"Look Jamie, it has been almost a month, I think it is time you forgave Octavia and went back home." Lewis sighed.

"He is right plus this inn and pub is no where for a little girl to be Maylissa needs her mother," Jack sighed.

Maybe you are right," Jamie sighed, and wondered where Lissa went every day on her horse, and Seth had told him she had been racing some boys.

Also she was always betting the money Jamie gave her to help around the inn against patrons in game particulary draughs and chess. She was very good and seldom lost.

Oly was particularly fond of her but always played to win, finding her a great opponant.

Oly explained while he enjoyed the games they played, he really thought hearing curses come from a mouth of Maylissa upset him a bit.

Jamie finally agreed, they should go back home.

"I am delighted to hear that, but I have one request you bring her by one early afternoon a week so we can still play, your daughter is sharper than Neils," Oly chuckled.

"Speaking of Neils, I thought we were friends, why has he not been by to chat or have a pint?" Jamie asked.

"I guess you don't know," Oly said and chuckled, "Neils and Roland had quite a row, Roland took his start up money from me and brought a printers press."

"Yes, the big smelly thing in the inns back room," Jamie laughed.

"Well he kicked Roland out, but Quentin who always admired Roland convinced Octavia to allow him to move in here set up press and share Quentins attic. Well that made Neils mad. He blew up at Octavia, now he is too ashamed to show his face here, he asks about you all the time," Oly laughed.

"Tell him to get down here and have a pint and a chat, we are going home after I go talk to Octavia to make sure we can," Jamie said.

"I will do that." Oly said, thinking it was about time Neils made up with the Warwicks, especially now that he and Roland were speaking again.

Jamie went alone to see Octavia. "I have been a fool, I am the one who was unfaithful to you and all you did was do what you felt was right for our son, and your right Ethan will watch over him. Ethan was always a good boy." Jamie sighed.

"You weren't unfaithful once you realized I was here and we were married were you?" Octavia asked, she was so curious about Daygleesha but had decided she didn't want to know.

"Of course not," Jamie said, and feeling a bit like he was lying, it had been Daygleesha who had wanted out when she found Jamie had another wife. But Jamie also knew she had wanted Tunok another man who was younger but had been attracted to her.

"Life is too short for fights, I want you to come back," Octavia said, wondering if he knew that Lissa had been out here every day seeing Delilah as well as Monique and Annabelle.

"I have to talk to Neils, but I will pack up and come back tonight. I will send Maylissa home before that, I don't think an inn is a good place for her she swears worse then the shepherds," He laughed.

"Good, I am glad you are coming back and I think Lissa will not swear if I am around to wash out her mouth," Octavia said smiling.

A few weeks later, Octavia awoke feeling a bit queasy and said a short prayer hoping this baby would be a boy.

Jamie had lost Quentin and Jeremiah, he longed for a son he could pass the Inn to someday.

Jamie kept talking about going back to England to try and get Jeremiah but Octavia hoped if there was a new baby he would stop that talk.

Ethan had wrote her they had arrived safely and Jamie's father was spoiling the boy and treating him like a prince. Even the Dukes health had improved since having Jeremiah around.

Quentin was a bit scared when Kivak took him to the place where he had to spend tonight and the next night. But boys had been doing this in Kivak's tribe for a long time and only old stories told of boys that never returned. Saban had told Quentin he could not remember a boy ever being killed or even hurt badly on one of these.

He thought about his father, and knew how brave his father was to run away from his grandfather with his mother and come so far away.

The first night he slept because he was very tired the long hike with no food had done it, he had gotten a drink. He thought about what Koryn had said about the only reason he was accepted was because of his father Jayman had been accepted as a brother to Saban and for the sake of Jayran. Koryn did not approve of Keyton, as he and some others called Quentin.

But despite this, Wenday his daughter would be allowed to join with him and that had puzzled Quentin until Kivak said, the father has no right to make his daughter marry who he wished.

Only his wife could say something but she had no right to stop it either either because of the fine gifts Quentin had brought, the nice blankets and other items, she could not claim that Quentin could not support her daughter which was the only thing that could stop a joining.

Quentin thought these people had the right idea. After all she would live with Quentin not them.

That day he wandered around a bit careful not to leave the area. He saw some berries but wouldn't have eaten them even if knew if they were safe.

He was surprised how bad the hunger pains were, but he would not give in and eat. Instead he did as Kivak advised and prayed.

That night he took the medicine Kivak had gotten for him from the medicine man, this was the vision quest part of the ceremony. He had passed the part where he had to repeat stories, Quentin almost had a photographic memory and he had practiced with Wenday and Kivak. Telling the stories in their language was difficult, half the time he didn't really know what he was saying. Once the man had laughed, he had put the accent in the wrong place making it sound like the woman was inside the corn plant not planting it. But they told him it was a minor error and he had passed.

He built a fire and thought he heard something like eerie flute music, he remembered what Kivak said about staying near the fire and did.

Quentin hadn't been sitting there long when someone approached him, he hadn't heard them.

"Quentin," the strangers voice said.

The man didn't have a face really, his face was the evening sky. Quentin almost cried out in fright at the sight of him.

"I have come to tell you about the path you have chosen," the man said.

Quentin looked at the man, he looked like any native, but he spoke English as well as his father and Roland.

"This is some kind of magic, you are talking to me in English," Quentin said. And you are standing in the fire but not burning, he wanted to add, but he was quite shaken. The man laughed, "No it is not how you say magic, I am your spirit guide." Quentin nodded not knowing what else to do.

"Here me I have much to say," the man said, "there are many paths one could take in life the one you chose is not an easy one."

"I am listening." Quentin said, thinking about what Kivak had said about listening and letting experiences take you in a good way with no bad thoughts.

Quentin listened as the man or spirit or whatever told him about how the path ahead might be hard and he might be tempted to go an easier road, but if he did he would regret it later, he must always think of what he was to do and weigh it in his heart as well as his mind and Kivak would be help when he fell.

They talked along time and sometimes the man would paint pictures in Quentins mind so vivid that he thought he was there and not dreaming them.

The man and Quentin stood again and the man put something in Quentin's hand put this in your medicine pouch.

Then the man disappeared and there was a wolf in his place.

Quentin let out a little yip of fear.

"Do not fear me this is my true form and when you see me in dreams or you are walking in darkness this is the form you will see." the man's voice resonated from the wolf.

"I am not afraid, I am fine," Quentin said.

He knelt and pet the wolf.

"It is good the way things should be in a few years the tribe will need you. You can not run in fear or go back home," the wolf said.

"I will always be here." Quentin said.

"Good your new name is Takan" the wolf said.

Quentin blinked the wolf was gone and it was daylight.

"Kivak! Kivak!" Quentin called and started to run franically then he realized he was fine, he had just had a really odd experince it was daylight and soon Kivak would be there, it was safe to drink some water, but he really wasn't hungry, but his throat was dry.

Kivak took him back to the village and said there is more.

"More?" Quentin asked looking at the men and women gathered there. They were holding willow switches.

"Yes you have to run the gauntlet," Kivak said, and Quentin felt like he couldn't take another thing and thoughts of running to where Posey waited a few yards away.

Then he saw Wenday. She was waiting at the end of the gauntlet, and suddenly he didn't care, they could all be holding cat of nine tails and he would have done it.

After he finished it only jogging through to show his lack of fear. Everyone cheered for him, even Coryn muttered approval.

"I guess he is a good father for my son, I will leave Jayrun with him, it was all a plot to make Jayman stay." Daygleesha laughed, and Kivak smiled.

The village approved of Quentin and now Kivak knew he would mate with Wenday, and it made him a little sad. Wenday was his first love. But Nona was a good woman.

"You are to be my wife now," Quentin said smiling at Wenday as she rubbed something on his stinging back.

"Oh and what if I do not know wife?" Wenday said in English.

"Well then you will have to be my mate," he said in her language, and she smiled.

"I will be mate, not wife," Wenday laughed saying the word wife in English.

"Yes, and we will have the joining soon?" Quentin asked.

"If it pleases you, it pleases me," Wenday said smiling.

"Yes you have joining on day of full moon," Lunan said.

"Wonderful," Quentin said and hugged her again after dancing a bit, like he had seen Kivak do after a horse race.

"I am not a horse or contest you have won,' Wenday laughed.

"I know but I am happy and I do not know what to do," Quentin said smiling.

"Come to our lodge after the feast and I will show you what to do," Wenday whispered.

At last the night of the full moon came, and the whole band was assembled, special carpets Quentin had brought and given to Lunan were rolled out and Quentin and Wenday alone stood on them.

Wenday looked at Quentin and smiled, he looked more frightened then the day he had faced the gauntlet. She could not help being amused.

Her mother said all men get nervous at their joining because they know they are loosing some of their masculine power and gaining some feminine.

Slowly they approach Lunan the powerful medicine man. There is a bit of skirmishing and rough housing among the younger set as girls pretend to steal the bride away and young men pretend to defend Quentin's joining rights.

But once Lunan begins to speak in his deep clear voice everyone from the smallest child to the elders grew quiet and listened, the sound of night could be heard between Lunan's words.

"Quentin, I ask you beneath the stars and moon do you wish to turn away, or do wish to continue down the path of life with Wenday as your mate, whom you will take as half of your being?" Lunan asked.

"I would go on the path of life with no other, she fills my heart and I will hold no other but Wenday," Quentin said and managed not to look so frightened.

"Wenday, I ask you beneath the stars and moon do you wish to turn away, or do wish to continue down the path of life with Quentin as your mate, whom you will take as half of your being?" Lunan asked.

"I would go on the path of life with no other, my love for him is as deep as the great water to the east where grandmother lived as a girl," Wenday said and managed not to giggle although she felt like bursting into laughter or singing.

"Then with the power of the moon on the waters and earth, and the Great Spirit it is that you are joined two shall walk as one, and you shall never be seperated unless it is the will of the Great Spirit." Lunan said.

"Let it be known to the moon the stars and the sky, and everyone beneath them that Wenday and Quentin are now joined." Lunan's voice boomed.

"The family of Quentin and Wenday be they blessed," Kivak shouted and everyone began to dance.

Quentin and Wenday held each other and she looked into his eyes and said, "I love you only one thing would make me happier right now."

"What is that?" Quentin asked.

"A kiss," Wenday giggled, "I am so very happy."

"So am I," he said then granted her wish.

Jamie had talked about going back to England since he had come back and discovered that Ethan St. deLaurants had taken Jeremiah to live with his father.

Even though Ethan had written glowing letters about how much Jamie's father doted on the boy and how he was planning the best education and already had a nanny for him that was teaching him everything a young child should know.

Jamie was at the inn talking to Jack about the inn and how he wanted some things done while he was gone.

"You can't go to England Jamie, Octavia is having a child, it would take you at least three to four months just to travel there and the same to travel back, you missed Jeremiah's birth through no fault of your own but I think you should be here for this one." Kate said.

Amelia had been doing most the baking for the inn lately as well as helping out, so Jamie was surprised to see Kate and even more surprised at what she said. He didn't know that Amelia had went with Roland and Oly to look at a house.

"Of course you are right I can't go off to England for half a year and leave her alone, the girls are a handful, and we are short handed without Quentin." Jamie sighed, but he was thrilled there would be another Warwick, but why hadn't Octavia told him. Then he knew she didn't want to make him feel he had to give up the idea of the trip for her.

He thought there would always be next year.