The cane lift descended from the tree's branches, its sole passenger curled up sobbing at his terrible predicament. Charlie knew that he could never return to the Grendel's realm in the treetops, and he knew that he would never be accepted into Norn culture because of his appearance. Charlie felt betrayed by almost the whole of Albia. Only one person had remained true to him, and Charlie thought that Russell would never forgive him.
Russell lay at the foot of the tree, heaving great sobs as he thought of how his best friend was now the father of his brother, and how he would never be accepted into Norn culture until people knew that he was not a true grendel. Russell felt lost in a sea of emotion stronger than any torrents of desires or drives he had ever felt before, and one thing shone through, only one feeling remained standing in an otherwise now barren heart, Russell knew that he loved Charlie, and that Charlie would never feel the same way.
The lift arrived at the cane bridge, and announced itself with a resounding clang on a bell. The late morning sun streamed into the cavern from the east, blinding Russell as he fought to resolve the identity of the creature approaching him. Russell quickly realised that this was no Norn he knew, and that it could only be a Grendel.
Russell scrambled to his feet, determined to stand his ground against this intrusion on his privacy. The Grendel began to move more and more quickly and Russell realised that it was Charlie. Russell ducked into a small hollow at the base of the tree to avoid being plowed over as Charlie rushed past. Russell was confused as to why Charlie had not seen him, when he looked down at himself and realised that his matted fur had picked up a lot of mosses and tree bark whilst he had been asleep at the base of the tree. Russell must have blended into the background, and Charlie had run past into the submarine cavern.
Russell began to clean himself, determined that his friend would not see him in such a mess. In a matter of minutes he was cleaned and his fur glossy in the midday sun. As Russell began to move into the submarine cavern, he saw a bent and bowed Charlie frantically pressing the submarine call button which had been installed to make travel easier within Albia. Russell didn't want to startle Charlie, so he tiptoed into the cavern and waited to see what Charlie would do.
After a short while, the submarine arrived, Russell saw Charlie enter the submarine, and then he heard a scream. Charlie came running past Russell again too quickly to notice his friend, and ran straight to the lift where he went up to the jetty and disappeared in the boat before Russell had a chance to recover from the shock. The submarine clanged its bell and departed on its way to the island. As the submarine left the dock, Russell noticed a large brown sopping wet mess on the dockside. Slowly he approached it.
Gently, Russell pushed at the seaweed ridden fur ball until eventually it rolled over, and Russell could see that it was his mother. Russell screamed, louder than he had ever screamed in his life, his voice echoed all over Albia, and Rona came running, clutching Ronald in her arms. "What is it?!?" she asked breathlessly upon arriving in the cave. Russell took Ronald into his arms and stepped aside, revealing their dead mother. Rona collapsed onto the floor, sobbing into the fur of her deceased parent. Suddenly her body began to warm and glow. The three young norns stepped back as the glowing from their mother's body grew brighter until it would have blinded them if they hadn't turned away. After a few minutes, the glowing returned to a level such that the norns could look again.
Before them stood their mother, but she was somehow different, her feet did not touch the ground, and her fur sparkled as though it had stars within it.
"My Children" she began, "Do not fear for me. Rona you shall look after Ronald as though he were your own child. Russell, it is your destiny to break the taboos of Albia." As she spoke, her body became fainter and fainter.
Afraid to loose his mother without understanding her last words, Russell rushed forward and embraced his fainting parent. As she finally left Albia, Russell finally understood what she had meant.