The next morning, Hyran woke before sunrise. It was an auspicious day already— rain! With a spring in his step and a folded barkpot in his hand, he took the lift down to the first level, and went to the west edge of town. As he'd guessed, there was an extension of the platform along the edge of the forest, looking out at the bare hill where the royal palace stood. Hyran shook his head at the magnificent alienness of the thing. Built entirely of stone. Though its carved details evoked treesung structures even from this distance, the grey color and the open sky behind seemed to proclaim its oddity, its unnaturalness. Much like the very proclamation issued there.
"Morning," said a voice behind him, and Hyran turned to see a youngish Vle, huddled against the cool morning rain. "I must be in the right place. Are we actually going to meet in this weather?"
"Rain is a gift, my friend. It provides us with the trees and our food. What better weather to greet us on such an important day?" "If you say so." The rain did delay everyone's arrival. Hyran had intended to get the protest going by midmorning, but it was noon before most everyone actually showed up. Some uniformed Vle also stood warily by.
Hyran put the barkpot down and stood on it, making him head and shoulders taller than everyone. "My friends! It has come down to us. Twice our movement has met the King's troops, intent on silencing our message, but here we stand before the King's window! We are here to tell him that his policy is wrong! Say hear hear!"
"Hear hear!" the crowd responded.
"It is time to face the facts- that his proclamation has placed our great nation's very survival in jeopardy! Hear hear!"
"Hear hear!"
"The King must reverse his decision or face the loss of a kingdom, the loss of a great era!"
"Hear hear!"
"We will protest here every morning until he heeds our call!"
"Hear hear!"
The troops, which had grown in number during his speech, finally moved, to surround them. Thus Hyran knew it was his turn to join his comrades in the camp. The troops escorted them efficiently to the lifts and down to the ground. As they set out, north again but no longer under free will, Hyran wondered how long it would be until his pace turned sluggish. Then he realized it didn't have to. His head up, he looked forward with as much confidence as he could, and made each step count.
On foot, the camp was most of a day's walk away. The soldiers weren't particularly mean, just insistent enough that many in the group did lose their spirit. Hyran wished he could say something, or sing, to lift their spirits, but the soldiers strongly discouraged any self-expression.

The second day was dark. The tiny patches of sky visible above were not light blue but rather a purplish grey. On they pushed through the nearly lightless forest, past towns with all their glow-worms lit up. Eventually, they neared the camp— Hyran knew they were close not by sight, but by hearing. Roughly two million Vle manage to make quite a sound. The road passed a tree and branched— and there was a wall rivaling the one surrounding Dronac. The difference: Only one platform could be seen above, and that was on a tree outside the wall. The troops brought them right up to the gate. "Ho! We bring sympathizers!" called the commander. "Enter and be counted," replied the gatekeeper, and the gate swung toward them. But instead of the scene of cramped living conditions that Hyran expected to see, there was instead another wall. Prodded, he and the others moved in.
The gate shut behind them, and then another gate in front of them opened out into the camp. Now there was a scene: ground dwellings, and Vle milling about, doing business. It was a pleasant surprise, really: those he saw were healthy, and he saw many straight backs, even a number of smiles. The new arrivals weren't permitted to just roam freely yet, though. A young man officiously strode out of a hut beside the wall, quill, tablet and three-legged stool in hand. "Ah, more sympathizers, I see. Very well!" He put down the stool, stepped on it, and the troops pressed in closer. Hyran shifted his weight from one foot to the other, earning him an evil eye; So it was apparently that he and the other newcomers were to stay still.
"Sixty-four!" pronounced the counter, and stepped down to return to the hut. With that, the troops broke away and went out the gate, which swung shut behind him.
"Welcome," said a female voice. Hyran turned to see the plumpish light Vle who addressed them. "My name is Lara'i. Normally, another woman would be here to welcome you, but she's busy with another group.
"We were told you're light Vle sympathizers, and we very much appreciate your support. While we're sorry you had to come here, we are happy to have the chance to meet you. If any of you are particularly attached to someone, we will try to make sure you are accommodated together, but we can't make any guarantees. We are very near capacity. "If there is someone in here you'd like to find, you may come to me at any time and ask me to find them for you, for we have records on everybody who has passed through these gates. There is no upfront fee, but we do ask a percentage of your first profit from whatever position you take here. Any questions? No? Okay, let's go check you in."
The process was very much like entering the army, Hyran noted. He gave his name, height, former profession, and other skills. They issued him bedsheets and a house number. Finally, there was a guide to take him and a group to their houses.
Along the way, Hyran marveled at the what the light Vle had: in a matter of weeks, they had built one of the world's biggest cities. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to their placement; he got entirely confused after passing just five or so houses. Since there were no actual commercial buildings, Vle were trading goods with each other right in front of their houses. As if an answer from the Creator, his wondering what they did in the rain was followed by the beginning of a shower. Quickly and efficiently, the products were gathered and taken inside.
The rest of the group hurried too, forcing him to hurry so he wouldn't get lost. Or too muddy: the denuded forest floor quickly turned soft. Rain he enjoyed; mud he didn't. But the people at the house he was shown to had a warm foot bath waiting at the door, making for an unusual but warm welcome.

The next day, Hyran sat on his bed, discussing the appalling internment of foreigners with three of his bunk neighbors and the foreigner in question. "So, how many are there in your fami-" He broke off when a knock came at the door. The house president, a woman named Aliana, answered it before any of the men could stand. "Mayor!" she exclaimed. "It is an honor and a privilege."
"Oh, Aliana, please. I've told you you may call me Yis at any time. Now, I understand there is a dark Vle named Hyran here?"
"That's me," Hyran volunteered. "Nice to meet you, Spruoit," he said by way of excusing himself. Nearing the door, he asked, "What can I do for you?" The light Vle with a regal bearing motioned Hyran to come outside. "I understand you've been leading groups to protest the King's policy."
Hyran stepped into the light, and breathed in the aroma of a freshly washed forest. Vle of various sizes raked the ground, smoothing out the ruts and footprints made during the rain.
"Well, I was. I got away from the troops once, but wasn't so lucky this time. I just wish I knew if I made a difference."
"Well, it did make a difference to us. When news of your gathering in Dronac reached us, it raised spirits considerably. We now know people out there care about us." "Glad I could be of service," Hyran said humbly, "though it didn't get you freedom."
"No, but the Queen noticed. I got a note from her. It would have been better if the Prince had been around to see your demonstration, but at least one royal saw."
"Stop it, you're discouraging me."
"Oh, sorry!" Yis smiled. "We still appreciate the effort. What did you do before your campaign?"
"I was a monk, at Kelwome. But the vow of political non-interference got in the way."
"Were you excommunicated?"
"Eventually, by the Representative when I got to see him."
"Hyran, the prince must know about this. Would you come with me and recite your story? I'll send the message to the castle post haste."
"If you think it would help, sure."

Hyran re-entered the camp accompanied by a dark soldier after writing his ‘story.' It felt somewhat immodest to write it, and he hoped he didn't compensate too much by making it dry and very factual. (Even he had yawned while writing it.)
Once inside again, he realized there was no way he would find his house. But, luckily, there was Lara'i again, seated near the building where they'd been processed the previous night. He went over to her, noticing the sign behind her: Friend and Family Finders. That's what he'd meant to do today!
"Lara'i, I need to find a friend. Allega."
"Certainly. Come with me."