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Masked One, thought Torak. He remembered the pain in the Walker's face.
Cruelest of the cruel.Through the gloom he made out a tall gray mask. From it
glared the unblinking eyes of the greatest of - owls. Owl feathers covered the head,
from which rose two sharp owl ears. Long coils of ashen hair hung about a
feathered robe. Only the hands could be seen. The nails were hooked, and tinged
with blue, like those of a corpse. The flesh had the pale-green sheen of rotting
meat.152"Bring it close," said a voice as harsh as a death rattle.Torak was pushed
nearer, and thrown to his knees. He caught a whiff of decay, -like the smell of the
Raven bone-grounds. Dread froze his heart.With appalling slowness, the owl mask
bent over him, and he felt a fierce and evil will beating at his mind.Just when he
could bear it no longer, the mask withdrew. "It is well," it said. "Take it
away."Torak breathed out shakily, and crawled back toward the light. The torches
flared. When he dared look again, Eostra the Eagle Owl Mage was gone.But the
change in the cave was palpable. The Oak Mage and the Viper Mage moved with
sharpened purpose among the stone trees, fetching baskets and pouches whose
contents Torak couldn't see."Come, boy," said Nef. "Help me feed and water the
offerings. Then you and I will make the first sacrifice."153EIGHTEENThe dread of
Eostra's presence clung to Torak as he followed the Bat Mage through the forest of
stone. Nef handed him the pouch that held the owl. "Put it there," she said,
indicating a ledge near the altar, "and follow me."As he set down the pouch, Torak
loosened the neck a little, to give the owl some air. Nef barked mirthlessly. "It
makes you uneasy to harm a hunter. You'll have to do worse if you want to be a
Soul-Eater." Snatching a torch, she set off through the twisting tunnels. "You'll
have to take on the burden of sin for the good of the many. Could you do that,
boy?"154"Yes," Torak said doubtfully."We'll find out," said Nef. "Tell me. How
old are you?"He blinked. "Thirteen summers.""Thirteen." Her brow furrowed. "My
son would have been fourteen, if he'd lived."For a moment Torak almost felt sorry
for her."Thirteen summers," repeated the Bat Mage. With a faraway look, she
reached into a pouch at her belt and brought out a handful of dead flies. On her
shoulder the clan-creature fur stirred--stretched its neck--and snapped them up.
"There, my beauty," she murmured. She caught Torak staring. "Well, go on," she
said, "let her sniff you!"He offered it his finger. The bat's crumpled ears quivered,
delicate as new leaves, and he felt the brief warmth of a tiny tongue tasting his skin.
Strange prey, he thought. He pictured how the bat would move over snow: its claws
digging in, its elbows making tiny stumplike tracks. With a pang he thought how
the ever-curious Wolf would have raced to investigate."She likes you," growled
Nef. "Odd." Abruptly she headed off again, and Torak had to run to keep up."How
did your son die?" he asked."He starved," said Nef. "The prey fled our part of the
Forest. We must have done something to displease the World Spirit." Her scowl
deepened. "I wanted to155die too. I tried to, but the Wolf Mage saved me." - At the
mention of his father, Torak nearly fell over. "He saved my life," Nef said bitterly.
"Now he's dead, and I can never repay him. Gratitude is a terrible thing."Suddenly
she seized Torak's hands and pressed them to the wall of the tunnel, crushing them
under her own. "That's why we're here, boy, to make things right with the World
Spirit! Quick! Tell me what you feel!"He struggled, but her hands imprisoned his.
Beneath his palms the rock was clammy and warm. Deep within, he felt something
squirm. "It lives!" he whispered."What you feel," said Nef, "is the skin that
separates our world from the Other. There are places under the earth where that
skin has worn thin."Torak thought of a cave he'd once ventured into. He asked if
there were such places in the Forest."There's one," said Nef. "We tried it, but the
way .was shut.""Why do you need it?" he said. "Why are you here?"The small eyes
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