Part 2 LOST AND FOUND
Action may not always be happiness, but there is no happiness without action.- Benjamin Digraein
Every though one would think how the quest was started it would continue as such through out but that was not the case. For it seemed that the ten day walk to Mandona was thankfully uneventful for the four travelers. And because of that fact they made it in to the town, which as Xena had notices was really more of a small city, in the morning of the tenth day. The town of Mandona looked exactly how Gabrielle thought it would. It was much bigger then her home town and Gabrielle loved it. All the people busy running around to complete their daily earns. The market place crowed. The bard just had to wonder what it would be like to tell a story to a crowed this big. To have all these people caught on her every word. It was something so amazing that the bard couldn't even fathom it. That is when her eyes caught sight of the reason she had wanted to come to this town in the first place. Right there in the center of town it sat, the Library of Marque.
"There it is!" Gabrielle told her friends with the excitement oozing over every word. The other three travelers all turn their head to see this great place that draw the bard so. To the three warrior the building was little more then that, a building. They could not see why it held the bard such a grip that not even food could drag her out of. But to Gabrielle it was the key to everything that was, is, or could be.
"Come on lets go check it out." The bard said as she started to move through the crowed of people not bothering to even looked back to see if her friends where following. The other three could see no other way but to follow the bard to her library so with a collected sigh that is what they did.
So caught up in their own thing the four travelers were that they didn't even notices they were being watched. Even since the four had entered into the market place of the town a pair of eyes had followed them. A stranger in a black cloak that stood near a table selling fruit to the shopper followed the group ever moved. The cloak stranger eyes roam over each face and widen when they fall on one face that the stranger thought it would never see again.
"It's her." The stranger whispered so low that no one in the busy market place could hear it. The stranger eyes followed the group up until they reach the library and knowing that if the four were going to visited the library they would be there for a while so the strange turn and left the market. Disappearing into the crowed whispering so that if anyone was listening close it was they would be sure the wind was saying it "I must tell father."
The four wove their way through the mob of people as they headed toward the library. Gabrielle led the way flowing gracefully between the busy shoppers, never getting bumped or pushed. It was almost like she knew ahead of time were the person was about to move and moved away just in the nick of time. Xena notices that just about all the shoppers in the market place were able to do the same thing and she realize that was because Gabrielle and the shoppers were in their element. It would be the same for Xena if she was on the battle field. Unfortunately for Hercules, Iolaus, and Xena they lacked the graces that Gabrielle had found and were continually bumping into people and getting nasty looked. One guy who was shopping with his wife actually pushed Iolaus to the ground after Iolaus had accidentally knocking into the man's wife. Hercules had to pull his young friends away before he started a fight right there in the market place. Gabrielle missed all of what was going on behind her, her mind only on the library ahead. So she kept walking straight for it with out stopping. The only time the bard even slowed her pace was when she was a mere ten steps a way from the stairs. Slowly stepping forwarded towards them her eyes widened with amazement at what was before her. Her friends who had been running to catch up with her nearly run into the bard when she stopped at the steps leading up to the library doors.
"Why did you stop?" Iolaus asked regaining his footing. Gabrielle merely pointed at the door and the three turn to see what had stopped the bard on her quest for knowledge. There craved into the doors was a warning of shorts that the three warriors could make out. Just as they were figuring out what was written on the old stones doors Gabrielle started to read what was written out loud.
"Enter all who seek the answer clear
To questions which were never here.
Through the doors one must go
To know what one must never know.
But if ye enter through these doors
You may find something more
Then what you see from where you stand.
So enter if you must my friend.
But beware
For you my find
Something you have locked inside." Gabrielle frowned as she read the last line. Now what in the world dose that mean? She thought to herself.
"Not really all that inviting for a library is it." Xena remarked. She hadn't expected to find such a mysteries warning on a door to a place that was suppose to welcome all. She didn't even see anyone in the crowed market place go near the library but then she remember that she herself wouldn't have given the library more then a passing glance if Gabrielle hadn't been with her.
"Well we are suppose to meet the lord but with a warning like that I guess me and Herc can spare sometime to look inside." Iolaus said. Xena was almost certain that Iolaus was the only person alive who saw a warning sign as a sign that meant they must enter. But for Gabrielle she needed no farther push in the area then that. Already to excited about all the scrolls that awaited her to give the warning more then a passing thought she hurry up the stairs with the other three following right behind her.
Meanwhile at a castle just outside of Mandona.
The lord of Mandona, Lord Zackary, sat on his thorn pondering the troubles which befall his land. Deep in thought he didn't even notice that the cloaked stranger from the market had entered into the room. Closing the boor it approached the throne but the lord was so longs within his thought that he hear no of the foot steps that came near him nor the shutting of the doors.
"Father." The stranger said trying to get his attention.
"Emma, why are you sneaking around?" The lord said for he had jumped when she had called to him pulling him out of his deep thought.
"I did not sneak father. You simply just didn't hear me walk in." Emma explained patiently which was hard for her to do considering the news she had. The lord merely grumble at what his daughter had said then turn and looked at her with a glare that said he wanted to know what was so important that she had to interrupted his train of thought.
"I saw four outsiders enter into town today. They headed toward the library." Emma told him.
"They must have been the warriors I sent for. I thought there was only suppose to be two." The lord mused. "Is this what was so important daughter. The fact that my warrior are here. I would have known that soon enough on my own."
"One of your great warrior, father is her." Emma said and waited for her father to reply. For a second the lord had no idea as to what his daughter was referring to then it hit him. His sea green eyes grow wide with shock.
Her he thought could it be. Then reality stepped in. "It has been to long daughter there is now way that you would recognizers her, not now." The lord stated sadly. Not matter how much he wanted his eldest daughter to be right about this there was just no way she could be.
"But I saw her. She looked exactly like I picture she would at this age. She had the same hair color and eye color and everything." Emma pleads hoping her father would believe her. She had waited a long time for this day. She had kept her eyes open. She had watched every new comer closely just to make sure they were not her. And now today she had seen her. At first glances she had know it was her and with that glance a weight that had been on her shoulders for a long time had been lifted.
"Even if that is so" Her father stated "there is no way after all theses years to know for certain that it is her."
"There is one way." Emma replied and this time the lord know exactly what she was referring to, and he also knew that it was not an opinion that they could carry out, at lest not right away.
"She is traveling with powerful friends my dear, warriors which I need to solve a problem that has been plaguing this town since long before I was lord. We can not afford to up set them at this time." Lord Zackary said with all the wisdom that came with the years of being lord.
"And if we let her pas through our lives with out even checking to see if she is her then we will be letting a chance to fixes a wrong that has been here for all most 15 years. You can not do that, you can not take that for us, from mom." Emma told her dad barely holding on to that last bit of control before all the emotions came flowing out.
"We will check, make sure." The lord said with a sigh. The truth was he really wanted to know to but part of being a lord was not letting your own feeling get in the way. "But we will do it only when I say. Only at the right time. Now I need sometime to myself."
"Of course father." Emma said cheerfully with a wide smile. The lord watched as his daughter gave a quick bow and hurry to leave the room.
"Oh and Emma." The lord said and his daughter turn her head look at him. "Not a word of this to your mother or sisters understood."
"Of course father." Emma said this time more serious and continued out of the room.
After the lords eldest daughter had left the room leaving him alone with his thought. The lord aloud himself a moment of the 'what ifs'. What if this girl his daughter had seen truly was her. And a sad smile pasted over the lords face as he push the thought to the back of his head and went back to thing about the problem at hand.
Back at the library.
At first the bard was unsure how to open the masses stone doors that were the entrees to the library. She figured they must weight at lest a ton, how any normal person could open them was been on her. She stepped forward to place her hands on the doors to test its strengths but the minute her figures made context with the cold stone the doors swung open like they had been pushed by a strong force. Surprised by it Gabrielle took a step back knocking into Hercules who was standing directly behind her.
"So are we going in or what?" Iolaus asked never being on to have much or any pactines. He stood never to Hercules and Help the bard regain her balance. Gabrielle merely nodded and walked in to the stone building with Hercules, Iolaus and Xena following behind her like they had been seen since entering into the market place. Xena who was the last to enter look out at the busy people in the market place. She noticed a few kids who had been playing a game stopped and watch them as they entered. The kids looked surprised and almost scared at the thought of someone entering into the library but on seeing the warrior women watching them they quickly run away. Xena frowned with confusion and stayed out side for a second longer until Gabrielle called back to see if she was coming and then with shake of her hand the warrior enter into the library.
The inside was darker then anyone thought it would be. Being only lighted by a few torched place ever few paces.
"Hard to believe anyone can read in here." Xena commented. The four walked down the small path on either side of them were book cases felled with many scrolls. It seemed like ever story ever told was held within the walls of the library and Xena could just see Gabrielle spending t he rest of her life content with in these walls.
"Gabrielle, we're staying here no longer then two weeks." Xena warned her good friend just in cased. Then they came to what must have been the center of the library. For there stood in the middle of the large room was a pillar with a glass case on it and in the case was what appeared to be a really old scroll.
"The scroll of ages." Gabrielle whispered in awn as she stepped closer to get a good look at it. By now the other three had, had just about enough and were ready to head on to met the lord.
"Come on Gabrielle you can come back later and read all you want right now we have to go met the lord." Xena t old the bard as the three turned and started to walk away. Gabrielle gave one last look at the scroll of ages before she slowly followed the other of the greatest place she had ever seen. As the four left the library a shadowed figure stepped out from behind a bookcase. A smile creep over the figures faces as the door to the library shut once again.
The castle in which the lord lived was outside the town so the four had to travel through the market place again. This time it was much harder to get through now that Gabrielle was at back instead of leading them. Xena tried to lead them through the busy streets but after getting pushed for the tenth time she simply gave up and put Hercules in the led. Since no morale could possible push the half-god anywhere, where he did not want to go they made it through the market place in good time. After they got out of the market it was much easy to get to the lord's castle and made good time getting there. Once there the guard let them right in saying something about the lord excepting them. Each of the warriors exchange confused looks behind the guard back seeing that they did not send word that they were coming. The inside of the castle was mangiest. On the walls were more picture and printing of people they the four had ever seen. It was quit obvious that the lord was a great lover of the arts. The guard led the four heroes into the large thorn room were the lord sat staring out the window.
"My lord, the warriors are here." The guard said drawing the lord back to reality. The lord was an ageing man who had a mixture of gray and white hair on top of his head, along with a white bread. The only thing about him that showed any sign of youth was his bright green eyes that seem to warn any who dare challenge him.
"Very good you may go." He said to the guard then turn to the four who stood in his present. "You did surprise me Hercules. I was except only you and your sidekick who are these two women you bring with you?"
"Friends of my, who wish to help." Hercules answers then went on to introduce them. "Xena the warrior princess and Gabrielle a bard." The lord eyes looked over the two that came as a surprise to him. But what he was most surprise about was how right his daughter was. The girl did look a lot like her even though it had been many years since he had seen her.
"I thank you all for coming to help. As I told Hercules in my letter I just don't have the resources to deal with this kind of problem." The lord informed them.
"And what exactly is the problem?" Xena asked still a little confused. She knew it had something to do with the disappears but nothing else. An if there was one thing Xena hated it was not being informed.
"Long before I became lord, long before I was even born the disappears of 6 people every ten years have been happening. The sixth person is found die under an old oak tree in one of the fields. The other five are never see again. I'm sick of just sending out a search party every time some one disappears and finding nothing. Everyone in Mandona has lost someone and it stops now. That is way I sent for your help. The first three have already disappear I want it to stop before another life is lost." Lord Zackary explained to them and waited for their answer.
"We'll do what we can." Xena replied.
"Then that is all I can asks for." At that moment the doors open and Emma came in. She had heard from on of the guard that the great warriors had arrived and rushed to the thorn room to see her once again. Even though she knew the one she had saw in the market was her she had to see her again to be sure. "Awn Emma come join us." Her father said to her, his eyes warning her to say nothing.
So father you see it to Emma thought in her head as she approached the group of warriors.
"This is my eldest daughter, Emma. She will one day role when I have passed on." The lord informed his new friends.
"A women ruler that new." Iolaus committed and got mean glares from both Xena and Gabrielle.
"I had no sons. After the birth of my last daughter there were compulsions and my wife can no long have children." The lord told them.
"I'm sorry..." Hercules started to say but the lord stopped him.
"Its okay I'm more then happy with what I have." The lord said and continued on to explain. "Emma here is more then capable to take over the ruling of this land after I die. For she is both brave of heart and strong of mind. My second born, Tara, is a fine warrior and the leader of my army. With her fighting for our side I fear no attack on our kind. And my third born Kaylee is one of the brightest people alive. She has a head for numbers and invention. With the three of them working together there is no problem they could net solve. Now my daughter will show you all to your rooms." Lord Zackary told them and Emma bow to her father and lead the four out of the room.
"Follow me closely it is easy to get lost if you take just one wrong turn." Emma warned them. For a time they all walked in silently, the four trying to memorize each turn they took but soon gave up. If they needed to get out of the castle in a real hurry they would be in some trouble there.
"Emma what do you know about the disappears." Xena asked after she gave up trying to remember her way.
"Well, they have been going on long before I was born." Emma stated
"We know that part what else." Iolaus said trying to get her to revile more.
"Some of the town elders say it started right after the Marque built his library. The Marque there." Emma said pointing to one particular painting on the wall. In it were three people. The oldest being a young man looking no older then 25 years. He had brown hair with sea green eyes and stood tall with pride. Next to him stood a girl who looked to be a couple years younger then the boy. She had blond hair and blue eyes. Next to her was a younger girl no more then 7 years. With bright blond hair and forest green eyes. Emma stopped walking and stepped next to the picture.
"Marque was the only son of this lands first lord. Next to him in the picture are is younger sister. After Elle was born, that the youngest girl there, the three's mother grew ill and die. Their father, the first lord, then was killed in a weird hunting accident. Marque then became lord at the age of 18 but as the story goes he wasn't happy for it seems the eldest of his sister, now still younger then him, was very good at many thing and would always beat her bother at the games they played. Now Marque was very proud person and he couldn't stand that his little sister could beat him at almost everything. It was also said that his sister was well loved among the people were he was not. Finally Marque had enough he challenge his sister to the one thing he know she could turn down. It was a contest in who could build the best public work. Of course the sister agreed knowing that no matter who won the people would befit and so the contest started. The bother and sister were each given one year to complete there project then they would be judge by the only person each trusted equally, there youngest sister Elle. Each worked very hard on their project for that whole year. Marque driven by jealousies his sister by love. Marque decided on a library for the people while his sister made a beautiful garden. Marque searched the whole know world looking for the rarest scrolls to full his library with. Finally one month before the bead line he got the last scroll he had been looking for. The scroll of the ages. With it in place in his library Marque was sure he would win. But something weird happened. Only a week after Marque had finished his library he got terribly ill. They brought in the best doctors from all around but none could figure out what was wrong with him. It is said that his sister stay by his side all through out but nearly 8 days after he got sick he die. It was said that on the night of his funeral fire his sister walked away and over to his library. She then started craving the warning on to the doors. It took her 5 days to do and on the 6th day she die right on the stairs of the library. She was burned next to her brother ashes underneath the old oak tree that still grows. The town eldest said that 10 years after their death the disappears started." Emma finish and continued to walk leaving the four starting at the picture.