‘Well what have we here.’ said Navarro.
‘It looks like a little Newman made out of wood. Possibly aNewman child’s doll but it can walk and talk using mindspeak. Whoare you little wooden person.’
‘I am Princess Tigerlilly and what I say happens.’
‘Goodness then I will have to be careful.’ repliedNavarro.
‘I wouldn’t want you to say anything bad. Can I ask you somequestions?’
‘I suppose you can but I don’t know much.’ saidTigerlilly.
‘Why don’t you know much?’ asked Navarro quite curious at thisturn of events.
‘Well Moonbeam’s been ill and she hasn’t had time to teach meyet, silly. She’s a princess like me and someone stole her spiritout of her real Newman body and put it in that one that looks likea big cat. They stole her memories too so she can’t remember much.If you can help her get her memories back I’m sure she’ll tell youlots of things.’
Moonbeam heardNavarro talking through the fog and said.
‘What’s happening I feel drugged? What do you want fromme?’
Navarro thenconcentrated on Moonbeam. He asked a lot of questions and checkedher answers using a lie detection power. It really appeared thatwhat Tigerlilly had said was correct but he was scared that it wasanother cunning plan of the Mentarin. They had been getting moredevious the last few months. The slave safe houses were obviouslyirritating the Mentarin badly. Perhaps he had better close up shopfor a few months. But what should he do about this Felynx and herlittle companion?
If their storywere true then he could expect a huge ransom from her family.Perhaps he should have her memory read. That way he could be sureof her identity. It was the little doll that he was both curiousand worried about. What was she? The Felynx seemed to believe thatshe was a construct given to her in a dream. That was patentlyfalse; no one can bring anything back from a dream, how absurd, sohow did she fit into the story?
His thoughtswere cut short, as two reptilian creatures surfaced in the pool.Burlap was one of them.
‘We are in danger. The Mentarin Lord has recruited several ofmy species to search for us. They are not far away. We must dropthe gate slowly, keep absolute quiet and hope they do not findus.’
Navarro himselfworked the gate mechanism and slowly and carefully lowered it downto lock off the pool area.
‘We must turn off the magic lights as when I checked a fewdays ago some light seeped past the seals on our door.’ saidBurlop.
‘Okay.’ replied Navarro and walked over to the crevice wherethe light controller was normally located.
‘It’s not here.’ he exclaimed. ‘Someone has not put it back inits correct place!’
‘We must find it quickly.’ said Burlop with a note of panic inhis mindspeak.
‘If they see the light they will know where weare.’
‘There will be darkness!’ said Tigerlilly and there was,absolute darkness.
‘What did you do?’ asked Navarro.
‘What I say happens.’ said Tigerlilly and Navarro became a lotmore interested in her.
Several minuteslater Navarro had a plan.
‘Ladies, I know someone who may be able to get Moonbeam’smemories back again. I will teleport the three of us to themountains where we can meet this person and with luck Moonbeam willremember everything and you two ladies will be free to get on withyour lives.’
‘Oh that would be wonderful, Navarro. You are such a niceman.’ said Tigerlilly. Moonbeam was still confused and unable tounderstand anything much and it would take an hour before the drugwore off.
They waitedsilently in the dark for what felt like ages and when nothinghappened everyone finally began to feel a little more secure. WhenNavarro was convinced that their cave hadn’t been found hecollected his backpack and staff, then they teleported off to themountains to visit the person that might be able to recoverMiranda’s memories.
They arrived onrocky ground in the dark. It was so dark that even Moonbeam’sfeline vision could hardly detect anything. Navarro lit a crystalon the top of his staff that gave off a bright white light allowingthem to see a dozen paces around. Guards speaking in Elendariimmediately challenged them but Navarro didn’t seem undulyperturbed, in fact he expected it. He explained whom they were andthat they had come to visit Rosanllea for advice.
They were toldto wait, and several minutes later a person wearing an opaque blackglamour much like a hooded cloak that completely disguised his orher features approached them. Navarro seemed to know the person andchatted with him or her for several minutes then turned toMiranda.
‘It seems that Rosanllea, has relocated to another settlementlocated about four hours walk away. Our options are to stay hereuntil moonrise and then leave or continue on our way now. Eitherway I can’t teleport us as I don’t have a teleport marker locationfor the place, so we will have to walk. This woman is a student ofRosanllea and was leaving at moonrise to see her. Her name Gazel,and she has kindly offered to guide us.’
‘Do you wish to travel now or later?’
‘I would like to go now please Navarro.’ stated Moonbeampolitely.
‘Okay.’ replied Navarro. ‘As you wish. There are predatorsaround but this light should keep them away.’ and off they wentwith the guide in the lead and Moonbeam wondering how she knew theway in the dark.
They travelledin a single line in silence each wrapped in their own thoughts. Thepath was tedious as there was little to see within their smallcircle of light. The ground predominantly consisted of brokenchunks of volcanic rock, which was hard on the feet and ankles,while the sparse vegetation was limited to a primitive type oflichen, covering the occasional boulder.
A league awayhigh in the sky, Aquitain rode the warm air currents generated bythe volcano. She had noticed in the distance a small white light.She altered her flight path slightly and went into a gentle glideto take her on an intercept course.
As sheapproached within half a league she felt a gentle touch on hermind. Someone was searching for living creatures. Moments later shefelt the subtle but distinct sensation of a mindlink.
‘Someone’s tried to link with me.’ thought Aquitain as sheconcentrated her attention on the light ahead and slowly moved intoposition a hundred paces
