The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 2.3

Sabrina smiled. "I have very fond memories of them. I hope they are well?"

"Yes, thank you."

"I know about him," Scotty said, nodding at Ford, "but how did you get an Earth name?"

"From Lady Sabrina," Aurora said. "She once told my mother of an Earth fable. She never had time to tell the story, but Mother obtained a version of it before I was born."

Sabrina frowned, then laughed. "Sleeping Beauty! I remember now. I was talking about Mara."

"Aurora," Ford said impatiently, "tell us exactly what happened when Mother disappeared."

Aurora paused as Lieutenant Lndor joined them, and Scotty said, "Tell us while we walk. We should get back to the flyer."

They began making their way through the forest. Aurora said, "I do not remember very clearly, I am afraid. There was a disturbance in Giandrah. Her Majesty summoned me and said we must go to investigate it. I notified Lady Imari of our departure, and Her Majesty transported us here. We spoke briefly with Governor Senza, but he knew nothing of any disturbance. On reflection, I believe the Crystal warned us not of an event that was occurring then, but of one that was about to occur. Thus we arrived in time to be caught up in the disturbance. I remember Her Majesty crying out as I lost consciousness. I woke up in this forest and began searching for her. Then, a little while ago, there was another disturbance, and I lost consciousness again. When I woke I began searching again, until I became aware of others nearby. I saw the combat armor and was afraid you might be behind the Queen's disappearance. I determined to capture and question one of you, and when I found Captain Devon alone, I hit him with a tree branch and took his weapon."

Her voice was calm throughout, and Sabrina realized that, though Aurora did not physically resemble her mother, she had Selémahs' serene and capable air. Of course, from what Sabrina remembered of Leran nar Daroun, Aurora might easily have learned that from him, too.

"That doesn't tell us much more than we knew," Ford mused.

"I am sorry," Aurora said. "But we will find her, Var. Please do not fret."

Ford gave her a somewhat sheepish smile, and Sabrina was struck by their easy relationship. The old feeling of being excluded nagged at her, and she pushed it away from her thoughts impatiently. Of course Ford felt more reassured by Aurora than by her or her brother. They had grown up together, probably been playmates. The Miahns she'd known had always been rather clannish; that would not have changed. She was still, and always would be, an outsider. Only her adopted name was Miahn; she never could be. That didn't change her obligations to Mara and Tirqwin or her determination to find and help them.

"I wonder if Khediva's come up with anything," she mused aloud.

"Wayship Khediva is here?" Aurora asked, surprised.

"Yes, in orbit," Ford said. "Didn't you see Father, then? Khediva said he was taken during the disturbance; we thought Mother must have wanted him."

Aurora sighed. "I cannot say for certain, since I was not conscious, but I do not think the Guardian was able to perform such actions during or after the disturbance. I was not able to clearly sense the Great Crystal, though I do not believe I was ever totally cut off from it; I do not think she would have fared very much better than I."

Scotty said, "So Mara might not be unconscious or in stasis. She might just be cut off from the Crystal. Like that time on Mundisar, Rina."

"I remember," Sabrina said. "But that was another form of crystal interfering with her. There's nothing like that here, is there, and Khediva said the phase shift didn't feel like crystal energy to her."