will help Tedi stockpile some wood," offered Garth.
Morro returned to tending the horses as Garth and Tedi walked into the trees.
"Why is he with you?" Garth asked once they were away from the clearing.
"We couldn't get rid of him," replied Tedi. "I think he is some kind of spy. He did not have to submit a pass to leave the city as we did, and he asks far too many questions. He claims to be a tutor, philosopher, and historian, but he is far too curious about us. I was just gathering wood before you came. As I was returning to the clearing, I witnessed Natia catching the old man inspecting my staff. There is something that is not right about him."
"Do you mean other than he died yesterday?" quipped Garth. "I could have sworn he was dead before he hit the ground, and Morro thought so as well."
"Do you still feel that way?" asked Tedi.
Garth hesitated and then shook his head. "I can't really be sure," he admitted. "I was running for my life when the old man collapsed."
"Well," replied Tedi, "he said that he is leaving in the morning. Let's just be careful what we say in front of him. Leaving the city without having to produce a pass makes me rather nervous around him."
"I agree," nodded Garth. "Go and find some wood and leave a pile here for me to carry into the clearing. I am going to set up some bells for tonight."
Garth set up a perimeter string with tiny bells on it and then returned to pick up an armload of wood. He carried it into the clearing to find Fakir Aziz questioning Morro.
"I just felt no need to return to Elfwoods," shrugged the thief. "It is not as if I ever belonged there."
"I couldn't carry it all, Morro," Garth interrupted. "Would you go and get the rest of the wood?"
Morro rose quickly, appearing relieved at the interruption. The old man looked up at Garth and smiled.
"I am feeling tired," Fakir stated. "Perhaps I will turn in for the night."
"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Kalina. "The stew is just about done."
"I have no appetite tonight," claimed the historian. "I am more tired than hungry. A pleasant evening to all of you."
Kalina frowned as the old man headed towards the old wagon that the Knights of Alcea had abandoned on their last trip to Giza. He spread a roll out under the wagon and crawled onto it.
"He is the first person I have met in the Federation who would turn down a hot meal," stated Kalina as she served the stew.
"Don't push it," cautioned Tedi. "We need to talk about our plans, and we cannot do that with him around the fire."
"There is truth to that," agreed Garth. "Did you send Button off to the others?"
"Last night," nodded Tedi. "I warned her not to reveal herself to the old man when she returned."
"She has been gone a long time then," commented Kalina.
"I have been here for quite a while," chirped Button. "I did not want to reveal myself. Was that wrong?"
Tedi followed the voice and saw the tiny blue fairy hiding behind the log that he was sitting on. He chuckled and put down his hand for her to hop onto. "You have followed my instructions perfectly. What do you have to report?"
"There is much to tell," declared Button. "Runt is safely onboard the ship to Alcea. He and Peanut investigated the packages. They are doors of some kind, but they could not open them, and there were no cracks large enough for either of them to pass through."
"I hadn't thought of that," gasped Kalina. "It is good that there were no cracks. Who knows where they might have ended up? They might have walked right into the enemy's stronghold."
Button turned a deep purple and her eyes opened wide. "Eeks!" she chirped. "That would not have been good."
"So they are doors," mused Garth, "but are they Doors?"
"I can see no reason for sending a plain wooden door to Alcea," sighed Kalina. "We have to assume that they are magical portals."
"Oh," Button said as if she had just remembered something, "Haditha is alive, as is Captain Gomery. Squirt finally found them on the Isle of Despair."
"That
Morro returned to tending the horses as Garth and Tedi walked into the trees.
"Why is he with you?" Garth asked once they were away from the clearing.
"We couldn't get rid of him," replied Tedi. "I think he is some kind of spy. He did not have to submit a pass to leave the city as we did, and he asks far too many questions. He claims to be a tutor, philosopher, and historian, but he is far too curious about us. I was just gathering wood before you came. As I was returning to the clearing, I witnessed Natia catching the old man inspecting my staff. There is something that is not right about him."
"Do you mean other than he died yesterday?" quipped Garth. "I could have sworn he was dead before he hit the ground, and Morro thought so as well."
"Do you still feel that way?" asked Tedi.
Garth hesitated and then shook his head. "I can't really be sure," he admitted. "I was running for my life when the old man collapsed."
"Well," replied Tedi, "he said that he is leaving in the morning. Let's just be careful what we say in front of him. Leaving the city without having to produce a pass makes me rather nervous around him."
"I agree," nodded Garth. "Go and find some wood and leave a pile here for me to carry into the clearing. I am going to set up some bells for tonight."
Garth set up a perimeter string with tiny bells on it and then returned to pick up an armload of wood. He carried it into the clearing to find Fakir Aziz questioning Morro.
"I just felt no need to return to Elfwoods," shrugged the thief. "It is not as if I ever belonged there."
"I couldn't carry it all, Morro," Garth interrupted. "Would you go and get the rest of the wood?"
Morro rose quickly, appearing relieved at the interruption. The old man looked up at Garth and smiled.
"I am feeling tired," Fakir stated. "Perhaps I will turn in for the night."
"Aren't you going to eat?" asked Kalina. "The stew is just about done."
"I have no appetite tonight," claimed the historian. "I am more tired than hungry. A pleasant evening to all of you."
Kalina frowned as the old man headed towards the old wagon that the Knights of Alcea had abandoned on their last trip to Giza. He spread a roll out under the wagon and crawled onto it.
"He is the first person I have met in the Federation who would turn down a hot meal," stated Kalina as she served the stew.
"Don't push it," cautioned Tedi. "We need to talk about our plans, and we cannot do that with him around the fire."
"There is truth to that," agreed Garth. "Did you send Button off to the others?"
"Last night," nodded Tedi. "I warned her not to reveal herself to the old man when she returned."
"She has been gone a long time then," commented Kalina.
"I have been here for quite a while," chirped Button. "I did not want to reveal myself. Was that wrong?"
Tedi followed the voice and saw the tiny blue fairy hiding behind the log that he was sitting on. He chuckled and put down his hand for her to hop onto. "You have followed my instructions perfectly. What do you have to report?"
"There is much to tell," declared Button. "Runt is safely onboard the ship to Alcea. He and Peanut investigated the packages. They are doors of some kind, but they could not open them, and there were no cracks large enough for either of them to pass through."
"I hadn't thought of that," gasped Kalina. "It is good that there were no cracks. Who knows where they might have ended up? They might have walked right into the enemy's stronghold."
Button turned a deep purple and her eyes opened wide. "Eeks!" she chirped. "That would not have been good."
"So they are doors," mused Garth, "but are they Doors?"
"I can see no reason for sending a plain wooden door to Alcea," sighed Kalina. "We have to assume that they are magical portals."
"Oh," Button said as if she had just remembered something, "Haditha is alive, as is Captain Gomery. Squirt finally found them on the Isle of Despair."
"That
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