Lorath Wood
"I don't like this."
Sarrani eyed her fiancé, inquiring, "Come Tim, I want to get home as much as you do but you can see as well as I do that the fog and rain hasn't lifted. We would be wandering aimlessly."
The knight turned, gave her a smile, though it did not reach his eyes "I didn't say I didn't understand why, Sarrani, I said I don't like it." The knight folded his arms, stood next to the carriage, his eyes watching the unfriendly skies. Sarrani, sitting on the carriage's step, kept her sight on him. It was rare to see such a serious look on his face but oh, she saw it now. He had the look about him that said he was on guard. While she did not blame him, given what they had encountered, Tim had never been the very "on edge" type. If anything, he was more likely to take an optimistic view.
"Tim…it's something else, isn't it?" She laid a hand on his arm.
Sighing deeply, he nodded, "I can't say what," he admitted. "It's just…a feeling."
Jackson, still leaning against the nearby tree reached into his knapsack, "The weather can have that effect, Sir Timothi." He advised, "Our talk of such sad and dark times is no doubt not helping. I know we have been waiting and delayed for quite a time. The mind begins to play all kinds of tricks after enough waiting with little result! I don't have a lot to offer but care for a pickled egg?" he offered the food out and Timothi barely kept the wrinkle off of his muzzle. Gum! What was it with humans and pickles? And wanting to 'picklify' everything? Somethings were just not meant to be pickled…and that was everything. He swore after they got back home, he was not going to come within a mile of pickled _anything_ until the day he died.
"No, thank you." He managed without gagging and the human eyed him.
"You say you have a feeling, knight." He stated simply as he took a bite of the egg himself. "Much as I would like to say its simply the weather or perhaps the talk of the hour…I think it's something more. Tell me, what kind of feeling?"
Timothi shrugged in reply as Sarrani eyed him, "Talk to me, Tim, there is more than you're letting on." Her look had already acquired the 'wife' powers and he slacked a bit in his posture, leaning deeper into the carriage's side.
Exhaling loudly, he remarked, "I can't really say. No way to really describe it. I'm not sure how you humans are trained for knighthood," he addressed their host gently "But we gummies are raised to put a great deal of trust in our hearts. In our feelings. My Captain always said that a true knight's heart knew valor and truth as well as the wicked know cowardice and lies. So, the knight's heart will guide you. Trust it." He eyed his dear one, lay a hand in her hair, "I don't want to worry you Sarrani but my 'knight-heart' is screaming at me." He eyed Jackson, "I thought maybe it was as you said—the waiting, the unknowing, the stories and the weather even. But no. It's something else. Something deeper. Nothing I can really describe though but it's yelling and yelling loud."
Sarrani frowned, "What is it telling you?" she inquired, seriousness painting her face terse. Her future mate returned a look of similar focus and concentration.
"That we need to get home. That no matter what the barriers, we need to step up our speed." On this, Tim was adamant. He had been trying to convince himself otherwise, to tell himself that he was just being paranoid, that he was just on edge because of the weather and the unknowns. He'd tried to convince himself that what Jackson said was true but he could no longer lie to himself. As the hours wore on, he was becoming increasingly more worried. He wasn't even sure WHAT he was worried about, nor could he tell you what kind of danger he was looking for. However, it was deeply settled in his gut. "I…know we are stuck but something is telling me we need to move on regardless." It was risky move but it was the truth.
Sarrani frowned, eyed him "Would we even be able to make our way back to Gummadoon with this rain and fog? Or, as Jackson said, would we end up in Drekmore?"
Timothi groaned, grasped his hair in exasperation and frustration, "I…I honestly don't know, Sarrani but I know we HAVE to go. Now."
Gummadoon Halls
The crying and shouting down the halls was enough to pull Gruffi and Sunni's attention. They had taken a small break, with Sir Ramsei giving the excuse that they needed to look over their other options and they needed to get some water, at minimum. Much as neither gummi wanted to stop for even a moment, the knight was unrelenting, stating that having them pass out from lack of water would only add more tension and would do nothing to help with the situation. Well, they could hardly argue with that logic but still, hearing the shouting got everyone up and rushing into the hall, the half touched glasses of liquid forgotten.
The gummi, a young messenger gummi with wild yellow hair and dark green fur rushed the group and Ramsei made his way out of the room, taking hold of the younger gummi firmly, "Kilbi!" he spoke firmly, "What in Gum's name is all the fuss about?"
"Cubbi," the gummi shouted firmly, "Sir Plucki has found Cubbi!"
Gruffi was instantly in front, though Sunni was not far behind. "Where is he? Where?" His tone left no room for argument and his eyes were wild, frantic. It was rare that Gruffi let his tough outer wall down but it had come crashing down here. Cubbi was alive and Cubbi was here! Free from that dark, suffocated, soul-eating presence! He HAD to get to him, to see with his own eyes that he was alright, unhurt. His paternal instincts were in full swing and there was next to nothing that was going to put a stop to them!
"Sir Plucki took him to his chambers down the hall…" Kilbi managed to say before he was being pushed past and the brown furred Glen was tearing down in the specified direction. Never mind that he truly had no idea where Plucki's quarters were. Never mind that he had no idea how Gummadoon's palace were laid out or that the halls tended to twist and curve like the Glen's and he was much more likely to get lost than find Cubbi at all. He didn't care. Cubbi was alive!
Gruffi was gone, with Sunni trailing him. Ramsei sighed deeply but he really couldn't blame them. This was great news though he had quite a few questions for his brother-in-law. How had this occurred? Where had the exit been? So many unknowns! He shifted his attention to Kilbi, "Kilbi, please, let the others know. Was Cubbi hurt that you're aware of?"
The gummi shook his head "Not that I heard. Plucki was taking him to his quarters, he didn't ask for a healer."
Ramsei nodded and released the gummi gently, with thanks. Well, that was encouraging but it did not exactly mean that Cubbi was not hurt. Knights could handle most basic injuries. It did mean, at least, that no major damage had been done. Yet, there were so many unanswered questions. He sent Kilbi on his way and set out on his own path to track down the Glen leader and girl. While he did not blame their desire, he knew it would achieve little for them to go rushing about. If they were going to be so adamant, then he would at least lead them on the right path! They had no time for people to be unaccounted for.
Gummadoon
Leaving the body unconscious served her purpose well for the moment. It was expected and no one would be the wiser. This gave her time to reach out and set her plan into action. The gummies were learning too much and if Cubbi had somehow…HOW…managed to escape that then there was no telling what secrets he had uncovered. She needed to make her move now. Oh, she had no intention of killing them all, at least, not yet. No, that was too quick and quite frankly, there were too many of them. However, invading the main palace, splitting them, taking out the major players and then working through them bit by bit…oh yes, that was quite accomplishable. She would have licked her lips had she not been disconnected from the body, in anticipation. Oh, how she longed to hear those screams.
The spells were easy enough. Well, perhaps easy was the wrong word but for her, they were easy enough. Her foolish daughter had really made a mess out of possession but it had triggered an idea of sorts. She needed more folks to lead her attack than just herself. She could utilize numerous attacks but that still left the limitation of one body. She needed enough forms to keep the knights busy, to allow her to target the counselors and the main three knights. Those damned bastards that had captured her, stopped her from achieving what she was MEANT to do! Oh, she would _end_ them, but slowly. She wanted them to _suffer!_
She had learned all too well over the years how to break a gummi. The Gummadoon knights…their compassion would be their weakness. Those cubs that they had taken under their wing…oh, she would delight in ending them with their mentors helpless to stop it. Oh, and then to rip apart their precious city, its inhabits, piece by piece, lavishing in the protests and begging she would receive for it. Oh, it was almost intoxicating, the power that would flood into her in that moment!
No time to get caught up in her emotions. She stilled her mind, focused. She wanted something that was useful but something that she had an abundance of. Something that would throw the gummies off, make it hard for them to resist, would be easy to control. There were quite a few options for her. Animals seemed to be the go-to for most sorcerers but she had never been fond of them. Animals, even when controlled, fell to the whim of their instincts and desires. They could only take so much punishment before their self-preservation would overpower their slavery.
There were stone statues about Gummadoon. Bringing stone to life that resembled real life was easy enough and she had to admit that the strength naturally built into the rock of their make up could be handy and useful. The downside was that they could be easily dealt with by magic. Well, that did not seem a reason to not utilize them though. She would need to plan her attack, take care where she used them, make sure they were away from most of the wizards and council members. Magic, while _nearly_ limitless, still had some limits. Distance was a large one. The usefulness of walking statues was not to be underestimated though. A conjuring spell to give them movement would be simple enough. While they would not be useful against magic users, against knights, especially inexperienced ones…oh, they would do delightful damage. A simple blow from one would shatter bones. More than effective enough to break lines.
That still left the fact that she would need reinforcements when she took the Council, took the main Palace, took the experienced fighters. Hmm, gummies were most easily conquered when there were emotional attachments, things that made fighting difficult. While she had every intention of using the squires, the pages to break the knights, to break the councilors, she would need something else to get into the palace, to get to them, to get to a point where she could trap them in a locking spell or something similar.
Her daughter Bane had summoned and reformed a dead body. Easy enough. It was the soul that caused the problem. Little Bane had been foolish enough to pull both back to the land of the living. While it certainly pretending to be the cub easier, it had complicated things immensely. However, the idea of utilizing a deceased gummi body, of making it little more than a meat-sack, there truly was some thought and potential in that idea. The use of long dead gummies, restored to flesh but with no driving spirit…oh, she could do so much!
It would take some time, a few hours, to get everything in place. Her daughter had taken nearly two days to revive that useless cub body but she was not restrained by needing to figure out the stickiness of souls. She had no use for them. The bodies themselves, simply restored to viable shape, they would do quite nicely for what she needed them for. In place of the muscle, she would make up for it in pure numbers and in emotional anguish. Oh, both useful AND so entertaining to see those gummies break their hearts trying to stay alive! A fight against those they had already set to rest!
And…there _was_ a very accessible supply in the nearby graveyard.
Gummadoon Courtyard
"Will he awaken soon?" Berrybottom inquired as they dismounted at the gate. Sir Kai stepped off, still cradling the unconscious Lucki. He shifted his attention to the Councilor. It was rare that any of the higher ranks either knight or otherwise included him on a mission. This had been unexpected for him. He had been glad to go on the quest, glad to lend aid where he could but it was still…unusual for him to be in a position that the Councilors were asking questions of him! Gum…
"Uh…well, typically the sleep sand in the staves can take up to an hour to wear off but the sleep sand in the capsules is more concentrated." He reported, holding Lucki a bit tighter. "I…believe that it may take up to…three hours? Maybe four?" They had covered such things when training for knighthood and they readdressed them on occasion but given that the capsules were rarely used, they did not discuss them nearly as much as the mist use of the sleep sand. He felt like a useless little kid but he turned and eyed the eldest of the knights with their band, Sir Horli, for confirmation. "Correct, right?"
Despite the tenseness of the situation, the elder knight gave a smile at the awkwardness. "Aye, good memory, Sir Kai. However, we do have an antidote. I'll need to retrieve it but it should wake him up fairly quickly. Give him quite the headache but it will pass." He shifted his sight to the others, "We should regroup as soon as possible. We need to know what happened with the others, where our current status stands. If the extra precautions we met at the gate were any indication…" there did not seem to be a need to finish that sentence.
Grammi was anxious to get back to the others, to find out about Cubbi but she found herself eyeing Sir Ecri, "Sir Ecri? You alright, my dear?" Perhaps it was a bit odd to address a knight with such a term but she was more than old enough to be his grandmother (once you took all the time-travel confusion with Gummadoon's vanishing spell out of the equation) and she just naturally tended to address people in such a form. The young knight turned, eyed her and gave a simple nod to her inquiry.
"Yes, I'm fine. Sir Horli, you should lead the others in, arrange the meeting, see if the others have returned. I'll join you shortly."
Councilor Wooddale eyed him, "Where are you going, Sir Ecri?'
"To take extra precautions. I cannot give you details, out of necessity, but know that I feel it is vital." He tried to find a better term and fell back on their old mantra "My knight-heart is advicing me." The gathered group gave a nod at that response and the knight headed off into the courtyard, past the shops and towards the many different homes that surrounded the city's center. Perhaps Ecri was being overly cautious but given what little they had learned thus far, it was best to err on the side of caution. Emi was ruthless and she made a habit of gloating about tormenting others, about making them suffer. They needed to reduce the damage she could do if…no, WHEN she attacked.
The remaining group filed inside as Sir Ecri disappeared into the city's main hub. There were not many people about; while they had been careful not to announce the coming of Emi or even of Lady Bane's doing, the gummies knew something was up and about. The entire populace of Gummadoon had picked up, very quickly that their knights were on edge, that the council was restless. While it was not something the gummies looked to spread needlessly, it was good that the city was on alert.
Ecri reached his first destination, knocked and gave a smile to the small red furred cub that answered "Hi Sir Ecri!"
The knight knelt down to his level, "Hello to you too, Page Rexi. Where are your parents? I have a request to make of all of you." He paused, looked at the cub intently, leaned in close, "I have a special task for you." The small page giggled and jumped up and down.
"I getta have a mission? ME?!"
Ecri could not stop a smile, despite the deep tension gathering, "Oh, yes. A very important one for your family. Are you up to it?" He looked up as the cub's mother and father made their way onto the scene. Rexi proceeded to turn and run to them, squealing, "Mama, Papa, _I_ getta have a mission, ME!"
The two parental figures smiled at his excitement and inquired, "Sir Ecri? Is something wrong?" The mother in particular eyed him with caution. They had not seen Ecri since the war and everyone knew how broken he had become and here he was, suddenly appearing on their doorstep with purpose in his tone. With all the hushed and silent threads weaving through Gummadoon lately, they were rightly concerned. The knight suddenly appearing with a mission did little to quell their fears. If they were trying to send a page into a mission…no, no, they would not do such a thing. Jali, Rexi's mother, clutched her hyperactive child close to her just the same.
The knight stood, "Not yet. I speak truthfully though" he stated, wishing he was better at this than he was. Speaking to adults he was used to and speaking to cubs he was used to but trying to reach that in-between where he gave the information needed but didn't scare the kids…he was not quite that good. He wished he was though. But, there was no time for politics. "Jali, Rici," he addressed each of them, "It's true I come with a mission for young Rexi but you two will need to be involved as well." He looked at the young page, "I need a brave page to be on alert as his parents travel to South Gumpton. We are still lacking far too much information on our returning cousins' histories. Would you be willing to travel with your parents, stay on guard against threats, and return when summoned to present their history for our Council?"
"YES!" Rexi grinned, "I getta travel and learn from other clans AND I getta talk to the Council when I'm done? In the Council Chamber and everything?!" Oh, the boy's excitement was quite tangible and Ecri allowed himself a small smile. He remembered being just as excited for such things when he was young.
"Yes, if your parents are in agreement to this task," the purple knight added and shifted his gaze from the cub to the parents. Ecri met the eyes of Jali and Rici and bless them, they caught on quickly. He saw it reflected in their posture, their eyes, their voice.
"Rexi?" Jali asked softly, "Are you ready for this?"
Nodding firmly, Rexi grinned, "I've never been to South Gumpton before!"
"Exactly," Sir Ecri commented, thumbing the child's nose, "And who better to know what questions to ask than someone who is approaching with a brand new view?"
Rexi beamed widely (it was a wonder his cheeks were not splitting) and Rici asked, "We'll be glad to accompany him. When should we leave?" He was locking eyes with the knight, sending out non-verbal questions in spades. Both he and his wife knew what they were really hearing; there was no reason to suddenly need to get South Gumpton's information and most of that could be obtained by Gummiscope or at the next major holiday. Yet, the knight's non-verbal command was quite apparent—get your son out of here. We'll alert you when it's safe.
They knew not what was coming but if Sir Ecri was telling them, albeit covertly, to leave, then they needed to go.
"As soon as possible," Ecri told them quickly. "Taking the way of the quick cars as soon as possible would be best. The faster the route, the better. Rexi, are you prepared for this? To be on guard even through the night?" he added that because he needed Rexi to be devoted to this, to be willing. So far, it was working.
"You betcha, Sir Ecri! I'll do it!" Rexi turned to his parents, "I'll go get my stuff!" Then like lightning he was gone.
Ecri took full advantage of this, pressed close to the parents. "I do not know if I am simply being paranoid but I would rather be cautious. Take the side exits, go swiftly, go quickly. And do not stop. I'll come get you myself when things are clear." He paused, waited a moment then added, in a quiet tone, "Emi Gummi."
Oh, the silence that spoke volumes. The silent gasps, the paled faces but then, Rici's solid hands on his wife's shoulders.
"Yes, Sir Ecri." Was all he got in reply before the parents vanished to ready their own steeds. They could take the horses to South Gumpton if so desired or send the steeds back to Gummadoon and take the Quicktunnels. Ecri waited until he saw things were moving quickly before he moved onward, seeking out all the pages, one by one. Each one, he gave a different mission to—one, he sent to the small but growing warren of Gummla, one he insisted travel to New Gummerset, and the last went with Gummadoon's blessing to the rising warren of Bearson. It was only when he saw the last of the family steeds vanish through the east path towards the woods—some on horses, some on foot, but all but Rexi's family headed for the Quicktunnel entrances. Rexi's group was headed toward their destination at a swift gallop. Ecri saw a handful of other families with the pages; they had spread the word, though thankfully carefully. Too many folk rushing out would be a solid sign of something wrong and the start to a panic.
Luckily, the parents of their pages were known for their calm heads. It looked to only be a few additional families, ones with little children. That was for the best. The more children they could remove from Emi's warpath, the better.
When he saw the last of the families disappear into the edge of Lorath Wood, he felt comfortable enough to return to the palace. He only knew that Emi would not hesitate to use those that they loved against them. She had made a career out of it. The squires were too deeply imbedded but they would be provided as much protection as was able. The pages though…for the most part, they had been spared the horrible on-goings but that would not mean they were safe from Emi's grasp. She would not hesitate to use them, to hurt them.
So, while he did not know of any place that was necessarily "safe" those warrens were either new or unknown to her. They had only been formed or rebuilt after the Ancients from New Gumbrea returned. It may provide some protection, or at the bare minimum, a chance for them to stop her before she had a chance to expand, to create chaos as she did all those years ago. It was far from a perfect solution but currently it was all Ecri could muster.
Four cubs safe…a whole city to go.
Gummadoon Halls
Plucki had expected to be met with folk desiring answers so when he met with Gruffi and Sunni rushing the halls, he was not surprised. Reading Gruffi's face easily, he held his hands up, "My friend, Cubbi is fine." He knew the moment he said it that Gruffi would not be fine with simply that but at least he was beginning the conversation. As much as he understood wanting to go and grab and hug and squeeze the cub, that was not going to be a possibility right now. It was for Cubbi's benefit that he be allowed to sleep. The best thing they could do was figure out a strategy.
"Where's the kid?" Gruffi all but demanded upon meeting the Knight Captain in the hallway.
Sunni broke in, "I wanna see him!"
Plucki kept his hands raised simply, softly and calmly replying "I understand your desire to see him but Cubbi is sleeping right now. The best thing we can do is to leave him be."
"Now you hold on—" Despite Plucki's status, Gruffi was very close to wanting to throttle him. What right did-
Plucki interrupted Gruffi, setting him with a solid and stern look. "I know you want to see him but he is exhausted." Plucki appealed to Gruffi's caring side, kneeling down just slightly, "He was barely able to stay awake. I can tell you that he is safe, he is sleeping. Let us give him time to recover. No harm will come to him." On that, Plucki was most adamant. He had just gotten Cubbi back and he knew, as only Gruffi could know, the strong and immense desire to clutch your loved one into your chest, to know they were safe. However, they currently had no such luxury for such things; he had been blessed to receive it.
Sunni grasped hold of Gruffi's arm, "C'mon Gruffi. I wanna see Cubbi too but if he's sleeping…like, he actually ran outta steam and passed out, don't you think we should let him? It takes a lot to wipe him out and besides…it's not like we won't get to talk to him when he wakes up." The yellow furred girl eyed Plucki, "You said he wasn't hurt, right?"
Plucki nodded, "Indeed, he is fine, Sunni. Worn, tired, exhausted but fine. I have him in a special room within my own chambers. Magically warded and unknown to all but my most intimate friends," That part was the absolute truth. Gumlittle and Blastus knew of it and the few knights had drawn in there for meetings knew but honestly, the only people he truly spoke with in that room were his brothers. "He will be safe."
Sunni nodded, eyed Gruffi, "C'mon, Gruffi, being all emotional isn't gonna help. We need to plan." She narrowed her eyes, "That's your territory. We need that part of you right now! Please…"
Plucki lay a hand on Gruffi's shoulder, "My friend, I know your heart desires to be a father right now but circumstances dictate that you need to be a leader right now, the clan patriarch that Cubbi speaks so highly of. He mentions, more often than not, of your strategy skills preserving your family through many a crisis. We are in need of that kind of thinking, direction right now." Plucki paused, added, "The best way to help Cubbi is to make certain the threat is dealt with."
"…right." Gruffi stilled his emotions. It was rare that they overpowered him so passionately but not unheard of. Plucki was right though. He needed to think and thinking was the best way he could help Cubbi. 'Sides which, planning and stuff like that, leadership, goals, that was all stuff he knew inside and out. Emotions, even for cubs that he held close to his heart, were so alien to him sometimes. Much as he wanted to see Cubbi, to pull him close, to see if he was alright, after that initial relief, emotions were not his strong point. Last thing he wanted to do was scare the kid but given the tension right now, he may well end up doing that. Emotional expression was so complicated sometimes and his mouth didn't always work so well at expressing his real thoughts. Much as he loved the cubs, comfort, connection and all of that was Grammi's territory, not his.
But Plucki was right; strategy was. That was one area he could truly help. It was his way to contribute, to protect, to keep this wild and crazy Emi from doing _more_ harm. How a gummi could even contemplate the things she was said to have done was beyond him but that wasn't important. His logical thinking was in full swing now—what mattered was that she was loose and she was a threat. They needed a retaliation plan. He eyed the Captain, clasped his arm tightly, "Did Cubbi give you any info?"
The Captain nodded. "Yes, some vital information. I was on my way to gather those here for a meeting, as soon as possible. Have you seen any of the others?"
Sunni shook her head, "Not yet. But we haven't heard from the other knights for a while." She eyed Plucki, "Should we meet back at the main council chambers?"
Shaking his head, the Captain replied. "No. We may well need to speak with Lucki and his team when they return. Much as I hate the thought, Lucki cannot be in a magically warded room as long as that sorceress lingers within him. We will need somewhere secure but also a place where that…woman…will not cause harm to Lucki. Our magical wards may hurt her and while she most certainly is deserving of it, she shares Lucki's form right now. We need a place where the talk will not be complicated by her possession of him. We used one of the smaller council rooms earlier. We may do the same."
Gruffi frowned, thinking. "Eh, I don't like that. She's free and she ain't a fool. Emi knows we're gonna be planning somethin'. You have any other more private rooms?" He understood the need for the lack of magical wards, figures that Lady Bane would make this MORE difficult, but if they didn't have that protection then they needed to try and make their plans somewhere less conspicuous. Not that Gruffi doubted the ability of the Gummadoon knight guards. Far from it, if anything, they had only proven their ability to defend. This was not an ordinary foe though.
Plucki considered this a long moment. Gruffi was right. If they could not make use of the magical wards then they needed some form of protection. Being in an unknown location would be a great beginning, "You have a point there, my friend. There may be another. We have an old storage room, scarcely used anymore but big enough. It will suit our purpose." He did not add that there were also several exits from it; there would be time for that later, if need be. While he did not want to think about them being attacked while planning a defense, the seasoned warrior and commander in him would not let such a thought rest. So, the more exits and defensible a position, the better. Especially given that a few of their gathered folk would be children, he needed to make sure. If there was a way for them to not be involved, the better but with Cubbi out of commission for the moment, the book may only respond to Toni and they would most likely need Corvi's expertise. It was a horrible situation but it was what it was.
Gruffi nodded "Should do. I'll gather Zummi, come on, Sunni." He paused slightly, as he took hold of the girl's arm lightly, shifting to head back down the hall. "So…er…where is this room?" Gummadoon was big, huge. The palace itself was so much larger than the Glen was. While he could navigate his way through the Glen blindfolded, this city, as wondrous as it was, was alien territory to him. Much as he normally would have paced about until he found the room rather than inquire, the stakes were too high for even his pride.
Plucki smiled simply, but his eyes remained serious, "Meet me in a half hour by the main stairs. I will gather the rest of our present company and alert the knights to escort our other friends in as soon as they arrive."
Gummadoon Playroom
Ivori had grown accustomed to seeing Morri and Cori and with all the commotion going on, she was glad for the distraction. Sir Gori, bless his heart, was often found slipping in, and he delighted in entertaining the children. His stories were always a hit and Ivori was glad to see that they seemed to have taken all the cubs' interest this hour. One might have thought that the hours were odd to keep but the fact was, she had noted Morri and Cori up at all manner of hours. Never getting into mischief but sitting awake, talking. She was not sure she wanted to know exactly what they spoke of, given their odd obsession with death as of late. Cori did not make as many comments as Morri did but his toys were "sad" or "sleeping" a lot of the time. Morri still was doing some play that disturbed nearly everyone around but luckily, for now, he seemed more interested in Sir Gori's story of the day.
In fact, she found herself caught up in the tales of long ago, enough that the soft knock on the doorframe startled her. One could not blame them for wanting an escape from the nearly tangible strain. It had been nice to lose themselves in a tale of long ago when victory was assured for those that fought for good. The sudden intrusion, while sudden and definitely adding to adults' frazzled nerves did little but irritate the enchanted group of youngsters but curiosity over their visitor stayed the eye rolls and groans. The group of cubs turned quickly and Cori was up and rushing.
"Co'vi!"
Falling to his knees, the teen caught his youngest brother in a tight embrace. While the atmosphere of Gummadoon was hardly calm; it was drowning in tension, he had taken the brief time they had, waiting for the other group to return to visit his brothers. He had not seen them in a while (it seemed like days but in actuality had only been several hours) but with everything that had happened…the truth of his father's death, the trapping of his father's soul, the coming threat, and the realization of what he had been pushing on his brother Morri,….he NEEDED to see them.
Lifting his eyes from Cori, he met the eyes of his older younger brother. Morri approached, slower but with a smile, "Hey Corv. Do you know what's going on?" He paused, eyed his brother, "Corv? What's wrong?" His young voice sounded much older than it should have. No seven year old should have that kind of maturity or inquiry. Morri was not meant to have that kind of sense about danger. He should have thinking about guessing the end of Sir Gori's story, not worrying about what his elder brother was concerned with. It hurt Corvi's heart.
The blond haired teen eyed the younger gummi, "I'm okay, Morri. I'm…sorry, I haven't been around much."
Morri scoffed, "Corv, what's going on and I don't mean the city's craziness."
The squire sat on the ground where Cori promptly claimed possession of his lap and the teen lay a hand in Morri's hair, "Morri, you are way too smart for your own good sometimes." He confessed. He let his hand linger there a moment, ruffling a bit. It did his heart good to know his brothers were still safe, still alive. "I…" he looked up, spied Lady Ivori and Sir Gori. "Could I leave Cori here with you two for a few more minutes? I know I've not been around a lot and thanks for taking care of them—"
Morri scoffed "I can take care of myself, Corv!"
Corvi eyed his brother, "I know but sometimes even _I_ don't mind an adult. But I wanna talk to you Morri."
"Me too!" Cori protested! "Me too!"
Corvi smiled gently at him, stating "Aw, but Cori someone has to be here to hear the rest of the story. I've only heard the beginning of this one. Can you listen and tell me the ending?" He leaned close to his brother's face, "You have a good memory, right?"
With the idea of supplying his brother with a detailed summary, Cori grinned "Yep, yep!" He was instantly up and rushing Sir Gori, insisting on sitting closer so he could relay the tale to his sibling. The retired old knight chuckled and was quick to pull the cub into his lap, laughing. With Cori quickly distracted, the two older siblings slipped into the hall with Corvi sitting on his knees and his younger brother grabbing hold of his shoulders and demanding, "Corv, what is it?" He frowned, his ears drooped some, "Talk to me, brother."
Corvi locked eyes with his sibling, "I've thrown way too much on your plate Morri. It's not fair for anyone, least of all you. It's not your job to watch Cori. It's not your job to worry about all these things that I've made you worry about—"
"Corv," the younger cub blinked, surprised at his brother's strong and passionate tone, "I don't mind—"
"That's not the point!" Corvi snarled. "You shouldn't HAVE to—"
"And you shouldn't have to watch me either but that's how it is!" Morri groaned, "Gum, Corvi, sure, takin' care of Cori can be annoying but it's made me better. Now…well, haven't you noticed how I'm not complain' as much anymore! Never really hadda take care of him before…it's hard! But now I know that and—"
Corvi shook his head, smiled sadly, "Well, you're right, it is hard and I'm glad you realize that but you shouldn't have had to realize it this way." He let his head droop, "I never should have done this Morri." He swallowed, hard, "I told Blastus."
Morri blinked and stiffened "You mean...about Mama and…"
"Yes." Corvi clarified. "What I shoulda done in the first place." Gum, he should have…
"What about us?" Morri demanded, "Are we—" He trusted his brother but what they had discussed at the beginning, about them being split up, about losing each other. Those scenarios began to fly through his mind at a rapid pace and only his brother's firm hands on his shoulders anchored him back to reality.
Exhaling deeply, the teen replied, "No, we aren't being split up. I dunno what's gonna happen just yet but Blastus gave me his word. We aren't gonna lose one another."
Morri was quiet a moment but seemed to calm quickly. It was not just his age and accepting his brother's word but it was the fact that everyone knew knights kept their words and Blastus had always been firm and strong on that. If he said that they weren't being split up then they weren't. "So….can I tell the truth now?" he inquired. "The adults know something—"
"Yeah, they've been catching on for a while now." Corvi gave a humorless laugh at his own ineptitude. "Should have known they would." Really, the longer he thought on it, the more his actions seemed completely moronic. He trusted Blastus with his life. The first thing he should have done when Mother died was tell him. It wasn't that he didn't trust the knight but he had…well, he wasn't entirely sure what he had been thinking but it had been stupid, that much was certain. Maybe it had been the shock, the fear of the moment? He knew fear did weird things to you.
Now, with the threat of Emi looming so close (he could practically hear her coming) he was eternally grateful for the support of his favorite knight, even if it was late in the game. Speaking of fear, he could NOT let it cloud his judgement as it had before. He was lucky that nothing horrific had occurred because of his poor planning. He could not afford such a risk again, especially with something far more dangerous than being parentless. He eyed his younger brother seriously, "Yeah, go ahead and tell them the truth. Tell them your idiot brother wasn't thinking." First thing first, clear the air. Not time to be wasted with lies and half-truths.
Morri gave him an incredulous look, "Not stupid. Panicky but not stupid." He wrapped his arms tight around his brother's neck, saying "So, are you gonna start acting normal again now instead of trying to be a mini-adult?"
Corvi smirked, "Well, not just yet." He turned kept his smile, not wanting to scare his brother but his tone deepened in gravity as he looked Morri deep in the eye, "Since we've established that keeping secrets seems to be a bad thing-"
"-Duh."
"I'll be blunt with you but you needa be serious." Corvi stressed. He did NOT intend to tell his brother everything that was going on but he was not going to pretend it wasn't serious nor dangerous. "There's a danger coming and it's coming soon. It's not going to be a 'if', it's 'when.'"
Morri paled significantly, "Emi?"
Corvi jerked, in significant shock, "How did…"
"C'mon," Morri insisted, "Give me some credit, Corv. The rumors have been running for days and in the last few hours the adults are just getting worse at keeping it secret." He eyed him "Must be proof you're turning into an adult, keeping secrets becomes something you're really bad at." He folded his arms, pouted, "But…"he frowned, "You…think Emi is going to attack?"
"Oh, it's going to happen, Morri." Corvi corrected simply. "Like I said, it's a matter of when not if. She's free. So the first thing on her mind is gonna be revenge." The thought made Corvi weak at the knees but all they could do was prepare. The anxiety of the coming danger was horrific. He almost wished that she would attack already; the waiting and walking on eggshells was almost just as bad. "So, yes, she is going to attack. That's what I needed to talk to you—"
"I wanna help!" Morri declared. "Let me help, Big Brother!"
Corvi's heart froze "No." He snarled. "You're not going anywhere NEAR the battle."
"Why not?" Morri demanded. "I can help. You and the squires are gonna be helping!" He narrowed his eyes, "Aren't you?" He pointed to his brother's belt. "You have a dagger so that means you're helping! Blastie wouldn't have let you have one otherwise!"
Corvi groaned, "He loaned it to me when I went to the Glen to help—"
"See?! You're helping!" Morri accused.
"Yes," Corvi admitted. "Because we're already in the thick of this but you aren't. You aren't involved and—"
"I am so!" Morri shouted, "Because YOU'RE involved. If YOU'RE involved then I'M involved!"
Corvi groaned and grasped hold of his hair, tugging in exasperation, "Gum, Morri, stop it—"
"No!" Morri snarled, grasping hold of his sibling's shoulders. "I have to help. I'm not gonna just let you rush into battle and possibly DIE and not lift a finger to help! I_can_ help!"
"You can help me best by staying out of the line of fire!" Corvi argued back, giving his sibling a brief shake for emphasis. "You think I'm not scared Morri? I _am_! I _have_ to help. I'm _trained_ for it."
Morri scoffed, "Yeah right. You may be trained as a squire Corvi but they wouldn't let you in this battle if they didn't have any other choice—"
"Well, that's how it is, Morri. They need me and I _need_ you to stay out of the battle. Please!" Corvi felt suspiciously like he was going to be reduced to begging in front his kid brother. Morri normally just took his word as law, even before Mother's death. Why, now, of all times, was he choosing to rear his stubborn side? He could disagree with him, fine, but normally he still listened! But now, he saw by the way he eyed the dagger then Corvi's face, then how his eyes took on that solid gleam…Morri Gummi was not going to budge.
"Why? Cause only trained squires can enter battle? Cause only you all can help? I was gonna ask to enter training you know before Mom got sick." Morri folded his arms tightly, scowling at his sibling. "Still will once all this is over."
Corvi jerked in surprise, "Come again?"
Morri nodded "I talked to Mom about it before she got sick and I was gonna ask Sir Plucki about it but then everything kinda barreled out of control. I wanna help people like YOU get to do, Corvi. Let me help!"
Desperation flooding his heart, Corvi pulled his brother close, "Morri, I _can't_ lose you! You or Cori! I can't! My heart couldn't take it!" He was starting to cry but he didn't care. He didn't want to scare his brother but Morri was scaring him! "I don't wanna scare you Morri but you can't be near this threat, do you hear me? You can't! She'll kill you! No remorse, no hesitation, she will kill you!"
Morri blinked once then twice. "And what makes you think she won't kill you?" He challenged. "You think that would not affect me? It's not just older brother protect younger brother Corvi! The knight code, the squire code, says to protect, right? That means _I_ can protect you too!"
"Young ones, if I may?" the warm, inviting voice of Sir Gori entered their conversation. The two cubs turned to the sound and the elderly knight slowly emerged from the doorway, leaning a bit in his gait but still fairly steady. "I did not mean to overhear, children but the ears of a knight remember hurting hearts well."
Corvi and Morri went quiet as the older knight approached and moved to sit on the ground, placing a solid hand on each shoulder. "Young ones, much hurt has come in your lives. Too much hurt. Morri, you are correct in that we ALL must protect, not just the older to the younger but young Corvi is also correct in that those who should not be involved, should not get involved." He took a breath, "Young Corvi, your brother has a desire to help. That is admirable." He turned to Morri, "But Morri, you must remember that sometimes we help in ways that may not seem that important yet turn out to be vital. You will have a chance to help," he raised a hand to cut off Corvi's protests. "But you must accept that not every aid in battle is in the form of a warrior charging into the fray."
Morri frowned, considered the knight's words. "Well…but it _will_ be important? It'll make a difference?"
Gori smiled, "Aye! Take your brother for example. Do you know why they took him along on their latest mission?"
Morri thought another moment then shook his head and Gori chuckled, lightly, touching the boy's nose, "Because your brother is fluent in Old Gummi. His knowledge of the language was needed to translate old codes and avoid potential traps!" He smiled at Morri. "So even though he may not have been able to contribute physically like the others, he was still vital. Just like it was necessary to take some of Cubbi's clan to find their way through the Glen. You will have your part to play." He eyed Corvi, "I'm sure your brother may have an idea."
Corvi frowned, thinking. Much as he wished he could have convinced Morri to stay out of the action entirely, the more he listened to Sir Gori, the more he found he was fighting a losing battle. He had known that Morri had an interest in training for a while; he always asked about what it was like, what he was learning and when Father had been alive, he would practically attach himself to his leg. Then, there was the simple fact that Morri had a big heart. He always wanted to help, that was one reason he had not argued when Corvi had pushed Cori on him like he had to. So, he supposed he knew, in his gut, that this conversation was going to go nowhere. So, he would need to relent somewhat. He took a breath and eyed Morri, "Morri, the fact is that we're going to need people that know Gummadoon's passageways. Do you remember when we used to play in those old halls, the old rooms?"
Morri nodded firmly, "Sure. We did that all the time. You and Lucki too."
Corvi nodded, "I…don't know for certain but if we need to evacuate…and we may…we need to know those halls. It's been a while for me. Can you explore them for me? Figure out the passages, what leads where? Where things intercept?" He eyed his brother, leaned in close, "And when…when things get…bad…I want you to take Cori and anyone you're with and disappear into those halls. I'll find you and then we'll figure out what we can do, who we can save, what we need to do…you hear me?"
Morri considered this and then after a moment, he nodded, "Should I take Cori with me?"
Corvi eyed Gori who gave a gentle squeeze to his shoulder, "we would not mind keeping the little one entertained Corvi but if it will ease your worry, I'm sure a three year old will be quite adept at finding hidden passages."