Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-2601:647:4000:5CE0:FC5C:33DA:7CF0:60A-20191024050134/@comment-73.158.79.161-20191027003942

Chapter 4

Sophie let out a frustrated scream as she reread the letter for the fifteenth time.

Then the sixteenth.

Then the seventeenth.

Then the eighteenth.

Again and again and again.

My brave Moonlark,

''I'm sure you're wondering how I've gotten my hands on the Councillors' seal. I also know that you'll be wondering for days who I am. But you need to know that I am not with the enemy. I am with the Black Swan. However, if you ask them about this letter, you will recieve no answer, because the Black Swan will not know who I am either. And I will disappear without a trace. And I am positive that you are too curious for answers to do that.''

''If you want to meet, leave me an answer in a bottle with the sign of the swan in front of Calla's Panakes tree. And no matter what, please don't let Grady and Edaline hate me. I would never hurt them, or my Moonlark on purpose.''

Signed,

A Friend

Sophie tore a hand throug her hair and flopped back down on bed, realizing she only had one thing to do before going to sleep.

''Tam? TAM?''

'''Sophie? '''

It's time for our update, Sophie transmitted. Are you too busy?

No, Tam replied.''' I've been training with Umber's journals in this horrible cliffside cave, where there's only fungus for light. No, I don't know where it's located- I woke up here, and I wasn't able to go anywhere else. And Keefe wasn't kidding about the food- it tastes like banshee droppings.'''

''Did you learn anything? Are you alright?''

Fine, Tam replied. '''So far, I've learned that Umber first started to train with shadowvapor when she found hoards of the stuff while taking a reading when someone was sleeping. Apparently they were having a nightmare, and a terrifying one at that, because Umber found so much, she was overwhelmed. And Gethen had me do the same with him. While he was asleep, I found so much... it's crazy.'''

Rough day?

'''Rough day. Tell Biana and Linh not to worry.... I don't want them to freak out.'''

I will.

Sophie and Tam talked for a little more and Tam told her what little he knew. It was the shortest check-in Sophie had ever had. And still, she worried. And worried some more.

The next day, it was school. Sophie managed to drag herself out of bed and stuff her satchel with notebooks as she leaped to Foxfire. Dex, Marella, and Biana joined her at the campus. Marella and Biana asked about Tam. Dex asked if Sophie was okay. There was something going on between Marella and Biana, too. When Sophie told Marella about her latest conversations, the pixie like girl had seemed hurt. "He didn't give me a message?" Marella kept asking. "Nothing?" And Sophie had apoligetically told her Tam hadn't even mentioned her. And Marella's eyes had filled with almost-tears as she fell silent, and she kept shooting envious glances at Biana.

"I feel so useless," Keefe told their usual group- including Fitz- during study hall. "We should have a sleepover."

"That's a pretty good idea," Linh said. "Any ideas where we should have it?"

"Havenfield," Sophie volunteered- then instantly regretted it, because it meant that Fitz would come over. "We can stage it during the weekend." (do elves even have weekends? Sorry if they don't!)

And of course, everyone agreed.

"Ditching, Foster?" Keefe said when he caught her in the hallway with Sandor, during her Telepathy session.

She kind of had been- because she didn't want to face Fitz. Also, it was because she had totally and accidentaly scraped her knee while tripping on the campus, and now it was scraped and slightly bloody. And she rarely wanted one of the GET YOUR BUTT TO THE HEALING CENTER NEXT TIME! lectures again, so....

"Actually, I'm going to class right now, because I was at the Healing Center to treat my scrape," Sophie corrected. Keefe pouted, slinging an arm around Sophie's shoulders.

"So, who wants to raid the mentor lunchroom? Cause everyone's in session, so it'll be empty...." Keefe said in a singsong voice. So Sophie trailed behind him, Sandor still shouting many protests as he covered her eyes and led her to the secret lunchroom.

Minutes later, Sophie was dipping her feet into the relaxing pool while chomping on a butterblast, which was extra delicioius and more sweet then Sophie had remembered it to be. Ro was devouring carmel custard busts, and Keefe was sampling the mallowmelt. Sandor was grumbling about how teenagers could be so troublesome.

The days dragged on, and on Wednesday Sophie could barely look at Fitz during their telepathy session. And every time she transmitted, her voice was halfhearted and monotonus.

After school had ended, Sophie had scribbled down 'yes' on a piece of paper, stuffed it in one of her old bottles from the Black Swan, and hid it under the Panakes tree. She had then brought her pillow and blanket to the large floor to ceiling window, looking like a fluffy taco as she waited.

But eventually, she fell asleep, and when she rushed down in early morning to check for the note, it wasn't there.

Sophie spent two more boring school days, and then it was Saturday. Keefe was the first to arrive, much to the displeasure of Grady. Sophie had already set up her sleeping bag on the floor, and Keefe rolled his right next to hers. Then came Linh, who put her sleeping bag on the other side of Sophie. Biana and Fitz came, though the teal eyed boy was not happy about having on the only spots next to Sophie claimed. Biana claimed the spot next to Linh, and Fitz settled down besde his sister. Dex was next to Keefe, and Marella was squished in between Dex and Fitz.

Then Sophie decided to show everyone the scroll- her friends weren't really that indepth with the Black Swan, were they?

Of course, this caused a lot of shouting and panicking. Then they came up with a list of people it might be. The Councillors were top, and then the Collective. But most of the people were just from paranoia.

Then, they tried to come up with a plan to save Tam. But they didn't know where he was, so they tried to list all the cliffside caves they knew of. Then they tried to narrow it down, but then Grady and Edaline came up and added a whole lot of caves to the list, which made things a lot harder. And it was only an hour into the sleepover.

Sophie felt an inching desperation crawl into her brain. Because if they couldn't get Tam back, couldn't even get a glimpse of the bigger picture... it meant they were lost.

Lost and hopeless.

Hopeless.

And that they were nowhere close to the answers.

So were all the efforts of the Black Swan, all of their planning... were they all a fail?