AN: *winces and hides behind her Magi-Mexi-Oven* I'm just waiting for raving Morgen-lovers to beat down my door with torches and pitchforks…

Eh, anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope it's not as depressing as the last installment, ja?

Disclaimer: "Oh, GREAT, Avis, just GREAT. Three hundred 'maren in this castle, and WHO do you take out? The ONE 'maren people like! EXACTLY HIM! WHERE THE IDEYA IS YOUR BRAIN?! *someone murmurs something* Oh no no no no, don't you go blaming this on PLOT ADVANCEMENT! IT'S JUST SHEER STUPIDITY!"---AC

Hamlet: Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands, come: the appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony: let me comply with you in this garb; lest my extent to the players, which, I tell you, must show fairly outward, should more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome: but my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived.

Guildenstern: In what, my dear lord?

Hamlet: I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.

Hamlet, Prince Of Denmark, by William Shakespeare

Chapter Seven:

When The Wind Is Southerly

" 'Morning, Puff," grinned Jackle, brushing beside her towards his place at the table. The rabbit-like maren nodded in reply, giving him an odd glance as she did. He returned it quizzically, and she blushed faintly and busied herself with pouring a cup of cider. Jackle raised a delicate eyebrow before slipping into his seat.

Gillwing's wide, honest face grew a large smile. "Good morning, Jackle!"

"Hey, Gill." Jackle gave him a pat on the neck, looking about as he did. "Why's everyone so quiet this morning?"

Clawz looked away, and Puffy concentrated on her drink. Gulpo returned Jackle's question with a small bubble. Reala was apparently ignoring all those about him.

"They weren't quiet before," contributed Gillwing helpfully, not seeing the dagger glares Clawz and Puffy both shot him. "They were talking a lot right until you sat down…"

He trailed off, wondering silently why Clawz looked annoyed. Jackle gazed between the two, quiet, before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Oh, you two are just hilarious," he laughed, one gloved hand held up to his mouth. "Just hilarious! 'Oh, let's stop talking now that Jackle's come,' and then Gillwing…great!"

Clawz and Puffy exchanged glances. Reala, broken out of his pondering by Jackle's high, inhaling laughter, snapped in an irritated voice, "What's wrong with you, Jackle?"

"Why don't'cha ask them?" giggled Jackle, gesturing at Puffy and Clawz. The two animal-looking maren stared down at their food silently. Reala gazed from on end of the table to the other before deciding that whatever they were bickering about now wasn't worth his attention, and went back to his dark thoughts.

Jackle quieted, still giggling softly to himself as he began eating; Gillwing, utterly confused, sat silently and contemplated the confusing aspects of life and relationships. Clawz glanced quickly at Puffy, his voice taking on a lighter tone. "Cider? I don't know how you can drink that in so early in the morning…always makes my hairs stand on end."

"For your information, I like it very much," replied Puffy.

"Everyone's different." Clawz smiled thinly. The table grew quiet, the plastic air of congeniality freezing into small smiles and quick glances. Jackle began humming happily as he built a tower out of orange slices.

"Luna."

The sparring instructor glanced up, distracted; in front of her Aster was holding a lance in a defensive position. Luna had been offering her a few tips on getting her grip right. "Yes?"

"I need t' talk t' yi."

"Is it---" The word 'important' died on her lips when she saw Stella's look, and she patted Aster's shoulder. "We'll continue that another time, Aster. You're doing wonderful."

"Thank you, Miss Luna!" Aster beamed brightly and bowed, then skipping off to join the other lancers who had waited patiently after class for her. Their happy chatter faded out of hearing as they went down the hall.

Luna rested her own lance, a new one she'd acquired after giving away her old weapon, against the wall and folded her arms. "What?"

"A lot. Nyct's come down wi' a Serin infection last eve, first a' all."

"A Serin infection?" Luna's eyes widened in worry. "Nyct? And last night---have you given her a woodsbane mash yet?"

"Tha's the problem!" Stella's normally calm expression crinkled into one of anxiety and annoyance at her own inability to change the situation. "I haven't a bit---it's been years since I've seen a case a' Serin infection, I wasn't expecting it!"

"Then poor Nyct---"

"Tha's not the worst," inserted Stella, angrily. "Morgen came in last night and saw the girl in the fever---an' the fool went out to get her some woodsbane himsel'!"

"Alone? At night?" Luna's hands clenched into fists. "That daft-headed---"

"An' he hasn' come back."

Luna paused, a heavy feeling settling on her stomach. For a moment the teacher and the healer stared at each other. Luna's question came out almost mechanically. "When did he leave?"

"Only an hour or so after sundown, mebbe sooner."

Luna turned away, face set. "Oh, Wizeman."

"Mm-hm." Stella left the room silently. Luna, reaching for the lance leaned against the wall, was reminded strongly of the moment when Morgen had handed it to her, his face shining. "Here! It's all yours---I made Amaranth give it a special twist near the top of the blade, see? That special dip! Now it'll adapt more easily to those slashing moves you love! And I found a nice bit of green-dyed leather for the grip, so it'll match those green clothes you wear so much…"

She picked up the lance gently, her fingers tightening about the olive-colored leather bound to its shaft. She could feel tears forming.

"What the---"

"Who's that?"

"Gloaming, open the gates! Now!"

"By the skies above---someone, get this maren to a healer!"

Stella looked up as the Infirmary door was slammed open. Gloaming, the gate-guard, stood in the doorway; in his arms he held a sodden, mumbling figure. Stella leaped up and jerked her head towards the nearest bed. "Put 'im there."

Gloaming did as told and backed off, allowing the healer to stand over her new patient. "He came in the front gate," he explained in his silken voice. "Last eve he went out with another to gather woodsbane, I'm told."

"Yah, yah, tha's all I need t' know." Stella gestured distractedly towards the door. "Y' head on back t' yi're post, now."

Gloaming bowed out. On the bed, the mud-covered maren mumbled and moved restlessly, his eyes rolling open. Stella placed a comforting hand on his forehead, her eyes dancing over his body to try and find any wounds. "Hush now, yi're safe in th' Infirmary. Hush now."

Hist moaned, and then his eyes shot open. He straightened and actually managed to sit up, caked mud crumbling off his face. "Morgen!"

"Hush, lie still!" scolded Stella, hurrying to press him back down. "Be still, yi're in no shape to sit up."

"Morgen!" insisted Hist, struggling against her; his strength failed then, and he fell back with a sigh. As he did, she caught sight of a gruesome gash that stretched along his left side, from ear to hip. "Morgen…it's an Equs…"

"Hush!" commanded Stella, her heart racing as she jerked over the bucket of water that lay by Nyct's bed. The girl had wrapped herself tightly in a swath of covers and was moaning into them. Stella turned away and bent over Hist, trying to roll him on his side. "Hush, Hist, yi're only goin' t' bleed yirself out if yi' don't calm down!" 'An Equs?'

Hist seemed to hear her, for he obediently stopped rolling about; he still mumbled feverishly, however. "Morgen…under…"

Stella bit her lip and circled around the bed, dragging the bucket with her. Dipping a cloth into the water, she began to try and wipe off the wound so she would be able to clean it. "Hush…" 'What does he mean, Morgen's under?'

Hist sucked in a fierce breath as her gentle fingers touched his wound, and he tried to shy away. She continued dabbing at the caked mud and dried blood that had covered his side and hair in a crusty mess. "Hold still, Hist!"

"Morgen," mumbled Hist despairingly, giving in to her ministrations. For a moment, the room was silent apart from Nyct's muffled moans coming from under the covers.

Suddenly, Hist straightened, and his wild eyes found Stella's face. "Stella?"

"Yes?" The healer patted carefully at a blood clot.

"Stella, listen!" Hist grabbed her wrist, his weak grip barely able to drag her hand away from the wound. "Stella, listen!"

"I'm listenin'," replied the healer, hoping that if the guard was able to get out whatever was bothering him he'd then calm down. "What is it?"

"Stella, there's an Equs in the woods."

She stared at him. Behind them, Nyct screamed into the bedclothes.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Jackle looked up from his book, smiling absently at the catmaren. The plush chair he was sitting in was far larger than him, making him sit in the middle with his legs spread out like a toddler playing with blocks on the floor; he was holding a large tome. Clawz, looking at him, got the impression of a young child looking at his father's books. "The Library's a nice place."

Clawz sat down next to the chair and looked over the demi-maren's shoulder. "What're you looking at now?"

"Oh, more on the dreambeasts," replied Jackle calmly, and closed the book, one finger between its leaves to mark his place. He leaned onto the armrest, his head propped in his hand. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing, really. Just checking on the training sessions." Clawz chuckled. "They have quite some way to go."

"Well, what with Reala tossing them in entirely different sections without any warning, that's only to be expected."

"True."

Jackle looked down at his book, his fingers playing along its edges; he was working up the courage to ask Clawz a question. Finally he got it out, his voice carefully casual. "So…how have I done today? So far?"

Clawz blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"Y'know, last night." Jackle gestured vaguely.

"Wha---oh."

"Yeah, that."

Clawz looked down, applying serious thought to the question. "Fairly well. You were a bit wonky this morning at breakfast; you seemed to be a bit too carefree."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Jackle slumped down into the large chair dejectedly.

"You can't tell on your own?"

"Not really, no. I mean---I know that people are looking at me funny, so that's an obvious clue that I'm being weird, and later on I can look back on it and see something wrong, but not while it's happening. It just feels…normal, somehow. Like it's what I'm supposed to do."

"Mm."

"It's weird," he continued, after a moment. "I know that I shouldn't be acting so happy, but I really can't make myself care. And then it's like my body tries to make up for it by bringing up all these worries…like those golgoths. Why are they here? Where'd they come from? Why now? That's what I'm trying to figure out right now…" He lifted the book half-heartedly.

"Found anything?"

"No, nothing yet. Nothing that I didn't already know."

"Maybe you're looking at the wrong books."

"I know which books I need to look at. And they're not these."

"Why don't you look at the right ones, then?"

"Because I'm not allowed to!" Jackle spat this out, his eyes wide. Clawz pulled back slightly, shocked by the fire that had flared up in the demi-maren's eyes; glancing down, he saw that Jackle's hands were trembling.

"Jackle?"

"What?"

"Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine! I---" He halted, breathing hard. Small voices began murmuring in his mind.

Dark, so dark and oh so pain it hurts does it not? So dark and strange and sharp and blurry and a shadow cage of moving black where's light? No light just dark and black and lightening pain---

"I---no, I'm not. I can't talk about it. Not allowed to. No, can't go there, master, promised I wouldn't! Promised I wou---no, master, don't!"

"Jackle!" snapped Clawz, trying to bring the demi-maren back to the present. "Jackle, look at me!"

"I---oh, dear Ideya," mumbled Jackle, burying his head in his invisible arms. "It was so dark…"

Dark and cold---where's light? No light! No light to see, no light to feel---all's darkness in the merging world!

Clawz reached out tentatively and placed a gentle paw on the demi-maren's shoulders, hoping that what had worked last night would also work this morning. Why he felt so protective of this person he'd once hated, he still wasn't sure; but it felt right to be comforting him, offering him friendship. "Hush, Jackle, whatever happened, it's not happening any more."

"It was so very dark," whimpered Jackle. "So dark, and I was all alone…"

Alone alone yes very alone and no one was there and we were alone we're all alone precious, all very alone…

"You're not alone any more, Jackle." 'What the Ideya is he talking about? Is he slipping into deliria?'

"It hurt," sniffed Jackle. "Hurt so much…I didn't do anythin' wrong, master, promise I didn't…"

Did it all, dear pet, did it all and more and wouldn't tell, no, and we wouldn't tell!

"That's right, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Yeah…nuthin' wrong."

Yes you did, yes you---

"You did nothing wrong."

Jackle looked up, his eyes bright and starry from the tears gathered in them, and managed a smile. "It's all right, then."

No!

"Mm-hm."

Jackle sighed, allowing his eyes to drift shut. "Can't talk about it," he mumbled. "Won't."

"You don't have to."

"Master doesn't like people readin' 'em. He gets awfully mad…hurts."

Ignore him, pet, he's trying to hurt…

"It won't happen again, I promise."

"Tha's why he said don' talk about 'em," explained Jackle.

"Mm-hm."

For a moment neither of them spoke; then Jackle opened his eyes, blinking. He looked up at Clawz quizzically, green eyes wide in innocence. "What were we talking about?"

"…dreambeasts."

"Oh yeah. Like I was saying, I can't find much on them."

Clawz, remembering the last reaction to this question, decided to take a different route of conversation. "Maybe you'll find something soon."

"Yeah." Jackle's eyes drifted down to the short, thick handwriting sprawled across the page, and almost without realizing it he began reading again. Clawz, noticing his drift of attention, smiled and patted his shoulder.

"I'll see you later."

"Sure, see you," replied Jackle, absently.

"An Equs?"

"Tha's what he says, Luna. I cunna get anythin' more from 'im b'fore he dropped off. 'Twas exhausted to his limit."

Corbeau steepled his fingers, gazing at the far wall silently. Next to him, Dysdane sat on the couch, her legs folded gracefully; they and Luna were the only three maren Stella had found in the lounge. Luna had apparently been explaining the current situation to the other two. Dysdane cleared her throat. "I think it's time the leaders were notified of this."

"You bet it is." Luna stood up, shoving tangled hair out of her face. "I'm going to find Lord Reala. Stella, you'd better go back and check on Hist---see if you can get anything more out of him. I---"

"Who the nightmares do you think you are, Luna?"

Luna halted and stared back at Dysdane. "What?"

"For the love of dreams, calm down," remonstrated the thin maren, uncrossing and then re-crossing her legs to be more comfortable. "You're beating yourself against the walls in a frenzy, but you know perfectly well that's not going to help. Stop falling apart and do what you need to do; we know how to take care of ourselves, thank you."

Luna gave a small, giddy laugh. "Of course. I was just---yes. Sorry."

"Go find Reala." Stella gave her a gentle push towards the door, and the sparring instructor exited obediently. As the door closed behind her, Dysdane shook her head.

" 'Swear, once something bad happens, she loses all reason."

"She's just anxious." Stella turned away. "As'm I. Morgen…I don't think he's alive, Dysdane."

"Neither do I." She stood, brushing down the long shirt she wore over her sleek clothes. "But if we don't keep calm, you know no one else will."

Reala was in one of the training rooms, watching the Second Power division go through their various exercises. The Power divisions had become an obsession with the Seeker General; he watched them fixatedly, continually testing them, making them go beyond their limits, demanding strict attention. Strix was beginning to look very worn-down.

"You!" The boy being pointed at straightened quickly. "Your left arm's not being held as tight as the right---stiffen up! You!" The next victim started. "You're not a statue---loosen up your legs! Move as you punch!"

"Lord Reala," began Luna.

"Not now, Luna, go back to your instructing. Tell me tonight after the work's done!"

"But this is important," murmured Luna insistently.

"Twenty push-ups, now!" barked Reala, and the students obediently dropped to their hands and feet. He turned to her. "Make it quick."

"Lord Reala, Morgen and Hist went out to gather some herbs last night."

"They went out at night?" interrupted Reala. "The fools."

"One of the students who was attacked by the golgoth has an Serin infection. They went out to get Miss Stella some woodsbane. Only Hist returned this morning. He was cut from ear to hip, and he said that there's an Equs in the woods."

"An Equs?" Finally Reala dropped the stern general façade and stared openly at her, though not for long. With a blink he recovered. "Very well. He is in the Infirmary?"

"Yes."

"I will speak to him." He turned away.

"Lord Reala---what about Morgen?"

"What about him?"

"We need to send out a search party!"

"Yes, fine. Send out a search party." He gestured to the students panting nearby. "The rest of the session is adjourned. Do twenty more push-ups, and then you're free to go."

The students dropped down to the floor once more, puffing.

Stella did not look up as the Infirmary door slammed open; she was still busy trying to clean Hist's wound. The maren guard lay suffering in silence, his only utterance the occasional moan as the healer dabbed at the raw and dirty flesh that opened in a horrible gash down his side. His fingers were clenched tightly in the sheets.

"You." Reala moved close to the guard's bed, ignoring Nyct, who was moaning ceaselessly from several spaces down, bedclothes wrapped about her in a tight cocoon. "You say there's an Equs in the woods?"

Hist nodded tensely, hissing through his teeth as Stella touched something that didn't want to be touched. Reala pressed him for details. "What happened?"

"Excuse me, mi'lard, but now's not really th' best time t' be askin' him questions," muttered Stella, dipping her cloth into the bucket of water at her side and wringing out the crimson coating it had acquired. "He's not in th' best a' shape just now. Canna yi wait at least till I'm done fixin' th' wound?"

"We don't have the time," Reala snapped, his ice-blue eyes turning decisively from her and focusing once more upon the guard's sweating face. "Tell me what happened."

"Morgen needed to find an herb for her," wheezed Hist, gesturing vaguely towards Nyct, who was now wailing into her covers with a high, muffled keening sound. "We were in Mystic Forest when we were attacked…" He closed his eyes briefly, partly from the pain of having his wound washed, partly from the hurt of the memory. "I was knocked unconscious. When I came to, I followed the tracks that Morgen and the Equs left---they led straight to a pit, and only---only the Equs' went away…" He choked.

Reala was not here to sympathize, he was here to ask questions. "You're sure it was an Equs?"

"Of course I'm sure!" sputtered Hist, blood beginning to dribble from the corner of his mouth and fingers digging harshly into the sheets. "How could I mistake something for an Equs? It was an Equs that killed him, I tell you!"

"Hush, hush!" commanded Stella, pressing him back against the pillows and shooting Reala a tense glare. "Now if yi're done wi' the interrogation, then, would yi' mind steppin' out while I try and calm this poor maren down?"

Reala ignored the challenging sarcasm in her voice and turned away.

Gloaming slipped into the pathway that led to the gate, asking the question he was required to give. "Where are you going?"

"To search for Morgen," replied Luna evenly. "He left last night and hasn't returned yet." Behind her, Corbeau, Lunatic, Dysdane, and Apathy---the only maren she'd been able to find on short notice---nodded in agreement.

"He went out with Hist last night," murmured Gloaming. "Hist came back earlier this morning."

"He did? When?"

"Just a short time ago. He was badly wounded and unable to form an understandable sentence. He's in the Infirmary now."

Luna pulled back slightly, turning to look at the maren behind her. Corbeau tapped his fingers on his arm. "What now, Luna?"

"I don't know," admitted the sparring instructor. Things were rapidly spinning out of her control. "Morgen is still out there---we need to go find him."

"All right." Lunatic levitated, staring at those around him impatiently. "Well, come on! Let's go!"

Without a word the other four rose into the air as well, and Gloaming watched silently as they flew over the castle walls.

The glassy eye was open wide, its surface reflecting the gardens circling Nightmare Castle. Slowly it focused on a younger group of maren.

"I'm sick of being worked like a dog," muttered one.

"Tell me about it. Reala's getting worse and worse every day!"

"Wouldn't you just love to stomp up to him and yell, 'I quit!' in his face?"

"Oh, dreams, wouldn't I!"

The stone hand clenched tightly, erasing the image. 'Just as I thought…'

A knock reverberated through the shadowed space about him. "Lord Wizeman?"

Identifying the faint voice as that of Reala, Wizeman turned slowly to face the doors. "Enter."

Reala did as ordered, striding urgently up to the foot of Wizeman's throne and bowing deep at the waist; straightening again, he took on an almost apologetic tone. "Forgive me for intruding, master, but you must be made aware of a new problem."

"And that is?"

"Two maren, the Armory tender and a guard, went into the Forest last evening. The guard returned alone, heavily wounded, and he claims there is an Equs in the forest."

"An Equs?" Two hands hovered nearer, their glassy eyes gazing at his face.

"Yes, master. He is quite certain that is what attacked them and killed his companion."

The hands pulled back silently. Reala waited respectfully, eyes carefully kept low, wondering secretly what was going on inside his master's mind. For some time, Wizeman did not speak; when he did, his voice was calm but low. "A golgoth attacks twice; within days another kills a boy. Now an Equs has attacked a guard and killed another. What do you make of this, Reala?"

Reala answered with the first thing that came to mind. "Something's seriously wrong here."

Wizeman did not chuckle, but Reala thought he saw the ruler's mouth quirk up slightly in a wry smile. The matter, however, was not one to laugh about, as evidenced from the lowness his master's voice still held. "There has been a disettlement of energy in the Dream World of late. You have felt this?"

"Yes, my lord," Reala faltered.

"You did not mention it to me."

"No, my lord…I…" Pause. "I believed it to be a personal reaction to…"

"I see." One of the hands turned slightly to eye him again. "Tell me about these things in the future, Reala."

"Yes, my lord."

The hand turned away, and there was another moment of silence.

"Are there any other unusual things you have been aware of that I have not been told?"

"No, master."

"Very well. I want these encounters examined. Send out a troop of fighters to investigate the Equs."

"Very well."

For a moment, Wizeman seemed to fall into personal reverie. "If only we could read them…but no, those secrets are lost forever."

Reala bowed his head silently; he knew what his master was talking about. Wizeman came out of his pondering. "You are excused, Reala."

The Seeker General bowed silently and went out. Behind him, Wizeman fell once more into rumination. 'Things are becoming worse. I may have to make use of that energy after all.'

A faint outline of a hovering globe behind him glimmered faintly in answer to his thoughts.