Disclaimer: Worlds, Characters you recognize, and the occasional odd flying spork all belong to Tamora Pierce

AN: I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's kind of psychotic but not pointless...I swear...R&R

This Chapter is dedicated to contagiously funny and Shinyobjectslover for being two of my faithful reviewers...

Chapter 5

A glowing copper light filled Rhea's dark vision and she sat up, watching it grow brighter. The light pulsed with her heartbeats and with each pulse, myriads of animals appeared from its core. They streamed in, every size, shape, and color imaginable. Rhea could identify a few of them but the rest were new and left her in a sense of awe.

Riding on the back of a sturdy gray pony, was a graceful woman with thick smoky-brown curls. The copper light seemed to stream out of the woman who had dismounted and was staring at Rhea thoughtfully. Catching the goddess's eyes—she had to be a goddess—Rhea stepped back, stunned. She could see her past unfolding in the blue-gray pools and slowly the images shifted until she saw a panther lying on a bed, a man's forehead pressed to it.

Breaking eye contact, Rhea stood up and shuffled her feet on the ground, looking anywhere but at the goddess. The hem of a copper dress entered Rhea's vision and she looked up, once more meeting the woman's eyes for only a moment. "Learn," The goddess said, her voice reminding Rhea of the twang of bowstrings, the cries of hawks, the feral roars of wild cats, and the songs of the wolf pack. "Accept your magic, and your fears, and become the animals to fulfill your destiny."

That caught Rhea's attention and she looked sharply at the woman. "What destiny?" A mysterious, and yet sad, smile crossed the goddess's face as she shook her head. "You will have to ask the one you trust with your heart." Rhea sighed and then looked around at the animals. Seeing a fierce cat, orange with black stripes, she went over to it.

It purred as Rhea laid her hand on it, feeling the coarse hairs that formed its coat. "Who are you?" She asked softly, rubbing the cat's ears. "She is Shadow Stalker, the first tigress or female tiger." Rhea jumped, spinning quickly to find that the goddess was standing right next to her. "Enter her mind and learn her thoughts and memories."

Rhea raised an eyebrow and then shrugged, turning back to meet the fierce yellow eyes. The eyes seemed to melt the reality around her and when she blinked, she was looking up at what she assumed was herself. –Welcome, little cub—the tigress's mind voice was kind and Rhea smiled, a purr-like chuckle escaping her throat.

Rhea closed out the sounds around her and focused on the memories and thoughts of the tigress's mind. She remembered the joys of having cubs, the thrill of the hunt, the steamy jungle that was her home. She saw others of her kind, yellow and green eyes glinting in the shadows and watched as two males fought over a female or a fresh piece of kill.

Rhea blinked again and she was in her own body, at eye level with the tigress. –You look much better in that form—Shadow Stalker's mind voice was amused and Rhea purred, looking at her tiger form in a small puddle by her feet. She shape-shifted, turning back into her two-legger form, not really surprised that she was still dressed. After all, she could see in this realm or dream, whatever it was.

The goddess led her away from Shadow Stalker and over to a massive creature with white tusks and tough gray hide that looked like leather. "Treecrusher, the first elephant god." Rhea smiled and entered his mind, learning everything.

The process was repeated over and over, until Rhea's mind felt swamped with information. The goddess waved a hand at the animals and they faded back into the copper light. The goddess laid a hand on Rhea's arm and smiled, "We'll meet again very soon, but right now I think your shape-shifting friend wants you back."

She stepped away and started to fade, Rhea watching in astonishment. "Wait!" She called, once she had found her voice. "Who are you?" A smile appeared on the goddess's face as she solidified again for a moment. "Daine Salmalin, my great-granddaughter, many times over." And with that, she and the copper light were gone, leaving Rhea in total darkness once more.

AN: Purple Eyed Cat, you know which chapter you get the dedication for...it's coming up -grin-