Earth...Fire...Water...Air... This is the age of the new Avatar, and after many years of chaos, the world is poised to enter into a time of prosperity and peace. But every light casts a shadow, and in the days to come, the very balance of the universe will be in danger, and the true purpose of the Avatar will be revealed. The Avatar's name is Usagi, a warrior of love and justice, and despite all the great deeds she has accomplished, her story is not over yet!
AVATAR
The Celestial Sailors
BOOK THREE: DEATH
5: Sky and Sea
Usagi was mortally quiet during dinner that evening. The locals had insisted on throwing a feast in honor of the heroes who rid them of the shadow spirit, and nothing they did or said could change their minds ("They're just being humble," the mayor insisted). None of the girls felt particularly thrilled about having a party after what they had experienced, but they made the best of it and dug in. Usagi, however, barely even touched her food—a sure sign that normality had been completely thrown out the window. Makoto and Rei, who sat closest to her, felt that this melancholic demeanor had gone on long enough and decided to do something about it. They gathered Ami and Minako and clustered around her.
"Hey Usagi, you awake over there?" Makoto waved her hand in front of the smaller girl's face, breaking her glassy stare. She stirred and smiled feebly.
"Huh? Uh, yeah, I was just...thinking."
"And not eating? Girl, you've got it bad." Usagi noticed that most of her food had gone cold, and studied it moodily. She had already explained what she had seen in the spirit world, so her friends understood her contemplative behavior, but still...
"Yeah, well...you know." Makoto and Rei shared a knowing look.
"Maybe you just need a rest," Rei said, gently touching her arm. "We've been so busy lately, it's no wonder you look tired. In fact," she added with an embarrassed chuckle, "we've been so busy that we forgot to give you your birthday present." That caught Usagi's interest, and she perked up, confused and flattered.
"What? You guys got me a birthday present? Aww, you didn't have to..."
"But we wanted to," Ami said. She then blushed and added, "W-well, I wanted to, at any rate. Ah...I've never had a friend my age to give presents to, so, uh..."
"Yup," Minako chirped, ruffling Ami's hair, "this is all Ami's idea! I mean, we all chipped in to buy it..."
"Wait, you bought me something?!" Usagi shrieked, now mortified. "Guys, you really didn't need to do that! I would've been happy with a cake, or a song, or maybe some mittens..." Rei pinched Usagi's cheek, becoming a little flustered with her friend's behavior.
"Show some gratitude, will ya? It wasn't that expensive, and...this is the first birthday we've had with you. So take your present already and be thankful!"
"Jeez, okay," Usagi groaned, rubbing her face. Ami handed her a small box, wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a string. Usagi carefully opened the paper and set it aside, then gasped as she looked into the opened box. It was a crescent-shaped tiara, formed out of a thin band of gold with a single, small ruby in the center. Usagi took it out and admired it like it was the staff of Sung Chiang. The tiara was surprisingly heavy, and much more durable than it looked—so it probably wasn't pure gold. That ruby was definitely genuine, though. As her eyes glistened (and her mouth hung open) in awe, she carefully placed the tiara on her forehead, where it fit perfectly.
"Do you like it?" Makoto said. Usagi grinned and nodded, too stricken with happiness to speak. Makoto laughed. "I'm glad. We didn't know your size, so we had to commission something that would fit a teenage girl."
"This must have cost a fortune," Usagi whispered, stroking the cool metal. Unlike pieces of her mother's jewelry she had borrowed for special occasions, the tiara didn't pinch or press or constrain or slip at all. It was as if it had been custom-made just for her.
"Not really," Minako said proudly. "When we told the jeweler it was for the Avatar, she insisted on giving it to us for free. We eventually haggled it up to a fair price."
"I suppose that's fine," Usagi murmured, taking it off to admire again. "I wouldn't want anybody cheated over this. Wait, did you say 'she insisted'?" Her eyes went wide as she realized where her friends had found such a fantastic present at such a low price, and on such short notice: "Did you get this from Osaka Jewelers?!"
"Bingo!" Minako winked. Usagi felt her heart skip a beat. So, in other words...
"We had a really hard time trying to come up with something from all of us," Makoto said, "but then Ami had the genius idea of asking Naru's mother." All eyes turned to their blue-haired friend, who shied away bashful as ever.
"Ah, w-well, it was really the most logical course of action. W-we all wanted to contribute something, but then I remembered you had a friend in Omashu whose mother was a jeweler, so, ah, well, I thought it would be nice if you had something that came from Naru as well—uh, indirectly, I mean. S-s-so in effect, this, ah, comes from five of your friends, and not just...uh...my idea, or..." The other girls smiled warmly at Ami's charming attempts at explanation, while Usagi just fought back tears. It was a losing battle, though, and soon she was bawling, clutching everyone tight and thanking them, over and over again. She promised to wear the tiara every day for the rest of her life.
…...
With the "spirit terror" crisis handled, the Avatar and her companions found themselves with nothing else on their agenda. Although they all wanted to use this time to take a well-earned rest, Minako reminded them that the Eastern Air Temple was still in turmoil. She made sure to inform Usagi that Mamoru would be in that area, and if nothing else, it would be a good way to spend time with him. The Avatar needed no further motivation, so after eating a quick breakfast, the girls set off eastward. Makoto wanted to skim along the Hinterlands, as she had heard of unsavory activities cropping up there, but a powerful sandstorm blowing from the Si Wong forced them south (no amount of air-bending, even with the Avatar helping, could dispel it). This had them skirting the northernmost islands of the Southern Water Tribe, "the Ice Flows" as it was known, where they made landfall late in the afternoon.
Although the world was generally a safer place now, the girls picked their campsite carefully and didn't let their guard down as they settled in. Ami and Usagi drew lots to scout the area while everyone else set up a shelter; Makoto even had time to go ice-fishing (which excited Luna considerably). As Makoto drew up a strange perch that resembled a crocodile, Rei pored over one of the maps Usagi had brought with her. The Eastern Air Temple was two days away by ship, but it only took one day if you had a fast bison, which they did. The plan was to leave sometime after dark, so they'd have plenty of rest and plenty of time to make it to the Temple. Minako joined Rei, cradling Luna in her arms.
"Everything okay?"
"Yes, I'm just double-checking our route. I wish we didn't have to stop here." Rei shuddered, and not from the cold. The island wasn't just barren, it was downright empty. In all the time they had been there, they hadn't seen anything, not even a lichen or a stray bird. Ami unfortunately knew very little about the Southern Water Tribes, and Usagi had only passed through here once, before her brother was even born. A hollow, lonely wind picked up, freezing the girls with a bitterness surpassing ice or snow. Rei stoked their campfire and sat a little closer.
"It's only for one day," Minako assured her as she sat down. "I'm sure that Artemis and Luna can protect us in that time." Rei smiled and caressed the cat's head, which was greatly appreciated.
"All the same, I'd like to take first watch tonight. I may even stay up all night—I'm much too anxious to sleep. Besides, I'd like to keep the fire going."
"All right, but Mako and I would be more than willing to trade places if you need us to." Rei smiled at her, lavender eyes flickering against the firelight. Makoto had just joined them with a fresh haul when they heard an odd crunching, scraping sound in the distance. Everyone stood still and waited. The crunching was rhythmic and quick, like someone was jogging through the snow. The scraping was much worse: it sounded like nails or claws being dragged across the ice. Perhaps these islands weren't as empty as they thought.
"Who's there?!" Rei called, leaping to her feet as she brandished a torch. Her hair bristled as she beheld several pairs of eerie glowing yellow eyes in the distance. She demanded that they show themselves, and warned that she could bend fire, and wouldn't hesitate to use it. The eyes hesitated, neither advancing nor retreating. Then, carefully, two pairs approached, slithering on the ground like a seal. The scraping grew louder, and she heard heavy breathing. The creature was ten feet away in the darkness before she got a good look at it.
"What in the world...?" It looked vaguely human, with ghastly white hairless skin and slanted ears, like a deer's. Its limbs were thin and long, with six fingers and toes that each tapered into a claw. When it raised its head, Rei saw a mouth filled with teeth as long and sharp as nails, and a flat nose that was pointed like a bat's. While this was certainly an unnerving sight—as were the many other pairs of eyes that gradually multiplied around them—what truly made Rei's skin crawl was when the creature reached out to her, as if begging, and—to her horror—spoke.
"Life," it croaked, the sound raspy and frail like a death-rattle. "Give us life."
"We smell your life," said another as it came into view, crawling like a spider or a lizard on the ice. "Give us your life."
"Give it to us, please!" The creatures moved slowly, surrounding the girls, never making a single aggressive move—which was honestly worse. Rei brandished her torch, but this only served to give the creatures pause. They waited until she stopped before advancing.
"We beg you," they groaned, extending impossibly long arms and claws. "Please, life! Life! One taste! We are dying."
"Here!" Makoto shouted, throwing all her fish at them. The creatures recoiled, looked down, and immediately pounced in a violent frenzy, ripping the food to pieces. The girls took this opportunity to bolt, Rei snatching up Luna while Minako whistled for Artemis. He bowled over several creatures as he intercepted his partner; the girls climbed on and put some altitude between them and...whatever those things were. They took a moment to catch their breath and tried to process what had happened.
"What kind of...thing was that?!" Rei shrieked.
"Don't ask me," Makoto said, trying to steady her trembling arms. "Cannibals, maybe. Whatever they were, they were out for blood." They had little time to dwell on this, for a blood-curdling shriek pierced the icy black night. At first the girls thought that more of the pale monsters were around...but then they realized that the sound was human.
"Usagi!" Minako hissed. She steered Artemis to where she had heard the shriek, but it was impossible to see anything. Luckily, several bursts of fire erupted in the darkness, so Artemis homed in on that. Usagi and Ami were surrounded by countless creatures, all of them groaning and pleading life, life, life. Usagi kept most of them at bay with bursts of air or ice, but if any got too close, she swiped at them with a fiery hand. Artemis came barreling through them just as she repulsed another, but the creatures were already climbing on him, many of them sinking their hideous teeth into his thick skin. Artermis bellowed in pain; Minako retaliated furiously, knocking eight of the monsters away with a freezing blast of air. Rei immediately cut a swath through them with fire while Makoto tossed anything that got within arm's reach. The five girls reunited and Usagi helped Rei by raising a wall of fire, separating them from the legion.
"Are you two all right?" Rei demanded. Usagi was agitated and heaving; Ami was covering the side of her face with her hand. It glowed blue, indicating she was in the middle of healing an injury.
"Yeah, just a little, uh...frightened out of our minds, is all. They got Ami."
"It isn't bad," she assured them, as trails of blood seeped between her fingers. "Just a few scratches. How's Artemis?"
"Angry," Minako growled, "and so am I!"
"Me too," Makoto assured her, "but we can save it for later. Can he fly?" Minako touched her longtime friend and companion, trying not to stare at his injuries. Artemis groaned softly after making a few attempts.
"No... He isn't hurt very bad, just...weak. It's like those things sucked the life out of him."
"They remind me of ghouls," said Usagi. The girls looked at her wide-eyed; she shook her head nervously. "From ghost stories, I mean. Ghouls, uh...drain life from the living, and what's left becomes a ghoul itself. Or...something like that."
"Well, these ghouls talk," Rei said. She glared at them and threw a fireball as some started to circumvent the wall of fire. They scattered, but didn't back down. If anything, their next attempts grew bolder. Ami finally finished healing her injury, but she looked exhausted, and moved lethargically. She leaned against Artemis, her face pale and eyes hazy. Three faint scars could still be seen on her cheek.
"I don't...know if...I'll be able to...help out...Artemis," she gasped, struggling to form every word. Even after saying that, though, she turned around and placed both hands on Artemis, drawing on the ice below her and what little strength she had left. Ami passed out in seconds, and was caught by Makoto.
"Ami! Spirits, Ami, don't do this to us! Wake up!" Ami's eyes fluttered open, but she was so weak she couldn't even speak, much less move. Makoto carefully rested her atop Artemis, then glared daggers at the swarm of creatures—the ghouls, avaricious for life.
Their lives.
"Life," they groaned, circling around the fire. Rei put up another wall but it wasn't any use. She focused her ire on one of the monsters and incinerated it; the creature let out a ghastly wail as it curled up. The other ghouls regarded their comrade's death with a surprising degree of reverence and mourning. Usagi felt her heart break.
"Oh, no... Guys, we don't have to kill them, do we? Can't we...I mean..."
"Sorry, Usagi," Minako said, her playful sapphire eyes turned steely and furious. "You saw what they did to Ami and Artemis. It's either them or us."
"We can't hold this stalemate forever, though," Makoto reminded her. "We'll need to find some way off this island."
"Yeah, I'm working on that," she hissed. She blew the ghouls back, aided by Usagi; Rei tried sparing as many as she could, for Usagi's sake, but some came so dangerously close that she had no choice but to open fire. They didn't respond well to physical pain and were quite durable for their size and mass. Makoto cracked one square in the jaw, but that just made the creature pause and sit down, rubbing its face until it felt like moving again.
"Luff," it gurgled, heedless of its injury. Makoto picked it up and slammed it on the ground, which stopped it from moving but not talking. Twenty of them circled around the wall of fire and came bounding after them on all fours. Usagi and Minako blew them back but that didn't discourage them from trying again. A few managed to get to Ami and Artemis, who could only offer a sluggish resistance. Makoto flung them away but one grabbed hold of her arm, clamping jagged teeth into her.
"OW! Son of a..." She jabbed a thumb in its eye and kicked it away, covering her injury with her free hand. Two puncture marks issued blood. It wasn't painful, it just made Makoto feel and move lethargically—and worse, it attracted more of the creatures. Usagi watched as Makoto's movements slowed; Ami could barely lift her arms and Artemis only offered a token resistance. They would quickly be overwhelmed if she didn't do something. Usagi closed her eyes, forced to compromise pacifism for her friends' safety.
"Okay, fire it is," she whispered, and was about to go into the Avatar State when seven of the ghouls pounced on her. She struggled to free herself but felt them bite into her, two on her leg and one on her shoulder. Minako reached for her but was suffocated by dozens; Rei's fires couldn't keep up as hundreds of the ghouls emerged out of the darkness, hungry for their meal. Things looked bleak until a bitterly cold wind shredded the ghouls away, and a surge of water dredged from the ocean's depths wiped the battlefield clean. Usagi winced as she nursed her wounds, looking around to see where the attacks had come from. Had Minako and Ami somehow found a second wind? No...there were two other figures there in the darkness.
"It seems coming here was a good idea after all," one of them said.
"Yes, but what are they doing here? Do you think they're after the same thing we are?"
"I doubt it, though I don't believe in coincidences. We should look around and make sure there aren't any more of those things in the area."
"Haruka, they're hurt. Do you really want to leave them here?" There was a moment of hesitation.
"We're not here to babysit them. Focus on the mission—"
"HEY!" Rei shouted. "We could use some help here!"
"Take care of your own problems," said one of the voices, and they leaped off into the distance. Minako snarled.
"Oh no you don't! Thunderbird chain of love, encircle!" She whipped out a long rope of solid air, coiling around the two figures and hauling them in. Rei lit another fire so everyone could see what their saviors looked like. Usagi's eyes bulged as she recognized one as the tall, sandy-haired androgynous woman who had flustered her back at the Black Cliffs. The other was a lady about the same age as her companion, elegant and graceful with wavy aquamarine hair. She wore white and bluish-green clothes similar to a water-bender, but they weren't in the style of either of the major tribes, nor of any riverfolk Usagi knew of. The taller one (Haruka if she remembered correctly—and she definitely remembered) smirked as she looked into Minako's agitated face.
"Nice trick, but I'm an air-bender, too." She raised her hand and dispelled the windy chain around her, then gave Minako a taste of her own medicine and tied her in a much tighter knot. The fire that Rei lit circled around them, but was just as quickly extinguished when the aqua-haired lady called up a snowbank to blanket the flames.
"We don't have time to play with you girls," she said sternly. "If none of you are seriously hurt, then we'll be on our wa—"
"Hold it right there!" Usagi shouted, angrily storming up to them. The sandy-haired woman smirked.
"Oh, hey there, Avatar bun-head. I didn't expect to see you h—" She was interrupted as Usagi raised a palm to strike her, but caught the girl's arm in mid-strike. The woman's eyes glinted suavely. "Ah, you're quite the little spitfire, aren't you? But like my partner said, we don't have time—"
A loud snap cut her off. Usagi had wailed on her with her other palm before the other woman could react. A small reddish welt was left on her face, and her wolfish expression turned stony. She regarded the Avatar with a mixture of respect and remorse.
"Okay...so I suppose I deserve that. I apologize for my earlier action."
"Who are you?" Usagi demanded. "What is it you're after?" Before either of them could say anything, a low growl rose up out of the darkness, followed by many more. Dozens, hundreds of gluttonous yellow eyes peered at them. The ghouls had returned with reinforcements.
"We'll talk later," Haruka said. "It looks like we're all in the same danger. Can your bison fly?"
"No," Minako answered, "those ghouls got to him. How about you two?"
"We came here by boat, but it's moored on the other side," the aqua-haired woman said. "We'd never be able to swim to safety without dying from hypothermia."
"Well, we can't fight our way through that mess," Haruka indicated. She looked around for resources, but there was nothing but ice and snow. She pursed her lips. Suddenly, the ground below them began to crack and groan. Chasms started to form, and the land trembled as it shifted and struggled. The two newcomers looked up to see a wounded Ami kneeling atop the ice, her hands outstretched.
"Ami, what are you doing?" Usagi cried. "You need to rest!"
"Of course," the aqua-haired woman said to herself. "It's the only way off! Avatar, quickly, I need you to help me break this ice! You, fire priestess, we'll need your help, too! Haruka, you and the other air-bender need to be ready to shove us off."
"What are you talking about?!" Makoto demanded. The older woman stared at her.
"Your friend's trying to break part of the island away—the part we're all on! If we can chip it off, we can ride it somewhere safer."
"I get it now," Usagi said. She nodded to the older woman and focused on the cracks that Ami had opened up, willing them wider with her water-bending. Rei cut into the fissures with her fire; Makoto grabbed some of their camping tools and chipped away; Minako and Haruka helped stave off the ghouls while everyone else broke the island apart. Once a deep enough chasm was made, Usagi went into the Avatar State and broke it off, then it was a matter of Haruka and Minako pushing them away while the aqua-haired woman steered the waves in their favor. Soon they were away from the island, watching as the ghouls approached the broken shore.
"Life, life," they called. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, but it was short-lived: the darkness was obliterated as seven blinding pillars of light struck the island, issuing creatures similar to the ones seen at the lake in Patola. The ghouls shrieked and scrambled away in terror, but the shining ones overwhelmed them, their glow expanding until it illuminated the entire southern sea for miles in every direction. They disappeared just as suddenly as they appeared, leaving nothing behind but silence. The ghouls were never seen again.
"Those things again!" Makoto exclaimed with a shudder. "What are they, anyway?" Haruka walked up to her, arms crossed.
"No idea. We've seen a few of those in our travels. They come and go at will, always to eliminate a specific target. They're the reason why Michiru and I are traveling." The girls studied their new companions; the aqua-haired woman bowed stiffly.
"I believe we have time for introductions now. Michiru Kaioh: female, twenty, water-bender. I can only assume your bun-headed friend has explained who Haruka is." Minako, Rei, and Makoto blushed as they beheld the taller woman in all her androgynous beauty.
"Not nearly well enough," the priestess murmured dreamily. Minako swallowed.
"Yeah, no kidding. Aww, why does the bun-head get to meet all the interesting people?! And you even kissed her? Sheesh, some people have all the luck!"
"Luck?!" Usagi bellowed. "Whaddya mean, luck?! She...I...I mean, she should've asked me first, ya know!"
"I think you can make a few exceptions, Usagi," Makoto muttered. Haruka laughed.
"While I did apologize for that, can you honestly tell me you didn't enjoy it, even just a little?" Usagi's face turned deeply crimson, and she stammered incoherently.
"I...you...well, I just...ah, y-you...umm...th-that's not the point! Now are you gonna explain what you're doing here or not?" Haruka laughed louder, and even Michiru chuckled a little.
"I suppose that's fair," the aqua-haired lady said. "After all, it seems like we'll be drifting for awhile. I'm afraid I can't do much for your wounds, though."
"Oh, I'll take care of that," Ami called. She sat up against Artemis's fur and resumed healing herself and her friends. She had to take breaks in between patients since she wasn't completely recovered, but eventually, everyone was healed, with no ill effects other than anemia and scars. Rei built a little fire to keep everyone warm as their tiny glacier sailed further out into the ocean.
Haruka and Michiru didn't waste time or words: they explained that, aside from investigating what they referred to as "the Sentinels of Light", they had been sent to study the increased spiritual activity taking place all over the world, and whether or not there was any correlation. At first the younger girls were unaware of any significant change in spiritual presence or influence, but then Rei brought up her encounter with the Spirit of Decay—and then there was Apsu to consider. Surely the reemergence of such a powerful entity would have an effect on the ethereal plane. Haruka and Michiru were interested to hear about Apsu, and when the girls explained how they had gotten tangled up with the primordial being, the two women stared at each other, startled.
"I'm impressed you managed to survive that encounter," Michiru said. "I'd only heard of Vainamoinen in songs and legends, though. I didn't think he was real."
"He's gone back to being a legend now," Usagi murmured wistfully. There was a moment of silence.
"So you're researching these Sentinels as well as increased spiritual activity," Rei summed up. She looked to Usagi. "That sounds like something the Avatar should be concerned with as well."
"Maybe, maybe not," Haruka replied. "In any case, Michiru and I work better when we're alone. Our meeting today was just a coincidence. We can't constantly be saving you girls at the expense of our mission."
"Excuse me?" Makoto bristled. "I'll have you both know that we can take care of ourselves. After all, we broke into Beryl's palace and overthrew her, and we stood up to Apsu's Everlasting Army."
"From what you all told us, it sounds like you had help there, too," Haruka muttered. Makoto balled her fist and scowled.
"What was that?!"
"Hey, let's not fight amongst ourselves!" Usagi wailed as she stood between them. "Haruka's right: there's no way we could've accomplished half the things we did without help! All the same, we did them. I'd say we've earned a little respect." She stood unwavering as Haruka stared back at her, before slowly softening.
"All right, so you can hold your own. And I doubt there's anything we can do or say that would make you change your minds."
"Let's just say that we'll each go our own way and look into this on our own terms," Michiru said. Usagi frowned, even though she agreed with the logic.
"While I still think it would be better if we joined forces, I'd never ask anybody to do something they were unwilling to do. If you ever do decide to help us, I want it to be of your own free will." Haruka and Michiru smiled softly, exchanging a warm glance.
"Well-said. And our interests may yet coincide. We're also searching for the Ouroborus, if that means anything."
"But those are extinct," Rei said, then hesitated. According to zoologists, the last of the snakes that "devoured and restored themselves in perpetuity" had perished during the time of Avatar Almasafir, and now lived only in the zodiac. "R-right? They died out ages ago."
"As you say," Michiru nodded. "Nevertheless, that is our purpose." The ladies were silent for awhile as they dwelt on everything they had heard. Ami, slowly recovering from her last bout of healing, carefully stood up.
"What I don't understand is who gave you these prerogatives. Was it a Water Tribe Chieftain, an Air Nomad Sifu...?"
"It doesn't matter," Michiru replied coldly, crossing her arms. "That is our mission. Anything outside of that is...interference." So that was that. The girls tried getting to know their companions a little better during the trip—after all, they still had time—but Haruka and Michiru preferred to keep their secrets, and besides, everyone was growing tired. The girls soon cuddled around Artemis and went off to sleep; Haruka and Michiru sat on the cold ground and leaned back to back as they drifted off.
"Such a sweet group of girls... It's too bad we can't help them."
"They'd just be in the way." A chuckle.
"I think you're soft on that bun-head, Haruka."
"She's certainly...entertaining."
"Don't you mean 'intriguing'?" Haruka shifted rudely.
"Come on, I haven't slept in two days. You're far too good at keeping me up at night."
"Only because there's never a dull moment with you. But at least last night wasn't my fault. I indulged you, remember?"
"Yeah, thanks for that. You know me better than I know myself."
There was a long pause.
"Can you hear me, Haruka? Can you hear me breathing? Can you feel my heartbeat synchronize with yours?" Michiru felt someone take her hand, fingers intertwining. They fell asleep in this fashion and woke up in the same fashion, long before anyone else. They entertained the idea of saying good-bye to the girls but knew they didn't have the time, so they slipped away as soon as land was in sight, taking a tiny chip off the glacier and riding it onto solid ground.
Still. They looked back wistfully.
"Tell me the truth, Haruka: you want to go with them." Haruka stood there mutely for another moment or so before turning around and setting off.
"Sometimes we don't have the luxury of desires. Sometimes, all we have...is our duties."
Michiru joined her shortly. They looked at each other, smiled, and touched their fingers together.
"Our duties...and each other."
The end of "Sky and Sea"
Next time: "Vengeance from the Shadows"