Chapter 15

Howard was looming over them, an exasperated look on his face. "We have been looking for you everywhere! You have been gone for a whole day! Not to mention you are both supposed to be in bed, recovering! Whose brilliant idea was it to go sneaking off in the middle of the day?" he asked, angry, very angry.

Gregor and Luxa exchanged a glance, but Luxa was all for taking the blame. Now that they had solved part of the prophecy, she was no longer mad. "It was not an idea, I had to go. Gregor came looking for me, and we had a most urgent matter to attend to." She spoke with slight attitude.

"Well what was this urgent matter?" Howard asked coolly.

"We will only tell you when Vikus, Nerissa, and Ripred are present to hear. It is very important due to current events." Luxa said, with the same attitude.

At that moment, Hera and Aurora flew up back to them. Aurora stopped dead when she saw Howard. "Oh no." she said, as she saw his angry face. She fluttered to Luxa's side, and Hera to Gregor's.

"Well, fine. Let us go find them and discuss this, and I will make sure Vikus calls of the search for you. Nike!" Howard called, and Nike flew up, and sighed with relief when she saw them. She had probably been searching as well. "To the High Hall!" Howard said, and they all mounted their bats and flew off. Clipclaw got on with Gregor again. Howard had really paid no attention to her, but Gregor was sure he would when they found Vikus.

In the High Hall, Vikus was there, his hand over his eyes. The past few months had been a problem for him, too, after recovering from a stroke. When he saw them, he rushed over. "Howard, you have found them! But where were they?" he asked.

"That is something you must ask them, but they have said they will only tell if Ripred and Nerissa are present." Howard said, still coolly.

"All as well, I will send for them." said Vikus. He called a couple of Underlanders to find them. "Let us discuss this over supper, it is nearly time." They went into the dining room, and within a few minutes Ripred and Nerissa joined them. Nerissa had to grasp a chair at the sight of Clipclaw, and Ripred just stared at her. Gregor bet that he could recognize whose pup she was by that silver coat she inherited from her mother. As soon as everyone was seated, Vikus spoke.

"Well, Gregor and Luxa, would you care to tell us where you and your fliers have been?" he asked.

Luxa spoke up. "I have found a very important message under my hospital bed, and it instructs to look in the tunnels from the Spout to find answers to the prophecy. This is Clipclaw, what we have found." She motioned to Clipclaw, who was standing uncertainly against the wall. "Clipclaw, would you care to introduce yourself?" Luxa continued. It was more of a request than a question.

"I'm Clipclaw. My parents were Twirltongue and Reekwell." Clipclaw said. Everyone except Ripred gasped at the mention of those names. Gregor must have been right about him knowing.

"She's not like them, don't worry." Gregor quickly spoke up, before anyone did anything. Luxa, Aurora and Hera nodded to confirm this.

"Where did you find her, Gregor?" Vikus asked him.

Gregor hesitated for a moment, but then answered. "We found her in the cavern where Ares and the Bane died." Vikus's eyebrows raised and Ripred's tail swished, but it was Nerissa whose hand went up over her mouth.

"Oh, the prophecy! It says…" she was swaying back and forth in her seat. Luxa, who was sitting beside her, grasped her shoulder before she would fall.

"Yes, Nerissa. We have realized this as well." She said. Seeing the other's confused faces, she explained to them what Gregor had realized during the flight back. They all seemed to understand, and all started talking to Clipclaw at once. The young rat's head was spinning, and Gregor didn't want her to be overwhelmed with questions, so he stopped them.

"She doesn't really get what she's supposed to do yet. Can somebody explain it to her?" he said, stopping everyone's questions and comments.

"Allow me. I'll take her back to my room and we'll discuss all this "light" business." Ripred spoke up. Yes, since he was a gnawer as well, and the one that had helped make peace, he was probably the best one for the job. Clipclaw seemed relieved, and followed him out of the room.

"Okay, well that clears things up. Why don't we all go get some rest? We all need it greatly. And Gregor, your sisters have been beside themselves with worry, perhaps you should go confirm your return. They are in Luxa's chambers." Vikus said.

"I shall come." Luxa said quickly. Howard eyed the two, but then walked off as well, giving Gregor a look as he passed. Gregor shrugged, and then he and Luxa waked to her room. Luxa entwined her fingers with him when she saw the look on his face.

"Howard has been reprimanding you about us again, hasn't he?" Luxa sighed.

"Yeah," Gregor answered.

"It is my fault as much as it is yours, for I have not resisted, nor have I wanted to. He should be minding his own business." Luxa said.

"I guess." said Gregor, still not reassured. Luxa stopped and wrapped her arms around his neck. The embrace was not long.

"I am sorry I got mad at you before, I was just upset we had not found anything yet. I assume you were frustrated as well." She apologized. Gregor just nodded, even though he truly believed Sandwich was a fool; he wasn't just frustrated.

They pulled away the curtain in the doorway of Luxa's chambers, and Gregor's worried sisters jumped on him.

"Gregor, you're okay!" Lizzie squealed.

"You back! Hi, you!" Boots cried, hugging his leg. Luxa squeezed her way over to the couch, laughing at the sight of Gregor's sisters hugging him to death.

"Hi, you!" Gregor pulled Boots off and tickled her tummy. She giggled and squealed in her baby-like way.

"I'm so glad you're back!" Lizzie cried. She gave an earsplitting yawn, and Gregor could see she was tired.

"How about you girls go to bed? I'm going to, too." Gregor suggested.

"We shut eyes?" asked Boots. She said that anytime they were going to sleep.

"Yes, Boots, we shut eyes." He led the girls into a bedroom and tucked them in. They fell asleep almost immediately. He returned to the living room with Luxa.

"You are very lucky to have them. They admire you so much." Luxa said as Gregor sat on the couch beside her.

"Yeah, they're great." said Gregor. They didn't say anything else, they just sat there. Finally, they both fell asleep on the couch again.