Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize. I am writing this for my own enjoyment and (hopefully) for the enjoyment of my readers.

Shoutouts:

Dominion Jewel (or is it Lady Em-Chan?) Yay, a new reviewer! Something dramatic will happen, (don't worry) but it might happen slowlyand buildup... we'll haveto see... Thank's for reviewing..

Knights of Ne: Is her name really Sarralyn? I haven't read the Trickster series in a while, cause it has been checked out at the library every time I go, with a huge waiting list. I think I will change her name. Thanks for telling me!

Flower Kid: Yes, she does. It is going to be so much fun teaching her! 

Everyone knows whom the people are that Little White is staying with, right? So I am no longer going to refer to them as 'the woman, the man, and the child/girl'; they will be known as Daine, Numair, and their daughter, Sarralyn.

On with chapter 5! (Yay!)

Chapter 5: Disappearing Act

Little White awoke with a start when Daine and Sarralyn entered the cloth house.

She had fallen asleep not long after Numair had left, tired after her long and restless night.

Daine and Sarralyn were speaking in angry tones to each other as they entered.

"Why won't you let me camp out alone? I'm not some little child to be fussed over. I am almost 11 years old! A year younger than you were when Sarra was killed!" Sarralyn said hotly.

Daine flinched. "I had no choice. I had to learn how to live off the land. I know you are quite capable of taking care of yourself, but you are only just starting to make real progress with your archery lessons. How do I know that you will be able to defend yourself if you have to? I am not saying yes until your father gets home," Daine said firmly.

Sarralyn started to protest. "Not another word! Go wash up for supper." Daine said, as she started toward Little White.

Little White stretched. "Are you hungry?" Daine asked.

A hazy picture of some lumpy white stuff, a square of pinkish stuff, and some green balls appeared in Little White's head.

She was confused. What was it for? She had received an odd feeling from Daine. Sort of a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach. Then there was that fake smell that had been attached to the picture. The smells wafting off of the stuff was nothing Little White had ever encountered.

Little White wasn't sure what to do. Daine was just sitting there, with her eyes closed, with her back straight, legs crossed, and hands on her knees.

Little White watched her for a few moments, then tried to copy her. She had trouble getting her legs into the same position as Daine, but she got it eventually. She had just started to close her eyes, when Daine's eyes opened. Her eyes flew to Little White and the position she had tried to master and made that weird sound again.

Little White wasn't sure what she was making that sound for.

She didn't have time to dwell on it though, because Numair entered the tent at that moment.

He looked tired. "What happened?" Daine asked Numair, sounding worried.

Little White looked at him. His hair was mussed and there was a tear in the garment around his shoulders.

Numair tried to speak, but his voice was very scratchy, and it obviously hurt to talk. After he had had a drink of water and was sitting in a chair, he tried again.

"We were scrying. Or, at least, trying to. On everything we tried, the surface turned into an opaque smoke. It looks like that prophecy is going to come true after all. A messenger came to this afternoon. It was from the king. It turns out that there is more to his visit than he originally let on. He's learned of the prophecy. It shouldn't matter though. The prophecy wasn't about him, or his family, for that matter. It's about Sarralyn. I just hope I can tell the king that Sarralyn doesn't know about it and that we would rather it stayed that way." Numair said, his voice heavy and low.

Daine looked dismayed. "And there is nothing we can do to stop the prophecy from coming true." They were silent for a moment. "Where did you put that piece of cloth my mother gave us?" Daine asked suddenly.

Numair looked confused, but he pointed at a small bundle in the corner for the tent. "Why do you need it?" he asked. Daine didn't answer, she just grabbed the bundle and opened it. She took out a piece of shimmery gauzy netting and put her hands under it.

Daine closed her eyes. Numair seemed to realize what she was doing, and closed his eyes and put his hands under the cloth, holding Daine's.

A sparkly white light flowed softly around the pair. With a sudden flash of bright white light, they disappeared.

Little White jumped up. A sudden prickling grew along her back, and crawled up her spine. This was not a normal happening.

She turned as Sarralyn entered the tent.

Sarralyn looked around. "Where are Ma and Pa?" she asked. Little White was puzzled. What had she said?

A picture appeared in Little White's head, of the two people who had just disappeared. Little White thought about what had just happened. They had just disappeared. There was no explanation as to where they went or why.

Sarralyn made a little gasping noise. Apparently she had seen what Little White was remembering.

"C'mon, Little White, we have to find them." Sarralyn beckoned to Little White. When Little White ventured nearer to her, Sarralyn took her hand, and pulled her from the tent. Sarralyn tugged her around the confusing maze of cloth houses, and finally pulled her to a pit in the ground that was full of grey chunks. A faint smell drifted around it. It reminded Little White of the smell of fire. The elder wolves had shown them a small hole in the ground, with this same exact stuff in it. They said it had come from humans. The humans had made fire.

:Little White cringed when Sarralyn knelt down beside the pit, and closed her eyes. "Sarra? Sarra? Green Lady? Please answer, oh please answer!" Sarralyn whispered to herself.

A shimmery green light appeared around Sarralyn and Little White. Little White heard a voice in her mind. "I am here. The Green Lady hears you. Sarralyn, your parents are visiting us in the Divine Realms. They will return by tomorrow morning, after the king arrives. Tell the king only that they are on a secret mission. If they do not return by tomorrow night, you are to return to Corus with the king. Your father and mother will find you there when they return. Stay with the king."

Sarralyn's eyes flew open. She pulled Little White up and dragged her away.


Sarralyn led Little White into abuilding with hard wallswhich smelled of strange things, things that Little White had never encountered before.

Sarralyn filled two plates with odd looking stuff. Then she led Little White to the end of a long table that had benches on either side of it. Little White sat down when Sarralyn motioned her to. Sarralyn set a plate in front of Little White and showed her how to use the shaped silver sticks that Sarralyn had given to her.

Little White ate the odd stuff that Sarralyn set in front of her. Sarralyn sat staring at the metal circle in front of her. Her food was all mushed up and lay in small lumps all over her plate.

At last Little White decided to take action. She tried to push the plate towards Sarralyn. Sarralyn saw what she was doing, and smiled weakly ather. Sarralyn shook her head and sighed. She picked upher plate, and motioned Little White to pick up her own. Little White followed Sarralyn around the building, doing exactly what she was doing.

At last, they left the building and went back to the clith building in which Sarralyn lived. The daylight was starting to fade, so Sarralyn gave Little White a blanket to sleep on.

They both fell asleep right away. Little White was almost out cold, when suddenly, a noise awoke her...


Duhn duhn duhhh...

Do you like it?

Couple of things:

1. I don't want you to get the wrong impression about Daine and Numair leaving. They weren't being irresponsible, they had a very good reason for leaving. You'll learn about their reason later on.

2. In the books, Sarra doesn't give the transpot cloth to Daine and Numair; that was my imagination at work.

Now that we are seeing a bit more action, I hope I get more reviews... hint hint. JK, you don't have to review if you don't want to... but please... don't let that stop you...

Read my other story too. That one is about Daine, just so you know...

Meadow Runner

Next Chapter?? More action... that's all I can say...