Part 23 (1/2)

When Ivy's anger dropped away, so did Myranda's.

”You're afraid of me. Then . . . then maybe I do need to go. But . . . but . . . ” she said, flopping to the ground.

She put her hands over her eyes, weeping softly again. Myranda put her hand on her shoulder, only to have it pushed away.

”No. Just leave me alone,” she said.

Lain returned with a pair of snow rabbits, a pink tinge on his teeth betraying that he had already had his share. Ivy refused to eat, and though Lain did relent and allow a fire to both restore Ether and cook Myranda's food, even the tantalizing smell of roasting rabbit failed to tempt the distraught Ivy. Myranda felt terrible. It was possible that this was merely Ivy's own sadness spilling over, but she knew that even if that were not the case she would hardly feel any better. She was the only one in the world right now that the poor creature felt cared for her, and now the feeling of trust was gone. There was nothing she could say or do to make things better. She made herself as comfortable as she could on the ground and prayed that she was tired enough to slip into sleep despite the burning in her mind. Once again, this went unanswered. Periodically she would open her eyes. Shortly after she saw Lain settle down to rest in his own way, she heard Ivy stir. For a moment, she could feel that the creature was looking at her, inspecting her to see that she was asleep. When she was satisfied, she turned away.

”Um . . . Ether,” she said, sheepishly.

The shape s.h.i.+fter was sitting among the crackling flames. Her eyes were closed, dutifully ignoring the creature.

”I know you don't like me, but . . . I get the feeling you wouldn't lie to me. You don't care about my feelings,” Ivy said.

”I am enormously concerned about your feelings. I am certain that if they go unchecked they will be the end of us,” Ether answered.

”That's why you don't like me. B-Because of my . . . my feelings,” Ivy said.

”They are chief among a sizable list of faults,” Ether answered.

”So, if I . . . control my emotions. Then you won't hate me so much,” Ivy said.

”Why are you speaking to me? You know that no good will come of it,” Ether said.

”I don't want to go. I want to know what I can do to stay,” Ivy said.

”You were created specifically to infiltrate and destroy the Chosen,” Ether said.

”I wasn't!” Ivy snapped, quickly composing herself. ”I wasn't, but I know that you don't believe me. What can I do to prove to you that you are wrong?”

”There is nothing you can do. You cannot disprove what I know to be true,” Ether stated.

Myranda could feel the frustration and irritation fluttering just below the surface, but whenever it arose, she pushed it down again. Carefully she opened her eyes slightly. Ivy was kneeling before the flames, her hands clasped. Begging.

”Then tell me how I can help you, how I can abandon them,” she asked.

”Attempting to prove loyalty through treachery. Only a truly inferior mind could have produced such a flawed concept,” she jabbed.

Ivy took a deep breath as Myranda felt another surge of anger come and go.

”Then what about Lain? What can I do to convince him?” she asked.

”Again, absolutely nothing. His concerns, well founded, are that you will get yourself killed if left to your own devices, and his judgment is muddled by the same impairment that renders you such a liability. He cares about you. Even if you were to present to him a solid, sound, and irrefutable reason to change his mind, I a.s.sure you, he would not do so. It was among the first of my observations of mortals. Emotion robs them of reason,” Ether said.

”Well . . . well you aren't emotional, right. What would you do, if you were me,” she said.

”End my own life,” she answered without hesitation.

”Why can't you help me?!” Ivy said, her objection choked off by a knot in her throat.

”Ivy,” Myranda said, sitting up.

She turned, then looked away quickly, trying to hide her tears.

”You weren't supposed to hear that,” she said.

”Listen, Ivy. I want you to know that I am sorry for what I said before. I didn't mean it,” she said.

”Yes you did. You were just too nice to say that before. That's why I didn't want to talk to you. You would be nice. You wouldn't be honest,” she said.

”Alright. You want honesty? I am afraid. I am afraid when you lose control. But mostly I am afraid we might lose you. That is what Lain is afraid of, too. I said it before. We need you. And even if we didn't, I wouldn't want to see you get hurt,” she said.

”What do I do?” she pleaded.

”You need to learn control. That will come with time,” she said.

”What about Ether?” she asked.

”Don't mind Ether. She can't help the way she is, just as you can't help the way you are. Don't take too much of what she says to heart. She hasn't learned to deal with people yet,” Myranda said.

”I've no interest in learning so distasteful a lesson,” Ether remarked.

”Well what about Lain?” she asked.

”Lain . . . Lain knows that what we are doing is very dangerous. He is willing to risk his own life. He isn't willing to risk yours. I believe in you. I know that if you do the best you can, and we work together, then we can do what needs to be done, and we can protect each other. We just need to make him see that,” Myranda said.

”So, if I prove that I can take care of myself, I might be able to stay?” she said.

”I can't say for sure, but, perhaps,” Myranda said.

”Then I'll do it!” she decided.

”Good, we need you,” Myranda said.

With weight of her words off of her chest and a flicker of hope to keep the group together, she settled down for sleep again. This time it came swiftly. The sky was still black when Ivy shook Myranda awake again. She had a strange look on her face. It was a mix of fear with a dash of excitement.

”Six of them. Human soldiers, a few miles away,” she said breathlessly.

”Standard patrol, due south. They are headed away now, but they will swing further this way with the next pa.s.s. A few hours,” Lain explained.

”I smelled them first. I knew they were coming,” she said.

”We can't move yet, but soon, and quickly,” Lain said.

”If they are to the south, where will we go. The mountains?” Myranda asked.

”No. It will slow us. West. Then south through the fields,” he said.