Author's note: I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter of Makara. If you haven't already, please make sure you read the previous chapters so you know what's going on.
Also, it would be greatly appreciated if you took a moment to comment and vote. A huge thanks to those who do/have.
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Part 5
~Makara
"Find you? What does that mean? Are you lost?" My fingers flew over the screen as I texted my response.
"We're working on your tracking."
"My tracking? That's usually focused around following scent trails."
"Yep."
"How am I supposed to do that when I'm not shifted? I can only smell things marginally better than the average human, definitely not enough to track you."
"So don't use your nose. I left you a clue, figure it out."
A disgruntled grumble escaped me as I read his last message. How did he expect me to find him without anything to go on? Thinking back over his messages, I tried to figure out what his apparent clue could be.
Over the last two weeks, training had basically gone back to normal. Cade had taken me back to the cliff a few mornings, each time pushing me to climb a little bit faster. When we didn't go to the cliff, we were sparring, both in the training room in the basement, and a few times, the outdoor courtyard.
He often challenged me, and he had long since left behind any reservations for me getting hurt. But he had never asked me to do something that I was outright unequipped for.
Taking a cursory glance around the suite, I searched for any indication of Cade's clue. It was unlikely he had left anything in here, so I quickly gave it up as futile. Not believing I had any other options, I decided to check Cade's suite.
When the elevator didn't open right away, I opted for taking the stairs. It was only one floor down, the stairs were probably faster anyway. Rapping on the painted wood of his door, I admonished myself for being so stupid. It wouldn't be a challenge if he were in his suite the whole time.
The handle turned under my pressure, surprising me as it clicked open. Peeking in, I saw the room was empty, as expected. My curiosity distracted me momentarily, having never been in Cade's suite before. It was the same basic style and size as Bash and Tal's.
An urge to snoop through his drawers and cabinets crept in on me and I fought it off, resolving to only snoop as much as I needed to find his clue. My attention brought back to the task at hand, I inspected the room for anything that seemed out of place.
Sighing, I raised my hands in frustration. Everything seemed to belong. No picture, no lamp, no cushion offered any indication of answers. Just as I was about to give up, something caught my eye. Turning, my gaze focused on the small wolf figurine carved into black soapstone that sat inconspicuously, blending in almost perfectly to the dark color of the, otherwise completely bare, coffee table.
A memory of Cade telling Tal he planned to put the little wolf on his night stand flashed through my mind and I rushed over, kneeling beside the table, grasping excitedly at the smooth stone. It didn't belong here. Inspecting it closely, I looked for any hint of where Cade could be. There was nothing different about the figurine, no note attached to the bottom. A quick search around and underneath the table revealed similar results, nothing helpful.
"What the hell kind of clue is that, Cade?" My frustration caused me to spit the words into the air.
Sitting back on my haunches I tried to decipher the mystery in front of me. My mind was almost completely blank and having only one idea left, I decided to take a shot at it, not sure what else to do.
The door closed with a familiar click behind me. Taking the stairs down another floor I quickly found the suite I was looking for, tapping lightly on the door. It swung open right away.
"Makara!" Tal stepped out to hug me.
Stepping back, I could see she looked excited, but she bit her lip to keep from speaking.
"This is going to sound strange," she watched me as I shifted my feet. "But Cade set up this weird training thing and I think I'm supposed to talk to y-"
"I knew you would figure it out!" She squealed, squeezing her hands together before grabbing my arm and pulling me into her suite.
A small smile crept over my face as I realized I had come to the right place. The clue in Cade's suite was meant to lead me to Tal.
"Cade swore me to secrecy! I wasn't allowed to say anything until you asked me directly!" She explained, dashing off to a shelf on the far side of the room. "Here's the next clue." She handed me two slips of paper. "But don't ask for any hints, because I'm not allowed to say."
My mouth opened to speak, but she cut me off.
"Shoo, shoo, he's timing you. Off you go." She hurried me out the door. "Good luck, Makara," She said as she closed it behind me.
Shaking my head, I smiled at Tal's youthful enthusiasm. Of course Cade wouldn't make it so easy that Tal would be the last stop, ideally telling me where to find him.
Opening the first slip of paper, I stared excitedly at the golden letters and numbers that looked back at me, knowing exactly where this clue was leading me.
Running back up the stairs to Silas' suite, I didn't waste any time barging into the library.
"B-24, P32." My fingers ran over the smooth wood of the shelves as I hurried to row B. It was a pretty easy system to follow, A referring to the first row, B to the second and so on. Quickly moving down the row, I read the numbers on the spine of each book, pulling out number 24 and flipped to the page specified on the paper.
"A map of the forest, now we're talking." My muttered words disappeared into the silence of the room as I looked at the map, finally feeling a little closer to finding Cade.
The second slip offered a similar code, and I suspected it would help narrow down my search. Clutching the first book, I moved to find row F, not immediately noticing that E was the last one.
"Shit." Re-examining the clue, I noticed a faint letter 'M' in the top corner of the slip, almost as if someone had written it in pencil and then erased it. Looking over the first slip I found it also had a letter, the letter 'S'.
It clicked immediately and I raced down to the first floor. Cade had never gotten around to showing me the main library, nor had I had the opportunity to visit it myself, but it wasn't hard to locate the big double doors. Pushing through the doors, I forced myself not to stare in awe at the sheer number of books presented before me, remembering Tal had said Cade was timing me.
Finding my way to row E, I hurried along, pulling out the book corresponding with the clue and turned to the specified page. The image of the Lechenaria appeared in stark contrast to the white background of the page.
Making the connection, I searched the map for where the Lechenaria patch had been, grumbling when I couldn't find it. The publication date of the book containing the map made it obvious why. It had only been published eight years ago, and according to Cade, the Lechenaria had been extinct for twenty.
Tucking the book with the flower back on the shelf, I took the map with me in search of someone who could help. Henry was in his usual spot, peering over the top of his book and watching the passersby from his chair around the corner from the lobby. He smiled as I walked up to him.
"Makara," he greeted me. "Lovely to see you again. How can I help you?"
"Hi, Henry." Showing him the map, I plopped into the chair next to him. "Cade's got me doing this training thing and I need to find him using clues he left me. I remembered you said you picked your Lechenaria yourself and I was hoping you could tell me where the patch used to be. I have reason to believe that's where I'll find him."
"Of course, of course." He took the book from me, launching into a story about the day he had picked the flower and the care in which he had selected the perfect one. Smiling, I refrained from prompting him to go faster. He was just an old man who enjoyed the company and he was helping me, so I let him speak. "Look at you, listening to the ramblings of an old man." He chuckled, patting my hand lightly. "You don't have time for my silly stories." Opening my mouth to reassure him that I loved his stories, he cut me off, pointing to an area on the map at the edge of a clearing. "This is where they used to grow, beautifully framing this field. It made it perfect for picnic dates with someone special." He handed me back the book and winked at me, making me blush.
"Thanks, Henry. I really appreciate the help. Again." Scurrying out the door, I didn't bother to bring the book back to the library. Opting instead to save some time and bring it with me.
The trees blurred as I ran by them, only pausing to check the map to make sure I was still going in the right direction. When I noticed the clearing up ahead I slowed down, not sure if I would find another clue, or Cade. Trying to walk as quietly as possible, I scanned the area for any sign of him.
Hearing something behind me, I started to turn. Not quick enough to beat him, Cade hooked his leg around mine, knocking me to the ground. Twisting to land on my back, I clutched the book to my chest, hoping to protect its clean pages from the dirt. Pain momentarily seared through my back and head as I didn't quite manage to avoid hitting it against the ground.
"Took you long enough." Cade spoke, ignoring the fact that he had just hit me from behind. Knowing it wouldn't do any good to mention it, since according to him it's my job to guard against such surprises, I let it go.
"What are you talking about? I found you pretty quickly considering how you sprung this on me."
"If you say so." He extended a hand, but I waved him away.
Getting up, I followed him as he walked into the clearing. It looked significantly smaller than it did on the map, and although Henry had implied it had once been a beautiful field, there was now nothing but dirt covering the ground. It looked more like a fighting ring than the perfect picnic location.
"How exactly does all that improve my tracking anyway? If I'm trying to find someone, it's not like they'll leave a trail like that."
