Richard Tuttle - Island of Darkness

“Perhaps she is in one of the gardens?” suggested MistyTrail.

“I don’t mean that she has left her room,” frowned StarWind. “I have already had the city searched for her. I mean she has left StarCity.”

“No,” MistyTrail gasped. “That is not possible. How could she escape without the guards knowing? Where will she go?”

“I don’t know,” admitted StarWind. “I doubt she could possibly return to Fakara without provisions and transportation. MistyTrail, she has a magical carozit that will lead people directly to you. If she is captured in an Omungan city, the location of StarCity could be learned.”

MistyTrail stood unsteadily and frowned at the pentagon beneath her feet. Her body shook with tremors as her muscles refused to assume a position other than the kneeling she had done for the past few days. StarWind rushed over to steady her.

“We must find her, and quickly,” StarWind said with urgency. “I have alerted HawkShadow and SkyDancer. They are working the fringes of the Sakova.”

“She is not to be hurt,” MistyTrail said worriedly.

“I doubt that they would have to use force to stop her,” mused StarWind.

MistyTrail was silent for several moments as she tried to control her body. Eventually, a deep frown creased her forehead.

“They will not find her,” MistyTrail said with conviction.

“HawkShadow can find anyone,” asserted StarWind, “and other than yourself, SkyDancer is the best assistant that HawkShadow could have.”

“Other than myself,” echoed MistyTrail. “Mistake is much like me. Oh, she does not know the ways of the Sakova, but she has spent her life being invisible. At times, her very survival has required this. Mistake will not be stopped.”

“We must bring this information before Lyra,” StarWind decided. “Let me help you.”

“I am fine now,” MistyTrail insisted as she waved off StarWind’s help. “Let’s talk to the Star of Sakova.”

StarWind led MistyTrail out of the temple and off of the palace roof. They walked silently through the corridors until they reached Lyra’s office. The door was open and they entered the room. Lyra looked up and smiled as the two Sakovans took seats before Lyra’s desk.

“Did you find her?” asked Lyra.

“She is not in the city,” reported StarWind. “I alerted HawkShadow and SkyDancer, but MistyTrail is convinced that Mistake has the ability to leave the Sakova undetected.”

“The timing of this is most unfortunate,” frowned the Star of Sakova. “I just received a message from SunChaser in Okata. I was about to send for you, StarWind.”

“What is wrong in the capital of Omunga?” asked the Sakovan spymaster.

“The Katana made a public speech today,” replied Lyra. “He denounced the Sakovans as treacherous enemies of the people of Omunga.”

“But I thought Larst was for peace with us?” frowned StarWind.

“As did I,” sighed Lyra. “I have made a terrible misjudgment of the man. I hope the damage that I have caused can be limited in some way. Having Mistake and her carozit end up in Omungan hands right now would mean the end of the Sakovans.”

“I will issue immediate orders to our people,” declared StarWind. “We will send out two patrols to cover the entire Sakova. I will alert my spies in Omungan cities to keep an eye out for her. We will find her.”

“No, you won’t,” insisted MistyTrail.

“We must,” retorted StarWind. “Her carozit must be destroyed. There is no other way.”

“There is another way,” MistyTrail said softly.

“What is it?” asked Lyra.

“I must leave the Sakova,” declared MistyTrail. “Her carozit will only point towards me. If I am not here, the Omungans will not discover StarCity.”

Tears started to roll down MistyTrail’s face, and StarWind put her arm around the small Sakovan.

“No,” soothed StarWind. “There must be another way. The Sakova is your whole life. You can’t just abandon it.”

“Where will you go?” asked Lyra.

“I don’t know,” MistyTrail admitted tearfully. “I suppose that I will track down Mistake. It is what Kaltara would want me to do.”

“Where will you start?” asked Lyra.

“Alamar,” answered MistyTrail. “Kaltara showed me an image of what I thought was myself in piles of watula. Now I understand that it must have been Mistake that he showed me.”

“The caravans,” nodded StarWind. “Why did I not think of that? What an easy way to slip out of the city. I could contact FalconEye and have him search the city for her.”

“No,” MistyTrail shook her head adamantly. “Mistake has done no wrong to us. It is not her fault that her sister resides in a secret city. She is not to be bothered by Sakovans. I, alone, will go to her. It is the proper thing to do.”

MistyTrail rode into the Omungan city of Alamar on the last wagon of the Sakovan food caravan. As the caravan passed the center of the city, she bade farewell to the Sakovans and jumped from the wagon. She stood in the street for a few moments, watching the caravan continue onward to the headquarters of the Imperial Guard. She was surprised to see the soldiers running out of the building and hailing the Sakovans, as one would greet an overdue friend. She shook her head in amazement and turned the corner onto a narrower street.

MistyTrail was not sure where she should begin her search for Mistake, but she did know where she would find a hot meal and a place to sleep. She had heard that Lyra’s uncle had rebuilt his school. She had even talked to a few mages who had been there for magic training. She followed the directions that had been given to her.

She felt awkward carrying all of her belongings in her pack. She was used to traveling lightly on her patrols of the fringes of the Sakova. She adjusted her pack several times during the short walk to the magic school. As she walked into the school, several students looked at her in confusion before returning to their studies. MistyTrail ignored them. She walked through the large common classroom and along a corridor that led to smaller classrooms. The rear end of the corridor opened into the dining room. Temiker was sitting at the table with an empty plate in front of him. He looked as if he had just finished the midday meal and was sipping a cup of tea. MistyTrail noticed a second plate at the spot next to the master magician, but no one else was in the room. Temiker silently waved invitingly to MistyTrail and indicated that she should sit.

MistyTrail removed her pack and sat down at the table. Her mouth opened to speak, but Temiker smiled and shook his head. She said nothing as she frowned in confusion. A moment later, Mistake entered the room with a cup of tea. She walked mechanically towards the chair next to Temiker. When she looked up and saw MistyTrail, she dropped the cup of tea. The cup shattered on the floor.

“What are you doing here?” gasped Mistake as she looked at MistyTrail and then accusingly at Temiker.

“I have nothing to do with this,” Temiker declared defensively as he stood up. “I will clean up the mess and get you both some tea.”

As Temiker swiftly left the room, Mistake rose hesitantly.

“I thought you would be glad to see me,” frowned MistyTrail.

“I am not returning to StarCity,” Mistake declared. “Who told you where I was?”

“No one told me,” MistyTrail said sadly. “I came here for some food and a place to sleep. I did not know that you would be here.”

“That makes more sense,” scowled Mistake. “I bet you are traveling with the watula caravans.”

“I did ride into the city on one,” nodded MistyTrail, “but I am not going back with it.”