There’s a room in front of me. I’m walking towards it, looking around to see if anyone can see me. There’s some evil power emanating from behind the door, and I try to stop my feet, to get away, but all my efforts are futile. I struggle, harder, but nothing happens. I try to move any part of my body of my own will, but I can’t. My hand reaches out to open the door and instead of my slender hand like I expect to see, I see a furry paw reach out instead. I’m not in my own body, I realize with horror. I’m seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. The person, whoever they are, walks into the room, and presses a button on a box, causing it to light up.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHVB92WBRny
Within moments, the screen flickers into focus, and there is a small box in the bottom right corner, showing several sentences prefaced by sequences of letters and numbers that I can’t understand. They’re not in a foreign language, but I can’t make heads or tails of what they should mean. A message pops up on the screen, along with one of the sequences of letters and numbers. Mi5ty M0unt: Are we in position?983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4zgL6bQ2w
The person’s paws dash over what I recall Nuts and Bolts calling a keyboard once. With every press of a button, a new letter appears on the screen, in a box inside the box. With one last press of a button, the message appears in the larger box above. Blues: Affirmative. The “traitors” have all been listed and accounted for. They don’t suspect.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoFCXAaXiaF
My mind races. Suspect? What could that possibly mean? There are more traitors that we don’t know about? The evil presence I’m feeling is coming from this room, I can feel it, but I don’t know what it is.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkXN9A3HMV
The screen shows another, new message. Mi5ty M0unt: Bring the Doomsday Piece with you. You will need it.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPjMIVnv5Fb
They type a message in the affirmative and then reach behind the screen, and my heart drops when their hand curls around something that I can feel as well: a glass canister. Whatever is inside it is giving me this bad premonition.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡexXxJlFgjS
There’s a traitor unaccounted for. And this problem goes deeper than any of us originally would have thought.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxNUdjTE9F
I bolt upright in bed, and look down at my hands. They’re elven again, my own hands. I look around, and sigh when my body listens to what I want to do. Klef isn’t in bed next to me, and I swing my legs over the side of the bed and pad to the bathroom, where I hear a whirring noise. I open the door to find Klef inside, taking the hair dryer to my clothes. "Morning, Ride," he rasps. "I didn't expect you to be up this early. Are you okay? You're looking a little pale."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ26yjgUbKPA
"Treble," I say shakily. "There's a traitor in our midst."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGbgpmWRNC
Klef looks at me funnily, with his nose scrunched up and his eyes squinting. "Ride, I just talked with Bobbi and Hibiscus. They said that they captured everybody on the list."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfO4Al8FBEF
"The list wasn't the end- all be all of the traitors," I whisper. "I just had a dream. A new one. And I was stuck in someone else's body."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzb5W2YQ3f
Klef stops the hair dryer and looks at me, his full attention now on what I'm saying. "That's never happened before," he says uncertainly. "Are you absolutely sure?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOnhiRElta
I nod. "It was too clear to not be anything but one of the prophecies everyone wants me to have. And the only information it's bringing is that we have more trouble. I don't know who the traitor is, or what they want, exactly, but they have what they call a Doomsday Piece. Treble, if these traitors get their hands on it, it could very well mean the end of the world."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sKiKTAzq7
Klef sits down heavily, his hands shaking. "Ride,” he says uncertainly. “I don't like where you're going with this. Are you sure?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWKspFysth
"One hundred percent," I tell him, refusing to back down from my position.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbmJaKNMMt0
Klef bites his lip. "We have to tell the others," he says. "They need to know that we might have a traitor coming with us."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmPNe3YCPT
"We can't," I tell him. "We don't know if we can trust them any more. In my dream, whoever it was who I was in their body, had tannish fur and paws. And that can only mean one thing, which is to say that it could be a werewolf living here, trying to get at us."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0u9665zyz
Klef looks at me in desperation. "Well we can't just keep this to ourselves! And for every werewolf out there we might be able to not trust, there are a dozen more who are more afraid of you dad than anyone else on Melisma! We have to say something!"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiRdeXofBu
I shake my head. "Klef, you know how I feel about telling everyone else, right? I don't know who we can trust, and until I do I'm not sure I can trust any of them. We can tell Ama, and Bobbi, and Hibiscus, but only if they promise not to tell anyone else, and not do anything about it until they catch the traitor. Ama has different fur color that the others, being a wizard, and her fur is naturally different anyway. It's coarser, rather than fluffy. So we know we can trust her. Bobbi and Hibiscus are humans, so they couldn't be the traitor. But I don't like the thought of them trying to do anything behind our backs to stop the traitor and let them know that we're onto them. And if they find out we're onto them, you know what will happen? They'll go underground, find a way to sneak this Doomsday Piece out to whoever needs it, and we're back at square one. We have a real chance to make this work, Treble. But in order to do that, we have to stop, not tell anyone, and be a little bit more cloak and dagger about everything. Think about it like sneaking into one of the rich's homes. We can't let them know that we're there, or in this case, we're onto them."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrZPSpgHLg
Klef looks me over and sighs. "I still don't like the thought of not doing anything, but you do have a point," he concedes. "Fine. We can tell the others, but we'll make them promise not to do anything about it. Because I can't stand the thought of them not knowing. They could very well die over this if they don't know."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLiG8kaQyoM
My stomach drops. That hadn't occured to me. "Well, then, we should tell them before we leave. Should I call a meeting in that secret room, or just bring them all here, or what?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyeGfA64PgL
LKledf shrugs. "This is your show, Ride. You call the shots."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSguCoQOgAN
I let out a puff of air. "Right. Right..." I consider my options. On one hand, Dad would never have to know everyone was here, and they wouldn't have to know it was Dad's room, but it's one thing to use it when he's not there because it's safe, and another to hold a meeting here when there's another perfectly useable sleepable room. I don't think Dad would appreciate his room being used as a secret base, and besides, what's the point of having another secret room if you never use it? "Eh, let's use the other room. Everyone already knows where it is anyway, and I don't think we can really just explain away why there's a secret bedroom next to the cafeteria."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUk0l1yMzEe
Klef scoffs. "Are you seriously going to the other room purely because your dad wouldn't appreciate us using this one? Where was that attitude last night when we slept in his bed?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3kpc69V89
"That's different, that's for our safety," I say. "And we can't exactly sleep in the other room, now can we? Any regular suite could also be put under attack, and we don't want that. So this room was the safest option."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHACzpeVJX
Klef shakes his head. "I don't understand you, Ride. At all."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYZjsDIcgH
I shrug. "I don't ask you to. The fact that you love me anyway is just really nice of you, especially considering if you don't understand what I'm doing."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVPUGZZ0yh
Klef shakes his head and smiles for the first time during our conversation. "I'll be right behind you if you want to call everyone together in your pajamas. Alternately, I think your clothes are just the slightest bit damp now, so they're ready for you to wear, if that's what you want to do."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSm0DSj5sg
I look down at my clothes. I had completely forgotten I was in pajamas. "I'll change first, yeah," I say, grabbing the clothes from off the shower rack. "You, shoo. I don't want you looking at me when I'm not wearing any clothes."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcCfvjD9lg
Klef holds up his hands and grins, walking out of the room. "If it's any consolation, I don't want that either. Go on and change, I'll be right outside when you want to find the others."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1dhsvxZ84
I nod and when he leaves the room, closing the door behind him, I change. I walk out of the room, giving a little spin when Klef looks over. He rolls his eyes. "You are aware you don't have to do that when I've seen you in those clothes upwards of 100 times?" he teases.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhiXVZV1eWk
"I am, indeed, aware," I tell him, jumping right into the teasing. "But when I don't like being stared at, then my natural response is to give them a reason to look over, so I feel less like a sore thumb."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0w0Jc4Cubl
Klef rolls his eyes and walks over, hugging me. "Well, whatever," he says. "You look gorgeous all the same.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI7IA5xZKnm
"Aw, thank you," I say, placing a hand over my heart. "That means so much to me, honestly, you have no idea."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5BpFDKDCE
Klef gives me a playful shove and I laugh. “What are you, 5?" I ask. "No one shoves another person just for being sarcastic.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZPID0zQgD
"I do," Klef says defensively. "You're mean, and this is my retaliation."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcV78EdzcYz
"Oh, so you are 5," I say, nodding. "Just making sure," I tease lightly. It's too fun not to.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeZ6MgOlJN
Klef huffs. "Ride, you are just mean," he says.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVbAyD0qe8
I falter. "Wait, I didn;t really offend you, did I? I didn't mean to..."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4nxqh5m8f
"Ride, it was a joke," Klef says. "Wow, we are a pair of messes, aren't we?" he asks.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXZzexs3k3
"Yeah," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Come on, we have to tell the others about my dream."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn30oZcCkTt
Klef nods, and we leave Dad's room, closing the door behind us. I fold my hands behind my head and sigh as we start our walk. "Did you ever think the day would come that we might save the entire world when we first met?" I ask. "You are, after all, the one who remembers that day."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEa94PnLhT
"I don't think either of us expected this," he sighs. "We played heroes in the yard, running around with stick for swords, laughing our heads off as your mom and my aunt fretted. But, no, I don't think when we played heroes we were expecting to actually BE them one day."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmaDqqUaZu8
I shake my head. "It's a lot to take in. I don't feel like anyone special. I know I'm important to some people, everybody is. But to be important to so many people... It's daunting.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJvHpLRx7r
“I can imagine,” Klef sighs.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEPgz4JW6w
“I’m sure you can’t, but it’s nice of you to try,” I laugh.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡueHX00I9xC
Klef smirks just a little bit and nudges me with his arm. "Hey, just trying to be supportive," he says neutrally.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu2vDGvaKAH
"You're precious," I laugh easily, and the dark mood around us seems to dissipate the longer we talk.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvuGGI2d92
Klef points. "Oh, look, there's Hibiscus and Bobbi. They must be ready to go to sleep. Should we tell them?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsT93quzeqX
"Better to warn them now than risk their lives later," I reason, walking over to them and waving.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2w5sMV5gm
Bobbi stops and nudges Hibiscus when they see me. "Hey, Rides," they say. "Something up?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vDiLu23Wi
"Yeah, kinda," I say with a shrug. "Where are the others? It would be better to tell all of you at once."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCB7CYMhpAO
"Give me a minute, I'm sure I can find them," Bobbi says. "Where should I say we should be meeting?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSzqJVjsMA
"You know that planning room everyone was in yesterday?" I ask. "That would be a good place."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1arJFzqlA1
Bobbi frowns. "Rides, is something seriously wrong?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGHfUdTZUZ
I grimace. "Yeah, probably. I didn't want to worry you, but we need to talk. Everyone. And preferrably quickly."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8hUfrEevL
Bobbi frowns and looks over at Hibiscus. "Could you show these guys where the war room is, Hibiscus? We need to meet in private, and I need to find the others."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQ2QgadXbL
The easy look drops off Hibiscus' face and they nod seriously. "Yeah, yeah. Please, right this way," they say, waving me and Klef down the hall with them.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3cUbgQ66c
We don't say anything for a few minutes, as Hibiscus wrings their hands and Klef is practically bouncing on his toes. Eventually, Hibiscus turns to me. "Did you have another dream?" they ask weakly.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJBzG5vz4H
I nod. "It's a pretty serious one, too. I need to let the people who I'm travelling with know first and foremost, and we can decide who we should tell beyond that. There's trouble brewing, and I'm not sure what it has to do with everything else going on, but it's worrying."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8b2XnVKLSe
Hibiscus swallows. "Great, just great," they mutter, shaking their head. "Um," their voice is strained. "I wish I could say something comforting, but I'm a bit busy worrying right now."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThJLDQ7e0S
"That's okay," I say with a shrug. "I'm worried too. There's no shame in being worried."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUZcIXLpFq
Klef nods on the other side of Hibiscus. "Look, when I heard Ride's dream, I was worried too. It's not something to be taken lightly, and I think we all understand that. The gravity of the situation is just...huge. It's serious, and it's scary, and it's perfectly all right to not want to hear any of it. But it needs to be heard."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftWEaIW7Nv
Hibiscus nods. "I'm just a strategist, I can't really fight. My best asset is my affinity for numbers. I barely know how to swing a dagger."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlYHNzQp1c
“You’ll be okay,” Klef assures. “We have tons of fighters around here, and I’m sure they are more than willing to help you in a fight. You’re not alone.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEXuFJ4s4g
Hibiscus smiles. “Thank you,” they whisper.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ916XQtYXzL
Klef smiles and shrugs. Hey, I'm here to cheer people up!" he chirps. "Really, it's no big deal. I have to deal with this one,” he points to me. “So cheering anyone else up is easy.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXVPRGcGlC
I shove him. "Oh my gosh, you are the worst," I laugh. "Why must you act like I'm the most depressed person in the entirety of Melisma?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjfWEVbJjG8
"To give you a hard time, obviously," Klef laughs.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6OiDJ4qMnD
I roll my eyes. "You are THE worst," I sigh.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡalI4HMKkG3
Hibiscus opens the door to the secret war room and we walk in. Klef turns on the light and I hop onto the table. "When do you think the others will be here?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYBSj8gnWa
No sooner fdoes Klef try to answer than Flo and Rythe rush into the room. "We're here!" Flo pants. "We heard there was some sort of emergency going on?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6BVnM7Z8f4
I nod and Klef speaks. "Ride had another dream last night."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgXJy2tJnB
Rythe twitches and frowns. "Another dream, as in something with new information?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXWuixCj2r
Their voice is strained and Flo pats them on the arm. "Don't worry, Rythe, I'm sure this can be easily fixed."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMi6O9y2zw4
"I hope so," Rythe grumbles. "If not, we might have another attempted murder on our habds, or worse, a real murder."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rPQm3Hby2
I swallow. "That's… could we not talk like that?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIKGrmqqUM
Rythe jerkily nods. “Right, sorry. My fault.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQYTDdTccu
I wave him off with a hand. “Don’t worry about it, just… try to keep away from talking about murder in the future.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EMffv8Fwh
Klef licks his lips anxiously. “You know, I have a really bad feeling about this,” he whispers to me.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVNBxXh5WD
“Everyone does,” I whisper back.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0Uaoy5cVX
Bobbi enters the room with Ama and we all look around at each other uncertainly. “What happened, Rides?” Ama asks.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhJN9Ie85q
I swallow. “There are some traitors that we haven’t caught yet,” I say simply. “I don’t know who they are, but they’re working with whoever wants to take over the world.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1plIuop2tu
Rythe sputters, as does Hibiscus. “Wait, Rythe is our expert interrogator! How did he not get every traitor’s name?!”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vBpYP43P5
“It’s entirely possible that the gorgon didn’t know who he was working for,” I shrug. “These traitors seem to have made a network through the entire base, if not several bases. And there’s something that they are carrying called a Doomsday Piece, what I’m assuming is something that makes the rest of the device that could end the world work.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2x7fZvUiq
“Do we know anything about who this person is, even if we don’t know who they are?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpaArYFmqO
“They could be anyone with fur,” I say helplessly. “Maybe not a wizard, because I think the hair is coarser than wizard fur. But… they could be a werewolf, or a hybrid, or even just someone who happened to be wearing fur at that point in time. It could be anyone.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbqZbvv85g
“We need to move you now, then,” Hibiscus says. “It’s too dangerous to keep you here.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlyPfELRY6q
“Agreed,” Ama and Bobbi say at the same time.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhGfPFASM8
Rythe turns to me. “I… how do you know that there’s a traitor, but don’t know who they are?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDxaqOVZBhT
I swallow. “It’s going to sound like I’m making my reason up,” I warn.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYjQJLwlbp
Rythe gestures for me to continue.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1zH3ltpMrR
“I was out of my body, and in theirs,” I say. “I couldn’t see their face, just the rest of their body when they happened to look at a part of themselves.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡai8sdX2i2V
The room goes silent. “Has that… been recorded, before?” Bobbi asks.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZew1XlRjCP
“I haven’t heard of such strong Sight,” Ama murmurs. “This is unprecedented.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdD0fvnE1vJ
I wring my hands. “Guys. Can we talk about my Sight at some other time? Right now we have to figure out what exactly we’re going to do about the traitor.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxTwmLWioN
“I’ll alert a few of the guards I know I can trust,” Rythe says. “They’ll be on the lookout here. I agree that we need to move you, though.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAuaRuPD3c
I worry my lip. “If we leave early, won’t that arouse suspicion?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQS6F7DHQu
“Not necessarily,” Flo says, mulling over her words. “If we say that you had another dream and we need to move you to a possible location as soon as possible to see if that’s where you were in your dream, no one would think twice. Everyone knows this is coming to a head faster than we’d like. So, really, if we play our cards right, no one would suspect.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzVb090aOqx
Klef looks over to me. “Do you have anything here that you can’t go without? Because we can always get clothes on the trip, but I want to move you as fast as possible.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPlcRYG9lB
“I’ll be fine if I stop to pack clothes, Treble, but because of the explosion, the clothes I’m wearing right now are the only day clothes I have.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnZlnbou6H
Klef blinks. “That means I’m wearing my only day clothes too. I forgot about that.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSv1FTntQxJ
I roll my eyes. “You would.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡynqgSnZBcs
Klef looks annoyed, but does smile after a few seconds. “Well, we can move right away. Any suggestions for how we can travel, or does it have to be by foot?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWT02LfLccG
“Well, considering we already reserved one carriage for the convoy later today, we can just take it now. I can follow you to it, and stand watch while the others pack some things. We’ll get some fresh clothes for you too, if you’ll give us your sizes.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡidXBrd891K
I nod. “Sounds good.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDNcdDw11p
Klef agrees. Before either of us can say anything else, Bobbi says, “I’m sure I can guess your sizes, I have an eye for that. You go on ahead with them, Ama, get the carriage ready. I’ll make sure that you have clothes as well as everyone else. And I won’t forget your staff.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FKO6TJbGA
“You’re a lifesaver, Bob,” Ama says with a grin. “You two can come with me.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLUOIUAG00
I get off the table and walk with her and Klef to the front of the Crusader’s base. She opens the doors and waves a hand, “After you,” she says.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLPqj3sJIW5
I grin and walk outside. The air smells like dew and the grass is still covered in water droplets. The sky is pale gray with overcast clouds. “Seems like a perfect day for travel.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3648of748
“You’re joking, right?” Klef laughs.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLbS0pbKhe
“I never joke about travel weather,” I say seriously. “Maybe it’s not a perfect day at sea or whatever, but riding in a carriage over the countryside, rain possibly pattering softly on the roof… so mysterious. It’s kind of cool.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBL8lXc4T1u
Klef rolls his eyes. “You sound like you’re trying to write a book or something. Why must you always turn any weather positive?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkco2Sbh9gO
“It’s the one thing I’m always positive about,” I shrug. “I thought you would be relieved that there’s something I’m actually enthusiastic about. The weather happens to be that thing.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwrPRSoxYP
Klef groans. “I just have to deal with you being perky when I can’t fly, and it’s annoying. I have to stretch my wings sometime, you know.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJziFksuEF
“Stretch them now, if you insist, before it starts raining and you get wet feathers,” I say. “Just don’t whine about it when the setting is perfect for a mystery!”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvkVnA5uWp
Klef groans and stretches his wings out from under his shirt into the air. “Gah,” he sighs. “I did not know I needed to stretch my wings out that much until now.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNT4ycWO27p
I smile. “Feel better enough to let me gush about the weather now?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDLPkkSE6Q
“Mm… nah,” Klef laughs.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTYENFKQElT
I roll my eyes. “So childish,” I sigh. “Ah, well. Whatever. I’ll go on about it if I want, and you can’t stop me, anyway.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnOEuFMgrrj
Klef arches an eyebrow. “Wanna bet?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZMeotKjim
I laugh. “Oh, so you;re enthusiastic now?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbvwYHl2MZf
Ama looks between us and clears her throat. “COuld you stop being so blatantly flirty for the time being?” she asks. “I’m a little bit busy trying not to gag at the moment and you two being so sweet isn’t helping.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MX70D2CB4
Klef blushes and I smile sheepishly. “Heh. Sorry, Ama.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTL6jUprACy
Ama shrugs. “No big deal. I’ll get the carriage, sound good?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFb6t646fC
Klef nods and I shrug. “Go ahead,” I say. “We’ll be here.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VqkCxPijg
Ama walks to the side of the base and walks around a corner. Klef walks over to me and kisses my cheek. “Can I just say that I’m really relieved you’re still alive?” he asks.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfRjlSg9d1N
“Yeah,” I drawl out slowly. “But I’ll mock you for being so sentimental.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHxXI8XhNmA
Klef chuckles. “Oh, Ride,” he says. “Why does that sound exactly like you?”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgKZTIQ7iC
“We’ve known each other for 5 years,” I say, resting my forehead on his. “I guess we know each other by now.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGUB7iVvxh
"I guess," Klef hums.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUub7ENfy59
Someone clears their throat from behind Klef and I look up. Rythe is standing there, smirking. "Guys, I could have killed you where you stand and you wouldn't have noticed. Oh! Sorry," he says to me. "Point is, you might want to aim for being more subtle."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Ykdj8oGts
I shrug. "Eh, we're about to leave anyway. If everyone here knows we're dating, how fast would the other bases know about it?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3YuXQUkNZ
"Pretty fast, actually," Flo says, walking out of the base's door to stand next to Rythe. "We've started up an electronic network to communicate with the other branches. It's a little crude, but it gets the job done."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXyWeWvJZDQ
I frown. "How does it work, exactly?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4H9y0RJNi
"We call it Instant Messaging," Rythe says. "You type what you want to say, and that sends electronic pulses through a machine that processes what those signlas are. When you have the message you want, you hit another button to send it to whoever you're communicating to. That's the gist of it, anyway," Rythe says. "I'm no expert."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgwFEGGcnt9
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. "That's… good to know."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNB5jpABia
Klef looks at me questioningly. I subtly shake my head and murmur, "later."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMZUwHJOeB
Bobbi comes out of the entrace with Hibiscus, each of them carrying 3 bags. Hibiscus drops theirs on the ground and pants. "Okay, here's 3 of the bags. Klef, Rides, I hope you don't mind but we're having you share one."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhjj0fCupFK
"That's fine," Klef says. "Which one is it? I can take it off your hands."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb1yIDlylW2
"What, and immediately give it to me?" I tease. "You're always the one who insists on travelling light. 'If it can't fit in my pockets, then it's not worth carrying', isn't that your catch phrase?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Z13LwSoDc
"Shut up," Klef grumbles.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhsjTCT0BUp
I roll my eyes and laugh. Ama comes back around the corner, leading a horse by the reins, with another horse walking beside it. Behind them is a large looking carriage, with canvas covering the top and sides, and wood below the canvas holding it together. "Nice," I say. "We;re travelling pretty light, I see."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zSud6iAfM
"Well, yeah, it'll raise less suspicion," Klef says in his best 'duh' voice.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshqQosQCjP
I roll my eyes. "I'm AWARE, Treble," I say back. "I know exactly why we're travelling light. I just wanted to acknowledge it. Is that so bad?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKiIKckxRl
"It's horrible," Klef says seriously. "Because that way everyone knows how we're travelling."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAr3D9h4ihm
I shrug. "We're the only ones out here, Klef. Seriously, who's going to overhear and try to kill us all in the carriage?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9aL9TPjSN
Klef scowls. "Could you at least TRY to preserve your own life?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgZGCBefmW
"I do try," I say, with some mild offense. "I just fail to see how hiding the way we're leaving the base is an improvement on saying it casually. Honestly, if someone wants to find out how we're leaving, then they could find out pretty easily, and not just because we're the ones talking about it. You have to sign these things out, you know. They keep an inventory."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIUhpMIVbRa
Klef grumbles. "I just worry. I know, I know, I say that a lot. But I have good reason to."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoS077sIHuE
I shrug. "Hey, I'm glad you've gotten more cautious over the years. But there's a line between being too cautious and being reasonably cautious, and you're toeing it from the wrong side."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YBq0a92e1
Klef pouts. "Aw, c'mon, Ride..."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB3OhVSldFQ
I roll my eyes and walk over to the bags Hibiscus dropped. "I'll take 2 of these and put them in the carriage, can you handle the other?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPOsdqCt0i
Hibiscus nods. "Yeah. My arms were just starting to ache from a bad position."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5u6XGCYPNu
I nod. "Yeah, that's completely understandable."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKg4JBiwbHa
We put the bags in and Bobbi follows suit. I look around. Everyone is here, but I still feel uneasy, like I'm missing something. It's probably just nerves, but I can't help but feel like there's something desperately wrong, and it's annoying.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsXOIzSFcV
"Are we all set?" Ama asks.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnmos2PORd
"I think so," I say. "Are you going to be riding, or whatever you do to lead the horses in the right direction?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcnkdmJ3De
"Uh, that;s actually going to be me," Bobbi says, waving a hand. "I'm pretty good at it, too."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBB9QJqHKy
"Oh, that's cool," I say.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LsWYZoVwO
Bobbi grins. "Yeah, I could talk about it for hours. The word you were looking for is driving, by the way. As a coachperson, I feel required to tell you that."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡefJPUqlJOw
"Okay," I say, laughing a little at Bobbi's obvious grin. "You are obviously very enthusiastic about being a coachperson, and I won't be the one to curb that enthusiasm. Go on and get ready, we'll get in the back."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyLXr4lEI5
Bobbi nods and walks to the horses, and I climb into the back of the carriage. It's bare save for the bags. There are no benches, no stools or chairs. It looks like this would be the kind of carriage you would use to transport good rather than people. The wind whips around without without warning and I turn to look at the sky from out the back. It looks like it will rain, rather than just be overcast today. But before I can think about what that might mean for our journey, everyone else is clambering into the back. Klef sits next to me near the edge, and pulls up a wooden railing that must be for preventing anything from flying out the back. "You okay, Ride?" he whispers.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr5DNqhrqa3
“Yeah, it’s just… that Instant Messaging thing, that’s what I saw in my dream.”983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWfWaD3etf
Klef actually looks nervous when he hears this, which doesn't reassure me. He kisses my forehead lightly and grabs my hands in his. "It'll be okay," he whispers. "We don't even know for sure if what you saw in your dream is what Rythe described. It's entirely possible it something else, or if that is what you saw, that the traitors made a different network. And I'll always be here to keep you safe too, all right?"983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctSKydkred
I nod, but my stomach twists uncomfortably anyway. I yawn. "I could have used about an hour or two more of sleep last night," I murmur.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7uH9yU1qH
Klef smiles. "Go ahead and rest then while we get on our way," he murmurs back. "I'll be here to make sure that you're safe."983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXVBq3vIBo
I nod and lean back against the side of the carriage, which has metal beams going from one side of it up to the roof and then down the other side, closing my eyes. My mind has a hard time not thinking about the possibility of a traitor in our midst, but somehow, I manage to stop just long enough for me to drift off.983Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRdUPgOkMC
Penana
search
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
