"Everything is fine," he answered. "I am just escorting these folks to the inn."
The second gentleman nodded to the first and then departed back in the direction he came from.
A couple of minutes later, the guard led them onto the dirt road running through the center of town. "Welcome to Loknar!" the man stated, spreading his arms before him. "That is the building you are looking for," he added, pointing toward a bi-level structure about one hundred feet up on the right.
The group began to move in the direction of the inn when the guard clamped a hand down on Edward's shoulder. He leaned in close and whispered in Edward's ear, "You seem to be the leader of this little group. Can I perhaps speak with you privately once all of you get settled?"
Edward nodded. "Sure. Give me a little bit and I'll come back out to speak with you."
"I'll wait for you over there," the man said, pointing out a bench flanked by rocking chairs that sat under the awning of the inn.
Edward nodded to him again and then rejoined his friends, whom by now were looking at him curiously.
"What was that all about?" Katie asked.
"I'm not sure yet," Edward told her. "He wants to talk to me privately after we get settled in."
"I'm not going to tell you not to do it," Katie frowned, "but it does seem a little strange that he singled you out. Why not talk to all of us?" Katie asked nervously.
"He sees me as the leader of our group," Edward explained. "I guess he figures—" he trailed off for a moment, "—I don't know what he figures."
"Where does he want to meet with you?" Jack asked.
"Right out here, on that bench," Edward replied, indicating the long wooden bench behind them.
"We should see if we can get a room that overlooks the street then," Katie said. "At least, that way we can look down here and see if anything goes wrong."
"This whole situation sounds a little hinky," Melissa added with a note of concern in her voice.
"Well, let's see about getting settled into a room before we start worrying about the man's intentions. I'm sure it's nothing. He's probably just as wary of us as we are of him," he said with a tight-lipped smile that was far from reassuring.
The four of them turned and walked through the batwing doors of the inn. The inside of the place looked eerily similar to the tavern they stayed at in Haven. Empty tables and chairs dotted the dimly lit area around the bar. A petite, red-haired woman with a freckled face was behind the counter diligently wiping down the surface of the bar. She looked up at them as they entered.
"You aren't from around here," she said stating the obvious. "What can I do for you folks?"
"We're wanting to get a room for the night, if you have any available," Edward told her.
"Just one room?" she inquired as she took in the fact that there were four of them.
"Yes, ma'am," Edward replied. "Preferably one that overlooks the road outside."
"I have one of those," she said, "but you may find it a wee cramped if all of you intend to stay in the same room."
"That shouldn't be a problem." Edward smiled.
"It'll be a silver piece for the room then," she told them.
Melissa, Katie, and Jack looked at Edward nervously, knowing they had no money to pay. Edward looked down at his feet for a moment, trying to hide the shameful blush that was blooming on his cheeks. He finally looked up at the young woman. "I'm sorry. We don't have any money at this time," Edward told her. "The only payment we can offer right now would be to help the town figure out where the people whom have gone missing have disappeared to. Or helping out with repairs if there are any that need to be done."
The barmaid looked at Edward skeptically. "Normally, I wouldn't even consider your proposal," she said as she shot Edward an intense glare, "but my best friend was one of the people you mentioned who went missing. I would give anything for the possibility of her safe return."
"If it is within our power to do so, we will find out what happened and bring your friend back then. You have my word," Edward replied.
"You have my deepest thanks," she said. "Let me show you to your room. Follow me, please."
The barmaid walked out from behind the bar and led them through a curtain in the back of the dimly lit room. As the curtain parted, a staircase was revealed. It was lit from a window near the top of the stairs and much brighter than the main room of the tavern.
The four weary travelers silently followed the woman up the stairs and down a long hallway until she stopped in front of a closed door. She opened the door and stepped to one side to allow the group to enter the room. "Will this do?" she asked politely.
Edward poked his head inside for a moment to inspect the room. It was laid out in an identical manner as the room in Haven had been. Two beds were pressed against the far wall of the room and a rocking chair sat opposite them on the outer wall next to the room's single window. Edward walked into the room and went to look at the view, which was just what he had asked for.
"This will be perfect," Edward said as he turned to meet the barmaid's questioning gaze.
"Very well then," she said. "I will let you folks get settled in. If you need anything, I will be downstairs in the tavern." With a brief nod she returned to the stairs and disappeared down them.
The four of them entered the room and Jack closed the door. "What do you want us to do while you talk to that man?" Melissa asked. For once, her question sounded sincere and not dripping with sarcasm.
"I'm not sure how you want to decide who does what," Edward began, "but two of you should lay down and try to get some sleep. Whomever decides they will keep a lookout should take up a position here by the window."
"I'll stay up and watch your back the best I can," Jack volunteered.
Katie and Melissa went over to the beds and sat down. "Not sure if I can sleep until we know what that man wants from you," Katie told Edward.
"I don't know about you, Katie, but I'm exhausted!" Melissa said through a yawn.
"I'll try not to be gone too long," Edward said comfortingly.
Melissa laid back and stretched out on the bed. Lacing her fingers behind her head, she closed her eyes. Before Edward could even turn and leave the room, Melissa was snoring softly.
Katie, on the other hand, was more nervous than tired. She fidgeted on the bed as if she were about to get up and start pacing the floor. "Please, be careful, Edward," she pleaded.
"Try not to worry too much, Katie," he said soothingly. "I will keep my eyes open for anything suspicious. Just relax and try to get a little sleep."
Katie allowed herself to lie back, but Edward could tell she was still tense. Her fingers were in constant motion, tapping nervously on her chest. She glanced at Edward and saw that he was still watching her. She gave him a weak smile and closed her eyes, pretending to try to sleep. When she didn't hear any movement right away, Katie cracked open an eyelid to peek. Edward was gone and Jack was closing the door once more.
As Jack went back toward the window, Katie sat up again. "Sorry. I had to act like I was going to try and get some sleep so Edward wouldn't get upset," she said sheepishly to Jack.
"No worries," he replied with a smile. "I kind of expected something like that since you two seem so close."
Katie got up from the bed and went to stand near Jack, who sat in the rocking chair to peer out the window. So far, he could see nothing. Hopefully, that was a good sign.
The two of them waited tensely while Melissa continued to snore lightly in the background.
Chapter 32
Edward stepped through the batwing doors into the bright midday sun. The same man that had escorted them into town was seated on the bench just outside the inn waiting for him. As Edward exited, he stood up and walked over. "Thank you for meeting with me," the man said, holding out his hand.
Edward gave his hand a brief shake. "What did you want to talk to me about?" Edward asked.
"I'm hoping you can help us locate our missing townsfolk," the man
explained in a conspiratorial whisper. "You seem like a man of honor."
"That I am," Edward said. "How can I help?"
"Walk with me, please." The man stepped into the hard-packed dirt road. Edward stepped out from beneath the awning of the inn, joining him in the road. They began to slowly walk toward the western edge of town. As they approached the bend in the road that led uphill, cutting through the hillside, the man stepped off the road and began walking through the tall grass beside it.
"None of us can figure out why our people disappeared from town," he began. "None of the guards on duty at the time heard or saw anything suspicious. But after a few days, even a couple of the guards went missing."
Edward listened intently as the man continued to speak, nodding his head at various intervals to let the man know he followed what had been said thus far.
"A few of us scoured the area looking for clues. We eventually came across some footprints in the softer dirt of this area, which we found after seeing that some of the grass was trampled down."
"So, what you are saying is that you think these people were abducted from your town?" Edward inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Exactly! There were several large, man-sized footprints in this area and they were flanked by what appeared to be drag marks. As if the townspeople had been unconscious and perhaps too heavy to carry. Dragged away like a hunter would do with an animal carcass!" The anger in the man's voice was quite apparent as he stated this.
"Perhaps, I should go back to the inn and get one of my friends to come help with the search. She has hunted animals more than I ever have and would be more likely to be able to track this abductor down," Edward said, trying desperately to calm the man.
"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," he told Edward. "I just didn't want to meet with your whole group. It might have raised too many eyebrows and caused the townsfolk to think I may have been part of the plot that caused their friends to go missing."
"I see your point," Edward said. "A group of strangers, huddled around, talking to one of the town's own people might look bad for you. I'll try to be as discreet as possible when I talk to the others."
"I would very much appreciate that." The man smiled, finally seeming a bit more at ease.
"If it wouldn't be too much to ask, I would like to get some rest before investigating this matter more thoroughly," Edward told him. "Perhaps the rest of my group can join me out here sometime near dusk when there are fewer inquisitive eyes watching us.
"That would be a good idea," he agreed.
Edward took a quick look around to get his bearings so he could find this spot again later. Then he followed the man back into town, and they parted company near the inn.
Edward entered the inn and gave the barmaid a friendly wave as he headed to the staircase in the back. When he got upstairs and opened the door to their room Edward expected to see the two women sleeping, and possibly Jack nodded off in the rocking chair. Instead, Katie and Jack were standing just inside the room facing the door with expectant looks on their faces. Melissa was the only one that was in the same position as when he had left.
"Well? What did he want?" Katie asked before Edward had even closed the door. He quietly shut it before answering her.
"He asked for our help in investigating the disappearance of the people from town," Edward began. "He just didn't want to raise too many eyebrows by talking to all of us at once. He was afraid the rest of the townsfolk would think he was somehow involved in the disappearances if he were seen talking to a group of strangers."
"I hadn't thought about it from that angle," Katie admitted.
"Why aren't you sleeping?" Edward asked in a scolding voice.
"I was too wound up," Katie replied. "Not to mention that I was worried! What would we have done if something had happened to you?"
Edward blushed. "Nothing happened, and Jack was watching me the entire time. Right Jack?" Edward asked, hoping to calm Katie down.
Jack nodded. "Yes. I had my eyes on you from the time you stepped out into the road, but so did Katie," Jack said, tipping a wink in Katie's direction. "She stood by me the entire time you were gone."
All Edward could do was shake his head. "Well, now we all need to get some sleep so we can be ready when it gets dark out."
"We can forego having someone standing watch," Jack began. "If, that is, you don't have a problem with me sleeping on the floor in front of the door."
"That doesn't sound very comfortable," Katie said.
"I've slept in worse places," Jack admitted. "At least nobody could enter the room without waking me first."
"Well, I suppose if that's what you wish to do so we can all sleep, then I won't stop you from doing so." Edward smiled.
Katie walked back to the bed and sat down. This time, when she leaned back to lay down, her eyes closed for real sleep. Edward strolled over to the rocking chair and sat down. He kicked his feet up onto the windowsill and laced his fingers behind his head, closing his eyes as well. Meanwhile, Jack curled up into a tight little ball on the floor with his back pressed firmly against the door. Soon, the snores of all resonated softly throughout the room.
Chapter 33
Edward awoke when one of his feet slipped from its place on the windowsill. The pain caused by his leg falling was intensified by the fact that it had fallen asleep. The prickling sensation felt like a thousand tiny needles being jammed into his flesh.
He groaned, rubbing his aching leg, as he looked out the window. He had intended to sleep for a short while and rouse everyone near dusk, but the view outside the window was completely dark. That was when he noticed the difference in the room. It was bright enough in here for there to have been an oil lamp burning, but the only one in the room that he remembered was hanging on the wall by the door. As far as he knew, no one had lit it before lying down.
He turned to see where the light was coming from and saw a welcomed sight. Amber was back! Edward tried to stand up to wake the others, to share the good news, only to find that his half awake leg wasn't ready for it. His leg folded uselessly beneath him as Edward crumpled to the floor like a rag doll.
The thump of his fall onto the wooden floor caused the others to stir. Jack and Melissa rubbed their eyes sleepily and yawned. Katie, on the other hand, was in mid-stretch when she noticed the familiar glow in the room. She jumped to her feet excitedly. "Yay! Amber is back!" Katie cheered, startling Jack and Melissa. Edward looked up at Katie with a grimace. "Can you help me up? And try to keep your voice down," he scolded.
"Sorry. I guess I got a little excited," she apologized as she held her hand out to Edward.
He used her hand to pull himself up and tottered for a moment. Edward leaned on her shoulder to brace himself until the feeling began to return to his leg.
"I didn't mean to sound so gruff," Edward whispered to Katie. "I just didn't want to draw any added attention to us."
Katie was so happy at the moment that she wanted to give Amber a hug, but knew that her arms would just pass through her ghostly form. "Where did you go?" Katie asked Amber in a hushed tone.
"I'm sorry, Katie," Amber said sadly. "I didn't mean to disappear on you. I think the situation back there just stressed me so badly that I panicked and made myself invisible. I never actually left."
"Then why didn't you become visible again once the fight was over?" Katie asked skeptically.
"I tried, but I think I used up too much of my energy making myself invisible. When I tried to switch back, it didn't work. I even tried to talk to you, to let you know that I was still there, but obviously that didn't work either."
"Either way, I am just happy to see you again!" Katie said with a big smile.
"Now that she is back, how do we get her past the barmaid downstairs?" Edward asked. "Do we wait until the tavern closes up for the night? Or can you make yourself invisible just long enough to get outside?"
"If I did turn myself invisible again, I don't know if I would have enough energy
to turn back visible when you needed me to," Amber told him sadly.
"Good point," Edward conceded.
"Looks to me like we are hanging out here a while longer then," Melissa said. "If it's all the same to the rest of you, I'm going to lay back down and try to get a little more sleep." She sat down heavily on the bed and leaned back. Before anyone could protest, Melissa's eyes had already closed.
"What if Amber were to wait here until the tavern closed down and then met us outside after that?" Jack asked thoughtfully.
"That might actually work," Edward replied. He walked over by the room's only window. "We would likely be in that area," he told Amber, pointing in the direction he had investigated earlier with the town guard. Amber glided across the room to a vantage point that allowed her to see where Edward was pointing.
"I could meet you there."
"Well then. I guess that settles the problem," Jack said with in impish grin as he walked over to the bed that Melissa was on. He reached out and shook her leg gently. "Time to wake up, princess," he said jokingly.
"Princess?" Melissa asked groggily as she rubbed her eyes.
"You do kind of act like one sometimes," Jack laughed.
Melissa sat up and gave Jack a stern look. "I do not!" she protested.
Now everyone, except Melissa, was laughing softly. "Lighten up! I'm sure that Jack was only joking," Katie said to Melissa. Boy is she grumpy when she's not allowed to wake up on her own, Katie thought.
Melissa moved to the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh. "So, what are we doing?"
Edward sat down beside her on the bed for a moment, throwing an arm over her shoulder, hoping to calm Melissa down. He explained the plan to her as the others stood nearby waiting.
"Well? Are we just gonna stand around talking or are we gonna go do this?" Melissa asked, with what Katie thought was the enthusiasm of a cheerleader at a pep rally. Katie couldn't figure out if Melissa's questions were genuine or sarcastic. Either way, at least everyone was huddled near the door looking ready to go.
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