Tonan quickly jogged to catch up to the cart, then slowed it to a walk one he was beside it. On the approach to the wreckage his eyes grew wider, and his jaw dropped slightly.
"By the gods.." He gasped



Tonan crouched down and used the light from the remaining flames to see the floor "Footprints, very messy, probably after the inital blast" He stood back up. "wonder where everyone went..?"



"Yeah, though I doubt that they'd all be in a large group, they'd have the gollies attention immediately." he said. "They'd have left in smaller groups, a few hours apart, if they have left." he added.

"Yeah..." Nora just couldn't get her head around it. It was obvious that a building used to be there, and now... there wasn't. "I don't know if there's anyone else here ta rebuild... if anyone's goin'ta stay in Dorhaven at all... Looks to me like no one wants ta live here anymore. 'Course, all the tourists will dry up. No one wants to visit a disaster site like this, so maybe... maybe they'll be back. Hop up here, we'll go faster."

Tonan looked solemn as he heard this. As much as he hated the silly amont of tourists that visited Dorhaven when he lived here, he didn't want to see his hometown become a ghost town.
"Well.. I S'pose that there'll be a bit of attention for a short while.." He clambered up to the cart and sat in the seat and placed Obsidia in his lap.

"I hope my parents have come this way too.."

Nora shook her head sadly,"Only from people like me, likely. Looking to lend a hand to those in need... only to find the needy disappeared. Maybe they'll wander like us wicks, maybe they'll head off ta Mugroba. Who knows..."



Nora looked at him sidelong, "I hope so, too, brunno. I hope so too..."

They rode in silence for a time, heading through the middle of town to the opposite side. Nora hoped they would pass someone who could help them. She had almost given up hope when she heard a group of voices around the corner. "You hear that?" she asked as she flicked the reins to speed up her horse.

Tonan nodded his head in agreement, he sat there silently, not saying a word, bouncing slightly from the bumps in the road and the gentle walk of the horse.



Tonan looked at the corner in the road. "Yeah, I did. Maybe it's some evacuees?" He almost jumped off the cart in anticipation, He was hoping they had caught up to his parents.

The group was visible in the distance, about ten or twelve individuals. They were clothed in finery that looked a bit worse for wear, and they were arguing.

"You're impossible," swore one of the men, pointing at another. "You think we'll be welcomed with open arms? You think we can curl up at the hem of Servalis' robe and be safe? That woman is mad."

"She's a galdor," said another, with maddening patience. "There isn't a sympathizer who'd actually turn on their own people. We're political refugees."

"Political scapegoats," spat a third, a woman with tall hair. "You think we'll be fine and dandy once the papers get word of this? We'll be crucified. This is only going to destabilize the core."

The group paused to look up as Nora's cart approached. Their faces twisted into a strange mixture of apprehension and distaste.

Nora didn't know how to respond. What with the way they were arguing combined with the way they were now looking at her... well, she didn't want them riled against her. In the night air, with no one around to witness the gathering, a chill ran down her back. So she decided to act like she knew what she was doing, "What seems to be the trouble here, then?"

"Who the clock are you?" demanded one of the men. There was a series of chuckles, quickly stifled as they looked over Nora's cart with disdain.

"Probably a refugee," said a woman nastily. "As though the town was a war zone, honestly. All these people up and leaving Dorhaven, feeling sorry for themselves! Pah!"

"You're too right, Emelda," said another man soberly. "It's nonsense. The Seventen are here to help, not to oppress..."

Tonan lay back and rolled his eyes. At first, he just wanted to ignore them, but he couldn't.

"Hey, You!" He pointed at the woman. "You do realise what happened back there?" he snapped. "People have died, People are homeless, people are injured." he ground his teeth a little "It's no damn laughing matter."

"Yes," snapped the woman, "thanks to that idiot passive! They're no better than walking time bombs! You lot would be better off expelling the lot from your little town than running away like scared children!"

"Easy, Emelda," warned the man next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder as she glared at the cart.

Tonan calmed down a little, and his eyes widened slightly.
"D-Did you say a passive did that?"
Tonan was shocked, he thought the galdori has cast a spell to cause confusion. If this woman was right, which he doubted anyway, it could mean the Dorhaven incident was a complete accident!

Emelda rolled her eyes. She didn't appreciate being talked to by any non-galdori, and she was already in a bad mood from sleeping outside - in a tent, of all things.

"Yes," she said, flatly. "They're dangerous. Who knows why? Just went off, like a bomb. We had nothing to do with it. We just happened to be nearby, and of course we got the bloody blame for it, so go tell your snooping little reporters the truth, why don't you?"

"Hear hear," said the other galdori.

Tonan lay back. He felt right about disbelieving this galdori.
"Passives don't set off on their own, you know."
He realised he probably sounded as if he was blaming them for aggravating a passive. Tonan quickly thought it over. He smelled a lie.
"Wait, if you weren't there, how did you know it was a passive, hm?"

"Yes they do, you stupid boy," said the lady mockingly. "All the clocking time. Why do you think we have to keep such a close eye on them? Anything can set them off."



The crowd's faces suddenly turned ugly.

"That's enough from the peanut gallery," said one man. He lifted his hand; it appeared to be filling with white-hot magma. Another began juggling small bright sparks in his hands.

"Best clear out of here," a third man said, frowning deeply. "Don't want to keep your little tribe waiting, do you?"

The conversation had gone from bad to worse so quickly. She opted for a gentler approach, hoping to calm everyone down, "Actually, sir, we're hoping to round up this young man's family and bring them back to Dorhaven to help bring things back together. That's all, sir, no harm intended. If you saw any crowds or families headed out of town, and if you wouldn't mind telling us which way they went, we would love to go after them..." and leave you all alone, she added mentally. She bit her lip, hoping it wouldn't come to a confrontation. Though if it did, she saw a pile of crates and barrels on the sidewalk that could be useful with a good push.

The crowd of galdori whispered among themselves.

"There was a great lot of people that left this morning," said a younger man, apparently against the wishes of his elders, who shushed him. "They were headed for the Bridge. If you could convince them to stop being so dramatic, that would be wonderful. It's ever so dull here without any shops open."

Emelda slapped the young man across his head, frowning. "The last thing we're going to do is stay here," she hissed.

"Alright," Nora raised a hand in compliance,"We'll go on then. Our apologies for the disturbance." She took up the reins to go. We're leaving now, a human and a wick are no trouble to you, she willed to them.

Tonan lay back slightly, still tense from seeing the galdori beginning to cast their magic. He began suspecting things.

"Ugh." He gunted. "Too quick to anger.." he said. "Sorry about that though, I don't like gollies at they are, but trying to cover up something they obviousy did pisses me off."

He just remembered what one of them said,
"Quite nice of one of them to chirp up though"

"Yes, but that's where I just came from. I need to not be there for a while... Now, this begs the question of you: are you headed after'em, or are you coming to Brunnhold with me? I'm not tryin'a push you either way, but what you know would help me out," she grinned, "and riding in a cart is a lot easier on ya than walking."

Tonan crossed his arms and thought about the dilemma.
His parents could be over the bridge, but theres that chance that they couldnt be, and it would just be a huge waste of time and energy. It didn't really help that he hadn't slept at all for roughly 36 hours, Tonan was tired and lacked energy to even walk a mile.

Plus, if he went to Brunnhold, he could help Nora join the resistance, and sign himself up in the process. He had completely forgotten to go after his meeting with Stolley and the strange girl.

"Yeah, I'll come with you to Brunnhold, I'm too tired to even think about walking alone at this time." He didnt fancy being spotted by some large wildlife or getting caught off guard by those galdori from earlier.

"I can always go looking for my parents later.. I'm willing to leave them alone for now, if it means helping stop the oppression.."

"Alrighty, then," Nora said, "We'll make camp in town... at this point it's practically wilderness, so I don't think anyone will mind. If I recall correctly there's a green just ahead, and we can lock up inside for the night. I only have one bed, but there's plenty of room in the floor for a pallet, and I have plenty of blankets." Nora disliked the cold. She kept a hefty supply of blankets on hand- enough to make a half-dozen blanket forts.