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black sheen of the lower body pumping out silken web while the long hairy legs wove them into a pod that would soon encase her. Maisey tore her gaze away in shock, unwilling to lay eyes on what was one of her worst fears; spiders. But one this large was more than she could comprehend and she felt that she may faint from terror.

      Look again! came Rendal’s voice but the girl thought that if she did, she would surely pass out or scream. You must confront this, he continued you must look past the terror and see the truth for once.

      Slowly she calmed herself and when she again felt able, held the mirror up with a trembling hand to gaze upon the spider. A shudder ran through her but she heard his voice. Look past the fear.

      And she did. For as she let her eyes travel past the weaving hulk down to where the thread pumped out, its silk spun and turned and glistened wetly. With the rhythm, Maisey’s attention was absorbed and her own bitter words played back at her. Within their echo she felt and saw that most of it was illusion for in fact, most of her fears had not materialised. Just illusive lies she had woven in her mind to encase and entrap her in self pity.

      With that realisation she found herself standing back outside the den. She wanted only to run but something made her wipe away the rest of the vines that sat around the nameplate and she saw what she had missed on her arrival: Ms Dé Lusion.

      With new haste she made her way along the right-hand tunnel to find Noil. Rounding the bend she looked about her in delight. Before her was a cavern out of which leapt a cool spring that bubbled into a small pond. A shaft in the cavern’s ceiling let in a single beam of sunlight. Noil leapt up from a flat rock and plunged headfirst into the pool. Maisey waited for him to come up for air. Finally he bobbed up. ‘Come on chicken,’ he called while swimming backstroke around the fountain. She smiled at him. The less said about her stupidity the better. Besides, the smile he returned her, spoke volumes about the extent of his understanding. Somehow he knew what she had been through and was big enough not to chide her.

      She stepped sedately down into the water while Noil jeered at her timidity.

      ‘I don’t want to make a wave that will drown you,’ she laughed, letting the water lap over her tired body. ‘This must run from the well that Rendal showed me. He said it came out in Id but not where.’ Maisey hoped her clothes would dry out in the sunlight but as she left the water she was amazed at the feel of them. The water seemed to roll off her body and clothing like water hitting oil. It reminded her of the ducks she had watched when she was a child. How fascinated she’d been to see the water run easily from their feathers.

      She lay down on a flat rock directly beneath the beam of sunlight. She felt stronger than she’d done in a long while and with strength came certainty of her ability to find the Rock. Noil continued to splash about and Maisey soon became restless. She sat up and looked in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and she attempted to comb it with her fingers but gave up finally.

      Noil watched her and chatted happily. ‘Do you know what this place is called?’

      ‘I’m sure you’ll tell me.’ Maisey was as surprised as Noil to hear the sarcasm in her tone.

      ‘It’s called the Pool of Pride,’ he said, choosing to ignore her mood.

      ‘Why’s it called that?’ she asked.

      ‘Dunno,’ he said. Then after a second added, ‘We should get a move on soon.’

      ‘When I’m ready,’ she snapped.

      How she wished she had a comb now, as she looked at her reflection once again in the mirror. Her face paled and she felt suddenly very ill. The mirror’s depths swirled and she could have sworn she saw Rendal’s reflection staring back at her. His voice seemed to echo at her from a distance.

       Look in the mirror with care, for what is reflected at you is what you reflect outwards.

      She let the mirror fall. Noil had joined her on the rock and she turned to him now and picked him up.

      ‘You’re right. I’m sorry I snapped.’

      ‘That’s okay.’ He leapt up to her shoulder and they continued the journey.

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