Hi again! Thanks for the reviews. It's nice to know we've got your
attention. Hopefully you're having as much fun reading this as we've had
writing it. Forgive the chapter titles, we've been in a kind of a silly
mood as we've come up with them.
Chapter 5 One Step Back
"Gentlemen, I am Nessos, leader of this village," the older man announced, looking at Roxton and Challenger. "It seems that you are here as the result of a grievous mistake."
"If it's a mistake, then why are we locked in this cage?" Veronica challenged as she glared at Nessos.
Nessos ignored Veronica's comment and continued, "As I understand, you are looking for some missing companions. You had mistaken Renn and Mirra for your comrades and attempted by force to take them away. I am sure by now you have reasoned that you were misguided. Until today, Renn and Mirra had never laid eyes on any of you. I believe that you owe Mirra an apology for your behavior."
Marguerite took a few steps forward, looking at the group with a thoughtful frown. "This isn't right," she said as she absently rubbed the bridge of her nose, as if in pain. "Someone...there should be another." She rested her free hand on the cell, lightly wrapping her fingers around the bars.
Ned looked over her, interrupting his curious scrutiny of Veronica, who was slowly drawing the journal from her pouch. "That's right. There should be another man. An older man," he said vaguely, as if he was remembering something.
"That's right, Summerlee," Roxton cajoled softly as he placed his hand over her. "Arthur Summerlee, who came to the Plateau with us."
"Summerlee," she repeated slowly as she gazed into Roxton's eyes.
"Summerlee was a botanist; he studied the plants here. He saved all of our lives countless times," Roxton encouraged with a small smile.
Marguerite's expression softened as she smiled in response. "The plateau was our second chance, our opportunity for a new beginning," she breathed as Roxton gently squeezed her fingers. "Summerlee told me that."
"Mirra!"
Nessos's bark destroyed the moment. Marguerite flinched and quickly pulled her fingers from Roxton's grasp. She danced back several steps and nestled herself against Ned, who draped a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Renn, I think that Mirra has been more affected by today's events that we previously thought. Please take her back to the house," Nessos said, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.
"Father, please. I'm fine," Marguerite protested as she shook off Ned's embrace. "I want to stay and find out more about the strangers."
"You need to rest," Ned added reluctantly, watching curiously as Veronica slid the journal back into its hiding place. Marguerite shot him a venomous glare that he missed as he resumed his open study of Veronica.
"No, dear. You really should go now," Nessos said firmly as he nodded at Ned. Ned grasped her arm and took a step in the direction of the house.
Marguerite wrenched her arm free and took a step towards Nessos. "But Father-"
"Are you defying me?" he growled, scowling at her.
She immediately froze, and dropped her gaze to the floor. "No, Father. Never," she muttered mutinously. "I apologize for my behavior. I will return home and rest now." Her rigid posture contradicted her words, but she turned and allowed Ned to escort her back to the dwelling. Ned stopped in the doorway once Marguerite entered and looked at the prisoners again before he followed her in.
"There now," Nessos said, regaining the explorers' attention. "Now that we have settled the matter and if you will agree to not disturb Renn and Mirra again, I will grant you your freedom and ask that you accept our hospitality for the night. It is unsafe to travel after dark and I would not want any misfortunes to fall upon you."
"Of course we agree," Challenger replied. "We are thank you for your hospitality and promise not to seek out Renn and Mirra." He looked at Roxton and Veronica, pleading with them to follow his lead. They nodded, and Nessos beamed at their cooperation.
"Excellent. Someone will arrive to release you and return your belongings to you shortly," he said. With a final nod to Challenger, who seemed to become the leader by default, he headed off towards his hut.
Roxton managed to hold his tongue until Nessos was out of earshot. "They know who we are Challenger. I am not leaving this place without them, even if it means fighting every last man here."
"We will not leave Marguerite or Ned but before we try to take them away by force, we have to know what has been done to them. If we don't know what has occurred, it will be extremely difficult to come up with a cure," Challenger warned. "There is also the matter of how we are going to get them to come with us. At this point, we are severely outnumbered in what would quickly become hostile territory. Even with our weapons, trying to drag Marguerite and Ned back to the treehouse would be futile. They believe we are a threat to them and removing them from this village by force would cement that belief. We need some kind of plan before we do anything."
Roxton made a move to protest, but Challenger motioned for him to be silent. "However, we have seen evidence that some basic elements of their personalities are still present. Ned could not hide his curiosity about us, and Marguerite's attitude towards unilateral authority seems to be resurfacing. This could be something that works in our favor. Then, there is the issue of what appears to be memory fragments."
"I wonder why they both remembered Summerlee, but not us," Veronica asked thoughtfully. "I mean, they just saw us a few days ago, and it's been over a year since anyone has seen Summerlee."
"Recalling pieces of the past is common for those who have been given yemmor," Darrus explained quietly as he approached the cage. He deliberately avoided eye contact with the explorers as he unlocked the door. "If you will follow me, I will take you to your lodgings and return your belongings." He glanced around, making sure they were alone. "Then, I will tell you exactly what happened to your friends."
Roxton clapped a hand on Darrus' shoulder. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Lead the way," he encouraged in a overly-cheerful tone. He tightened his grip on the man's shoulder, causing him to wince.
Darrus looked at him and the two men exchanged warning glares. "Of course. After your journey, you must be quite tired. This way."
To be continued in Chapter 6.
Chapter 5 One Step Back
"Gentlemen, I am Nessos, leader of this village," the older man announced, looking at Roxton and Challenger. "It seems that you are here as the result of a grievous mistake."
"If it's a mistake, then why are we locked in this cage?" Veronica challenged as she glared at Nessos.
Nessos ignored Veronica's comment and continued, "As I understand, you are looking for some missing companions. You had mistaken Renn and Mirra for your comrades and attempted by force to take them away. I am sure by now you have reasoned that you were misguided. Until today, Renn and Mirra had never laid eyes on any of you. I believe that you owe Mirra an apology for your behavior."
Marguerite took a few steps forward, looking at the group with a thoughtful frown. "This isn't right," she said as she absently rubbed the bridge of her nose, as if in pain. "Someone...there should be another." She rested her free hand on the cell, lightly wrapping her fingers around the bars.
Ned looked over her, interrupting his curious scrutiny of Veronica, who was slowly drawing the journal from her pouch. "That's right. There should be another man. An older man," he said vaguely, as if he was remembering something.
"That's right, Summerlee," Roxton cajoled softly as he placed his hand over her. "Arthur Summerlee, who came to the Plateau with us."
"Summerlee," she repeated slowly as she gazed into Roxton's eyes.
"Summerlee was a botanist; he studied the plants here. He saved all of our lives countless times," Roxton encouraged with a small smile.
Marguerite's expression softened as she smiled in response. "The plateau was our second chance, our opportunity for a new beginning," she breathed as Roxton gently squeezed her fingers. "Summerlee told me that."
"Mirra!"
Nessos's bark destroyed the moment. Marguerite flinched and quickly pulled her fingers from Roxton's grasp. She danced back several steps and nestled herself against Ned, who draped a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Renn, I think that Mirra has been more affected by today's events that we previously thought. Please take her back to the house," Nessos said, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken.
"Father, please. I'm fine," Marguerite protested as she shook off Ned's embrace. "I want to stay and find out more about the strangers."
"You need to rest," Ned added reluctantly, watching curiously as Veronica slid the journal back into its hiding place. Marguerite shot him a venomous glare that he missed as he resumed his open study of Veronica.
"No, dear. You really should go now," Nessos said firmly as he nodded at Ned. Ned grasped her arm and took a step in the direction of the house.
Marguerite wrenched her arm free and took a step towards Nessos. "But Father-"
"Are you defying me?" he growled, scowling at her.
She immediately froze, and dropped her gaze to the floor. "No, Father. Never," she muttered mutinously. "I apologize for my behavior. I will return home and rest now." Her rigid posture contradicted her words, but she turned and allowed Ned to escort her back to the dwelling. Ned stopped in the doorway once Marguerite entered and looked at the prisoners again before he followed her in.
"There now," Nessos said, regaining the explorers' attention. "Now that we have settled the matter and if you will agree to not disturb Renn and Mirra again, I will grant you your freedom and ask that you accept our hospitality for the night. It is unsafe to travel after dark and I would not want any misfortunes to fall upon you."
"Of course we agree," Challenger replied. "We are thank you for your hospitality and promise not to seek out Renn and Mirra." He looked at Roxton and Veronica, pleading with them to follow his lead. They nodded, and Nessos beamed at their cooperation.
"Excellent. Someone will arrive to release you and return your belongings to you shortly," he said. With a final nod to Challenger, who seemed to become the leader by default, he headed off towards his hut.
Roxton managed to hold his tongue until Nessos was out of earshot. "They know who we are Challenger. I am not leaving this place without them, even if it means fighting every last man here."
"We will not leave Marguerite or Ned but before we try to take them away by force, we have to know what has been done to them. If we don't know what has occurred, it will be extremely difficult to come up with a cure," Challenger warned. "There is also the matter of how we are going to get them to come with us. At this point, we are severely outnumbered in what would quickly become hostile territory. Even with our weapons, trying to drag Marguerite and Ned back to the treehouse would be futile. They believe we are a threat to them and removing them from this village by force would cement that belief. We need some kind of plan before we do anything."
Roxton made a move to protest, but Challenger motioned for him to be silent. "However, we have seen evidence that some basic elements of their personalities are still present. Ned could not hide his curiosity about us, and Marguerite's attitude towards unilateral authority seems to be resurfacing. This could be something that works in our favor. Then, there is the issue of what appears to be memory fragments."
"I wonder why they both remembered Summerlee, but not us," Veronica asked thoughtfully. "I mean, they just saw us a few days ago, and it's been over a year since anyone has seen Summerlee."
"Recalling pieces of the past is common for those who have been given yemmor," Darrus explained quietly as he approached the cage. He deliberately avoided eye contact with the explorers as he unlocked the door. "If you will follow me, I will take you to your lodgings and return your belongings." He glanced around, making sure they were alone. "Then, I will tell you exactly what happened to your friends."
Roxton clapped a hand on Darrus' shoulder. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Lead the way," he encouraged in a overly-cheerful tone. He tightened his grip on the man's shoulder, causing him to wince.
Darrus looked at him and the two men exchanged warning glares. "Of course. After your journey, you must be quite tired. This way."
To be continued in Chapter 6.