Chapter Thirty-one: Stones

We stumbled into the brush on the other side of the Mog and the open space between the Mog and the forest. Crouching down behind the bushes, we caught our breath. I let myself collapse backwards and panted. I felt a thump as Shean followed suite. We lay there for a few minutes simply getting our second wind before I sat up.

"You know, I didn't see the hippogryph when we came through," I commented.

Shean sat up. "Yeah? Well, maybe that's because we hid her, dimglow."

"Oh." I felt a slight blush creep up my cheeks. "Yeah, well… oh, just shut up," I finally said, giving him a little shove. He just laughed.

Relakk had remained sitting while we had fallen backwards. "Well, this is all nice and pleasant, but what do we do?"

We stared at him. "Uh… go back to the pixie-elves?" I replied sarcastically. I refrained from adding 'duh' like I usually would have if he'd been one of our teenage friends. "What else would we do…"

Relakk shrugged. "I wasn't sure if you had other detours on the itinerary. Well, if we are going to head back, I would say we should get going. We still have to get through the forest again, and I don't like to think of what will happen if those – those creatures did follow us out of their valley."

Shean and I stood up very quickly. "Let's go then," I laughed nervously as I picked up my pack and started off at a brisk trot. The others caught up rather quickly.

We walked into the pixie-elf village again and were greeted by stunned, silent stares. We continued through the uncomfortable silence until we reached the CoP-E's cottage. I walked up to the door and knocked while the other two waited a couple yards behind me.

The door opened and I looked down into the stunned face of the CoP-E.

"What – what – what –" He stuttered repeatedly. I cocked my head at him. "What are you doing back?" He finally all but screeched.

"What? Weren't we supposed to come back?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, but – but – but no one comes back!"

Then I understood. They had seemed to kind and accommodating when we had met with them, but now I saw what they had been doing: they had been buttering us up so we'd be all ready and excited to go get some stupid flower for them from the valley. They probably expected that the syrins would drown us, like they had done to all the other questers. Then they would get to keep the horses and Keegan and anything else that we had left with them to pick up when we returned. They must get plenty of profit by providing fun for the syrins.

I put on my court façade, the one I used when I had to play princess when I was with royalty and nobles, or when I needed to intimidate someone. The fact that the CoP-E was a couple feet shorter than me helped too.

My nose in the air, back straight, I stared down my nose at the CoP-E. "Is there a reason we should have not returned? Is there something you're keeping from us?" I asked in my richest, most pompous voice.

The CoP-E quickly shook his head. "No, no, sir, I assure you! Come in, come in."

Ah, that was it! I kept forgetting that with my hair cut to just below my ears, I still looked a boy's part, and people always thought I was. They must have thought we were all men, so the syrins would be able to get us all. I kept myself from grinning. This got better and better.

I ducked through the low doorway and Shean and Relakk followed. We sat on the floor on cushions as before while the CoP-E sat on a little chair in front of a table so our eyes were on a level.

I un-slung my bag and rummaged through it before I found the container with the flower. The CoP-E's eyes even wider than they already were, so much so that I thought they might pop out of his head and roll onto the table.

"You – you – you… got it?" My, wasn't he stuttering a lot today?

I nodded. "Now, may we have that Seeing Stone like you promised?"

"Did w – Oh, yes! Of course, of course." He turned around and brought out a hardwood box with a padlock on it. He reached under his tunic and pulled out a small key on a chain. He inserted the key in the padlock and popped it open. He reached inside and handed me a velvet drawstring bag that held a large round, smooth object.

Having read way too many fantasy stories, I loosened the drawstring and let the sides of the bag fall to reveal the ball inside, just to make sure we weren't getting conned.

The bag slithered down to reveal the glassy blackness identical to our first Stone. I covered it again and drew the drawstring.

"Very good. We'd also like our belongings and animals back. We will test the Stone outside the village. And let me warn you, if this isn't the real thing, you will regret it."

The CoP-E waved his hands at me. "No, no, I assure you, sir, it's the real thing. Now will you leave us in peace?" He added with a tone of begging in his voice.

I nodded curtly at him and squeezed out of the cottage, Shean and Relakk following once again. Once outside, I stretched.

"Mm, that felt good. Now, shall we go get our things and go?"

The others nodded and we went to get Filly and Switchfoot. (Shade had been left outside the village since he could fend for himself, having been born wild) Keegan yapped at us excitedly from the big pen he had been put into for safe-keeping. He was released and the pixie-elves returned our other belongings. We took the horses and led them out of the village.

Once we were quite a ways away from the village, I called the halt and brought out the Stone. "What do I do, Relakk?"

"Rub it-" I raised my hand. "No, not yet. Now, once you've rubbed it, you'll use your fingers to move around until you find Kyrria and your mother and the first Stone. To search through doors, touch them. If your mother's there, she'll see you."

"So, it's like a touch-screen mouse?"

"Um… sure." I had forgotten he wasn't familiar with 20th century terms.

"Why didn't we just do this when we got the first Stone, instead of sending it home? I thought that they were going to bring back the one from Ayrlan…"

Relakk shook his head. "After you left, we received some bits of information about Ferrel, which made the council of allies decide to leave it in Ayrlan so that there would be less chance of it being intercepted and falling into the enemy's hands."

"Oh. Um… should I try it now." Relakk nodded.

Trying not to shake, I rubbed a hand over the Stone. Using my fingertips as a guide, I quickly roamed until I found the palace at Kyrria. I paused. Man, I was going to be in such trouble! I bit my lip. Should I really do this?

Yes, I had to. I pushed my fingers until I came to the throne room. I zoomed in until I found a familiar face starting back at me with shock. "Mom…?"

A/N: Hope you liked it. Well, now it's gonna get fun! rubs hands together, eyes glinting evilly I can't wait to do the next part, though I'm not quite sure what it will be yet, lol. Anyways, if anyone has any ideas for the story, let me know in your review (or by email if you've already gotten an email from me), and if you have any things you'd like to see on the website, too, let me know via the same means. Thanks!

A/N2: Okay, I'm now getting Beta Read. It may take a bit longer to post chapters, though, since I might rewrite parts to make it more understandable. The good thing, though, is that the chapters will be better written now. Hope you enjoy!