Chapter 10

They were following Affine and two other mice through a narrow jungle path that lead to the colony. Luxa and Hazard walked side by side talking together as Gregor pushed closer to them.

"What did he say?" he asked. He had a harder time understanding the nibblers than they did. The high pitched tones of their voices grated on his nerves.

Luxa sighed, looking back at him with a half smile, reaching out to take his hand in hers. "Ripred's message says that no one has seen so large a number of Cutters as are currently gathering. They are in the north and they are still many hours march from Regalia, but I fear they have a plan."

Gregor squeezed her hand tightly in his for a moment. "What is our plan then?"

"We must decide if we are to go on or go back."

The Cutters could fight, Gregor knew that. But as he recalled the battle he had been in against them at the Vineyard of Eyes, it was not their battle plans that had impressed him. It was their sheer number. With so many, they didn't care who died as long as they could accomplish the goal of destroying all warm blood life in the Underland.

When they reached the colony, Affine turned back to speak to them. "Majesty, if you have a message to send, we have those currently in place who can transmit it back to Regalia."

Luxa nodded, pushing the gold crown back on her head, "Yes, I have a message. Tell Ripred that we are going to continue on the quest. He is to pull in any who are in danger in the path of the Cutters. Bring them into Regalia. They are not to attack the Cutters until it is imperative, and then he is to use the plan we discussed."

Her shoulders slumped under the weight of her responsibility. "We shall speed the process of the quest in order to try to come back and help in the battle."

"We shall send the message," Affine said as he went off.

"How do they send messages?" Knight asked curiously.

"There are stations throughout the Underland where we transmit messages. They will use the tree of transmission."

Knight looked at Gregor blankly, "It's kind of like Morris Code." Gregor told him quickly. "They'll get the message."

Another gray mouse approached them, dipping its head in Luxa's direction. "I am Sphere, Majesty. Will your party be staying with us tonight?"

Luxa dropped down on one knee so she was on the same level as the mouse. "I do not know. That was our original plan, but I have some questions first. Do you know of a place in the Jungle called 'the tower'?"

Sphere thought for a moment then shook her head back and forth, "I do not. There is nothing I can think of by that name. Why do you ask?"

Luxa pulled out a folded sheet of paper and Gregor realized it was a copy of the Prophecy of Hope. She unfolded it and placed on the ground in front of the nibbler. Several others gathered around now to look at it as well.

"This Prophecy tells of a tower. We wonder if it leads to a way to reach the Overland; an unknown gateway."

While the nibblers looked over the prophecy they spoke to each other in high pitched squeaks and squeals. Hazard whispered a translation near Luxa's ear, but Gregor could hear none of it. Instead, he re-read the prophecy over Luxa's shoulder.

A line in the third stanza caught his attention, as it had the first time he read it through. Call the one who brings the light. What that talking about him? He frowned as he thought about it. Would he ever be able to make a decision that would surprise anyone? Would he ever be able to live his life free of these prophecies?

If they were so amazing, why hadn't it mentioned anything about the cutters? Like, Oh, and by the way, while you working on that problem, a million aunts are going to attack. Good luck. He wanted a prophecy like that.

He was called back to the conversation when Sphere spoke again, this time in English.

"We know not of what the prophecy speaks. We are not those originally from this colony though." No, thought Gregor. Those mice had ended up gassed in a volcanic chamber by the rats. "But others in the jungle may be able to tell you what you seek."

"Do you know of any Hissers?" Hazard asked her.

"Yes." Sphere said with a nod. "They are some distance away. Perhaps only a day's flight on your fliers, though."

"Then, if you agree," Luxa said, "We shall stay here for tonight and take our leave for the Hisser's in the morning."

"It shall be our honor," Affine said as he came back to the group. "Your message has been relayed and is on its way to Regalia."

Knight and Gregor gathered up dead vines around the nibbler caves in order to make a cook fire. Luxa and Hazard went to fish and Gregor asked Elpis to help Anna find some of the plum-like fruit he remembered from his last trip to the jungle. After a good supper, Knight turned to Gregor.

"So, I mean, how come you never showed me how to sword fight before?"

Gregor smiled and shook his head, "It's not something I tried to show off at High School wrestling meets."

Knight poked a stick in the fire and was quiet for several moments before he looked up, "Do you think you could show me now? I know I'm not going to learn overnight or anything…but I think I would feel a bit safer if I knew something about it."

Gregor was taken back by the request, but then he smiled at his friend, "Yeah, come on." They both stood to move to a more open area when Hazard spoke up.

"Would you show me as well, Gregor?" He asked and Luxa's quiet conversation with a few of the mouse leaders cut off as she swung around.

"No, Hazard," she looked up at Gregor with her violet eyes as close to pleading as he had ever seen them. "Gregor, you cannot."

"Luxa!" Hazard broke in at the unfairness. "Knight is right, it is better to be prepared than to be a liability."

"No, Hazard," Luca said firmly once more. "I made a promise to your father that I would not let you be trained to be a worrier." As she spoke, she reached out to push some of Hazard's dark curls from his forehead.

He jerked away from her hand, "I'm not asking to be a warrior, Luxa. I don't want to kill, but I also do not want to be killed because I am the only Underlander who has never handled a sword."

Gregor did not speak as he watched the embers of the dying fire dance in Luxa's eyes as she glared down into it. Maybe Hazard was right, but Gregor had been there on the day Hamnet lay dying. His only request was that Hazard not be taught to fight. He didn't want Solovet to get her hands on Hazard.

"Solovet is dead, Luxa." Hazard said quietly. "I am not my father, and I think even he would want me to be able to defend myself." He stood and came to stand beside Gregor and Knight. "Gregor? Will you teach me as well?"

Gregor looked at Luxa who didn't look up at the three of them, but finally gave one jerky nod of her head.

Gregor went over the basics with his two apprentice swordsmen, but he soon realized that his rager sensation provided for most of his talent. Without it, his swordplay was awkward and imprecise at best.

Luxa had moved to lean against a tall boulder, watching as the lesson progressed with a half smile on her face. "Overlander, perhaps you should leave the lessons to me. You do not do a credit to Mareth's instruction. I would not have gone so easy on you the other day, had I known your skills were so lacking."

Gregor grinned back at her, "I shall accept a rematch challenge at anytime."

"Later," she said taking her sword from her belt and pushing him out of the way.

Hazard gazed at her, "Will you teach me, Luxa."

She gave the same stiff nod as before, "Take Gregor's sword."

Gregor surrendered his sword and walked back to the nearly dead fire. Anna was the only one still sitting there, the nibblers having gone off to their caves. She sat with her knees pulled up to her chest, her chin resting on them. She looked out at the surrounding darkness, her eyes unfocused until he came and sat down beside her.

"How are you?" Gregor asked.

"Are you going to listen to anything I say this time?" She looked at him with sad blue eyes. "I don't matter to you here, do I Gregor? I never really did, I guess."

Her eyes went to Luxa and Gregor followed her gaze. Luxa really was amazing, she was showing off though. The moves she was doing weren't ones she expected the boys to be able to replicate. He didn't know anyone who could perform gymnastics with a sword like Luxa could.

"See what I mean?" Anna said her tone heavy with forced lightness.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Gregor said. And he really was. He had never meant to lead her on or make her think he wanted anything more than friendship from her.

"You know, there is this side to Gregor that is so mysterious. Everyone says it. You're top of your class, you're friends with everyone, you have a great family and you love your little sisters. And then, to top all of that off, every girl knows that there is something about you that they just can't figure out." She laughed softly, "I wanted to be the girl who figured it out. I guess I did, I just didn't know how much competition that mystery would be."

Gregor hadn't known any of that, he wasn't aware that people thought that about him. He tried so hard to push the thoughts of the Underland out of his mind that he hadn't realized it was still there in his everyday life; that secret that he couldn't share with anyone.

"I was twelve years old, Anna." Gregor told her softly. "I felt like I was thirty. When I came back from the Underland, I was barely holding it together. Not just mentally, but physically as well. The doctors had to put me back together after the last fight I had with the Bane. Luxa was there with me through everything. I didn't mean to drag you and Knight into this though, I'm sorry for that."

Anna looked at him again, her eyes piercing even in the darkness. "That's what friends are for, Gregor. I'm sorry you couldn't trust us with this secret before we saw it for ourselves."

Gregor smiled at a sudden thought, "Luxa could use a friend like you, Anna."

She stood up with a half laugh, "Don't push it, Overlander."