The Ten Clans Chronicles

Chapter 12: The Journey Begins

Breakfast the next morning was a light affair. Meerkats sat around the long tables that had been resituated in the center of Banquet Hall. A few meerkats carelessly dribbled honey into their bowls of cornmeal mush and sprinkled on some dried locusts and berries for added flavor.

Many only toyed with their food that morning. Very few had any inclination towards eating after their feast the previous evening. It was a feast that had spanned the afternoon and much of the evening. Many who were actually awake looked half dead after having finally dropped where they stood in the wee hours of the morning. Lazy conversation ranged widely throughout the hall, discussing various topics.

Mai Volyn suddenly appeared in the large doorway and strode quickly across the hall to where Paradiano sat at the head of the centermost table. All eyes were instantly on her. Although there was nothing unusual about Mai Volyn being there in the hall, her very countenance demanded their attention.

"Paradiano!" she sobbed as she neared their leader's seat at the head of the table. The way her voice rang out shrilly across the hall and the tone riddled with a frantic shock told everykat that she was in a present state of panic.

"That little wretch, Wyte is v-vanished!" It was clear that she had meant this message for the ears of every meerkat present even though she had addressed the clan leader. "'E's nowhere on the grounds or in the buildin'!"

Astrom the carpenterkat, who had been sitting at Paradiano's left paw and down a space, suddenly bolted straight in his seat at this news as though he had just been hit in the tail by one of Wyte's sling stones.

"Those little troublemakers Jesse 'n' Ivy is gone too," he said, shaking his head as though he could not fathom it. Paradiano looked quickly at the carpenterkat. "They ran off larst night, causin' trouble, stealin' me best pawsaw, an' I still can' find 'em t' this morn. They ain't nowhere's on the grounds neither!"

Elliair emitted a knowing grown of despair from the space across from Astrom. The others' eyes were instantly on him. This matter was opening up wider and more severely with each bit of information acquired.

"Wot is it?" Paradiano inquired, his eyes fixed gravely on Elliair. He was standing now, his entire stance alert. He eyed the three meerkats with a stern, no-nonsense manner. "Will somekat please tell me wot in golden hazes is going on? Elliair, do you have something to add to the present reports?"

"I know where Wyte's gone," the warrior stated grimly as the realization hit him, his voice little more than a whisper.

"Where?"

"Those two rats..."

"Tha's right!" interrupted the young female Gyori excitedly.

"Gyori..." Paradiano intervened, casting a stern glare at the youngster and raising a paw to quiet her.

Gyori continued regardless, obviously feeling that what she had to say was of importance to the present issue being discussed. Every meerkat present in the hall listened in as the young female spoke vehemently. "Those two rats that Forest 'n' 'is crew rescued in the forest is gone too!"

Forest was just passing by the center table on his way to the main tunnel. On hearing his name, he paused behind the down-cast Elliair, listening silently as the warriorkat continued.

"Those two rats, Kero and Ritters, took off sometime las' night or early this morning."

He paused to let a heavy sigh escape him. His gaze was riveted on the tabletop, and his head seemed to sink lower and lower with each word he spoke as though speaking was a huge effort that drained him of any energy he had.