[ All_Most PUNK ] looked at [ Athene Noctua ] floating above the floor. She seemed peaceful and the sight was more beautiful than frightening. He pulled himself together and turned to [ Lerune ] who was still staring at the apparition. He touched her gently on the shoulder but got no reaction; he glanced at the floating figure again then gingerly shook the elf, “[ Lerune ]” he called softly, but still nothing. He helped her up and took her back into the library and was startled by the sight of [ peura ] standing in the middle of the room.
“Why do guards sneak around other people”, he said exasperated.
“I did not sneak in”, she replied scowling, “I walked in.”
“Now you are going to tell me that you are not a secret agent.”
“Lilo is the only secret agent in this town”, she said rolling her eyes, “although that's not exactly a secret. Speaking of which, she has this place under surveillance. We had better leave.”
[ All_Most PUNK ] ignored the error [ peura ] had made in speech and followed her supporting [ Lerune ]. “Where are we going?” He asked after a few minutes of walking through dark corridors.
“To the tavern”, she answered, and then turned to look at him. “You look different and sound it too”. She drew her sword and pointed it at him. “Who sent you" she asked with venom.
[ All_Most PUNK ] saw the fire in her eyes and was not sure she was ready for the tale of his adventure, for it would have sounded like a tall tale.
“I came to help her.” He said pointing at [ Lerune ].
[ peura ] put away her blade that seemed to glow in the dark corridor and resumed the journey through the narrow passage. “For a moment there I thought [ Elisandra ] or even [ testhedda ] sent you.”
[ All_Most PUNK ]s ears began to ring, ‘what was she talking about' he thought to himself. ‘[ testhedda ]? Surely she meant [ Hedda ], and why would [ Elisandra ] want him to spy on [ Lerune ]'. He needed some answers and he needed them fast, but there was no telling what her reaction would be if he ventured.
Wondering why they were in this passage and not out in the streets, he was tempted to ask, but to smart to risk it. Soon after they came to a blank wall, and [ peura ] whispered a few words in Quenya, he couldn't make out. The wall shimmered and [ peura ] walked through it. [ Mordigen ]'s he recalled always did have magic for everything, even secret back doors.
He stepped through the wall and the surface rippled as he passed through with the elf. It worried him that [ Lerune ] still had the blank stare, and then he ran into [ peura ] who had stopped walking and faced them.
“The scouts are out we must be cautious as ever, stay alert.”
‘Scouts', he thought to himself, ‘more surprises' this was going to be one of those days.
They went through side streets and paths he didn't know existed in elftown, then it dawned on him, the streets were deserted. Not a single citizen was in the streets anywhere. It had the ambiance of a ghost town. The reference to scouts began to make sense, but he was still in the dark.
They came to another junction and [ peura ] stopped and listened. Hearing nothing, she rapped twice on a boarded up window and waited, then knocked once. A door a little ways down the street opened a crack. [ peura ] made her way to it followed closely by the two.
They got in and the door was closed behind them. He didn't see the face of the one that opened the door, but he felt a sudden calm in her presence. Rays of the sun shot beams of light into the hall way from the cracks in the boarded up windows, which gave the room an eerie appearance.
They went into a large room with scented votives placed around the room in a pattern. The scent was a soft mix of jasmine and lavender, it had a cleansing effect on [ All_Most PUNK ]'s mind set. Of course, he thought to him self, the sanctuary. The Sanctuary of Faraday had always had this effect on him, even when he didn't need any rest or healing. Then he realized it must have been [ ButterflyFairy ] at the door. When she spoke his heart smiled.
“What happened to her?” She asked holding [ Lerune ]'s hand.
“She saw an apparition in [ Mordigen ]'s crypt. There was nothing I could do.”
[ ButterflyFairy ] smiled softly at him, “I am sure you would have helped if you knew how.”
She got up and went to the cabinet and brought out a silver chalice, then began to wipe it with the edge of her apron which she took off and hung on a nail near the fire place.
“Going out?” [ Calico Tiger ] asked her.
“I need to” she replied.
“Be careful.”
[ ButterflyFairy ] nodded as she went up the stairs to the storey above.
[ All_Most PUNK ] had not noticed [ Calico Tiger ] when he had entered. She sat up on the bunk that she had been laying on.
“Ducky, you should be confined, how did you get here.”
[ All_Most PUNK ] knew he couldn't put off the explanation for his mysterious appearance any longer; his silence may be misconstrued, and thought of as a spy, so he told the guards what had happened.
“It sounds like a likely story”; [ Calico Tiger ] said after a long pause, “we will have to wait for [ Lerune ] to confirm it though”. She got up and walked to him, “In the mean time,” she whispered leaning in close to him, “I will be watching you.”
A shiver ran down his spine. He had always had her as a friend and as a fellow council member, never as the adversary. He didn't like the role and hoped that things looked up soon.
[ ButterflyFairy ] ran across the roof to the look out point. She scanned the streets below looking out for Lilo's scouts. The break up of the council had been violent; [ testhedda ] had disbanded the Council and striped the guards of their titles when reports of injustice in the town had reached him. Lilo had poisoned his mind against the Council members and had some of them apprehended. She had heard that many had fled the Council Chambers defending themselves. [ All_Most PUNK ] is said to have been caught when he returned to resolve the conflict, he body guard was killed and he was put in shackles. ‘He looked well rested though' she thought idly.
She looked to the east and saw the anvil shaped storm clouds in the distance, a few drops of fresh rain water is all I need. Let's speed things up a bit she smiled.
Calling Eurus from the east with the aid of Sylphs she made the storm build up faster. The Sylphs put up a dazzling display in the evening sky, hair glowing yellow and their clothes with blue highlights. They floated above her head raising the wind around her, eddies teasing her wings.
She thought for the briefest moment then threw caution to the wind. She beat her wings slowly first then they became a blur, and then she soared into the air and joined her kin. She felt free, too long had had the oppression of Lilo stifled the liberty of all in elftown.
She soared higher and higher, loosing her senses and letting the wind take control. She shut her eyes and floated.
She became alert when she felt eyes watching her and then dropped out of the sky just in time to avoid an arrow that whizzed past her missing her by a hairs breadth.
Lilo's scouts had spotted her.