Finding the Fallen

Chapter 7

Merik blushed visibly. 'How adorable...' Sam thought to herself, smiling at him.

"But first," she said, releasing him from further torture...at least for the moment, "we need to find something around here to eat. I'm starved. You hunt, Hero?"

"That's a great idea," Merik said a little too quickly, rising and gathering his bow and quiver. "I'll be back in a few." He turned sharply on his heel and headed into the woods at a quick pace.

"Damn, he's fine," Sam stressed after he was out of earshot. "Seriously, K...you need to hit that. And if you don't tell me right here and now that you plan to, I swear I'll do it myself." She stared into her friend's eyes, determination gleaming in her own.

"I thought we were already sleeping together," Kala returned fire. "At least that's what you said earlier, right?"

"Yea, well, after watching you for a while, I can tell you're not," Sam offered. "But you should be. And you know I know you pretty well, even though we don't see each other that often. I know you don't travel with someone you don't give two shits about. So what is it about him, hmm? Fess up now, and I'll leave you both alone."

"Ugh," Kala sighed loudly, running her hands through her hair in frustration. "I don't know, Sam. I can't figure it out...I have no idea what's going on here. I really don't. He's just...I can't...oh, hell!" She stood abruptly and walked away, her back to Sam.

Sam could tell Kala was struggling with something serious, so she decided to throw her old friend a bone. "OK," she said, resigned. "I'll give you a hall pass for now. But you owe me an explanation when you figure it out...deal?"

"Deal," Kala whispered, staring into the fire.

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Kala didn't want her friend to see the pain in her eyes. She walked a few more feet away from the fire and found herself staring off in the direction of the polluted stream. Maybe now was a good time to clean up that mess. She could use a distraction. She began walking towards the comforting sound of the rushing water, knowing she was leaving Sam to torture Merik more when he returned.

Every time she tried to focus on this budding friendship with Merik, she was wracked with guilt. She closed her eyes and tried to see Scott's smiling face, but she couldn't. It had been less than a week since his horrific death, and he was already slipping from her memory. This was a man whom she'd spent the past year traveling with...granted, they weren't romantically involved (not from lack of trying on his part), but they had a fairly lengthy history together nonetheless. Why was he fading so quickly?

Kala knew she had loved Scott, despite their nearly opposite natures. He was opinionated and could sometimes be too rash with his decisions, but he had a kind heart, something that wasn't that prevalent amongst Air Servants in particular. They tended to be power-hungry, and many had fallen quickly. Scott, himself, had often told her of his near fall, but the fact he'd managed to pull himself back was testament to the possibility they could win this war. But not without leaders like Scott...

Kala sighed as she reached the water's edge. Suddenly, she felt very tired. She wanted nothing more than to sink below the water's surface and forget everything that had happened over the past week. She'd lost her friend and killed four Fallen Servants, all in the span of 5 days. 'A busy week,' she thought, attempting to humor herself. It didn't work. The pain and exhaustion lingered on.

Kala walked along the stream's edge for some time, looking for a deeper pool where she could fully immerse herself. Dusk had blanketed the forest, and the shadows lengthened with each step. She heard the familiar sounds of a West Virginia forest at night: the soft rustle of leaves in the light breeze, the sounds of various insects awakening, and even the cautious steps of a deer nearby.