Missing: One Honoured Leader. Last Seen: Char

[Northen Light36]

Gemma was trying very hard not to panic as she rode towards Char. Since Ann hadn't been seen at either Flare or Linnod, so she must still be at Char. Within a few minutes they'd be laughing over Gemma's worries and Gemma would threaten to assign Ann a baby-sitter.

Why does that feel like I'm trying to force myself to believe it? Oh, right, because I am. Ann wouldn't just choose not to let anyone know her plans had changed.

The grim certainty that something was wrong spurred Gemma into kicking her horse into a gallop to get to Char that little bit sooner.

[Kender Bard]

The scouts who spotted her were quick to alert the other two elders and by the time Gemma arrived Alexi and Charminei were waiting to greet her.

"What's got you riding like your horse's tail is on fire?" Alexi asked. Charminei just remained silent, watching Gemma's expression worriedly.

[Northen Light36]

Gemma gave them both a worried, uneasy look. "Ann and Aly never arrived in Fira and Flare and Linnod insist they haven't seen them either. Please tell me they're still here and the reason no one else knows it is that a message got lost somewhere?"

[Kender Bard]

The two elders exchanged a look and Alexi shook his head.

"She's missing from the major clans? Well she never mentioned she was going to stop by any of the lesser clans," Charminei murmured.

"She's missing then?" Alexi asked, though it was more of a statement.

[Northen Light36]

Gemma sighed worriedly. "I think so," she admitted grimly. "She's well and truly overdue and non of the minds in Fira can find her or Aly anywhere within their reach. And it's not like Ann to not let someone know where she is."

[Kender Bard]

"What do we do now then?" Alexi asked, looking at Charminei.

"Now we alert the other clans and mount a search," Charminei declared grimly. "Char will send out scouts to contact the lesser clans nearest to us and we'll start sweeping the desert."

[Northen Light36]

"We'll do the same at Fira," Gemma agreed grimly. "And let's hope we find them safe and well."

She didn't see how there was much chance of that, though. Privately, she was wondering if they'd even find the body. Gemma sighed tiredly. "I'm not looking forward to telling Mum about this when she and Flame get home."

[Kender Bard]

"Let's decide when we'll be contacting one another for news," Charminei decided. "With my being a Mind, I can reach you easily enough so how about a daily report?"

Alexi had already left her side to begin getting the scouts and warriors prepared to move out.

[Northen Light36]

Gemma nodded. "Daily sounds good," she agreed. "And sooner, of course, if either clan finds anything. Do you know how much they took with them in supplies?" She hated to ask, but it was important to know so they could at least make a guess at how long they had before they had to assume that the Leader and Heir were dead.

[Kender Bard]

"Only enough to get to Linnod," Charminei answered grimly. "I suppose she was expecting to stop there anyway and could restock her supplies when she did. This is a search that calls for utmost speed. I'll have some of our best-sighted scouts on our fastest horses."

[Northen Light36]

Gemma nodded grimly, not voicing the thought that it would be a miracle if they found the pair alive. Ann was a passable hunter, but not the best, and Alyssa's pressence would make hunting difficult in any case. With such a shortage of supplies and with so much time having passed... Gemma cursed herself for letting Ann travel alone. "This is the last time we let Ann go anywhere without a guard, I swear," she remarked to Charminei. "I'd best get back to Fira. Can you inform my aunt, or my cousin Aideen, that Ann isn't here so they can start searching right away?"

She at least had more then enough supplies with her for the trip home. "I'll retrace the route Ann would have taken, see if I can see a sign of them."

[Kender Bard]

"Aye, I can," Charminei agreed, reaching out to Aideen's mind since it was the most familiar one to her of the two. ~Ann's not here. We're going to begin a search. Fira should do the same. Alert all clans you run into to also begin looking.~

[Northen Light36]

~All right, we'll start searching. Good luck.~ Aideen replied.

Gemma nodded a brief farewell to Charminei and turned her horse to set off again. There was no time to waste.