Odd, but Gentle | Wattys2016

Part 14 - "Aisha's Confused Feelings, So Starts the Investigation!"

After we met up with the others we head to the inn the school paid for. "Hello, you will be staying on the second floor, down both hallways, boys left and girls right. You all have your own room." the innkeeper said as he handed us each a key. I nodded and we headed up the stairs. "So what do we do first?" asked Raven. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm taking a shower because I haven't had one in a while." I said as I stopped in front of the room number that was my room. "Okay guys, we can start discussing the investigation tomorrow morning. Everyone get a good night sleep." Raven ordered. "Yes, captain." Add mocked as he saluted him. Raven rolled his eyes and head towards the boys' hallway. I stepped in my room and walked to the bed. I let out a long sigh as I fell back on it. My hand absent mindedly went up to my lips as what happened before played through my mind. Do I like him?  I asked myself. Does he like me?  Those questions floated around my mind till I decided I needed to take a shower. I grabbed up my pajamas and a towel out of the dresser next to my bed and headed out the door. The inn was surprisingly quiet, but what do you expect. I quietly headed down the hall and then down the stairs to the room I remember to have been the bath room. I quietly slid the door open and walked in. There was no sign of anyone else so I stripped out of my clothes and wrapped the towel around me. I quickly walked through the room to the bath. It was huge, like a lake. I shedded my towel and stepped in. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. "Room for one more?" a voice said. I jumped and opened my eyes to see Rena stepping in. "You scared me." I said as I let out a small breath. "Sorry." she replied. We stayed quiet for a while before Rena spoke again. "So what's going on between you and Add?" she asked. "N-Nothing!" I stammered. "Oh really? Ever since you got back from the shopping trip the air between you has been different." she said with a smirk. I sunk down farther into the water, hoping to hide my red face. She continued to stare, waiting for an answer. I let out a sigh of defeat and explained what had happened. The kiss, the guys that tried to pick a fight. Everything. She ended up squealing. "I don't know if he likes me or not." I said quietly. "Come on. It's obvious that he does." She said with a big smile. "I don't know he hasn't really spoken about it... Or actually said he liked me." I say as I sink down in the water again. "Nah. He likes you for sure." Rena continued to say. We continued talking about Add and I till we got out and went our separate ways and went to bed. I went to sleep to dreams about Add and I kissing.

I woke up to a small knock on the door. I let out a groan as I rolled out of bed. They knocked again, harder this time. "I'm coming, I'm coming." I grumbled as I opened the door. "What?" I asked. I looked up to see a smirking Add. "Nice hair." he commented. I rolled my eyes and gave him a look. "What do you want?" I asked. "Not an early riser, huh? Well we got breakfast and Rena sent me up here to get you so we can start our investigation." he said as he raised a bag. I took the bag and nodded. "I will be down in a second. I quickly got dressed and sat down on the bed. I opened the bag and grabbed out the cookies and ate one as I slid my shoes on. I was drinking the banana milk they bought me as I walked down the steps. "Finally." Add sighed as I walked over to them. "Well some people like to sleep at this time." I retorted as I stretched. Rena smiled and rolled her eyes. 

We walked down the street. "Where to first?" Raven asked. "I think we should split up." Rena suggested. "Yeah, that'd be good. Groups or by ourselves?" I ask. "Groups. Eve and I will-" Eve held her hand up, interrupting her comment. "I think it will suffice if I go alone." she said. With that she walked away, blending in with the people. "Okay..." I say awkwardly. Rena cleared her throat and continued. "Okay, Raven and I will go together and I guess you in Add." I looked at her and I could see the smirk tugging at her lips. "Are you sure? I can go with R-" I started. "No, go with Add." she said with a false friendly smile. I scowled at her. "Fine, let's go." I said. He let out a scoff and muttered under his breath something. 

We have been walking for a while when I stopped suddenly causing Add to bump into me. "What?" he said, annoyance in his voice. "Ummm, I forgot my wand..." I said quietly, to myself more than anything. "Are you serious? How does someone forget their own weapon." he said exasperated. "Should we go back?" I ask. "No, we are just investigating. I doubt it will be needed." he said and walked ahead of me. We went to Elder's library. "Let's split up. Look for the public records." I said as I went deeper into it. I went into the back where they had logs of everyone in the village. I opened the book and flipped through the pages till the recent months. "What?" I said quietly. I puled out a paper and looked at it and compared. All the names of the missing people have been removed. I thought. A figure moved in the corner of my eye and I looked up. There was no one there. I shut the book and slipped it back where it was and went to go find Add. I felt like someone was following me. I turned around, but there was no one. Someone grabbed my arm and I jumped and spun around and saw Add. "What's got you jumpy?" Add said as he raised an eyebrow. "It's nothing." I say as I glance over my shoulder. He just shrugs it off. "Find anything?" he asked. "Yeah, I found something interesting... I think we should go somewhere else though." I say as I head for the door. He follows me out and we walk down the road.

"So what did you find?" he asked when we were far from the library. "Well I was looking through the logs of everyone that is and has been in Elder... All the missing people were erased from the log." I said as I looked around. I still couldn't shake the feeling we were being followed. "That is weird. Well, let's meet back up with the rest of them." he said. We walked back to the inn and Rena, Raven, and Eve were standing around looking worried. "Let's talk inside." Rena said before we could say a word. We followed her into the house and into her room, though we were stopped by the innkeeper. "Excuse me, boys rooms are that way." he had said. "This is confidential information, involving school business." Rena had explained. He had looked at us skeptically and let us go. I sat down on her bed and Rena did the same. "So what did you all learn?" Rena asked. "Well all the missing people have been removed from the logs of everyone in and had been in Elder." I said. "Really... Anyone else?" Rena asked. "In my investigation I came across some information. Apparently these humans have been disappearing for more than we have been informed. Humans have been disappearing in small numbers, but recently there has been an increase. A more noticeable increase." Eve said as she sat on her nasods. "Interesting. I think we need to further this investigation. We need to ask around. There's more to this then everyone is letting on." Rena said. "I agree, but we need to try and do it in an unnoticeable way. We can't draw suspicion." I said as I rested my chin on my hand. "Let's head back out there, we can ask the locals. I have the list of all the people that have gone missing. We can check with their families." I handed them all a copy of the list. "Let's go." Rena said as we headed out the door.

****
We all sat down back in Rena's room after we had talked to all their family. "Any luck?" I asked. "No. Some of them... They acted as if nothing happened." Raven said, confusion on their face. "All of them had one link. They all traced back to Wally's imperial army." Add said. "Yeah, the ones I asked said they received a letter saying that their family member was recruited into the imperial army." Rena said. "That's weird. How could they just believe that..." I said quietly, more to myself than them. "Well we know for sure that Wally plays a huge role in this..." Rena said as she leaned back. "The next step would be to infiltrate the castle." Eve said as she swiped across the screens that were being projected in front of her. "Yeah, but how? And on a bigger note, when?" I said as I looked over to her. "It shows that there will be another 'recruitment' soon, in two days to be exact. We should let the recruitment commence and track them to the place and take them out then." Eve explained. "What time?" Rena asked. "The letters should arrive tomorrow. At sunset is when the people are supposed to meet." Eve said as she dispersed her screens. "Okay, then let's do it. Let's take down that bastard!" Raven said as he clenched his fist. "Calm down. We still need to get more information. We can't charge in their blind." I said with a shake of my head. "Well either way. We can talk about it tomorrow, for now let's all get some sleep." Rena said, ending the sentence with a yawn. "Yeah, lets go to sleep." I agreed as I stretching, exhaustion slowly creeping upon me. Eve headed out and Raven followed her, along with Add. "Good night." I said to Rena with a wave as I closed the door. I walked down the hall  to my room. "Tired are we?" a voice said. I jumped and turned to see Add. "Do you live to scare me or something?" I said as I scowled at him. He let out a laugh and started to walk off. "Wait." I said as I grabbed his sleeve. He turned back to me and raised an eyebrow. "Be careful." I said quietly as I looked down. "Always am, aren't I runt?" he said. "Why did something happen?" I looked up at him and saw  a glint of concern in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared. "It's just. Today... I think someone was following us." I said to him. "Nah, I doubt it. You're just paranoid." he said. He walked down the hall to his room. "I'm serious Add. Be careful." I said to him. He walked in his room and shut his door. I let out a sigh as I walked to my room and walked in it. I shut the door and laid back on my bed staring at the ceiling. Thoughts were flying through my head, all about Add.

Why am I so worried about him...