Chapter 3: Twisted Reason
Shade and Miguel sat quietly talking in the com room for some time. Finally, Miguel decided to go somewhere else, where they could talk alone. Unfortunately, as they were leaving, the intruder alarm went off. The vione shook momentarily, then settled again. Then, the lights slowly flickered off. It was like a dark void for several minutes, and no one moved. Everything was silent but for the blaring alarm that seemed dim now. As if the vione was drifting away without them.
The lights came back on as the alarm died. Everyone gathered in the com room to count off. Dalet gave the first call, but no one answered. Their hearts sunk, knowing who was supposed to start the long chain. "lord dilandau..." Shade could hardly speak. It was as if nothing was left of her without him...
"We have to find him," Shade demanded, having found her voice.
Folken shook his head. "It's too dangerous. Whoever did this was professional. They shut off the lights-"
"OH, REALLY? WE HADN'T NOTICED!" Now she was mad. She had been a little angry with him before, but now she was really mad.
He gave her a death glare, and Shade shut up immediately. "AS I WAS SAYING, whoever did this was good. They shut off all power until they left. I think it was on a timer of some sort, so we wouldn't be right on their tails. They probably had night-vision, as well, because they had no problem finding Dilandau. I don't want you going after them, it's too dangerous."
"Okay," Shade answered as she stood up and turned to leave. "I'll tell him that when I find him."
Folken made no attempt to change her mind after that. He knew that there was no way to do it. Once Shade set a goal, she would not stop until it was accomplished.
She went on foot, knowing it would be easier to track them (not that melef tracks weren't large enough to see from her own). From the looks of them, whoever kidnapped Dilandau had passed through the forest about 15 minutes before the lights came on; 37 minutes before she spoke with Folken; about 50 minutes from just then. Shade followed the tracks for about a mile before she heard a noise in the bushes.
The noise grew quiet as soon as she came near, but it sounded like about ten men. Nothing happened for a few minutes before a voice said, "Are 'y gona justan thear, or's ye gona seet down?"
Night fell quickly, and the countrymen invited Shade to stay at their camp for dinner. They spoke of several things, but never a word was spoken of Dilandau. Finally, Shade spoke up. "Have any of you men seen three melefs about here today?"
The men looked at each other for a few seconds, then one of them said, "Wha's a melf?"
Shade explained it to them, and they all decided they hadn't seen any 'melfs' in the area. Then she bowed, thanked them for the meal, and continued on her journey.
'So they didn't have melefs... or maybe they got their hands on some stealth cloaks... or perhaps they could be Ghost Feet...'
Shade and Miguel sat quietly talking in the com room for some time. Finally, Miguel decided to go somewhere else, where they could talk alone. Unfortunately, as they were leaving, the intruder alarm went off. The vione shook momentarily, then settled again. Then, the lights slowly flickered off. It was like a dark void for several minutes, and no one moved. Everything was silent but for the blaring alarm that seemed dim now. As if the vione was drifting away without them.
The lights came back on as the alarm died. Everyone gathered in the com room to count off. Dalet gave the first call, but no one answered. Their hearts sunk, knowing who was supposed to start the long chain. "lord dilandau..." Shade could hardly speak. It was as if nothing was left of her without him...
"We have to find him," Shade demanded, having found her voice.
Folken shook his head. "It's too dangerous. Whoever did this was professional. They shut off the lights-"
"OH, REALLY? WE HADN'T NOTICED!" Now she was mad. She had been a little angry with him before, but now she was really mad.
He gave her a death glare, and Shade shut up immediately. "AS I WAS SAYING, whoever did this was good. They shut off all power until they left. I think it was on a timer of some sort, so we wouldn't be right on their tails. They probably had night-vision, as well, because they had no problem finding Dilandau. I don't want you going after them, it's too dangerous."
"Okay," Shade answered as she stood up and turned to leave. "I'll tell him that when I find him."
Folken made no attempt to change her mind after that. He knew that there was no way to do it. Once Shade set a goal, she would not stop until it was accomplished.
She went on foot, knowing it would be easier to track them (not that melef tracks weren't large enough to see from her own). From the looks of them, whoever kidnapped Dilandau had passed through the forest about 15 minutes before the lights came on; 37 minutes before she spoke with Folken; about 50 minutes from just then. Shade followed the tracks for about a mile before she heard a noise in the bushes.
The noise grew quiet as soon as she came near, but it sounded like about ten men. Nothing happened for a few minutes before a voice said, "Are 'y gona justan thear, or's ye gona seet down?"
Night fell quickly, and the countrymen invited Shade to stay at their camp for dinner. They spoke of several things, but never a word was spoken of Dilandau. Finally, Shade spoke up. "Have any of you men seen three melefs about here today?"
The men looked at each other for a few seconds, then one of them said, "Wha's a melf?"
Shade explained it to them, and they all decided they hadn't seen any 'melfs' in the area. Then she bowed, thanked them for the meal, and continued on her journey.
'So they didn't have melefs... or maybe they got their hands on some stealth cloaks... or perhaps they could be Ghost Feet...'