Chapter three.

Onua walked into the stables, deep in thought. Jon had decided to send another Rider squad to search for Daine and Numair. She was to go along, as was Alanna. She was currently wondering who would be best to go. Miri and Evin certainly, they were Daine's friends and they would want to help in anyway they could. She saw Alanna standing by Darkmoon, crooning to him. She held the same sheet of parchment that Onua did.

"Alanna!" The older woman turned,

"Are you ready to go?" she asked without any greeting.

"Almost." Onua spoke more softly than the Champion. "I need to get a couple of Riders to go with us."

The Lioness groaned.

"Who are we taking with us?"

"I thought perhaps Miri, Evin, Serna and Farrant. They are all here and can be ready to leave within the hour."

"Very well. I'll fetch Serna and Miri if you'll get the boys."

Onua nodded and the two separated.

The six rode out of the palace grounds and out of Corus in silence. None of the Riders had been told where they were going, or why they had been summoned at such short notice. Alanna raised a hand when they were a mile or so into the countryside. Obediently they stopped and gathered close to her.

"The King has sent us to try and find out what has happened to Daine and Numair." She spoke frankly. "You were chosen because of your skills at tracking and because we know we can trust you to be discreet."

Onua continued, telling them what they knew so far, concluding with,

"So we are to go to Greenhall, where they were last seen. Perhaps we shan't find them, but we have to try our best."

Miri and Evin were two of Daine's closest friends, having been trainees in the year when Daine had first come to Tortall. Although they hadn't seen each other a lot over the past six months, the three had remained close, enjoying each other's company when they were all in the same place. Miri paled, realising what the Horsemistress was implying. At best they would find Daine and her teacher, at worst they would find their bodies concealed somewhere and the older women did not have much hope.

Something inside Onua managed to raise a smile when she saw Evin lean over from his roan mare and clasp her hand hard, giving her some comfort. The two young Riders had advanced from being good friends to courting, at first secretly and then openly. The affection the two held of each other was rarely seen in public, both being a little shy, but Onua knew they were serious about each other.

Serna and Farrant exchanged looks. Farrant had begun his Rider training when Daine had first arrived in Corus, and Serna had come a year later. She knew of Daine, but had never met her. She was a fine rider, and was showing signs of great promise, Onua had marked her as a future group leader.

Without another word the group began riding again, along rough tracks through farmland wherever possible, to Greenhall.

Jonathan paced his study, Daine and Numair's disappearances were having a greater effect than he had anticipated. In the past two days more reports of immortals had come in and he had been forced to send companies of the Own and Riders to deal with them, when they were needed in Port Legann or Corus itself.

Kitten, the infant dragon Daine had adopted was moping, and although Tkaa, the basilisk was doing his best to console her, she was missing Daine. The Dragonlet's colour now was healthier than when Daine had left to deal with the Skinners, being less white. With Tkaa's guidance she had managed to hold off the wyverns and they had been defeated the day before, with a combination of arrows and Kitten's will forcing them to leave. He was still amazed that such a young dragon, barely three years old could hold off ten or more wyverns at a time. But now that threat was gone, Kitten had taken to sitting on the tallest tower, trilling shrilly at the sky. He was informed that it was rather off putting to the soldiers below.

He sighed, sitting down heavily, if Numair and Daine really were dead, then the Realm had lost its best defence against the immortals and he would have to find another way to deal with them. A way that might result in more deaths.

Well, there is the next chapter!

Hope you liked it!

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HuntressDiana