Part I
Runaway
I practically flew from the house.
"Lonara!" I shouted. "Lonara, where are you? Lonara!" I slumped against a tree, tears streaming down my face. "Lonara," I whispered.
I had only just discovered that my little darling was missing. I had taken her out to pick berries (and to give her the sword lessons that Nechtè had forbidden her till she was at least eight). We had been walking home, me scanning the trees for birds, Lonara happily plunking berries from her pail into her mouth. After a while I had stopped checking to see if she was behind me. I had reached our house, started inside.and noticed that Lonara was not behind me.
"Nechtè!" I called, my voice shaking. "Nechtè, Lonara is missing!" My husband ran outside. He was fair haired and had emerald eyes, and was, as always, carrying his staff.
"What?!" He demanded. "Missing? Where did you last see her?"
"In the forest, back there a little ways." I pointed with a trembling hand.
"Why isn't she with you? Didn't you watch her?"
"I did at first, but after a while there wasn't much of a point. She wasn't lagging behind, and I was looking for birds."
"Doesn't she know better than to wander off in the forest alone? Didn't you teach her how dangerous the forest is? That it is enchanted and roamed by fearsome beasts? Our magical glade ends a mere mile out! You know that Air and the Queen have no power in Earth's domain, and he was upset enough about the magic glade that he won't interfere with his minions!" Nechtè glared at me.
"You're her father; why didn't you teach her about the need to stay away from Earth."
"You're her mother, Buttercup!" Nechtè screamed, "You should have taught her!"
I shrank back from him. "This isn't doing us any good, us arguing about who's fault this is," I said. "We need to find her."
"Two of us alone in that forest?" Nechtè asked bitterly. "The whole reason we live here is to keep Clemen away. The forest isn't safe."
"Well, fine!" I snapped. "If you want to leave our daughter in there, don't let me stop you!"
"How about a compromise?" Nechtè asked. "We bring Gaia. She's Lonara's godmother. She'll help.
I considered briefly, then nodded. "I'll go get her. You pack food and blankets enough for three, and I'll be back within an hour.
~~~
I dodged through the trees and over huge roots. I only traveled the route to the village once a month, and as a result the path was rather overgrown. I winced as thorns lodged in my skin and scratched my legs, but didn't slow.
The path was long and winding, but the journey took only twenty minutes traveling at a run. I charged through the mud puddles in the village square, ignoring the stares of the children who played in the sun. Finally I reached my friend's house and knocked. My strength gone, I collapsed against the door.
The door opened, and I tumbled inside with a shriek, falling on the shining floor. About to rise, I suddenly stopped and slumped back. A small dagger was pressed to my throat.
"Gaia!" I cried. "It's me!"
The warrior woman stared at me. "Buttercup? Is that you?"
"Well, who else would be dumb enough to lean against the door after knocking?"
"That is you!" Gaia sheathed her dagger. "How's Nechtè and the little one?"
"That's what I came to talk to you about," I panted. "Lonara is missing, and Nechtè says the forest is dangerous. Two warriors will be better than one. Do you want to come?"
"You even had to ask?" Gaia snorted. "You insult me. Of course I'll come." She began moving around the little cabin, picking up sword, bow, quiver, and other useful things. "Provisions?" she asked.
"Nechtè is getting some. Blankets, too."
"Let's go, then," Gaia said, shrugging on an old, weather-stained shirt.the shirt she had worn many years ago as she journeyed with me to Drokal, a runaway and an outcast seeking refuge.
I looked down at my bright, pretty pink shirt and sighed. "We are getting old, my friend. I would never have worn this before I was married. Too visible. Do you have a more travel worthy garment?"
~~~
We soon arrived at my house, panting. More proof that we had slowly begun growing old. I glanced at my sword and, with a sigh, slid the blade into its scabbard. A dagger was sheathed in my sleeve, and another concealed in my boot. A look at Gaia told me that she was outfitting herself similarly out of my spares. Nechtè grabbed at his oaken staff with the blue crystal on the end. Shouldering our packs, we headed off into the forest.
~~~
Lonara giggled. She was glad she had snuck away from Mommy. To be out alone in the forest was a child's dream. No oatmeal! Mommy seemed to like oatmeal a lot. She liked to have Lonara eat it even more.
But what was there to eat? Lonara looked around. She saw mushrooms. Yuck! There would be something good around, surely. Mommy would know.but Mommy wasn't here. Mommy was home, probably making oatmeal.
Lonara saw a stick. It looked like Mommy's big sword. She grabbed it. It wasn't as good as the little wooden practice sword Mommy made her learn with, or even Daddy's pretty wooden stick. (She had once taken the stick and used it as a practice sword. Somehow Daddy didn't like that.) But it would do. She spun it around.
"Take that, bush!" She hacked at a bush. To her delight, berries fell under her onslaught. She sat down and popped one in her mouth. That tasted good! But maybe the berries were bad. Mommy told her some berries were poi.pois.bad. This didn't taste bad. But now she was very sleepy. A nice nap wouldn't hurt. She would.just.close her eyes.for a moment.
As the little girl crumpled to the forest floor, a shadow flitted from one tree to another. Seeing the prone figure, it scurried towards her. It was a man, thin and wasted. He looked at the girl, then at the necklace she wore, which her mother had given her long ago. Seeing the mystic symbols which he as well as Buttercup could read, he began to smile.
Runaway
I practically flew from the house.
"Lonara!" I shouted. "Lonara, where are you? Lonara!" I slumped against a tree, tears streaming down my face. "Lonara," I whispered.
I had only just discovered that my little darling was missing. I had taken her out to pick berries (and to give her the sword lessons that Nechtè had forbidden her till she was at least eight). We had been walking home, me scanning the trees for birds, Lonara happily plunking berries from her pail into her mouth. After a while I had stopped checking to see if she was behind me. I had reached our house, started inside.and noticed that Lonara was not behind me.
"Nechtè!" I called, my voice shaking. "Nechtè, Lonara is missing!" My husband ran outside. He was fair haired and had emerald eyes, and was, as always, carrying his staff.
"What?!" He demanded. "Missing? Where did you last see her?"
"In the forest, back there a little ways." I pointed with a trembling hand.
"Why isn't she with you? Didn't you watch her?"
"I did at first, but after a while there wasn't much of a point. She wasn't lagging behind, and I was looking for birds."
"Doesn't she know better than to wander off in the forest alone? Didn't you teach her how dangerous the forest is? That it is enchanted and roamed by fearsome beasts? Our magical glade ends a mere mile out! You know that Air and the Queen have no power in Earth's domain, and he was upset enough about the magic glade that he won't interfere with his minions!" Nechtè glared at me.
"You're her father; why didn't you teach her about the need to stay away from Earth."
"You're her mother, Buttercup!" Nechtè screamed, "You should have taught her!"
I shrank back from him. "This isn't doing us any good, us arguing about who's fault this is," I said. "We need to find her."
"Two of us alone in that forest?" Nechtè asked bitterly. "The whole reason we live here is to keep Clemen away. The forest isn't safe."
"Well, fine!" I snapped. "If you want to leave our daughter in there, don't let me stop you!"
"How about a compromise?" Nechtè asked. "We bring Gaia. She's Lonara's godmother. She'll help.
I considered briefly, then nodded. "I'll go get her. You pack food and blankets enough for three, and I'll be back within an hour.
~~~
I dodged through the trees and over huge roots. I only traveled the route to the village once a month, and as a result the path was rather overgrown. I winced as thorns lodged in my skin and scratched my legs, but didn't slow.
The path was long and winding, but the journey took only twenty minutes traveling at a run. I charged through the mud puddles in the village square, ignoring the stares of the children who played in the sun. Finally I reached my friend's house and knocked. My strength gone, I collapsed against the door.
The door opened, and I tumbled inside with a shriek, falling on the shining floor. About to rise, I suddenly stopped and slumped back. A small dagger was pressed to my throat.
"Gaia!" I cried. "It's me!"
The warrior woman stared at me. "Buttercup? Is that you?"
"Well, who else would be dumb enough to lean against the door after knocking?"
"That is you!" Gaia sheathed her dagger. "How's Nechtè and the little one?"
"That's what I came to talk to you about," I panted. "Lonara is missing, and Nechtè says the forest is dangerous. Two warriors will be better than one. Do you want to come?"
"You even had to ask?" Gaia snorted. "You insult me. Of course I'll come." She began moving around the little cabin, picking up sword, bow, quiver, and other useful things. "Provisions?" she asked.
"Nechtè is getting some. Blankets, too."
"Let's go, then," Gaia said, shrugging on an old, weather-stained shirt.the shirt she had worn many years ago as she journeyed with me to Drokal, a runaway and an outcast seeking refuge.
I looked down at my bright, pretty pink shirt and sighed. "We are getting old, my friend. I would never have worn this before I was married. Too visible. Do you have a more travel worthy garment?"
~~~
We soon arrived at my house, panting. More proof that we had slowly begun growing old. I glanced at my sword and, with a sigh, slid the blade into its scabbard. A dagger was sheathed in my sleeve, and another concealed in my boot. A look at Gaia told me that she was outfitting herself similarly out of my spares. Nechtè grabbed at his oaken staff with the blue crystal on the end. Shouldering our packs, we headed off into the forest.
~~~
Lonara giggled. She was glad she had snuck away from Mommy. To be out alone in the forest was a child's dream. No oatmeal! Mommy seemed to like oatmeal a lot. She liked to have Lonara eat it even more.
But what was there to eat? Lonara looked around. She saw mushrooms. Yuck! There would be something good around, surely. Mommy would know.but Mommy wasn't here. Mommy was home, probably making oatmeal.
Lonara saw a stick. It looked like Mommy's big sword. She grabbed it. It wasn't as good as the little wooden practice sword Mommy made her learn with, or even Daddy's pretty wooden stick. (She had once taken the stick and used it as a practice sword. Somehow Daddy didn't like that.) But it would do. She spun it around.
"Take that, bush!" She hacked at a bush. To her delight, berries fell under her onslaught. She sat down and popped one in her mouth. That tasted good! But maybe the berries were bad. Mommy told her some berries were poi.pois.bad. This didn't taste bad. But now she was very sleepy. A nice nap wouldn't hurt. She would.just.close her eyes.for a moment.
As the little girl crumpled to the forest floor, a shadow flitted from one tree to another. Seeing the prone figure, it scurried towards her. It was a man, thin and wasted. He looked at the girl, then at the necklace she wore, which her mother had given her long ago. Seeing the mystic symbols which he as well as Buttercup could read, he began to smile.