Chapter 3: Stolen Away

Seth stood in his bedroom at Blackwell Keep in his socks. He finally had gotten his abilities back and was loving it. Oh, how he had missed the ability to shadow walk. Spying was a lot harder without it.

Somewhere beyond her room, unsettling sounds flavored the night—forlorn howls, desperate shrieks, and ominous drums. The noises of Midsummer Eve were no longer screened out.

Was it still the same night? So much had happened.

His thoughts instantly went back to his sister. He may have been shaken and confused, but he couldn't imagine how hard it was for Kendra. When they had returned to Blackwell Keep she had followed like a kicked puppy and locked herself in a room.

Seth was just walking out his door to visit her room and saw Mendigo racing down the hall holding Kendra, who was squirming. They disappeared around a corner before he could register what he was seeing.

"Mendigo?" Seth called, running after the man-sized puppet. "Come here!"

Outside, the night remained tumultuous. Maybe the limberjack couldn't hear him. Maybe Kendra was scared and had asked Mendigo to take her someplace. But why had she been squirming? Seth dashed around the corner, down some steps, and out a door into a courtyard.

Some clouds faintly brightening on the horizon hinted at the approaching dawn. The night remained as boisterous as ever. Mendigo raced across the courtyard, still clutching Kendra. Rain began to fall, and lightning forked across the sky, the glare sharply illuminating her brother and the sprinting limberjack. Thunder growled.

"Stop Mendigo!" Seth shouted to anyone who might hear. "Something is wrong!" He raced after them, feeling sick with worry. The rain fell harder. He should have known something was wrong when Mendigo had refused to accompany him to Skyhold.

What was Kendra thinking right now? The minotaur Brunwin jumped down half a stairway to join the chase. A dwarf was running after Mendigo as well.

The limberjack exited the courtyard through a door to the storerooms. Seth ran through the rain as fast as he could. Lightning flashed again, brighter than before, loud thunder following promptly. Where was Mendigo going? Would the puppet try to hurt Kendra?

He burst through the door in time to see Mendigo entering a storeroom down the hall. Seth bucked and slapped the puppet, trying to wrench himself free. They both passed out of view again. Seth kept running. Was this happening?

After they had survived all the danger at Stormguard Castle? Brunwin caught up to Kendra at the storeroom door. The dwarf was a few paces behind them. Mendigo had cast aside several crates and barrels. Seth no longer saw Kendra.

As he and the minotaur approached, Mendigo jumped into an open barrel and crouched out of sight. By the time they looked inside the barrel, the limberjack was gone.

"Kendra!" Seth cried, looking around. "Kendra?" His eyes returned to the barrel. He remembered Knox telling him how the barrel had gone missing after he and Tess had come to Wyrmroost. The goblin guard had been murdered. Everyone had assumed the killer must have come through the barrel.

What if the killer had been Mendigo? What if the puppet had then stashed the barrel in a storeroom? And had waited. And now Seth was gone. "Kendra!" Seth screamed once again, more for himself this time. Wherever his sister was, he knew she couldn't hear him.

Kendra stood in a room, one that she realized should have been very dark, but she decided not to dwell on that for now. Right now, she was focused on the older boy in front of her. It was that boy Ronodin, back from her earliest memory who claimed to be on her side.

"I had to act fast," Ronodin explained, "Before they could corrupt you to their side and steal you away from me."

"It seemed more like you stole me," Kendra said, "I didn't come here of my own free will."

"And did you go there of your own free will and better judgment?" Ronodin asked. Kendra paused. She had to admit, this guy had a point.

"He said he was my brother," Kendra said.

"He may have been," Ronodin said, "A long time ago. But we left him together, freed ourselves from his corrupting evil. He got to me first though."

"What are you talking about?" Kendra asked.

"I was once a pure unicorn," Ronodin said.

"You don't look like a unicorn," Kendra's face scrunched up, "I thought unicorns were a horse-like creature with a horn on their head."

Ronodin laughed and gestured to himself, "this is my human avatar."

"How did I even get here?" Kendra asked, "The puppet took me, Seth looked upset."

"A friend owed me a favor," Ronodin said, "He is called the Sphinx. Sooner or later I will introduce you. The barrel was delivered to him by a pair of goblins who escaped their dungeon. He gave it to me. A friend of his, Vernaz, helped reconstruct Mendigo, the puppet who assisted in your rescue. A feature he added lets the puppet receive overriding commands from afar."

"So the puppet betrayed them?" Kendra asked, "Doesn't sound very good to me."

"Look hun," Ronodin said, "you're acting like even the good people don't spy. Weren't some of the greatest figures in history spies?"

"I don't know that much about that," she admitted, "I don't know much about anything."

"Turning the key seared your identity," Ronodin explained, "It left you with most general knowledge, but erased any personal connections as well. Including our relationship."

"What are you to me?" Kendra asked, "And why should I trust you?"

"I'm Ronodin," he said, "And I'm your boyfriend."

"You're my boyfriend," Kendra said, taking a look at the boy in front of her. She had to admit he was handsome and charming, but the idea also seemed foreign to her and even a little… wrong. As if she was cheating on someone. Then again, everything seemed wrong and foreign to her and this guy seemed so right about things.

"Is there a way I can prove it to you?" Ronodin asked, "I don't know a way."

"You don't," Kendra agreed, "But what did you mean that he got to you first? You never fully explained that."

Ronodin bowed his head, "As I said, I was once a pure unicorn. Your brothers tried to corrupt our family with his dark magic. He turned me into a dark unicorn and corrupted my horns."

"I'm sorry," Kendra said, a little sincerely.

He smiled charmingly, "It's alright. There are a few benefits after all."

"And why did you come back for me?" Kendra asked.

"Because I care about you Kendra," Ronodin said, "And I believe we can make beautiful music together like we always have."

Seth was currently in a meeting. Normally, he would always make some excuse to get out of such a boring meeting, but when it came to his sister, that is a whole new thing entirely.

"Seth, can you repeat what you saw?" Grandpa Sorenson asked.

Seth nodded, "I was on my way to Kendra's room," he began, "When I saw Mendigo speed by, Kendra squirming in its grip. He ignored every command I gave, as if another authority was superior over mine, even though we know of none."

Vanessa nodded slowly, "As much as I regret to stay this, I am guessing when Mendigo got reconstructed he was tinkered with. It is one of the only logical explanations since it has no free will."

"I'll contact Agad," Grandpa Sorenson agreed, "I know he wouldn't betray us, but maybe someone who worked with him would have."

"Seth, you never fully told us what happened back there," Grandma Sorenson said gently, "Would you mind telling us the full story? Including the part about Kendra…" The word left the air thick and Seth could barely breathe as he thought about his sister.

He only had one weakness and that was honestly his sister. And he was one of hers, for she had turned the key so he wouldn't have to. But he knew deep down it should have been him. Not just because of his feelings towards his sister, but because of what Ronodin would be able to do with her.

"You know how no one got the stone," Seth started and everyone nodded, "But to get through the door someone had to turn the key and lose their identity."

Warren gasped, "I thought it was just your memory!"

Seth shook his head, "One of Celebrant's monkey's died, along with one of the princes, the original people who were fighting for the stone. In the end, I banished the stone so they couldn't get it."

"Seth, do you know what your identity fully is?" Grandma Sorenson said in her gentlest tone as if coaxing a baby rabbit.

Seth cocked his head, "Isn't it just your memory?"

"Losing your identity means you keep most general knowledge," Tanu explained, "But you lose any personal connections along with it. Even if you didn't have your memory, you still would feel love towards someone and it would be easier to regain yourself. But your identity," Tanu trailed off, leaving the air even thicker than before.

"So she would remember she loved any of us?" Seth's voice cracked.

Warren put a hand on his shoulder, "She still loves us, Seth. She's just confused. Being with Ronodin isn't going to help her."

"Do you know where she is?" Vanessa asked hopefully.

Grandpa Sorenson shook his head, "We have no way to know where Kendra is."

"Have you heard anything about Bracken?" Seth asked hopefully, "Ronodin did capture him, maybe they would be in the same place!"

"We have reached no avail with finding Bracken," Grandpa Sorenson regretted to inform.

"Do we have any leads?" Seth asked, "Anything?"

Grandpa Sorenson regarded his grandson, "We have a few ideas about where we could go for leads, but nothing yet."

"What are some of your ideas?" Tanu asked.

"We could visit the fair folk," Grandpa Sorenson suggested, "They are neutral, but they have given us limited aid before. Maybe they will again."

Seth's mind flashed back to Princess Eve and his face unwillingly turned a little red. She knew that Eve would help him, but she only had limited guidance. Her father on the other hand…

"A little risky," Vanessa admitted, "What else did you have in mind?"

"We could reach out to all of our allies," Grandpa Sorenson explained, "Phone calls and messages, of course, and see if they know anything about Ronodin or anything that could help us."

"What if we do both?" Seth asked.

All eyes in the room turned to him, "I mean," he started, "Why couldn't we do both?"

"The kid has a point," Warren admitted.

"Kid!" Seth protested, "You listen here Warren,"

Grandpa Sorenson coughed, signally them to stop bickering or else. The second part couldn't be seen by anyone else, but Seth knew it. So he stopped.

"He does have a point," Grandpa Sorenson admitted.

"I should go visit the fair folk," Seth announced, "I wouldn't be able to sit through calls anyway. Besides, I have gained a bit of favor with the princess." He did his best to make the last part sound professional.

"Uh-huh." Warren teased, "That's what it is."

Seth unwillingly turned a little bit redder, "You're supposed to be with me in teasing Bracken and Kendra!" He huffed.

"Well they aren't here anymore," Warren said, almost a little too seriously,

"Would Seth be safe with the fair folk?" Vanessa inquired.

Grandpa Sorenson nodded slowly, "Safer than here," he said.

"I'll go with him," Warren volunteered.

"Me too," Vanessa agreed, "The three of us make a pretty good team. Besides, you might want to keep Tanu here in case Kendra comes back and she's injured."

They all knew deep down that the probability of that happening was low, but no one objected.

"Then it's decided," Grandpa Sorenson said, "You leave at dawn."

What Was Here, Is Now Gone. Stolen Away, But Why?