A/N: I do not own Mortal Instruments, or the names of its characters. I do however own my characters as are written in this story, and this story itself. Thank you for reading! Please enjoy.

Chapter 6

"… every word … every thought."

Clary fumed as she made her way through the trees towards the northwest gully, and the enormous cave there, to which she and Jace had moved the lucen Eleon over four short years ago. She always visited Eleon when she was upset or livid, and right now, with her stiff, angry walk and her hair flipping with every step as if it too was silently swearing at all the world, she was definitely pissed.

Ignoring the Moars as they bent in the breeze to greet her, Clary tried to calm herself long enough to think. Taking in a deep breath of cooling country air, she held it just long enough to absorb the shimmering moonlight, the majestic Moars and the fresh new day around her. Telling herself not to focus on Simon's cowardice, she released the air from her torso, along with some of her anger and tension. There … that felt better.

I need to find out how … but how? ...How can I find out the reason why?

The Moars observed the little girl wandering away from their roots, her pace determined as she muttered in her head an alien language they did not speak, but could well understand. Clary felt her rage resurfacing, impotent and childlike, as she wracked her mind for an answer.

"I need to know why the Braegan Satyr didn't work on that bastard Valentine!"

Simon walked slowly through the trees of the gully, carefully, cautiously, her eyes casting constantly about her, as he searched for Clary. He didn't visit this place very often. It was simply too savage, too dangerous and too dirty for a palate as cultured as his. The Moars menaced him. No matter how many times Clary insisted they were both gentle and genuine, their unpredictable movement and motion scared Simon violently.

He had thought deeply and for a while on the words Clary had left him with, and for the first time in all of his insight, the only answer he could think of was he did not know. He didn't know where his courage was. It was for this very reason and no other he had ventured from the haven of the plantation-castle and into the wilderness of the surrounding gully to find Clary and tell her as much. He didn't expect to find his best friend in the best of moods, but perhaps with his mind and Clary's guts, they could find a way to set his family free.

Eleon was not to be seen in his cave. It wasn't that Clary and Jace kept him there, so much as they had discovered the cave and led him to it. Now he came and went, and at times could not be found for days on end, as he stalked through his gullied domain, terrorising the tiny, tasty animals that ventured across his path. Hearing the crackle and snap of a twig being stepped on Clary prepared to shout to Jace that Eo wasn't there today, when she saw a lanky, waiflike silhouette through the trees and a familiar head of dark brown hair through a break in the branches.

Clary frowned. What was Simon doing here? How uncharacteristic was that, and unwanted right now? Disinclined to confront or be confronted, Clary stood still watching Simon's approaching figure draw nearer, indecisive about avoiding her friend, who was probably lost by now, but reluctant to meet him anyway.

"Ah well," she muttered to herself. "It's as I always say. If you can't walk away … win." A wholly devilish smirk slipped on her face as she slipped through the trees, skirting around Simon only to double back upon him. This was going to be fun.

Simon intuitively sensed something was askew the more he made his way into the heart of the gully. Although he didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary, he knew he was not alone. As time wended its way onward from midmorning to midday, he quickly grew weary, and wary, of wandering around the gully alone, in search of Clary. Deciding he would ditch his efforts to find his friend while he still had the energy to return to the House, Simon resolved to wait there to apologise and to formulate a strategy to find out why the Braegan Satyr had no effect on Valentine over ten years ago.

Turning, he was suddenly greeted by the trunk of a small tree that most certainly wasn't standing there, on the path and in his way, a moment before. Feeling the moisture of sweat break out onto his skin, Simon considered that he just might have gone crazy under the glower of the midday moon. Eyes squeezed shut, he whipped himself around once again to face the woodland green. He had no choice. Move forward or meet the tree. He took a step. He heard a rustle. He broke into a brisk walk. He heard a steady sliding of roots along the ground behind him.

Simon took off on a flat run down the avenue of trees his heart pounding so hard he never even heard the wicked chortle of glee coming from the gully behind him. He ran without thinking. He ran with total desperation matching the gallop of his feet to his heart. Hee ran until he could run no more. And when he was done supporting himself, his hands on his knees, and when he had finished catching his breath, and when he knew it was over, he turned towards the direction of the plantation-castle and almost fell to pieces.

No more than four feet away from where he stood was the young Moar, all beaming eyes and toothy-bark grins, clearly feeling quite proud of himself. Of course to Simon, he looked like he intended nothing more than to leap at him and do something just ... awful. Eyes glazed and widening, he felt shock set in. He felt his breath shallow. He felt his slowing heart taking an about turn and racing faster than it was moments before. He felt utterly helpless, powerless, and was just about to give into tears and hysteria, when Clary strolled casually from behind the Moar, her own beaming eyes and toothy grin nothing short of its mirror.

"You look a bit ... frustrated," she teased mildly, stroking the branches of the Moar until it almost purred in pleasure.

It was the only time in his entire life Simon wished wholeheartedly he knew how to throw a proper punch. If he could he would scratch their blooding, beaming eyes out of the sockets. Not so much as looking at either one of them, he skirted around and as far from the two as he could, and began trekking back to the House of Valentine. His breath hissed out of clenched lips when he heard the frighteningly familiar sound of gliding roots in his wake, and the delicate now discernable footsteps of Clary tagging behind. He swung around.

"I came all the way out here to this, this Mother-forgotten wildhole you so love to frequent to say I'm sorry, not to be scared within an inch of my life! I am so mad at you right now I ..."

"Apology accepted," Clary said sweetly, clearly dismissing the rant before it could reach its conclusion.

Simon's pale, golden complexion turned a very angry ruby red. Clary was the only numen in all of Nescada who could move anyone to the killing edge while making it impossible to stay infuriated with her at the very same time.

Simon sighed, defeated and drained. Clary smiled, delighted and devious. Simon eyed the Moar tree warily. Clary chupsed in derision before sending her arboreal friend on his way. The two children faced off on the gully path.

"It was just a joke, Si," Clary coaxed with a cheeky grin.

Simon's glower was almost as impressive as the moon's. "It wasn't funny."

Clary made a soft moue, mischief still frolicking in her depths of her big emerald eyes. "Still love you," she declared winningly.

Simon gave her a hard look before giving in. "Fine."

Clary waggled her eye brows endearingly. Simon sigh again before succumbing to a reluctant smile, "I love you too."

Clary beamed. Simon scanned the woods for signs of Moars or movement of any kind.

"I thought about what you said," he confessed as they made their way back to the castle, "and I decided I would help however I can."

Clary whooped. "Good stuff. Now ... what's the plan?"

Neither of them ever saw the little boy who had followed Simon into the gully, and had overheard every word they exchanged ... every thought they thought.

A/N: Decided to update sooner rather than later, on the cusp of a new month! Exciting things are dead ahead both for the story and my writing. So happy Yeah-Day to you, and enjoy the early chapter on me! Once again thanks for reading and reviewing!