Rylin and Nena exchanged looks. Rylin raised her eyebrows at Nena in a gesture that clearly said, See? Nena gave just the slightest shake of her head in a gesture that said a little less clearly, but clear enough for Rylin, I'm not swallowing it.
With a small toss of her dark head that was meant to say to Nena, You just don't trust people enough, Rylin turned to Jâkín and smiled graciously.
"Of course not," she said smoothly, "This is, after all, an unsettled time in a dangerous world."
Nena rolled her eyes with her face turned away from Jâkín so he wouldn't see it.
Rylin unstrapped her pack and handed it to Jâkín and looked at Nena to do the same. Nena, rather sulkily, handed it over with the admonishment, "Be careful with this! My Mother made it special for me and this journey." She met his eyes with a fierce and challenging gleam in her own to add emphasis to her words.
Rylin nudged Nena's leg to bring to her attention how rude she was being and smiled at Jâkín. "Thank you!" she said.

Jâkín smiled back at Rylin and headed back off into the darkness. He reached one of the nearby tents and ducked into it. Opening the packs, Jâkín began to carefully riffle through their contents.

(OOC: Is there anything in them I should be finding?)

-----

Cassandra was not afraid of many things, but she had to admit to being a trifle unnerved by bugs. Especially enormous talking bug-things. Thus this conversation was not exactly going to be her favorite memory ever of Dittopia. And at this point, she just wanted this whole conflict to be over so she could go search for Vizio. She didn't even remember anymore how Meav or whomever it was had talked her into staying and taking part in this.

((lol, the color of the text hurt my eyes, too, sweeet. ))

Neíhudir shook his head.

"Under no circumstance would the destruction of an entire race solve our problems. There must be another way," he said firmly. "There must be another way...."

The destruction of one leader or warriors was different. But of an entire people? This was not of the elves' way. At least the good ones.

~~

Träm appeared a few moments later, bearing a tray with bread and nearly tasteless--but nutritious nonetheless--soup. He set it down, and settled into a nearby seat, watching them eat.

"Why have you come over the mountains?" he finally asked, deciding this was a good enough time to begin. "You could easily have died."

As soon as Träm set the food down the girls just about pounced on the food, ravenously hungry. His question came as Nena's cheek bulged with a mouthful of bread and Rylin's spoon was in her mouth. Immediately, still with the food in their mouths they exchanged looks again.
Nena made the slightest motion of her head that was a clear warning to Rylin, and her eyes glittered with sharp suspicion.
Rylin was at last slightly alarmed. He didn't know?? But, why were they waiting on them then? Her heart skipped a beat in fear, but then she thought, He may actually know, he's just trying to open conversation. Some people just aren't good that. Or, or maybe he's just trying to make sure we're the right people. That could be it... Her instinct was warning her, but her heart told her not to be so quick to distrust. It wasn't fair, was it? I mean, he hadn't done anything to warrant distrust, had he? She felt Nena studying her, waiting for her answer. Momentarily she wondered why Nena always let her speak, since she so disagreed with her. But that was rather a small concern at the moment. Removing the spoon from her mouth she nervously licked her sensitive lips. Casting a sideways glance at Nena, she saw her give a faint shake of her head.
"We..." her voice failed under the strain between her heart and her instinct. She tried again, "We- we came for help." She glanced helplessly at Nena who was frowning at her with a rather vicious glint in her eye. It was a look that said, don't you dare!
Rylin's heart suddenly surged ahead, and before she could change her mind she blurted out, "We came for help from the Elves! Our people are-"
"Why does it matter?" interrupted Nena, with a deadly glance at Rylin, then turning back to Träm. "How does it concern you?"
Rylin gasped at the rudeness of the question, and her gentle heart melted with pain at the look Nena gave her. "Please," she whispered, though loud enough for Träm to hear, "please, he has been kind to us. You needn't-" her voice quivered with pain, "you needn't speak so- so harshly." Her dark eyes pleaded with Nena, and her sweetly curved lips trembled very slightly.

((OOC: Bookwyrm, the message isn't in the packs. ))

G-9 hesitated, but then stared at Neihudir resolutely. "No. There is no other way. Rest assured, those of my people who oppose the Vortex would prefer this to destroying your people."

Charis remembered that she was in the same ice cave with the insect-thing and looked over at it casually. "Supposing we somehow got rid of the Vortex?" She suggested.

"Could we? Please? I'm definitely in the mood to "get rid" of something," Cassandra spoke up.

-----

Jâkín finished searching the packs with no success.

"Great. They must have it in one of their pockets or something," Jâkín mused as he carefully replaced everything in the packs.

Neíhudir nodded.

"There must be another way," he said resolutely. "There must."

The elf slowly looked at each member of this impromptu council, his eyes challenging them to offer another solution. A thought was hiding in the depths of his mind, and, when time passed and no others spoke, he offered it.

"There is...the magnecrystal," he said, turning back to G-9. "Though I do not know what advantage it would give in your case, we do know that is power is greater than ever before imagined...or ever before used."

~~

Träm frowned at Nena's outburst, then smiled at Rylin and Nena.

"I mean no harm to you, little lady," Träm said to Nena. "I merely wish to confirm what you came for. If you were not who I thought you were, than we would have some, ah, problems.

"The elves are in a precarious position. Their numbers are small, and they are too hardheaded to call for help from their allies. Recent attacks have only decreased their numbers. For quite some time, we had heard of a shadow from the north coming down, and recent reports from my men have shown that there is a powerful dark lord who has tightened his grip over these lands. I am afraid that I must confirm those reports--I have seen his camps myself. He and his allies are ready to crush the elves and their allies.

"We don't know when it will strike," Träm stood, and turned his back on them, staring into the fire. "We are waiting. This is the calm before the last, I believe. Even the dragonriders will be destroyed, and the dragons laid in the dust. And then, who knows how far this evil will stretch?"

Träm continued to stare into the fire, completely silent. If ever a silence was deafening, this one was. Finally, Träm turned his head back to the two.

"You will rest tonight, and then I will give you animals that will give you speed over the mountains. You must return and warn all the peoples over there. They must prepare to flee, or submit," he said, the last sentence short and exact. He knew what he meant. Kicking a log into the fire, he watched the sparks flare up, then returned to his silence. After a few more moments, he turned back and sat down with the girls. "I doubt that the evil will return to the far side of the mountains, which is where it began, but if it does...then that leaves few options. Fighting will do no good, but I leave to you and the various rulers there to decide what to do if they return. Eat, and try to forget the current troubles. When you are finished, I will show you to your tent, and you can rest. When you rise, we will send you off."

This speech left the girls horror struck, to say the least. Evil everywhere, and no help to be found!? Is that what he is saying? thought Rylin.
The end of the world? thought Nena, can it really be true? Or is he merely making it blacker then it really is? She eyed him suspiciously and let his words run through her mind again and again. Eat? How could they? With the survival of their people so jeopardized?
Youth has nearly endless hope. It is next to impossible to imagine a world filled with evil for the young. There is no way to visualize it. It was to be tossed into a black hole of despair with nothing to see to even try.
For a long moment, the girls were frozen, not moving a muscle, trying to understand what that would be like. But one thing was clear; there was nothing left to be done. Or was there?
As soon as Nena considered the possibility her youthful disposition fought the idea and told her "no! There must be something to stop it!" But this man didn't seem to think so. She eyed him again.
Rylin underwent a similar struggle. But, but surely this isn't the end! How can it be? But, why would he lie? A tear slid down her cheek as the weight of the news continued to settle on her soul. What could be done? What could be done? Oh, what could be done? Her small frame trembled with fear. Could they even survive? But as quickly as the crippling fear came, it was battered down with a sudden surge of courage. She straightened, and her dark eyes glittered like polished jet. No matter what came, it came. All they could do was weather it. And they would, she was sure. They would.
"We will do what we must," she said aloud.
Nena cast a glance at her. She felt certain there was more that could be done/told/heard- something. But she said nothing at present.

Träm sighed.

"I am afraid that is what we all must do. Eat, you will need your strength. You must keep that. All other strengths are failing. Tomorrow morning, before first light, you must return over the mountains. I will give you a mount--two cannot be spared. Go back to your people, warn them, and have them prepare for the worst. They cannot fight--if they do, they will all die. They must submit, or find a place to flee to. You understand?"

Rylin felt that twinge of danger touch her heart again, but she attributed it to the danger that her people were in.
"Yes, sir," she began, "We under-"
"No!" cried Nena, startling Rylin into a shocked, open mouthed silence. Nena had leaped to her feet, and her cheeks blazed with angry color. "I appreciate your concern for our people," she said those words with a voice that dripped with sarcasm, "and the expression of your opinions will be related to our Elders!" Her eyes were snapping with an energy and vehemence that surprised Rylin greatly, and stirred alarm within her breast once again.
"But it is not for us to decide what our people must do! Before we leave, I would much prefer to speak with the elves myself and see what their opinion is." Her glance towards Träm was shrewd, "It's not so much that I distrust yours, but many opinions put together may perhaps give our Elders a more universal view."
Rylin continued to gape in astonishment. Why this sudden outburst?
Nena continued, "I thank you for the offer of mounts, but if they are so very scarce, then all I ask is you point us in the right direction to the Elves. I also thank you for your hospitality. I do believe we may owe you our lives, and I thank you.
But asking us to give up our homeland without a fight is asking too much. We have toiled to make our homes there; our ancestors have toiled for it; and I believe that our Elders will choose to fight for it if we must to keep it ours. But perhaps not. We will leave that up to them.
Thank you for your warning. But that is not our decision, and we would be poor messengers if we came for facts and went back with opinions."

Rylin finally shut her mouth. Nena was, she realized, correct after all. She eyed Nena's back as she continued to stand, and felt something of a new respect for her. At any rate, her loyalty to the mission was no longer questionable, though Rylin didn't realize she ever had questioned it until now.
She turned her eyes to Träm, and the danger feeling pricked her heart again. Holding her breath, she waited for his reaction.

Träm shook his head.

"Do as you wish," he said, "but for your safety, I must insist that you do not leave until light. If you are finished with your food, I will show you to your tent for the night. I will come and get you in the morning with your mount."

With that, he stood, and began walking.

"This way," he said.

Rylin shot Nena a questioning glance, and Nena raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
Rising to her feet, Rylin whispered quickly to her companion, "We do need our rest, at the very least."
Nena shrugged again, and they began to follow Träm, walking side by side.

Träm led the girls to a tent, where their bags had already be placed. Jâkín was nowhere in sight, which was just as well. After bidding the girls goodnight and promising to meet them outside their tent at first light, Träm left, and hurried to find Jâkín. He did so, shortly.

"Well?" Träm demanded. "What did you find? Were the papers there?"

G-9 lifted his head and stared at Neihudir as if he had seen a ghost. "Why, yes....it would..." Then he stopped and shook his head. "The temptation. It would be too great. You see,"

G-9 swiveled his head to look at each person in turn. "Legend says that the magnecrystal was once the very first Vortex. He was a freak-- an accident of nature and obscure DNA mutation. He lived alone all of his life, and when the time came for him to die, his wish was that no other creature like him would have to live alone."

He gave a few unintelligible clicks that seemed to be swallows or something similar. "As he died, parts of the Vortex broke off into bits. They slowly grew over time and became the entire species of vortex. The brain of the Vortex became the second Vortex. And the heart," The strange bug-thing paused, "The heart became the magnecrystal. So goes the legend. And it has long been told that any vortex creature which holds the crystal will possess nearly uncontrollable and indescribable power."

Conflicted, G-9 looked down at the floor in a position that would be uncomfortable for humans or elves. "I could do it. But the temptation would be great. I could destroy everyone." He made a sound like rattling icicles, which could have been interpreted as a sigh. "Humans and elves can use the power as well, or so I'm told. I just do not know how. The best way is to just destroy us. It is the only certain way."

Charis looked at the alien. Something in her usually indifferent heart melted. Imagine, melting for someone made of ice. It did, though-- this was a cause worthy to help. She began to consider possibilities. "Suppose that the power could be channeled to destroy the power that the Vortex has over the rest of the species? To make you all free?" Charis asked. "What then?"

Jâkín shook his head," No, there was nothing in their packs. No papers at all. They must have the papers on them or they hid them before we caught them."