A Mystery Deep Below Part 5
Lar and I raced back as fast as we could. We only took a small moment to drink another meal. Lar was silent the whole time, making me worry even more. Crime wasn’t anything new in our world. It happened occasionally, but with Torchal always listening and watching, not much got past his sight. We would still hold a hearing to determine the severity of each crime, but Torchal always knew. This time, he did not.
As we drank our nourishment, I tapped Lar’s shoulder. I wasn’t sure how I had accomplished it before, but I couldn’t speak to her mind now. All I could do was plead with my eyes.
“Shhh, now child. I am communicating with Torchal. He is panicked. I must sooth him somehow. I will reassure him that we shall find whoever did this and bring them before him for judgment.” Her look of amusement must have meant she could read my expression. “You did not need to speak. Your face said it all. Now. I must focus. Let us continue.”
With that, we rushed on. How she could calm Torchal while we were both clearly scared and worried, I would not know. Far in the back of my mind, I could feel a different panic. Not mine. Mine was towards the front. This must have been Torchal. There were no words, just feeling. It made my heart break for him.
As soon as we entered the spines, Lar took off her sphere. I did as well, but we never paused to place them back in our packs. Now able to speak, my voice rose to reach Lar, who was several paces ahead of me. For an old woman, she could really hustle. “Where are we headed? Where did this happen?”
She paused briefly to look at me. Worry etched her features. “It was a youngling. We are headed to where you live.”
My breath caught in my chest. My vision swirled. A youngling? Who would dare? They are the most precious gift we have. Not many are born, so when they are, we gather them with our care takers.
We passed Lar’s hut and set our packs inside. Lar-Naneth went beyond her kitchen to grab a small seaweed pack filled with items to help investigate. A feeling of urgency clutched at my chest. Before I could say a word, Lar latched onto my hand and drug me with her.
“Now that Torchal has welcomed you into his mind, you shall aid me in this investigation.”
“Yes, Lar.” It was all I could think of to say. Visions of each youngling face swam in my head. I couldn’t part with any of them.
The large enclosure loomed before us now. It was the largest in our community. I helped Madame in the evenings after my lessons with my mother. Taking care of the younglings felt right. Before we could enter, Madame rushed out. Her face was full of sorrow and anguish.
“Lar-Naneth! I am so glad to see you. I assume Torchal told you of the occurrence?”
“Yes, Madame. It was a youngling then?”
“Yes, it was.” Madame seemed to finally notice my presence. “Limmeg. I assume, if you are here, then your task went well. I am so sorry this interrupted such a joyous event.”
I bowed my head respectfully. “Think nothing of it, Madame. You know how much the younglings mean to me.”
Madame also bowed her head. It was the first time she ever did. “You will make a fine Lar when it is your time.” She held back the seaweed curtain for us to enter.
Lar pushed forward. She was all business now. Not a single emotion played across her face. She turned back towards Madame after we all entered. “Show me, please.”
Madame nodded. “We have her in the back where the others will not see her.” She brushed past us, leading down the long, dark hallway. On each side, an opening would appear for a youngling’s room. In the back was the dining area and kitchen.
Reaching the kitchen, Madame led us to a further room. It was mostly storage but inside stood a long table. A white sheet covered something small. I couldn’t breathe. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes. Lar looked at me and spoke in my mind. “Get ahold of yourself, child. This will be your job in the future. You can not let emotions override the logic needed to figure this out.” Her eyes softened a little. “I know you love them. Use that to punish the one responsible.”
She was right. I had to find the one who did this. Only pure evil could harm a youngling. With a new resolve. I stepped into the room.
