Throm and Sanria arrived back at the caverns and headed directly to the room where they knew Colin and Emalia to be staying. The door opened almost at the same moment Sanria knocked. "Sanr... um, mom."
"Hello, Colin."
"I was just about to come talk to you."
The three exchanged a few more greetings as Sanria walked into the room. Emalia was obviously absent, making Sanria only slightly worried. "Where is Emalia?"
"That's exactly what I was going to ask you...I woke up this morning and she was gone."
"Gone?"
"She didn't leave via the Cavern entrance... this much I know," Throm said. The response seemed to irritate Colin a bit.
"Well how do you know she didn't leave?"
"I told you I'd keep watch from afar... I have kept my word until now."
"Well," Sanria interrupted, hoping to soothe the situation, "Emalia we can find. I'm sure she's just gone off to do... something or other."
"I just wouldn't expect her to just wander off... not now," Colin added with a deep sigh.
"You still have the black makou, yes? It's why we came."
"Yes," Colin answered, "it's right over..." Colin stopped, looking at the nightstand. "Well, it was right here..."
"You kept it on the nightstand?" Sanria asked incredulously.
"Well I didn't think it was going to just get up and walk away. I'm telling you, it was right here." Colin looked through the sheets on the bed while Sanria looked to Throm. Without projecting such thoughts, she frowned at him. 'I told you.'
Throm, however, didn't seem to notice. "It's not here."
"Do you think... she took it?"
The very notion almost made Sanria scoff. "Emalia wouldn't have touched that stuff if it is what I believe it to be... but with her, I never know for sure."
Colin turned to both Sanria and Throm with irritation clear upon his face. "Just what is going on here? Can't either of you find her, you know, with some kind of magic or something?"
Sanria turned to the windows with a sigh and closed her eyes. Though Colin and Throm continued speaking, she didn't hear them. In the same manner she sought out Throm, she sought out Emalia. Her mind stretched through the very earth itself, yet nothing in nature had any idea where her daughter was. It was unnerving, but she tried again, this time seeking Emalia's very essence... and found nothing. She spoke out, attempting to find Emalia's mind, but found nothing.
In a desperate bid to be certain, she shouted into Colin's mind, "COLIN!"
"What are you doing?" he asked, hunching down. "I'm right here!"
"She's not here... she's... she's nowhere. I tried, I tried seeking her mind, her essence, she's not here. She's..."
"Pardon?" Throm asked.
"How can she not be here? You are certain she did not leave?" Colin asked Throm. "Are you positive?"
"My guardian would have alerted me the second either you or Emalia left the waterfall," Throm replied with a nod.
"Where... where could she be? There just nothing... Nothing. Throm, try." Sanria looked at Throm, her face pale and full of concern.
Throm, too, closed his eyes and sought out Emalia. Colin's face contorted with a touch of rage as he waited. "No... he wouldn't dare."
"Who wouldn't?" Sanria asked. "What are you talking about, Colin?"
"Grobnak. If he has some hand in this-"
"I won't claim to hear the planet's voice anymore....but I get the feeling that the Lifestream does not recognize her presence," Throm interrupted.
Colin walked to the table, grabbing up his sword. Sanria's eyes opened wide. "Where are you going?"
"I've had enough of this. I'm going to do something."
"Just you wait a minute," Sanria shot. "Everyone seems to have forgone thought in favor of the rash." This did nothing to slow the massive Colin from striding toward the door. "Stop! Don't you see... just wait a minute!"
"It's obvious that all of this 'searching' isn't getting anywhere. I'm going to get answers. You both can stay here in this room if you want."
"Colin, I want to know where she is too, but I'll not run off with the posibility of hurting her. Now WAIT."
"No," Colin said, glaring at Sanria. "You wait. I'm going to go find my wife. The two of you can stay here and think until you both pass out but for all I know Grobnak had done something to her and I intend to find out."
The audacity sent Sanria into a bit of a rage. How could this man refuse to see that his temper just might cause more trouble? Sanria walked to him, stuffing a finger in his chest as she spoke. "Listen. That is my daughter and my grandchild. If you run off causing trouble with things you don't understand, you might get her hurt, wherever she is."Throm spoke as Sanria's hand was shoved away. "Grobnak... perhaps I should speak to him. His name is popping up an awful lot lately."
"Better you than this hot head," Sanria snorted.
Still, Colin insisted upon storming out. Sanria could only think of what trouble it could cause, upsetting the Jihad. She had dealt with a couple of them on occasion, and while they didn't seem as vile as others she'd dealt with, she couldn't help but realize they'd go to any lengths to acheive their objectives. She didn't worry on the consequences as she encanted a spell, entangling Colin's feet to the floor with vines. "Wait, I said."
Colin hit the floor with a crash, and turned to stare at Sanria with a burning glare. "What do you think you are doing!?"
"Making you use that brain of yours." Sanria gave a sigh as she turned back to Throm. "Will you be safe speaking with Grobnak?"
"YOU do not tell ME what to do! I'm going to go do something about MY missing wife!"
Before waiting for Throm's reply, Sanria glared down at Colin, her finger pointed threateningly. "In a minute I will have you completely entwined. Now settle down." Quickly, she renewed the strength of her spell, her vines obediantly coiling about Colin's feet and legs. She looked again to Throm. "Go... find Grobnak and I'll keep this gentleman here with me."
Throm walked to Colin and nearer to the door. He took a moment to kneel down, resting a hand on Colin. "If we're going to find her, we'll need to work as a team... not against each other."
