Carie walked out of Waylene's office.  She would have given almost
anything for Michel to have been there.  Mysteries were always much easier
for him.

Her sleep that night was unfortunately not very restful.
***************************************************************

Carie woke up right before lunch, and decided to head on over to the
Kitchen and She walked in.

"Hello Andy...seen Cook?"

The younger girl nodded, and motioned to the back Kitchen.

*I'm surprised, you remembered that girl's name*

"Dont' be that impressed.  It was luck, plus she reminds me of a girl I
remember from years ago."

Carie arrived, to see Hanna busy rolling out dough.

"Carie," she said, sounding surprised.  "Welcome.  What brings you to my
area of the warren?"

"Actually," Carie replied, "I'm here to find out what's happening to your
supplies."

"Ah, those.  Tis the weirdest thing.  With all that's gone, the Meat, some
of the vegetables, along with some of the bread.  That was on two seperate
occasions."

"How many people generally come through here?"

"Several more than I can name off the top of my head."

Carie nodded.  That would certainly make things harder.

Hanna led Carie to the area where the meat had been stored.  Carie's eye
caught a boarded up area along the way.

"Hanna?  What's this?"

"That?  That's just an entrance to the underground caverns.  No one goes
down there anymore.  It's just too dangerous."

"Maybe not, but that looks like a pretty fresh track," Carie said,
pointing at what her eye had caught.  Carie gently pulled against the
boards, pulling them all down at once.

"These are loose.  Do you have a lantern?"

Hanna managed to find Carie a lantern, and a rope, Carie asked cook for
just one more item, if she could borrow a knife.

Hanna stared long at the knife rack as Carie was placing the knife in her
belt.

"I could swear there was another blade there.  Are you sure you should be
doing this, Lass?"

"No.  But, I doubt I will find anything..."  Carie paused as a Roar went
through the warren.

*The Eggs have been laid* Fiera said, sounding as if they had been her
own.

"Anyways, We need to at least find where this cave leads.  Believe me, I
used to do this for a living,hiding in shadow and such.  I'll be fine."

Carie made her way into the passage, the lamp held out in front of her,
slowly making her way forward.  After 20 minutes down there, she finally
saw some sunlight.

Carie's breath caught in her throat.  A shaft of light extended up at
least 50 feet to the top of the cavern, as an underground stream made it's
way through.  Carie's eye caught on a makeshift bridge crossing the
stream, and hanging from a lower ceiling of the cave was the mean Hanna
had been missing.

"Hello, Pretty," A low voice rasped, as Carie felt the cold steel at her
throat.

"Damnit," she thought to herself.  "I've been in a warren too long, have
lost all of my street skills"

"Who," she said, her head turning slightly to get a look at her captor,
when she felt the blade barely slice into her neck.  She felt the blood
well up in the cut immediately.

"Now now, pretty, I wouldn't do that.  One's liable to get hurt like that.
Now, who are you, and why are you down here?"

"I'm C'rie, I'm a junior cook for the warren.  I noticed something wrong
with one of the boarded entrances, nd thought I'd see if it led anywhere."

"And are you joined, warren brat?"

"No, tho I hope to be at the next joining."

"Well," The man said, "As no one should miss you yet, consider yourself
our..'guest' for now"

"Fiera," Carie thought with her eyes closed, "Tell Waylene I think I've
found our rats."


Carie and Fiera
  Aka Chris Canary


Christopher Canary *Per@Indy.Net* (Per, Michel, Reece, Espeth, Carie 
Milak, Malk Bromitz) Aspiring Actor (Please, Yell), President of 
P.U.R.P.L.E. and General Happy Guy.  Got a comment?  Write me.