"He's a Longcoat and they're coming." Cain restated, looking around to the others. The Queen and Ahamo were still on the benches in disbelief of what had gone on. Teagan had made her way back to the tribes and all were huddled together, even the few Folkvar.
"What is going on?" Azkadellia asked, walking to her mother and father.
DG waited a moment before she, Cain and Raw followed Azkadellia. Jeb decided to find out what Teagan was doing and, with Glitch, headed over to the tribe. She had everyone huddled around her, going over some plan and making sure that they would abide by her ruling.
"Got that? You need to stay here and help Queen Lavender." Teagan said, directing to Egmond and Cyin, "Just do whatever you can."
"And what is thou planning, little on?" Egmond asked.
"She stills needers to finish her missions." Cyin said, nearly growling at the man, "We wage warsies whiles she stops the deadenings."
"The what?" Randwin asked.
"The witch isn't exactly gone. Someone or something is going to claim that power, destroy the O.Z., creating a Dark Age, and making all of you their slaves." Teagan answered, "And by that I mean, you have to go to whoever to eat, get good water… everything."
"Worse than what the witch did to anyone." Jeb said, walking next to the cloaked teen, "So we really need your help."
"You can counters on us." Cyin said, nodding and looking to Egmond.
"Thou shalt get support from the Tethys." Egmond agreed, "But the Folkvar?"
"We just want to go back to Central City, that is our home." One spoke up, "We had been in the north, hiding from the Longcoats, but Evich found us."
"Threatened a lot so we played along." Another admitted, "What do we need to do to keep out of this?"
Teagan nearly choked, laughing, "Do you hear yourself? There is a war and if the Longcoats win, you lose everything. You really think that you can go back to some life and think you'll be left alone?"
"The answer will be no." Glitch stated, causing everyone to turn to him, "The big problem is that we don't know what we're up against. We did with the Longcoats following the Witch, but now there is no ring leader."
"None that we are aware of and it could be anyone." Jeb added.
"What is your deal in all this? Your mission?" The first Folkvar asked.
"That isn't any of your business and speaking of which, I need to go… now." Teagan stated, pulling her hood further down and walked to the Queen, bowing before she spoke, "Majesty, the tribes will follow you as needed. The Folkvar aren't a tribe, but like more refugees and I don't know what to say about them. Be assured that Cyin and Egmond are on your side. Just let them know what you need."
She bowed again before leaving and nearly jogged from Finaqua. It was Jeb that grabbed and swung her around, to keep her from bolting away. The two stared at one another until Cain caught up with his son and stood behind her, effectively trapping her.
"Where the hell are you going? We haven't seen you in over a week and you're just going to disappear again?" Jeb asked, holding her shoulders.
"I have a job to do, Jeb. I can't chitchat now, not after the time I've lost." Teagan replied, trying to retch herself free.
"The least you could do is tell us what has gone on." Cain said, watching as the Princesses, Glitch and Raw came to join them.
"I don't have time for this." Teagan said, freeing herself of Jeb and shoving past Cain, "What don't you get about that?"
"Try everything." Jeb stated, "We really don't know what is going on."
"Wait, did you bring anything?" DG asked, watching Teagan stop and sigh before turning to face her.
"Yeah, I kept my bag nearby and it's still in that room." She said, slowly making her way back.
"Don't worry, I'll take you." DG smiled as she looped her arm around Teagan's, "Come on, Az."
"What about us?" Cain wondered, looking to the others.
"Unless my parents need you for something, I say lunch?" DG shrugged.
Azkadellia shook her head before meeting up with Teagan and DG. She gave DG a questioning look as she tried to figure out what she was doing. DG returned the look with a wink before turning her attention back to Teagan.
"Well, could we talk now?" DG tried, keeping a smile on her face.
"About what?" Teagan asked, looking between DG and Azkadellia.
"Why not tell us where you've been, maybe found your brother, or…" Azkadellia suggested.
"Or explain to me how you were in my dream." DG jumped in to which both Azkadellia and Teagan stopped to look at her. The young woman looked around, making sure no one else had heard DG, "Take that question inside, please."
"Then tell us what happened to you." Az pleaded, now leading the way to the Palace, "You just left and when we see you again, you are hiding under a cloak."
"I wanted to find my brother, which I did and things went awry." Teagan replied, avoiding completely answering the elder Princess.
Azkadellia let it go for now, instead focusing on one problem at a time. With the threat of Longcoats increasing, the family needed the support of the Vanaspati, Tethys, and other guilds and tribes the inhabited the O.Z. The problem was finding them in time.
The three of them reached the palace and Teagan rushed inside to one of the ballrooms the Folkvar had spent the night in. The sisters followed close enough, but Azkadellia wanted answers from her sister and wouldn't take the cold shoulder. As Teagan began her search, Az waited until she was out of earshot to turn to DG.
"What are you planning, little sister?" She asked, eyeing her sister.
"Trying to keep her here longer." DG replied, "At least long enough to know what she's planning."
"I really don't think she should leave, not without us to help her." Az agreed.
"The problem is making her see that." DG stated, turning back to Teagan, who had found her bag. She was making her way out of the room when she faltered, her knee buckling and sending her to the floor.
DG went to help Teagan as Azkadellia ran to find Raw. Teagan needed help and she needed fast, whether or not she wanted it. DG raced closer to Teagan, but as she got near, the teenager started to push herself from the Princess. DG was stunned, until she heard Teagan choke out to stay away.
"Why Teagan? What is so wrong that you can't ask for help?" DG asked, kneeling on the ground.
"Sorry…" Teagan stated quietly before rocking herself and holding her head.
"Don't worry. Az is getting Raw, who you remember. He can heal your wounds-"
"And look into my mind… if you value anything, do not let him. Things are better left alone, DG." Teagan interrupted, "Please just let it go."
"If nothing else, then tell me why you came into my dreams." DG tried again.
"Because you forgot, you and Azkadellia forgot." Teagan replied, letting her hand drop to her lap, "You remember the day after Jeb found me in the woods?"
"Yeah, you disappeared in the morning when…" DG stopped cold, "I remember having a dream of Central City… the same destruction."
"Yes and Azkadellia of the Tower. I stayed long enough to hear that, but other matters took priority, which was fine." Teagan replied, "But now there is the threat of an all out war and not some goal-minded witch leading, but a deranged person will no legitimate idea of what they're doing."
"Do you know who it is?" DG asked, though she feared the answer.
Teagan shook her head and stood slowly, "That's the biggest problem, huh?"
DG stood, hearing footsteps of the others, "Yes and the sooner we know, the sooner we can make a plan. In here!" DG called, letting them know where they were.
The two made their way back through the ballroom, meeting with Raw, Glitch, and Jeb. All three men looked in shock and disbelief, casting glances towards the cloaked teenager.
"I know Az was going to get one of you, but this is ridiculous. What's going on?" DG asked, watching as Glitch's face turned from confused to concern.
"The Folkvar were lying, they all were Longcoat spies." Jeb said, turning to DG, "They started to fight the other tribes and were killed."
" They were Longcoats?" The four adults turned to Teagan who had stayed quiet. From what little they could see of her face, she was trembling, "And they're dead?"
"Yeah, sorry…" Jeb replied, not sure what to say.
"I need to leave, now." Teagan said, trying to push herself through.
"No Teagan, you're not leaving." DG stated, calling on her light, Please, let her sleep. No dreams, nothing to wake her until she is fully rested. DG placed her hand on Teagan neck and felt her magic shift, "Jeb, catch her."
Jeb was confused, but reached out to Teagan as the teenager started to fall. She fell forward into his arms and he had to shift her around so he could carry her. DG had Raw and Glitch go back out to get the others and she and Jeb took Teagan to one of the guest rooms, near her bedroom.
Most of the way was kept in silence, but Jeb still wondered what happened to the teen, "DG, what did you do to Teagan or did she just pass out?"
"I kinda… shoved her into a deep sleep." DG stated, "She just seemed so out of it and I think she is sick and just can't see it. When she was in the room, she just dropped like someone had hit her knees. Then she acted like she had a headache."
"Well, once we get her situated, then we can check her over, right?" Jeb asked, following DG into a room. It had a couple of beds off to one side and a few couches arranged off center towards the other side.
"Here." DG called, pulling the covers back off one of the beds, "Lay her here."
"Just in everything?" Jeb asked, meeting DG's eyes, "What about the cloak?"
"It's now or never…" DG said and when Jeb brought the sleep teen's body over, the two carefully removed the cloak. DG sucked in her breath as Jeb lost his in his throat. Nothing in DG's dreams with the teen had prepared her for the reality of Teagan's true form.
The dark circles looked more like bruises, though the left side of her face was swollen and started to turn yellow. That color, mixed with purple, trailed around her body where her shirt and shorts didn't cover. Other abrasions lined the teenager's body and nothing looked comfortable.
"First thing is to get her cleaned and healed up." Jeb stated.
"I'll go get Raw." DG nodded, leaving the room to find the others.