Chapter One
Tiyana Forbes watched her father pace up and down the room for the forty-eighth time. Allan's hair was unkempt like always but he was also worried and sleep deprived. And you could tell. Not good for a leader who isn't supposed to let his people know if he's worried or sleep deprived.
"Sir." One of the three present council members said, "what are you worried about? Is is the upcoming trip to the Tonga? If so, you needn't be worried. You've made this trip before."
"With Kyra." Allan mumbled. He'd gotten very good at mumbling quite quietly since Elves have good hearing.
"What was that, Sir?" The councilman asked.
"Nothing." Allan said.
"Sir," said the second councilman. "I think you should sit down before you collapse down from lack of sleep." Allan obeyed.
"Allan," Willow, the third and final councilor, walked over to him. "What's wrong?" Allan looked up at her.
"I'd rather not say." He whispered. Tiyana barely heard it.
"Okay Allan." Willow said. "We'll come back later when you're ready to talk." Willow and the other two councilors left.
"Father," Tiyana walked over to Allan. "We didn't know could do that. Mother's tough. She'll be fine." Tiyana tried to reassure Allan even though she didn't feel very reassured herself.
"I hope you're right more than anything else, Tiya." He stood up and pulled his sixteen year old daughter into a hug.
"Why aren't we telling Willow about Mother, though?" Tiyana asked.
"I don't want anyone to worry." He said. "Especially Willow. She worries enough about your Mother as it is." Tiya smiled faintly.
Junco leapt from branch to branch like a squirrel. Until his sister spotted him.
"Junco! Get down here right now!" Swallow yelled up. Junco scrambled down the tree as fast as he could.
"Much better." She said. "Now, go inside and get ready. The delegations from the Obsidian tribe will be here any minute. Then we'll just be waiting on the last delegation. I said go get ready! Don't run off on me! In! Now!"
"Yes, Swallow." Junco said running inside his house.
"Silly boy." Swallow shook her head and followed Junco inside.
Matthew was sitting on a tree limb fifteen feet above the ground. Olympus, Tiyana's bison calf, and Sparkle, Tiyana's newest rescue who happened to be a dragon, were guarding the tree.
"Really?" He called down at the animals. Olympus snorted. Tiyana appeared in Matthew's limited field of vision. Olympus and Sparkle ran to her.
"Hey, guys." She stroked both of them. "What are you doing keeping poor Matthew stuck up in a tree, huh?" She laughed, Sparkle purred, and Olympus leaned on Tiyana. Matthew climbed down from the tree.
"How's your dad?" He asked. Tiyana stood up (with much difficulty due to the bison calf leaning on her).
"He's finally asleep." She said. "I wrote Aunt Akaia and she responded by saying that he's never acted like this before. He's worrying the rest of us."
"How long has it been?" Matthew asked.
"Trevor McCallister kidnapped Mother eight days ago." Tiyana said. "I'm worried Father's not going to be in good condition to go to the Tonga in three days."
"Who's he taking?" Matthew asked.
"That's why I'm out here." Tiyana answered. "He wants to know if we would like to come with him."
"I'd love to." Matthew said.
"I'd love to." Matthew said.
"I'll go tell Father." Tiyana said. "You'd better tell your parents." Matthew nodded and ran off to tell Abby and Duncan that he would be accompanying Allan and Tiyana to the Tonga.
Swallow pulled Junco's hair again in the same spot.
"Ow!" He yelped.
"Sit still." She told him. "Your hair isn't going to comb itself." Junco slouched in his seat.
"And sit straight." She said. "Mother's always reminding you about your posture."
"I don't care." He mumbled.
"Of course you don't." She said. She continued combing Junco's long black hair.
"Mother named you right." Swallow said. "You look like a Junco."
"I'm not fat!" Junco exclaimed sitting up straight.
"Of course not, baby." Swallow said sweetly. "All Junco chicks start out scrawny."
"I'm not a baby, Swallow." He said.
"You're the youngest." Swallow grinned. "Henceforth you're the baby."
"Mom!" Junco ran into the living room, a comb stuck in his hair, with Swallow following.
"What Junco dear?" Sparrow asked trying to keep her composure in front of the various Elves.
"Swallow called me a baby!"
"Junco started it!"
"No, you did!"
"Nah ah!"
"Children!" Sparrow laughed nervously and put her hands on both of them. "Please, stop arguing. We have guests present. Junco, go finish getting ready. Swallow, your brother is no a baby. Just because he's the youngest doesn't mean he's a baby. He's still seventeen. He's almost all grown up." She pulled Junco into a hug.
"Mom!" Junco blushed.
Tiyana had never been on a trip without her brothers before. She was looking forward to it. No annoying brothers to be, well, annoying. She mounted the horse she was going to be riding. Allan, Matthew, and Tiyana were going to be riding what Matthew called bareback. Matthew didn't know what to think of that.
Allan was the last to be ready, partly because of Malcolm. Six months earlier, Tiyana had reunited Allan and his father, Malcolm, without knowing who Malcolm was.
Allan said goodbye to Malcolm and mounted. The three of them rode off. With a certain albino bison following them.
Tiyana first noticed Olympus following them when they stopped for the night. They set up camp and Tiyana was almost asleep when Olympus decided to lie down on her legs.
"Father," Tiyana shook Allan awake.
"What?" He asked sleepily.
"Look who followed us." She said. Allan looked over and then stroked Olympus's head.
Warbler was the first to spot the delegations from the Hoh tribe. Junco, however, was the first in the trees to watch them before any of his female relatives could fuss over his appearance.
There were three of them. The first one was the only adult in the group. He was definitely tall with short red hair. The second was a boy who looked to be about Junco's age. He had short sandy blond hair and he was pretty tall. The third was a girl. Her hair was long, red, and looked like a mass of curls. She was also tall like the other two and appeared to be a little younger than the boy. A strange white animal was following her.
Junco was surprised at the fact that they were very quiet. Normally, on their way in, the delegations would discuss the way the forest of the Tonga looked, but not these three. They were a little too quiet.
Junco slipped through the trees quietly until he reached his house.
Tiyana, Allan, and Matthew made it to the village by sundown. The Tonga leader greeted them.
"How was the trip over?" She asked Allan.
"It was good, Sparrow." Allan answered. "How have things been around here?"
"Oh," She said. "Just fine. Well, right this way." She led Allan, Tiyana, and Matthew to a small house.
"Where's Kyra?" Sparrow asked. Allan didn't answer.
"Okay." She said. "We're letting you use this one. Breakfast is at Risen Sun. Is there anything I can get you?" She smiled but it seemed to be a strained smile.
"No, but thank you." Allan said. Sparrow looked a little relieved and left them. Matthew walked over to Allan.
"Uncle Allan," He said.
"Yes, Matthew?" Allan said.
"There are only two bedrooms in the the house." Matthew said. Allan sighed.
"Of course there are." Allan shook his head. "Well, let's go see them." The three walked down a small hallway. The two bedrooms were right across from each other. One room had a small bed, big enough for one person. The other room had two small beds each big enough for one person.
"Tiya," Allan said. "You'll get that room by yourself." He gestured towards the room with two beds. "Matthew, you'll get this one, and I'll use the couch."
"Are you sure, Father?" Tiyana asked concerned.
"I'm sure, Tiya." Allan said. "Is that alright with you Matthew?"
"I guess." Matthew said. "You sure you want to sleep on the couch, Uncle Allan? I've done that a lot so I wouldn't mind."
"I'll be fine on the couch," Allan said.
Junco frowned. He was going to be meeting the delegations from the Hoh today and no one was telling him to look his best. Instead, his grayish brown shirt with the wider sleeves that looked faintly winged shaped, his pants were the same brown pair he'd worn for the past three days, and he wore new shoes. Junco decided to comb his hair.
When his hair was presentable, Junco made his way to breakfast which was outside. Most of the time the delegations didn't share a meal with the leader hosting. But, it was customary to share the first meal, that a delegation was present for, with that delegation, and the final meal with all of the delegations.
Sparrow was waiting for Junco in the traditional spot, a small clearing about half a league from Tonga Village. The delegations from the Hoh arrived a few minutes later.
They were a strange group. The leader wore a shirt and pants, both of which were black with blue highlights, and knee-high black leather boots.
The girl wore a short sleeve green shirt, green pants, a brown tunic belted at the waist, and brown leather boots that came almost up to her knees. She had a sword by her side.
The boy wore a blue shirt with a red flannel shirt acting as a jacket. He also wore blue pants that Junco was convinced were striped with a little white. The boy wore ankle shoes with laces that were unfamiliar to Junco.
Sparrow and the Hoh leader shook hands.
"Good morning, Allan." Sparrow said.
"Good morning, Sparrow." The man, Allan, said.
"And who are they?" Sparrow asked, gesturing to the boy and girl. "I forgot to ask last night. And I've only ever seen you with Kyra."
"This is my daughter, Tiyana, and my cousin's son, Matthew." Allan said, indicating the girl and boy in turn.
"Nice to meet you two." Sparrow said. "This is my son Junco." She motioned to Junco. "Now, let's eat." All five sat down in a circle. Junco could tell Tiyana and Matthew hadn't ever been part of a delegation before. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones. It was Junco's first time as well.
Kyra struggled.
"It's no use, Blondie." McCallister said.
"Why haven't you killed me yet?" Kyra asked.
"The only thing keeping you alive is Trevor." McCallister sneered. "He wants to wait till we have your precious little soldier, Cethiya, in our grasp." He turned and walked away.
