Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore. If I did, it would never be done, between school and everything.
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Tabitha sat at the lip of the cave as the never ceasing snow whirled past. She focused on searching for yoki while trying to completely suppress her own and ignoring the traces of yoki right behind her. Claymores unconsciously used yoki, so it was hard getting used to it. They all got used to it. They had to, otherwise the Organization would come after them.
The rasp of rock on rock, and then a hiss. Without looking, Tabitha murmured, "Clare, you're going to have to better than that." There was no response as she sat beside Tabitha, but Tabitha sensed that Clare was disgruntled and tense. It seemed more than being caught. Behind them, the rest of their allies slept. "Something wrong, Clare?" Tabitha asked, still devoting some brain function to detecting yoki.
"I should be out there fighting," Clare said. "Irene gave this arm, and it isn't doing anything around here." It had been hard on Clare when practicing because the quicksword used quite a bit of yoki.
"Well, you're learning the windcutter now, and you almost got the hang of it." Clare nodded. The wail of the wind filled the cave. Tabitha felt Clare's calm now, and relaxed a notch.
"An arm from Irene, a technique from Flora… There's a lot of people who've given me something." Tabitha turned her head slightly to look at Clare.
"Who were they, and what did they give you?" Tabitha queried. Clare was not one who just shared everything about her life at once. It came bit by bit, and you had to hope you'd be around when the pieces all came together. (AN: Not in Helen's and Deneve's case in chapter 99.)
"Well, there's Jean." an uncomfortable silence fell. Tabitha needed no more explanation. "Then there's Galatea. She let me go when I was labelled a traitor, and she's probably paying for it now." Tabitha was mildly surprised. Galatea was well known for having completing any mission, no matter how distasteful.
"Who else was there?" Tabitha liked knowing things. The more you knew, the better.
Clare chuckled. "Well, there's Ophelia." A small release of yoki from behind them revealed an eavesdropper. Without missing a beat, Clare said, "Miria, if you're going to listen, you better come up here and endure the cold with us."
A small grumble, and then the honourable leader came and plonked herself on the other side of Tabitha. "What was that about Ophelia?"
"Well, she was on an awakened hunt with me, she tried to kill me, I escaped, Irene gave me her arm, Ophelia found me again, and was already awakened, she found out, and said she'd bless me if I killed her. That sums it up." Clare was now laughing at the look on her companions' faces.
"You got a blessing from the bloodiest warrior in history?" Miria was amazed.
"Yes. Now, who else?" Clare thought for a moment. Tabitha suddenly felt Clare's disposition become wary. "In Rabona… before I met you," motioning to Miria, "someone managed to stop me from awakening."
"A random person stopped you from awakening?" Miria was dumbfounded by her friend's adventures.
"Yes." Tabitha felt a lie and a truth at the same time, but she wasn't going to press Clare. Trying to pressure Clare into something was like hammering a file. It'll break, but it'll never bend.
"And… that's it." Again, Tabitha felt something was wrong, but she kept her silence. Miria also just sat, processing the information, storing it away.
Teresa.
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Yes, honourable. I'm Canadian. So sue me. Not really worth putting up, but I had to get it out.