The Way                                                                    - 2 - ?Remember Chandanda, the mighty Ganges is like the hand of Bhrama resting on the top of the Himalayan mountains.  The fingers of his hand reach out to bless all within the land,? her mother had told her time and again.  ?But do not forget, my daughter that all fingers stretch toward the mighty waters of Bengal.  Do not ever forget that all paths flow to the ocean,? the tall woman smiled as she recalled the many times that her mother had explained how the river Ganges was a goddess who held the same powers of a god. Like Bhrama, the creator of the universe, the water goddess Ganges once existed in the celestial realm.  Chandanda recalled the story of how Indra, the king of Gods, had kidnapped the magical horse from the ancestors of Rama.  Made jealous by the feats of the horse, Indra hid the magical steed at the hermitage of the demi-god, Kapila Muni until a sacrifice was performed to him. Chandanda?s brows furrowed as she remembered how her mother had told her how the sixty thousand sons of Kapila searched for the horse, and in their haste, mistook Kapila Muni to be the abductor and attacked him.  Enraged by their attack, Kapila Muni burnt all the sixty thousand princes to ashes. As a child, Chandanda was horrified to think of the fate of all those princes.  To think that a god could be so vengeful had frightened the young princess.  To know that a god could take such revenge, only reinforced in her mind that even her royal line was not immune to the wrath of the gods and this notion brought terror to her young mind.  It was her childish fear that kept her from understanding the full story.  Only when she matured was she able to set aside her fears and really hear the words of her mother. A grandchild of a King, as the story goes, had heard the plight of the sixty thousand sons and approached Kapila Muni, asking him for a solution to the problem.  Partially repenting of his rage at the princes and knowing the power of the heavenly Ganges, Kapila Muni advised the young prince to take the ashes and throw them into the great river.  Although the young prince was unsuccessful, his descendant, Bhagiratha, continued with his efforts to bring the great Ganges down to the earth in order to purify the ashes and bring the princes back to life.  After many years, Ganges herself felt sympathy and rushed toward the ground.  Fearing that the weight of the water of the Ganges was too mighty for the earth to withstand, the faithful grandson prayed to Shiva, who then held out his matted hair to catch the river and soften her descent to the earth.  The Ganges thus became an attribute of Shiva and were forever after known as the manifestation of Shiva on earth. Once the great goddess Ganges had descended upon the mountains of the Himalayas, Prince Bhagiratha patiently led the river down to the sea.  Because the prince was unable to locate the exact spot where the ashes lay, he requested Ganges to follow her own course.  In her effort to find the lost princes of Kapila Muni, the goddess Ganges divided herself into a hundred fingers throughout the Bengal region and formed the Ganges delta.  One of her streams finally washed over the ashes of the sixty thousand and at last offered salvation to the lost souls of the departed princes. ?So strong is the goddess Ganges, that she not only offers a blessing to the dead, but also gives answers to the living,? Princess Chandanda remembered her mother repeating each and every time they went on their yearly pilgrimage to the noble river. With a sigh, the young woman looked around her.  She saw the pilgrims on the distant shore wading with reverence into the cool water.  Their soft voices prayed for blessings, which only the great goddess could provide.  Filled with sadness and confusion, Chandanda closed her eyes and assumed the posture of reverence.  With palms pressed together, she called out to the spirit of the river. Silently, Princess Chandanda of the Pallavas clan asked for reassurance that her future would always be blessed.  She prayed for a sign that would show her that the stranger, the man she would marry, was a good and kind man.  Most of all, she beseeched the Goddess Ganges and Lord Shiva for a sign that would reassure her that the path she now took was the one, which she was meant to walk down.  As the rippling tides washed past her, she waited for a sign from the goddess who was always near her heart. ~~~~~~ "Eli, I failed my first test," the bard?s voice quivered as she fought back tears.  The sadness filled her soul as her recent actions replayed in her mind.  No matter how hard Gabrielle had tried, she found that she did not have the will power to remain on the path of peace, and this wounded her spirit in ways that she had not anticipated. "It's hard, the way of love.  It may not be right for you.  But if you choose to follow it, you must do so with all your heart.   You'll fail more than once.  But don't give up hope.  In the end -- you'll redeem the world,? the prophet Eli stated with conviction. "Where are you going?"  Gabrielle asked softly as she gazed at the tall man. "Home, I need to take the message to my own people.  I believe they'll be the most ? receptive.?  He smiled.  ?Thank you, Gabrielle.  You were the first one to understand me.  I won't forget you."  His voice was gentle as he lightly touched her cheek. Despite his words, the bard could not help the foreboding feelings.  A part of her understood his gifts and wanted to always protect him.  Yet a part of her knew that he had a will of his own.  If returning to his people with the word is what he felt he was meant to do, Gabrielle knew that she could not stop him. The bard felt the warmth of his hand against her cheek even as he was walking away.  Contemplating his words, Gabrielle wondered if she would be able to follow the path of peace.  She wondered if the faith that Eli had in her was not misplaced.  But just as this thought crossed her mind, she knew what path she was meant to take. As she glanced at her staff, she remembered all of the times that she had used it to harm others in the name of peace.  The vivid memory of Ephiny?s first lesson replayed in her mind, even as she recoiled.  Even then, Gabrielle could never bring herself to use it to harm or kill a centaur.  With this in mind, she walked slowly toward the river.  At the feel of the wooden staff in her hands, she glanced at it lovingly for one last time.  ?Once, it may have fit into my life, but now, it no longer serves a purpose,? she thought silently as she threw it toward the river like a spear. Gabrielle watched as the waves of the river gently carried a part of her away.  Silently, she contemplated Eli?s words as she watched the crystal ripples in the water.  Like a silken blanket the river carried her staff away from