Chapter 12
"Alright,
we've got to stay clear-headed on this thing," Magbert said, pacing a
determined circle around Lokey and Drianna. "We can't let our worry for
Crystal cloud our fighting instincts."
"Nobody
is clouded except you," sighed Lokey, barely looking up as he removed dirt
from beneath his thumbnail with a dagger tip.
"Right,"
said Magbert, stopping to look at him. "So keep me clearheaded."
Lokey
raised an eyebrow in response, then said, "What's your plan?"
"Reasoning,"
came the reply as Magbert resumed pace.
"You're
gonna talk to her?!" gasped Lokey.
"I
don't think she'll reason with someone she considers less than," said Dri,
shaking her head.
"No,
you're both missing the point. I'm talking about a cover, here. While Drianna
and I try to keep her mistress involved in a reasonable conversation over our
intentions, you look for Crystal," he directed to Lokey. "Hopefully
you can key in on her magic and at least locate her for future reference, or
maybe by some incredible longshot we'll get lucky and get it through the
woman's head that we don't mean her or Drianna any harm."
"Diversion
by way of reasoning," said Drianna thoughtfully and Magbert nodded.
"Why
couldn't I talk to her?" asked Lokey.
"That
would be more than an incredible longshot; that would be suicide,"
murmured Magbert. Lokey glared at him and he added, "Besides, your sense
of magic is more fine tuned than mine and we need that to find Crys in a
hurry."
"I
can't believe how completely screwed up things are," said Drianna, putting
a hand to her forehead. "If I'd never talked to Crystal, if I'd just gone
back to Katherine and finished my training..."
"Then
you would have most likely killed her and we'dve still ended up here, but
without your help," finished Magbert. "No one is blaming you for any
of this, Drianna."
"I
know, but I still feel responsible."
"You
should," said Lokey. Magbert threw him a chastising look, but he
continued. "You are responsible, so the least you could do is stop
whining about how sorry you are and help us."
"What
Lokey means is that all the other stuff is immaterial right now, since we've
got other problems to worry about than who's at fault," Magbert added.
"I
meant what I said," muttered Lokey.
"The
object is to get Crystal back without having to lose any ground, such as
turning you over to her," said Magbert. "If we can do that..."
"I
don't think so," said Drianna, suddenly standing straight, "but a
simple exchange will probably work to your advantage. I'll stay with
Katherine."
"Very
nice," said Lokey. "Extremely unselfish of you. Can we go
now?"
Magbert
looked at Drianna and at Lokey, who obviously still mistrusted her. Perhaps
it would be better that way, he thought. Before he could say
anything else, Lokey added impatiently,
"Let's get go-ing."
Drianna
turned and headed north, while the other two followed in silence.
"That's
funny," said Ian, puzzled. "I left them right here this
morning."
"What?"
asked Pandora, stepping into the small clearing with him.
"My
friends that I was telling you about," said he, rubbing the side of his
stubble curiously. "There was a gnome (that's Magbert) right there and his
little sprite girlfriend Crystal was next to him and this elf named Lokey was
against that tree and Drianna, the witch, was right over there."
"Well,
if Drianna was a witch, maybe she's the one that lives with the Evil Sorceress
Kathyrn," suggested Pandora, with a frown. "That would be bad."
"Oh,
you know her?" said Ian in surprise.
Pandora
laughed wryly. "Know her? She was my worst nightmare until she
became a recluse (Kathyrn, I mean). Everytime I went to visit my father, Gerald
would tell me of her new exploits, usually involving taking some poor villager
and killing him for sacrificial reasons of some sort, I assumed. I was
terrified to come through the woods, lest she grab me up, too."
"This
Drianna woman spared Crystal's life, so we let her travel with us," said
Ian. "She seemed eager to get out of her situation with this sorceress,
but she was afraid she'd find out."
"Maybe
she already has. I mean, your friends are gone, and I don't think
they'dve left without trying to find you first. And," added Pandora,
"I've never heard of anyone returning from the Sorceress alive. Come to
think of it, I've never heard of anyone returning at all."
Ian
considered the idea of never seeing his friends alive again.
The
idea made him extremely angry.
"Take
me to this Evil Sorceress Kathyrn," he said, in a low deadly tone.
Pandora
took his hand with an anxious sigh and led him in the direction that Drianna,
Lokey and Magbert had gone before him.