Finding the Fallen

Chapter 7

She found a deeper run and stopped to remove her clothing. Stepping gingerly into the cool water, she made her way to the stream's center, ducking down under the water to wet her hair. When she came to the surface, he was standing on the stream bank, watching her...Scott.

She stared at him, realizing painfully that he was not really there. The image began to fade slowly, the strength and compassion in his eyes fading along with his body. Tears began to fall unbidden from her eyes, but she comforted herself in the knowledge that he wasn't completely absent from her memory. In an attempt to focus on something else, Kala reached out and called upon the Mother to help her cleanse the poison from the water and bless it. A soft blue glow rose up from the depths. After a short time, tiny flashes of light began to erupt from the pool as she continued to cry, never losing her concentration.

Even when she had completed her work and the blue glow had grown faint, the tears did not lessen. As the sparks erupted around her, she noted the beauty of her tears, something she had never taken the time to see before. Flash after brilliant flash appeared and then faded away as her tears blended with the now-blessed water. She smiled to herself, and as suddenly as the tears had begun, they stopped.

The pool darkened, the twinkling lights that had once been her tears slipping away into the night. Darkness had fallen, and she didn't know how long she'd been sitting in the peaceful pool. Regaining her composure, she rose and exited the water. If Sam and Merik weren't already worried, they would be soon if she didn't hurry back. She dressed quickly, found her bearings, and then looked back once more at the dark stream behind her. Not only had the water helped her begin to heal, but her actions there would help the people of that small village heal as well. The sickness would soon be absent from their water, and they'd be able to go on with their lives.

Now she just needed to ensure they had lives to go on with...and that meant continuing the fight. Resigned to her fate, she trudged up the bank and into the black forest, heading back to camp.

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As Kala neared the clearing, she heard Sam's boisterous laugh, followed by Merik's equally hearty response. She stopped, wondering what Sam had said that could have produced such a response from Merik, especially given his obvious reservations regarding the Fire Servant (or Fire Servants in general, apparently). She listened intently for a few moments, picking up only part of the conversation at first. As she stepped closer, realizing that Sam probably knew she was there already, she managed to gain a clearer image of what was being said.

"You mean to tell me she hasn't told you that story yet? Oh, come on, man," Sam chided Merik good-heartedly. "That's classic Kala."

"No," Merik smiled as he turned a spit over the small campfire. Kala couldn't tell from that distance, but it looked like they might be having roasted rabbit for dinner.

"Yea, well, if you think that's funny, ask her about the time we broke into that old candy factory in Chicago. It was right after the Conclave, and she and I were just getting to know each other..."

Sam continued to regale Merik as Kala realized her friend had shifted gears and was now focusing on embarrassing her instead of their male companion. 'Terrific,' she thought to herself, wondering which story (or stories) she'd told him previously. Kala stepped out into the clearing and shouted, "Ok, that's enough, Sam. I'm sure Merik doesn't want to hear about our candy exploits." She walked slowly towards the two, both of whom were grinning widely as she approached.

Their smiles didn't fade as she stepped under the lean-to and sat down on the dingy blanket. "Glad you could join us, K," Sam nudged her. "Merik and I were just reminiscing...well, I was reminiscing and he was laughing. Guess which story I told him?"