(A/N Last chapter! Enjoy.)

Chapter 25

"This is your apartment?" Lorea asked. She was happy. Honey was alright, and Lorea had been afraid that she wouldn't be. Her sister hadn't seemed to be so fond of dogs. Lorea had seen her eyes when she saw Honey.

"Yes," Cashmére answered and Lorea jumped. She had drifted off into her own world.

"Does Odale live here too?" Lorea sunk down on the closest couch and dropped her bad beside it. Honey rested her head in her lap, and Lorea petted it gently.

Cashmére shook her head. "No," she said. "She has a room here, but she doesn't live here. It's an apprentice-thing."

"Oh," Lorea mumbled. Her mother sat down beside her.

"You can sleep there for as long as you wish," Cashmére said. "Of course I'll have to get a second bed..."

"Why?" Lorea asked. "If Odale's not here-"

Cashmére sighed. "I just want her to always feel like she can come home to me, in case she'd want to..."

"I see," Lorea crossed her legs. "When is she coming over?"

"Anytime now," Cashmére said. "Anytime now."

Lorea pulled her legs up. "Marcia said-"

Somebody knocked on and Cashmére jumped to her feet. "It has to be Odale!" she said and walked to the door, opened it. Odale was there, and Cashmére pulled her into a hug. "Took you long enough, 'mica!" she said.

Odale blushed. "I made a mess," she said. "I'm sorry, but I had to clean it up."

"You're here now," Cashmére replied. "Come on now, have a seat."

"Mum, I'm very sorry, Marcia said-"

"I know, Odale, and I agreed to it," Cashmére said. "You're going to the Palace to celebrate your birthday, but that's not now."

Odale sat down beside her sister. Lorea put a hand behind her back, and she put her closer. "How are you, sister?" she asked, in latin. Her sister stared at her, blinked quickly.

"I don't speak latin," she said. Lorea frowned.

"But didn't mum-"

"I didn't raise Odale," Cashmére said.

Lorea tilted her head to one side. Cashmére had clasped her hands together, and looked from Odale to Lorea to the floor. Odale had crossed her arms, stared out of the window. "So Marcia raised you, then?" Lorea asked. In all honesty, she couldn't have imagined that. Marcia hadn't seemed as someone who'd have the time... even though, Lorea added to herself, Rodrian didn't seem to be either.

Odale smiled. "I guess you could say that," she replied.

"Guess-"

"Let's leave it at that," Cashmére said hurriedly. She anxiously brushed her hair back.

"Hm," Odale glared at her mother for a short time, then she looked out the window again. Cashmére sat down beside her, took her hand into hers.

Odale didn't feel comfortable there, Lorea could tell. She moved away, to give her some space. "How have you been, Odale?" Cashmére asked gingerly. Lorea wondered, too.

They had merely met her since the Darke Domaine had fallen, which was two days ago. Lorea suspected it was because she was Marcia's apprentice, but she'd still like some more time with her sister. Especially since she didn't know when she was going home.

A faint knock was heard. Lorea jumped to her feet, to open the door and left her mother and sister there. "Hello," she said.

A boy stood there. There was nothing interesting to him, Lorea thought, other than that his hand was bandaged and that he was sniveling. "Who are you?" she wondered, even though she had the feeling that it might have come out a bit rude.

"Is Odale here?" the boy asked.

"Who are you?" Lorea asked him back.

"Her friend," the boy answered. Cashmére sighed.

"Odale!" she shouted back. "You have a friend here who's looking for you."

"Oh?" Odale stood up. "Is it Zamir?"

"No," the boy called. "It's me."

Lorea saw Odale stop. Odale clenched her fist. "Tell him to leave," she growled.

"Odale!" the boy called. "Please, can I talk-"

"No, Merrin, thank you," Odale said coolly. "Get out. Now."

Merrin opened his mouth, and Odale pounced like a cat. She knocked him to the ground, holding him down. "Wait," Merrin said. "Listen-"

"Shut up," Odale growled. "Shut up, you idiot. I want you to walk out right now, and never come back."

She was twisting Merrin's arm. "And if you did, I'll split your ribs open," she added and rose up. "Now get out."

"Please-"

"Did I stutter?" Odale snapped. "Get out of my home, now."

"I miss the way you used to be," the boy mumbled. Odale hit him in the face.

"I don't," she said. "Cricket."

She stood up and dragged him to his feet. "Next time I see you, I'll kill you," she snapped. Merrin left.

Lorea stared at Odale. She didn't know what to say. Odale had been violent and cruel, and Lorea saw it as completely unnecessary. Lorea would never had thought Odale to be able to be so violent, she'd just seen an innocent girl.

Their mother went up to Odale, but a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Odale?" she hugged Odale.

"Mm," Odale said.

"Why did you hit that boy?" Lorea asked. She felt angry. No one should get away with being so horrible to another.

"He made the Darke Domaine," Odale snapped at Lorea. "I think I'm pretty warranted to harm him."

"Oh," Lorea understood.

They had lunch, or half-lunch-half-dinner. Lorea could see that it was attempted to be like something Eastern Snowplainian, but she couldn't see what. She had failed, too, but Lorea understood. It had to be hard to get the ingredients.

But Lorea liked it. When they were done, Odale picked up all the plates and put them in the kitchen. Cashmére took Odale on the arm when she came back in. "You're going soon, Odale," Cashmére said. "Are you sure that you don't want to fix yourself up a bit?"

"I could fix your hair," Lorea offered.

"Sure," Odale said, and Lorea smiled.

"Sit down then," Lorea replied.

Odale did.

Runa put her arms around Rodrian's neck. "I missed you," she mumbled.

Rodrian removed her arms, took a step back. He looked down on the floor. "What is it?" he asked her.

"Rodrian," she said. "Would you please come talk to me?"

"Of course," he replied. He sat down. "How are you?"

She curled up against his chest, but he pushed her off. "Don't," he said. Runa looked down on her lap. "So," Rodrian said, "Why did you want to talk to me?"

"There's something important I need to say," Runa told him. "I think you should know..."

"What?" Rodrian asked.

"I... think," Runa stuttered, "Or I know... you should know that, ah-"

He took her hand. Runa sobbed, and cried. She put her arms around his neck again, and this time Rodrian didn't push them away. He held her. "How are you?" he asked her, rocked her slowly.

"I'm having a kid," Runa whispered. "So. There."

Rodrian froze. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Runa mumbled. "Of course. And you're, you know, you're the dad."

"So," Lorea said. "Done."

Odale rose up. There was a mirror in her mother's hall, and she looked herself in the mirror. She liked it, very much. It was put up in a bun, with braids wrapped around it. Lorea was good at making hairstyles. "Thank you," she said to her sister.

"You're welcome," Lorea replied. She gave her sister a brief hug.

"Mm," Odale said. "I should go now."

"I know," Lorea said. "See you."

"Mum!" Odale shouted, "I'm going now."

Cashmére came into the room. "I heard you," she said.

"Okay," Odale grabbed her cloak. "See you later."

Odale enjoyed being alone, very much. Especially then.

It wasn't that she didn't like her mother, or her sister, she just felt so crowded around both of them. All their focus seemed to be pointed at her, and she didn't appreciate it. Odale would much rather just be able to disappear, melt in with them, but she couldn't.

She walked slowly. It was deliberate. Every now and then, she looked behind her to see if someone was there. She almost wanted Merrin to be there, so that she could kill him. Marcia wouldn't like it, Odale knew that. Odale even suspected that Marcia would be incredibly furious, and Odale would hate to see that. Then again, maybe she didn't have to know...

Odale sighed.

The Palace wasn't so far away. If it had been, Odale would have felt tempted to fall asleep again. But she didn't want Marcia to ask Cashmére why Odale had take so long, in which case her mother would have known that she had stopped and probably thought that Odale didn't want to be with her. Which wasn't the case. She just wanted to be alone, for a few damned minutes...

Odale could finally see the Palace. Not wanting to walk anymore, she ran.

(A/N I plan on maybe making one last Odale story, then that's it. Opinions?)