afterparty

	Gillint's hands flexed tight on the soft flesh of the two women he dragged through the woods.  His new tempt would need toys, now, to stay occupied and happy.  But... he was so hungry...

	One of them twitched in his hands, and whimpered through her unconsciousness as his claw reflexively tightened.  His migraine surged back, and he stumbled to the ground, dropping his cargo.  When he straightened back up, the pain was gone, and in its place, there was only hunger.

	So much hunger.  So much food… so close at hand.


	Xuriis yawned.  The fauns would be up all night, as always, but he needed a rest.  He ambled out of the building and glanced over to the tree line – that was good enough.  Beds were for quitters.  He looked around to see where the other satyrs were.  There was Greenwater, but the girls were disappearing up the stairs into the second floor.

	Xuriis shrugged.  The girls could take care of themselves, and probably four or five locals each, if it came to that.  He was more sleepy than amorous, himself.  He wandered off past the fauns, who were still eating and chatting outside the inn.  He peered up at the stars overhead.  He didn't recognize a single one.  “It'll be good to go home,” he muttered.

	“Won't it?”

	He glanced back to see the fauns lounging about the tables and talking among themselves, save Viri, who was watching him.  “I admit, I'm starting to like this plane, but it's just not home, you know?” she asked.

	It was rhetorical, but Xuriis answered anyway.  “Yes.”

	“I want to just... sprawl out on the grass and watch the moon dancing,” Viri said.  “What do you miss?”

	Xuriis thought it over.  “I miss the sense that you can just leave, any time, and go find something to do,” he said.  “I mean, I can't, now,” he said ruefully.  “But still, it felt more... real there, I guess.”

	“Yep.”  Viri stood and walked over to him.  “I have to admit, I'm glad you didn't leave with the others.”

	Xuriis' stomach lurched, and he winced through the sudden discomfort.  What was this?  Why could he not think about what he had seen in the forest without feeling like this?  “Y-yes.  Same,” he mumbled.  “Do you think he'll be alright here?”

	Viri hesitated.  “Well... I think so, but... I can't get Linus' words out of my head.”

	Xuriis sighed.  “Nor I.”  He started wandering, slowly, to the west towards the tree line.  “I think... I don't know what I think.”

	“Mmm.” Viri followed.  They saw the Countess' bodyguard walk past them and back into the tavern, where it sounded like the music was starting back up.  “Wonder where the Countess went.”

	“Probably back to the Near Green.”  Xuriis yawned.  “Well.  I need to rest.  We still have to walk back, tomorrow.”

	“Yes, indeed.”  Viri playfully rubbed his belly.  “Have a spot picked out?”

	He swatted her hand away.  “Bah.  I'll sleep under the stars.”

	“Good enough.  Have a lass picked out too?” she asked impishly.

	He chuckled.  “No, but if you want to run back and grab Gleena, that sounds like it'd be enough for now.  Or perhaps duck upstairs, I suspect Quicksnow is sampling the local flavor.”

	“Hah.  That sounds like fun,” Viri said.  They walked back to the inn, waving over a few of the more sober-looking fauns as they passed, and climbed up to where they could hear Quicksnow enjoying some local boys.  Viri pushed the door open, making three red-faced teens start.

	“My, this does look like a place for the new Dance Lord, doesn't it?” Quicksnow said breathlessly from the pile.  “I fact, I think I'll say I planned it.”  A half dozen more fauns ambled in behind the others and got straight to work.

	Xuriis laughed as he shut the door and rolled his neck.  “Sounds like a grand idea.”  All three boys watched in total disbelief as arousal expanded his manhood to unfair dimensions.  Viri beamed and pulled aside her favorite for a more isolated rutting.  Xuriis nodded magnanimously as he helped himself to one lad’s unspoiled ass.  Life was good.


	The following morning, Linus stood across a desk from the Colony Officer and looked him over.  “Sir Isaac, I would like to know why I'm only hearing of this now.”

	Sir Isaac Prelda, his nominal taskmaster and the temporary leader of the colony, glared back.  “Because I found out hours ago, Knight Vorth.  These disappearances are a recent phenomenon.  The cattle slaughtering has been going on for barely more than that, and you were there for it the first time.”

	“True enough.  Any leads?”

	Prelda sighed.  “No, sadly.  The only thing we know for sure is that both individuals were supposed to be arriving at their homes in the last day, and neither has been seen since.”

	“Is it worth raising the alarm over one day's disappearance?” Linus asked.

	“Right after all this nonsense with the planes and the cattle?  Yes, yes it is,” Prelda replied.  “With your Feywild friends departing, we can now conduct the business of the colony without being distracted.  Two people going missing is our business, do you not agree?”

	Linus massaged the bridge of his nose.  “Of course.”  He spotted Viri and Xuriis emerging from the tavern, blinking owlishly.  “I will be happy to help scan the area from above.”

	As he spoke, however, he saw another Eladrin soldier jogging up from the north.  He squinted, but didn't recognize the man.  “Was he here last night?” Linus asked aloud.

	Prelda turned.  “Not sure.”

	The Eladrin soldier sighted Linus and walked right up.  “Knight Vorth?” he asked in accented Common.

	“I am.”

	“Sir, the Countess Capricorn did not return to the Near Green last night,” the guard said.  “I've searched the entire trail between here and the river twice.  She is not present.”

	Linus' fists tightened.  “Three disappearances in three days.  Plus, we learned that Grey Spider is in the area.”

	“Sounds like more than enough reason for worry.”  Prelda flicked the edges of his cape back and tapped his sides, lost in thought.  “I cannot spare the men to search the whole forest, and the fey are leaving...”

	“So we are,” Xuriis said with a yawn as he walked up.  “I suppose this is goodbye, then, Linus,” he added.

	“Indeed, Xuriis, this is goodbye, though perhaps not quite yet,” Linus said in Sylvan.  “Capricorn is missing.”

	Xuriis and Viri both recoiled.  “What?  Missing?” Xuriis snapped.  “She was just here last night!”

	Prelda sighed.  The aging knight looked out at the edge of the trees.  “Not any more, and this fellow informs us that she did not make it to the river.”

	“We have to search for her!” Viri exclaimed.

	“I know, Viri, and we will, but two of our people went missing over the last few days too,” Linus told her.  He saw the Farview Company team emerging from the barracks in the distance, squinting through their hangovers and sleep fog.  “Knight Commander Tumnal should be here soon, and he can dispatch people into the woods to find her, while I search from the air.”

	Viri looked downcast.  “I... yes.  Okay.  She'll be alright, though, Linus... she has to be.  We can't lose her after coming so close to home.”

	Linus reached over and rested one hand on her shoulder.  “Don't fear, Viri.  I'll find if she's out there to be found.”


	The Countess stumbled blearily through the woods.  The music in her head wouldn't let up.  It blared and piped and tweeted through the corridors of her decaying mind.  She staggered against a tree, not even noticing as it opened a cut on her arm.  “The music's so close now,” she mumbled, tripping through a shallow creek.  She could feel the Dance Lord in her mind, singing to her, and it was all she wanted.  She giggled deliriously to herself as she stumbled through the trees, before she misjudged the distance to a rock and tripped.  She bashed her head on the offending stone, and all went dark.