The Lore Wain and Her Nephew Pt. 36

"Zarabean?" Celeste asked, having just realized he was gone. She looked at Cynthia and Till with grave worry. "Did they take him?" Cynthia sadly nodded. "Yes... That's why I was gone looking for him... but I found Till instead." She seemed to realize her phrasing was off so she rephrased herself, "Which I'm glad I did... We might of died..." "Didn't yous also get hit with those dartsss?" Nibble asked. "I did but... I didn't let myself pass out... Somehow..." Cy said admittedly, not knowing herself as to why she was able to do that. Celeste started to get up. "If Bean is missing, we need to go look for him!" "With all due respect, my Lore Wain... Sit down." Kinabrick said with a father-like authority in his voice. "It's too dangerous for any of you to go off by yourselves. You all need to rest." Celeste huffed and sat back down. "Then what do you suppose we do? Our friend is in danger." Kinabrick looked at Till with a look of thought on his face. Till looked back at Kinabrick before shaking her head. "No, no, I know what you're thinking and I'm not going back there." "If a bunch of humans show up without knowing anything about their tribe, how fast do you think it will be before we all have darts in our necks again?" Kinabrick asked with insight. Till looked angry for a moment but it melted quickly upon realizing their situation. She was caught off guard because she had only planned on giving the cure, not saving Zarabean. "Please, Till. We need your help." Cy said with pleading eyes. "He's my best friend." Till took one look at Cynthia's eyes and sighed. "Alright, I'll try but no promises..." She looked back at everyone. "Will anyone be joining me?" Alagatha raised her hand and exclaimed boastfully, "I can!" Till winced at her loudness and looked around like she didn't see her. "Anyone?" "Aye! I'm right here!" Alagatha shouted. Nibble nudged Alagatha. "No offense, but you're as sssneaky as a sack of thwaps." "The fang's right. Your volume is too loud for this mission, Alagatha." Kinabrick looked at Celeste and sighed. "Shall I go? I'm worried you may be attacked while I'm gone..." Celeste looked around at her crew before answering her guard. Clef just finished having a mental breakdown and looked like he needed rest. Nibble had a throbbing headache and was laying on his back on the flooring with a hand over his eye. Cynthia looked like she might collapse any moment while leaning on a nearby chair. Celeste sighed, knowing she was still a weakened herself. She looked back up at Kinabrick. "You go with Till and find Zarabean... Your armor will protect you from the darts if there's trouble. Alagatha here will watch after us." Kinabrick nodded and headed to the back door. "Come, Till." Till disliked being called like a pet but she walked over to Kinabrick anyway. By this time, Nala had stepped back inside with Janner, who still had an arm around her. Nala's eyes met up with Till as she walked by. She softly whispered, "I'm sorry... It wasn't your fault..." Till gave Nala a sad smile, "No need to apologize... I won't add to your pain." She said before following Kinabrick out of the house. - The floor may of been cold and dirty but Zarabean managed to fall into a deep sleep. He had been crying and praying a while before he slipped into unconsciousness. It was dark in the room now, not a single torch was lit for him. The ridgerunners wanted him to know that they were ignoring him. So you can imagine the surprise when he was awoken with someone calling his name from above. "Zarabean!" A female voice whisper/shouted down to him. Zarabean stirred before opening his eyes to the dark. "Hmm...?" He sounded like he wasn't sure someone had called him. "Zarabean, do you hear me?" The female voice asked. Zarabean heard the voice and it startled him. "Who's there???" "I've come to rescue you." The female voice said. "Zarabean can't see a thing, who's there???" Zarabean asked, unable to hide in his voice his anxiety. He stood up and backed away from the sound of the voice. The sound of the wooden bars being cut from above reached Zarabean's ears. "Wait- Not so loud!" Zarabean whisper/shouted up in the direction of the voice. "That should do it. Bring him up, Tilly." A familiar man's voice could be heard far above the cage, as if from a distance. "What?-" Zarabean asked before being snatched up out of the cage. The female voice, who apparently was Tilly, remarked, "You're a lot lighter than I thought you'd be." Before Zarabean could ask another question, he felt himself being carried up and up and up. Just as he was about to protest, he could see the stars coming into view at the top of a circular exit. "Was this prison located in the bottom of the local well?" Zarabean thought to himself as he reached the surface. Kinabrick helped Till bring Zarabean out of the well. Zarabean could still barely see the two of them but knew the shine on Kinabrick's armor from the light they had. "We need to go, quickly." Kinabrick said looking at Zarabean. "Can you walk?" Zarabean, who just took to his feet, replied, "Yes, thank you both. Let's get going before they know Zarabean's gone." With that, Kinabrick and the two ridgerunners quietly fled back to Nala's orchard. - Not long after Zarabean's escape did Pummi find the cage empty with the top being broken into. He called for a troop. They were going back to the orchard.