Board Thread:Short Stories and Fanfictions/@comment-44544645-20191211195811/@comment-44544645-20200210024308

Twenty-Nine

That.

Was.

HUGE.

Prentice’s mind had almost dissolved in a memory break, but he had called ‘swan song’—the code phrase Black Swan members used when in danger—prior to his mind being broken.

So if they had finally discovered what he had meant, they might have another lead.

Yesyesyesyes.

“So you want me and Fitz to try and uncover it?” Sophie asked.

“Yes, although it might be better to wait for a few days, when everyone has had a chance to recover from this.”

'''“What about Linh?” Marella asked. “She’s in the Healing Center at Foxfire, right? Can we go see how she’s doing?”'''

'''“Yes. She’ll be okay, but I’m not sure if she’s up for visitors at the moment,” Jax informed everyone. '''

'''“We can at least check up on Tam,” Sophie pointed out. '''

“Hail Elwin and see when he wants you to arrive, okay?”

“Fine.”

'''“Does anyone else have anything to share?” Mr. Forkle asked. When nobody said anything, he stood up. “All right. Can everyone on the Collective join me for the talk with the dwarves?”'''

'''Sir Osmond, Jax, and Juline all agreed. '''

“You can use the beachside caves to have a talk with them,” Edaline offered.

Dwarves’ eyes were especially sensitive to light.

“Thank you for your offer, but we have our own place to talk with them,” Mr. Forkle told Edaline.

“Where?” Sophie asked.

“That’s neither here nor there.” Before Sophie could ask a follow-up question, the four of them headed out the door.

'''Oralie removed a pink-wanded pathfinder from her cape pocket. “Aside from the details of Alvar’s coma, is there anything that I shouldn’t be sharing with the Council?”'''

“I think we’re okay for once,” Grady responded.

'''Then Sophie hailed Elwin, to see if they could check on Linh. '''

It took a lot of pleading and a promise that they would leave if they had to before he finally said, “All right.”

Sophie and her friends headed upstairs to the fourth-floor cupola, where the Leapmaster was.

“Foxfire,” Maruca called.

One shimmering crystal lowered itself from the ceiling.

They took turns light leaping to Foxfire, and when the last group—Keefe and Ro—had arrived, they all dashed straight to the Healing Center.

'''Elwin met them at the door. “Good timing. Linh just finished taking her elixirs.”'''

They rushed through the door.

'''Linh was sitting up in one of the cots. She looked okay, just really pale—at least as far as Sophie could tell. And she was wearing an oversize tunic with little silver-blue winged birds on it—argentavises. Knowing Elwin’s love for animal-themed clothing, it probably belonged to him. '''

“Does it hurt?” Marella asked as they all rushed over.

'''“It’s okay, I just can’t move too much,” Linh assured them. “And blood-replenishing elixirs taste disgusting. Guess it’s my turn to almost die this time.”'''

'''“It’s called ‘Fostering it’ now,” Keefe corrected. '''

'''“It is not!” Sophie argued. Sure, she did ‘almost die’ way too often for anyone’s liking, but Keefe had been in danger almost as many times as she had.'''

'''“Keep telling yourself that,” Dex grinned. '''

'''“Tiergan and Wylie were here earlier, but they had to leave because of Prentice,” Tam explained. “Our parents don’t know yet, and I’m not sure if we’ll be telling them or not.”'''

'''Sophie didn’t argue with him. Quan and Mai Song weren’t quite as bad as Keefe’s parents, but they ran a close second. Both of them were more concerned with their reputation than with their children. No wonder Tam and Linh had decided to live with Tiergan instead.'''

'''Then again, Tiergan wasn’t really a great parent to her. But she had Grady and Edaline, who were amazing, and they were the family that really mattered.'''

“What happened?” Linh asked.

'''Sophie, Keefe, Biana, Maruca, and Marella did their best to explain, overlapping and interweaving, until everything up to the meeting had been told. And there were a lot of questions and explanations. Finally, the conversation ceased, and Keefe pointed at the cot right next to Linh’s. “Hey, Bangs Boy, is that a stuffed murcat you were cuddling with?”'''

'''Tam scowled at both the stuffed animal reference and the nickname. Both he and Linh had melted down their registry pendants and dipped the ends of their hair in the molten silver. Tam’s silver-tipped bangs actually looked awesome, as did the silver on the ends of Linh’s long dark hair. But Keefe and Tam had had a rivalry going since the day they first met. Which was strange, since they were really similar.'''

'''“I have one, too,” Linh told the group, pulling a scaly purple-blue kitten with fangs out from under her blankets—then wincing from the movement. “Elwin gave them to us. I’m still trying to decide on a name.”'''

'''Sophie turned to Elwin. “Are you stockpiling stuffed animals in reserve in case someone gets hurt?”'''

'''It wouldn’t be unlike him. Elwin had a thing for giving people stuffed animals. He’d already given Fitz a sparkly dragon when his father’s mind had broken. Keefe had a gulon from when he’d been hit with tough news about the Neverseen and his mother, and Biana had a yeti from when Elwin had treated her injuries from Nightfall.'''

'''“Honestly?” Elwin laughed. “After last night, I figured they’d both need it. So I made a quick trip to Mysterium early this morning when they were both asleep.”'''

“Hey, Bangs Boy, I think we should call yours Princess Sparklescales,” Keefe teased.

“No way,” Tam shot back.

“Actually, I like that,” Linh smiled.

'''Tam groaned. “Fine—but only because you’re my sister and you just got impaled by a creepy Neverseen dude.”'''

'''“We should introduce you to the secret Mentor’s cafeteria!” Keefe exclaimed. “They’ve got awesome desserts.”'''

'''“Not until Linh’s fully healed,” Elwin announced, moving in between Maruca and Biana and flashing an orb of orange light around Linh’s torso. “Which shouldn’t take more than a few days, but don’t push it.”'''

'''“Fine,” Keefe conceded. “But I can show Tam and we can bring back snacks for everyone—and then he can go back there later.”'''

'''“Just don’t get up to too much trouble,” Elwin sighed. '''

'''Ro followed the two of them out of the room. “Oooh, can I smash stuff?”'''

'''“No—but there will be mallowmelt,” Keefe told her. '''

“Eh, fair enough.”

The three of them left the room.

Linh seemed lost in thought, and then she asked Marella, “Was there anything else suspicious that happened around your family now that your dad….you know?”

'''Marella shook her head. “He was missing a few odd times, but other than that, no. And then there’s my mom’s brain injury, but that was an accident.”'''

'''“What happened there?” Linh asked. “I haven’t heard that much about it.”'''

'''“My mom fell off a balcony and cracked her skull and ended up with brain damage,” Marella explained. “My dad thinks it was too much fizzleberry wine or something.”'''

“Your dad told you that?”

'''“Yeah, but he loves my mom and he was telling the truth,” Marella argued, nervously fidgeting with one of her braids. "At least, I think he was."'''

“Your dad is a Guster, right?” Linh checked.

“Yeah.”

“So—just to be clear, I’m not fully sure about this—couldn’t he have used the winds to push Caprise and make it look like an accident?”