CHAPTER 2

Roxton, Malone and Veronica sauntered along the track chatting about Challenger's latest mishap.

"…and then it caught alight and a spark landed in his hair. It was a good job, Veronica was there to put him out," Malone concluded with an admiring grin directed at the blonde. At her answering smile, he added earnestly, "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"Thank you, Ned," she replied, positively glowing under his praise.

Seeing the way they looked at each other, Roxton decided to move ahead and give them some privacy…well, as much privacy as the plateau would allow anyway. He knew too well how precious a few moments alone with the one you love could be having been in that position himself on more than one occasion.

That thought brought Marguerite firmly to mind again and he looked up hoping to finally have her in his sight. She wasn't.

Sighing in frustration, he quickened his pace. "I'm going to catch Marguerite up," he announced as he began to leave the others behind. "You two might as well go back to the treehouse. There's no use us all being subjected to her bad mood."

Ignoring Malone's amused yell of, "Remember to keep up-wind of her," he strode on cursing himself for letting her get too far ahead.

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Deep inside a cave behind a waterfall, a sprite materialised taking the form of a tall man with startling blue eyes and black hair that fell to his shoulders. His lean face sported a full moustache and a beard trimmed back to follow the line of his strong jaw. Wearing forest green trousers and matching velvet jacket, he wouldn't have looked out of place in the times of Robin Hood.

Walking through a corridor, he rested his hand on the hilt of the sword on his right side and came to a large wooden door that had a man standing guard. Dressed in a scarlet version of the sprite's own clothes and also carrying a sword, the guard looked at him then moved aside and opened the door for him to go through. With a nod of acknowledgement, the sprite entered the large room on the other side.

Ignoring the four more scarlet clad guards, he headed for the stone steps at the furthest end of the room. At the top of the steps stood an ancient, ornate throne that had a marble font filled with water to its right side . Upon the throne sat a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and she was flanked by a guard on either side.

"Alban, it is good you have come," the woman greeted with a smile.

The man quickly walked towards her, his worried look causing her smile to fade. Just before the steps, he stopped then went down on one knee and bowed his head respectfully. "My Queen, I'm afraid I have bad news to impart," he said in a regretful tone. "The crystal of Quethiock is missing."

The Queen stared at her subject in shock for few moments, letting the news sink in. "Go on," she prompted in a calm voice.

"I'd rather speak with you alone," he admitted quietly, looking pointedly at her guards.

She gestured for the men to leave and when they were alone she got up and walked over to Alban who quickly got to his feet. "Well?" she prompted anxiously.

"It was Reversby, your Majesty," he said with a frown.

"My uncle?" she asked in surprise then abruptly turned away, shaking her head. "I don't believe it. He wouldn't do something like this."

"I caught him red-handed," Alban told her flatly.

She looked back at him and drew in a sharp breath at the sorrow in his eyes. "He's dead isn't he?" she asked sadly.

"I had no choice," the man replied gently.

Valiantly holding back her tears, she held her head high and nodded. "I know." She turned away again then began to pace. "So if you killed him, why haven't you got the crystal?"

Alban grimaced. "He managed to transport it elsewhere before I had the chance to take it."

"Then it could be anywhere," she gasped in distress as she came to a halt.

The sprite shook his head. "No, his powers were…weak at the time. He wouldn't have been able to magic it far. I believe I shall be able to find the crystal in the land beyond the falling water. I will leave within the half hour."

From his words, the Queen realised that her uncle had transported the crystal just as he was about to die. Sadness at his death and betrayal filled her once more but these were soon overridden when the rest of Alban's words filtered into her brain. "The land beyond the falling water?" she suddenly repeated incredulously. She swiftly moved over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "You can't go…it's too dangerous," she urged in concern.

Alban looked down at her hand and covered it with his own. "I must, your Majesty," he replied softly. "If the crystal falls into the hands of mortals who knows what havoc they could wreak and besides that, how would it look if the Protector of the crystal sent someone else to do his work?"

Knowing he was right, she gave him a weak smile and nodded as she removed her hand from his arm. "Of course. I must remember protocol," she said with a touch of bitterness.

As he turned to go, she called his name causing him to pause and look back at her. "Now you've decided to do this, you know that I can't be seen to make exceptions. As Protector, if you don't come back with the crystal I shall have to act accordingly," she warned with a pained expression.

The sprite swallowed hard then nodded. "I understand."

She nodded back, then added softly, "I wish you good luck and best speed, my love."

He gave her a small smile, then took her hand and raised it to his lips in a lover's salute. "I'll be back soon…with the crystal," he vowed then disappeared into thin air, leaving the very concerned Queen to slowly walk back to her throne.

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Veronica and Malone sauntered along the path towards the treehouse in silence. Every now and then, the journalist would dart a furtive, longing glance at his beautiful companion and open his mouth as if the speak only to sigh and look ahead again when nothing was forthcoming.

'Well, think of something to say to her, dammit!' he mentally raged at himself in frustration, after yet another such stolen glance. 'You're almost at the treehouse for heaven's sake.'

Racking his brains for a subject that wouldn't sound forced, he chanced another glance but this time, Veronica also turned her head and pinned him with her gaze. "Is something wrong?" she asked with a faintly puzzled expression.

"Oh…uh…no! No. Of course not," he stammered awkwardly at being caught out.

"Are you sure?" she pressed, a hand going up to touch her cheek self-consciously. "Do I have something on my face?"

Malone meant to negate her fear with a simple shake of his head, but instead he found himself nodding. "Uh…yeah, actually, you, uh…have a little bit of dirt…" he gestured to her left cheek, "…just there."

Veronica rubbed her face and looked at him expectantly. "Has it gone?"

Ned stared at her then shook his head. "Here, let me," he offered, coming to a halt. Veronica stood still and waited patiently as the journalist slowly raised his hand and placed it against her cheek then very gently ran his thumb back and forth over her skin.

Gradually, his thumb ceased moving but his hand remained where it was as they stared deep into each other's eyes. Just as Malone gathered up his courage to lean forward and kiss her, something very hard fell from the sky and hit him squarely on the top of the head.

"Ow! Damn!" he cried, staggering back a couple of steps and holding his head. "What the heck was that?"

Veronica looked around in confusion. "I don't know." Avidly searching the surrounding ground, she suddenly let out a small cry and ran over to a large bush. She bent down then straightened and held aloft a large oval-shaped jewel of shimmering green. "I think I've found the culprit," she commented with a lift of an eyebrow.

"It looks like an emerald," the reporter said, gingerly rubbing his head. "And looking at the size of it, no wonder it hurt."

Veronica looked heavenwards with a frown. "I wonder how it came to fall from the sky."

"Beats me," he shrugged, taking it from her hand to examine it more closely. "Maybe a bird picked it up then dropped it."

"Maybe, maybe not," the huntress murmured thoughtfully. She was certain she'd seen that particular shaped gem somewhere before but she couldn't quite remember where. Then it hit her. "Let's get back to the treehouse," she urged. "That stone looks very familiar. I'm sure it's in one of my parents journals."

Before Ned could say anything, Veronica turned and walked hurriedly away. Realising that any chance of continuing their private moment had gone, he stuffed the jewel in his pocket and started after her, silently cursing the way fate so cruelly dealt its cards.

END CHAPTER 2