Mysteries of Aurora - The Manuscript Part 2

 

Freya first looked at the place the manuscript had been. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. The shelf looked ordinary and the neighbouring manuscripts were mostly undisturbed. “There are no scratches on the shelf, and there isn’t a pattern in how the other manuscripts were disturbed. It seems that whoever it was knew what they were looking for and weren’t in a rush.”

 

“That’s what I thought,” Talia said.

 

“Anyone could have seen that,” Xenia said.

 

“Yes, but I’ve barely started,” Freya said energetically as she bounced up and down a little. She hummed to herself as a grounding exercise, then closed her eyes and ran her hands over where the manuscript had been.

 

 

Talia waited as Freya examined the shelf by touch while humming an Auroric tune to herself. ‘She’s obviously from one of those regions.’

 

“Something is off,” Freya commented.

 

“What do you think it is?” Xenia asked.

 

“There’s a subtle texture here,” Freya answered. “It’s like someone put something here temporarily while they were grabbing the manuscript. I think it would be a good idea to have the shelf examined by someone from the Forensics department.”

 

“I was thinking about that already,” Talia said.

 

“We’re going back now?” Xenia asked.

 

“Not yet,” Freya responded. “It might be hidden somewhere nearby.”

 

“We already searched,” Talia said.

 

Freya turned in Talia’s direction. “I’d still like to check.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

 

Xenia watched as Freya went over the various shelves. “You didn’t expect something like this, didn’t you?” she asked Talia.

 

“No. It was Olivia who suggested bringing Freya in.”

 

“So, she went to class?”

 

“She did,” Talia answered.

 

“I guess she wanted to bring Freya in so that it would be found quicker.”

 

“She went to find her because she thought she could help, and so Freya has.”

 

“True.”

 

 

Freya could tell some things; that whoever had taken the manuscript had moved things slightly on many of the shelves. ‘Maybe they had heard of me too,’ she considered. ‘That having heard of a synaesthete they decided to try some obfuscation.’

 

“Problem?” Talia asked.

 

“Some obfuscation. You say nothing else is missing?”

 

“Yes. The manuscript is the only thing missing.”

 

“They probably wanted people think they wanted to get other things, but the manuscript is the one thing they took,” Freya said. She then opened her eyes and took out a sketchbook.

 

“What are you doing?” Talia asked.

 

“She also has ADHD,” Xenia said. “Sketching helps her focus.”

 

“Thanks, Xenia,” Freya said as she looked up. “This helps me process things.”

 

 

They waited as Freya sketched. “I have made a rough sketch of the room and marked where the manuscript was and the disturbances.”

 

“I see you have added some flare,” Talia said.

 

“How could I not?” Freya responded. “Usually where something crosses the senses.’

 

“A synesthetic impression?” Talia asked.

 

Freya nodded.

 

“So, does it help us know where the manuscript was taken.”

 

“Not at present. I will need to talk to Olivia. She must have done her own investigating before seeking me out.”

 

“Not really, she just suggested finding you,” Talia said.

 

“Oh,” Freya responded. “I’ll try to write down what I think, but I’m sure I’ll get distracted.”

 

 

It was barely a minute later, when Freya jumped up in frustration. “I can’t do it! I keep thinking about other things, like the Renaissance mystery I found last week.”

 

“What was that?” Xenia asked.

 

“Missing artworks, and artists who mysteriously stopped working,” Freya answered.

 

“I have heard about missing artworks, and one or two artists that seemed to have stopped working,” Xenia said.

 

“It’s more than two,” Freya responded.

 

“That’s worse than I thought,” Xenia said.

 

Freya turned to Talia. “I can’t do much more now, so I’ll return to the art studio for now.”

 

“Thanks for your help,” Talia said.

 

“If Olivia comes back, tell her I’m at Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall.”

 

 

Half an hour later, Olivia came out of the Archaeology class and headed back towards the Library. She took out her tablet as she walked along one of the elevated walkways. ‘Just as well it’s a cloudy day,’ she thought as she unlocked it with her thumb print. She selected her trusty dictation app. “Message for Janara: Meet me in the Ancient Section of the Library, near the Geography area.”

 

Message sent.

 

 

She entered the area to find Talia, and a few others there.

 

“Olivia!” Talia said. “Freya has been and gone.”

 

“Oh! But did she find anything?”

 

“She did.”

 

“Oh, what was it that she found?” Olivia asked.

 

Talia then explained.

 

 

Olivia then thought about what Freya had found as she also looked around the area. She couldn’t tell anything. “I guess I would have to go to Freya and talk. Where would she be?”

 

“She said that she’s staying at Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall.”

 

“One of the eastern dormitories,” Olivia considered.

 

“That’s right.”

 

“I’ll wait for my roommate and then we’ll probably go there, that is if she isn’t in class.”

 

 

It wasn’t long before Janara arrived. “What is up?” she asked.

 

Olivia then explained.

 

“We better get to Sigrun Sigurdottir Hall then,” Janara said when her roommate was finished.