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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4OwLkjEvKg
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?1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesznRJeauG
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5xHRbiAD9
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVSpw9xtQ7
The screen shows another, new message. Mi5ty M0unt: Bring the Doomsday Piece with you. You will need it.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAo6vNoIfOe
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uOjd2YviG
There’s a traitor unaccounted for. And this problem goes deeper than any of us originally would have thought.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLq9sT4kiOg
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2Z840C9c0
"Treble," I say shakily. "There's a traitor in our midst."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPCGEOpwfgs
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9PBvQo0m2
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPiJqdbBEd
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuQiG3Ch6t
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkm0QY7syH
Klef sits down heavily, his hands shaking. "Ride,” he says uncertainly. “I don't like where you're going with this. Are you sure?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3wdHgV0Dc
"One hundred percent," I tell him, refusing to back down from my position.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJYNXTg4Eo
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXhfGDgmGb6
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSa8FTsFsaw
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!"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXsCOjSiW0
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUkg5y5wS0v
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9YjfpU57pA
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02Xjn8SyoG
LKledf shrugs. "This is your show, Ride. You call the shots."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdGfH6KRlN
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8eYv7suMiY
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93DyquVEpW
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLSoZLK9QR
Klef shakes his head. "I don't understand you, Ride. At all."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlY2ckuVpk0
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLEGYmYOLO8
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWhhHjQT0F
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjipcPfAhFg
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFlipZmSDPv
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinSMkDrlgA
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡekVA6awB0B
Klef rolls his eyes and walks over, hugging me. "Well, whatever," he says. "You look gorgeous all the same.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtuErYhZCtM
"Aw, thank you," I say, placing a hand over my heart. "That means so much to me, honestly, you have no idea."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHM4yEXai3
Klef gives me a playful shove and I laugh. “What are you, 5?" I ask. "No one shoves another person just for being sarcastic.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHTArdPhsW
"I do," Klef says defensively. "You're mean, and this is my retaliation."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuS5z1E6Pn
"Oh, so you are 5," I say, nodding. "Just making sure," I tease lightly. It's too fun not to.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqOGBX64fb
Klef huffs. "Ride, you are just mean," he says.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlnvzBQYTx
I falter. "Wait, I didn;t really offend you, did I? I didn't mean to..."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJLOuHQiDR
"Ride, it was a joke," Klef says. "Wow, we are a pair of messes, aren't we?" he asks.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKHbbJH1qak
"Yeah," I sigh, running a hand through my hair. "Come on, we have to tell the others about my dream."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHibRc7zbR
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWC3ix87pq
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiUkU4mgXb
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33zvvGzGkS
“I can imagine,” Klef sighs.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zK6lfVyYl
“I’m sure you can’t, but it’s nice of you to try,” I laugh.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7EIdbuvmB
Klef smirks just a little bit and nudges me with his arm. "Hey, just trying to be supportive," he says neutrally.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpeAuxzppL
"You're precious," I laugh easily, and the dark mood around us seems to dissipate the longer we talk.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRil2SHxwWz
Klef points. "Oh, look, there's Hibiscus and Bobbi. They must be ready to go to sleep. Should we tell them?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvFkiJbXIkS
"Better to warn them now than risk their lives later," I reason, walking over to them and waving.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdk4gueNOVE
Bobbi stops and nudges Hibiscus when they see me. "Hey, Rides," they say. "Something up?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63vNwaFyfa
"Yeah, kinda," I say with a shrug. "Where are the others? It would be better to tell all of you at once."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVbUOemZJYk
"Give me a minute, I'm sure I can find them," Bobbi says. "Where should I say we should be meeting?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGZDcTHtdt
"You know that planning room everyone was in yesterday?" I ask. "That would be a good place."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVxA5u1Unz
Bobbi frowns. "Rides, is something seriously wrong?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFTukjbwxuE
I grimace. "Yeah, probably. I didn't want to worry you, but we need to talk. Everyone. And preferrably quickly."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvBtDNtIuZ
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG24XP1XkMV
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBaeQvF0fQ
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcyhlcvqAC
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIdJfK311d
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIRIpGWa7H
"That's okay," I say with a shrug. "I'm worried too. There's no shame in being worried."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6gbXyFfxU
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZnKOXhdXE
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJoVTArkN8
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2fHeEXJqGg
Hibiscus smiles. “Thank you,” they whisper.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTvpSskoHD
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRJk5jHTcNL
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8bwUEzJLQ
"To give you a hard time, obviously," Klef laughs.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJeZg3a6gjn
I roll my eyes. "You are THE worst," I sigh.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Y8tCoVk7v
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBRL0jSUXl
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzX6xXYnhgH
I nod and Klef speaks. "Ride had another dream last night."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1zm9sGf9m
Rythe twitches and frowns. "Another dream, as in something with new information?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJmdoRtBrz
Their voice is strained and Flo pats them on the arm. "Don't worry, Rythe, I'm sure this can be easily fixed."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLE9fcQOEj
"I hope so," Rythe grumbles. "If not, we might have another attempted murder on our habds, or worse, a real murder."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspApuOmta5
I swallow. "That's… could we not talk like that?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQJAErKUgAr
Rythe jerkily nods. “Right, sorry. My fault.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNI7A4M9L3
I wave him off with a hand. “Don’t worry about it, just… try to keep away from talking about murder in the future.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBJ2WCNA3B
Klef licks his lips anxiously. “You know, I have a really bad feeling about this,” he whispers to me.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuelBByACe
“Everyone does,” I whisper back.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡicVKgT8Gbz
Bobbi enters the room with Ama and we all look around at each other uncertainly. “What happened, Rides?” Ama asks.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHQEqBzkZg
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PzfJ74M5l
Rythe sputters, as does Hibiscus. “Wait, Rythe is our expert interrogator! How did he not get every traitor’s name?!”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP93WGBz3a
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEUad8yz0I
“Do we know anything about who this person is, even if we don’t know who they are?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoifTbpbGn6
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaK4rZ6nz3c
“We need to move you now, then,” Hibiscus says. “It’s too dangerous to keep you here.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8frNu84ks
“Agreed,” Ama and Bobbi say at the same time.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxR6Y9ELR7
Rythe turns to me. “I… how do you know that there’s a traitor, but don’t know who they are?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAl2Z0tJk0
I swallow. “It’s going to sound like I’m making my reason up,” I warn.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhljLnM8csX
Rythe gestures for me to continue.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0lnTOLAMd
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5RfKoPJHOW
The room goes silent. “Has that… been recorded, before?” Bobbi asks.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOc7C9i4Y1n
“I haven’t heard of such strong Sight,” Ama murmurs. “This is unprecedented.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNxoCVMQPI
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDdQCWUYEXb
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvOHJjMtfR
I worry my lip. “If we leave early, won’t that arouse suspicion?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ofsrkdiXc
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kuvbHvNxs
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89nqsCireG
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRtkYyy5ls
Klef blinks. “That means I’m wearing my only day clothes too. I forgot about that.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimmo27Seek
I roll my eyes. “You would.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzF6szxURY
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?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkHdJFc1s7
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡds4RRppqEl
I nod. “Sounds good.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvehmI1nuqM
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOZhuLnqWB
“You’re a lifesaver, Bob,” Ama says with a grin. “You two can come with me.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXQSKbsArr
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Vk56RoKcg
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JH9ZdfLI7
“You’re joking, right?” Klef laughs.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb2rQa1evUK
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5mJFyR2sg
Klef rolls his eyes. “You sound like you’re trying to write a book or something. Why must you always turn any weather positive?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ892zzN6HP6
“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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsAuqPqoVz9
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPNc5whOIN
“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!”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a8qPjkh7R
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJZkEKiMmb
I smile. “Feel better enough to let me gush about the weather now?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FIuqJ7ztZ
“Mm… nah,” Klef laughs.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgEvDAwa3d
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhfHSDcds0f
Klef arches an eyebrow. “Wanna bet?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqd2TdpoG0A
I laugh. “Oh, so you;re enthusiastic now?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz52XbAP4S
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.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Y6M3nnqMB
Klef blushes and I smile sheepishly. “Heh. Sorry, Ama.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6SjCPeZpb
Ama shrugs. “No big deal. I’ll get the carriage, sound good?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡARkValDyup
Klef nods and I shrug. “Go ahead,” I say. “We’ll be here.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkN4ny73CB8
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgVhaHGzqe
“Yeah,” I drawl out slowly. “But I’ll mock you for being so sentimental.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgtvth5x8yE
Klef chuckles. “Oh, Ride,” he says. “Why does that sound exactly like you?”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQPVPTttyJ
“We’ve known each other for 5 years,” I say, resting my forehead on his. “I guess we know each other by now.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BEo8obvU6
"I guess," Klef hums.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzbjsKP0Vc6
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡESIMhMoGCJ
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAZbzIcspB
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2zHlbXKEZ
I frown. "How does it work, exactly?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmVuDSIRjGO
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx2ZVnyEdH
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. "That's… good to know."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1viZu89mFz
Klef looks at me questioningly. I subtly shake my head and murmur, "later."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjAposfUBc
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3VXToUzid
"That's fine," Klef says. "Which one is it? I can take it off your hands."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCKNVCB2P7
"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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHR4iGNFbA8
"Shut up," Klef grumbles.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvL5uLSpu3B
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53BqldD6HG
"Well, yeah, it'll raise less suspicion," Klef says in his best 'duh' voice.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAy3IxI6I9
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPobxSdtpRo
"It's horrible," Klef says seriously. "Because that way everyone knows how we're travelling."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXPwfotxo8
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUbhuUEvQJC
Klef scowls. "Could you at least TRY to preserve your own life?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNG4fUUNDh
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAV0GpKHN6
Klef grumbles. "I just worry. I know, I know, I say that a lot. But I have good reason to."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbo2f8jNaHE
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdDHXq0Cdyr
Klef pouts. "Aw, c'mon, Ride..."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOoNzvxSmt
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIpFXznB3B1
Hibiscus nods. "Yeah. My arms were just starting to ache from a bad position."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3M5rfKv7L
I nod. "Yeah, that's completely understandable."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaXmvTuL3Y
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2jZmxeKdV
"Are we all set?" Ama asks.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Lkr2vJODk
"I think so," I say. "Are you going to be riding, or whatever you do to lead the horses in the right direction?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIxFlnzVZuH
"Uh, that;s actually going to be me," Bobbi says, waving a hand. "I'm pretty good at it, too."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEr4JjfW45Z
"Oh, that's cool," I say.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyAT0Bp80l
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIudVZVPl7
"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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZYhQW7oZD
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzZ5cgDmyH
“Yeah, it’s just… that Instant Messaging thing, that’s what I saw in my dream.”1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnHThK3q3pC
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?"1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ9JcYmlyll
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUypPlh1ONC
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."1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PnxyvQY3Q
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.1017Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89guLS3pMz
Penana
search
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
