A/N: The first chapter! Yay! I never intended for Meilin and Aidana to have the first chapter, but that's how the chips fell. So, yea. here they are XD. I love angry Meilin. Especially when she's mad at Shane! well, enjoy! Please read and review!

"Is it just me, or has that stain on the wall became a work of art?" Meilin huffed. Rolling on the bed to portray her restlessness.

"Well, sweetheart. I guess if you stare at something from upside down like that for long enough, anything can look beautiful." Aidana said.

Meilin gave her older cell mate an unpleasnt look. It could only mean one thing. The girl was hungry. As strong and as tough as she portrayed herself to be, Aidana knew the truth. Inside, she was just as terrified and scared as the rest of them. Other than the old food Shane brought every three days, Aidana and Wikerus were the only way Meilin got food. Water was provided every day, but food was in a serious shortage. They tried to share when Wikerus was able to bring enough, but mostly the others thought the two woman closest to the Greenclocks should be able to keep themselves feed.

Aidana gave her a small shake of the head, as to say he hasn't returned yet. Meilin wrapped her prison issued jacket around her. Brown, rough and plain. As well as thin. The long, dark haired woman bowed her head in shame. Poor, poor child. She was sixteen. And had been imprisoned for five years of her short life. No child should be treated this way. Although Meilin seemed to be growing fine, her hair was now down past her chest. And she was much taller now, just by looking. And developing fine. All the prisoners were friends, including her.

Still. She should be worrying about things like clothes and boys, not weather or not she'd get a meal before her own body turned against her. Aidana, despite everything, worried about how Meilin would take going back out in the world. When and if she did.

Meilin growled a little. "Why can't they feed us everyday?" Meilin said. "You'd think they wouldn't want the bodies around." Aidana could only shake her head in agreement. But she knew the cruel truth, they wanted them to pass so that they didn't get overly crowded and they could spend less money feeding them. Again, she knew it was bad to shelter her that much, but the girl had gone through to much already in her opinion. Gently, Aidana pulled a hair out of her face and put in behind her ear.

"Don't worry. We'll make it, we have this long." She said. It only earned a tiny hint of a smile from the girl, but it was enough to show she got the message.

In only a few seconds, they heard loud, clanging steps. Aidana and Meilin smiled to each other. She had been right, today was apparently feeding day. When the large group of soldiers came in, lead by Shane himself. All had two bowls in their hands. One containing water, one had some small bits of food. They were not small bowls, but there was only one of each for every cell with a prisoner. And they were by no means full. At all.

Since they were in the first cell on the block, they had the pleasure of dealing with Shane. Meilin wanted to jump from her place on the bed. But she settled herself with standing up next to her friend and clenching her fist. As well as sending the blonde boy a death glare. "Hello Meilin, Aidana." He said, voice sweet like honey but just as vile as venom of the deadliest snake.

"Just give us our food and leave, Shane!" Meilin said, near growling.

"Well, well. That's no way to treat the man who's bringing you food and water, is it?" He said. Coming close to the bars, as if asking for Meilin to snap. And it worked, because she did. In the next second, she was next to the bars, and those were the only things that held her back.

"Your lucky I'm behind these bars." Meilin whispered harshly. "If I wasn't, I promise I would kick your a-" But she was interrupted.

"Meilin, language! Calm yourself this instant." Aidana said in a commanding voice, intervening before Meilins temper cost them their food and water for the day. With a sigh and step back, she reluctantly complied. "Shane, please just let us have our rations and be on your way."

Shane rolled his eyes, as if bored already. "Fine, here." Soon, he tossed the bowls in and they took them, and left. His soldiers follow behind him like they were little ducklings and he there mother. Meilin watched with fire in her eyes as they left.

When the clang of the door shut, Meilin all the sudden started coughing. Loud, and even sounded painful. Aidana patted softly on her back to help her stop. When she did a few seconds later, she was handed the bowl of water. After taking a long drink, she claimed it was a small cough, and that she was fine. But it was clear that she was getting sick. As well as the rest of the few kids her age. This scared some of the older residents like Aidana, they should be strong enough to fight it off. But it only seemed to get worse.

"I'll be fine. It's just a small cold, nothing a little sleep can't fix anyways." Meilin said, as they started to distribute food with the others. Children and the few pregnant and nursing mothers get the best portions, whereas people like Meilin and Aidana got the more smaller portions. They did this to ensure the younger are well taken care of. In the end, they got a piece of stale bread, a bit old rice and some even older fruit both were wary of eating. Still, they ate it. It'd have to do till Wikerus came back with real food.

"Soon they'll come for us, Dear." Aidana said, passing some bread. "They'll come and take us away from all this, you wait and see." She finished. Hope and faith streaming from her words.

As she ate, Meilins thoughts drifted to the 'they' she spoke of. The Greenclocks. Even though she had long lost hope of freedom anytime soon, she still held her faith for them. Her friends, Conor, Abeke and Rollan had fought too hard not to defeat The Devourer. Admittedly, she missed all of them a great deal. More than she ever imagined, still nearly five years later. Conors long, amazing stories. That always seemed to calm everyone. Abekes laughter and wise words which had made her stronger in the earlier days of imprisonment.

And Rollan. Perhaps she missed him the most. His jokes and pranks, the way his smile lit up the room. How he never let anyone get away with lying and the way she always had seemed to feel better around him. If there was anyone she'd give almost anything to see, it was him. She swore she saw him in her dreams sometimes, where she was trying to tell him something. Meilin was sure it was just a silly dream. But still...it felt important somehow.

No use in fretting over it now, thought Meilin, we'll be free one day. Hopefully...