Chapter 16 - Edah part 2

Alana came down from the library, holding a book with black cover and red letters. She couldn't read it but it seemed to have some kind of recepies, in of them particularly it drawing appeared to be something sweet. She bumped into Mr. Theodor while looking at the book.

"I am sorry Mr. Theodor, I was trying to read this, but I don't seem to be able to understand what is says. Do you perhaps know what is written here?" 

Mr. Theodor frowned when he saw the book she was holding. 

"No my Lady... I can't read this either." His face turned pale.

"Figure... Hmmm ... Maybe the doctor can help me with this." He wanted to stop her but decided against it, it would only raise more suspicions.

" I'll be going into town, I will be back later." 

*

"Have you seen Edah? " Ask the granny, to anyone that passed by , but she was speaking so low almost noone could hear her." My Edah, have you seen her?" She mumbled the words while walking around trembling.

Yonas the blacksmith saw the granny alone, went to her. " Hey granny Esha, what are you doing here alone, where is Edah?"

"Where is Edah have you seen her? She should be back by now but she isn't." Said the granny trembling with her hand over her mouth.

The blacksmith had never seen either Edah or the granny Esha alone, so immediately start calling everyone around.

"Has anyone seen Edah leave town? " Asked Rahul waiting for anyone to come forward, it was a critical time if they waited too long it would be dark, and would make it hard to look for her. 

Alana was arriving in town when she noticed the houses that were normally lit, were dark inside, she kept walking towards the doctor house. She found also strange to see that noone was around, she then saw some kids running towards the plaza, she asked them where everyone was.

"My Lady, hurry they're all gathered in the plaza, little Edah has gone missing." 

Alana eyes widened as she dropped the book in front of the doctor's house. She ran over with the kids.

The kids arrived pushing through the crowd, holding little Thomas by the collar, Lock said commanding. " Tell them what you told us." Alana pushed into the crowd to get to the front as well.

" It's not my fault, she asked me for it." Said little Thomas frightened to get another scolding.

" No one is blaming you, Thomas, could you tell us what happened." Said Yonas.

"Edah came to me, to ask me about that dumb bird, where he normally would drop his egg. I said I would only tell her if she gave me a potato, but she said she would beat me if I didn't tell her."

"Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Asked Rahul.

" She said she would beat me if I told anyone, and she wanted to bring as a surprise to..." He stopped talking as soon he saw Alana. She stepped forward, and squated in front of him and asked.

" Was it for me?" She said in a low soft voice. He turned is head down, she patted his head. " It's okay to tell me, right now Edah could be in danger." 

"My lady, she just wanted to see you happy, and bring you an egg. It's said that they are delicious." 

Alana smiled and thanked him, as she turned around her face darkened as she walk out. Rahul and some others followed.

" She must have reached at this time the bird nest. The bird itself is not agressive even if you take its egg, but the sorroundings has gotten dangerous of lately...Lock bring the others to the gates and wait for Edah there just in case." Said Rahul commanding. " I will go into the forest..." 

"I'll join you." Said Alana. Rahul wanted to tell her to stay, but her face showed that was not up for discussion.

He gave orders for everyone to keep alert, the old granny followed them trembling trying to keep herself together. Rahul reassured her that little Edah would be fine. 

"Granny Esha you should go home and wait for Edah there." 

How could she do that when her little Edah was gone and could be in danger. She squeezed her cane, and walked to the gates, to wait for Edah there.

Alana and Rahul and some other brave people left the town looking for Edah. It was getting dark so they had to find her fast.

"Edah" yelled Yonas . "Edah" they kept walking towards the bird nest.

"Edah it's us... Answer us. " Yelled Eustace that went to help in case she was hurt. 

"This bird nests are normally in caves, it is lazy to build its own nest and since it doesn't migrate, it hides away in caves." Explained Tobyah, he was an expert in all kind of creatures and monsters.

"We are already closed to the nest, and we haven't see her. This is not good." Said Yonas to Rahul.

"I know, what's even worst is this silence. Is too silent." 

There were 5 people in the forest looking for Edah, Rahul, Yanos, Eustace, Tobyah and Alana. For all accounts they should have already found Edah but they haven't.

Alana could feel through her skin something wasn't right.

"Are you okay my Lady?" Rahul wanted to make sure she was fine.

"I don't know. I have an eerie feeling, that I can seem to shake it."

"We are going to find her, my Lady." They kept walking, and Alana face was still hanging low.

"I did something like this once..." Rahul kept quiet. "I wanted to gift someone that was dear to me, to her I had disappeared for a whole day. To her distress noone helped her find me, but she didn't gave up. Once she found me her eyes were red. I think she was on a verge of crying." She kept talking in a soft low voice. "At the time I didn't understand why she was so mad, even when I explained to her that I just wanted to give her gift, a rare flower seed so she could put in her garden. She threw away and yelled at me saying a gift that put me in danger would never make her happy at all." Rahul smiled compassionately. They're were silent, they all understood how the Lady was feeling.

"If something were to happen to her..." Her eyes were tearing, Rahul could only comforter with words.

"We are going to find her. She is a very smart girl, she... just didn't make a smart decision today."

"Edah!!" Yelled Tobyah one more time.

" I am here." Edah yelled from below. They looked around couldn't see her.

"Here where? We can't see you." 

"I fell down, I can't reach up." 

"Calm down, we can't see you, you will have to guide us ." It was already dark and the moonlight was being blocked by clouds. Even though it wasn't snowing it was very very cold. 

They finally find the hole, but it was too dark to see inside.

"We going to get you out." 

" I am stuck, I can't come up."

"Don't worry we going to get you down" 

"Edah, are you hurt?" Asked Alana worried.

"No, I am fine! Please hurry, I am cold" said Edah whining.

They all stopped and stared at the dark hole, no matter what the situation, Edah would never whine, that girl was all kind of stubborn, she could be hungry, she could be cold but she would never whine. What was down there was not Edah, even though it sounded like her. 

"Hold on tight sweetheart we are looking for a something to help us go down" Said Rahul gesturing everyone to come closer to him and further away from the whole. 

"Hurry, I am very cold."

"You are the monster expert. What do you think it is?" Yanos grabbed Tobyah shoulder whispering 

" Well it depends if it is only mimicking Edah's voice or apparence as well. Mimicking one's voice it's not uncommon monster ability, could be a variety of them, but if it could take also the form of the person... That... Well for once it would mean that Edah was no longer...."he stopped he didn't dare to say it. Everyone was visibly agitated.

" Can we kill it? Asked Alana

"Is hard to say when we don't know the situation down there, it can be a parasite attached to Edah's body. Could also be a monster that is mimicking to lures down to eat us one by one." 

"Hurry I am cold, please!!" Everyone was visibly irritated by the voice coming from the whole.

" Should we just shoot it from here." Asked Alana grabbing her bow from her back.

"The thing is... we don't actually know if Edah is down there with that thing. We may risk to harm Edah as well."

"So what do we do?" Asked Eustace. If they could just find Edah they would easily leave the thing there and not be bother with it. It is was dark so they couldn't even take a glance at it.