Chapter 6

Pae was just standing there looking out of their cave. "Pae, what is it darling, what has you out of bed so late?" Sarrone asked as he came to his mate's side.

"I don't know, love. I just got this feeling. I cannot really describe it. Something big, important is happening," Replied Pae, continuing to look out of the cave.

Sarrone learned years ago that when his lovely wife and mate got this feeling He had better be ready for it. However, he needed more to go on. "Love, just relax, let your mind empty, let yourself feel nothing. Open yourself to the universe," He instructed.

Pae listened to her mate's words. Normally, she would have not been happy at his reminder, but a few times, like now, it helped focus her to receive whatever it was that was trying to come to her.

It came, Pae saw a mage. He was dark, covered in runes. Pae saw energy flowing to him from a child, a white glow that was fading fast as it went from the child to the mage. As the child was having her energy and her soul stolen from her, and the last of it left the child Pae heard her say, "I'm sorry Little." Pae screamed out involuntarily, and dropped to the ground crying.

"Pae, love, tell me? What is it?"

"A mage, an evil mage, stealing ... stealing energy, the power from a child. She's strong but just awakening, oh, the poor baby!" Pae continued to cry.

"Do you know where? What direction?"

"No, but now this is the strangest part. I heard her say, "I'm sorry Little."

Poor Sarrone had no clue as to what it could mean.

Then Pae jumped to her feet. "Love, make a sending to the twins. Tell them to find Seleena and Little. Someone Little knows is in trouble and can't hold out much longer."

Pae ran to get her travel bag ready, just hoping they were in time.

"That's what your mother said. We'll be leaving when I finish this. Find and help Little find this child. I know she didn't tell me everything but this stealer is not someone we want to deal with after he gets those powers," Sarrone said to his son through the scrying bowl.

"We'll try our best father. The last we heard Little and Aunt Seleena were going to spend some time at her place near River's T. Lara is in her workroom and you know how she is. I'll make the sending to the others. You just concentrate on getting there."

"Ok see you soon Gar. Take care."

"You too pop," Gar finished and turned away from the bowl he used for the sending. Gar knew that if his mother had this vision then they had little time. He turned back to the bowl, sprinkled more powder into it and chanted a different message. "Mom had a vision. There is a dark mage, a stealer, who has taken or will take an innocent, who is just awakening. All of us are coming to help. See you soon at Aunt Seleena's place near River's T," He said then released the energy that had build as he cast the spell.

With the spell done and the message sent, he went to find his sister. He was not prepared for what he found; Lara was on the floor crying. Gar ran to her, "Lara what happened?"

"Oh that poor baby!" she cried. "We have to find her, we have to help her!"

Gar was surprises; Lara had the same vision that their mother had, had. That was not a good thing. "Come on, the sooner you are ready, the sooner we can take to the air," Gar said as he helped his sister up.

"I'm too shaken to fly."

"So you ride. I might not even be half as big as Little but I should be able to get us there before pop. If not, I'll never live it down."

Lara smiled at her brother; he could always make her do that. "I just need a moment to grab my travel bag and I'll meet you on the launch tower."

"Good," Gar answered as he gave her a hug then ran to get his own bag.

Gar was ready to go. He felt good as he stretched and readied himself. He soon heard Lara coming. She came through the door and ran to him. No words were spoken as he held his big sack open for her to stuff her bag into it. He closed it as Lara jumped to Gar's back, and took hold of the leather straps. Once she settled Gar took to the air.

Lara kept her mind as focused as she could, still upset by what she saw in the vision. She also knew she saw more than her mother did.

Lara saw that somehow Little had been captured too and was being forced to watch as his girl, his wife, his mate was slowly absorbed. Then the mage, using what he stole, was about to do the same to Little. The mere thought of a man with all that power was beyond anything she had ever thought or dreamed of.

Fresh mounts were ready as the sun came up. Little and Seleena were as ready as could be when bother received Gar's message. "Mom had a vision. A dark mage, a stealer, has taken, or will take, an innocent who's awakening. All of us are coming to help. See you soon at Aunt Seleena's place near River's T."

Little was so stunned he fell from his horse. Seleena was not much better but managed to stay seated.

Ray and Tim ran to Little. "What the hell happened?" they said at the same time.

Little shook himself. "Gar and Lara are coming. So are Uncle Sarrone and Aunt Pae. Pae had a vision about a dark mage, a stealer, taking or will take an awakening innocent," Little choked out.

"No need to tell us who he took, damn!" Ray said, "How long till they get here and should we wait?"

"I have waited long enough! They cannot get here until later anyway. We need to leave, NOW!"

Little remounted his horse and gave it a kick, sending it out of the courtyard and down the road.

Riana had been having a strange dream while she napped. She saw two pretty women standing near the door. She watched as one started making hand gestures and the other just screamed. Then something weird happened. She hears herself say, 'I'm sorry Little I love you.' She did love him and it was her love for him that kept her going. Riana knew things were not good she was getting tired. The nasty little man was smiling more too.

At one point, she had felt Little, knew he was looking for her, and she screamed with all her strength. However, the nasty man started casting some more spells at her and the feeling went away. Riana now knew all she had to do was hold on.

"You can't last forever, little one. You will be mine soon, very soon."

"You're ugly and you smell bad. My husband is going to tear you to teeny tiny pieces," Riana said calmly knowing it would make the man angry. She knew the madder he got the weaker his spells were.

"I will not wait much longer. I will break you. I will have your powers and your soul!" Then the man turned and walked out of the room. Riana smiled.

Leuf could not believe the strength of the child. Her will should have been his long before this. However, that was not the only thing bothering him. The child seemed to be getting stronger, not weaker as he wanted her. Then there was this supposed mate of her's. The man was a force unto himself. He had bested nearly thirty men at once and the man was looking for more when he was done. However, something about the man bothered Leuf.

Leuf knew the man was not one of the King's Elite, even though he knew their fighting style very well, he was still faster, and stronger than what the enhancements gave. Then something the son of that stupid oaf Daxual had said came to mind, 'I tell you, it weren't no man. It couldn't be! No man could move as fast as he did!'

That was it Leuf knew. The man, the boy had faced might just have been some other being or creature masquerading as a human. This brought a completely new side to things. He had felt the arrival of several strong beings into the city but could not find out what they were. If he could catch one, he could very well gain more power than any man could that ever lived. No, he only needed one, the mate to the girl. The question now was how to get him away from the others. Again, the child was the key, and the bait to his trapping.

Leuf smiled to himself and went to find Greggor and his father, and set in motion the plan that had just came to him.

Little pushed the poor horse very hard but he knew Riana was weakening, he just knew it. He slowed some as he came to the gate and saw Roan, Martin's stable hand and waved to him. The young man waved from his place on the wall and ducked out of site only to reappear on the road. Little reached out his hand as he passed grabbing Roan's hand and hauling him onto the horse.

"What's the word?" Little asked.

"Martin is in command of the constables. Many are out looking for Greggor and his father but no one can find them. Martin told me to bring you to the constables building if I saw you. Did you find your friends?"

"One of them. I also found some of the kidnapped children. They're safe at my mother's place."

Little had read Roan's mind so he already knew all but let him talk anyway. Little stopped in front of the building and let Roan down but as he turned, he saw Ray, his mother, and the others coming to a stop. Little had not even noticed.

Ray came to a stop, jumped from his horse and ran up the steps to greet his brother. The two men hugged each other tightly.

"It's about damn time!" Then Ray punched his brother in the arm, hard. Marten smiled and returned it. This was something the two of them had done since they were little.

"What was that for?"

"For not telling me, and don't act innocent. Seleena and Lee told us you've known for years."

"I'm surprised you didn't catch it. Lee sparred with you as much as he did Tim. He looked the same even with the years between. As for the lady Seleena that was up to her."

"Well Tim's pissed. He thinks you didn't tell him just 'because'. How are things going?"

"As good as can be expected, let's move to the others so I only have to tell it once."

The two men walked down the steps to the others. Martin walked to Seleena; she leaned down, and kissed the up turned face that greeted her. Martin really did love Seleena but business had to come first.

It took about ten minutes to get everything told and have Little tell how he had rescued his soon to be little brother as well as several other children.

"With my mother's help, we should be able to find Greggor and his father. I will have my wife... ," Little's head snapped around as did several others as they heard, "LITTLE!" Without thinking Little was off. Again, he didn't wait to see if any were following. He had to get to Riana. He felt her mind, she was scared, and it drove him on.