Chapter 9

She woke up the next day, Lynx still in her arms, and they set out. She didn't know where they were, nor where Old Bear was, but she walked through the forest in the direction that they had come from the day before. They walked for a long time, not seeing anything else than trees. Lynx still hadn't said anything, but Tina kept speaking to fair the whole day as if fay understood. It made her feel better, less lonely. Then, when Tina was almost ready to give up their search, Lynx jumped from her arms, hissed, and disappeared into the forest. "No! Lynx! Come back Lynx!" Tina ran after fair but she only took a couple of steps when she realized that she's standing in front of Old Bear's tree. She looked around. What happened? How did she end up here? She heard the door open and Old Bear came out with surprise on his face. "Well, come in, come in. No good standing out here." Tina walked over to him, still in a daze. "But what happened? How did I find this place?"

"If you really want to find me, you will. That's part of my magic." He looked around as if suddenly realizing something. "What's happened? Where are the others?" Tina began to cry and told him the story of the palace and the Queen and how Ratatosk had attacked her, but not before she'd transformed Lynx into a cat. And now she had to find Lynx's name, but she didn't know how, or even what it meant. "Oh, dear or dear, you better come inside.", Bear said.

He led her into the house and poured her a cup of strong tea. Then he sat down and said, "So it didn't go as fay expected?" Tina shook her head, still crying. "But I don't understand what happened," she said. Bear leaned back in his chair, thinking. "It looks like the Witch Queen allowed fair to run away last time, but not before she'd put a spell on fair. She must have wanted to use Lynx as a spy.

"Because if you'd ever come to this world and someone would have found you, they would have taken you to Lynx. Fay's still an unofficial leader. In which case, Lynx would have been forced to take you to her."

"But fay tried to overthrow the Queen!"

"Yes, spells are not almighty and I guess fay tried to manipulate them the best fay could. But it didn't work."

"And what should I have done? I don't have any magic?"

"Magic isn't as easy as just waving a wand," Bear said. "You'll find it, but Lynx must have hoped fay could force it out of you. Silly Lynx..."

Tina felt more and more hopeless. "And what about fair name?! What does it even mean? And why would the Witch Queen take it?"

"That's old magic. If your name is taken, you are bound to the person until you get it back."

"But how do we find it? I need to give it back to fair!" But the Bear said, "If the Witch took it, then only she can give it back." Tina began to cry again. "But I promised fair that I would find it. I have to give it back to fair. And fay's just a cat. Just a cat! And fay'll be even angrier with me now." Old Bear looked at her. "I don't think fay's angry with you. I think fay's ashamed of what fay's done." Tina stopped crying and looked at him in surprise. "But fay's done nothing wrong?"

"Fay tried to use you."

"But fay had no other choice? And fay tried to save us."

"That might be true. But still... The Witch bound fair with a spell, and Lynx must have suspected it, and you were fair chance. Fay's just too ashamed to speak to you." Tina looked at him, bewildered. "Speak? Fay can speak?"

"Of course fay can. The Witch just took fair name, not who fay is. But let's not worry about that now, it's getting late, and it's time for bed. Maybe tomorrow we'll have some ideas about what to do. There must be something we can do that will give fair back fair name."

Tina went to bed and as she lay there, she heard something scratching on the window. She went to open it and Lynx the cat was standing there. Fay jumped onto the bed and said, "It's cold." Tina ran to fair on the bed. "You speak! I was afraid that you had turned into a normal cat!" She hugged fair but Lynx just said, "You're strangling me." Tina looked at fair and said, "I'm not angry with you, Lynx. Can we be friends again?" Lynx looked up at her, and fair cat face was one of surprise. "You're not angry with me? After everything I've done, you still want to be my friend?"

"Yes! I'm not angry with you. And I failed you, too. But it doesn't matter. Now we have each other again and that's what's important. I'm gonna find a way, for you and for everyone. I'll save you. I meant everything I said to you." Lynx cuddled up against Tina, and soon they fell asleep.

The next morning they went to the kitchen together and Old Bear served them breakfast. And he said, "I've been thinking about this. There might be someone who can help you. In the hills, north of the forest, there's a lake and in this lake lives a fish that is older than me. And I believe she's always stayed underwater and is out of reach of the Queen's Magic. She may know things that no one else does."

Lynx and Tina looked at each other, and Lynx said, "Let's go there first! Maybe the old fish will know more secrets. Maybe she can teach you how to use your magic, too. She must remember the days when the sun was still shining." Tina nodded and when Bear had given them provisions on the way, they set out.