'My soul light, Majesty?'
'Aye, Sky Warrior. What path will it follow?'
'I don't know, Majesty.' He felt confused. 'It's not something I've given much thought to. I see myself as a traveller. My aim is to follow the Way of the Warrior and make another passage between realms. I suppose my soul light will make the trip too.'
The queen leant forward.
'You want to make the journey between realms by following the Way of the Warrior?'
'Aye, Majesty. According to ancient lore, it is possible to pass between realms by excelling in certain pursuits: the Way of the Warrior, the Way of the Priest, the Way of the Wizard ... and so on.'
'I would have rated your chances better as a hero.'
'You appointed me as your War Master.'
'I did,' the queen agreed. 'I just see you as more of a hero than a warrior ... that's all.' A noise caught her attention and her features tightened. 'Did you hear that?'
Tom peered through the doorway and saw a group of men leading a huge white stallion towards an equally large white mare.
'It's the stallion,' he observed. 'A very fine animal.'
'Aye, Sky Warrior ... a very fine animal.'
'In his prime,' Tom continued.'
'He will be ... they always are. But that's not what concerns me. I cannot cease from wondering why his fate and mine are tied so intimately together. That question must surely have been asked in your former realm.'
'As I said, Majesty,' Tom adjusted his cloak. 'The ceremony is no longer held. It died out ... first in one part then in another.'
'You mean they dropped parts of it?'
'That and other things ...'
Tom tried to find words that would not offend the old woman.
'It is said the queen once took the part of the mare.'
'That's a lie.' The queen's head jerked up. 'I've spoken to the Blessed Sisters and they assure me there's not the slightest truth in it.'
'I was talking about my former realm, Majesty.'
'Aye. You were indeed.' She seemed to relax. 'You were saying those things happened in the realm where you once lived. I am not surprised the ceremony died out. I cannot imagine what sort of woman would countenance such a thing. I'm sure none of my royal forebears would have engaged in anything like that.'
'I'm sure you're right, Majesty.'
'Is that what you think, Sky Warrior?..Do you really think it happened in your former realm but not here?'