She led her onto dry land. A fire burned beside a small hut and a cauldron hung above it. Alison sat down on a stool and adjusted her cloak.
'What name shall I call you by?'
'I have many names,' the old woman said. 'Some people call me The Witch. Some say I'm The Enlightened One. Others call me Balduur's Daughter. I like to be known by the name my mother gave me when I suckled at her breast ... I like to be called Miralda.'
She bent over and examined Alison closely.
'You made a strange journey, Little Cat.'
'I made the journey between realms.'
'Aye,' the old woman nodded. 'You found a chink in the door and slipped through.'
'Fury says we committed a great sin.'
'In what way?'
'I shouldn't be here in this realm. The path was opened for my friend. I shouldn't have come with him.'
'Miralda laughed. 'You slipped through when no one was looking. It might have been foolish but it was not sinful. A lot of young people do foolish things for love.'
'Fury says we must carry a burden.'
'Aye. That is how the world works. If you make a mistake you have to live with it and overcome it.'
Alison reached inside her cloak and removed the bundle. She folded the red cloth neatly into place and handed it to Miralda.
'Fury says this is the burden.'
The old woman took the bundle and placed it in a sealskin bag. Alison watched expectantly.
'Fury says that when I have given it to you, we shall be free of sin and can live together for the rest of our lives.'
Miralda added some water to the cauldron and stirred it thoughtfully. 'It is not the burden but the bearing of the burden that counts, Little Cat. So far you have borne it for just a short time.'
'I don't understand.'
'You will,' she put down her spoon. 'In time you will come to understand. And, when you do, you will be able to set down your burden. Until then three precious destinies are entwined ... those of Balduur, yourself and our dear brother Fury.'
'Who is Balduur?'
'He is my dear father,' Miralda said softly.
She would have said more but Adrina pushed herself into their company. Fury's sister had overcome seasickness and was her old confident self again. For a moment, Alison was overawed by her. Adrina had combed her hair and applied fresh make-up. Then Alison remembered that, underneath, she was still the frightened girl who had hung onto the sides of the coracle and screamed when she saw a walrus.