The Wild

Chapter 8

Piper and Leo had fallen asleep after their afternoon of lovemaking. For the last month, they had been using the tent where they had found Phoebe and Jolon to get some privacy. However, Piper was nervous about going there in the middle of the day, and her sleep was agitated.

She opened her eyes, suddenly alerted. Still, when straining to hear what had awakened her, she heard nothing besides the usual noises of the forest. An intense malaise built inside her nevertheless, at this point. She had the distinct impression that something very bad had happened, but no idea on what it was.

She tried to shake Leo awake.

"Leo!"

He moaned, but slept on. Piper almost gave up on waking him up, but the malaise seemed only to intensify, so she called louder:

"Leo, please wake up!"

Leo opened his eyes reluctantly and pulled her toward him.

"Come on sweetie, nobody is coming," he said, supposing that it was her usual worry about being discovered in an embarrassing situation.

"That's not why I woke you up. I have a bad feeling…"

Leo was still not convinced:

"You know how nervous you get. This is probably why. Just try to relax. The Indians really don't care too much about what we are doing here anyway…"

He seemed about to go back to sleep at this. The afternoon had been somewhat draining, but Piper would not let him… She insisted…

"Come on Leo. We have to go back; I fear that something terrible happened…"

Leo looked up with a frown:

"Like what?"

"I wish I knew, but I can't ignore that. Please, will you?"

Leo smiled:

"Alright, if you really believe this, it doesn't hurt to go have a look…"

They dressed up quickly, as Piper became more impatient for every moment.

In the end, her anxiety transferred to Leo as well, and they both hurried out…

Phoebe had managed to get Paige to walk back and they were making their way to the village. She had not said a single word, but at least she was not hysterical anymore. It gave Phoebe some time to think about what awaited them. And also, to think back about all that Jolon told her of his people with an unpleasant hindsight.

For all the time that they had spent in exile, they had the occasion to talk a lot. Phoebe told him about her former life and Jolon talked about his tribe and what they were all about… He had certainly convinced her until now that they were not as bad as she had thought at first. He had even managed to convince her of Noayak's good nature. In spite of what had happened, he could not bring himself to hate her. For Phoebe, it was to his credit that he still could forgive this from her. However, at first she had been reluctant to do the same.

Eventually, he had told her how much they had shared, and that he was certain that she must have regretted her action against them. He told her how happy going she used to be, and managed to make Phoebe like her. Which was not a small feat considering that when he had started talking, she had immediately been atrociously jealous. Of course, she trusted that he loved her, but she had not shared nearly as much as the Indian girl with him. When she reminded him of this, he had looked at her very seriously:

"Noayak has shared a lot with me, that's true, but I feel like I have known you forever. A feeling that I never had with anyone, not even her."

Phoebe had felt an intense relief, not so much at his words, but more at the way he had looked at her. The love that he had for her was written all over his face, and simply reflected her own feelings for him.

He had also talked about the Shaman, for whom he had a great affection, and then of many more among the villagers, whom he all knew by name. By now, she almost felt like she knew them too. Therefore, what had just happened to Paige was even more painful to her. She felt this as a personal affront. As if friends of her had betrayed her trust… As much as she wanted to believe that the monster had been an exception, it was difficult not to generalize. Still, all the way to the village, she forced herself to remember all the good things Jolon had told her about them…

The scout had spotted the man who was supposed to warn of any arrival, and knocked him out before he could sound the alarm. That is how the soldiers came very close to the village before anyone realized that they were there.

Immediately, the soldiers shouldered their guns and spread out. As soon as they did, the chief and the braves took position at the center of the village, while cursing themselves for their lack of vigilance.

The chief immediately dispatched one of his men to go fetch the prisoners. This one soon came back with a very worried look about him.

"They're no where to be found!"

The chief turned to him with an incredulous expression:

"Wasn't there someone looking out for them?"

Another of the young braves answered sheepishly:

"They had been so quiet; we did not really think that it was necessary to watch them so closely…"

Right then, the chief's anxiety went up noticeably as he turned back toward the soldiers, who were now watching them cautiously, obviously ready to attack.

Two men stepped ahead however, with their guns pointing to the ground, and the chief signaled to the braves to stand down. "Who knows," he thought, "maybe we can still end this peacefully?"

He started toward them as well.

The Indian scout had come along with the sergeant and they were now close enough to talk normally. Both sides stopped at this point, measuring each other silently.

The sergeant was the first to talk, addressing his scout so that he would, hopefully, be able to translate for the chief:

"Ask him what he knows about the white people who disappeared last fall." He began simply, to open the discussion.

They still had to decide what they would do about the Indians themselves. The trappers had been left a ways behind, as they were demanding revenge on the spot.

Paul was still among the soldiers, and watched anxiously not only the chief, but also the other people behind him, searching the crowd for a sign of his daughter.

The chief took a moment before answering, as he wondered how he would explain if for some reason the prisoners had escaped at the most inopportune moment.

Then he said:

"We might know where they are…"

The sergeant insisted as soon as the translation was complete:

"Tell him to show us to them immediately, or else…"

The chief did not seem impressed by the threat; but then again, the sergeant had some dealings with Indians before, and knew better than to trust their poker face.

"Tell him that we know he took prisoners, and we won't leave until he has produced them."

The chief listened to the scout but did not really need the translation, as he was perfectly able to read the soldier's expression.

"I need to talk to the council," he said, trying to give himself more time.

The sergeant seemed impatient, but agreed anyway. He turned back and walked quickly toward his company. Paul eyed him expectantly, but he simply indicated for him to be patient. Paul felt that he had been more than patient enough… Nevertheless, he forced himself to wait a little longer, still watching the village anxiously in the hope to see Phoebe or her cousins.

Cole had arrived at the edge of the village a while ago, to find that his premonition had been unfortunately too real. Of course, after what had happened in the woods, he had very little doubts. He watched the exchange and when he saw the chief coming back, he hoped that it was a good sign, but he could not take any chances. Not after what happened…He took a deep breath and got out in the open.

The chief was the first to notice him on his way back, and he became even more upset at this.

Cole hurried toward him from the opposite side to the soldiers' position.

The chief was about to turn his back to him, but the Shaman came forward and implored him to listen. He had the feeling that Jolon would not be coming back unless there was a compelling reason to do so.

"Chief, please listen to me," Jolon began, "I saw this tribe being destroyed in a vision. The soldiers will not accept to negotiate with you…"

The chief was loath to respond, so the Shaman did for him:

"What makes you think that they won't care about the wellbeing of the hostages?"

Jolon's sad expression worried the Shaman and the Chief in turn.

"I'm afraid that this is no longer an option. The white men will not be forgiving when they find out what happened to the girl. I tried to prevent it but I was too late…"

The Shaman questioned him:

"What are you talking about? The prisoners have been very well treated, even if they were responsible for your…"

He could not finish this, as he knew that the chief did not need a reminder of Jolon's assumed betrayal…

Jolon did not like to be the bearer of such terrible news, but he had no choice:

"One of the remaining girls has just been raped…"

The chief looked at him with the most incredulous expression. The braves had all been warned against fraternizing with the prisoners, let alone hurt them. And even so, he couldn't believe that one of his people would have sunk so low.

"That's impossible. She must have encouraged him… Who is supposed to have done that?"

Jolon turned directly toward him:

"It was Cobena, and I saw him with my own eyes, just before I killed him…" He said firmly, warding any protest. "However, I doubt that the soldiers will be forgiving, even if she has been avenged."

The chief scrutinized him, as if trying to find a crack in his story. Nevertheless, he had to conclude that this was true…

He turned halfway in the direction the soldier had gone with a very worried expression.

Jolon offered:

"Maybe, I could try talking to them, in their own language. Maybe…"

He hesitated lengthily.

"Maybe, I could use what I am to make them listen…"

The chief was not quite convinced yet. Even more so that he was still angry with Jolon.

He offered that they should discuss this with the council first, as the white man had allowed that much.

"And where is the girl?" The chief asked with an unusually anxious expression.

"I'm not sure," Jolon had to answer. "She ran away… But Phoebe went after her."

The chief winced at the mention of Phoebe, but said nothing and took the direction of his tent, soon followed by the Elders.

Paul was becoming increasingly impatient. All this talk was not what he had hoped for… Now that they were here, he wanted to know at last…

The soldiers were concentrating on watching the villagers closely, and did not notice when he started moving away from them. He walked cautiously; not wanting to alert either side, but nothing could keep him from trying to find his daughter.

He was a man of action that had found himself at the mercy of other people's decisions. "No more," he told himself, as he was closing in on the village.

He noticed the tall Indian, standing in the public place and talking to the chief. It was obvious, even from a distance that the conversation was tense. This did not reassure Paul in the least, as he finally got behind the first tent. No one was paying attention to him, as both sides were more worried of the ones with weapons. Therefore, he emboldened himself and started looking inside a few tents and around the village, hoping to find the girls. That is how he saw them first.

Phoebe was still lost in thoughts when they got near to the village. However, seeing it now, she was worried about entering it…

There was no way for her to know what would be the people's reaction there. She wished that Jolon had stayed with her, and decided to wait until she saw him before she went in. So that instead of going straight toward the village, she and Paige started walking around it until she stopped short, suddenly aware that the soldiers were already here.

Only seconds later, she heard the familiar voice of her father calling to her almost crazily. She could not believe that he was there, after all this time. So much so that she did not go to him, even when he started running toward them. However, by then the soldiers as much as the warriors, had become aware of his, and most importantly of the girls' presence near the village. Both groups converged toward them, as Jolon realized what was happening as well, and started toward them in turn.

Paul froze when he managed to get a better look at Paige, immediately noticing the appearance of his niece with a horrified stare. Paige was a pain to look at, indeed. Her eyes were red and swollen from the crying. Her clothes torn in many places… It was immediately apparent that she had been molested, and the rage mounted in him at the thought of it, but also of what might have happened to his own daughter.

Phoebe saw the change in her father's attitude and her anxiety level grew.

She was angry with the man who hurt Paige, yes, but by now, she knew that not everyone there should be held responsible for it. She tried to tell him just that:

"Daddy, please it's not what you think. We were not…"

He did not give her a chance to finish:

"Paige, oh my god, what did they do to you," he said, even as he got to them and hugged both of them tight, not noticing Phoebe's reluctance.

"Oh Phoebe, we were so worried. What did those monsters do to you?"

He had tears of rage in his eyes, and Phoebe could not find the words fast enough, as the emotion choked her. The first ones to arrive were the warriors, and they tried to grab Paige. Paul reacted instinctively and hit the first one. Then another came and threatened him with a knife. That was enough for the soldiers, who had also seen Paige and understood the implication. They were not about to allow her to be taken again.

Piper and Leo were just about to re-enter the village, when they saw the commotion and stood back. The loud noise of gunshots was then heard, and Leo pulled Piper in the underbrush, pushing her to the ground protectively, even as she protested vehemently. Phoebe saw Jolon coming and she panicked:

"Stop, please stop." She screamed around. However, there was no stopping it. The warriors gave up on Paige, and instead ran toward the soldiers, determined to protect the village.

Phoebe moved away from her father, as he screamed at her to stay behind. Nevertheless, she went on, determined to rejoin with Jolon. This one hesitated slightly. He was tempted to go help his brothers, but felt that this fight was mostly baseless. He was devastated that he could not prevent this horror. He felt that he had to do something, and not waiting for Phoebe, he started toward the fighters.

"Stop, you have to stop," he screamed in turn, at the top of his lungs.

He halted only mere feet from the battleground, and screamed many times in both languages, trying to get someone's attention. It was no use, as the gunshots and the clamors from the fight covered his voice completely. Phoebe had seen his movement and changed direction to follow him, forgetting all about the risk to herself. She was calling to Jolon now, running to him under the horrified stare of her father, who could not understand why she would put herself in harm's way.

Jolon did not quite hear her calls, but he somehow felt it because he turned toward her as she was almost by his side. The warriors were already trying to retreat, as the death toll was climbing rapidly. At this point, Phoebe and Jolon ended up among them. In that instant, everything went wrong. A stray bullet hit her on the left shoulder and the shock startled her. At first, she felt no pain… Just an intense surprise… However, the look on Jolon's face told her that she had been hit, long before she felt it. She put her hand to her shoulder, thinking that she might just have been grazed, and looked back at it to find it bloody.

She had barely time to react to this before she saw the ground coming fast toward her, as a wave of dizziness washed over her. This time, she heard Jolon distinctly calling to her in the sudden silence. A soldier had noticed her falling, and called nervously to the others, whom had stopped shooting, giving the chance to the remaining braves to retreat toward the village. This, while many of their number lied dead or wounded on the ground. Jolon let out an agonizing scream before running to her and throwing himself to the ground by her side. He was oblivious to the stares, as he took her by the shoulders trying to revive her. Her breath was now shallow and laborious, but she managed to look up at him, trying to smile reassuringly.

"Please Phoebe, you can't leave me; stay with me, please," he was saying, as she seemed to come in and out of consciousness in his arms.

Paul hesitated, seeing his attitude. However, the sight of a savage holding his possibly dying daughter was too much for him. He went to them and pulled Jolon away from her. Jolon reacted instinctively, hitting him as hard as he could, and then he tried to go back to her. The gunshot sounded like an explosion to Phoebe, and she saw Jolon falling toward her in horror, just as she lost consciousness for good.

A scream was heard from behind them. Paige was now running toward them, no longer prostrated but rather irate.

"What have you done?" She was yelling now. "Oh my god, what have you done?"

The soldiers lowered their weapons then, too late however.

The braves, who had been preparing for a new attack, just watched as she ran toward Jolon and Phoebe, and then she turned toward both camps in turn.

"They only wanted to prevent this… What have you done?" She repeated, now in tears.

Paul was kneeling by the two bodies, tears rolling freely down his cheeks. He took Phoebe in his arms after pushing an unconscious Jolon away from her. Then he carried her behind the soldiers' line…

Leo and Piper had also watched in horror what was happening, but did not dare come closer until then. The sergeant hesitated at seeing the people he had come for walking toward them freely. Piper looked at Jolon, still lying on the ground unconscious, and then at Paige, who was crying uncontrollably. She went to her, and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her toward the soldiers, followed closely by Leo.

These were unsure of what to do. However, considering that they had found the ones that they had come for, and knowing that they had been the ones who hurt Phoebe, the sergeant signaled retreat to the men. The braves watched in relief as the soldiers left.

The Shaman waited only until the last of them had re-entered the forest to send some of the braves to get Jolon's body among others and bring them back to the village…

Some of the braves started talking about revenge again, even as they were taking care of the wounded, and burying their dead. However, this time the Shaman put his foot down. He went to the council at this point.

"Haven't we had enough bloodshed?" He began emphatically. "Aren't we going to stop this monstrosity? How many more have to die for you to understand the futility of this war?" He was looking around at the Elders, delivering his speech with more passion than they ever had known him to express. They could clearly see his pain, as he worried about his son as well.

"Let's move on," he continued. "Let not the ones who died have done so in vain."

The Elders finally approved, after some delay. Then, they announced that the tribe would be moving as soon as possible.

Paul was the first to arrive in the clearing where they had left the trappers, followed closely by his nieces and the soldiers. The trappers, seeing Phoebe hurt, called for blood again.

Paul was the ones who dissuaded them. He told them that in fact, the soldiers had hurt his daughter. Some of them were still adamant about returning to finish the Indians, but the sergeant was very clear on this:

"I will leave some men here to ensure that the Indians won't come out and cause trouble. But that's that. No more going after a fight."

His company had lost two men as well, and the others were carrying them.

They dug the graves while watching for a possible retaliation that never came. Phoebe was under the care of the medic, but he knew that little could be done in this place. He came to the sergeant with a very worried expression.

"We have to bring her to a doctor, and very soon…"

The sergeant did not need more, leaving half of his men behind with the grim task of burying their fallen, he indicated to the others to build a mean to transport her with what they could find…

Phoebe woke up a few times during the trip back to the outpost, but only for short instants. In those moments, all she could think about was the pain, not only coming from her wound but much more because of Jolon. She had no way to know if he was still alive, and at first she even tried to get off the stretcher that they were carrying her on. However, none needed to keep her there, as she was too weak, she soon realized.

At some point, she thought that she heard his voice in her mind and wondered if she was not delirious. He was telling her to wait for him; that he would find her again…

No matter what she thought it was, she let this give her some hope, as she slipped once more into darkness…

It had been two months, two very long months. One of them, she had spent on her back recovering from the wound at the outpost, where fortunately, a very good surgeon resided.

When she started to feel stronger, she tried to get away. However, she had to accept that she was still too weak, as her father caught up with her even before she had left the outpost.

Her heart sunk when they forced her to go back home. All the way, she searched the surroundings for a sign of him, but found none. At first, everyone was relieved to see them back, even though Paige had many issues to work through. Leo, Piper and her, had made their way back home earlier in the month, and that morning, Paige came to see Phoebe.

This one was trying her best to put on a good face for her family, but she missed Jolon terribly and it took its toll on her every day. The pregnancy did not help her moving on either.

Paige found her in contemplation, still seemingly lost back in the wilderness.

"Phoebe?" She asked softly.

Phoebe turned to her, at first startled then she smiled gently for her cousin. She knew that she was not the only one who had left some of herself back there. For her part, Paige was doing her best to forget about it…

"How are you?" Phoebe asked softly.

"As well as can be… you?"

Phoebe sighed heavily.

"I don't know yet…"

"You have to move on, Phoebe…As terrible as it is, you have to accept that he's gone…"

Phoebe reacted forcefully at this:

"I'll never forget. Besides, I don't believe that he's gone."

Paige protested:

"But I saw him…"

Phoebe interjected:

"No! You saw him getting hurt. However, I'm sure that he's alive…"

"How could you be so sure?"

"The same way I knew that I loved him, even before I met him. I know that he's out there. I just wish that he was here already…" She added, her voice trailing sadly.

Paige came to her and wrapped her arms around Phoebe.

"And then what? What if he was? What would you do?"

"If I knew where he is, I would go to him myself…"

Paige eyed her incredulously:

"You can't be seriously thinking of returning there…"

Phoebe gazed at her cousin sweetly:

"I'm sorry about what happened to you, I really am. Jolon tried to prevent it…However, in my case I found joy beyond compare in that place… Even in exile, my life had never been so fulfilling. I love him, Paige. With all my heart… And I want to be with him, wherever he will be…"

Paige thought of protesting but her cousin seemed so certain that she watched her curiously instead.

"You really mean it, don't you?"

Phoebe smiled anew:

"Yes I do. I've never been surer about anything in my life…" She added, as she turned once more toward the window, lost in thoughts yet again.

Paige got up then and just said goodbye before leaving her cousin.

Phoebe had to force herself to get out of bed. There was more than one reason, why she did not feel like getting up… The night before, she had finally told her parents about her pregnancy and the drama that ensued had been unpleasant to say the least. She feared that from now on they would look at her in a different light. She had not stopped at this revelation, since her father had become enraged again, almost ready to go back there and kill the Indians himself.

"Please daddy," Phoebe had said, "I'm happy about this baby, please don't be angry."

Prue had exploded:

"Happy? Happy? How could you say that? My god, girl, it's terrible. Nothing to be happy about!"

Phoebe had tried to reason with her even as Prue looked at her daughter with horror in her eyes at her lack of concern, while Paul fumed silently at the news.

"Mother, you don't know what happened there, so you can't judge. No one forced me into anything. I did what I did because I wanted to. Just like Leo and Piper…"



Leo and Piper had gotten married only the week before. Piper had been reluctant at first, concerned that her social status was not up to his standard. However Leo persisted, telling her that he simply could not imagine his life without her. Piper had come one morning to see Phoebe as well, almost ashamed of her happiness, but Phoebe had reassured her immediately:

"Piper, if you're happy, that's all I want for you. Please, do not reproach happiness to yourself. You deserve it, and so does Leo…"

Piper had embraced her emotionally then:

"Oh Phoebe, I wish that you could be just as happy as I am. It's not fair to you," she had added with a cloud passing over her lovely features.

"Don't worry about me, just be happy yourself…"

They had cried a little at this; Piper knowing how difficult it must have been for her cousin. She had tried herself to imagine her life without Leo, and found it horrible, which is why she was overjoyed that he did not care about their differences…

This flood of memories had kept her in bed longer, Phoebe realized. She knew that she was putting off going to her parents. She loved them very much, but she also understood that they would never accept her new way of thinking. She had lived free and away from all the conventions. Now she knew that it was the way she had always wanted to live. Nevertheless, she could not imagine how she would return to that. Not without him…

In the end, she took her courage in hands and got up, dressing up as conservatively and properly as she could, to try appeasing her mother.

They were waiting for her in the dining room. The breakfast had apparently not been served yet. She concluded that they were intent on waiting for her, and possibly pursuing the unpleasant conversation. She sighed before sitting at the table…

"How are you feeling this morning?" Her mother asked stiffly.

"Fine mother, don't worry about me."

Prue was about to retort but seemed to think better of it…

It was Paul, who continued then:

"Your mother and I have discussed the situation at length. We think that it would be better for you if you went somewhere else until…"

Phoebe sighed anew but did not answer.

Paul went on:

"Paige just left, but she has offered to accompany you. I want to send you to my brother's, who has a ranch about a hundred miles from here, as you know. He will take care of you and make the arrangements for the baby when he's born…"

Phoebe's heart sunk at the implication:

"You can't seriously believe that I would abandon my baby, now can you?"

"There is no other way, Phoebe. You can't be known to have had a baby out of wedlock; or your life would be over around here."

Phoebe became angry:

"Then I'll go live elsewhere. I have no intention of letting anyone take my baby away from me. He's all that I have left…"

Paul replied angrily:

"You're going to do what we tell you, Phoebe. This could bring shame not only to you, but to our whole family…"

Phoebe got up suddenly:

"If you try to take my baby, I will run away and you'll never find me again…"

"Come on Phoebe," Prue intervened, "where would you go? We only want what is best for you."

Phoebe turned to her with fire in her eyes:

"Then leave me alone. I will go to your brother's, father, if that's what you want, but I won't abandon my child. Of that you can be certain." She then stormed out of the room before they could say anything else.

Instead of going up to her room, she found herself outside, on the way to the stables. This place was still the only one where she felt free. There, she could dream of the wonderful weeks that she had shared with Jolon. Moreover, she could let herself imagine that he was coming for her…

Suddenly, she thought that she heard his voice. He was telling her that he was on his way to her.

"Be patient my love, I'm coming for you…"

She shook her head, wondering if she had not dreamt it again. Yet, she was wide-awake. A strange feeling pushed her to go out then. She gazed around curiously, not knowing exactly what she was looking for. When her eyes fell on the mansion, she noticed a tall man walking toward the door. He was wearing a tired suit. More like travelling clothes… These were obviously worse for wear, and she wondered who that could be. For a moment, she thought that he was some solicitor and she knew that he would be disappointed, as her parents were not very patient with these. Particularly not one with this tired appearance…

Then, he stopped just as he was about to climb the stairs to the porch.

For some reason, she held her breath, as if knowing that something extraordinary was happening.

He turned slowly toward her, and it took her a moment to recognize him in these clothes.

He was there at last, and she was paralyzed. She had feared the worst so many times in spite of her assurances to the contrary. Now, seeing him, she was afraid that she was still dreaming.

Jolon started slowly toward her, possibly wondering the same thing. As he came nearer, she finally found the strength to move… Believing more and more that he was truly there… she took one hesitant step, then another, and then she began running toward him, throwing herself in his arms at last, with the feeling that she had again found home. He held on to her as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go. Then he took her face with both his hands, kissing her and stroking her, obviously trying to feel her as much through his touch than his eyes. She did the same soon, crying of joy. This lasted a few minutes where they simply just stared at each other.

Then he began:

"Phoebe… oh Phoebe, I was so afraid that I lost you…"

Phoebe asked in a little voice:

"How did you find me?"

He smiled sweetly:

"I followed my dreams. They led me to you. And to our child," he added putting his hand softly to her belly.

Phoebe smiled as well:

"How did you know? I never had a chance to tell you."

"The same way that I found you… You told me in the dreams…"

She did not need anymore than this, but he went on.

"Phoebe," he began more seriously, "I came to tell you that if you want me to come live in your world, I will… I don't care where we are, just as long as I am with you…"

For another long moment, she could not move or talk, the emotion again constricting her throat. Then rather than answering, she took his hand and pulled him back toward the stables. There, she simply opened two of he pens and indicated the horses and the saddles to him.

He turned to her in amazement.

Finally, she found her voice:

"I'm going with you. This is where I belong, in the wild. I've always known that in my heart, but you showed me that I could live it…"

He took her in his arms again, kissing her passionately, but she pushed him away reluctantly:

"Come on, hurry. I don't want anything to keep me away from you ever again, even if that was my own parents…"

"Are you sure?" Jolon asked, unable to hide his worry.

Phoebe smiled joyously:

"I'm absolutely sure. Hurry, I only have one last thing to do while you prepare the horses…"

She went to the back of the stable where she kept paper and ink for her writings. It had always been one of her favorite places for this as well.

When they were ready, she simply tore the dress to ride the horse, as she knew best, and then she pinned the note on the stable door. They left without ever looking back. She knew that nothing she owned here was needed where she was going, and left it all behind…

A while later, Prue found the note, as she was coming to get Phoebe back inside.

She exclaimed in a strangled voice as she started reading it:

'Mother, Father, I love you very much, you have to believe me. Moreover, in a way, it pains me to leave you. However, all my life I have known that my place was elsewhere. I told you often mother, but you did not listen…

I didn't know where until the last few months. I am sorry for the pain that I caused you, but know this, I will be happy. And if you love me, you will be happy for me as well in time. This, because I found my place in this world… I took two of the horses with me, which is all I will ever need from you.

Don't try to find me, don't be sad. Just know that I am safe and at peace, with the man that I will love forever…

Love, Phoebe.