It turned out that she could move after all, but only at his direction. Numbly she opened the window, letting him in. Then he looped the lasso over her, drawing it snug about her waist. She was unable to resist.

  “As I said, you owe me a conquest. You are a fine-looking creature, especially that wavy hair. First, I’ll have my will of you. Then I will take you away to my garden. You should provide me with what I lost when you stole away the pretty naiad. Everything and more. No one else will know what happened to you. You will be my passion slave.”

  She tried to protest, but could neither move nor speak. She was his captive.

  “Of course you are a princess, so I shall have to be careful. I will stuff you in a bag so one sees you. After I ravish you, of course. Remain quiet and enjoy it.” He put his arms about her and drew her in close. His inquisitive hand grasped her rear.

  Still, she could not fight him. The elixir had worn off, but power of the lasso was absolute. She might as well have been a doll.

  But as he took his time nastily teasing her, her hair came quietly alive. It seemed it was not affected by the lasso, and not charmed by his attitude. It subtly circled his throat. As he pressed in close, the strands of it slowly tightened.

  “Wha?” he exclaimed, surprised. That was all, as the hair constricted just below his gills. Soon, he was silently gagging, unable to breathe. He might have clutched at the strands and ripped them off, but he didn’t understand what was happening.

  Nerine could not do anything about it, and would not have cared to anyway. The foul man was getting what he deserved: execution.

  In due course, the prince was still, his life expired. The body drifted away from her as the hair slid away from his neck, but the lasso remained in place, preventing her from moving. Time passed.

  Then the palace guards were there, discovering the scene. “He’s dead!” one exclaimed.

  “She’s not,” another said. “She’s pacified by the lasso.”

  “He’s been throttled. Who did it?”

  A third guard laughed. “Not her, obviously. She’s helpless. Someone else must have come in and killed him in a jealous rage.”

  They freed Nerine from the lasso. “What happened, princess?”

  “He was going to—to—” Then, rather than continue, she burst into tears. It wasn’t lying, exactly, merely avoiding the key aspect. It was better that they did not know.

  Soon the authorities were there. “Prince Norward was a disreputable man,” Nerine’s father said. “But he was a royal from a rival kingdom and had formidable connections. I am furious at what he evidently tried to do to my daughter, but it would be awkward trying to explain what happened to him when we don’t know it ourselves. His folk will assume we murdered him. There could be war. It would be better to disappear him without explanation.”

  “And her,” her mother said. “Folk will assume that they eloped and are hiding together.”

  “Chubby chance,” Nerine muttered to her Quest companions.

  “A cunning ploy,” her father agreed admiringly. “She was always my favorite child because of her beauteous hair. There’s just something about it.”

  Nerine did not comment. He surely knew her hair’s real nature, and suspected what it had done, but had the wit to avoid that aspect. Especially in the presence of the guards, who could gossip about secrets.

  “We certainly don’t want to hurt her, but we shall need to hide her where she will never be found, at least until this washes over.” Her mother was supremely practical when it came to complications. She, too, was staying clear of mentioning the hair. That secret had to be kept.

  “We’ll feed the body to the pet sharks, so there will be no trace. As for her—” He gazed at Nerine, considering. “We can hide her, but her soul can be tracked. The only way to truly protect her is to separate her soul, cruel as that may seem, until this crisis passes.”

  Nerine realized that he was right. It was an awful thing, but it was necessary to protect her from vengeance-minded enemies. She nodded acceptance.

  “I know a soul collector,” her mother said. “He truly values every soul he gets. He owes me a favor. He will make the deal.” The parents exchanged a glance. She was a beautiful woman, and ready to do what was necessary to make key deals. Her father knew better than anyone how persuasive she could be, and approved it. They understood each other perfectly. Diplomatic expedience took priority over private romance.

  And so it came to be that Nerine spent a thousand years as an anonymous, soulless, one-day-at-a-time nymph in the Retreat. Maybe she had been hidden too well. Surely the crisis had passed in months or a few years. What could have happened in the interim?

  “Wow!” Vinia said as they came out of the memory. “What a history you had! But what was the foul prince planning to do with you? And how did your mother make the deal with the soul collector? No, don’t try to answer; I know it will be censored out by the Conspiracy.” She clearly had two thirds of a notion, but pretended ignorance.

  “Close enough,” Nerine agreed. It was a horrible memory, but she was, she said, perversely glad to have it back.

  They looked around. The cabin was undisturbed, and Flame’s fire still circled it. The whole thing felt rather like a dream. But there were cautions.

  “I lost my talent,” Nerine said forlornly. “It must have been attached to my soul.”

  “Which perhaps explains why your hair tangles,” Noletta said. “It’s the remnant of your talent, cut off at the knees.”

  “Now that makes sense,” Nerine agreed. “My talent is annoyed. I’d be annoyed, too, if most of me were gone. In fact, I am annoyed. I was a compassionate princess, and all it did was get me in trouble!”

  “Now we know your history,” Nydia said. “And an amazing story it is! But I think we need to know more. I don’t like to imagine a threat to you could last a thousand years, but there is that chance. We need to research before we act.”

  “I want my soul back,” Nerine said with feeling.

  “And your recovery of it could be the trigger for a trap. Remember, souls can be tracked.”

  Nerine winced, knowing it was true.

  “We can recover her soul and put it in the bag,” Ecstasy suggested. “Where it will remain untrackable but available.”

  “Brilliant,” Nydia agreed. “Now how do we track it down?”

  “I can do it,” Vinia said. “The paths will lead me to it.”

  “Good enough. Tomorrow.”

  They settled down for the night. Nydia was sure she was not the only one amazed by what they had discovered. Who could ever have thought that an ordinary nymph could have such a background?

  But the remaining mysteries were disturbing. A thousand years! Why had Nerine never been released from the Retreat and her soul returned to her? Her parents surely would have rescued her the moment it was safe. Was there indeed danger awaiting them, even after a thousand years? They needed to be excruciatingly careful.

  At last, almost reluctantly, Nydia slept. So did the others. Sleep had been carefree in the Retreat because the nymphs had no worries. Yet this discomfort was probably better, overall.

  In the morning, they went about their routines as usual, except that Noletta took a walk with Flame to see the sights, as she put it. She would likely be doing more showing than looking. Now that she had a genuine boyfriend, she was making the most of it.

  “First things first,” Nydia said when they were ready to go. “Nerine’s soul.” She glanced at Vinia.

  “On our way,” the girl agreed. She focused for two and a half instants, then pointed south. “That way.”

  When they came to an intersection, they took the enchanted path south. In another day, they came to Lake Ogre-Chobee, where ogres and chobees lived in reasonable compatibility. It looked wide and shallow, but Nydia knew that was deceptive.

  They left the path and went to the edge of the lake. “Under there,” Vinia said, pointing.

  “There may be a problem,” Ecstasy said. “You three nymphs can go anywhere, thanks to your socks. But Vinia and I can’t. I’m not sure about Flame. The figurine can handle water, but might now be too hot for it.”

  “I won’t need the socks underwater,” Nerine said. “I will share mine with you and Vinia. I think one sock each will do it.” She sat down, lifted her legs in a manner that would have freaked out any normal male, and drew off her socks. She handed one to each of the two live folk, who put them on their right and left feet respectively, under their shoes.

  “What about Flame?” Nydia asked. “He can travel in the bag, of course, but I think he would rather be with Noletta, and she with him.”

  “I would,” Flame agreed. “I can tone it down, here in the figurine. My wider self is out with the elsewhere in the countryside fires.”

  “Can you?” Ecstasy asked shrewdly. “We should test it.”

  They tested it. Flame squatted beside the water and touched the surface with a finger. A gout of steam surged up. He tried again with no better result. He could not entirely douse his nature, even in the figurine.

  “I will share with you, hot stuff,” Noletta said fondly. She drew off one sock and gave it to him.

  Flame donned the sock on his right foot, then touched the water again. There was no burst of steam, merely the thin film of air that enabled regular folk to breathe. He moved on into the water, bemused. “I’m an Element protected from an Element!”

  “And still hot inside,” Noletta said, smiling.

  He smiled back. A little burning heart sailed across to her. She caught it and tucked it in her hair, which changed from blue to bright red in that vicinity.

  “Yuck,” Woe Betide muttered. She knew mush when she saw it.

  They removed their clothing, as it would only get in the way in the water, and put it in the bag. They were reasonably ready.

  Vinia led the way into the water, followed by Nerine. Soon they were walking along the bottom while Nerine swam beside them, her gills now visible, and Woe floated nearby, as it were. Fish swam by, unconcerned. There were natural paths through the water plants.

  The invisible path led to an underwater cave. There was no sign of any other person; Nydia was watching closely. The cave was tall enough that they could walk upright. After a few serpentine turns, it opened into a somber chamber.

  They paused, surprised. There was a circle of about fifty candles, their flames different colors.

  “Candles burning underwater?” Ecstasy asked dubiously.

  Nydia checked the closest one. It turned out not to be a candle exactly, but a miniature pedestal with a starlike glowing ball hovering close above. “It’s a soul!”

  “The soul collector’s acquisitions,” Noletta said. “Mine must be one of these.”

  “This way.” Vinia circled the ring, stopping at one with a flickering blue gleam. “Here.”

  Nerine went to it. She touched it with one finger. Her hair flared like a miniature nova, its talent returning. Her body seemed to come doubly alive. Indeed, this was the one.

  “But you can’t wear it,” Nydia reminded her. “Lest you be tracked, and get us all in trouble. It must go in the bag.”

  “I hate to confine it there.” Then she brightened. “Unless I can loan it to Flame? He’s an Element; if somebody tracks it, all they’ll see is fire.”

  Could that work? All they could do was try it and hope for the best.

  “Take it,” Noletta said to Flame.

  He reached out and cupped the little ball of light in one hand. In half a moment, it disappeared into the hand.

  “Awesome!” he said. “Suddenly I care about more than you, Noletta. I want to be a good person and do decent things.” He paused. “I love you, Noletta. But I also love Nerine, in a brotherly manner.”

  Nerine smiled. “Consider me your soul sister. We’ll get along.”

  “What next?” Nydia asked, discovering that she had not thought beyond this point.

  “I would really like to know what happened during my absence,” Nerine said. “If by some miracle I retain some royal privilege, I might be in a better position to recruit the Element of Water. A princess should have more clout than an anonymous nymph.” That was a considerable understatement, given how nymphs were regarded.

  There was an indefinite silence. They were waiting for Nydia to make a decision.

  “That makes sense to me,” Ecstasy said, interrupting the silence before it could really get started. Annoyed, it departed.

  “And to me,” Nydia agreed. “But how can we learn the intervening history? It’s not in our template. I think the assumption is that history would be wasted on nymphs.”

  “A historian should know it,” Ecstasy said.

  “This way,” Vinia said, observing her paths.

  They followed her. Those paths were indeed proving to be useful.

  They came to an underwater village of mermaids and tritons, who ignored the nymphs as not being their type. Down here, legs were not nearly as efficient as tails. Tritons surely preferred nice pieces of tail.

  Vinia’s path led to what appeared to be the slum section. There, in a shack formed from part of the hull of a sunken ship, was a triton hovering near a desk. The path led right to him.

  Nydia put on her best positive expression, uncertain of the protocol here. “Hello, triton. I am Nydia Nymph in search of what may be an obscure bit of history. Can you help us?”

  The triton gazed at her upper section, perhaps embarrassed by the awkwardness of her lower section. Tailless creatures had to be rare here, and not very interesting either in the faunly manner or personally. “That depends on the obscurity. I am Clovis Cleric, an undistinguished incidental historian. What are you looking for?”

  A historian. Good enough. “Nerine here will explain it. It’s her business.”

  Nerine came forward, her hair lovely even without the enhancement of her talent. She named the ancient kingdom and the mystery of the princess who had disappeared.

  “Ah, that history. I know it, but am unable to resolve the mystery, as the lost princess was never found. Her disappearance, together with that of a hostile prince, was not taken well by his kingdom. They suspected that she had somehow ensorcelled him, as he was not one to take his conquests seriously. There was war, which so depleted both kingdoms that a third one was able to take over both their territories and forcibly retire their royalties. Their history stopped there.”

  A tear rolled down Nerine’s cheek, which was a good trick in water, but she managed it. “I am that lost princess. I was hidden in a Faun & Nymph Retreat and never released until now, mostly by accident. I am so sorry to learn of my family’s misfortune.”

  Now the triton’s interest intensified. “If you can document that, I can write a codicil that will make me fractionally famous among cleric historians. Do tell me more.”

  She did, and he avidly made notes. She was, in effect, paying for the information he had provided.

  “Now we know,” Ecstasy said as they waited for the dialog to conclude. “I feel somewhat sorry for her, though it does free her for the rest of the Quest.”

  “She was not likely to return to her former life after a thousand years anyway,” Nydia said. “I wonder what the fauns would have thought had they known the nymph they ridiculed because of her tangled hair was actually a princess?”

  “Assuming they even knew what a princess is.” They laughed together. Fauns had become the ridiculed symbol of the life the nymphs had left behind.

  In due course, the dialog completed its course and expired. Nerine returned to the group. “My feelings are so jumbled. I’m glad to know the rest of it, but sorry my background is gone.”

  “At least you have a history, as we do not,” Noletta said. “You’re not a nothing nymph.”

  Nerine shook her head. “None of us are nothing anymore. We’re friends.”

  “And we’re on a Quest,” Nydia added. “That’s not nothing.”

  “I’m so glad!” Nerine reached out to embrace them both together. They hugged her back. Three little hearts flew out and orbited them.

  Astonished, they stared. Hearts?

  “Don’t be so surprised,” Ecstasy said. “The hearts signal love. It doesn’t have to be romantic.”

  “It’s nice,” Nerine said as they separated and the hearts faded.

  “We’re jealous,” Vinia said, standing beside Flame.

  “I have half, maybe even three quarters of a notion how it is,” Flame said. “Thanks to the soul.”

  It was time to get on with things. “Where can we find the Element of Water?” Nydia asked Vinia.

  The girl focused. “This way.”

  It turned out not to be far. They swam to the deepest depth of the lake, where there was an ancient cathedral braced by a massive scaly rope on either side, north to south. The structure needed to be held down?

  Vinia’s path led right to it and into it. “My future just flickered,” Noletta said.

  Flame moved closer to her. “You are in danger? I’ll scorch it!”

  “Not that straightforward, dear. It means we could make a wrong decision and get in serious trouble. We just need to be careful. We have navigated threats before.”

  He let it be, though plainly on guard.

  They entered the cathedral and paused. There was a monstrous serpent head, as tall as they were, and considerably longer, with its teeth biting firmly on its own tail.

  “What is this?” Nydia asked.

  “I think it’s the biggest snake ever,” Nerine said. “Those cables coming to this place must be its body. Who knows how far it reaches?”

  “I believe this is Ouroborus,” Ecstasy said, awed. “The serpent who circles Xanth, holding it together so it doesn’t split apart at the Gap Chasm and drift off as two pieces.”