A/N: Thank you so much to all those who reviewed. I was in the middle of this chapter when my mouse took a vacation. I went searching for inspiration, of course, and I found the encouragement I needed in all of those reviews. It really means a lot to me to hear what people think and look over any suggestions. And many thanks to my lovely beta, Ashley. Thanks so much!! Here's the long-awaited chapter 2. Enjoy!
Lost and Found
Chapter 2 - The Hunting Fox
DG sank down against the stable, shock numbing her. Cain had left her here, run away like a coward who was afraid of his own feelings. What could she do now? When he had been with her, DG could always count on Cain to brighten her day with a tiny smile, a sarcastic comment about members of the nobility, or even just being there. In comparison, the days ahead looked dull and full of boring duties that didn't really accomplish anything. Despair filling her, DG gave in to the tears and let the sobs sweep her away on the twin rivers of salt water that coursed down her cheeks. She hadn't realized how much Cain meant to her, how much she depended on him, until he wasn't there anymore. What, she asked herself again, could she do now?
But DG didn't waste much time on tears. She knew that she couldn't let Cain go without a fight, even if she had to follow him herself and drag him back by the ears. Rising from her place against the stable, DG thought for a moment. She didn't have any idea in which direction Cain had gone, or if he even had a specific destination. So there was only one thing for it: she'd have to go see her mother again. Cain must have been assigned a general direction at least, if not a specific place, and either way the queen would know.
DG stopped at the Royal Stable and told Eldar to wait in his rooms until she called him. He left without a protest. Again DG was struck by the way he simply obeyed. Cain had never done that. Were most men like Eldar, obedient and weak-willed, or like Cain, stubborn and determined to have his own way? Oh, well. Cain was more difficult, but DG liked the challenge.
Arriving at the queen's office, DG was informed that her mother had left for a meeting with the Carpentry Guild and wouldn't be back for at least another hour. So the princess went to find her sister again, hoping Azkedellia could at least offer some comfort and distraction until their mom was no longer occupied. As DG marched through the halls, pants swishing around her ankles, she didn't really think about where she was going. She found herself outside Cain's bedroom, of all places. DG paused for a moment outside his door, pondering the wisdom of going inside, but in the end she shoved away caution and opened the door silently. It swung open on the well-oiled hinges to reveal a room of spartan and austere decoration. The bed dominated the small space, with a dresser, wash table, and chest placed around the room. There was also another door in the far wall, leading to the bathroom, DG supposed. But her attention was taken from her evaluation of the room by a small piece of paper lying on the pillow of the bed. A note.
DG went numb again. Cain had left a note. She could only assume it was for her. DG moved farther into the room and plucked the note off the pillow. Slowly she opened it, feeling the crackling edges of the paper against her fingers in a detached sort of way. The note was indeed addressed to her. It read:
Dear DG,
I can't stay with you anymore, Princess. It's getting to be too hard for me, and it would be wrong to ask you to deal with a grumpy old man for the rest of your life. I'm good for other duties besides guarding a perfectly safe princess, and I plan to use the skills I acquired during my time as a Tin Man. I'm joining my son and his company in hunting down Longcoats, and you know I'll be fine. I'll visit when I can. Goodbye.
Wyatt Cain
The note was brutally short, crisp, and seemingly heartless. DG began to get angry. How could he do this to her? Did he think that he could just up and leave with only a note to explain his actions and think she would forgive him? That she would welcome him back with open arms when he deigned to visit the little princess in her fairy tale world? He was so infuriating!
DG read the note again, just to be sure she hadn't missed anything, and then decided on a course of action. She would have to go after Cain, that was certain. He couldn't be allowed to just waltz out of her life like that and probably get himself injured in the process. It would be much better for everyone if he just stayed with her. Folding the note carefully, DG placed it in her shirt next to her heart, and she left the room without a backward glance. From there she proceeded to her mother's office again; the queen was bound to have records of the assignments she'd given to certain people, and now that DG knew who Cain was going to, all she had to look for was Jeb Cain.
But thinking and doing are two entirely different things. When DG got the the office, she hit her first snarl: the dorr was locked. Twisting the handle uselessly, DG wished fiercely that the door would open. To her surprise, it did. It took the princess a moment to figure out how, but when she did, her first thought was, I love magic. The next snarl was the fact that she didn't have a clue what the records would look like or if they were even in the office. DG started at a bookcase that held official-looking papers bound in leather books. Her job was made easier because the records only went back so far as the overthrow of the witch, which was less than a year. But there was still an enormous amount of books to look through, and DG began choosing at random. She looked through records of agriculture, law, household supplies, goods purchased, treasury, and, finally, records of a military nature. Eagerly DG scanned the pages for assignments in hunting Longcoats. After looking through eighteen pages of cramped handwriting, DG at last found what she was looking for. Cain, Jeb - leader of fifteen, assigned in the outer rim of the OZ; any captured are to be left at certain prearranged areas where they will be interrogated and sent to work camps. Those killed are to be replaced immediately. No inquiries to deaths.
The description went on, but DG skipped the rest. Pushing back the thought of Cain or Jeb getting killed, DG cooked up another plan. If she could find one of those prearranged areas where Jeb's men would drop off prisoners, she reasoned, she could find Cain and make him see that he needed her just as much as she needed him. Considering she was already surrounded by records, DG assumed she would be able to find reports of the areas predestined for prisoner drop-off. So the princess set in with a will.
Half an hour later, though, DG had to admit that some things just weren't in the books. This seemed to be one of those things. Nowhere had there been any mention of prisoner drop-off sites. DG sighed and closed her current book, rubbing her temples. Now what? she asked herself. All I know for sure is that Cain was traveling to the Outer Rim, which takes about a month riding a good horse. He can't possibly have gone far by now, but I still need to know which direction he's going in. The Outer Rim surrounds all of the O.Z., so Jeb's crew could be anywhere. Mother must know; otherwise she wouldn't have been able to tell Cain where to go. But she probably won't tell me. Great. DG sat for a while longer, desperately trying to devise a plan that would work, or even just a plausible excuse for needing Cain. But nothing came up. Putting away the books scattered about the room and tidying up a bit, DG thought, would give her a break from all the thinking. Maybe an idea would come to her if she were doing mundane things.
DG was straightening up the desk when her knee bumped something. Looking down, DG gasped at the pure chance of what she was looking at. It was so improbable that DG couldn't even be sure that it was real. Bending down slowly, DG picked up the record book from the hidden drawer in the desk, scarcely believeing the words printed neatly on the cover: Prisoner Drop-off and Work Camps. Hurriedly the princess flipped through the pages until she reached the Outer Rim records. Her eyes scanned the words printed once, and then again, to be sure she remembered the place. Then DG placed the book back in the drawer, shut it, and left the room looking as it had when she first arrived. Finally, she had a plan and a destination. Now all she needed was a when. And for that, she needed Azkadellia.
DG sat back in her chair and waited as her older sister digested the plan DG had just laid out before her. There was no reading Az's lovely eyes as she thought, but her mouth curved into a slight smile. Looking fondly at her little sister, Az said,
"I'll be glad to cover for you, DG. Anything for true love, right? And I think I can help you with the destination, also." Azkadellia rose gracefully and dug into her desk in the corner. After a moment of rummaging, Az pulled out a roll of maps. Searching through them for a moment, Az pulled out three and brought them over to the sitting area where DG was. After lighting a lamp, as it was getting dark, Az spread the first map: it was a complete drawing of all of the O.Z. Placing her finger on where they were now, Az drew a line in magic to where Cain was headed.
"This is the route Cain would most likely take to Dalton," she said. "It's the shortest way, but still a long journey. By now, he's probably about here, " she tapped a spot on the map about an eighth of the way along the line, "considering what I've observed on his traveling habits and the condition his mind is probably in right now. Here," she pulled out another map, "is a close-up of that area. It's pretty desolate, one of the open plains that has virtually no inhabitants but for some scattered wildlife. He'll probably camp there tonight. This other map is a more detailed view of the Dalton area, which I'm sending with you." She paused for a moment and looked up to see DG gaping at her. "What?" she asked self-consciously.
"I have never seen such good maps of the Outer Rim before. Even Mother's aren't as good as yours. Hers have blank spots, or are inaccurate. How did you get so many good ones?" Azkadellia's mouth tightened, and DG feared she'd unwittingly said something wrong. But Az answered,
"I found these maps in one of the desks I had when the witch possessed me. I suppose she had them made by an expert or used magic to make them. But since I'm rather fond of maps, I decided to take them, even if I didn't want any reminders of that time. They're very good maps, and I couldn't bear to give them up." DG gripped Az's hand.
"I'm so sorry I reminded you, Az. Forgive me?"
"Of course, DG. I wasn't angry, and it's not your fault. I need to get over the memories anyway. It's best to do it now." The girls sat for a moment, then Az stirred herself and said, "I'll tell Mother that you're staying for a while with me, because I'm lonely and you need the company. That will give you a few days' head start, and if you only stop to rest your horse you might be able to catch up to Cain before he reaches Dalton. How's that sound?" Az looked expectantly at DG to find her sister rather pale. DG wasn't exactly a good horsewoman. She needed somebody with her at all times to make sure that she didn't fall of or something. DG and horses just didn't click. Right now, DG desperately wished she could get her motorcycle.
DG didn't realize that she'd spoken aloud until Az frowned thoughtfully and said, "We might just be able to do that."
A/N: I know it's a little short and a cliffhanger, but I wanted to get this posted so I can finish the third. Review, please! Any ideas and encouraging remarks are appreciated!
