im posting this all the way from peru. my cousin actually helped me a lot since i had writer's block with this one. thanks cuz! 3
M.K. and Nod had returned at the same time towards late afternoon. The Queen, Fara, and the spirits were successful in building a temporary nest of sticks and moss, cradled in the high boughs of a hickory tree. The eagles were wary of it, naturally, but with communication from the sylphs and Nod's rose, they were coaxed into the nest. With the help of the air spirits, the songbirds available managed to take the eggs up in trips. Once that was done, the parents were more comfortable in their new home. The female retook her post of incubating and the male flew off to end their fasting.
Only once Nod and M.K. were in the hickory boughs did they see that Ross and Mason had set up camp a little ways above the nest. Three large branches grew from one point, the bases forming a shallow hollow, spacious enough for all of them.
Nod, M.K., Ariel, and Fara joined them and to their utter surprise and relief, saw Jason and Thryn setting up a tent. Sterling was buzzing around his owner, finally having come out of hiding from wherever he disappeared to. Ariel gave the girl a hug and she returned it with a strained smile. With her eyes downcast and her tone neutral, she apologized for worrying them and explained where Jason found her. M.K. noticed how the blonde was watching for their reactions. M.K. had already forgiven Thryn and it was obvious that Nod, Ariel, and Fara had as well. They helped the pair set up the rest of the tents, makeshift structures of twigs and leaves that Ross and Mason had gathered. Nod and Thryn showed them how to do it; it seemed the Leafmen were taught survival skills as well as combat and strategy.
Lex was the last to return, having searched the longest and only stopping when it began to get dark. Like Ariel, she embraced Thryn with a reprimand of never scaring her like that again. M.K. felt the weight leave her shoulders; most of what was uncertain before was now secure. They were all accounted for and not hurt, the eagles and their eggs now had a nest safe from predators, they had a camp, and Ross and Mason were lighting a campfire and fixing dinner from the food left in their packs.
That was when the camaraderie started to fade and the tension began to build.
The redhead realized that Ross and Mason weren't doing it consciously, but their expressions, body language, and their uncharacteristic silence was sending the message loud and clear. As they roasted nuts over the fire and rationed the jerky and seed cakes, they barely looked or spoke to Thryn. When darkness had fallen and the only light was the fire, they gathered around and waited eagerly for the nuts to finish roasting, the scent driving their hungry bellies mad. They had to wait longer for them to cool until they could hold them without burning their hands.
When the food was finally ready, the chatter died as they stuffed their faces. The nuts were delicious and very filling. After they finished, no one attempted to restart the conversation and most just stared unseeing into the flames. The scene looked content but it felt like a string about to snap from being stretched too far.
Thankfully, Nod took the lead. "Now that we're all here and rested, we need to start planning our next move."
"Hold on," Lex interjected. "I haven't seen Wanikiy since the fire. Did any of you know what's happened to him?"
"He is reconnecting with nature," Patamon replied softly from around them. They had felt his gust earlier but he kept out of his usual bird form for some reason. It sounded like his voice was coming from all around them. "Since the salamanders burned down the pine, he must reestablish his form with something else. Sometimes, the process can take time."
"That's too bad," Lex said. "We could use his advice right now."
"We should figure it out ourselves anyway," Ross added.
"Since you're literally the man with the plan, have you come up with any ideas, Ross?" Nod asked.
"A few, but they're either risky, tedious, or just plain stupid," he admitted.
"If you share them, maybe we can come up with something," Nod prompted.
Ross let out a tired sigh but relented. "One way to solve this is to ask the nearest kingdom for help. There's some warrior tribes to the north and plenty of other territories on the other side of the mountains. We have our Queen who can negotiate an alliance."
"I had no idea there was more of you guys out there," M.K. exclaimed, intrigued by the fact. It actually made a lot of sense now that she gave it some thought.
Ross nodded. "We don't even know how many; some are too far away to have any connections with. And that's part of the problem. Even though we trade with those nearest to us, we're still kept very isolated within our own parts. Since the Leafmen lost their territory, the other kingdoms won't consider it a problem until the Boggans decide to start conquering their homes."
"You guys don't have good relations or strong alliances with any of your neighbors?" Jason inquired.
"Part of the issue is that Queen Tara could have established such relationships, in fact she probably did," Ross explained. "She was very good at that. But since she died and Queen Ariel is now on the throne, those monarchs may not feel the need to keep the contract since she's a new ruler, for whatever reason justifies their excuses. They will still trade but they won't do more than that."
"So that's a lost cause," Nod finished. "What else you got?"
"It leaves us little choice but to take back Moonhaven ourselves. And that's nearly impossible."
Wood cracked in the fire, orange sparks flying into the black night. They were all quiet as they contemplated the hopelessness of their position.
"We have no army to raise, so taking them head on is suicide," Ross continued as he stared dispassionately at the embers. "Picking them off in guerilla fashion and managing rebel factions is difficult, dangerous, and would take too long. Sure, we have an all-powerful plant on our side but it's useless if we don't know how to use it."
Nod's gaze darted to his arm as he raised the rose to eye level. "Even with Wanikiy helping me, I haven't gotten any closer to figuring out what this rose is supposed to do. All we know is that it can save us all or aid our enemies. But I don't know how to get it to work."
Suddenly, an idea came to M.K. "Usually there's a time and place for these kind of things. Like the pod a year ago. It needed the full moon on the summer solstice to release its power and choose a new ruler. Are there any special days coming up?"
"None that I can think of," Nod said. "The next full moon is another month away, I think."
"The moon won't help us in this case," M.K. stated. The others perked up at the certainty in her tone.
"How do you know?" Thryn spoke for the first time.
"I remember studying in school about ancient civilizations that had similar cultures even though they were centuries apart," the redhead explained. "In a lot of those, females were often represented by the moon, which makes sense since a new Queen is decided every hundred years under the light of a full moon. On the other hand, males were represented by the sun and this is the King's rose."
"That makes sense," Thryn agreed. "The sun will most likely have something to do with it. Yet there's no special days involving the sun coming up. Unless…" Her gray eyes drifted to the rose and she looked at Nod. He was startled by the unease in her expression.
"The last time the rose grew exponentially, you passed out because it took a tremendous amount of energy."
The boy's eyes widened slightly when he realized what she was getting at. "You think that when it grows again, my body won't be able to take it?"
"I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. But the rose is almost in its last stage. All it needs to do now is bloom. Who knows how big it'll actually get, but either way, you won't be able to provide for it anymore cause it won't be enough…"
They were all scared into silence at this horrifying revelation. They didn't know it to be true but it was a logical observation with a very possible outcome. Shivers raced up and down Nod's spine. All he was to this thing was a tool to keep living and it could eventually consume his entire being. Having it attached to him did have its benefits, but weighed against his life, he wanted more than anything to get the parasite off. Wanted more than anything to go back in time to the day he unwittingly tumbled into its unforgiving reach.
Somehow, he managed to keep his voice steady. "So it doesn't matter when exactly. I just need to get it off me before it grows again. Which could be soon…"
"From what Wankiy told me," Patamon broke in abruptly. He seemed to be the only one unaffected by the heavy situation. "The plant makes its decisions based off its environment. So if you want it to remove itself, you need to give it a better place to grow."
Nod ran his fingers through his air, trying to relieve the stress. "I'm open to ideas."
"Come on, Nod, use your brain," Thryn muttered irritably. He was actually relieved to see her back to her old, agitated self. "If the rose as a seed was granted magic by royalty then it will want to grow in royal ground. Which brings us back to Moonhaven…"
"I don't think it's smart to put all our hope in a rose which could turn against us," Ross argued, He still seemed dead set against acknowledging Thryn or even looking at her. "Going back to my plans, I actually do have one that could work."
"So why didn't you share that with us before?" Mason never strayed from an opportunity to poke at his favorite target.
Ross ignored the barb. "Since we're a small group, we can move more quickly and quietly. Sneaking into Moonhaven is our best option. Since we know the place, it won't be hard for us to cause havoc. One of the most important things to do is to free the captive Leafmen and Ronin so that we can have a fighting force."
Thryn raised an eyebrow. "And the second task?"
For the first time that evening, Ross looked her in the face. "Assassinating the leader, of course."
"Easier said than done," she frowned as she thought it over. "We don't know his routine or how well-guarded he is. How are we supposed to kill him if we can't get to him?"
"I've already thought of that." Ross couldn't keep himself from looking smug. "Getting close won't be possible, so it'll have to be an arrow from a high, hidden point. Lex should do it."
The grasshopper girl started with surprise upon hearing her name. She had been daydreaming. "Wait, me?"
"Of course," Ross replied with, surprisingly, a small smile. "You're the best shot out of all us. Maybe the best the Leafmen has."
Lex blushed. Everybody's eyes darted between the two, wondering if something was going on that they didn't know about.
"Ross is right," Nod agreed. "It'll be like fish in a mill pond for you."
"But Moonhaven will be heavily guarded on the ground and the Boggans will watch the skies," Lex lamented. "How are we supposed to get inside to even make the shot?"
All eyes turned to Ross whose smugness has disappeared. "I don't know yet."
"I may have something that could help…" Thryn murmured quietly. Everyone present turned to her with bewildered expressions.
Without a word, the gray-eyed girl got up and went to her pack by the tent. She rifled through the bag until she found what she wanted. Coming back into the firelight, she carried a rolled up piece of leather tied with a string.
Nod could tell she was nervous about showing this to them, but his curiosity was burning fiercely. "What's that?"
She untied the string and unrolled the leather, the others crowding around her to have a look. The flames were beginning to die down but there was enough light to make out a piece a paper glued to the leather. All over the paper were lines and drawings of passageways.
"This," she said. "Is a map of a tunnel system underneath Moonhaven."
Ross was the first to break the stunned silence. "Where did you get this?"
Thryn only hesitated a second before answering. "I drew it myself."
"From what I can tell, this looks really detailed," Mason observed coyly. "It must have taken you a while to complete it. When did you find the time to do it?"
"My free time," she said cryptically. "I made sure to grab it before we left, or the Boggans were sure to find it and then our surprise attack would be expected. But with this, we can get inside with no one the wiser."
"It makes sense," M.K. added. "Plenty of strongholds having secret escape tunnels. Ariel, did you know about this?"
The Queen shook her head. "It's news to me." Lowering her voice, she growled irritably under her breath. "Note to self, bash my advisors for not telling me when we get back."
"There will be no bashing, young lady," her mother admonished. "Only I can do that."
This brought out chuckles from the teens and Fara smiled serenely with them, like all was right with the world.
Ross refocused them. We'll have to make a more detailed plan when we head back. Since they haven't seen any sign of us for a week, it'll be easier for us to go back to the area and find a hiding place. I think its best we go tomorrow."
Most everyone nodded in agreement. In an unspoken message, they all headed to bed. Thryn rolled up and tied off her map, ignoring Ross's suspicious glances. They had managed to set up four leaf tents that could shelter two. It was small but cozy. Mason had been put on first watch and took his post by the dying embers of the fire.
Fara and Ariel took the first tent and Thryn and Lex shared the second. Ross shared a tent with Jason and would switch out when it was time to relieve Mason. That left the last tent to Nod and M.K. The redhead wondered if the others had done this on purpose.
The two spread out their bedrolls and tried to get comfortable on the hard bark. M.K. did not feel tired; her mind was racing with all they had discussed. She kept going back to Thryn's prediction of the rose growing again. The last time this happened, Nod was convulsing and moaning in pain. She had been scared to death that his heart would stop beating. She didn't try to comfort herself that he would come out okay. She knew in her bones that the next time it happened, it would kill him.
"Hey, M.K.?" Nod whispered beside her. "Are you awake?"
She rolled her eyes then remembered that it was dark. "A question like that is what wakes people up."
"Sorry," but she could practically hear his grin.
"What is it, Nod?" she asked, not really as annoyed as she let on. After all, she wasn't sleepy. The girl rolled over to face him.
"I just wanted to tell you that everything will be alright," he whispered. She could just make out his flashing, brown eyes.
Damn, he knew her so well, he saw right through her. He was the one with possible death coming to knock on his door in a matter of days and it was him trying to comfort her.
She sighed deeply. Worrying about the future never helped anybody, so it wouldn't help her. She had to focus on the here and now. And right now, Nod was lying so close she could feel his heat. It was almost intoxicating.
"How did I get so lucky?" she asked with a smile. M.K. scooted closer and wrapped her slim arms around his toned waist, resting her head on his chest. He did likewise, rubbing her back soothingly and positioning his arm so that she didn't crush the rose.
"I'm the lucky one," he whispered into her hair.
With her ear pressed against his chest, she heard and felt his steady heartbeat. Slowly, M.K. drifted into her dreams to the thrumming of the organ. As long as she kept hearing that heart, she knew that everything would be alright.
shorter than i would like but its the best i could do. hopefully the next chapter will be easier. please review and stay whelmed :)