Neverseen (My Version)

by twinkletoestbh

SOPHIE FOSTER IS GOING TO FIGHT BACK. With the ability restrictor history, she's finally ready to take a leap of faith and join the Black Swan. But finding the elusive rebel group might be her biggest problem. Leaving a group of nonplussed Councillors behind, Sophie will lead her friends on a daring journey through the Forbidden Cities to prevent a war and save her new world.

25. TWENTY FOUR

Sorry for the shorty, but the last chapter was really long, so I figure it evens out.

TWENTY FOUR

ALDEN SIGHED AS HE FELT SOPHIE LEAVE. The goblins were sleeping now, but he only had a few minutes before they woke. They didn't need much sleep. He pulled out his Imparter and hailed Grady.

"Alden?" a bleary eyed Edaline asked.

"I need to speak with Grady, Edaline. Is he there?"

"Grady!" Edaline hissed, shaking her husband awake next to her. "It's Alden."

"Alden?" Grady mumbled, rolling over and taking the Imparter. "What's the matter?"

"I talked to Sophie."

"What?" Instantly Grady and Edaline were awake. "What did she say? How is she? Where is she? Are they okay?"

"I just wanted to tell you she's fine," Alden said. "The Goblins are going to wake up soon, so I need to go."

"Okay…well, please hail us soon," Grady said as Edaline started crying. "We just…it's so stressful, not knowing anything."

"I know. I'll hail you as soon as I have any new information."

Just as Alden slipped his Imparter into his bag, the goblin leader jumped to his feet. "Time to get up," he bellowed, kicking the other goblins in the stomach and various extremities to rouse them. "Hope you're rested, elf."

Alden bristled slightly at the goblin's vulgarity. "My name is Alden, and my title is lord. You are a goblin, and as such you will address me by both my title, and my name."

"Yes, Lord Alden," the goblin sneered. "The tracks are less than a day old. We can catch the children by sundown."

The other goblins let out a cheer and began running at full speed through the trees.

Alden followed close behind the goblins, panting slightly. He hadn't run this hard for this long in at least a century. He tried to keep up, but while they might not need much sleep or rest, he certainly did. After four straight hours of running, he couldn't move any farther.

"Stop," he wheezed, holding up a trembling hand.

"Again?" one of the goblins closer to the front asked. "You elves are in worse shape than we thought."

"It's a good thing they don't have to fight," another one added.

"I just need…to sleep…for a second."

"You have one hour," the head of the goblins conceded. "Then we push forward again."