Fill: Challenge 78, original Lemy'es

[lantairvlea]

Things to note: Yurrein Nelendor and Torrick Mawshinor (he has a full name now!), Torrick is Yurrein's first cousin. The Lunaisans hybrids follow their last names on their mother's side so either their fathers were brothers or it was brother/sister since their last names aren't the same, still fuzzy on that part.

"Tori." The voice was low, but urgent. "Tori, wake up. You have to see this. Torrick!"

Torrick cracked his eyes open. It was still dark and he could barely see the pale head hovering over his. "What do you want, Yuri? What can't wait until morning?"

"I was reviewing the reports-"

"O krands, Yuri!" Torrick exclaimed, exasperated. "Your reports aren't that important!" He sat up and irritably shoved the covers off of him. Yuri backed up as Torrick stood and stalked across the room.

"Where are you going?"

"You woke me up, I have to pee," Torrick waved back at him, "it'll keep for one minute."

Yuri was such a pain sometimes. Overeager and presumptuous, it was going to get him in trouble and, if he wasn't careful, it could get all of them in trouble. Torrick couldn't fathom what could seem so urgent that Yuri would wake him up in the middle of the night. What could his cousin have gotten into?

"What is this about the reports?" Torrick questioned, the sharp edge of his initial irritation had softened. He shut the door behind him and reached for the lamp, which ignited with a fizzing pop as he snapped his fingers over the wick. He sat back on the edge of the bed and folded his arms. "What couldn't wait until morning?"

"I had to pass the original report on to the Council, of course, but take a look at this!" Yuri shoved a scrap of paper into Torrick's hand.

Torrick squinted at it. "I can hardly read this, Yuri, did you write it in the dark?"

Yuri snatched it back, muttering, "It's perfectly legible." He cleared his throat and read quietly, "Sray Hillenbohn, daughter of Kayrin Hillenbohn and an unnamed Klamon man, presumed deceased. Exceptional sensitivity, slow, but careful at building. Concentrating on agricultural studies. Report compiled by Kenbin Mount'hyuns."

"Wait," Torrick took the paper back and stared at it. "Where is this? It's not here is it?"

"No, Ela'yas, at Engama. You know, where Danrick Mishor ended up, the guy with the dragon theories? They put him there figuring he would cause the least amount of trouble in the far reaches of Ela'yas and look what falls in his lap."

"A Hillenbohn at Engama." Torrick said, running a hand through his hair.

"A hybrid at Engama." Yuri emphasized, putting a hand on Torrick's shoulder. "Not part of the Family."

"A hybrid openly among the Meim?"

"It would appear so." Yuri replied.

"Do you think the Gordie'en knew?" Torrick questioned, giving the paper back to Yuri.

Yuri folded it up and tucked the paper back in his chest pocket. "Hafitch Danrick Mishor has his ideas, but I don't think he would be fool enough to do this without the Gordie'en's blessing."

"So how do you think it happened? You don't think the Brotherhood was involved, do you?"

"Well that's why I didn't come straight here. I don't think it would be possible for them to try the experiments again with the way things are. Too much bad blood. Any Human incursions onto Klamon land would be noticed. No, I did some digging and that's why it took me so long to get back down here. I've been digging through the archives."

"What did you find?" Torrick asked.

"Well," Yuri finally sat next to Torrick, "remember when we were kids? News came from Kamenlohn that there were actual peace talks taking place between Kamenlohn and the Getier Klamon, remember that?"

"It was all anyone could talk about for months." Torrick confirmed. "Not much came of it other than firming up the Milash River as the border."

"Yes, well," Yuri shifted a little closer, his voice low and excited, not that anyone else would be listening this hour of the night, "but there were translators, two Getier and two Kamenan. They were so short-sighted, they only recorded the full names of the Kamenans involved, but which name do you think was there with the Kamenan translators?"

"Kayrin Hillenbohn?" Torrick offered.

"Exactly!" Yuri beamed. "She was a translator in 1251 and, it would be safe to assume, had some affair or another with a Getier man and now we have this Sray Hillenbohn. Ah!" He jumped up and shifted from excited to frustrated as he paced in front of Torrick, "if only it wouldn't bring unwanted eyes on us to go there and see for ourselves! I have so many questions, Tori! Questions the archives can't answer!" He sighed. "Kayrin Hillenbohn is nowhere else in the record, no file of her. She was never chosen, but she certainly passed it on. And the girl's father!" He grabbed Torrick's shoulders, "Who was he? What happened?" He let go and paced again. "He has to be related to one of the Klamon-mothered hybrids, but which line?" He stopped in front of Torrick again. "We're going to have to watch very carefully to see what happens with her. This right here," he tapped the chest pocket where the paper was tucked away, "is something we couldn't have dreamed of. We might just see the Family's goals achieved in our lifetime." He sat back down next to Torrick.

"You put a lot on one hybrid girl, Yuri." Torrick said.

"Well, step one has happened," Yuri said, "and we weren't thinking of that until the sixth or seventh generation." He paused and then tapped Torrick, "Hey, isn't there someone in the relays? Could they work their way over and feel out what it is like at Engama with her there?"

"You want me to look into that, don't you." Torrick said rather than asked, not excited at the prospect at all.

"I'm not as connected through the Family, you know, too busy with Meim work."

"Can it wait until morning?" Torrick stifled a yawn.

"Yes, yes, of course." Yuri said, moved to get up, but instead draped an arm around Torrick. "You know this could help solve the other problem the Family faces."

Torrick frowned back at Yuri. "The Family needs to stay as it is until we can be in the open."

"Blood's running a bit thick, Tori, but besides that, could you imagine what she's going through? Just think of doing this alone. She's hybrid and she's alone. She's probably living everything we fear. We could-"

"No." Torrick poked his finger in Yuri's chest. "You need to keep your nose out of it. The Family doesn't need to risk exposure now because some random hybrid shows up."

Yuri scowled, shook his head, and stood. "Fine, but get someone over there. We need to gauge the reaction so we know how much work is left to do." Yuri left, his mood deflated.

Torrick leaned on his hands and stared after the door shut. With a sigh that was more a groan he got up and blew out the lamp. He climbed back into bed and continued to stare at the door. This was going to be a long night.

In other news finished my run-through and printed myself some fresh copy, 176 pages in the novel now! Very proud of myself. I may see this thing finished yet.