66

Rebels with a Cause

In mid afternoon, they came in sight of the small cabin a few hundred yards from a small alpine lake. They watched the cabin for a time, but there was no activity inside or out. Heidein asked Ladamei to stay out of sight behind a nearby grove of fir trees with Nick and Lottica, while he and Bopei cautiously approached the silent structure. Because of inane male pride, Nick felt slighted at not being included.

Lottica was okay with hanging back. It was one thing to read adventure stories; it was another thing to have to live them. Tired, both from the long hike and her almost sleepless night, she was grateful for the breather. In the shade of the trees, a chill breeze reminded her that it was the beginning of November, and they were high in the mountains.

"Ladamei, what’s going to happen tonight?"

"Not worry. Will be fine," Grandmother Breima reassured her.

Lottica sighed. "Worry is about all I feel capable of right now."

In a few moments, Heidein was waving to them from the cabin door. They met him at the threshold. “The cabin is empty,” he told them, but Beilla and your parents have been here.”

He held up a small flight logbook in the padded envelope that had held the missing piece. "I think this is how Beilla was fooled into leaving the pane behind. It appears Deilune and Linda are resourceful and have bought us some time. That is good."

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"So, now what?" Nick asked. "Do we wait for them to come back? Set up some kind of ambush? There can't be more than a few hours of daylight left."

"Yes, a few hours." For the first time, Heidein appeared undecided. He spoke a few words in Lebreiman to their grandparents, then turned to Nick and Lottica. “You will stay here, while your grandfather and I do some checking.”

“Why can’t we come?” Nick asked.

“Soon,” Bopei told his grandson gently. Then he and Heidein grabbed their backpacks and headed off to the east. They were soon out of sight among the trees.

"Where are they going?" Nick asked Ladamei.

"They look for clues. Find their trail. Now we rest. Get cabin ready." She entered the cabin. Soon they heard her rummaging through cupboards.

Nick gave the look to Lottica, and she returned it. They weren't exactly practiced at disobeying their elders, but they’d had a satisfying taste of independence, and it carried them forward.

Nick yelled into Ladamei that they would collect some firewood. With that they swiftly moved out of sight of the cabin.

"Why'd we go this way, Nick?"

"Because Heidein and Bopei went the other way."

"What if we run into them?"

"We'll say we're exploring a little.”

"Do you know how to get back?"

"Look around, Lottica. This lake area is bowl. I want to see what's beyond the rise on this side. Then we can head back down into the bowl. If we both pick out some landmarks, it shouldn't be too difficult to find the cabin."

"Sounds like famous last words.” Lottica sighed. “Is this a smart thing to do?"

Nick answered with his own question, "You feel it too, Lottie?"

"What?"

"That we're the ones that have to save Mom and Dad. Our grandparents and Heidein wouldn't bring us here if we weren't somehow crucial."

He stopped and unslung his pack, unzipped the outer pocket and pulled something out. Lottica moved closer to see. Nick held it up to the sun gradually edging to the horizon. The stained glass pane shone like a multi-colored jewel. The star radiating from the children’s image blazed in the sunlight. The figures glowed with power. With strength.

“It’s our turn, so let’s do it the dead-parent way,” he said.

By the time Nick had stuffed the missing piece back into his pack, Lottica was fifty yards ahead, sprinting for the top of the rise where the trees thinned and it appeared as if she could run straight into the sky.