AN: I would like to point out to everyone that in the previous chapter, Galatea and Flora were telling the truth. They were not doing anything naughty, so get your minds out of the gutter. Also, fluffy filler chapter is fluffy and...fillery? Not a word. Still, that's what it is.
Her whole body ached. That was all she could think of when she regained consciousness. As the fuzz in her brain lessened, she realized that 'ache' really was a horrible way to describe what she was feeling. Burned, or throbbed, maybe. No. Neither of those. Hurt just seemed like too...gentle a word for it, too.
Agony. Yes, that was it.
She was in agony. Absolute, excruciating agony. Ilena had thought that she knew what that word meant, had thought that she experienced it the summer she fell of her horse and broke her leg. That had been the most physical pain she had ever felt, and it paled in comparison. What she felt now...words could not properly describe. It was as if her body was rebelling against whatever They had put in it, trying to rip itself apart. Which it probably was, she reflected.
Her breath came in quick, short gasps, her lungs refusing to inflate fully. They could not push against her screaming ribs enough to let her get the air she so desperately needed. If she had been able to, she knew she would be sobbing. The pain was too much for her to bear. How had the warriors who came before her survived it? Ilena was sure as she lay sprawled on the floor of her cell that she would be one of the casualties who did not even survive the operation. Part of her was ready to welcome the peace of death. At least then she would not have to suffer any longer. But another part of her, a part she had not even known she possessed, fought against that notion, raging against the humiliation that would bring her. Her parents had raised her to be a fighter. She would not die so easily.
So Ilena pushed herself up, biting back the cry of anguish that rose in her throat as her muscles and bones and organs begged for her to stop moving. She ignored them, only resting when she had gained a sitting position. Her heart took forever to slow again after the excursion, and her vision blurred with the pain. Ilena waited patiently for it to clear, resting her arms on her drawn up knees and letting her head droop forward.
When she could again see, she glanced around the room, not too quickly since she soon learned that sharp movements increased her pain tenfold. In the corner, curled into a tight ball, was the girl whose name was Teresa. Her dark hair was slowly turning blond, and Ilena wondered if her eyes were silver yet. She was not sobbing, but her body was racked with tremors.
"Teresa?" Ilena's voice did not sound like it belonged to her anymore. It was something foreign and alien to her ears, lower and harsh with her torment. The other girl stirred slightly, lifting her head to look at Ilena.
"Lenie?" She dragged herself up, her face revealing that she was in just as much pain as Ilena. One eye had lost its color completely while the other one was still transforming, the black slowly retreating against the growing slivers of silver. Swallowing hard, closing her eyes momentarily, Teresa got to her hands and knees, and in a show of will power that would continue to impress Ilena for years to come, the girl made her way to her cellmate's side. "Your eyes are silver. I liked them better green." She sounded so sad for Ilena.
"Yours are silver, too. And your hair's blond," Ilena retorted weakly. "I liked it better black." This earned a small, tiny, insignificant smile from Teresa. Except it was not insignificant at all, because in that moment it meant the world to Ilena. That she could distract Teresa from their predicament, even if only for a moment, made Ilena's aching heart flutter. It was followed quickly by a bout of nausea, but she swallowed down the bile, cringing and groaning as her stomach twisted and bucked in distress.
"It's gonna be okay, Lenie," Teresa whispered, managing to wrap her arms around Ilena, pulling her close, where Ilena could feel how badly her body was shaking. "We're gonna be okay. I promise. I'll protect you." And Ilena believed her.
She rubbed the wall of the cell absentmindedly, lost in her memories as Clare and Teresa argued. She was not sure how they had ended up down here, but she supposed that it was because the basement cells were one of the more private places they could talk. The rough stone felt almost comforting under her fingertips. So much had happened here, so much had changed for her. Her life had simultaneously been destroyed and rebuilt within these walls. She had lost everything. Her humanity, her family, her sense of self, because of the acts of the men who built this place. And yet, she had gained so much, as well. Her power, her prowess, the respect of the other warriors. Clare.
Teresa.
It was because of the Organization that she had found Teresa. She knew that had she been stuck in a village, had she not been orphaned and taken, she would have ended up marrying a farm boy and been unhappy her entire life, unable to truly be herself. She would never have been able to have a relationship with a woman, at least not the kind she had with Teresa. She would have been forced into a union with a man who would never be able to understand her desires. All that she had with Teresa would have never happened. Her sole purpose would have been to produce children and work on a farm. Perhaps she would have even died in childbirth. It was very common.
Instead, she was now organizing the remaining Claymore, about to send them out into the territories to eliminate the Yoma for good. It had taken two more days after her talk with Galatea to finalize the territories, and three after that to make sure that everyone knew and understood their assignments. Another four days to sort through the trainees and figure out which ones were ready to head into the field with supervision and which ones needed more training, and yet another day to assign those who were ready to an adult. She finally had it all in order.
And then Clare decided to throw a hissy fit.
"No!" she screeched, bringing Ilena back to the present as Teresa tried to reason with the girl. "I don't want to go!"
"Clare, you knew we would have to leave eventually," Teresa said gently. Ilena stood behind her with her arms crossed over her chest. "There are a few Awakened Beings that Ilena and I have to take care of." She had used the records left by the Organization to see where the problem areas were and to assess the strength of the remaining Awakened Beings. There were a few that she determined could only be handled by herself or Teresa. Possibly Galatea. She could have just formed a hunting party, but with no more possibilities of new Claymores, she did not want to put any of her remaining warriors at unnecessary risk. She and Teresa would take the toughest of the Awakened Beings, with Galatea and Flora taking the next tier, and so on and so forth through the ranks with the weaker half of the warriors taking the regular yoma. They would systematically work through the continent and rid it of yoma once and for all.
"Then leave me here!"
"I can't do that," Teresa insisted, never raising her voice despite the fact that Clare had.
"Why not?" Clare demanded, placing her hands on her hips in a gesture of defiance. "Not like I'll be alone." It was true. Stella was staying at Headquarters along with Jen, Cameron, and the younger trainees. They would continue training the girls while the rest of the warriors took care of the Yoma. Ilena suspected that Clare's refusal to leave had a great deal to do with the fact that Jean was one of the ones staying. The girl was almost old enough to go, but after she had so very nearly awakened, Ilena wanted to keep her out of stressful situations until they could determine if she was completely stable or not. So far she had given no indication that she did not have control over her yoki, but Ilena would rather not take the chance.
"I don't know when we'll be back." Teresa raised a brow and cocked her head to the side. "It may take us weeks, even months to complete this assignment. Do you really want to be separated from us for that long?" Ilena was letting Teresa take point on this, though she was ready to step in if she needed to.
"Yes." But Clare looked uncertain as she said it.
"Oh, really?" Teresa pursed her lips, looking thoughtful. "And what if Ilena and I just forget to come back for you?"
"You wouldn't."
"And how do you know?"
Clare narrowed her eyes, looking smug. "Because you promised Stella you'd come back and finish whatever needed to be done with the trainees."
"Clever. Hmmm." Teresa tapped her chin, tilting it as if thinking hard. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Jean, would it?"
Clare's eyes widened momentarily before she schooled her features into a cool mask. "...N-no." She grimaced at the unsteadiness in her voice, and Ilena had to work hard to keep the smile off her own face.
"Is that so?" Teresa asked, a knowing smirk on her lips. She and Ilena had discussed the possibility that Clare might have a bit of a crush on Jean, but so far, the relationship seemed to just be one of friendship. Ilena argued that Clare was far to young to be delving into romantic relationships anyway, while Teresa claimed that Clare was responsible and they should trust her to make the right decisions. She argued that they did not even know if Clare was interested in girls that way. From everything she had indicated, the girl liked boys. Ilena was just worried about Clare falling for a Claymore. That would make matters much more... complicated.
"Yeah, it is." Clare crossed her arms and stuck her chin in the air.
"So you wouldn't mind if I just went and told Jean that, would yo-"
"No!" Ilena almost had to laugh at the wild look in Clare's eyes. "No, don't! Please."
"But I thought you said-"
"I just..."Clare sighed and let her shoulders slouch. Ilena resisted the urge to remind her about her posture. Now was not the time. "It's kind of nice to have someone my own age around. I love you guys, but..." She looked at them apologetically. Teresa softened and smiled.
"I understand, Clare." She glanced back at Ilena. "Seems we have a predicament. Any suggestions?" Ilena pushed herself of the wall against which she had been leaning and joined the other two members of her small family.
"I really don't want to leave you here for that long," Ilena told Clare. "I don't like the idea of being separated for any significant period of time, but I do understand where you're coming from." Ilena was glad that Clare had someone she could talk to, have fun with, even though she worried about the possibility of Jean accidentally hurting Clare because of the difference in strength between the two. However, she did not think she had ever seen a trainee, or even another full warrior, with the control that Jean displayed. It rivaled Ilena's own. It may have even been greater. Ilena did not know if she would have been able to pull herself back from coming so close to awakening as Jean had. It was quite an astonishing feat.
"Maybe..."Clare started shyly. "Maybe...Jean could come with us?" Teresa seemed to consider the idea, looking to Ilena for confirmation.
"What do you think, Lena?"
"Hmmm, I had wanted to leave her here so that someone could make sure she really does have control," Ilena mused, turning the thought over in her head. "She came so close to losing it. I've never heard of anything like that happening, and we don't yet know the ramifications."
"But who better to watch her?" Teresa asked. "We both read yoki flows now, and since you've been working with Galatea, you've gotten better at manipulation. If she did threaten to awaken, we're actually the best suited to deal with that other than Galatea herself." Ilena nodded. What Teresa said had a lot of truth to it. She had been working intensively with Galatea in between strategy meetings to learn how to work her new ability, and she was pleased with the progress she had made in that short time. Of course, she still had a long way to go, and she knew that she would never be anywhere near Galatea's lever. Ilena intended to keep working her ability even after she and Galatea went their separate ways. Teresa, of course, was more than willing to help her.
"That's true. But I had intended to leave her in Stella's care." Ilena thought that the girl would have a good effect on the grieving warrior. "She needs something to occupy her attention, but I don't want her to have to deal too much with the more volatile trainees."
"Like that Ophelia girl?" Ilena frowned at Teresa's reminder. The girl was yet another thing that Ilena could put on her conscience. Her brother, and it seemed most of her village, had been killed by none other than Priscilla shortly after she had awakened, and Ophelia had, of course, been taken by the Organization to be turned into a Claymore. Another life ruined because of Ilena's short-sightedness. If she had just realized that Prisc-No, she had to stop thinking like that. Nothing could change what had happened. All she could do now was do her best to try and fix the consequences of her mistakes.
Ophelia was deeply disturbed, possibly a sociopath, and Ilena did not want her to be around too many of the other girls just in case her personality rubbed off on them. Or more importantly, to keep her from hurting them. She liked to play sick, twisted games with the others that usually ended in some kind of injury for the victim. When Ilena had questioned them, both Jean and Miria had both divulged that Ophelia's behavior had only gotten worse as she got older. It was clear that she would be very powerful, on a single digit level. Possibly even Top Five. But first, she needed serious mental healing and discipline. They all did, but Ophelia especially. That's why Ilena had entrusted her care to Allie and Tera. She hoped that the two steady warriors would have a calming effect on the girl.
"Yes, like her. Though she will be leaving soon with Allie and Tera."
"Good." She glanced at Clare in time to see the girl shudder. She and Ophelia did not get along, and Ilena even feared leaving the human girl with the unstable trainee for any period of time. Luckily, Jean was always there, ready to protect Clare should she need to.
"Clare, has she... done anything to you?" Ilena asked. It was not the first time she had asked the question, and so far the answer had always been in the negative.
"No." Clare bit her lip. "But she makes me feel...weird. Like she wants to mess with me, but won't do it while other people are watching." Teresa frowned, troubled.
"You let me or Ilena, or any of the adult know if she bothers you, okay?"
"I will."
"Good, but that still doesn't help us with the problem at hand," Ilena reminded them.
"Well, what if," Teresa began, "since we're coming back here anyway, we take Jean with us for the couple of months we'll be out and about, and then Stella can have her when we get back. I mean, she'll be able to learn some good stuff from us-okay, from you," she amended at Ilena's skeptical look. "And Stella will have her hands full with a bunch of trainees and trying to make sure Jen behaves anyway. That way, when she only has to look out for Jean, it will be like a vacation of sorts."
"That's actually not a bad idea," Ilena admitted.
"Why are you always so surprised when I say something smart?" Teresa asked, raising a brow.
"Do you really want the answer to that?" Ilena teased, letting the corner of her mouth twitch into a smirk. Teresa crossed her arms and huffed.
"I'll have you know that I have good ideas all the time."
"Like that time you decided that we should go swimming even though you knew Noel was in the area, and she stole our clothes and wouldn't give them back until we agreed to do a dance for her?" Ilena asked. "Or maybe the time you insisted on seeing if you could herd cattle and ended up causing a stampede. Or maybe the time you tried to-"
"Okay, okay!" Teresa interrupted, waving her hands as Clare giggled. "I get the point. Sometimes I don't exactly think things through." Ilena just snorted. "Still, I think it would be good for Jean to come with us. Good for her and for Clare."
"I do agree. What do you think, Clare? Remember, Jean would still go back to Stella once we returned here."
"I know." She flashed them a smile. "But that means I still have two months to change your minds." Teresa rolled her eyes and ushered Clare out of the room.
"Yeah, yeah. We'll see."
Ilena followed them back up the stairs to the main level where most of the warriors were residing. Along the way they ran into Hilda and Miria.
"Greetings Quicksword Ilena and Teresa of the Faint Smile," Hilda said, bowing her head slightly in respect.
"Hilda, please," Teresa began shaking her head slightly. "How many times do I have to tell you that you don't have to be so formal? 'Teresa' and 'Ilena' will be just fine."
"Forgive me...Teresa," she replied with a small smile. "I suppose it is sometimes difficult to remember. You're such a legend."
"Don't tell her that, Hilda," Ilena butted in. "It will go straight to her head." Miria looked bewildered for a moment, but Hilda let out a hearty laugh. When she saw that neither Teresa not Ilena were angry, Miria visibly relaxed. "And how are the trainees today?" Ilena asked Miria. because of her obvious natural leadership abilities, Ilena had thought it would be good to see if the girl could handle being in charge of the trainees until she and Hilda left.
"All is well today, Captain." Ilena would have corrected her, but she knew it would be of no use. No matter how many times she told Miria that she did not have to call her Captain, the girl would not comply. "I am concerned, though, that Ophelia is too strong for me. She is starting to...push the boundaries." Ilena frowned, having feared that might happen.
"Thank you for letting me know. You just have to hang on a few more days, then she'll be gone." But part of Ilena was slightly concerned that Allie and Tera might not be enough to handle Ophelia should the girl grow into her power. She had every potential to pass them. Her yoki level was higher than those of the former Number Six and Seven. If she truly did go insane and turn on them, they would have to rely on their experience and teamwork to overpower her. Hopefully, they would be able to pull her back from the brink of insanity before that happened. Ilena felt a deep personal conviction to do everything possible to try and save Ophelia's sanity. She had to make things right. "I will have Galatea help you if it would make you feel more secure."
"Thank you, Captain." Ilena was almost surprised that Miria did not salute her.
"Are you two ready to head to your new territory?" she asked, addressing Hilda this time.
Hilda smiled and nodded. "I believe so. I haven't spent so much time at Headquarters since before receiving my emblem. I'm ready to get back out in the world. It's a little...crowded here."
"I know the feeling," Teresa chuckled. "Our kind are not accustomed to having so many people around. We tend to like our solitude."
"I have made some good friends, though," Hilda said, cutting a glance at Miria, who might have blushed. "I am glad that we will be keeping a network going so that I may have the pleasure of seeing them again."
"Our kind must stick together," Ilena agreed, glad that her initiative was appreciated. She had mulled over the idea of just disbanding the Organization once they had taken care of the Yoma, but soon she realized that if she did so, it would be very hard for the Claymore to keep track of each other. Without the oppression of the Organization, many of them had formed close bonds with each other, whether they be of friendship or something more. Ilena could not take that away from them, knowing that their lives would have so little meaning once the Yoma were gone. She knew that if she did not have Teresa and Clare, or her friendships with the other deserters, the prospect of living in a world without a reason for her existence would be torture.
Miria and Hilda both nodded in concurrence. They were both bright, and Miria had even volunteered to help go through all the papers the men had left behind. She proved to be a intelligent and inquisitive young woman, bringing up questions and concerns that Ilena herself had overlooked. The older woman was almost sad that she would never get the chance to prove herself as a leader. She could have been great one day, with the proper training.
"Well," Teresa said, bringing Ilena back out of her thoughts, "we really must be going. We were on our way to find Jean. Have either of you seen her?"
"I believed she is at the sparring ground with Galatea and Flora," Hilda supplied. "They are testing her control."
"Thank you, Hilda." Ilena gave the pair another nod of her head before leaving them. Clare trotted excitedly beside them. She really loved to watch the trainees spar, even though she was not allowed to join in. The younger girls had less self control, and even though they were not fighting with real swords, they had enough strength to seriously injure the human child if they were not careful. Ilena made sure that Clare only ever sparred with a fully trained warrior, though she had her suspicions that Jena may have sparred with Clare a few times while Ilena and Teresa were busy. With so much to organize, it was hard to keep Clare in their sights at all times. Besides, Ilena thought it was time to let the girl have a bit of independence while they could. In the relative safety of Headquarters, she could wander around and explore as she pleased without fear of attack from Yoma or hostile humans.
Their entrance into the training grounds caused enough of a distraction for Jean that Galatea's sword found it's mark, cutting shallowly across the younger girl's arm.
"Stay focused," Galatea instructed her gently. She was proving to have a better manner with the trainees that Ilena would have expected. She was softer and less sarcastic with them. Ilena suspected that she actually liked kids, despite her protests. "Heal it and keep fighting." Jean gave the tiniest of nods and released just enough yoki to close the wound. To Ilena's satisfaction, and apparently Jean's as well, the girl easily pulled back her yoki after it was released. "Well done," Galatea said, pleased. Again Jean nodded, obviously not wanting to break her concentration.
Ilena, Teresa, and Clare continued to watch as Galatea purposefully pushed Jean in ways that forced her to continually release and pull back her yoki, pushing and testing her control. Clare winced, and bit her lip each time Galatea's sword cut Jean, but Ilena knew it was necessary. She had given Galatea explicit instructions to make the girl test her limits, see if she had control. Galatea was also prepared to help Jean pull herself back if need be. So far, it looked as if Jean was perfectly in control. She definitely would have been high ranking, too. Such a talented group of trainees. Though none as talented as herself, and certainly not as talented as Teresa.
"She's doing well," the woman in question whispered in her ear. "Very focused."
"Mhm," Ilena agreed. "Very impressive for one so young."
"Very reminiscent of someone else I know." Teresa grinned and leaned her shoulder against Ilena briefly.
"I do think her control may have surpassed where I was at her age," Ilena admitted. "The way she pulled herself back from awakening was something I don't think I could have managed even now."
"Rubbish, Lena." Teresa shook her head, sending her cascade of blond waves bouncing around her face and shoulders. "You have to deal with near-awakening on a daily basis. Every time you use the Quicksword, you have to keep yourself from going over that edge."
"Teresa-"
"It's true, Lena," she continued. "I can't imagine the control that must take. When I use the Quicksword, I'm not really using it in the true sense. I can move fast enough to do it without releasing my yoki, so it's really not nearly as demanding. Your way is much harder. Your control is...incredible." Teresa complimented her all the time. This was nothing new. Still, Ilena rarely knew how to respond. So she just nodded her head and rubbed her arm awkwardly. Teresa obviously understood, having grown accustomed to Ilena's quirks over the years. She slipped her arm around Ilena's waist, while her other hand ruffled Clare's hair.
"I think that's enough for today," Galatea called to Jean, who was panting from her efforts. "We'll pick up again tomorrow. I've explained to Stella what to do. Now, it will be up to you to make sure you know when you're approaching your limits."
"I will." Jean spoke seriously to Galatea. "I won't let myself go to far."
"Actually," Ilena piped up, stepping forward and drawing their attention to her. "I'm the one to whom you should explain the training regime."
"Ilena?" Galatea raised a single, elegant eyebrow.
"There's been a change of plans." Ilena glanced back at Clare with a small smile before turning her head to face Jean. "How would you feel about travelling with the three of us instead of staying here?"
"But...Captain..."Jean frowned, confused. "I thought you said I wasn't ready. That I need more time to make sure I'm not going to awaken. I don't...I don't want to put Cl-anyone in danger." Her small slip did not go unnoticed. Ilena and Teresa shared a knowing look.
"Ilena and I can both-"
"You won't hurt me, Jean!" Clare butted in, cutting off Teresa, who frowned at the outburst. "I know it. I know you won't let that happen." Jean blinked and then blushed at the praise, trying very hard and failing to keep the corners of her mouth from lifting up in a pleased smile. However, her expression darkened again as she attempted to argue with Clare.
"Clare, I...If I lost control..."
Teresa looked the girl in the eyes. "Ilena and I are both skilled in yoki reading, and Ilena can manipulate it to a point. We won't let you awaken. And believe me, we will protect Clare at all cost." The implication being that should Jean somehow manage to awaken, neither of them would hesitate in doing what needed to be done. If they could do it for each other, they could certainly do it for Jean. The young Claymore stared at her for a moment before nodding.
"Then yes. I would like to travel with you."
Clare let out a squeal and threw her arms around Jean's neck. The trainee looked surprised and awkwardly patted Clare on the back as she tried to figure out what to do. Behind them, Galatea smirked and crossed her arms, obviously in tune to what Jean and Clare were feeling. As much as she tried to ignore it, Ilena could feel it as well, especially being this close to them. Jean was confused, and surprised by how much she liked it when Clare hugged her. For her part, the human girl was so excited it drowned out all the other emotions, but Ilena had been feeling them for days now. She knew that Clare got excited and happy and a little bashful when Jean was around.
Ilena could feel the amusement from Galatea, and a conflicting of emotions from Teresa. A bit of amusement to go along with Galatea's. A bit of concern, which Ilena assumed had to be about the possibility of Clare's relationship with Jean developing into something more. A bit of jealousy that Ilena was now accustomed to feeling. Even if she could hide it on the outside, Teresa could never completely cover how seeing the people important to her giving attention to someone else irritated and hurt her. Ilena was not sure herself what she should feel. She had already been over it in her head so many times. She supposed that for once in her life, she would have to let fate take its course.
"Alright, Clare," she said. "Let Jean breathe. She may be a Claymore, but she still needs air." Clare smiled sheepishly, her cheeks coloring in a blush, and released the taller girl.
"Sorry," she mumbled to Jean. "Guess I got a little carried away." Jean returned the smile, and Ilena really did think that it did a lot to soften her features. She was pretty, if not in the dazzling way that Galatea and Teresa were. She was much too severe for that, almost like Ilena. The thought gave her pause. If Jean was like her, which she really was, and Clare was like Teresa, and their similarities could be almost frightening sometimes, then perhaps Jean really would be a good choice for Clare. Of course, it was much much much too early for that, but Ilena decided that if it did happen, she would let it. It would be hard for Clare to find someone who would treat her better than Jean did or give her more attention.
"It's fine," the young Claymore said, tilting her head down just slightly to get a good look at Clare. "I'm just not used to being hugged, I guess." Clare's smile fell, and her expression twisted into one of sorrow. The sadness radiated from her, and Ilena thought it was good that she was so affected by Jean's misfortune. She had worried that by spending so much time with Claymores, Clare would forget that they were not just normal women and girls. They had all seen incredible heartache.
"Well," Clare put the smile back on. "We'll just have to change that!" And she embraced the girl again. This time, Jean was ready for it and hesitantly let her own arms wrap around Clare. Ilena thought she might have heard a whispered 'thank you.'
"Alright, girls," Teresa interrupted. "Clare's still got to eat, and I do believe it's Jean's turn to patrol with Stella." Ilena had decided it would be a good idea to keep watches, even though most of them argued that the danger was gone. She was not so sure. There were still Awakened Beings who might, when they heard of the fall of the Organization, try to make some kind of move. She thought mostly of Isley of the North who could use the Eastern territories to try and wrest the southern lands from Riful of the West. She did not want them to get caught in a fight between Abyssal Ones. There was also the matter of the missing handler. After the confusion of the final battle, one of the current generation of warriors came to Ilena and expressed her concern that not all the men had been captured. Her handler, a man by the name of Rubel, had not been accounted for, and Ilena was concerned that her might try to get help from the mainland. Better to be prepared than be caught unaware, she always said.
"And make sure to get a good night's sleep," Ilena added as Jean extracted herself from Clare's arms. "We'll be leaving in just a few days. I want you rested up. I'll be counting on you to keep Clare protected while Teresa and I take care of our Awakened Beings."
"Of course, Captain." Jean nodded resolutely. She was so very good at following orders.
"Oh, and Galatea." The woman perked up at her name. "Could you join Miria with the trainees? I think she might need some assistance handling Ophelia." Galatea made a displeased face, but nodded. She did not like the unstable girl, either, but she knew better than to argue with Ilena about it.
Ilena and Teresa ushered Clare away from the sparring grounds while Galatea escorted Jean back to the barracks. In just a few days, she would have to say goodbye to many of the friends she had made. She would honestly miss Galatea and Flora, and of course Tera. Allie and Cameron had grown on her, as well, and she knew that even with her crassness, she would miss Jen. And she was concerned for Stella, and hoped very much that she would be able to overcome Kahlin's death.
She reached out beside her to ruffle Clare's hair. The girl frowned and shooed Ilena's hand away, but there was no ferocity in the gesture. She just wanted her hair to stay looking nice in case she saw Jean again before bed. Ilena rolled her eyes, but let the small smile cross her lips before repeating the motion. Clare sighed and looked up at her. When she saw Ilena's expression, she lifted an eyebrow, looking so much like Teresa that it was hard to remember they were not actually blood related. Ilena just smiled wider and leaned down to kiss the top of Clare's head. It was the girl's turn to roll her eyes, but Ilena could tell that she did not mind.
When she looked back up, Teresa was watching them, her eyes soft. No one said anything, but Ilena knew they were all happy to be so close to the end of their long journey. She did not anticipate any trouble with their Awakened Beings. Not with Teresa around. They would be back here in two moths, tops, and then they would head to the place on the map that Ilena had picked for them. There, they would build a life, a simple one, but a good one. Maybe Jean and Stella could even visit from time to time. That would make everyone happy. And Ilena wanted that happiness more than anything.