" Explain to me again what happened?" Merric asked nervously. " I mean, couldn't the King's Own find them?"

" Shut up Merric." Cleon snapped. His eyes were on Kel. She looked like she could take on a Hurrok and three Spidrens she was so mad. No one could tell that she was just as nervous about this, if not more nervous, than everybody else. " Kel?"

She looked up. " Hmm?" she didn't notice the worried looks all of her friends were giving her. She looked down, and she realized that she was ascending the inside staircase on Balor's Needle. Everyone else was standing at the foot of the staircase staring. " So what? I guess all that climbing things for the Stump has helped."

" Come on. Kel's right. If we're going to look, let's go." With that, Neal walked up the case until he was one stair behind her. " are you guys coming or not?"

Then, with a lot of grumbling and complaining, the rest of the gang climbed the stair; pretending not to notice how un-nerved Kel really was. When they reached the top, Kel took a deep breath before going out onto the windy platform. There wasn't a soul on it. Not even the table where King Jonathan had been last year when Kel had brought the message to him from Duke Gary. Something didn't seem right.

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" That's odd." Neal muttered, inspecting the surroundings, voicing his opinion as well as Kel's.

" What is?" Faleron wanted to know. " Tell me Neal." He added when Neal didn't answer him.

" Well, it's not as windy as it usually is up here, and there's no one even NEAR the gate to the grounds- even this early there should be someone on duty."

" He's right." Cleon murmured. " Come on. We need to talk to the king NOW." He grabbed Kel and Neal's arms, and practically dragged them down the stair- the others running to keep up.

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" Excuse me your majesty." Faleron gasped after being run down the hall, and Cleon bursting through the council room doors wuthout waiting to be introduced. " We were just at Balor's Needle and.." He trailed off. He was getting the weirdest look from the King and Queen.

" Mithros we're in trouble." Seaver whispered to Merric and Owen, who glanced at Kel and Neal.

" Excuse me?" Queen Thayet asked slowly; gazing on the sceen that met her eyes with amusement. " Wait. Sit down and breathe. Then tell us what this is about." Kel shot Thayet a grateful look which was rewarded with a smile.

" It's about Roald and Alanna..." Cleon managed to say before a cup of juice was thrust in his face. " Something isn't right..." He looked at the King and Queen glaring. " You drugged it."

" That's right. We need you to sleep." Jonathan told him gently. Within moments, everyone but Kel and Neal was asleep. " Now you two. Tell us what this is all about."