Secret Places and Hidden Things

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Do you believe in omens, Jack?" Daerk asked. It had been a long while since Jack had seen anyone. The cold landscape had lingered with a dim twilight, leaving the helm shadowy and expectant.

Jack looked out the window next to Daerk. Half the sky was a hazy blue, broken by tall, thunderous clouds, but as it faded towards the north, it got progressively darker with stars scattered here and there.

"I'm not sure. It'd be hard to tell if anything here was an omen or not," Jack said.

From the dark part of the sky, a veil of greenish-gold light appeared and slowly rippled out into the light. It crackled with lightning as it hit the clouds and moments later a deep roll of thunder shook the windows.

"Yes, this seems like an omen to me," Daerk said. "Couldn't say what for, though. I guess we'll see."

Jack sat down on one of the elaborate red couches lining the corridor. "Maybe someone new is coming again," He volunteered.

Daerk thought about this. "No, I don't think so. Things are getting further apart again. Seems more likely something is about to change more dramatically. You aren't planning to leave are you?" He turned to look at Jack, his mouth pursed outward.

"I wasn't planning on it," Jack said.

"Ah, good." Daerk turned back to the window and watched the sky. It had started to rain off in the hills. A rainbow arched across in a painterly movement.

"Daerk, how do you suppose the fox got here?"

Daerk turned again. "If I remember correctly, Marelle came in with it," he said.

"Right, you made it look like a parlor trick, but the fox was already there?"

Daerk rubbed his chin, looking down at his feet. "That was a bit odd. I've seen that fox before, but—"

Suddenly, they heard the sound of running footsteps.

"Come back here you little beast!"

The fox rounded the corner further down, and close behind it was Marelle. She had a massive bejeweled sword in her hand. She didn't seem to notice them. She overtook the fox and grabbed it up under her arm. It started to struggle, but she knocked it on the head with the hilt of her sword and it fell still.

"What are you doing?" Daerk asked mildly.

She started to back away pointing the sword towards them. It looked like it was made entirely of gold. "Don't try to stop me!" she yelled, and ran off through one of the many doors.

Jack looked at Daerk, and he stroked his chin again. "Yes, something is going to happen."

Jack didn't wait any longer. He tore off after Marelle. The door he went though didn't seem to lead anywhere specific, but there was only one door on the other side of the room. When he went through there, he found himself in the library. He could hear footsteps.

"I said don't follow me!" Marelle screamed. "I'm going to leave this place if it kills me!"

Jack stopped. "Why were you chasing the fox?"

"That's none of your business!" she screamed again. A door slammed somewhere on the far side of the library.

Jack began to run. He didn't know which door she took, but he figured it didn't matter much. The next door led into the solarium. He listened carefully, but no footsteps. He shut the door and opened it again, finding himself in another long hallway. He ran down the hall and opened each door. In the third one he found Marelle in a dark closet, tying rope onto the back legs of the fox. It was twitching.