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Chapter 16: Without a trace
When John awoke the next morning the sun was shining through the open window. A soft breeze was blowing through the room swaying the curtains. He blinked and turned around. His right arm reached for the other half of the bed where Marguerite was supposed to lie. He stopped short when he couldn't find her there.
"Marguerite?" He asked while he opened his eyes. Marguerite usually wasn't awake before he was so he didn't really expect an answer. But he didn't expect what he saw when his eyes were opened either: Marguerite wasn't there.
He wasn't sure what to make of that at first. There where thousands of possible explanations where she could have gone. Maybe she couldn't sleep any more, Alasdair could have been whining, maybe she hadn't been feeling well – morning sickness had been a problem from the beginning of her pregnancy – or Rhianne could have called her. So why did he instantly anticipate that there was something wrong?
Was it because of the things she had said to him last night? She had asked him, if he would take good care of Alasdair if anything ever happened to her. He had thought that she wanted to hear comforting words, that he had to tell her everything was going to be alright. But when he now recalled their conversation he wasn't too sure about that anymore. She had sounded so serious and her words had seemed so final. And he had developed a good sense of noticing when she was holding something back. Was that what he had felt last night? Was there something she wasn't telling him?
"Marguerite!" he called again, but a bit louder this time.
There was no answer. A mixture of worry and fear was welling up in him. She wouldn't have shut him out now? She wouldn't have done anything on her own…
Quickly he got out of bed and went over to Alasdair's little bed. As he had expected the boy was still sleeping peacefully, clasping Sunny with his tiny fingers.
He didn't want to wake his son so he got himself dressed as quietly as he could. When he was on his way out of the room which served as their temporary accommodation he looked back on the sleeping form of his little one. He couldn't just leave him there? What if he awoke and nobody was there? What if something happened to him? Don't be ridiculous, John, he called himself to his senses. This is Avalon what could possibly happen to him? But if it did, hadn't he himself promised Marguerite that he would guard him like a treasure? Even with his life.
He lifted the little child very carefully into his arms. Alasdair stirred and opened his eyes for a second. The sudden movement seemed to have given him a start.
"Shh! It's okay, Aly. It's only me… shh!" John calmed him and tried to assure him that everything was alright. The boy relaxed in his arms and fell asleep again.
John rushed out of their room determined to find Marguerite, but before he even started looking for her he couldn't get rid of the feeling that he wouldn't be successful.
…………………….
John Roxton wasn't even sure where to start looking for his beloved Marguerite. He went out of their accommodation and went along the path into the direction where he knew the others were accommodated. It was only a few yards from theirs, but as the village was a very small one he got a quick overall view of everything. There was no trace of Marguerite.
Two younger women came across halfway on his way to his friends. Both wore the typical white dresses every woman wore here. One of them had red, curly hair and the other one was blonde. They cast him a sad and compassionate glance. That made him suspicious. Could they know anything?
"Excuse me!" he called after the two women.
The two were indecisive whether to stop and talk to him or just walk away pretending they hadn't heard him. They knew exactly whom he was looking for and that the wisest thing to do would be following the road without paying too much attention to him. That was what Rhianne had insisted on, because she wanted to tell the visitors what had happened by herself. But compassion and sympathy were two of the traits that the women of Avalon were born with. The dark people and the Shadows of Zereon referred to it as a weakness, but Avalon's women were not naïve. They knew whom to trust and they had a distinctive sense of empathy but also suspicion.
The two women shared a fleeting look and turned as if they had come to a silent agreement. Before John could say anything the one with the curly red hair spoke:
"My name is Kerri and this is Brites." The blonde one slightly bowed. "How can we help you?"
"I'm looking for Marguerite. Your people refer to her as the Chosen One."
There it was again, the exchange of a very quick look as if they were communicating telepathically. Maybe they were….John had seen stranger things and especially since he was in Avalon now… The look was followed by silence and John could sense uncertainty in both women. Finally Kerri spoke up again.
"Actually we are not allowed to talk about that. Conroy and Rhianne are planning to tell you everything about their whereabouts very soon. You and your friends…" John felt anger and worry mixing in his body and it was a dangerous mixture. He had been right. There was something wrong and nobody seemed to care to enlighten him in anything.
"Tell me what! And when!" Kerri and Brites stepped back in awe. They had never heard anybody raise his voice in such a manner.
"You should better talk to Rhianne…" Brites quickly said before both turned around and ran away.
"I'm sorry!" John called after them. He knew it wasn't their fault that Marguerite couldn't be found and he shouldn't have shouted at them, but when it came to Marguerite being in danger he could hardly control himself.
Alasdair had woken up from his father's loud voice. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with his little fist.
"Mummy?" he asked silently, but full of expectation. John looked down on his son. The boy's asking for his mother made it even more difficult for John.
"Yes, mummy will be here soon!" And he hoped that these words would never turn into a lie.
He had to go and see Rhianne.
………………….
John burst into the building were the council met without knocking and he didn't waste any time with inappropriate friendliness.
"Where is Marguerite!" He stopped when he saw that the whole council was already present. At that early hour? He couldn't hide his surprise. Ned with little David in his arms and Challenger were also there.
"What is going on here? Is this a sort of game? Am I the only one who doesn't seem to be involved in this!" John was not very far from finally losing his temper. He couldn't bear this any longer. Challenger asked him to sit.
"We tried to find you." He explained to his friend. "Ned came to me telling me that Veronica was gone. We went to your accommodation, but you weren't there. That was when Rhianne came to us and asked us to meet the council once again. It seemed to be very important, but we don't know any more than you do." George's words calmed John's anger a bit. He sat down and waited for Rhianne to begin her explanation.
"Marguerite and Veronica are gone. You are right about that." She said. John couldn't help a scornful laugh.
"You couldn't be any more precise, could you?" he asked. Challenger put his hand on John's arm.
"Calm down, old boy!"
Rhianne took a breath and ignored the men's comments.
"It has begun! The fight we feared for generations has begun. Morrigan faces Dierdre and Avalon is preparing to go to war."
The men instantly knew what this was supposed to mean.
"You let them go over there! To Zereon? Without protection? Just the two of them!" It was Malone who said that. He shook his head in disbelief. There was an ice-cold silence in the room and John could feel the temperature of the room dropping. He wasn't able to say anything at first. He sat there petrified unable to move. Alasdair noticed his father's expression and he seemed to know what had happened. His mother…there was something wrong with her. Tears started streaming down his cheeks.
"They did this voluntarily. They are trying to save the whole world. If Morrigan is able to defeat r Dierdre everyone will be save. Their lives are sacrifices they were willing to make. They are trying to save you and your sons." One of the council members said. It was an elderly woman, Caoihme was her name.
"Do you know what you are talking about! Marguerite and Veronica are all alone in this place called Zereon. Full of dark and creepy creatures which really are the most evil contemporaries you can imagine. Marguerite doesn't stand a chance since she only just discovered that Morrigan is a part of her. She has no access to her powers or anything. And in addition to that: Marguerite is pregnant. That certainly makes her vulnerable in some way although she is one of the toughest women I know. Who the hell allowed them to go?" Neither Malone nor John had ever heard George talk in such an accusing and angry tone.
"I did." It was Conroy's voice. "It was the only chance we had. I'm not taking this lightly, but there are decisions to be made. Decisions for the greater good…Rhianne, were are you going?" He couldn't finish his sentence, because Rhianne stood up and left the building. She couldn't stand hearing this anymore. It all seemed so unfair. It was so easy for them to say things about decisions for the greater good, but did anyone ever think about Marguerite, Veronica and their families. She doubted that very much. She felt so guilty and responsible for all this mess. She had let them go although she should be the one to face Dierdre, because she had been the one who had watched inactively when the Chosen One was separated. No, this was just not right…
…………………..
John hated it when he couldn't do anything. He had put Alasdair to bed and was walking up and down in their apartment now. Malone must feel the same right now, he thought. He was so sick with worry that he could barely stand on his own two feet.
I have to go looking for her, help her if necessary… haven't I promised her to never leave heron her own. To never abandon her, to always be there. But I also promised to take care of Alasdair. And he couldn't see a chance to abide both promises at the same time. But he also couldn't just sit here. He had to talk to somebody, find out what situation Marguerite was in, if she was okay. But to whom could he ask that sort of questions?
He didn't have the opportunity to think any further about this question, because Alasdair awoke with a scream.
"Mummy!" He cried again and again. John rushed to his little bed and took him into his arms.
"Shh, it's okay. It was just a bad dream." He tried to comfort him, but Alasdair's crying wouldn't stop.
"Da'y!" He looked at him with his big green eyes that looked a lot like Marguerite's.
"Yes, daddy is here. It's okay…" He waved him gently in his arms, but the boy kept on crying.
"Not okay! Mummy hurt..." John stroked the boy's hair. And at the same time a terrible apprehension came to his mind. Didn't they say that Aly had the gift to see? What if what he saw in his dream was going to happen to Marguerite? He couldn't just sit here. He just couldn't! He had to get to her, help her whatever the price might be. He knew his son would be save here in Avalon.
"I'm so sorry, Aly!" he whispered while he pressed his face into the boy's hair.
End chapter sixteen…
Author's note: I'm so sorry that it took me so very, very long. I had a lot to do for school (which is no longer a part of my life ) and now I am a first-year biology student which is even more work.
This chapter was more or less written within a day. For a long time I lost my inspiration, but I hope to have found it back. The reason why I really found the motivation for this chapter were some reviews I received lately. THANKS TO EVERYONE who hasn't given up on me!