3 A Cold heart.

Later in the night, Isabella woke from a fitful sleep. After living in the warm luxury of Roland's castle in Neverwinter she felt uncomfortable in the old church cloister. Getting up she dressed and paced the halls reaching out with her power to collect the gods stones scattered through the entire cloister. Some of them she'd have to pry up floorboards or paneling to get to, others were disguised in torch holders or common household implements. The church had become truly paranoid after the cloister that was burnt down ten years ago. When she wasn't occupied with presiding over the training, or insuring the city halls understanding of certain things, she used her ability to track down and collect the stones. After all she didn't want to become a victim of "the bite" when her anniversary came. Unbeknownst to her as the premises became more and more free of the influence of the gods stones. Several of the girls began to feel strange pulses of energy from far above.

*****************

The next morning Wendy woke Lissa, and they prepared for the days events. After dressing they went to the main hall for breakfast before leaving. The same tables were set this time with eggs and steak as the meal. Wendy still shook her head with disbelief that they could eat something only nobles would enjoy regularly.

"Good morning Lissa" a younger girl with dull brown hair came up and said.

Lissa brightened and greeted her in return. "Rock! are you feeling better today?"

"Of course I am" she said "I've never been this healthy in my life!"

Wendy sighed as she knew it was true. Rock had been one of the ones so malnourished she was certain to have died on that day in the summer when they finally got food again. Wendy hopped up from the bench and grabbed Rocks hands, looking deep into Rocks dull brown eyes with her own sparkling green.

"Have you thought of a new name yet?" she asked with a mixture of excitement and hopefulness.

Rock was dazzled by Wendy's eyes for a moment then snapped out of it. "No! Gretchen... why should I change my name?"

Disappointment filled Wendy's eyes as she released Rock. "Because... they gave you such a terrible name. Worse than mine!"

Stubbornness filled Rock's thin face. "I like my name, It means I can't be moved! and what's wrong with Gretchen anyway?"

Anger filled Wendy's face. "It wasn't mine... no one knew my name, why should I accept one they picked out?"

"Because it's what we call you?" Rock said in a deadpan voice.

"NO!" Wendy protested. "Lissa doesn't, and some of the townsfolk are calling me Wendy now too."

Another brown haired average looking girl pulled on Rocks shoulders

"Come on Rock, its no use. She gave me the same spiel last week. You can't reason with her on this."

"Bertha?! You can't be serious! Please, reconsider... " Wendy begged the other girl.

Bertha shook her head. "Nope, don't care, not changing. And...you better leave Pear alone, too. She wouldn't even be here if she wasn't too weak to travel in the last group that left."

Wendy looked across the room at the feeble, grey haired girl that Bertha had just mentioned.

"I wasn't going to ask her till she got a little better," Wendy said softly.

"Look," Bertha said, "We all enjoy the stories from her Holiness Isabella, but just because you take a witches name doesn't make you one."

Lissa gasped and looked at Wendy, who's lip had curled into a pout, her eyes full of moisture.

Wendy turned around suddenly, and marched out of the hall barely containing her desire to run.

Lissa turned to Bertha.

"Now you've done it... you know how much she loves that name right?"

"Why should I care?" Bertha said. "It doesn't effect my life."

Lissa countered. "Wendy just wants to help everyone and be loved like the Wendy in Neverwinter ..."

Bertha shrugged. "I still don't care. I've always known her as Gretchen... that's all she'll be to me.

Wendy went back to her room and grabbed her pack. Donning her shawl tightly she found herself rushing to leave, before the tears broke free of her eyelashes. After entering the courtyard she didn't even wave to the guards standing there like she usually did.