Dear Readers,
I'm afraid I have some bad news, as the title of this post states. My computer has what I think to be a virus. I cannot get on it anymore. At least, not until we get it fixed. So my posting shall become rather... spaced. Bare with me, though. I'm am working on the next chapter, I shall post the end of the last chapter below, and I have began the editing phase in my earlier works, and plan on REposting them once finished. Hang in there!!

The Writer.



And now, chapter six, part three.

    Tina and Jalor exchanged slightly worried looks, then turned their attention to the woods behind them. "Hello?" Tina called. "Arcon, is that you? Come on out!" This was met with rustlings from the woods as the unseen archer moved toward the small clearing where Tina, Earagorn and Jalor stood.

    When the archer was fully in view, Earagorn whistled. "You are pretty pretty. Do I know you?" Tina elbowed him sharply in the side.

    Tina started over. "We are in your debt..."

    "Arina."

    Tina nodded her greetings, as did Jalor. Earagorn had turned a shade paler at the name. "I do know you." He whispered, more to himself then to Arina.

    At that moment, Arcon exited the wood. "Sorry I was not back sooner. I encountered a group of skeleton warriors trying to flank us, and I had to dispatch of them, or they would've dispatched of-" It was at this point that Arcon noticed Arina. He was visibly shocked. "Arina..." He whispered.

    Arina had spotted Arcon as well, and she was also visibly shocked. "Arcon... but... but they told me you were dead. How..." Tears began to build up in her eyes, and she bit her lower lip. Arcon smiled gently and moved to embrace Arina. She fell into his arms and embraced him fiercely, crying into his shoulder. He patted her gently on the back and kissed the top of her hair. Tina watched all this, then glanced questioningly at Earagorn, who was standing beside her.

    "I am as much in the dark as you are, Tina. He never told me about her."

    "Then how do you know her?" Jalor asked, for he was standing close by when Earagorn whispered to himself earlier.

    "We had a bit of a run-in in the past." Jalor nodded, but couldn't help but wonder what kind of "run-in".

    After a few seconds, Earagorn couldn't stand being in "the dark" any longer. "I... hate to interrupt." He started, "But would someone mind telling me what is going on here??" He directly addressed Arcon. "Look, buddy, how do I not know about this? I thought we shared everything with each other!"

    Arcon smiled apologetically. "This was a piece of my past that was too painful to mention... but now, I suppose introductions are in order!" He smiled at Arina, then gestured for everyone to come closer. "Tina, Jalor, Earagorn... my sister, Arina."

    Earagorn stood there for a few moments, gaping. Arcon had... a sister?? And he never told him?? Earagorn was having trouble coping with the facts. "So, let me get this strait," Earagorn started. "You have a sister, and you never told me??"

    Arina frowned at Earagorn. "Have you gone deaf?" She asked, her voice sharp as she defended her older brother... not that he needed it... "He said I was a painful memory. You would have him recall bitter memories just so you could know about them?"

    Earagorn was stunned by this... this girl. No one had ever talked to him like this before now. It was unheard of. He was, after all, a Keeper! Guardian of Legends! His eyes flashed with heat of an inferno gone mad, and he gripped the hilt of his sword. Earagorn, you must understand, had an uncontrollable temper, when aroused. He was at the point of losing all control when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see Tina, her eyes filled with worry and... fear. She was afraid. Of him. He glanced at Arcon, his long time friend. He was watching him warily, his hand on his knife hilt. If it come to a fight, family first. Earagorn shifted his gaze to Arina. She was fumbling with her bow, her eyes wide and locked on him. Earagorn shook his head and took a deep breath, attempting to control himself. This was not the time nor the place for such an outburst. He glanced at his hand, still gripping the hilt of his sword. He forced his fingers to relax.

    "Sorry. I have a bit of a temper, and I've never been hated before." He put just enough edge to the last line to communicate what he thought of Arina's tone. Though his face bore a smile, he was still steaming on the inside.

    It took Earagorn four day to cool off. During those four days, the group wondered around the Forest, trying to find only-Arcon-knew-what. Arina stayed around for only three of those four, however. One morning, three days after Arina joined the small group of wanderers, she wasn't there. She just left in the early morning, leaving only a note behind. The note read as follows:

       

        Dear Arcon,

    Do you remembir when we used to hide in the woods, leaving klues behinnd, and the other tried too find the hider? Pretend that wewre doing that again. I have some where to be. It is in the Hill, to the East. Eaisy to finds, right?

        Arina

    Arcon frowned at the note. It wasn't like his sister- or of elves in general, for that matter- to make so many mistakes. Earagorn, who had awoke as well, looked over his friends shoulder.

    "The 'Hill'? What's that supposed to mean?" He was frowning as well. He then went on to point out every error in the note, asking what it meant. Finally, Arcon grew tired of the questions.

    "Would you just be quite for a moment and let me think??" Asked Arcon, a mixture of annoyance and _____ in his voice. "Let me think..." Arcon said again, mumbling to himself. He read the note again, this time writing every error in the dirt with his knife point. After that was done, he and Earagorn stared the writing, which looked like this: iknowwhereheis

    Arcon frowned at this. Earagorn, who was watching this go on, glanced between the dirt writing and his friend. "May I ask what you are doing?" Earagorn asked after a few moments. Arcon did not answer. So he tried again. Still no response. By now Earagorn was frowning as well as his friend. He tried snapping his fingers. That only served to wake Tina, who, after rolling out of bed, joined Arcon in his puzzling.

    Finally, Tina spoke up. "If what we're trying to do is make since of the letter jumble, I don't see what the problem is." Earagorn looked up, startled. Arcon studied Tina.  "It looks pretty clear to me." Tina took out her own dagger, and drew four lines in the dirt. The writing now looked like this: i|know|where|he|is. Tina smiled in satisfaction... and at the bewildered look on Earagorn's face.

    "How did... I mean, what did... I mean... it was that obvious?!?" Tina's smile only grew at this remark. Even Arcon's lips bent upward at this.

    "Yes. It was that obvious. Is that bad?" Tina asked sweetly, still smiling. Earagorn shot her a glare that would wither a forest.

    Jalor, who had awoke at Earagorn cry of disbelief, chose this moment to change the subject. "Who's 'He'?"

    No one answered. Arcon, though he knew the answer, said nothing, for that would give away much more then he wanted anyone to know at this point. He simply stood to the side, watching them try and decide who "He" was. It was rather amusing, but he let his face betray nothing. After a few moments, he broke the silence that had settled over the group. "Well, let's go." He said, swinging his pack over his sholder.

    "Go? Go where?" Asked Earagorn, more then a little confused.

    "We're going to follow my sister."