The Rivening

Lost & Found

The next morning, Connie was sound asleep when Gristig burst into her room and barked at her from the end of her bed.

"Where is your friend?"

Connie pushed herself up on her elbows and stared at Gristig. She struggled to comprehend what was going on.

Gristig continued harshly, "Your friend, that man. He's missing. Where did he go?"

"What? What are you saying? Peter? Missing?"

"He must have told you what he was planning. You're creating a lot of trouble for us."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't pretend you know nothing. I know better."

Rennish came into the room, "Gristig. Let me speak with Connie. Leave us."

Gristig glared at Rennish and left.

Connie was now fully awake and sat up, "What does she mean? Peter is missing? He can hardly walk. How can he be missing?"

"No one can find him."

"Did you ask Vossey?"

"She's missing too. Though I'm pretty sure I know where I can find her."

"Why does Gristig think I know where he is? And why is she so angry with me?"

Rennish sat down at the end of the bed, put her kind face in place, and brought out her gentle voice.

"There are changes happening in Ladore and beyond. Changes a number of us have been working on for some time about our relationship with Earthside. And right now, we are having delicate negotiations with other communities and domains to discuss these matters. Connie, there are a number of people, including me, who think its an odd coincidence how your sudden and quite unprecedented arrival in Dahria happened to coincide with these changes." She smiled, "I wonder if you've been completely forthright with us."

Several beats of silence hung in the air. Connie hoped she looked convincingly bewildered and concerned.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying. And I'm sorry if I'm making trouble for you. I just want to be with my father. And right now, I want to find Peter. I think we should get out of your hair and go ahead and start making our way to my father, even if Peter is not 100%. I'm worried about what's happened him."

"People are looking for him. He probably wondered off and got lost. It happens easily in our forests."

"I'll help look for him."

"I don't think that's a good idea. In fact, we're going to move you back to the Squares. At least for a little while, until we locate Peter."

"I don't understand."

"Please, Connie. It will be simpler right now for us. Besides there are some people staying there who would like to speak with you." Rennish stood.

"Wait. What about Tessa? Did she have the baby? Did everything go all right?"

"She's fine. We have good birthers. It's a girl."

Connie cleaned up and gathered her things, including the Go game. When Harnell came to take her to the Squares, she effusively thanked the young woman for the use of her embroidered clothes last night. Harnell barely acknowledged the thanks, tossed the clothes on a chair, and led Connie to her room on the second floor of Square Two.

"Who are the people who want to talk to me?"

Harnell pointed down and across the courtyard to a set of open double doors. "They're in the tearoom."