Though it caused quite a stir the first time he did it, the people gradually got used to Sif's wandering, and would sometimes offer him gifts if he happened to pass by them or poke his head into their homes.

They had never met a god before, after all, and quite readily accepted that this was how a god behaved; Hélna was a patron of cats, anyway, so it suited her to behave in a cattish fashion.

The summer bled on, cooling as the days shortened. He had reacquainted himself with his territory, and though it burned in his mind that he must find some way to learn about how to retrieve Helna's soul, there was no readily apparent way for him to do so.

As he walked beside the creek, conscious that the twilight was beginning to set in and his village would expect him back for dinner, he saw something he hadn't seen in a while.

The hand.

He shot an imperious look at it, and then remembered he now also had hands. He had grown used to catching things with them, and holding others, but another novel use came to mind; he squatted down and grabbed a rock, throwing it and hitting his target squarely.

To his surprise, it sank right back down, and a face came up.

He had never seen the owner of the hand; he had once seen it turn scaly like a fish, but that was it. Now a sallow woman's face, speckled with light scales, peered up at him.

" I should've known it was you," she hissed at him. " First you kill my sister, next you come after me! I should've eaten you when I had the chance."

Sif stared at her, surprised that she had been able to tell he wasn't Helna, surprised that she claimed to be Helna's sister.

Perhaps that was why Helna didn't kill her or run her off? He was still trying to learn how humans perceived family relationships.

" Don't look at me like that," the water woman hissed again. " Of course I know what you are, little cat. You smell different. You smell nasty."

Sif wished he could flex his claws. If this woman really was a fish, it would be quite easy to scoop her out of the water. Perhaps he could eat her?

He didn't think Helna would mind. This thing preyed on her people, after all, and Sif could simply say he was defending them.

" Lady Hélna! Lady Hélna!" he heard his old woman's grandson call. " You'll miss dinner!"

Sif fixed the fish woman with a nasty look, deciding he would come back and deal with her later. For now, there was mutton and gravy to eat.

<- .....->