[Four hours later]

Mulder looked to either side of him, seeing a long, stretching row of people, all as tired and weary as he. They moved remarkably quiet for such a large number. In four mortal hours of thorns, branches and boulders, nothing had been found.

"Scully, why don't we call a break for a few minutes. I think it'll do everyone good." he suggested, quietly. He knew she was blaming herself for what had happened to Kathryn, and he was worried about her. Seeing she was about to refuse, he said, "We can keep searching alone, if you like." She nodded.

Mulder called out a "Break time!" that echoed up and down the unnaturally silent wood. He wouldn't necessarily call it a forest, but there were grooves of Cotton Wood trees that sheltered it enough.

"You have thirty minutes!" He announced. Scully was still walking ahead. Mulder trotted to catch up with her. When he finally did, they were out of sight of the rest of the party. "Scully, Scully, wait up." She turned. "Why don't we take a short break, five minutes."

For a moment, he thought she was going to refuse, but she relented, sitting. Putting her face in her hands, she sighed, sliding her hand to her temples, and massaging them. Mulder sat beside her, offering her water from a canteen. She took it gratefully, sipped, and then gave it back.

"What's wrong, Scully? I know something is." Mulder said.

"Nothing... I was just thinking about, about Skippy."

"Skippy? Oh... your pet tarantula. The one that was, abducted. Scully, you were too young to do anything about it. You need to move on in your life."

"You don't understand. That tarantula meant everything to me! I bought her with my own money. And I will find her. Kathryn and Skippy, both. We need to get moving again."

As there was obviously nothing else to say, they stood up, and began walking again. They approached a rocky area, when Mulder noticed something that caught his attention...

Mulder had been staring off into the trees, anything to not have to look at Scully's face. She looked so hurt, remembering her missing tarantula. They were approaching a rocky area, and he had noticed a few strands of hair in a branch that was bent out of shape. Quietly, so as not to alert anyone hiding near by, he pulled Scully over to the branch.

Grabbing the strands, he looked intently. "Look like a color we know, Scully?"

"Kathryn must be near by."

"No." replied Mulder. "Kathryn must have come this way. Now, if they are witches, why didn't they just transport directly to where they need to be? Why risk leaving footprints like those?" He pointed. "They lead to the rocks."

"Let's not get into the paranormal argument right now, Mulder. Come on." She was about to lunge off, but Mulder grabbed her. "Slowly. We don't want to charge into a trap." She nodded.

Slowly, they climbed through the rocks. Scully's frantic signaling brought Mulder in a quiet jog. He looked around the rock, and saw what she was signaling about. There was Kathryn, lying limp in the mouth of a cave about twenty feet away. It didn't look like she was breathing. To make it worse, the three girls were sitting, just like in the murders, around her body and chanting. It didn't look good.

"I'll go get help." hissed Mulder.

"No! There's no time! I'll rush them, you check Kathryn." He had no time to contradict her, because at that moment, she shot out, gun drawn. "Back against the rocks! Against the rocks!"

Mulder walked forward and crouched, one hand holding his gun, the other checking Kathryn's pulse. It was there, but weak. Scully had the girls against the wall, and called for Mulder to cuff one of them while she cuffed one. The last, Mulder wasn't sure which girl it was, they sat where they could keep an eye on her.

Scully stood and said, "I'm going to go get some help." At the word help, the sky blackened and waved. Outside their area, everything seemed to freeze.

"I've thrown us out of the normal loop of time." Said one of them. "There's no way for anyone to get in, or anyone to get out. Let us go."

"No." Replied Scully.

"Then please, listen to us."

Scully considered this. "All right."

"She is the child of the past."

"As you keep saying." said Mulder. "But, what does that mean??"

One by one, they took different sentences, explaining, or trying to explain, to the agents, and by this time, Kathryn.

"A hero is needed."
"But this hero is not needed now."
"A people need a hero, but in the past."
"They need a warrior, one that is strong in the fighting arts."
"They are the fighting arts of the past, though."
"Archery, horseback, swordsmanship."
"And the hero must be pure of mind."
"Pure of soul."
"Pure of intention."
"Last, the warrior must be a woman."
"We can only send back a woman."
"She must be willing to accept her immanent death, though."
"For, she will be burned at the stake by her own country."
"And though she will feel no pain by our power,"
"She must be brave enough die."

"Kathryn is this child?" Asked Mulder.

The three sisters nodded.

"Who will Kathryn become?" asked Scully.

"You have studied her."


"She was French."

Kathryn spoke for the first time. "Joan of Arc. I'm to become Joan of Arc."