Brooklyn's last minute arrival at the north tower certainly earned him a look of consternation from Goliath, who didn't understand why the hatchlings had been brought back to the tower.
"Brooklyn, is something wrong in the rookery?" Goliath asked urgently, "Alexander told us you asked him to bring the children up to the tower, but he couldn't tell us why."
"No, everything's fine in the rookery," Brooklyn began to explain, glancing with some trepidation at the guests who were watching them curiously as they joined the clan on the parapet, "But there's something…"
"Well, that's a relief," Elisa, who had only just finished her shift and joined them in time to meet the new guests, "We thought maybe something happened!" She reached out her arms for the hatchlings and they both ran to her. She scooped up both their wiggling, giggling forms and said,
"Don't worry. I'll take them back."
"Thank you," Goliath replied in relief.
"Goliath, I have to tell you about something," Brooklyn tried again.
"Broadway said that you encountered a rogue gargoyle," Goliath replied.
"Yes, and…"
"You were right not to force her to come with you," he praised, "No doubt she is keeping an eye on the clan from afar and will likely come to us in her own good time, if she needs help."
"Well, about that…"
"Our guests seem to be impressed with our clan. Their leader has asked me several times to meet Adelpha," Goliath told him in a low voice. Brooklyn fell silent, surprised by the abrupt change in subject. Goliath said nothing further, but was looking at him expectantly. Slowly, Brooklyn realized that he was asking for his opinion.
"I think that it might do Adelpha good to see for herself that we aren't alone in the world," he replied finally.
"We've done all we could to keep her away from the human world, but this just seems…different. Part of me still insists that any information can be dangerous in her crafty mind, but she has come so far!. I know her story will continue on, well past the end of ours. The time must come eventually, when she sees the world again, and she needs to see a future she can hope for." Goliath paused, looking very conflicted.
"Do you think she could be ready now?" he asked softly.
Brooklyn was about to tell him that, although he generally favored the idea, 'right now' might not be the most opportune moment for an introduction, but then, the sun's first blade of daylight pierced through the city's haze and silenced them both.
The next evening, they were greeted by the wafting aroma of smoked brisket and corn pudding, rising from the open French doors leading into the dinning room.
"Our humans are spoiling us again!" Ophelia commented to the two guards of the mountain clan.
"Aye," Blaze agreed, with a hungry expression, "But I think I can get used to it. We should have guests more often!"
Growing in desperation, Brooklyn attempted to lure Goliath's attention away from the guests long enough to tell him about the situation in Adelpha's room, where he assumed, or at least hoped, the rogue was still locked up safely, but getting him to speak to him without the leader and her translator overhearing was proving to be very difficult. At the same time, he was apprehensively counting every minute he left the two volatile females trapped together, if that was even the case.
He realized that he had no idea what had transpired during the day. While the rest of the clan slept, Adelpha was typically free to move around much of the castle in her human form. Brooklyn considered the probability that Goliath had asked either Xanatos or Owen to keep her restrained to her room and the rookery while the guests were present. If that was the case, Owen certainly would have checked on her at some point during the day, and Xanatos probably already knew about the rogue. Brooklyn found it strange, however, that Xanatos didn't come himself to tell Goliath. Was it possible that Owen hadn't ever checked on Adelpha, or that Adelpha had managed to hide the stone form of the rogue gargoyle from him? That scenario didn't seem likely to him, but perhaps Xanatos realized that it was best not to reveal the rogue in front of the guests.
Brooklyn wondered if Xanatos was right in that regard. The coincidence of this stranger arriving at nearly the same time as the visiting party, as well as the similarity of the emblems on their wings, strongly suggested a connection existed between them, but it was the way the rogue had reacted at the sight of the elder and her companions that left him certain that it was not a friendly one. She had been fearful at the sight of them. Brooklyn was sure of that, though he could only guess at what exactly distressed her. But he was certain that she did not want them to know she was there. He needed to get Goliath away from their guests so that he could tell him what was going on. He was hoping that Goliath and Thorn had learned something about the new clan and their community that might help them understand the situation better. Unfortunately, Goliath had already settled with the rest of the clan as they ate their breakfast, with the leader and her translator sitting right at his side, and they were discussing plans for them to accompany the clan on their first patrol of the evening and see some of the city.
As he watched in dismay, trying to figure out a good ruse for sneaking Goliath away from the party, he noticed Angela rising from the group and heading toward the door. He drew his breath sharply, realizing that she was likely going to tend to the hatchlings, but there was a good chance she would want to visit Adelpha while she was down there. Brooklyn rose quickly to catch up with her, but then he overheard Goliath's voice rising in pitch.
"I need some time to speak with my second-in-command," he explained to the translator, "Perhaps you would enjoy patrolling the city with the rest of the clan?"
Relieved to overhear this at last, Brooklyn shot his leader a grateful look.
"Yeah," he replied, "We do really need to talk. But I also have something I really need to check on…downstairs." Goliath looked confused at this declaration, but replied,
"I'll come find you."
Brooklyn excused himself amid the curious glances of the rest of the clan and hurried through the corridor and down the stairs to the level where Adelpha's room was located. He was very confused to find the security gate wide open and even more confused to find Adelpha reclined on the floor of her sitting room, cuddling and nursing Little Brother under her wing, as if nothing at all was amiss. Brooklyn narrowed his eyes at her and she smiled sweetly in response.
"Look! There's your silly uncle!" she cooed to little hatchling as she shifted her weight to turn the page of the book she was reading. Brooklyn narrowed his eyes at her, then peeked around the corner into the bedroom. Next he checked the space behind her counter, the bathroom, and the linen closet.
"Are you looking for something, my friend?" she called casually.
"What did you do with her?" he demanded, stepping back into the sitting room.
'Whom do you mean?" she asked innocently and he responded with a glare, "Oh, your friend? Well, she and I weren't getting along so well."
"So?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"So, I made other arrangements," she explained.
"Such as?"
Adelpha looked as if she was about to reply, but then her ears perked up at the distant sound of the elevator doors creaking open. Brooklyn also heard the sound of large, clawed feet on the tile floor of the hallway, and Adelpha smiled as she looked past his shoulder expectantly. Goliath entered the room, relieved to have found them.
"There you are!" he exclaimed and Little Brother squawked with delight at the sound of the clan leader's deep voice. He climbed out from under his rookery mother's wing and lept easily to Goliath's strong arm. Goliath greeted the child affectionately, then turned to his mate, who rose up to a crouching position.
"You've returned," she observed.
"Yes, I have," he replied, "Late last night. Forgive me for not coming down to see you right away, but…"
"It's no matter," she interrupted, "I had a pretty full night. I had an unexpected nap. Then I had some rigorous exercise before dawn."
Brooklyn rolled his eyes.
"I have something I wish to tell you," Goliath began hesitantly.
"Oh?" she replied, stretching to her full height, "What is that?"
"While I was gone, Thorn and I met a whole new clan of gargoyles in Colorado. We met their leaders, and they've sent a delegation back with us, to meet our clan. They're staying here in the castle with us now! "
Adelpha smiled genuinely and reached for his shoulder.
"You don't say!" she replied with a saucy glance at Brooklyn, "That is wonderful, but…"
"I also wondered if…" he paused, as if he was unsure the best way to phrase the invitation.
"If I happen to have seen any of these new gargoyles prowling wildly through the castle like a rabid wolverine?" she suggested.
"No," he replied in surprise, then added, "What?"
"Nothing. Go on."
"I was wondering if you would like to meet them."
"Meet them?" she replied seriously, "Well, I did so enjoy meeting the new friend Brooklyn introduced me to last night."
Brooklyn sighed as Goliath turned around and gave him a questioning look.
"That's what I was trying to tell you before," Brooklyn explained, "We got a visit last night from the strange gargoyle I met on the beach. She came here on her own, just before sunrise, but as soon as she caught sight of our guests, she pretty much lost it."
"Your second-in-command there decided that we girls needed to have our own impromptu slumber party, locked up here in my room," Adelpha added with a touch of bitterness in her tone.
"There wasn't time to put her anywhere else," Brooklyn protested, "The sun was about to rise!"
"Where is she now?" Goliath asked concernedly.
"Yeah. Good question," Brooklyn urged, hoping that Adelpha hadn't been foolish enough to let the aggressive female loose in the castle, "What have you done with her?"
"She's down in the dungeon," Adelpha replied coldly, meaning the gargoyle-proof holding cell Xanatos had constructed in the castle, prior to designing Adelpha's current place of incarceration, "Alexander and Owen relieved me of her a couple hours ago. They were more than happy to help. Owen said that Alexander needed the opportunity to practice translocation."
For all of Alexander's unique and powerful gifts, one basic fairy skill that had surprisingly eluded him was translocation, particularly while carrying an object or another person. He had yet to master it, and both he and his teacher, Puck, were greatly frustrated by this substantial and unexplained deficit. So much so that his sarcastic instructor in the ways of Oberon's children had taken to referring to the boy as "MetroCard" whenever he felt he was demonstrating a want for humility.
"Was he able to do it himself?" Brooklyn asked hopefully and Adelpha shrugged.
"No. Not even after an hour of trying. But eventually he gave up and lifted her onto a dolly and they took her away."
She drew closer to Goliath, her eyes thoughtful as she welcomed his touch on her shoulder.
"Do you think she is also part of this clan you've discovered?"
Goliath turned to Brooklyn, seeking his input on the matter.
"She has the same kind of emblem tattooed on her wing," Brooklyn reasoned, "And she kinda freaked out when she caught sight of their leader last night."
"Freaked out?" Goliath repeated apprehensively.
"Yeah," he recalled, "She saw them when you and Xanatos brought them up to the tower before sunrise."
"Are you certain it was the sight of the visitors that distressed her, and not Xanatos?" Adelpha asked and he looked at her in surprise. He hadn't really considered that.
"She kept saying his name," he realized, "When I approached her last night, she was trying to tell me something that had to do with Xanatos."
Adelpha seemed to contemplate this information.
"What are you thinking?" Goliath asked her and she sighed, gathering Little Brother back in her embrace and carrying him to a couch, where she sat down.
"I think you would do well to guard yourselves around these strangers," she said at last. Goliath sighed sadly.
"Will you not even trust your own kind?" Goliath chastised her.
"No," she replied coldly, "And nor should you trust strangers so readily, even if they are our kind. You ought to know better."
"I've spoken with them for several nights," Goliath assured her, "They are protectors, like us. I'm certain they mean no harm. Or would you have us shun even other gargoyle clans and live alone in the world forever?"
Adelpha refused to make eye contact with him. She seemed to be still considering the situation.
"Come and see for yourself, then," Goliath coaxed her, "When they return from patrolling with the others. Come and meet them."
"Very well," Adelpha agreed after a long pause. She looked up at her mate and smiled, "I will come."
"Good," he replied, turning to leave, but she rose quickly, and leaving the squirming child on the couch, she embraced Goliath and kissed him with a greediness that compelled Brooklyn to look away. He reminded himself once again that he was happy for them, and the joy they brought one another. Little Brother giggled at the sight of his parents' mutual affection and leaped down from the couch to catch hold of Goliath's tail.
"I've disappointed you again," she whispered sadly over his shoulder.
"No," he reassured her, "But you will see for yourself when you meet them. This is a good thing for us. For him." Goliath gestured down to the small hatchling who dangled from his tail with an eager expression.
"Should he not have friends in this world?" he asked her. She held her mate tighter for a moment before answering, "I hope you are right."
"I am right," he promised confidently as he lifted his son from the floor and placed him on his shoulders instead, "I'll see you soon."
Adelpha nodded and watched them depart for the elevator down the corridor. Then she turned to Brooklyn and said,
"Come. We must visit your friend in the dungeon and find out what she was trying to tell us."