*From April, 2015…

I've little to report for now, say that I hope it won't take me 6 months to finish this chapter. -_-0

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Chapter 13: The Captive

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Star turned a street corner and found herself almost facing the jailhouse. It was right on the other side of the street from her. She had passed it countless times, but had hardly ever noticed it. As it was, the jailhouse was seldom occupied; when it was, it was rarely for very long. A petty thief here, or a hot-headed brawler there, would come along every now and again and need to be detained; but the people were generally too busy living their lives to cause each other much trouble. Star had never known a prisoner to be kept in the jailhouse for more than a week.

Except, of course, for prisoners of war. Zebak people had been held easily in that jailhouse for months, not very long ago at all, during the terrible days of the Plains War. None of its warriors lived now to tell of it; but those who had been children then still remembered it vividly. Some of them liked to laugh ruefully at memories of those prisoners. The tales they had been told, and the rumors they had heard, had been things of nightmares. To them, the Zebak had seemed like monsters, demons, an unstoppable force of evil. And so, when it was discovered that those very devils could be held securely behind bars, like any other person, it had been comforting. Confusing, but comforting.

Star knew that story very well; so it peeved her sometimes to not know exactly how it ended. She never had been told what happened to those prisoners of war. Whenever the story came up, the teller usually ended it abruptly, mumbling something about poor record keeping. Apparently, the fate of those prisoners had been lost to the mists of time. Star didn't believe that entirely, but she was mostly willing to just accept it. Almost certainly the prisoners had been dealt with cruelly. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know what really happened.

Which was quite a quirk, she thought to herself. All this time later, another Zebak warrior was locked in the jailhouse, awaiting a punishment that was going to be far from pleasant. But this time, things were going to be different. This time, he would go free.

Such a thing had never happened before. No one ever would have dreamed it was possible.

Star had expected the whole time that she would meet a guard outside the jailhouse; it was rarely left unattended. She had spent her journey there trying to think how she would persuade a guard to let her inside, but her efforts so far seemed feeble. She knew there was little chance of talking her way into the jailhouse, especially now, of all times.

Her surprise was great, then, and her thanks even greater, when she found the place deserted. There was no one around to question her as she crossed the street to the modest jailhouse. Everyone had gone to the square, it seemed. Knowing that the door would certainly be locked, Star took out her knife and went to work on the simple lock. Her heart thudded painfully at a memories of her mother teaching her to do this.

Don't think of that, she told herself, shaking her head. You'll only start to cry again; and a blubbering wreck is not a good first impression for anyone. You're about to meet a real Zebak warrior—you need to show him that you are strong, and not afraid. Otherwise, he'll never respect you, let alone listen to you.

Hm… The guard will be in a load of trouble later… Yes, think on that, instead. He left his post here to join the crowd, no doubt thinking that his only prisoner would never escape on his own, without a weapon. When his charge and I turn up missing later, everyone will be furious. Even if he never counted on me coming along, he underestimated this young man. That is a bit strange. You would think he would watch a Zebak with unblinking eyes! So… Why would he leave his post so easily…?

Yes, indeed, it was strange. To Star, it reeked of destiny. She was on the path she was meant to be on, after all. Fate was clearing the way for her.

That was how it felt to her, anyway. Then the lock clicked open, and Star pushed the notion away for the moment. She was far too busy right now with moving forward to ponder the will of the universe. Unlocking the jailhouse door had only been a small victory, but it had filled her with triumph. At least one thing had gone right today. She opened the door and let herself inside.

A single torch was burning in a fixture on the wall, casting enough light to fill the small building and its three cells. The cells themselves were cast in deep shadows. As Star kicked the door shut behind her, she tried to peer into them, looking for the lone prisoner; but she could see nothing.

As the door shut, creaking on its hinges, she heard a loud sigh and the sound of someone shifting around in one of the cells. A hand appeared from the shadows of the second cell, gripping the iron bars.

"You've taken your time today," came the vaguely annoyed voice of a young man. "I don't blame you people for doing what you want with me, but I'd rather not starve to death, if it's all the same with you."

Star couldn't help smiling faintly. She hadn't been sure what to expect from this boy; but he sounded like a normal enough person. She had planned to be diplomatic and to the point; now she decided to be as cordial as she could. This boy had been stuck in a jail cell for the past three days, after all. Of course he would be irritated. Perhaps if he was shown kindness instead of threats, he would be more willing to listen to her.

"Actually," she answered, "I've come to speak with you. I'm a friend."

She still couldn't see him inside the cell, but she heard him scoff tiredly. "I doubt that very much, but it isn't like I can get up and walk away. Come into the light so I can see you, if you're such a friend."

Glad to have been invited, Star came forward until she found herself face to face with the boy in the cell. She had told herself repeatedly not to appear shocked or frightened or even curious about his appearance, because it would do her no good to make him feel more out of place than he already did.

She was surprised yet again to find that pretending was unnecessary. Upon meeting a Zebak warrior for the first time, she felt none of the things she had expected. Perhaps it was the bars separating them, but the boy seemed astoundingly normal to her. He was certainly human, and certainly just a boy. And he had clearly been subsisting in that cell for days, as anyone else would have. His gray uniform was unpressed, and his scuffed black boots were standing unused in a corner. His uniform coat was rolled up on the floor, more of a makeshift pillow than a coat for now. From the look of his tousled black hair, he hadn't been allowed a bath since he had arrived in Rin.

And so he met her for the first time barefoot and unwashed, looking understandably tired and hungry. If it weren't for the black mark on his face, he could have passed very well as a Traveler, as her mother had done for so many years. Even with the mark and his grave scowl, Star liked his face at once. In fact, she was inclined to think it was a fairly handsome face. If he had been given the chance to bathe and press his uniform and make himself presentable, he might have looked quite fearsome, indeed. This way, Star thought he looked rather nice.

It was hard to tell if he returned the feeling. On seeing her clearly for the first time, he immediately raised his eyebrow and gripped the bars of his cell more firmly.

"I feel I've seen you somewhere before," he said suspiciously. "Who are you?"

Star shrugged. "I share faces with my father, I'm told."

The boy looked very sullen. "So," he grumbled, pushing away from the bars and staring at the floor, "you're the Titan's kid. I might have known you'd find your way here, eventually."

He was trying to appear cold and unemotional. Star could tell that really, he felt terrible and deeply conflicted. He didn't want to face her, any more than her father did. Unwilling to let this meeting go just as poorly, she stepped forward and placed her own hands on the iron bars, where his had been before.

"This isn't exactly comfortable, I know," she began, not sure how to start this conversation.

"Tell me about it," the boy remarked, rolling his eyes, but still not looking at her.

"I have a plan—or an idea for one, anyway. Your men came here and took my mother, yes, I know. That is hardly important anymore. I mean to follow them and get her back, if I can."

At last, the boy was moved to shift his eyes back to her. "Do you, now?"

"What do you expect me to do? Languish here like my father and everyone else?" she asked, a little more sharply than she had meant to. "They have no intention of doing anything helpful in particular, but I know better. It can be done. I've seen it. I know it. And I know that you can help me."

Now the boy turned and faced her fully, interested in spite of his bad mood. "You think I would do such a thing? And what would you do for me, in return?"

"Get you out of here, obviously," she answered incredulously. "Why else did you think I came here? I had to break into this place! Why would I go to all that trouble just to grab what I would carry and run, when I could do everyone a favor?"

The boy leaned against the wall and smirked smugly. "By setting me loose? I don't think your father's people would call that a favor, exactly."

"I'm not just setting you loose. I'm taking you home."

"Home?"

"Yes, home—to the Zebak lands. It's where you came from, and it's where I'm going. Seeing as you are trapped in our jailhouse, awaiting execution, and I know nothing of your place, it would be beneficial for us to help each other, don't you think?"

The boy was stunned, and perhaps even alarmed. "…All this, for the sake of one person?"

"My mother! That one person is my mother! Everyone else has given her up, it seems, but I will not! Not when I know something can be done to save her."

"Okay, okay," the boy insisted, holding his hands up in surrender. "Take it easy. I didn't mean it that way, honest. I've just… We don't normally go to such trouble for each other. If we did, my brothers would have come back for me by now."

Star's anger died as suddenly as it had risen. Of all the things she had considered about this stranger, it had never dawned on her that he, too, had been taken by his greatest enemy. He, too, had friends and family, who were no doubt worried sick over what had become of him, who had just as little hope of getting him back.

The two were silent for a long moment, regarding one another in a new light. All at once, it seemed that they understood each other. Star wouldn't have said that they were friends; but in that moment, she could tell that they were on the same small team. In that long, silent moment, they became allies.

The boy came back to stand just behind the bars and gripped them right above her hands, looking her face over as if searching for something. Star gazed back at him, and saw at once what she was looking for. There was cunning and ferocity in his face, yes; but there was goodness in his violet eyes. He hardly seemed the dragon she had prepared herself to face. Mostly, he was just a confused and frightened young man, little different from the confused and frightened young woman she was.

After a moment, he nodded his head, as if he had found was he was looking for and was satisfied.

"It sounds strange, but I've made the decision to trust you," he said. "I have no idea what you mean by all this talk of plans and knowing things, but you have a look about you. I can't explain it for the life of me, but… I think I like it."

"I could say the same of you," she answered, feeling moved to smile for him. She imagined it was the first smile he had seen in a long time. To her relief, he returned it. His smile was wry, and even a bit sly, but it was still a smile. It was progress.

"You know, they never mentioned your name," she said. "What is it?"

His smile grew a little more sincere, as if the question had pleased him. "Zan. Zan Garased. What's yours?"

"Star."

"Star, what?"

She blinked in puzzlement and shrugged. "Just Star, daughter of the Titan Rowan and Zeel of the Plains, hopefully historian of Rin in days to come. I don't know what more there is to say."

"Ah, yes," Zan said faintly. "Your people don't make use of family names. That is strange to me."

"Family names?"

"Never mind that for now," Zan said briskly, running his hand through his hair. "I'll tell you more later. After you've gotten me out of this accursed cell, and we're well on our way back… home."

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There turned out to be little need for sneaking or much caution. The streets were still deserted, and the noise of loud and angry discussion was still echoing from the crowd in the square. All the same, Star led Zan back to her house through side-streets and back alleys. They were fugitives now. If they were seen by anyone, they would both be done for.

I think I'd rather just be cut down on the spot with Zan, than have to face papa like this, she thought as they crept through the quiet village. Honestly, I think I'd rather stick my head down a Dragon's throat, than sit through any punishment papa could come up with. He would never trust me with anything again. And frankly, I don't have time to be waylaid like that. Not when this is going so well.

It actually would have been perfectly safe to speak of Star's great idea of a plan while they walked, but of course they were too wise to take that chance. As it was, she could tell that Zan was on edge. He stalked along beside her in silence, rigid and alert, his eyes darting in every direction for signs of danger. His nervousness was infectious, too. Star found herself jumping slightly at every sudden noise or movement; when all those proved to be scurrying mice, chirping birds, or just insects buzzing past her ears, she couldn't help feeling a bit foolish. She wondered if Zan felt the same every time this happened.

He had cleverly devised a plan of his own for in case they were caught, before they left the jailhouse. If someone did catch them, he had insisted firmly that she stop what she was doing and pretend that he had escaped on his own, and that she had happened to catch him, herself, on her way home. He had decided to pretend to attack her, and that it would make her look completely innocent. He would be detained again, and she would go free to carry out her rescue mission, and no one would need be the wiser. Star hadn't liked this plan, but Zan had refused to go with her until she promised to play her part if she had to.

She would have liked to ask why he would do such a thing for her, but there hadn't been time. She had simply resolved to ask him when they were safe at her house. They already had so much to discuss, and so many questions for each other.

When they had passed the gardens without being seen, Star finally felt like it was safe to speak in low voices. She couldn't wait any longer than she had to.

"I'll need a moment to grab some things," she said. "While I do that, we'll discuss how best to get into the city. You can clean yourself up, if you want to, then. And there is still tea and a plate of cookies in the kitchen. My father will busy for a while, and I don't expect he will be back for another few hours, at least. All the same, we should work quickly if we want to escape his wrath."

"I've been thinking of this grand homecoming, myself," Zan commented. "How exactly do you expect to get there, in the first place? It's a long walk to the coast; and I would be surprised if anyone there was willing to give us a boat, no matter what we offered."

"Oh, that hardly bears thinking," she answered, grinning proudly. "Mum and papa had to get back here from there somehow. Surely you've heard of it?"

Zan glanced at her in surprise. "I've heard they flew on a hijacked working grach. But surely you don't mean to say you still have it?"

"Unos lives with my granny now, just on the other side of the orchard. I see the creature at least twice a week, and have even flown on her back in the past. She flies far more frequently than she used to, and her wings are quite strong now. I don't know how pleased she will be to be going back to the place she came from; but she has made the journey before, and will obey nearly anyone for a good apple or two."

Zan scratched his head. "Huh. I'd have thought your people would have done away with the beast as quickly as they could. A grach must seem terribly out of place here." He looked meaningfully out toward the fields beyond Star's house, where the bukshah were still milling anxiously.

"Yes, she does stand out," Star agreed. "But Unos has proved to be very useful to have around. Besides, my aunt and uncle never would have stood for it, and neither would granny. It's complicated. Remind me to tell you the whole story sometime."

"Well, that solves one problem, I suppose. There are many others to think of, though. You seem to think that flying unannounced into Habaharan will be easy."

"Habaharan?"

"The great city I hail from, where your mother has been taken, where you plan to go. If my eldest brother thinks hard enough, he came remember a time when our wall was patrolled by a single squadron, and then only by day. Things have changed since then. The wall is guarded now by night as well as day, by legions of men and women like myself. It would have been easy for your parents to slip through the cracks, in their time. It won't be for us."

"What do you think we should do, then?"

"No idea. Let me have a few of those cookies you mentioned, first. I haven't eaten since morning, and would rather think on a full belly than an empty one."

Star could respect that. She, too, hadn't eaten in hours; and by the time Annad had pointed out that plate of cookies, she had been too sick with grief to even look at them. Now that all that excitement was out of the way and an adventure was on her doorstep, she realized that she was starving.

The house she had grown up in stood alone at the end of the lane, as it always had, and there was little else she could have led Zan to. When they finally reached it and she opened the door for him, he stood still for a moment, appraising it from top to bottom with a look of disbelief.

"I hadn't really seen it from the outside," he said vaguely as he stepped inside. "It seems smaller than I recall."

"It's slightly smaller than the other houses in the village, but we do alright. We hardly need much," Star answered, following him in and locking the door behind them. She turned back to her guest and found him gazing around the kitchen in confused awe, as if he had never been in a house before.

"Incredible," Zan muttered, planting his hands on his hips and shaking his head. "I never thought that such a thing could do. The Titan of Fire lives in a palace half the size of this village. I wouldn't have dreamed that a Titan would settle for anything so very small."

Star couldn't help but laugh at the idea. "What on earth does one do with a palace that size? You couldn't possibly fill such a space!"

"I guess you wouldn't think so," he answered, rubbing his arm uncomfortably, still looking around the humble kitchen. "It just seems so ordinary. You would think a person as extraordinary as a Titan would wish for something a little grander. Demand it, even."

"Papa isn't exactly a grand sort of person," Star said thoughtfully. "Really, he would have been perfectly happy with a hut in the forest. But it's hard to care for a wife and children that way, and so he lives in a house, like normal people with families do. And anyway, he should be easy for the people to find. It's why he is Titan."

Zan looked up and made a very doubtful face. "You will be in for many nasty shocks, I'm afraid. Our Titans do things, well, a bit differently, you will find."

Star sighed and straightened herself. "Bother the Titans," she said crisply. "They aren't important right now. The plan is important. I've got a mother to rescue, and you've got brothers to get back home to. We'll never do all that if we don't get organized. Please, sit down, Zan. The cookies and tea are all there on the table, where I left them. Help yourself, while I find paper and a pen."

She didn't waste time to see if Zan would seat himself right away, or continue to marvel at her home. She strode out and down the hall to her father's study, where she could find what she needed.

Right away, she found more than just what she needed. While she hadn't been there, someone had returned her satchel, stuffed nearly to bursting with full notebooks, pens and ink, and the precious first draft of the Book. Much preferring to use her own things than her stubborn father's, she snatched up her bag and went back to the kitchen.

She returned to find Zan munching placidly on a cookie, staring thoughtfully onto space while he waited. When she walked into the kitchen, partly hauling her full satchel, she found she had his full attention.

"When you said 'paper and a pen', I didn't expect a whole library," he said, eyeing the bulging bag on her shoulder.

"It is a whole library, in fact, thank you very much," she answered smartly, heaving the satchel onto the table and digging around inside it. "Many of us had gone to Maris for trading, as we do every year, and I had joined them to study in the library there. We had only just arrived back a little while ago."

They paused briefly to think about that as she fished out a mostly empty notebook. She had been home for just barely two hours, and already she was preparing to leave again. She was so frustrated with nearly everyone in the village, she could hardly wait to be gone again.

While she went on pulling things out of her bag, Zan went back to staring into space. Then he sighed and hung his head a bit.

"Three days is a long time to sit alone, thinking about all the terrible things you've done," he said quietly. "Coming here wasn't fun, you know. Central has us tearing our own people apart for entertainment, and that's terrible enough. But what did these people ever do to us? What did you do to deserve this? It's not right, what we did. But what else were we supposed to do?"

Star had paused again, listening. She had suspected from the moment she had seen him that there must have been a reason behind this mess, and that it couldn't really be his fault. The goodness she had seen in him didn't match it well. She knew he wouldn't appreciate her sympathy, but she felt truly sorry for him.

Zan trailed off and glanced up at her apologetically. Then he shook his head and laughed bitterly.

"I know, I'm babbling like a lunatic," he went on. "What I meant by all that was that I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry that this happened to you, Star. Anyone as foolishly kind as you doesn't deserve this. And anyone as spineless as me doesn't deserve forgiveness."

"Don't say such things," she insisted, unsure of how he could hate himself so much. On an impulse, she reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her in surprise, unable to believe she had touched him.

"Of course I forgive you," she said, sitting in the chair beside him. "You're helping me make it right, aren't you? When you say how sorry you are, I believe you."

"You do? How is that?"

"I just… Do."

"Hm. I suppose I'll have to accept that for now."

Star supposed that she would just have to do the same. Somehow, she realized, lots of things suddenly seemed clearer to her. It felt like all her senses had sharpened a bit, including her finer ones. She wasn't sure how or why she was so willing to trust this young man, who had caused her so much pain. All she could say for certain was that he was trustworthy, and that it was right to show him faith. Just as the prophecy had told her to.

The prophecy… I'll have to think more on that later. We have work to do.

With that touching moment behind them, Star cleared her throat and opened her notebook to a blank page.

"Here, use this and draw me a map," she instructed, handing him a pen and ink as well. "Nothing elaborate—just the city, the wastelands, and the coast, so I can see it."

"So much for nothing elaborate," Zan said dryly, his normal self returning as he began to sketch rough shapes on the paper. "There are only two ways into Habaharan: either over the wall, or through the main gate from the coast road," he explained as he continued to sketch. "The latter would be our best bet. If we landed near the docks and separated briefly, it would give you the chance to disguise yourself while I appear by myself. It will look as if I made a daring escape on my own. Surprised people will ask for the important details of the story, which I can make up on my own. It will seem to explain everything."

"Then I would just join you later, and we would make our way into the city together."

"It would make sense, too. The city is an hour's march from the docks, and not the safest place to travel alone. It would be a simple and common enough story. A young woman trying to sell fish in the city, traveling in the safe company of a Central Control guard. Again, not a lot of questions to be asked."

"Excellent. So all I need to do is find some fish to sell, and the story will be complete."

"Hm. That is a good point. We may just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. The ship yard is a shady place. Misunderstandings do happen. And I may not be through with my training yet, but I'm still of Central Control; I'll be the returned hero of a grand escape from our enemy, no less. There are many things I can make happen. I hate to think of being that way, but… It seems we have no other choice."

"We'll pay them back later, when you're famous," Star suggested. Zan smiled, though it was hard to tell if he was enjoying her sarcasm, or if he thought she was being naively hopeful.

"It isn't much of a plan, and there's plenty of room for things to go hilariously wrong; but for being thrown together in a hurry, it is sound in theory. I fear for what could happen in practice, though. And, not that I don't appreciate what you've done for me, but I've barely known you for an hour yet."

Star grinned at him. "I've barely known you for an hour, either. That makes two of us."

Zan looked puzzled again. "I can't make heads or tails of you, Star of Rin. I don't think I've ever met a person quite like you."

Star propped her elbows on the table and reached for a cookie. "That's because I am the only me there is."

Zan clearly wasn't sure how to respond. He returned his attention to his untidy sketch and tapped the pen impatiently on it, as if he had left something out of it and was trying to remember what it was. Meanwhile, a cookie still in one hand, Star began to unload the rest of her notebooks, stacking them neatly on the table.

I can't take all of these with me, though I would like very much to. Anyway, I copied all these notes for the people here to see. I'll have little use for them where I'm going. And it will please papa to have them in my absence. Maybe he will prefer their company to mine, seeing as they won't argue with him.

At the bottom of her bag she found the Book. She took the tome out and held it in her arm, lovingly admiring it. For all its flaws and all the work to still be done on it, it was her greatest accomplishment so far. She had worked so very hard on it, for almost a year. She had made it perfect. All she had to do now was make it look pretty for others to enjoy.

She nearly set the Book on the table with her stack of notes; except Zan looked up, saw her admiring it, and tilted his head in curiosity again.

"What's that?" he asked with his mouth full.

"It's a book I've written," she answered slowly. "My father went on several amazing adventures when he was our age, before he was Titan. The stories are wonderful, and the lessons we've learned from them about our land are priceless, and so I wrote them all down this year. It's been an adventure, itself."

She could see by the gleam in Zan's eyes that he was interested. "It sounds like a worthwhile read. You'll have to share it with me sometime."

Star looked back down at the Book, so nearly left behind, and held it a little closer. "Yes, I will have to do that, won't I," she agreed, and put the Book back in her satchel. She peeked into one of the side pockets to make sure her gleaming pen was still in place; seeing it where she had left it yesterday was reassuring. There was a great feeling of rightness about it.

Only then did it occur to her that she might be writing the final draft in the city of Habaharan. She had always planned to finish that work here, in Rin, surrounded by people who supported her. But who even knew when she would see the village again? In weeks? Months? Years? The thought was daunting, so she shoved it aside, with all the other troubling thoughts she had no time for.

"I suppose I should pack a few things," she said, mainly to herself. "Food, and spare clothes, and the like. And should like to say goodbye to Treasure, and to granny, before we run off, but I don't know if we can risk that much time…"

"Who's Treasure?"

"He leads the heard now," she answered, pointing to the kitchen window. "Just take a look out there. He's the only black bukshah we have; you can hardly miss seeing him."

Zan stood up and went to look out the window.

"Amazing," he murmured. "They tell tales of these beasts at the academy. War stories, you know? I had always pictured them much larger, and their horns longer and sharper. Reading our veteran's accounts, you would think your bukshah had been bred for war as much as our fighting grach. But they don't look so dangerous to me."

"That's because they aren't. A five-year-old child can lead them easily. Aside from being gentle, they are trusting creatures. They… Know us, in their hearts, I think. They were here long before the Valley of Gold ever existed, and I suspect they will be here long after Rin has ended."

"That is a very long time."

"It is eternity."

Star felt that those words had come from somewhere in her heart that she had never used before. She wasn't exactly sure where such wisdom, or such certainty, had come from. She looked inward, trying to find where that part of her was, exactly, so she might tap into it more often; but she couldn't find it.

"I don't quite know what you mean," Zan commented, looking as confused as she was.

"Oh well, I don't quite know what I mean, either," she shrugged.

Out of the blue, there was a loud knock on the door. Star and Zan both jumped a bit, partly paralyzed with shock at the sound. They were still for a moment, hoping that perhaps if they pretended to not be there, the person at the door might go away.

Instead, the knocking came again; and this time, a familiar voice came with it.

"Star, come to the door. We know you're there."

"Alanis," Star muttered. "Zan, you have to hide. Quickly! She won't go away until I've answered her."

Looking faintly annoyed again, Zan squared his shoulders and darted toward the hallway. "Back into the coat closet it is, then," he muttered back. Once he had slipped into the closet and shut himself inside, Star did her best to hide any trace of having a plan from her face, trying to replace it with the look of despair her cousin would be expecting.

It was hard, though. She was normally good at fibbing, even to people she was close to. For some reason, forcing the hope and enthusiasm she felt off her face was difficult today. As she went to open the door, she had to settle for a blank face, with no emotion at all. It was the best she could muster for now.

When she opened the door, she was not entirely surprised to see that Forley and Leah had come with Alanis to see her. Of course they would have. But they were only going to take up more of her precious time, and she couldn't help being slightly peeved. Frankly, all three of them looked a bit peeved, themselves. Even Forley was grave, and it was unnerving.

"Hello," she greeted as forlornly as she could.

"Where is he?" Alanis demanded immediately.

Star felt her heart jolt with shock. "Where is who?" she asked, hoping she sounded genuinely clueless.

Leah put her fists impatiently on her hips. "The Zebak boy you broke out of the jailhouse, obviously."

Star was stunned. How on earth had they known? Instead of thinking up a reasonable lie, all she could do was stare at them with wide eyes.

"What? How could you—why ever would I—I have no idea what you're talking about," she babbled, crossing her arms defensively, as if the accusation had hurt her.

Alanis sighed. "Star, don't bother lying to us. We know what you did. We watched you do it, for pity's sake! How foolish do you think we are?"

There was a lot that Star wanted to say to that. She would have liked to snap at her cousins for spying on her. She would have liked to speak in Zan's defense, if they would bother hearing her out. She would have liked to assure them that there was a reason for everything, and to explain her plan.

But all that she said was, "How?"

"Da was worried about you, and rightly so," Forley said flatly, pushing past her into the house. "When you stormed off a while ago, he suggested I follow you. He feared you might not go straight home, I suspect; I had a similar fear, myself."

"Alanis and I felt the same," Leah continued for her brother, coming to join him. "We felt it best to go with him and stop you from doing anything foolish. We were all right to be concerned, it seems."

The brother and sister's faces were difficult to read. It would have been easy to say that they felt neutral about the situation; but Star knew better. They must have felt something, but it was impossible to tell exactly what it was. Alanis was an entirely different matter. She looked cross and disappointed, and very much like her own father. Star couldn't really blame her, and it made her feel slightly guilty.

"So I am going to ask you again," Alanis said tightly, crossing her arms, "where is he?"

Star let her poor attempt at a mask fall from her face. The excitement over her plan and the frustration she now felt were plain for them to see. She didn't want to pull Zan into the middle of this, but it seemed that neither of them had a choice. She glanced sullenly over her shoulder, toward the hallway.

"Zan, you're going to have to come out here," she called to him, knowing very well that he had heard everything.

Zan inched cautiously out of the coat closet, his hands on the back of his head. He may have been trying to appear awkwardly casual and nonthreatening; or it may have been a show of surrender. In either case, he looked truly frightened.

Star thought once again that he looked like any other, very normal person. Forley and Leah were staring at him in fascination, probably marveling at how he hadn't attacked them yet. Alanis was glaring at him coldly, clearly unwilling to trust him. Zan flicked his eyes from one to the next, trying to gauge them, waiting for one of them to speak instead of just watch him warily.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Alanis asked abruptly, not taking her eyes off him.

"Zan is his name," Star answered, wondering at her cousin's reaction as she turned to her guest. "Zan, these are my cousins."

He mumbled nervously in greeting, only to jump in surprise when Forley poked him in the shoulder. Pleased with the look on Zan's face, Forley poked him again, aiming for his forehead this time. Zan batted his hand away and took a few steps back.

"Why are you doing this? Stop it!" he demanded, holding his arm protectively in front of himself, scowling and looking more like they would have expected a Zebak to look.

Now extremely pleased, Forley grinned to his sister and said, "Yes, he is human, after all."

Leah couldn't help laughing softly at her brother, and even Alanis had to smile faintly. It was good to see Forley being more himself again. But Star couldn't quite share the feeling, and neither could Zan. Mostly, they were just terribly confused.

"So," Alanis said, turning a more serious face on Star, "let me guess: you plan on running off to the Zebak lands to rescue your mother. It's why you broke this boy out of the jailhouse, is it not? So you would have a guide to help you. Not at all a bad idea, I have to admit. A better idea than my brother ever started off with, which isn't saying much."

Star saw no reason to try and make up excuses. If they had been following her so closely, of course they had guessed what she was up to. So she shrugged and answered, "Well, someone had to follow in his exalted footsteps. If he can't be bothered to do it himself, then I guess it's all up to me."

Alanis sighed with pretended sadness. "That's what we thought," she said tiredly, striding to lean on Forley's shoulder. "And to think, you were going to leave without saying goodbye, or asking us for help."

"Insulting," Forley added, shaking his head. "Whoever heard of Rowan going anywhere without one or other of our fathers somewhere nearby to supervise things? Such a thing never did for them, and so it simply won't do for us."

The comment struck a chord with Star. Seeing her cousins standing together, she noticed for the first time that all three of them had light packs slung over their shoulders. Leah had traded the skirt and soft shoes she had been wearing for sturdy trousers and heavy boots. Alanis had a sword strapped to her belt.

They hadn't come to stop her at all. They had come to join her.

"And don't even think of talking us out of it, because it can't be done," Leah said quickly, before Star could protest. "We know how little good it does arguing with you, once you've set your mind to something. We've decided to just be as stubborn as you, this time. We will be going with you, one way or another."

Normally, Star would have done just what Leah had told her not to do, and insist on them giving this up because it wasn't their mission to go on. But she suddenly remembered the Book, and all the times her own father had begged his friends to stay out of his troubles, and all the times that it hadn't worked. He had needed his friends with him, whether he had known it or not. Much like the elements themselves, he never would have succeeded at anything if he had acted alone.

And we are four parts of a whole, ourselves, she remembered, smiling at the thought.

"I would never ask you to stay behind," she said brightly. "Zan and I could certainly use your help."

Zan shot her that doubtful face again, clearly not pleased that their party had suddenly grown from two to five. Star elected to ignore him.

"It's not like you were the only one with great ideas," Forley commented, his face falling again. "Upon hearing the whole story, I had half a mind to go running off alone on a grand adventure, myself. After some discussion, Alanis agreed that she had the same thought. And of course we knew that we could count on you to put an idea that dangerous into action."

"So we talked it over, and decided to surprise you as badly as you surprised us," Alanis concluded. "We went back to our own homes to pick up some things, and then came to meet you here. It hardly took long, as nothing was unpacked yet, and now we are perfectly ready to go. We assume that you've found yourself much the same. When do you intend to leave?"

Star glanced at Zan, who was still displeased with how things had changed. Having nothing to add, he just shrugged unhelpfully.

"In a few minutes, I suppose," she answered at last. "All that's really left is to get Unos. That may take time, though. I don't know how granny will feel about parting with her for so long; but I'm sure I can convince her, in the end."

"Then get to it, already," Leah said, shooing her toward the door. "Before someone wanders away from the crowd and catches us."

Seeing an excuse to get away from the newcomers, Zan attempted to go with her. Before he got very far, Alanis clamped a hand on his shoulder and stopped him short.

"You're going to stay right here with us," she informed him. "I've got a lot of questions for you, and so help me, you will answer them."

Unable to resist such a firm command, Zan went a bit stiff and nodded shakily. He wasn't aware of Alanis' usual seriousness, and that she honestly meant nothing by it than exactly what she had said; to him, it must have been frightening.

Star didn't like to leave him here like this, at the mercy of Alanis' gruffness and Forley's teasing, but she knew there was no choice.

"Never mind her, Zan, she doesn't bite," she insisted. "And I'll be back soon. I'm not coming back without our ride, so be ready for me."

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Star wove in and out of the trees as fast as she could, not wanting to waste any more time than had already been wasted. The square was far away, and she could no longer hear the buzz of conversation there. It was hard to tell if the meeting had already ended and the crowd had dispersed, or if the people had merely quieted down. Not knowing made Star terribly anxious, and she tried to move a little faster.

The last time I went this way, I was going to ask granny for advice before I went on the biggest adventure of my life, she thought. I had promised to come home and tell her about all the amazing things I had done. How small that adventure seems, compared to this…

She didn't waste any thought wondering if Sheba would know to expect her. Of course the woman would know she was making her way through the orchard, coming to ask if she could take Unos and make no promises to return her. She didn't have anything to offer in return, either, and that bothered her.

For certain, Sheba knew about Zan, and the plan they had made, and everything else that had happened in the last hour. What was she going to say about it all? Would she be too frightened and unsure to see reason, or would she understand? Had she heard and accepted Fate's call, or was she determined to resist it?

By the time she reached the clearing, she still didn't know what she was going to say when she met Sheba. And just as she had suspected, she saw the old woman waiting in the middle of the clearing, watching lovingly as Unos munched on the grass.

It seemed that she was enjoying the sight of her companion for one last time, remembering all the time they had shared. Star could already see the sadness in the woman's worn face, but she also saw an odd kind of peace.

Star burst out of the trees and into the clearing, panting a bit. Unos, who hadn't been expecting her, was of course pleased to see her appear so suddenly. It was hard to tell how Sheba felt, though. Her face was filled with warring thoughts and feelings, and hard to read properly.

The woman was silent for a long moment, and so was Star. It felt as if somehow, they were having a sort of silent conversation, and understood each other perfectly well. In fact, in the simple meeting of their eyes, she felt like those seconds of silence spoke louder and clearer than any words could have.

All of Star's hopes and fears and suspicions were there in the look her granny gave her. Of course she knew the prophecy, the plan, and everything to do with it. And of course she understood what had to be done. She was afraid of what might happen in the days to come, and she was afraid for Star. She didn't care for sending off her two favorite companions, but she saw that there was no choice.

She understood it all, and was willing to help.

Caring nothing for the surreal and magical moment they were sharing, Unos plodded up to Star, as she always did, and nuzzled her face enthusiastically. It had been a month since they had met, and the grach had clearly missed her very much. Star was so moved, she wrapped her arms around the creature's neck and hugged her tightly.

Sheba laughed without humor at the sight of them. "She might not be so pleased, if she knew where you plan on taking her, Mahna. It's a cruel thing being asked of her, and you, and all of you children. Why Fate should go on demanding the lives of our little ones is a thing I would like greatly to know."

Star released Unos and walked slowly to stand beside Sheba one last time. It was funny, she thought. Only moments ago, she had felt like she was running out of time, and couldn't move fast enough. Now, time seemed to have slowed back to walking pace. She had stood here with Sheba so many times in her life, speaking peacefully of magic and pleasant things. There weren't many things she would have spared so much time for, in this hour. Saying goodbye to her granny, one of the only people in Rin who had believed her, was one of those precious, precious things.

"I know I promised to stay longer granny. I'm so sorry it has to be like this."

Sheba took the girl's nimble brown hands in her own weathered ones, and gave them a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry yourself over that, little one; I already know it all. I only wish we could have discussed it all in person. It is dreadfully unfair. But you are right, indeed. There is hardly time to be sentimental, when you have so much work to do."

She looked gravely into Star's eyes. The girl saw tears there, and felt tears of her own prickling her eyes.

"Oh, it is unfair, I say," Sheba sighed, sounding caught somewhere between annoyance and sorrow. "For I am afraid I must tell you, we will not meet again in this life."

Star didn't care if there was no time to be sentimental. Her lip trembling, she pulled her granny into a fierce hug, wishing that time would just stop its terrible march for a moment.

"I will miss you."

"And I will miss you. But fear not, my Mahna. You are a strong and willful young person, and you are made of the stars, themselves. You will do well, I am sure. Even if this army of bumbling fools is too afraid to know it, I will know it enough for them all."

It was a beautiful moment of farewell; but Sheba was unused to being hugged, and quickly straightened herself so she could face Star squarely again.

"I will take care of things here, child. Your father will be a pain, but we will understand, in time. He has hurt you, and it is far from right; but you know he is only doing what any father would do in a moment of trouble. Try not to be too upset with him."

"I will try," Star agreed tightly. Going through with the plan had been much easier when she had been furious with her father. Now guilt was starting to settle in her heart. She hadn't even said goodbye to him. She simply couldn't. None of her cousins had said goodbye to their parents, either. The pain they would cause would be unbearable. It was an awful thing to have to do, but there was no way to help it.

"Don't think of that for now," Sheba insisted, gesturing toward Unos. "Take the beast, and go rescue your mother. If anyone can do it, it is you. Now go and have your adventure, at last."

Tearing herself away from that safe place was hard. So hard. Star had to force herself to move away, back toward the trees. She brushed at her eyes and clicked her tongue, summoning Unos to follow. The grach hissed in pleasure, happy to follow the girl she trusted anywhere she led.

Nothing stood in her way anymore. The last piece of the plan was in place, and time was beginning to rush forward again. All the same, Star paused a final time to look over her shoulder and wave feebly behind her.

"Goodbye, granny."

"Goodbye, my dear Mahna. Remember to listen to your heart, and the voice of Fate, and you will not be led astray. Good fortune to you, and your companions, and may the stars speed you on your way."

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Afterthoughts…

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IT'S OVER 9,000!

Behold, the longest chapter so far, in terms of words. This took me about a week, and that is an enormous relief to my soul.

I had thought of there being more—mainly concerning various parents freaking out considerably to find all their children missing—but I won't bore you with that. Instead, I'm going to treat you to an entire chapter from Zeel's point of view, because she, too, is having an adventure. ;D

Most of it is in glorious, glorious past tense, too….