Object of Contention

Junayd and Eira took the oars while the twins scanned the shoreline. There was very little debris left to examine as most of it had been washed away by the moving water.

"Take us to where you found Renat's pack," Mairwen directed them as she turned around in the front of the boat once more. "We can start from there."

"Let me know when you need me to take a turn at the oars," Alaron offered, trying to pull himself from his melancholy thoughts. "I don't like feeling like dead weight."

Junayd and Eira, who were on the middle bench, both shook their heads. The advisor cleared his throat.

"If you are anything like Zan, you have the eyesight of an eagle and hearing of an owl. I would not have your keen senses dulled by rowing, when you may be our best chance at success." Effortlessly, the burly man pulled his oar in time with Eira, creating a calming rhythm as they pushed through the water. The two were well matched, and the small boat moved along smoothly without them needing to communicate.

The Guardian puffed out his cheeks and adjusted himself on the back bench of the small watercraft. While what Junayd said made sense, it was not what he wanted to hear.

Sensing the man's mood, the advisor smiled. Junayd understood; they were both men of action. "Watching is the harder job, and far more important. I do not envy you," the soldier chuckled.

The words were balm to Alaron's restless soul. With his jaw set in a determined line, he concentrated his focus on the shore. The mountains and hills, which formed the banks of the flood waters, loomed above their heads before disappearing as they curved downward on the opposing side.

Clumps of trees obscured the rugged terrain while the land closest to the waterline was scraped clean by the sheer force of the sudden deluge. It was as if someone had taken a razor to the land and taken the grass, top layer of soil and even the trees away with it. Left behind was a hideous scar of exposed rock where the water had slightly receded.

There was not a lot to see, though in some ways that made the looking harder. Any rock or fallen tree could actually be debris or worse—a body. Alaron gulped at the thought. 'Think positive.' He redoubled his searching efforts.

Under Eira's directions, the boat grew ever nearer to where the water met the land. "Is this the spot?" Mairwen asked as the boat bumped the rocky shore.

"I believe so. I was brought in after someone found the satchel. She claimed it was hanging off a log that had then washed up on shore."

The four stepped onto the mountainside and surveyed the ground. If a log had been here, it had been carried away at a later time.

"Perhaps Renat caught hold of the log and looped his pack onto it for safe keeping," Alaron suggested hopefully.

"Or it got stripped off him and landed here," Eira countered. She could feel the Guardian's cold gaze beneath his inscrutable hood, but the soldier refused to take back her words. "I am only being realistic. Losing his pack is far more likely than daintily hanging it on a branch and leaving it behind."

Junayd pressed his lips together as he thought. "I would have to side with Eira on this one, unfortunately. Unless he got separated after placing it there, he would have taken the bag with him."

"It cannot hurt to at least look around here, and then we can move further north," Mairwen met them in the middle. It was the most logical course of action anyway.

Junayd nodded. "That seems wise. The searchers combed this area thoroughly after finding the bag, but they do not know the prince like you do, Your Highness. I don't supposed your little friend might help us."

Mairwen looks down at the Seeker. She had asked it dozens of times to help find Renat, but thus far it had done no good. There were any number of reasons this could be, but the net result was the same. Yet, she was willing to try again. With everyone averting their eyes, she spoke to the pixie softly. "I wish to find my husband, Renat."

The fairy struggled on the chain, unwilling to detach. She held her breath, but like every other time, the little figure eventually went still. The princess did not want to think about what that could mean. Hopefully it meant someone else with her was meant to find him instead. 'Yes, that must be it!'

"It looks like we will be doing the leg work ourselves," Mairwen announced. The rest of the group, trying to hide their disappointment, simply nodded.

The four heroes spread out and examined the ground, looking for any sign that a living being had passed through. They even waded a short way into the murky water, in hopes of seeing anything that might help them.

"You don't suppose there are biting fish in here, do you?" Eira asked warily. She had taken off her protective boots to keep them from getting wet. The stripped stone was rough on her feet, but it was better than walking around in soggy shoes.

Mairwen and Alaron froze in the knee-deep water. They had not considered this option.

"Mmmm those fish are delicious," Junayd licked his lips, "but I think they prefer the water further south."

The others relaxed, though the thought of other things living in the water now flooded their minds, making for a divided focus. In the end, the watery search was unfruitful and exhausting. They climbed back in the boat and headed northward.

"It will be dark soon," Junayd advised gently. "How much further do you want to go, Your Highness?"

The burly man could have asserted his will and turned the boat around at any time, but he knew that doing so would only endanger the princess's delicate state.

"Just a little longer, please. I know that we cannot make any progress in the dark, but as long as there is light, I want to do all I can." Mairwen squinted, her eyes coming to barely a slit. "I can feel him like I felt you, brother. I cannot explain it, but he is out there."

Alaron studied his sister's face for a brief moment before looking back to the shore. Her profile was regal, and in the fading light, she looked otherworldly. Her eyes at that moment reminded him of Aurora's- wise and determined. If anyone could complete the task set our before her, it was his sister.

"We will find out what happened," the Guardian assured her.

Turning his gaze back to the shore, the young man took on the same posture as his twin. After a while, his eyes flashed as something in him triggered. His peripheral vision tingled, but he could not say exactly why. It was as if something on the shoreline had flashed back at him. Yet it was so faint, he could have imagined it. He knew better than to ignore his premonition.

"Slow down, please," he said softly.

Eira and Junayd immediately let up on the oars. The boat kept on gliding for a moment before stopping and beginning to drift back downstream as the current took it. As it passed the point where Alaron had seen the glint of reflected light, he focused on the grass, but could see nothing more.

"Pull into shore here." The Guardian leapt from the back of the boat to the land before it bumped into the mountainside.

"What did you see?" Mairwen followed him as soon as she was able.

"I am not sure. It was maybe nothing. But I cannot shake the feeling that there was something up there." Alaron pointed up the bank. "Something was just...shiny..."

"Shiny?" Junad asked, as he joined them with Eira. "That's unnatural out here."

"I'm not even sure I saw it. I might have just wanted to see something." Alaron did not want to get anyone's hopes up.

The four fanned out as they neared the place indicated. Because of the rain, the grass here had become thick and lush despite the coming winter. What might have been there three days ago would be likely lost in the tangle of greenery.

As such, the humans nudged their toes along the ground, hoping to bring anything below the verdant tendrils to the surface. When nothing immediately turned up, Mairwen fell to her knees and searched with her hands. The front of her dress became stained as she crawled around in vain hope that something would come of her effort.

"I guess it was just my imagination." Alaron gave up as he rubbed his eyes with his fists. "I am sorry for wasting our time and the last bit of light." Around them, the dusk was fading into darkness. "We should head back."

"Not until we found what you saw," Mairwen said firmly.

"But..." Eira began before being cut off.

"You all can go. I will spend the night on the mountainside searching. Come back in the morning." The princess ignored her brother's offer to help her stand. "I said to leave me."

"Mair...it's not safe. Let's go," Alaron placed his hand under his sister's elbow. She shoved it away.

"If you feel unsafe, leave!" the young woman cried desperately. "There is something here. You said so yourself. I have to find it."

"We will come back in the morning..." The Guardian tried to remain gentle.

"No! It has to be now. I should have come out sooner. This is my fault..." Mairwen spat, "Why wouldn't you let me come before. I should not have listened to any of you..."

"You are trying to pick a fight. We are on your team," the Guardian sighed.

Mairwen turned her back on her brother as tears streamed down her face. Her voice was thick with emotion. "Then be on my team and leave me here. If you try and take me back to Oblivion now, I'll fight you tooth and nail. I'll scream. I'll…"

"MAIRWEN!" Alaron screamed to bring her from her hysteria. His eyes flashed brightly in the darkness.

Something just in front of them reflected the silver light, snapping the group from their argument.

"Anyone have a light?" Junayd asked quickly.

Alaron pulled a torch and flint from his cape. With the flame ignited, again a faint reflection could be seen on the ground. The advisor parted the grass and pulled up the offending object. The others gasped.

It was a bloody knife.