Page 56 of Return of the Nine

Teyha held up her hand to interrupt what he was about to say. “Let me be clear here. There is no one else. No other Gaian has explored that range. If you could have found your way there on your own, you would have. I have actually been there before. I am prepared for the local predators and aware of the landslide dangers. I will get you in for whatever you really want, and I will lead you out again. We will do it safely and securely and in an organized manner. Are we clear?”

Ekinar leaned forward, “What do you mean, what we really want?”

She looked at him with calm eyes, something that most folks found unnerving. The paleness of her eyes gave her the appearance of someone who had been blinded. “I am not a fool, nor am I ignorant of body language. You two lied about your reasons for being out here, and I don’t care. Daphne asked me to take you, so you are above board, but aside from that, I know you lied to me about your true reason for the visit.”

Silence fell. No one said a word. The transport continued to approach the foothills, and an hour later, the systems started to malfunction.

“Please land the transport, and prepare to start your hike.” Teyha settle back into her pack and kept her voice chipper and cheerful, in true guide fashion.

Ekinar brought the transport down near a copse of trees. “Will the vehicle be alright here?”

“Yes. The keedu can’t get over the edge, and the electronics will be fine as long as they don’t reach further into the disruption field generated by the minerals.” She huffed as she repositioned her pack before strapping it into place.

Nosku got to his feet, and he picked up two flat packs from under a seat in the transport, handing one to Ekinar.

Teyha looked at the swirling shadows and shrugged before starting to walk. This was going to be so much fun, she could barely stand it.

The foothills rapidly gave way to narrow canyons and eerie echoes.

The shadowed figures stayed behind her, but she could hear the huffing and puffing that accompanied their efforts.

Two hours in, the light was beginning to dim. Her other senses were compensating, but she had no idea what the capabilities of the Shadow Folk were. “We are going to stop for arest.”

Nosku said, “No, we have to continue.”

She shook her head. “I am in charge. You will do no one any good if you drop from exhaustion. Sit, drink, have something to eat, and we will continue our discussion.”

Nosku shook his head. “We have to move as quickly as we can.”

“Ekinar, please get your friend to sit and eat. We won’t make it to the temple before dark, and I have some questions to ask you.” Teyha sat and fished out a ration pack, sipping at water slowly, washing down the compressed food.

Ekinar sat and took out his own meal, leaving Nosku fidgeting, his shadows flickering and flaring.

“Well, I suppose we are free to tell you what we are actually looking for.”

Teyha looked at him as her night vision began to take hold. “Please. I can be of better use if I know what I am seeking.”

Nosku was seated away from her, and he was vibrating with tension. “My nephew and two of his friends stole a shuttle to seek out the Temple of Shadows. We tracked them here, but we lost the signal. If we reported the stolen vehicle to the Nine, they would put it on my nephew’s record, and it would damage his chances for advancement when he enters the service.”

Teyha nodded. “And if you had told the Gaians, they would have had to report it to the mother ship before authorizing you to run around the surface.”

Ekinar nodded. “Correct. Any way we look at it, the children would suffer for being children.”

Teyha groaned and rubbed the back of her neck. “Okay, that is something completely different. How is your night vision?”

Nosku sat up, and his body language changed. “We can see easily in the dark.”

“Lucky you, so can I. I can get us to the site tonight, but wecan’t try anything until the morning. The area is covered with glyphs and ancient language markings, and I have only managed to translate a few. Now, tell me about your myths and legends about the Temple of Shadows.”

Nosku nodded. “Thank you. Well, the Shadow Folk have always believed that the Temple of Shadows was the centre of our ancestors’ lives here on Underhill. It is an opening in the side of a mountain and only accessible by our kind.”

Teyha frowned. “That doesn’t sound right, but we will see when we get there.”

Ekinar finally stated the question that she had been waiting for. “Gaians can’t see in the dark.”

She blinked at him, her vision finally giving her an idea of the man behind the shadows. It was too early yet, too much light getting in the way, but she could make out sharply chiselled features and a quizzical expression. “Who said I could see in the dark? I have night vision. It is a very different thing.”

She had them wait while she attended to nature and returned to rifle through her pack, bringing out her bow and bolts.

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