Author's Note: As always see chapter one for disclaimers. Thanks to
everyone who reviewed, keep it up and we will.
Chapter 7 The beginnings of a plan
John glared moodily at Marguerite and Ned all throughout dinner. Since the explorers had been forbidden from making contact with them, Darrus sat them on the far side of the communal fire ring. As the meal finished and the villagers either returned home or visited friends, John's frown deepened. Challenger leaned back, taking a break from his discussion of recent tribal history with Nessos and Veronica to try and get a better view of what was upsetting John.
His eyebrow quirked as he saw Ned drape his arm around Marguerite's shoulders. They put their heads together, laughing over something. As they settled down, she leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder as he absently twined his fingers in her hair. Marguerite said something to Ned and glanced across the ring to look at the explorers. He shook his head in response, motioning towards Nessos. She pouted for a moment, then brightened as she whispered something to him.
"Don't you agree, Roxton? Challenger?" Veronica's simple question drew the men's attention back to their own group.
Challenger swung around to look at his companions. "What was the question my dear?" he asked, having not followed the most recent portion of the conversation.
She smiled smugly at them. "I knew neither of you was listening."
"On the contrary," Roxton rumbled, his stern manner wiping the smile from her face. "I have been listening. To every word that has been said. And while I am pleased that the Keergans have fared so well, how can any of this help Marguerite and Ned?" He gazed defiantly at Darrus. "There is no way on earth that I am leaving this place without them."
"Steady, old boy," Challenger soothed, aware of the source of his frustration and anger. It was time to put some of that pent-up energy to use. "Darrus, you had mentioned earlier that yemmor wears off. How often are your people required to ingest it?"
"Yemmor must be taken every five days to keep the memories away. People have been known to go longer. However, as the yemmor wears off, memories return more quickly like sand that runs throughout a clenched fist."
"So tomorrow, our friends will be given another dose of yemmor and their memories will be buried again," Veronica said, stating the obvious.
Darrus nodded. "That is why you must take them away tonight. The longer they are under the influence of the yemmor, the longer it takes for its effects to end."
"If they have no memories of us, how are we going to get them to leave with us?" she asked with a tinge of hopelessness. Her shoulders drooped as she stared into the fire.
Challenger sat silently for a moment, then grinned at his friends. "But we've seen that both Marguerite and Ned have already begun to remember things. That is probably why we've been forbidden from speaking with them, to keep what they are remembering to an absolute minimum. So perhaps all we have to do is speak with them."
Roxton absently jabbed at the fire with a stick as his gaze drifted back to Marguerite and Ned. "What we need to do is get them away from here."
"Will they come willingly?" Veronica asked, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes as she looked at Darrus.
"I believe so, if they will speak with you. They both have expressed curiosity about you. Soon, my people will retire for the night. When they do, I can bring the one called Ned to you," he offered. "We have the night guard, so it would not be unusual for him to be out during the sleep cycle and the darkness would hide your meeting."
Roxton's dour expression softened into a genuine grin. "Well then, it sounds as if we have the beginning of a plan."
TO BE CONTINUED. OK, contestants. Bonus points to any of you who can figure out the scrambled word. Bonus points not enough, how about if we promise an extra chapter? (
Chapter 7 The beginnings of a plan
John glared moodily at Marguerite and Ned all throughout dinner. Since the explorers had been forbidden from making contact with them, Darrus sat them on the far side of the communal fire ring. As the meal finished and the villagers either returned home or visited friends, John's frown deepened. Challenger leaned back, taking a break from his discussion of recent tribal history with Nessos and Veronica to try and get a better view of what was upsetting John.
His eyebrow quirked as he saw Ned drape his arm around Marguerite's shoulders. They put their heads together, laughing over something. As they settled down, she leaned back, resting her head on his shoulder as he absently twined his fingers in her hair. Marguerite said something to Ned and glanced across the ring to look at the explorers. He shook his head in response, motioning towards Nessos. She pouted for a moment, then brightened as she whispered something to him.
"Don't you agree, Roxton? Challenger?" Veronica's simple question drew the men's attention back to their own group.
Challenger swung around to look at his companions. "What was the question my dear?" he asked, having not followed the most recent portion of the conversation.
She smiled smugly at them. "I knew neither of you was listening."
"On the contrary," Roxton rumbled, his stern manner wiping the smile from her face. "I have been listening. To every word that has been said. And while I am pleased that the Keergans have fared so well, how can any of this help Marguerite and Ned?" He gazed defiantly at Darrus. "There is no way on earth that I am leaving this place without them."
"Steady, old boy," Challenger soothed, aware of the source of his frustration and anger. It was time to put some of that pent-up energy to use. "Darrus, you had mentioned earlier that yemmor wears off. How often are your people required to ingest it?"
"Yemmor must be taken every five days to keep the memories away. People have been known to go longer. However, as the yemmor wears off, memories return more quickly like sand that runs throughout a clenched fist."
"So tomorrow, our friends will be given another dose of yemmor and their memories will be buried again," Veronica said, stating the obvious.
Darrus nodded. "That is why you must take them away tonight. The longer they are under the influence of the yemmor, the longer it takes for its effects to end."
"If they have no memories of us, how are we going to get them to leave with us?" she asked with a tinge of hopelessness. Her shoulders drooped as she stared into the fire.
Challenger sat silently for a moment, then grinned at his friends. "But we've seen that both Marguerite and Ned have already begun to remember things. That is probably why we've been forbidden from speaking with them, to keep what they are remembering to an absolute minimum. So perhaps all we have to do is speak with them."
Roxton absently jabbed at the fire with a stick as his gaze drifted back to Marguerite and Ned. "What we need to do is get them away from here."
"Will they come willingly?" Veronica asked, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes as she looked at Darrus.
"I believe so, if they will speak with you. They both have expressed curiosity about you. Soon, my people will retire for the night. When they do, I can bring the one called Ned to you," he offered. "We have the night guard, so it would not be unusual for him to be out during the sleep cycle and the darkness would hide your meeting."
Roxton's dour expression softened into a genuine grin. "Well then, it sounds as if we have the beginning of a plan."
TO BE CONTINUED. OK, contestants. Bonus points to any of you who can figure out the scrambled word. Bonus points not enough, how about if we promise an extra chapter? (