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 Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:50 am
Wolf stood outside the cave watching Raven take his parting shots at Khaa. She wasn't at all concerned that the small crow would end up injured. Raven would be careful, it was just his way of saying "goodbye." She heard Slipsand's voice break through the still air like a landslide and took a few steps to look into the cave. It looked like everyone was ready to move out now.
"Raven." She said nodding her head bidding her partner to return to her. When he did so she moved out in the open to wait for the others. Even if Beryl and Lorenna had rejected the offer for an escort Wolf still would have followed them. It was likely that this would be the last chance she had to serve as a guard for either of them, not that they needed it.
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:10 am
Lorenna opened her mouth to answer Carmine just as Slipsand shouted her way into the land of the waking. Lorenna shook her head at the nixie before turning to face Beryl and Sio, leaving her words to Carmine forgotten. "If everyone's ready than let us be off." She lowered her head and thrust it under the strap to pick up her own bag. She straightened up and settled the sack so that it rested comfortably before moving to the door stopping briefly to nod to Wolf and collect Khaa.
This was it. They were on their way to start something great. It was funny in a way. They had all started off taking everything and now they were going to be giving something back in an odd round-a-bout sort of way. Lorenna led the way in silence all the way to the shallow stream that marked the edge of their territory. There she turned to look at the group. "Wish us luck and pray that we will not need it." She said softly meeting Carmine's eye for a moment. "This..." She said nodding at the stream. "This is goodbye."
Not wanting to stick around for awkward prolonged farewells Lorenna forged her way across the stream to head west, back toward the jungle. That was where the mazoku had set up base and that was where her network needed to be.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 5:30 pm
"Goodbye," stammered Slipsand. She was still disoriented from sleeping and could barely manage to get the words out. She blinked back tears, watching Lorenna walk away and Beryl soon to follow her. Ekahau fluttered up to land on her back, but was silent. The bird's warm presence was a comfort, but not enough to stop her heart from pounding in her chest as if she was in the middle of a sprint.
"Don't get eaten by a kalona!" Instead of something more profound and lasting, that was what her final words to Beryl were. She felt stupid for having said it, but was glad to have been able to say anything to them at all. With a few tears brimming over and sliding down her cheeks, she watched her friends leave.
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 5:36 pm
"See you later." Beryl tried to convince herself that she didn't notice the anguish on Slipsand's face. She nodded to each of her former companions in turn, but kept it brief. She lingered when she went past Carmine, mouth open as if about to speak. After a brief hesitation, she moved on without comment.
So this was it. The end of one era in her life and the beginning of another. Beryl had gone through a lot of different phases. Working with the Underground had lasted uncommonly long for her. It was really about time for her to move on and work on something different. Besides, this was what her mangled pride demanded. She truly believed that Lorenna could make a difference and be a thorn in the side of the kalonas. More than anything, Beryl wanted to be a part of that. She'd make the kalonas realize that some people you couldn't just step on and go on with life. Some people fought back.
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Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2012 2:20 pm
Carmine heard Slipsand's little joke as if it had to cross a great field to reach her ears. She laughed a little but it was almost entirely empty of emotion. This had all seemed like a much better idea when they had only been talking about it. Watching Lorenna walk off felt like a slap to the face. Her emotions from the day before were nothing like what she was feeling now. Lorenna was going and Beryl was going with her along with Sio and Raven. They could promise to visit as much they wanted. They could send reports and messages with the birds but it wasn't the same. It wasn't like she had said, it wasn't going to be just like old times. In the old days it had been all of them working together and teasing each other. They lived with each other almost like a real family complete with little quarrels.
Carmine took in a breath and watched Beryl's passing with her lower lip between her teeth. For a moment she thought the navy blue flutter was going to say something but it never came. Carmine understood that feeling. It was one she shared. For a long while Carmine stood in silence watching until she could no longer see the forms of her friends in the trees. Finally she was able to find her voice.
"Goodbye..."
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