 deer, half dozen rabbits, a large boar and several squirrels, started to trot faster towards the village’s edge. "Slow down Ursa" said Geode, he and Fyre were now about out of breath. It was then Morrin took off at a dead run for the village center. Geode started whistling for the wolf to stop, but Fyre interrupted him saying, "Let the creature go, she knows what to do in the village."

As the two witches and their bear entered the village center, now looking like large walking snow creatures, as they headed for the Inn and a nice fire to warm themselves and some fresh ale to warm their insides. They stomped onto the Inn’s porch and shaking the snow from their cloaks, Ursa started into whining and grunting. "Ok, Ok, you lazy thing" Geode said as they unloaded their catch from his back and dumped their game, along with their camp things onto the porch, "We’re going in, just wait until we get this untied." Geode opened the door and noticed the place was half empty, so there was enough room for Ursa to come inside with them and warm himself by the fire.

The two men entered the Inn and took seats at the table nearest the fire. While Ursa settled himself on a large poof next to the fireplace, and immediately started in to snoring, Fyre went to the bar to procure two large mugs of dark lager ale. Geode slipped off his frozen cloak just in time to hear a shriek. He looked around and immediately noticed the white from of Hedwig, his large snowy owl, zooming past another patron’s head. He landed with a thud on the table and immediately started squawking for an owl treat. Geode dug into one of his many robe pockets and produced several large, marble sized owl treats. "Here ya go Hedwig" he said, softly stroking the owl’s feathers, noticing the message he’d sent last night was gone from Hedwig’s leg. "You get my message to Lady Majyk Myst girl?" he said calmly.

Hedwig nibbled Geode’s thumb as if to say "I got it there and now found you". But what was Hedwig doing here in the village, Geode pondered? She only left the Castle to hunt, deliver messages, and follow he or Kionna, Lilly’s Red Tail Hawk. "Oy! Bro, what’s Hedwig doing here?" Fyre exclaimed as he set two frothy mugs of dark lager ale on the table. "I don’t know?" said Geode, "That’s what I’m trying to figure out." "Doesn’t that blimey owl only leave the Castle for certain things, like hunting or messages and the like" asked Fyre with a puzzled look on his face?

"I know, I know. That’s what’s bugging me. Sure hope the ladies are OK." Geode said as he took a healthy draft of his ale. "Why not check one of your crystals" said Fyre, "and see where they might be?"

"Can’t" said Geode, and continued "’cause if they left the Castle, they’d most assuredly be traveling under a spell, and I won’t get a good image of them."

"Hey, wait a second�?Hedwig, where’s Kionna girl? Where’s Kionna?" Geode asked his owl.

Hedwig started pecking at the table like a chicken. "No, you had enough owl treats, where’s Kionna?" Geode urged.

"Hold on," said Fyre "I think she’s trying to tell us something". "She’s acting like a chicken. Chicken�?Chicken�? they both thought. ""Got it!" Fyre said as he slammed his hand on the table, toppling Hedwig off into Geode’s lap.

"Got what?" asked Geode. "Chickens pecking corn or seed�? Fyre said and instantly they both loudly exclaimed,

"SEEDS!" Several patrons turned, looking in their direction. "That’s it, the ladies wanted seed for new crops! After all it’s almost Ostara!" said Fyre.

Another witch, having a little too much drink, said in a sloppy voice, "So is almos Osssssaraa" *HIC* "and tho wha if iss Osssaraa, Eh?" Geode and Fyre ignored the inebriated patron and continued, "That new shop. What’s its name�? Geode said snapping his fingers,

"Ummm, Err, Oh bear feathers, I can’t remember the name of the place and Lilly’s been raving about it for several weeks now. It’s supposed to have all sorts of pagan and Wiccan wares and supplies." Geode noticed Ursa looking at him, as if to say, "I have fur, Hedwig’s got feathers!" "It’s next to Weasley’s Wizard Whizzes, the joke shop" said Geode.

"Well, we’ll just�? Fyre started and was interrupted by a nearby witch, "It’s called ‘The Crystal Fox�?dearies!" she said in an excited voice, "And they do have all kinds of nice�? and it was her turn to be interrupted, "That’s it!" cried Geode. He finished his ale and hastily donned his cloak, but noticed Fyre wasn’t moving.

"What’s wrong Fyre?" asked Geode, tying his cloak snugly about his neck. "You go look, I’m too wore out to move right now Bro" Fyre said in a tired sounding voice.

"Ok, you sit here with Ursa and watch our game catch, I’ll be back shortly" hurried Geode as he bustled past several patrons standing near the entrance, that were looking for places to sit. "Come Hedwig!" Geode whistled and was out the door and set off in the snow for the Crystal Fox, grabbing his staff from their pile of game catch and camping things still lying on the porch, now covered partially by the falling snow�?

Fyre raises his head from the worn old oaken table, a little too quickly at first. A shake or two of his head clears the cobews from his mind.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

Fyre notices that Ursa is still resting comfortably near the fireplace. Fyre carefully removes the excess ash and places fresh wood onto the glowing embers, careful not to disturb Ursa's slumber. Stepping out onto the porch carefully so as not to slip and fall in last night's snowfall, Fyre yawns and stretches, welcoming the warming rays of the returning Sun.

Shaking the white, sparkling snow from everything as he goes, Fyre carefully stows whatever gear can be stowed immediately and sets other things inside near the fire to thaw and dry out.

Taking his working knife from his sheath, Fyre goes about finishing the preparations needed to make the food ready for the feast that would be ocurring that evening. Absorbed in his work, he gives inwardly thanks again to the spirits of the animals that have given of themselves to sustain us. Fyre also thanks the Horned One for his blessings on the successful hunt that will mean the end of too-tight belts and empty bellies for a brief time to come. Some of the food is cured and preserved for later. It will be good to have some back to add to the menu as the fist greens of spring arrive.

Walking back from the grainery, Fyre shakes his head with a concerned look, fresh grain is some time off still and the flour is almost depleted. The unground grain is already gone. Then he hears a quiet, gentle voice that he immediately recognizes as the voice of the Lady...

"The Wheel turns and even now life is beginning to spring forth once more from the earth! I care for you and I am with you always."

Feeling grounded and peaceful now, Fyre smiles, "I was wrong to worry fair Lady! Thanks be to You and to the growing Sun, whose light causes all things to grow once more. Thank you so much for your loving care of us."

Returning to the outdoor kitchen, Fyre stokes the fires needed for preparing the evening's repast.

"I wonder what everyone else is up to...?" Fyre thinks to himself. "Oh well, they will be along in perfect time once the smells start traveling on the wind. There won't be any need to send for anyone!" Fyre laughs to himself and continues kneading the breads adding pinches of this and that herb from old clay jars on the shelf as he goes.

Inside the Crystal Fox, Sterling greeted Lady Majyk premptorily and cheerfully loud, before her eyes could adjust to the difference in the light from outdoors. "Good morrow my dears! what garden are you needing to plant today?" As he motioned them toward a shelf away from the other customers. Before Lady Majyk could say anything, lowering his voice he said, "Beware what you say, it's not safe", then raising his voice, "Ah yes we've had an enormous amount of requests for those!"

Qyzida looked around the store blandly actually scanning the auras of the other customers, one had an unusually dark aura.

Sterling filled Lilly and Amathiya's baskets with all sorts of mundane things and then ushered them all out the door telling them to come again soon.

"What on earth was that all about??" asked Amathiya.

"And what is THAT all about???" asked Lilly with a very confounded look on her face as she saw her love, Geode trudging up the road as if wading thru hip deep snow.

Lady Majyk saw the dark aura-ed stranger emerge from the Crystal fox out of the corner of her eye.

Scooping up the two curious ladies by the elbow, she said cheerily.. "It's time for an ale!"

Qyzida greeted Geode and whispered "Something is wrong... carry these and follow us... hurry."

While Lady Majyk, Lilly and Amathyia went in the front door of the Inn, Qyzida took Geode around the back, finding Fyre just removing some loaves from the oven.

"What in the Blazes is going on???", demanded Geode.

"There is a succubus in the village. Come in the common room, both of you....please!" said Qyzida.

Lady Majyk and the others were closing curtains and peeking out the door.

LMM turned to Fyre, we have to get out of the village unseen, and handed him a note Sterling had slipped into her packages. It read:

"Get back to the castle NOW. Witchhunters have returned. Scout in the store."

Fyre's eyes glowed red with anger. "Come."

Lilly and Geode collected their pets and they all followed him into the kitchen where he flipped back a rug in the pantry, there was a trap door. Yanking on the iron ring it opened to a staircase leading down to his brewery. They all quickly descended into a cavernous space loaded with hundereds of casks.

"Over there," Fyre said pointing to a cask that must have been 6 feet tall lying on it's side.Rolling it to one side revealed a hidden passageway.

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"Well," Fyre grinned sheepishly, "everyone has to have a wee bit-o-mystery in their life, eh?"

"Where does it go?", asked Amathiya.

Geode touched the walls of the tunnel and felt something because his face broke out in a delighted grin." *I* know where it goes..". winking at Fyre, "Let's go!"

Illuminating the crystal geode on his staff he plunged into the tunnel leading the way.

Everyone hurried in the tunnel and just as Fyre was rolling the cask back in place to hide their exit they heard a huge crash upstairs in the inn.....

As Fyre rolled the large cask back in place, sinking the tunnel into darkness, but for the purple glow emitting from Geode’s crystal atop his staff, Amathyia let out squeal. "SHHH! Amathyia, or we’ll be heard!" cautioned Lady Majyk Myst.

"But I don’t like the darkness of this place. What are we doing down here!?" she exclaimed.

"I’ll tell you in a minute, just follow Geode’s light" she continued, now taking Amathyia by the elbow, guiding her along the winding dirt floor of the tunnel.

Lilly, Qyzida and Ursa plodded along behind them. After what seemed hours, the group of witches and their magickal creatures came to a large circular space, with a vaulted ceiling. Lilly pushed past the rest and said, "Geode, just where are we?"

"This is the place of the Ancients, please be respectful" Geode cautioned them.

"The what?" Qzydia asked.

"Geode this better not be another one of your ghost stor�? Lady Majyk was cut off by Geode’s voice.

"O Hecate Great Goddess of Darkness, O Herne Great God of the Hounds, Thoust who guard the gate of the etherial, please excuse our intrusion, for we seek the correct path. Let your spirits come forth to�?

"Now I don’t like it here, I just felt a cold chill run up my back!" Lilly exclaimed, stomping her foot, sending a pouf of dirt into a dusty cloud.

Geode ignored her and continued, "…me, so I may guide us on the correct path. O Spirits of the Realm, come forth, Ancients most knowing of the Craft, come hither for we are Witches of the Wicca and seek your guidance." Geode raised his staff and continued, "Baracca de Diem Corpus, Ecko Ecko Aserak!"

"THAWUUMP!" went Geode’s staff on the dust floor. With that the crystal atop his staff started throwing swirls of color, bouncing off the walls and the small huddle of witches gathered in the circular area.

All their eyes were fixed on the crystal, the colors emanating from it swirling faster and faster. An eerie howling filled their ears, seeming to be coming from all directions at once, and with a sudden "Whoosh!" of frigid air, the crystal shone a white light, focused on the entry from the tunnel on their right. Lady Majyk, who had pushed her way through the tight huddle, pulled on the back of Geode’s cloak, almost toppling him over backward.

Hedwig leapt off Geode’s shoulder in a flurry of feathers, with a loud "SCREECH!" almost flying square into Lady Majyk’s face, as he attempted to gain flight. Lilly reached out and snatched the wildly flailing owl by his legs, talons digging into her fingers. "OUCH! Hedwig! Stop!!" she cried out in pain, but still keeping a firm grasp on the flapping owl.

Geode spun ‘round, the beam of light still magickally focused on the same tunnel entry. "Will�?you... all... please... be... quiet!" he said through clenched teeth. "You’re disturbing the Spirits of the Ancients" he continued, much calmer now. "Here Lilly, gimme Hedwig" he said as he took his owl off her fingers, Hedwig’s talons drawing a small amount of blood. "Go ride on Ursa" he said sternly to Hedwig as he hoisted her up, she took flight and landed on Ursa’s back.

Lady Majyk, finally seeing her moment, said "Geode, just what are you and Fyre playing at, sending us into this�?this dark, dank place?"

"Look..What did Sterling tell you ? Did he not tell you of a Scout in his shop?" he said quietly.

Lady Majyk and Lilly both nodded in the dim light. He continued, "Qyzida, did you not tell us of a succubus in the village?"

Silence.

"Qyzida, where are you?" whispered Lilly.

"Down here. Amathyia fainted." answered Qyzida.

Geode took a crystal out of one of the many pockets of his robes, bent down, set it on the floor and said "Solaris!"

The crystal glowed with white light, now giving them a complete view of the Place of the Ancients. The walls were lined with many coffins and crypts, towering up to the stone ceiling some fifty feet high. They were standing on a stone floor, inlaid with granite that formed a perfect pentacle. The chamber had to be at least two or three hundred feet across.

Lilly shuddered at the sight as she dug in her robes to produce a small clay saucer and some sage. She tipped her wand to the sage and said "Incendio!" Instantly the room started filling with the scent of sage.

"Lilly, hurry with that sage, please, the spirits won’t like it. It displeases them muchly." said Geode.

"You and your spirits.. Honestly, you’d think they were your many wives, the way you treat them", huffed Lilly, as she set to healing Amathyia.

"While we’re stopped, would you pu-u-lease explain what we’re doing in this place of death? I know all about the Scout and the Succubus, but what are they do they have to do with dark, dirty, tunnels, spirits, Places of the Ancients and this mysterious magick" pleaded Lady Majyk. "Frankly all this mysterious behavior is, is, is well getting quite old very fast" she stated, with an exasperated tone.

While Lilly started to heal Amathyia, Geode launched into the story about the witch spy Fyre and he had seen in a tree near their camp, night before last. "Didn’t you get my message?" asked Geode. I sent it with Hedwig.

"Yes dear, Hedwig did arrive at Chalandor, with your message." said Lady Majyk. She continued, "As a matter of fact, he almost frightened poor Amathyia to death, zooming in through the kitchen door, like some spectral beast."

Now she couldn’t help but to grin, thinking of Hedwig flying through the castle, bouncing off walls and tables. White feathers flying hither and yon like some kind of pillow fight. "Hehehehe." she stifled her laughter.

"Lilly, are you finished yet?" asked Geode. "This sage smoke is getting quite thick" he said as he waved his hand around, in a vain attempt to clear the air.

"Just finishing up" she said, as she snuffed out the last bit of burning sage.

Amathyia was now standing next to Qzydia. "How are you feeling, my dear" said Lady Majyk?

"What happened?" asked Amathyia. "First I got very cold, then I find Lilly over me with her sage�? she continued as her eyes widened to take in the sight all of them had been seeing while she was out.

"Spirits arriving through the gate" said Geode.

"Spirits, doing what!" exclaimed Amathyia.

"Shhh, calm yourself my dear" Qyzida said in a smooth and soothing voice. "You just needed a shield" she said to Amathyia, and thinking to herself, no shield in the universe would protect them in such a horrid place as this.

"Geode, we need to stay just a few more minutes, so I can get Amathyia shielded properly" Qyzida said.

"Fine, make it quick. A double mirror should do the trick" he said. "Oh, and Lilly, would you please get rid of this stench!" he exclaimed, taking the bottom of his cloak and flapping it around like some over grown bat. "They don’t really like it you know" he finished.

Lilly waved her wand "Aero mobalio!" she said, making the air clear of her remaining saging smoke, with a rush of warm breeze.

Amathyia spoke in a worried tone, "What’s going to happen to Fyre, he’s still at the Inn?"

"Oh, I suppose he’ll just serve the Scouts drinks, as usual", Qyzida snickered.

"Yeah, providing he doesn’t over do it himself" Geode said, as he rocked to and fro on the balls of his feet grinning.

Amathyia finally said, "OK, I’m ready, shall we continue? But I’m walking behind you Geode, you know these spirits."

"They won’t hurt you, I keep telling you. They are the Spirits of our Ancients. The spirits of the beginning of the Wicca and the Originators of our Craft" he explained.

"Ok, Ok can we just go now" asked Qyzida.

The small group started off in which the direction the crystal was illuminating.

After trudging down dark corridor after corridor, the chamber far behind, spirits lending their guidance to Geode at every turn, chilling the air, and the witches each time, with a frigid icy cold blast, they finally arrived at the bottom of a set of stone steps. The steps were lavishly cut from the finest granite from the north of Scotland, where the kelts ruled with their war-like clans.

"Finally" Qyzida said, exhaling loudly.

"Yes, the icy spirits have made me chilled to the bone!" exclaimed Amathyia.

"Me too" agreed Lilly.

"How Geode stands it is beyond any magick I can imagine" said Lady Majyk with a shiver, and drawing her cloak even tighter around her shivering body.

"Oh, where are we anyway?" asked Qyzida, now stooping to examine the perfectly cut and set granite steps by the light of a flickering torch on the wall to their right.

"Oh, Lady Majyk should be able to answer that for us" said Geode with a mysterious grin.

Lady Majyk had a puzzled look on her face. She then stepped forward to examine the steps a little closer under the light of the torch and crystal. "O Goddess be with us!" she exclaimed and clapped her hands gleefully. "I remember these steps, but just at the top though" she said thoughtfully, remembering back.

"Ok dear sister, how long are you going to keep us in the dark about the secret?" asked Lilly, now starting to really shiver at the draft coming down the steps. "And why are you so happy about a set of granite steps dear? And how does Geode know of them too and the rest of do not?" she asked, now her teeth starting to chatter slightly.

"Come brother and sisters, I shall tell you the story as I lead the way up" she said, now starting up the steps, taking the torch off the wall as she started to ascend, holding it up so everyone could see by its flickering light. "It’s a long climb, but you’ll see when we get there" she said now giggling.

As Geode put out the light in his crystal, and bade the spirits Hail and Farewell, the rest looked around to each other, and to the retreating back of Lady Majyk’s crimson cloak trailing up the stairs, they shrugged and set out after her, Geode and Ursa bringing up the rear. All eagerly waiting to hear Lady Majyk’s story about these curious steps, and where they lead. Where indeed?

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