So, to make up for the terribly short chapter and long wait last time . . . here is the next one. Again, reviews are ever so welcome, thanks!


Chiara held Aerlyn in her arms. She was wrapped in a soft white blanket, and was asleep. Chiara gently stroked her soft, round, white cheek, sighing slightly. Amara sat in the corner and watched Chiara.

"I will take her if you wish to rest," Amara said.

"NO," Chiara stated firmly. Amara shrugged. Chiara hadn't slept yet, and it was something she most definitely looked in need of. Still though, Chiara had held up extremely well, being able to heal herself much quicker than a human and also possessing top physical condition, despite her months locked up.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Amara asked. "Food? Water?" Chiara looked at her.

"Could I please have a very wide piece of cloth that is a little longer than one arm-span wide?" Amara nodded at this request, slightly cocking her eyebrow. She was let out, and returned soon with the requested cloth. Chiara smiled wearily when she saw it. It was good, strong, thick, very wide, and extremely long just as se had requested. She doubled it width-wise, and then tied the ends together very securely. Still holding on to Aerlyn, she placed the cloth over her shoulder, providing a sling. After completing all that, she gently place Aerlyn in it, wrapped both arms around the sling and child and leaned her head against the wall to rest.

Chiara awoke later to the screams of the extremely starvation-ridden Aerlyn. She quietly fed the child, after which she ate the meal which had been brought in for herself. She ate, drank, and then slept some more.

This pattern repeated itself quite a bit over the next few days. To Amara's ultimate annoyance the child almost never seemed to be quiet, in the middle of the night both Chiara and Aerlyn would wake up to simply pace aimlessly around or to feed the child or who knows what else. Amara quickly began much more disgusted with her duties then she used to, and found herself almost constantly repeating that this was the Wraith's will, and she was here to serve the Wraith. Chiara gained all her strength back after a few days, and the few hours of sleep didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. She allowed Aerlyn to play with her spoons, which provided the child with amusement, while Chiara continued bouncing her pits, which provided the mother with the same. Having the child seemed to encourage her a great deal. She began talking again about Atlantis and those that dwelt there although this time to the child.

Chiara garnered three more spoons, and the child grew rapidly. Aerlyn had already begun walking rather stutteringly, managing to grope the pocketed wall into her mother's arms. Amara began bringing soft foods for the child as well as regular food for Chiara. Then one day Amara came with the food, and to Chiara's surprise turned to leave again.

"Where are you going?" Chiara asked, shocked at the break in routine. Amara gave a rather relieved smile.

"The Wraith have told me that my duties are required elsewhere, you no longer need me." Chiara watched her leave, and then turned to Aerlyn.

"Well, now we are all alone," she said.

Two more spoons were added to Chiara's collection, and she sighed, looking at them all. Twelve. Twelve spoons, twelve moons. Exactly four seasons ago she and Janus had been captured, she and Janus had been separated. When Amara next came Chiara spoke to her.

"Next time you can, could you please go to the surface of a world and gather a stone? No more than fist-size." Amara nodded, and left. The next day Chiara found a stone on her plate. With a sigh, she took the stone and placed it in her pocket, putting the twelve spoons down on the platter next to the door.

Another two pits passed. Chiara no longer thought of them as days, fourth-moons, moons, and years, she thought of them as bones, pits, spoons and stones. She was quite surprised one day when Amara summoned her to come with her.

"Leave the child," Amara said. Chiara shook her head vehemently.

"I am a prisoner on my enemies' ship, and you expect me to leave my young child unattended all alone in a room?" Amara sighed.

"I will take her," she said. Chiara almost laughed.

"And you believe that is to make me feel better?" she asked. Amara looked at her exasperatedly.

"Fine, take her then, but quickly," she relented. Several Wraith escorted them out. Chiara hadn't been out of her cell in many pits, when she counted, she believed it to be thirteen, but she wasn't certain. The Wraith had occasionally come into her cell to make their presence known, but Chiara had only walked these corridors with her mind.

They entered the main chamber, where the queen was standing. Chiara swallowed painfully. The last time she had visited this place she had seen Janus dead . . . she tried to quickly shove the thought aside. The queen saw her.

"Amara! I told you not to bring the child!" the queen said angrily to her. Amara shook her head.

"I could not separate them, your majesty," she protested, looking at the ground. The queen sighed, frustration filling it, and then nodded. Two of the guards came up from behind Chiara, one of them holding her as the other took Aerlyn. Chiara cried out, anger filling her voice. The guards released her but when she tried to stand one of them hit her in the back with the stick-end of his weapon. She winced slightly, and watched as the Wraith handed Aerlyn to a worshipper standing near-by. The Wraith queen took Chiara's chin in her hand, pulling her head so that it looked straight in the queen's eyes.