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[Thrax]

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"What are they teaching you in that school, Luana?" Elana asked her daughter. She had finally made her sit down long enough to talk to her about what had been on her mind for over a week now; a week since school in Papua for her child's age group had begun.

Luana was ten years old and very impressionable. She did her chores quickly, made friends easily, and was loyal. She loved her parents, her dogs and three cats. Sitting back in the chair she locked eyes with her mother. "I am *not* supposed to talk about it," she replied, as if that simplistic answer alone was all that was needed to close the discussion.

Elana frowned, then, realizing the direct approach might not be best, continued, "Loo, (which was the nickname her parents had given her) I don't mean to pry. Your father and I, well, we're just curious as to what you might be learning. You come home so happy and eager to go back, we just wonder what it is that makes you that way. Have you thought that maybe we would like to share your joy?"

Luana folded her arms. "Where's daddy?" she asked.

Her mother stood up and began to pace a bit. "Daddy is... well, he's gone to visit his brother in Britain. We got word uncle Alton is very sick. He went to see about him," she said, hastily forming a lie. She could not let anybody know that her husband, Mauric, had slipped out of the town, having bribed a mage at the magic shop for his silence, as he used the teleporter to Moonglow. He went seeking help, for what, exactly, neither knew... they only knew these changes to the town were not for the better. Word had to get out. Mauric risked his job and, she shuddered to think, his life if word came to Lady Alicia, or Archon Thrax about it. They had already fired him from his post at the mage shop for insubordination, relegating him to part time work at the healer hut.

"When will he get back? I miss him," Luana asked.

"I don't know, dear. It depends on how uncle Alton's health is. Let's pray he will get well soon and daddy can return home soon, okay?"

Luana nodded but said nothing.

"Please dear, can you not tell me a little bit about school? I would love to hear what goes on," Elana pleaded, sitting back down.

Luana rolled her eyes. "We have fun. Well, all except Rory. He cried almost all the first day. But when teacher gave him the shiny stone to play with, he stopped. We all got shiny stones then!" she exclaimed.

Toys to placate children... no new idea, Elana thought. "What else, honey?"

"We learned not to be afraid of anything. Teacher took us out and killed a troll to show us that they are not so scary. It was a big one, too! We got to play games and took a nap and he showed us some magic tricks."

"What is "teacher's" name?"

Luana shrugged. "I don't know. He talked to us in our heads at first. Then, oh yes!" she almost jumped out of the seat, "He is teaching us how to talk with our hands!!" She went through several crude attempts to duplicate one of the signs she had learned. "That means hello!" she stated proudly, smiling.

Elana's face paled. The only sign language she had ever heard of was that of the drow... dark elves, who used it for their nefarious purposes in the Underdark.

Luana could not help but notice the horror on her mother's face. "What's wrong? Do you think it is something bad?" she asked, frowning. "Teacher said you would! He told us not to tell what we are learning because our parents would not understand, and he is right... you don't!"

Elana was speechless. Luana, angered, continued. "One of these days things are going to be different, mother. We are going to be the ones who tell everybody what to do, and if they don't, then they will be sorry!"

"How dare you speak to me like that, child!" Elana, now angered herself, shouted. "Mind your place or else!"

"Or else what? If you touch me, I'll tell!" Luana, leaning forward, threatened. "Teacher told us if you do anything bad, to tell him and he would fix it!"

The word "touch" gave rise to Elana's other question. She calmed noticeably. "Do "they" touch you? Are they... you know... do things... they shouldn't?" she inquired, clumsily. She had warned her daughter about such things, but talking about it was never easy.

"NO mother! It isn't like that!" Luana retorted. "Teacher is NICE. He looks scary, but he says that is to help people lose their fear of things. If we face our fears, we can beat them. I am not afraid of him anymore, but they DO NOT do anything bad to us!"

Elana was not satisfied. "Who else is there? Who else besides your teacher?"

"Just the dark-robed men who take us there. They don't say much, just bring us food when we get hungry. They make sure nobody hurts us," she explained. A bored expression crossed her face. "Can I go play now? I want to teach Joel some signs." Joel was her younger brother, napping at the moment. She got up out of her seat and headed toward his room, seeming not to care if she got permission from her mother or not.

Elana nodded absently, unwilling to put up a fight. She got up and went into the kitchen where she wept silently while cooking a meager supper for her and the children, hoping Mauric would come home soon with word of help on the way.