A Great Loss.

A Great Loss.

"Wait!" Jharey attempted to call out, but the girl had already gone too far. However,it was not that Havillah could not hear him, but her heart and mind were being pulled to a certain direction. She did not know where she was going, but the urgency she was feeling was so great. This feeling was nothing like she had ever felt before. As she came to the edge of the town square she stilled at the fog that had grown even thicker and much wilder. The shrieks were much louder also and as she debated on wether to go in or not,a thin bony hand reached out and grabbed her, too strong despite the frailness and the apparent lack of muscle.

Jharey watched as the girl was pulled into the fog, the shrieks growing louder and louder by the minute, the fog growing thicker and he hated to think what was going to happen now. They would tear her apart, he knew that, but how could he save her when he could not see what was happening or going on inside there? Suddenly a single scream pierced the air and his feet held him in place as a sudden foreboding filled his bones. Why did it sound so familiar? So childish. His head snapped up as aset of heavy feet quickly approached him.

"Jharey! Jharey!" The voice called out. It was their Mima. "Jharey!" The woman called and a sudden fear gripped his bones rendering it impossible for him to reply.

"Jharey! Thank goodness I found you." The woman finally spotted him. "Jharey!" She heaved as she drew closer to him breathless from all the running.

"Mima where is Sophir?" He finally found the voice to ask, dreading the answer as a deeper part of him pieced two and two together.

"She run away. I am so sorry." The woman wailed. "I should have watched her more closely, bolted the doors..." She carried on but even he knew that that was not enough when Sophia made up her mind to do something. "What do we do now? What do you want me to do? You have been so kind to me and this is how I repay you?" She wept.

"Not now Mima." Jharey suddenly spoke as he finally realised what it was that he had to do. What it was he must now do. He took out the book in his jacket and the papers that bore the requests from his townspeople and held them out to the woman. "Would you please hold on to this for me?"

"What are you going to do?"she asked him as she watched him eye the thickening fog uneasly.

"I am going to get Sophir back." With that he run into the fog that he had always taken great care to avoid. He had not known what to expect when he had jumped in, but it was definately not the searing cold that engulfed him. He had always been right though, that one could get lost in this fog. It was like he had delved into another world all together and his nightmares had suddenly became real. The whispers were louder here and he could swear that he had seen forms and shadows of wolves wondering in the darkness mingled with the great white. Were they the terror that had been haunting this town? He kept his eyes peeled open for anything that would lead him to the girl or Sophir.

Blessedly there were no Gones to accost him along the way but he could tell from all the shrieking that they were somewhere ahead of him. It was hard to follow though with all the whispers and shadows that distracted his eyes and he was almost tempted to close them if only to concentrate, but he certainly knew better. Closing his eyes meant getting lost and with the images that came with every blink of his weary eyes he knew that that was not something that he wanted to happen to him. Whatever had that woman been thinking? Did this also mean that he would also have to rescue her? Maybe he should do so, then the captain would have to stop sending spies his way and leave his town for good.

-*-

The hands grabbed and pulled at Havillah scratching her and pulling at her hair as they pushed her along to the very centre. At first she had fought them but then realised that the were pulling her in the same direction as the pull. As she came to the centre, she saw a small form bundled up on the ground in a pool of blood and quickly rushed to her miraculously throwing off the hands that had initially held her.

"Sophir?" she called out as she noticed the grey hair and a familiar ribbon on the head. "Sophir?" She called again but the little girl in her hands did not respond. She was bleeding from scratches all over her body and from her forehead which had a large gush that was probably the source of all the blood. As she listened for her breathing Havillah realised that it was barely there. Her pulse was also weak as her heart beat slowly probably from all the blood that she had lost or the fact that she was also knocked out. "What was she even doing here?" She thought to herself even as she moved her body to her lap in order to better position her healing.

Held in her arms and seated on Havillah's lap, the little form glowed as Havillah's hands touched her, sending forth crystals into her small weak form to in order assess the damage. All she could see however was the gush and the scratches which she quickly healed but it seemed that her body still did not recover.

"Sophir!" She cried out not knowing how to help the little girl that was cradled in her arms. As if sensing her despair the shadows drew closer and among the Gone she could now see the familiar sight of the things that had plagued her dreams. They reached out for her and also to the girl, their black teeth dripping and yellow eyes glaring, but she would not have it. They would not have her. She made up her mind and shouting she threw out her hand and screamed a loud "No!" Brandishing everything that she had inside into that single word. A blinding white light burst out from her hand and spread outwards engulfing the shadows and Gone alike before reducing the fog into nothingness. Suddenly she could see all around her and the familiar form that was now walking towards them, his teeth bared into a snarl as he prowled towards them.

"What have you done?" He accused in a growl.

"I...I..." She started to explain, but he would not let her. He grabbed the bundle from her arms and she suddenly realised how she must have looked covered in Sophir's blood.

"I didn't do it. I came to the middle and found her like this. Please...let me. I can help her." She raised a hand to reach out but Jharey stepped out of the way before turning around to walk back up the hill.