am now at a loss. I need to know if that artefact is, in fact, the Temporal Stone. If it is, then we know for certain that the girl is the key to finding it. But if we go off on a tangent to try and track her down, only to discover that it's a completely different artefact, we'll have lost valuable time. So now we have no choice but to continue on our original plan and head to the New Forest, tracking down what has happened to the Temporal Stone over the past 177 years.'
Eleanor stopped talking and suddenly doubled over.
'Eleanor!' yelled Declan as he rushed to her side, 'Are you alright?'
She nodded, 'Yes, I think so... oh dear. I believe it's that time again. I'm at a loss without Wilbur. He always knows when it's going to happen. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you on your travels,' she said as the pain temporarily crippled her. Screaming out, the others watched as the young, spritely woman's hair changed from blonde to white and her previously wrinkle-free skin crinkled right before their eyes. Soon, Eleanor the old lady was back.
'Declan, be a doll and help me up,' she said as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back through the hallway and down into the drawing room.
'Just put me over there, please,' she instructed as he gently placed her weaker body onto a chaise longue by the fireplace.
'Saleena will stay with you,' he said as he stood back up and smiled. 'A group of us will take the chopper and the others can take the car.'
'I think you should drive the car, Declan. They are under age, after all,' smiled Eleanor. 'Good luck.'
Declan gave Saleena a long kiss before he exited the room and joined the others back in the large courtyard, where Sara and Amber were already sitting in the helicopter waiting for instructions.
'Lana, Emma and Daisy, you take the chopper with Jimble. You'll obviously arrive there first. We'll be close behind and, remember, I can read your thoughts from that distance so if you need to share anything, just think of me and tell me what's going on. Elliott, Sammy, you're with me,' he said as they followed him into the car.
The girls helped Jimble out of his bubble and they all ran to the helicopter just as the blades began to whirr, whipping up a strong wind around them.
Climbing on board, they lifted Jimble up and helped him into a seat in the back.
Soon, they were airborne, watching the turrets fade into the distance.
oOo
Jimble sat, curled up, not saying a word, trembling as he tried hard not to look down.
'Jimble, what's wrong?' shouted Emma.
'We're awfully high, awfully high,' he gulped back.
Lana grinned, 'It's great, isn't it?'
Jimble shook his head.
'You know I used to be terrified of heights too?' she said to him. 'Until I turned 16 and then I got over it. And now, well, now I could jump out of this helicopter and land on my feet.'
'You could, you could?' he cringed.
'Yes, it's my special ability now I'm a Watcher. The higher the better, for me,' she grinned.
'Take no notice of her, Jimble. Just don't look down. You'll be fine. You're perfectly safe up here. We'll look after you,' reassured Emma.
He attempted a smile and turned his full attention to her instead, 'What is your special ability ability, Emma Emma? What can you do, do, now that you're a Watcher Watcher?'
Emma looked at him and grinned, 'I can swim like a dolphin and hold my breath for a very long time under water. But growing up I was terrified of the sea and of storms. Like Lana, I got over it on my 16th birthday too. The day I became a Watcher.'
Jimble nodded before turning to Daisy, 'I'm sorry we were never, never formally introduced, introduced,' he said as he held out his hand.
Daisy timidly held out her hand and shook his rather gnarled fingers.
'I'm Jimble Jimble. And you're Daisy Daisy, aren't you? Are you a Watcher, too too?'
Daisy nodded, 'Yes, but it happened to me on my 15th birthday, shortly after my mum died.'
'You lost your mother, mother?'
Daisy nodded sadly.
'Oh me
Eleanor stopped talking and suddenly doubled over.
'Eleanor!' yelled Declan as he rushed to her side, 'Are you alright?'
She nodded, 'Yes, I think so... oh dear. I believe it's that time again. I'm at a loss without Wilbur. He always knows when it's going to happen. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you on your travels,' she said as the pain temporarily crippled her. Screaming out, the others watched as the young, spritely woman's hair changed from blonde to white and her previously wrinkle-free skin crinkled right before their eyes. Soon, Eleanor the old lady was back.
'Declan, be a doll and help me up,' she said as he lifted her into his arms and carried her back through the hallway and down into the drawing room.
'Just put me over there, please,' she instructed as he gently placed her weaker body onto a chaise longue by the fireplace.
'Saleena will stay with you,' he said as he stood back up and smiled. 'A group of us will take the chopper and the others can take the car.'
'I think you should drive the car, Declan. They are under age, after all,' smiled Eleanor. 'Good luck.'
Declan gave Saleena a long kiss before he exited the room and joined the others back in the large courtyard, where Sara and Amber were already sitting in the helicopter waiting for instructions.
'Lana, Emma and Daisy, you take the chopper with Jimble. You'll obviously arrive there first. We'll be close behind and, remember, I can read your thoughts from that distance so if you need to share anything, just think of me and tell me what's going on. Elliott, Sammy, you're with me,' he said as they followed him into the car.
The girls helped Jimble out of his bubble and they all ran to the helicopter just as the blades began to whirr, whipping up a strong wind around them.
Climbing on board, they lifted Jimble up and helped him into a seat in the back.
Soon, they were airborne, watching the turrets fade into the distance.
oOo
Jimble sat, curled up, not saying a word, trembling as he tried hard not to look down.
'Jimble, what's wrong?' shouted Emma.
'We're awfully high, awfully high,' he gulped back.
Lana grinned, 'It's great, isn't it?'
Jimble shook his head.
'You know I used to be terrified of heights too?' she said to him. 'Until I turned 16 and then I got over it. And now, well, now I could jump out of this helicopter and land on my feet.'
'You could, you could?' he cringed.
'Yes, it's my special ability now I'm a Watcher. The higher the better, for me,' she grinned.
'Take no notice of her, Jimble. Just don't look down. You'll be fine. You're perfectly safe up here. We'll look after you,' reassured Emma.
He attempted a smile and turned his full attention to her instead, 'What is your special ability ability, Emma Emma? What can you do, do, now that you're a Watcher Watcher?'
Emma looked at him and grinned, 'I can swim like a dolphin and hold my breath for a very long time under water. But growing up I was terrified of the sea and of storms. Like Lana, I got over it on my 16th birthday too. The day I became a Watcher.'
Jimble nodded before turning to Daisy, 'I'm sorry we were never, never formally introduced, introduced,' he said as he held out his hand.
Daisy timidly held out her hand and shook his rather gnarled fingers.
'I'm Jimble Jimble. And you're Daisy Daisy, aren't you? Are you a Watcher, too too?'
Daisy nodded, 'Yes, but it happened to me on my 15th birthday, shortly after my mum died.'
'You lost your mother, mother?'
Daisy nodded sadly.
'Oh me
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