Patrol 2: Lost & Found

Chapter 11

"Do you frequently have prescient dreams?"

"Not... for a long time."

"Do you think it was a true dream, or a sent dream? Is this killer getting into your head?"

She shook her head; "Only in the normal way. He didn't send that nightmare. Those... feel different." She shuddered and took long swallows from her mug. They sat in silence for a while.

"So..." he ventured. "About that... kink... in your back..."

"No."

"Your back probably wouldn't hurt as bad if you wouldn't hunch yourself down so much. Straighten up; you'll feel better."

"I'll accept the advice as well-meaning," she mumbled into her mug, "but you have no idea what you're talking about." She drained the mug and refilled it again.

"Then tell me."

"No." She plunked her mug down onto the table and gave him an annoyed look. "Why are you even here?"

"To give you a ride home, so you can get dressed without walking through the streets in your nightclothes." He looked at her, eyes dropping to the ragged hem visible just below her knees. "Unless you'd rather just walk back to your place, barefoot and almost naked."

"How did you even know? You weren't spying on me, were you?"

"No. Derry sent word. He was very concerned when you first showed up at his door." Eddin yawned. "I'm amazed he could reach me, honestly. When a person leaves the military as he did, they usually confiscate all tools and apparatus that might... cause problems in the hands of someone with a grudge. I don't know how he still has his troop crystal, or how it still works if the crystal hasn't been brought in to the military headquarters to have the spells renewed... But my old crystal lit up; sure caught my attention." He shrugged. "Derry asked me to saddle up and come, so I did."

"Some sort of communication crystal the army uses?" Vania asked. Eddin just nodded. "And you both happened to have kept yours, despite no longer being part of the army." Another nod from the a'marlon. "It still doesn't make sense. Derry knows I don't have that far to go. I don't need to ride some stupid giant horse."

"That 'stupid giant horse' did help defend you from a murdering wizard," Eddin reminded her. "And, I do think the killer's to blame. He knows you've been targeted once. He's just trying to keep the promise he made to his friend. But, if you're that upset about it, I'll go, and you can walk home."

"Who's walking home?" Derry asked, emerging from the staircase with a tray laden with food. His son followed behind with two plates. "You're not going anywhere until you've had breakfast." As he placed the tray on the table in front of them, he added, "I also reached out to my concerned friends. No one's heard of anyone going missing yet. I asked for Grenda to check on Adar specifically—haven't heard back yet."

"Grenda Girel?" Eddin asked, eyes widening. Then he grinned ruefully and shook his head; "It should stop surprising me that you know so many ranking military... But she's still with the force. And she doesn't live... in this part of town. So how is she checking on anyone? Or did you summon her here, the way you summoned me?"

"She's been keeping close since Klava was abducted. She doesn't appreciate someone hunting and killing children. And she has friends here 'in this part of town,' so it's not uncommon for her to be close by. Of course, she doesn't let that be common knowledge to you upper folk, who'd take exception to it."

"Hey, I don't care what section of the city she spends time in," Eddin replied, raising his hands in surrender. "There are some stuffy, over-pretentious people in this city. And they're not all nobles."