Part 1

The Loss

Chapter 1

The Most Important Thing

Where is my hero now, I wonder? Amy thought. Her feet, legs, thighs, stomach, chest, and arms trembled with violent ferocity. Each felt cramped and full of ache. The snow she trudged on moved along and on top of her shoes, making her socks wet. That was a bad sign in the wintery weather she and Espio walked on. She constantly had to remove them and tie her feet with loose cloth, so as not to lose her toes to the cold. Her black suit became tattered and wet, her cloak was more rags than actual cover from the freezing rain.

Espio and Amy both hunted and traveled during the night. It was too risky to travel by day, but they barely made due. The food they hunted and foraged was scarce. Each time they made camp they huddled next to each other for warmth. At first it seemed wildly inappropriate, but later on was used for survival. And each time Amy arose to travel she longed for food, her stomach growled every three to five minutes. It helped not to think about food, rather she thought of Sonic. Maybe they miss me, or maybe Sonic hasn't even noticed, knowing him, Amy pondered.

Espio wasn't much company. What little words he said were to warn her about where to make her water or which freezing pond was Okay to bathe in. Keeping up appearances wasn't a must for Amy at that very moment, but at least she still considered personal hygiene a good trait to have. Amy never expected to get to know Espio at such an intimate level, but she was glad she had someone. It seemed that back home no one would have come with her to Knottingham, even if she asked. And even home which was Knottingham seemed bleaker every day.

Amy clutched at the seashell necklace Sonic had returned to her, it still strapped around her neck. She thought of another trinket she should have never given up. The golden box, she gave it to Obasi the Trident before she got on his ship. How stupid she thought she was, how much of a fool she called herself now because of it. She thought that it would be alright to give it up, since she was going back home anyway. But she never thought about her mother when she gave it up. It was the last thing she remembered of her mother. What kind of a person am I? She thought.

With her other hand she grabbed at her father's sword, which bounced by her belt on her thigh and leg. She had never once seen her father wield Arondight unsheathed. Only before she left her kingdom. And now she carried it, the sword of Sir Lancelot himself. She never pictured that either. And her father, could he be dead? Could they really have killed him? That crazy cow lady was known for many evil things, perhaps her father really was dead. At times Amy's thinking made her pause, and want to go back, but Espio stopped with her, and helped her carry on.

They both crossed a small riverbed and on the other side she saw Espio fall, his head went deep into the snow.

"Are you Okay?" Amy asked, helping the chameleon up.

"I'm fine." He brushed off the fall and continued the path around some dark trees.

Amy tried to make simple conversation, "You never told me why you came back, for me I mean."

"I overheard the Iron guards, what they were going to do to you." Espio confessed.

"I don't know if I said it enough- thank you, Espio, for rescuing me." She said sadly, thinking of her father. Why couldn't he come with us? She thought. I'm so pathetic, she continued, I'm always the damsel in distress, I'm… a failure.

"It was the least I could do Amy, your like family now," Espio said, trudging through the snow without looking back, "and family is most important."

He's right, Amy mused, Espio is like family, and all the others, and I left them. I left my Sonic for what? Grr! Okay fine! Maybe not my Sonic, maybe somebody else's. But he is family, nonetheless. I have to get used to that. Even though it pained the pink hedgehog to think and feel a friendlier and not so much a loving way about Sonic, she thought it still, and pretended to engrave the words in her head. Amy stopped to think for another moment, still moving and freezing in the dark. "Which is why we are headed south, and not near Shimmering Lake, right?"

"Exactly." Espio remarked.

"You only mentioned Salma once since we left Knottingham. Actually since we left Acorn territory." Amy pointed out.

"What can I say? I until recently found out she was my sister." Espio motioned for Amy to get behind a tree with him. He looked out while Amy looked to the ground pensively.

"What's your plan then?" Amy crouched and felt her legs receive newfound cold.

Espio looked at the hedgehog, "I'm not asking you to do this, hells, and I'm not even asking you to go with me any longer."

"We're family, that's what matters." Amy restated, and it made Espio smile.

"Are you any good with that?" Espio asked, eyeing Arondight.

"I prefer my hammers, but I think I can manage." Amy felt an obligation to use the sword, for her father. She also grabbed at her pack, reminded of the important documents her father had given her, and she checked to see if they were still there.

"According to the information given to me, we should be arriving in a few days. We have to think and act proactively and realistically. We might only have time to rescue Salma." Espio explained, looking back at the dark.

"I'm with you Espio." Amy whispered and changed the subject, "Who is she to you anyway? A sister you say?"

"That's what they told me." Espio looked back and with one movement of his hand they were off again. "I didn't believe it when I first heard it, in fact I still don't believe it. I wouldn't even know where to start- how impossible the notion is. But it's too late now, whatever she is, we are rescuing her no matter what."

"After we rescue her though, where do you plan to go?" Amy asked, hoping Espio had intentions of helping her get to her uncle Lionel's castle.

"Not sure, I'm undecided." He responded. "First we have to see what we are dealing with. Know anything about the Irons?"

Amy shook her head with slight dismay. "Only what you hear on the TransAudio."

Espio looked back at Amy confused.

"What?" She asked, "You don't have those where you come from? Huh. You'd think those would catch on in other places."