The Mountain Dancer

Chapter 48: Shaynike & Monarec

“Distant, as-a usual. Something’s been-a bugging him, but I also am not thinking it’s Fae or Ella.”

You mean it’s probably me, she thought. Knowing looks from the others confirmed that they had been thinking the same thing.

“It’ll be fine,” Shay said. “Zak, just um, maybe keep your distance a bit.”

“Oh, that will be my pleasure.”

“Then are we good?” Krickgree asked.

“We are.” Shay stood, and thanked them all again, one by one, as they filtered through the door. Monarec lingered, and Shay saved an especially big hug for her best friend.

“Big day tomorrow, Mountain Dancer,” Mona said.

“Oh for Massus’ sake, don’t tell me that’s catching on.”

“I kind of like it. Like a girl who moves mountains, or who can dance right up to the top of one.”

“I didn’t ask for all this attention, you know.”

“No. But it looks good on you.”

“Thanks. Really.”

“Shay, I need to tell you something,” Mona beckoned her into the stairwell, where there was some light and some privacy from the Fistshield, who had started wandering closer now that the pupils were clearing away.

“What is it?” Shay asked, after the door had been shut.

“Affsol said Rek was acting distant and strange, right? Well, it just sort of reminded me of something that happened a while ago. It was before the Frostcycle Feast... and I kind of put it out of my mind but all this talk about him and the Tether Stone and if it was a good idea or not to let him in... I dunno, it’s probably nothing.”

“No, what it is?”

Mona told her about how she went to Rek because she was concerned about Shay’s bitchy behavior (fair) and how Rek’s eyes had glowed a strange light green. Then he had stumbled away, acting very strange, walking kind of like a braindead person, or a blind person. She had followed him down the boreway and he just kept getting stranger, evidently ignoring Mona entirely, even when she tried poking him or shaking him.

“Did you see where he went?”

Mona shook her head. “I stopped after a while, just figuring he was doing some really strange or mean thing to make me go away. I was bugging him after all. But I did see him coming back up the boreway just a bit later.”

“Was he still all weird?”

“Nope. Normal. Had a book with him.”

Shay just stared.

“Like I said, nothing. But still.” Mona shrugged.

‘Did you ever complete that book-quest?’ Shay sent up.

“You’re right, probably nothing. But thanks for letting me know,” Shay gave Mona another hug, and they walked down to their rooms. Shay stopped on her landing, letting Mona continue. Something was bothering her and it wasn’t just nerves about tomorrow. Something about that sketchy Lurecrafter, the strange book-quest, all the recent interrogations, all this security around the academy...

No response from Rek yet. He was probably asleep, or ignoring her. Both were just as likely.

The paranoid theory was easy enough, if not a little shaky. Lurecrafter gets a hold of some dangerous Artwork (is that where the book-quest led?), sneaks onto the carrier (how?) and attempts to use it to get close to Luminary Northridge but fails on the way. Or maybe the target was the fugitive? That didn’t seem to make sense.

She knew she should go downcycle, but she also knew that it was going to keep bugging at her. And there was one thing she had to check.

The security inside the main rooms of the academy wasn’t too overbearing, maybe triple the usual patrols from the local Fistshields, but there was a full platoon of them stationed inside the big pyramid of the General Assembly Hall to stand between the public and private areas of the spire. Then half a detachment of Stateguards in the Community Hall. The Fists let her leave easily enough, but warned her that they’d have to do a probe check when she decided to come back up. The Stateguards watched her, but didn’t speak to her.

The lower levels of the spire were actually quite lively, the late-night Dance Eve wonderments and celebrations still in high spirits. The school year was pretty well over for many of the pupils in the years below her, and the Lower Feast Hall and Library had been converted into a massive party.

More than a few people recognized her, and it took more than twenty minutes to get through the jubilee as pupils, advisors, and townsfolk alike asked her questions, wished her well, cheered her on, or offered condolences. It was actually refreshing- she had mostly shied away from the public ever since the Feast, and it seemed that some of these people were on her side.

She descended into the Grand Library. All the lights were cycled up inside. Even this peaceful place had not escaped the fervor of the population tonight, it seemed. There was some sort of wonderment happening on a platform aways down – lights flashed and laughter echoed. She spied several students in her year too, still up practicing signals or demonstrations.

She found Rek’s sorting piles. She half expected to see him there, still and morose, just as she’d left him. But the place was deserted. It was just half empty shelves, old books about enchantments, and strange debris scattered about.

Most of the piled books were bound in brown leather. The second most common colour was dirty blue. The one she was looking for had some faded black stripes on its spine – she hoped Stoneworth hadn’t already scooped it up for a lecture. There appeared to be a few candidates in the various stacks.

It took her only five minutes to find it. She totally would have won that bet she made with the tutor.

The chapter on enchanted books was near the back. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to be found about book-quests or mass-renderings.

Frustrated, she replaced the book and sat on the couch, and tried to pin down what it was that was scratching at her mind. Eventually, she found herself staring down at the strange mess on the floor. It looked like bits of paper and chunks of leather. She reached down, plucked up one of the brown crumbs and touched it to her tongue. Definitely leather. Had it come from a book? What on Massus would do this to a book?

Sitting here on the couch reminded her of the Lurecrafter and conversation about the Daxish Sea.

It was the MoonLunarFire. It had to be.

‘Rek, please, as soon as you get this, please answer me.’

Shay put the little piece of leather in her pocket, and slowly made her way back up the boreway. She had a feeling it was going to be a while before she slept.