Chapter 5: On Alert

Setting: Autumn 1992: The Realm of Dungeons & Dragons

Summary: The quest has taken a deadly turn, and the Champions aren't even over the second hurdle.

xxx

November 8, 1992: Third Watch (2:00 AM to 4:00 AM)

Hank woke up as soon as Presto touched his shoulder. He turned over and blinked the sleep from his eyes, frowning at the sight of the circles under Presto's eyes, marring his tanned skin. The Ranger sat up. "Everything okay, Buddy?"

Presto nodded. "Diana and I took advantage of the easy watch to talk. The stones never moved." Despite the weariness etched on the younger man's face, Presto's voice sounded lighter.

Smiling, Hank pushed to his feet. "That's great, Presto." He looked around, spotting Diana by Sheila, waking her for watch as well. He turned back to Presto. "Get some sleep. We want to be alert when we harvest."

The auburn-haired man nodded and dropped his voice to a bare whisper. "Dara was eavesdropping on us. I'm not sure if she's really asleep now."

Without a word, Hank nodded back and grabbed his bow. He gripped the Magician's shoulder lightly then moved to join Sheila near the banked fire. He turned at the last moment and did a full walk around the campsite, taking his duty to protect the sleepers seriously. Halfway around, he encountered Sheila, her cloak around her shoulders but hood down, coming the other direction. The pair passed and finished the circuit then met back at the fire.

Hank sat down by the embers, stirring them a bit to increase the warmth. As Sheila sat next to him, drawing her legs up and wrapping her arms around them, the blond man offered a gentle smile. He softly said "keep your voice low, Sheila. Presto thinks Dara might still be awake."

Sheila let out a soft snort and shook her head, also grabbing a stick to stir the embers. She spoke quietly as instructed, however. "Dara's always awake, Hank. I never see her sleep more than fifteen minutes at a time."

Surprised, he looked at the redhead. "How long has this been going on?" He tried to think back, tried to recall any little clues he may have missed concerning Dara's nocturnal behavior.

"Since starting watch," Sheila said. "She keeps her eyes closed and her breathing even, but she's awake. Varla would do the same thing if she couldn't sleep so her parents wouldn't worry. With Varla it was insomnia." Sheila turned to Hank next to her, her soft eyes worried. "She told me she always has trouble sleeping ever since Venger kidnapped her that time she was sleepwalking."

"Huh," Hank grunted. He nodded and looked at Sheila. "I always did wonder why Jaref said she went into the swamp but when we found her she was in a nightgown. Sleepwalking, huh?" He looked to the fire and poked it again. "Presto used to sleepwalk, too."

The Thief's eyes widened and she blinked several times. Finally, she said, "I forgot you said he was your brother . . . foster brother, Hank."

He chuckled softly. "Yeah. But in our house, the word 'foster' really wasn't used. Dad said they were all his kids and he didn't differentiate." Hank smiled and reached for his pack of supplies. Rummaging briefly, he came out with a pan and two bowls. "Tea or stew?"

Sheila smiled and slipped a couple of logs on the cooking half of the fire. "Tea, please." She turned to look around the entire camp, noting where each sleeper laid. No one had moved, and nothing seemed changed outside their small, protective ring. The twenty-four year old turned back to her companion. "Hank . . ." Her voice vibrated with urgency and worry.

He instantly knew the time had come to discuss their relationship. Hank had always been good with other people's feelings, but he'd never felt confident in revealing his own. Despite being the center of attention in his household for so long, and once again as leader of the Children of Power, Hank had never truly gotten over the perceived rejection of his birth parents in favor of daughters or the added rejection of his adopted father's wife through failure to sign his paperwork. Now he had time to work things out with the woman who meant the most to him in the world, Hank didn't know how to start. He was great at fixing everyone else's problems but not his own. With a deep breath, Hank took a chance, aware his hands shook.

"We need to talk," he interrupted, concentrating on carefully scooping water into the pan then adding the correct amount of dried leaves, trying to get himself under control. Finally, he looked up at the woman beside him, noting that she watched every move he made. "Sheila?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded slowly, her own tones equally subdued. "Yes, we do, Hank."

Like Bobby had a couple of days previously, Hank suddenly went pale, light blue eyes widening. "You're . . ."

"No!" she interrupted, a bit loudly, then flushed and modulated her voice low. "No, things are fine. I . . ." she looked at her hands, at the cooking tea, across to the boulder field, anywhere but at the man she spoke to. "I haven't missed any . . ."

He nodded but put a hand on her forearm. "Sheila? Look at me? Please?" He sounded worried, drawing her attention. She turned teal eyes on him and he nodded again. Clearing his throat, Hank said, "the night in camp . . ."

Flushing even darker, Sheila kept her eyes on Hank's, though she started tangling her fingers together. A million thoughts raced through her near-panicking mind and finally she blurted, "I love you, Hank. I have since we met."

Breath catching, Hank moved his hand from her arm to cover her hands. "Sheila." He swallowed. If his shy companion could be that brave, he could too. Hank said, "I love you, Sheila."

A wave of dizziness washed over the petite redhead at the words she'd so long waited to hear. Moaning softly, she threw herself against Hank, feeling his strong arms encircle her. She buried her face in his neck, but instead of crying, she began to gently kiss the warm skin there.

Hank echoed her soft groan, holding her close, his eyes slipping closed at the sensations she evoked.

After only seconds, the Ranger put the Thief away from him, at arm's length, though his ragged breathing matched hers. "Sheila, we really need to talk." He flushed as he took in her shining eyes and smiling lips. One small hand gently touched his chest, over his scars, and she spread her fingers as he looked down to watch. Lifting his face, Hank cleared his throat. "I . . ."

The sound of movement by the sleepers drew the pair to their feet in a hurry. Hank pulled his bow up and aimed into the darkness, fingers pulling the invisible string and lighting the area in a soft electric glow as Sheila grabbed her hood in preparation of lifting it. Voice steady, emotions pushed behind a wall of duty, Hank called out in a stage whisper, "who is it? We're armed and ready."

Eric carefully stepped from the shadows, his hoof beats muffled by his over-cautious movements. He looked at them soulfully as starlight sparkled off his ebony and gold horn and gilded his cream colored body with a gold sheen from the flecking. Softly, Eric blew through his lips, staying still as he faced down Hank's bow.

"Whoa, Buddy, you startled us." Hank lowered his weapon, fingers leaving the energy string, glow fading. "Couldn't sleep?"

The unicorn approached and stopped in front of them again, pawing the ground with his right front hoof. He bobbed his head and nickered softly, but the tone wasn't his normal laughing nicker. Something sounded off. He seemed to tremble as he stood before the pair.

"Eric?" Hank stepped forward and laid a hand on the soft shoulder, feeling the trembling beneath his strong fingers. There was something else as well; Eric seemed too hot for someone who'd been lying around trying to sleep. "Eric, you're feverish," Hank's voice grew louder in worry.

Immediately, Dara sprang to her feet. "Dara heal," she offered, sounding eager.

The former Cavalier shook his head and let out a whinny so loud, he woke the rest of the party. He didn't seem embarrassed by his slip into full equine mode, either, stepping back and forth in a restless fashion, hooves raising high off the ground as he sidled slightly, bumping into Hank.

Hank grabbed Eric's free-flowing mane and called, "Whoa! I'm here, Buddy." He tried to get Eric to look at him, but the unicorn wouldn't take his eyes off Dara - - the whites getting larger as his fear seemed to take over.

"What the hell?" Bobby sprang up, followed quickly by the other Champions, as the tableau unfolded before them: Eric panicking, Hank trying to calm him, no apparent danger around them. "What's got him started?"

"Bobby!" Sheila scolded, though she never looked away from the panicking unicorn. "He's sick."

"I've got this," Diana hurried over, a stupefied looking Uni slowly following her. The Acrobat reached over and ran a hand down Eric's flank, grabbing a fistful of mane with her other hand. "Hey, Eric, look at me." She spoke gently but with a confidence born of years of riding back home. The graceful athlete swapped places with the Ranger. She could feel the heat coming off her friend and the intensity of it worried her.

Uni merely stood by, sleepy enough not to be functioning mentally yet. She yawned, a hand covering her mouth as Eric had taught her so long ago, and said, "Airk? Whayiiss wyuern?" She didn't seem to notice the confused glances from the others.

Diana called out, "Uni, help us calm him down. He's feverish."

Frustration in her voice, Dara called, "Dara heal!"

"Myuooo!" Uni countered, though still speaking in her original equine dialect. "Myuuv!" With that, the still yawning former unicorn pushed past their guide to throw her arms around Eric's neck, burying her face in his throat and murmuring indistinguishably into the feverish hide.

With Uni's intervention, Diana managed to get Eric to face her but he still sidled and stamped, despite his friend's soothing words and touches. "I'm having trouble. He's gone horsey, but not enough to listen to me! I can't calm him."

Blinking sleepy eyes, Uni lifted her head and muttered incoherently then lowered her face back to Eric's neck.

Terri finally stepped forward and took Dara's arm in a firm grip. "Come with me to get water, Dara." She didn't give the guide a chance to argue, instead pulling the older woman towards a farther part of the stream, out of the valley and away from the struggling group.

Resentfully, Dara followed, tugging occasionally against Terri's surprisingly strong grip. "Not kill. Heal."

"We didn't say you were going to kill him, stupid." She threw Dara a glare only to stop short and widen her eyes at the look of misery on the blonde's face.

Dara shook her head. "Not Dara. Them." She gestured back to the hidden valley, her voice mournful. "Dara heal."

The Dreamer tightened her hold but softened her voice. "They won't kill him either, Dara. They're going to figure out what's making him sick." She looked around, as if trying to find the best watering spot, but drew up short when Dara snorted in disgust. Terri turned a confused look on the other woman.

"Not stupid."

"Huh?" Terri flushed as she recalled the insult she'd thrown at Dara. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry about that. Uh . . ."

Dara gestured to Terri's hands. "No bowl."

It took Terri a moment to realize Dara wasn't talking about the insult after all but about the fact that they'd gone to fetch water without anything to carry it in. Terri sighed.

"Terri distract Dara. Not trust." Dara managed to pull her arm free and cross her arms, glaring at the brunette Dreamer. "Dara heal. Terri stupid."

"Hey," Terri responded then shut up, knowing she'd been the one to start with the insulting names. "Look, Eric gets nervous with too many people around him . . ." Of course that excuse would go over better if others had come, too. As Terri opened her mouth to come up with hopefully a better excuse, Sheila, Bobby, and Hank came over the rise to join them.

"They're taking care of him. We're to wait here," Hank said, his voice low yet calm.

The guide looked from one to another Champion, the silence stretching. Finally, she turned back to Terri and nodded slowly. "Wait." With that, Dara folded her arms and sank to the ground directly into a cross-legged position, one fluid, graceful motion that bespoke her true gymnastic abilities.

On the other side of the hill, in the valley where they'd camped, Diana still held Eric's head as Uni kept her arms wrapped around him. Presto stayed back but pulled off his hat and started talking in a steady, quiet voice:

"Night bird tune

Song of peace

A lullaby

Unicorn sleep"

His hat glowed the vibrant purple of his magical energy signature, intensifying as it gathered and expanded. Softly, with the faint sounds of owls and whippoorwills, the magical cloud enveloped the unicorn and the two women trying to control him. It swirled around the trio then began to dissipate until small puffs eddied around their feet.

A soft sigh turned into a near whimper then Eric's head drooped in Diana's hands. The unicorn had fallen asleep, but Diana remained awake. Unfortunately, Presto's spell hadn't seen Uni as an Elf, because she had drifted off, too, propped against Eric's strong shoulder and neck.

Presto reached out and grabbed Uni, gently pulling her up into his arms and turning towards camp. He left Diana checking Eric's mouth and throat as he laid the sleeping redhead on her pallet. Next to her bedding was an unfinished apple. A little further away there was a pile of vomit.

Wrinkling his nose, Presto picked up the fruit and examined the quickly browning flesh beyond the broken skin. Sniffing, wondering if the pair had eaten fermenting fruit, he blinked and sniffed again. The smell of almonds almost overwhelmed the scent of apple. He turned quickly and called out, "Diana, get Dara!"

"What?" Shock sounded in the Acrobat's voice followed by indignation. "You want me to let Dara tend Eric?"

"Yes, now!" Presto sprang to his own pack and sorted through the contents then moved on towards Hank's. "Where is it?" He ignored the sound of Diana running off to do as instructed.

Cresting the hill, Diana called, "Dara we need you! Eric needs you!"

A look of triumph crossed the guide's face and she rose without using her hands, shooting a look of pure delight at Terri then turning to hurry after Diana.

The others looked at one another and turned to run back over the hill, ignoring any previous instructions. As the group came into the valley, they could see Presto rifling through Terri's pack muttering to himself "it's got to be here, damn it!"

"Presto?" Diana called and the Magician whirled around, pointing to the still sleeping equine. "Dara, what's wrong with him!" Surprisingly, it didn't sound like a question, as if Presto already knew and felt Dara did as well.

Worry crossed Dara's face and she looked around at the others behind her. Going to her pack, Dara fished through for something medicinal then hurried to Eric's side. She uncorked a bottle and moved to open Eric's mouth, but a hand shot out and grabbed her hard enough to leave bruises.

Presto had moved so quickly even the others were shocked. "How do you know what to give him without checking him first?" Presto's voice was a menacing growl. He had one of Eric's saddlebags in his other hand. "Back off, Dara. I'll take care of this." He let her go.

The intense look in his golden eyes seemed to cow the guide and she scampered back, bottle in hand. "Make vomit. Better." Dara's voice barely whispered and the others didn't bother to comfort her.

Dropping the pack to the ground without opening it, Presto went back to Uni's pallet and scooped her into his arms. He swiftly carried the sleeping Elf over to the unicorn and hefted her onto Eric's strong back, holding her there as he tried to reach for the bag once more.

Silently, Hank stepped over and grasped Uni, holding her in place as he watched his oldest friend among the Champions.

Squatting without a word, Presto flung open the saddlebag and pulled out the long forgotten net. He stood swiftly and unfolded the piece of rope and cloth over Uni's back, letting it drape down over Eric as well. Carefully, Presto pulled a flap of netting up over Eric's neck and finally over his ears. Oddly, the small net which had once barely covered a baby unicorn seemed to stretch enough to engulf the full grown equine and his unconscious burden. By now, the labored breathing of the pair could be heard as far away as the watching group.

Still with his hands under the net, Hank held Uni in place. A feeling of warm and gentle vibration coursed through his fingers then palms and upwards into his arms . . . anywhere touched by the magical net of healing. He remained still, a soft smile coming to his face at the sense of peace coursing through him.

No one moved. No one made a sound. As Presto stood next to the trio, hands raised in preparation for who knew what, the rest of the travelers watched in fascinated dread. The Magician must have detected something serious to allow the secret of the healing net out; they still didn't know if they could trust Dara. Apparently, Presto didn't since he'd all but accused her of causing the illness to begin with.

Long minutes passed, reminiscent of that day long ago when they'd first seen what the net could do. That day, Uni had also been the victim. Like before, the net seemed to take forever before it stopped glowing then slid to the ground as if exhausted.

Presto ignored the bit of rope and moved to open Eric's mouth, startling everyone when he leaned in to sniff the unicorn. He patted Eric's shoulder as he moved to Hank's side, stretching up to sniff at Uni's mouth and nose as well. Finally, he sank back onto his heels and sighed, running a hand over his head, under the pointed hat he's absently put on during the emergency.

"Are they going to be okay, Presto?" Hank asked solemnly.

The Magician jumped, having forgotten Hank in his concentration. With a sheepish smile, the younger man nodded. "Yeah. The net saved them." He turned to pin a glare on Dara then stooped and retrieved the net, carefully folding it as Ayesha had done so long ago. "They just need to rest. I'd say excuse them from rosemary collecting and from watch."

Hank nodded. "Right." He turned to the others but remained where he was, holding the pale Elf up onto the back of the cream and gold unicorn. "Get some sleep, gang. I'll take fourth watch."

"So will I," Terri stepped forward. "I'm well enough to start standing my share again." She paused then reached down a hand to the still sitting Dara. "Come on, Dara, you too." Terri kept her voice gentle, non-accusatory, as she waited for Dara's hand.

The guide looked up and around, wide blue eyes brimming with tears. She let Terri help her up but didn't say anything as she made her way back to her pallet, head hung low and shoulders hunched defensively. Without word, she slipped the bottle back into her pack and lay on her blanket, curling in a protective ball, back to the rest.

Sheila sighed, sympathy in her eyes. Dara so adored Eric and she'd messed up trying to heal him. It was easy to forget to check things in an emergency. Softly, she said, "Presto . . ."

He shook his head, gold eyes meeting teal, and slipped the net into the saddle bag, closing it slowly. He gestured the group over and when they approached he lowered his voice. With a serious look on his face, he whispered only two words. "Bitter almonds."

Sheila shook her head as the group stared blankly at Presto. "I don't get it. Where'd they get almonds?"

Presto shook his head. "Not almonds. Cyanide."

"What!" The rest of the group hushed Bobby and he flushed, covering his mouth with his hand.

Hank frowned and shook his head. "That's a pretty serious assumption, Presto. What's that got to do with bitter almonds?"

Presto carefully pushed his glasses up his nose, his hand shaking. "Cyanide smells like bitter almonds."

"I didn't smell anything," Diana said, frowning and looking towards the unconscious pair, Hank still supporting Uni.

The Magician shrugged. "Only half of the people in the world can smell it, Diana. I did a science paper on it as a freshman." He looked over at Dara's still form. "Look, I don't say she did this, or that she tried to kill them." He turned back to his friends. "I don't think she had the chance if she wanted to. Eric and Uni won't take food from her."

Nodding in agreement, Terri whispered, "they collect their own food and Uni keeps it in her pack."

"But," Diana added slowly, "anyone could approach the pack if no one was looking. Say on a watch where both sentries are separated by the camp?"

Bobby paled. "I thought we agreed Dara likes Eric. Why would she poison them if she likes them?" His logic seemed rather unbeatable.

Until Presto pointed out, "to heal them and be the hero. To get rid of them because she gave up trying to befriend them and they don't trust her. Or, Bobby, like I said, maybe it wasn't Dara at all. It's possible Uni collected something poisonous without knowing."

"Something with cyanide in it?" Bobby snorted in disbelief.

Quickly, Presto went to Uni's pack and carried it back, holding the pack upside down to dump it on the ground. He squatted and started going through the grains, tubers, and berries before stopping and pulling out some bright red berries, holding them up. "Belladonna." He looked at the others. "Nightshade. It's deadly."

With a soft frown, Bobby countered, "Eric had awards in botany and always won at flower shows with his mom. He'd know plants, right?" It was the one subject Eric had flourished in.

Slipping his hand through the rest of the collected food, Presto shook his head. "Not if he didn't see Uni collect them or use them. Uni was a baby when she got separated from her herd. She was a baby when she went through the Void and got stuck with Eric for six years. I have a feeling Eric was the one who did the cooking for them, and so he never had a reason to tell Uni which berries not to touch. If my memory of Eric serves, he would have merely told her to count on him to get the right stuff, but not which was the right stuff."

"Damn his arrogance," Bobby growled, turning towards the unwitting unicorn. He balled his fists and glared at Eric but his voice turned to worry. "I thought the net healed them. Why are they still out?"

Diana sighed. "Presto did that. He used his hat to spell Eric asleep and Uni got caught in the backlash. It was the only way we could control Eric."

"Well," Presto said, "I don't blame his panic. Cyanide poisoning is extremely painful and he'd already been vomiting."

Sheila hugged herself, letting her eyes rove around the campsite, beyond the group. "Well, Dara knows about the net now. If she's as smart as I think, she'll remember Hank's bow and Bobby's club glowing. She's bound to have figured out we're carrying magic beyond the net."

Finally, Hank slipped his arms under Uni and lifted her down from Eric's back. "Well, that makes the net, which Eric carries, and Bobby and my weapons, which we always guard. She won't know about other magic, and probably won't assume we have any . . . except if she remembers Terri's locket. She's seen Terri go into Dream-mode many times and Terri's locket glows when that happens."

"It does?" Terri looked surprised.

"Yeah," said Bobby. "Your locket and your eyes glow gold. Dara has seen it, too. I don't think she's out to rob us, Hank, or she could have done that already."

Holding Uni securely, Hank nodded. "I wish we knew what she did want. She said she likes to stay home, but she's willing to come all this way on the hopes of possibly being paid in the end." He studied the form of their guide on her pallet. "Okay, well the knowledge of some of our magic helps, actually. During the rosemary collecting, I can light things up with my bow so you guys can gather. Everyone stay close together, and we'll keep Dara at camp with Presto. Anything we collect, run by Presto or Eric, if he's up to it. I don't want any more things like that belladonna getting past us. And we'll make sure someone helps Uni collect their food and run it by our two experts before anyone eats."

The others nodded in silent agreement before Hank turned and moved to Uni's blankets. Before he could lay her down, Diana grabbed the cloth and moved it over to Bobby's other side, away from Dara . . . and the pile of sick. Once things were set back up, Hank eased his surprisingly light burden onto her bed then stepped back. Turning, he watched as Presto moved his pallet to Terri's other side and Diana moved hers next to Presto's once more. Slowly, the group slipped into their bedding as Sheila and Hank began their watch once more.

Silently, the Champions of Power seemed to be closing ranks.

xxx

November 8, 1992: Fourth Watch (4:00 AM to 6:00 AM)

The time passed too quickly before Hank gently shook Terri awake for her dawn watch. She stretched and yawned but rolled to her feet and followed Hank towards the campfire. Behind them, Sheila slid into Terri's already warm bedroll to catch a last couple hours of sleep. Terri did not begrudge the other woman the blankets; Sheila had been on watch when Eric and Uni had gotten so sick.

Hand on the borrowed dagger, Terri made a circuit in the opposite direction from Hank around the small valley. No unusual sounds disturbed the night, only the regular noises of insects and small night animals. With a thankful smile, Terri joined Hank as he moved to check on the exhausted former and present unicorns.

Hank knelt and pushed Uni's long red hair away from her pale face. Touching her forehead, he sighed, relieved that her fever had disappeared entirely . . . and stayed away due to the healing of the net. Next he moved to Eric's side and placed a hand on the former Cavalier's gold-flecked neck; he too had fully recovered from the belladonna poisoning.

After checking the equine's mouth and ears the Ranger stood, satisfied. He turned and nodded to the Dreamer beside him. "They're doing better. We'll check them again in about a quarter hour." He gestured towards the campfire then led Terri to the fireside. "Want some breakfast? I checked it over and only used stuff I recognized."

She considered a long moment then nodded. "Please? I'm pretty hungry."

With a smile, Hank began gathering some nuts, wild vegetables, berries, and roots together. He held out the bowl of wilderness offerings in one hand and some dried rabbit meat in the other. "It's edible, Terri," he said, referring to the meat Dara had prepared a couple of days before.

Her eyes met his. After a moment, she dropped her eyes to look at the meat. Slowly, Terri reached out for it and brought it to her mouth, taking a taste. She hadn't had meat in just over two weeks, and it surprised her how much she had missed it. Swallowing, she looked up at Hank who smiled. "Thanks, Hank." Terri sat next to the fire and ate as Hank got comfortable next to her. She shivered "it's cold."

Hank nodded and slid an arm around Terri. "Yeah. Dawn watch tends to be coldest. It'll get even colder as winter sets in."

She sighed and snuggled into his warmth, looking over at the sleepers, studying each one in turn. As her eyes came to rest on Bobby she asked, voice barely above a whisper, "what do you think Heart's Unity will be like, Hank?"

He hadn't expected the question but the older man pondered the idea, his face set in serious lines. Slowly, he said "I think she'll be wise and capable . . . maybe brusque from living alone in the woods."

Terri giggled. "No, I mean what will she look like? Will she be an old woman or young like us, do you think?"

"Oh," Hank exchanged smiles with the younger woman. "Well, probably older if she's a great healer. Medicine takes time to learn. And I doubt she's human."

At her surprised look, he explained, "the people we need help from rarely are human, Terri. Since Raevonn recommended her, I think Heart's Unity will be another elf."

"An elf . . ." Terri's eyes fell on the sleeping form of Uni curled next to Eric. "An old elf. Will she look as young as Raevonn?" The Dreamer didn't expect a response, so she continued. "Or will she be bent over and gnarled from her long years of helping people?" She again didn't give Hank time to respond. Instead, she studied Eric as he slept next to Uni, still on his feet. "Hank?" Her voice waivered and she cleared her throat then tried again. "Hank . . . aren't you ever afraid?"

"Yeah," he answered softly, eyes falling on the sleeping form of Sheila. "I'm afraid one of us will get killed." His soft voice faded out as Terri's eyes and locket began to glow bright metallic gold:

The sky lit up, showering a golden light over the mudflats. Boulders, some twenty, even thirty, feet high cast dancing shadows across the sticky landscape. The lithe blonde dressed in silver-shot grey silently made her way to the side of the large leaning boulder, stooping over to check the tufts of grass and other plant life near the obvious dig marks left behind. A humming scrape vibrated through the air and ground, throwing the woman off balance. She straightened, confusion on her pretty face. The eerie noise ripped into an explosive crash as one large, quick, and heavy boulder crashed into another, sending shards of rock everywhere. The blonde guide looked up, blue eyes widening, as the twenty-foot tall stone rocked then, in seeming slow motion, toppled over landing on the young woman. A scream ripped through the air . . .

And Hank buried Terri's face in his shoulder, clutching the struggling, screaming teen.

He held her tightly, making sure she could breathe but trying to keep her screams muffled against him. Fortunately the tell-a-tale glow had alerted him to her vision-trance, and her growing agitation had denoted a bad prophecy. Unfortunately, he hadn't been quick enough to block the first piercing shriek she let loose . . . if the others hadn't been so tired, they surely would have woken up.

As Sheila rolled to her feet from Terri's pallet, Hank sighed. He'd hoped they'd all sleep through the incident. He nodded in acknowledgement to the Thief, but continued to struggle with Terri, trying to keep her face buried without hurting or suffocating her.

Sinking onto the ground on Terri's other side, Sheila started petting the teen's hair and back. "What happened, Hank?" Worried teal eyes met equally concerned powder blue ones.

Hank softly said "a bad vision."

Terri suddenly fell still in Hank's arms and the Ranger immediately pulled her away from his shoulder to make sure she hadn't fallen unconscious . . . or worse - - been smothered. She blinked open her cadet blue eyes and let out a soft sob, pushing back into Hank's warmth and comfort. She shuddered but seemed to be relaxing slowly under Sheila's soft caresses and gentle murmurs.

At last, Terri lifted her face and whispered "I saw her die . . ."

"What?" Sheila breathed in a gasp, "who, Terri? Who died?"

"Dara," the brunet moaned. "She's going to be crushed." The Dreamer began to cry again, burying her face in the Ranger's shoulder once more.

Hank lifted a hand to stroke down Terri's back, his eyes meeting Sheila's once more. Softly, firmly, he instructed the weeping Terri, "you have to talk about it, Terri. It's the only thing that brings relief."

Shuddering in remembered horror, Terri shook her head, though her voice rasped out, "I know. I don't want to."

"I can wake Bobby," Sheila offered, just as softly.

"We were collecting the rosemary," Terri murmured, her voice muffled and tear-blurred. Lifting her face, her eyes tear-drenched, she added, "Dara was under that hanging rock I dug at today. And the boulders started to slide around again. One crashed into the hanging boulder and it fell on her."

Nodding as Terri fell silent, Hank let out a soft sigh. Determination laced his voice as he decided, "no one goes near that boulder. It's that simple, Terri. We can save Dara."

The younger woman blinked and drew a breath in, holding it a moment. Releasing on a blow of air, Terri asked, hopefully, "can we do that, Hank? Can we stop a prophecy?"

"Sure," Hank smiled firmly. "Venger said they weren't certain. Remember? You told us about Eric meeting a unicorn. Venger said it was one future. Well, if there's one, there are others. There's gotta be a future where we save Dara and everyone else by no one going near that hanging boulder. Right?" He smiled wider at the relief on Terri's pale face.

"Right. We can save her." Terri sounded hopeful though some doubt lingered in her denim blue eyes. "I can see the future, why can't I help it?"

Somehow, Sheila didn't feel as optimistic as Hank or Terri tried to sound. Things never worked that easily for them.

xxx

November 8, 1992: (9:00 AM)

The light of day began to fade in the eclipse. It would take about an hour for full dark and another hour or more before full light returned, so the group had to work fast. With a nod, letting his gaze rove over the entire group, Hank said, "let's start getting that rosemary. No one go near that hanging boulder. There wasn't any rosemary over there, so we can skip it. Terri, stand watch." He handed his bow to the surprised teenager, taking her digging tools in return.

Dara frowned in Terri's direction but didn't protest the sudden change in diggers or the new restriction on locations. She merely turned and headed onto the mud flats, still frowning.

Behind the guide's back, Terri lifted the bow, pointing up to the sky in case she lost strength. She pulled on the invisible energy string and the golden glow lit around her for several hundred yards. "I don't know how long I can hold this, so go," she called, though at the moment the magic took no toll on her strength. Eric and Uni remained asleep in the camp behind the brunette.

As quickly as possible in the golden glow of Hank's bow, the Champions spread out, heading for patches of rosemary, intent on the harvest. Further from the Dreamer and the lit bow at the edge of camp, a second light shimmered into existence: Bobby's club. He moved close to Sheila, keeping her within view in the quickly dimming daylight. Hank moved further afield, keeping Dara in sight, mindful of Terri's warning. Further out on the other side, Diana carefully picked her solitary way, her movements slow due to the lack of light she worked under. Presto broke off in a fourth direction, hoping to cover as much ground as possible in a speedy manner.

As she got further away from Terri and Bobby, Diana knew she'd need a light of her own. She should have arranged for torches, but hadn't thought of it in all the excitement of Eric and Uni's poisoning. With a sigh, she knew she'd have to risk being seen by Dara. The Acrobat pulled out her javelin, keeping it shrunk down, and let it light with greenish energy. She tucked it back in her belt, the dim light enough to help her identify the plants she needed at least.

Keeping Dara firmly in sight, Hank called out as the woman tried to go further afield. "Dara, can you help me find the rosemary? Please? I'm staying near the camp in case they need us." It would enable him to remain near the light of the bow, as well.

Giving Hank a frustrated look, the woman moved back towards the Ranger and placed her hands on her hips, glaring him in the eye. "Stop Dara help."

He sighed. "Dara," Hank started, determined to be at least a little honest, "we weren't sure what happened to Eric and Uni. They were poisoned."

Studying Hank, Dara didn't get that wounded look he expected. Instead she sneered. "Poison fool. Not Dara fool. Dara staff. Dara knife. Not Dara poison."

Returning her gaze steadily, Hank slowly nodded. "Yes, I believe you, Dara. You are too skilled to be using poison on your enemies."

She stopped sneering and went back to frowning, her eyes slowly becoming troubled. Softly, she asked, "Dara trust?"

Hank offered a nod. "You have given us no reason not to trust you, Dara. So, yes, unless you give us reason, I trust you. But the others are not as trusting as I am. Presto, Uni . . ."

Dara interrupted. "Presto Dara hate. Presto not trust. Uni pretty. Uni gentle." Her voice sounded grieved that the former unicorn didn't like her. "Uni not Dara trust. Uni Eric much love. Much big."

Blinking at Dara's perception, Hank nodded slowly. "Yes, Uni loves Eric very much."

"Uni elf not." Dara said, tone determined. "Uni else was."

"What else do you think Uni was if not an elf, Dara?" Hank asked softly. He was very aware that neither of them helped with the rosemary harvesting, but this kept Dara from the hanging boulder and the death Terri had foreseen, so Hank continued the conversation.

Dara suddenly looked around, her eyes shifting over the distant lights: three lights now, signaling that Presto had lit something to aid his search, too. She looked back to camp where Terri stood with the bow lit, the unicorn and elf behind her. Leaning close, as if telling Hank a dreaded secret, voice filled with dawning horror, Dara said, "Uni shift. Shape."

"Shift shape?" Hank blinked, surprised at the fear in Dara's tone and eyes. "You think Uni's a shapeshifter?"

Nodding vigorously, Dara whispered, "Uni Eric curse."

Stunned, Hank shook his head. "No, Dara. Uni didn't curse Eric. Kalek did. We all saw it happen. He was protecting Uni when the wizard, Kalek, tried to curse her. He took the curse instead."

Blinking in surprise to have an apparently pet theory dashed, Dara shook her head. Wonder filled her voice as she asked, "Eric elf?"

Softly smiling, Hank said, "Eric wasn't a unicorn before Kalek's curse, Dara. And he saved Uni's life by becoming one."

"Not Eric unicorn. Not unicorn," Dara repeated, frowning and looking crestfallen. She had really been in love with the idea that Eric was a true unicorn, though Hank still wasn't sure why.

"Do you want to see a unicorn so much, Dara?" Hank asked softly.

"Dara unicorn see." She nodded emphatically. "Unicorn good. Unicorn value."

Hank continued to smile but distrust and worry instantly slammed over his heart at Dara's words. Softly, trying to sound as if he still trusted her, Hank asked, "what makes a unicorn so valuable?"

Surprise lit Dara's eyes. She shook her head and pointed to her forehead. "Unicorn heal. Move place. Speak mind." She leaned forward and murmured, nearly inaudible, "Unicorn not-dead heal!"

"What?" Hank stiffened and began to turn towards where Eric and Uni lay, still asleep. A sudden scream from the field drew his attention and he bolted over to the pair, grabbing up Eric's shield then dashing quickly into the boulder field, willing the protective energy to light up so he could find the person who needed defending.

Dara's eyes fastened on the shield as she, too, hurried towards the field.

Terri nervously stepped closer to the field, right at the edge, watching in the still bright golden light of the bow.

The second scream sounded less desperate as Hank found Sheila and Bobby actually on top of one of the shorter boulders. Lifting the shield higher, adding to the glow from Bobby's energy lit club, Hank called, "what happened?"

Sheila flushed and called down, "snake! A big green and black one! Longer than my leg!"

Shaking her head, Dara called back, "Sheila stay! Bobby stay! Snake poison!" She turned and began searching the ground, pulling her dagger free from her waistband as she moved.

Hank looked around hurriedly. "It must have been as scared of you guys, especially after you screamed, Sheila." He lifted his arms to help first the Thief then the Barbarian off their perch. Hank never questioned why Bobby, too, had been up on the boulder, worried the volatile teen might think Hank slighted his bravery or something. In reality, at first glance of a snake that large, Hank, too, would have climbed the nearest height and looked again after.

Once the siblings were safely back on the ground, looking around for their nemesis, Hank glanced around and frowned. "Where'd Dara go?"

Terri finally let go the first arrow but quickly drew a second.

The sky lit up, showering a golden light over the mudflats once more. Boulders, some twenty . . . even thirty feet high cast dancing shadows across the sticky landscape. The lithe blonde dressed in silver-shot grey silently made her way to the side of the large leaning boulder, stooping over to check the tufts of grass and other plant life near the obvious dig marks left behind. A humming scrape vibrated through the air and ground, throwing the woman off balance. She straightened, confusion on her pretty face. The eerie noise ripped into an explosive crash as one large, quick, and heavy boulder crashed into another, sending shards of rock everywhere. The blonde guide looked up, blue eyes widening, as the twenty-foot tall stone rocked then, in seeming slow motion, toppled over the young woman. A scream ripped through the air . . .

And Terri let loose the second arrow, right into the falling boulder.

It shattered into smaller chunks, showering down over the stunned guide. Rocks, dust, and torn up debris hurled in all directions, covering Dara in a layer of earth and stone.

"Dara!" Terri screamed and the other Champions raced back towards the camp and Terri's terrified wails.

Presto reached the scene first, skidding to the ground and streaking his clothes with mud, the small bag of rosemary he'd gathered tossed aside in favor of freeing his hands to aid in rescue. He began digging at the debris, clawing it away from their guide's huddled body.

Terri dropped Hank's bow, using the glow from Presto's hat to guide her as she, too, raced to unbury Dara. The pair worked quickly, nails breaking, skin rasping and splitting, digging relentlessly.

As Bobby and Sheila skidded in the mud, followed shortly by Diana, Eric and Uni stumbled over in a sleep fog.

Finally, Presto revealed a hand, then Terri, a foot, beneath the rubble of the once hanging boulder. The pair welcomed Hank's added efforts, and the three Champions uncovered the rest of the fallen woman. Presto checked Dara's neck for a pulse then frowned and slipped his hand over her mouth and nose to feel for breath.

Relief filled the Wizard's eyes and he looked up. "She's breathing."

Terri fell back on her butt, tears streaking the mud on her face, her sobs wracking her thin body. "Oh, thank God! We saved her! We stopped my dream!"