4
Intern
Ria stood in front of the full-length mirror that hung in her room, admiring her new Whites. They were splendid. She turned this way and that, trying to get a look at them from all angles. She fussed with her hair to see what looked best with them. There came a soft rap at the door. She moved to open it. There was Kae and Stella.
"Congratulations!" said Stella, enveloping Ria in her arms. Ria froze, trying not to tremble as her sense heightened. She carefully tightened her shields on her projective Empathy so that she would not be broadcasting her feelings.
Stella grinned at the startled look that must have been Ria's face, "I just had to do that. I have to repay you see." She laughed, that broke Ria's spell of surprise, and she to laugh.
"I can't tell you how happy I am. Now were all Heralds together." Said Kae, she had been made a Herald at least a week ago. "But I have even more good news." She grinned, "You know that Stella is going out for another circuit. You also know that both of us are going on internship, and if you put the two together."
Ria looked from Kae, to Stella, and back again, "You mean were all together on circuit?"
"Yup!"
"That's great. When do we leave?"
"In a few days, you should start to pack and ready to leave."
"Ok."
Ria was caught up quickly in preparations to leave. She packed and gathered and studied maps and books just to be sure of everything. On the evening before she left their came a quiet rap on her door. She rose from her book and went to open it. She found herself looking slightly up at Kae's trainee.
"I heard from Kae that you were both leaving. I have made my goodbyes to her but I had to say the same to you." she spoke softly like falling snow. Ria felt her chest twinge. Lillin, for all that she was taller then Ria, was more like a child then either Kae or Stella. There were times when Ria was convinced that Lil had lived longer then anyone else because of her wise words and her excellent timing with them, but then there were times like this where she did seem younger.
"It's alright Lil. We'll see that we write you and we'll be back before you know, nothings going to happen. I'll miss you to." Ria offered genuinely grasping Lil's hand and looking earnestly up into her eyes. "Don't worry." She repeated. But she Sensed something; she thought it might be worry, still coming from Lil. The girl nodded, and smiled a little tentative smile that made Ria's heart squeeze for a different reason. Then Lillin turned and left.
Ria gently rubbed Kera's side with the currycomb; Kera sighed with contentment and leaned into the brushing.
:So what do you think of the journey so far?: Ria asked.
:I think it's going quiet well, for me at least. I am enjoying it thoroughly.:
:I'm glade there we haven't had to many mishaps or things to fix, only some minor chicken stealing cases; and those are easy to deal with.:
:It is a good thing, but it would be nice if there was something that happened that was unexpected so that you could get a better sense of what Heralds usually do and put up with. This has been a relatively calm trip so far.:
Kae entered the stables of the inn, Sidra following, "Where are the brushes and currycombs?"
"In that bucket," said Ria, pointing with her elbow. Kae fished around till she found a good brush, and then joined Ria in grooming their Companions.
"So what do you think about this Internship so far?"
Kae thought a moment, "Well, it has been quiet but that's rather nice. I always thought it would be more difficult, but this isn't, not that I'll take this as a good representation of what it's usually like. I like riding through countryside and hills and forest, as I said, it is quiet pleasant."
Ria nodded, "I agree." She paused and there was only silence, a companionable one. She had gotten less shy of Kae and Stella. That did not mean that her feelings were any less, more rather that she had better control, and she enjoyed their company and friendship too much to be shy. "What are we going to play tonight? We're getting a name as the traveling Herald-Minstrels, soon enough they'll ask for a song everywhere we stop."
"Gods forbid. We'd never get anything done then if they just wanted us for our music. I think we're performing tonight though, what I don't know, Stella probably has it all planed out."
"That's our Stella, at least one of us is organized, I'm not, or at least only when I need to be." Kae and Ria laughed a little as they cleaned and hung up the tack before going back to the inn to see what the night, and Stella, and in store.
:See you in the morning Kera.:
:Pleasant dreams to you too, I should be asleep soon, riding through the countryside might be nice but it is tiring.:
They were welcomed into the inn by a wave of heat and the smell of food. Ria suddenly realized that she was very hungry.
"Do you know what were doing about food?" she asked.
"Hungry too?" asked Kae.
"Famished."
"Let's find Stella."
Soon they had soup and bread and were tucked away in a corner. When they finished eating Ria and Kae went to change into new cloths, Stella had already done so. Then they all met up in the common room of the inn. As soon as they were all together they were asked to play. They played for about an hour before they begged off on the fact that they did need voices for their job, you can't rightly settle a chicken stealing case without a mouth.
They moved on. They began to enter more hilly country. The terrain was not as smooth and flat. There weren't many troubles even up here. Then they entered one town and were met by a slightly frantic man.
"You, Herald. We need you. Shant was murdered and they accused-of all people!-our little Chan! I swear to you, he isn't guilty! Please, help us." He said, his eyes darting all over the place.
"Calm down. We will help you, who ever is the true murder, be it the accused or not, we will settle this." said Stella in a voice of utmost calm. Ria was amazed that she could be so rattled. Kae, from the look on her face was just as rattled as Ria. Stella looked back at them, "Come on, you don't have to do anything, just watch and learn, and if you see something I'm missing tell me." Ria nodded and heard Kae give her assent.
Ria had never been in on a murder investigation. She hoped she never would have to again, but of course being a Herald; that wasn't likely. She swallowed and watched carefully, observing everything Stella did, the questions she asked, the people she went to first. She tried to see if Stella was missing anything, but as far as Ria could tell she had it all covered.
They left that village in a week. It was somewhat of a relief to leave, but the murder was now in prison. So they had accomplished something. They headed up into more mountain terrain, it was rougher and they began gaining elevation.
They were resting and eating, it was sometime around mid-day. They were in-between one town and the next, about fifty or sixty miles either way. Stella froze, her sandwich halfway between the paper she had wrapped it in and her mouth, her head cocked as if listening.
"What is it?" asked Ria, but then she too went silent as the sound that had made Stella freeze. There was a deep rumbling coming from somewhere behind them, it was getting louder.
"I don't know." Said Stella, "but I think we should get out of here." The sound was reaching up into a roar. Ria snatched her lunch and bag and helped Kae up. She followed Stella in a mad dash to the road where their Companions had stayed because they were not willing to pick their way up a steep and possibly dangerous hill. But the roar, and the source of the roar, was already overtaking them.
Little stones cascaded around her head and feet. Ria took a moment to pause and look back, to her amazement and horror there was a wall of rock, big boulders and grains of sand, rolling on them like some beast. She looked back to the road which was still a ways down, too far. She wouldn't make it. She clenched her teeth, running full out. She closed her eyes knowing that she had to move. The road was somewhere down below, and ahead of her. The hill was steep enough.she leaped.
Time and space stretched into an eternity, she wondered if she would ever touch ground again. She opened her eyes to see the Road in front of her nose. She had only a moment to curl up in a ball before she hit the ground with an authoritative 'thwack!'. She rolled sprawling, and then she got to her feet and looked wildly for Kera.
:Here, get on my back, quickly: Ria did, and soon they were flying back down the road, away from the path of the avalanche.
Her head throbbed and she was having trouble holding the reigns. Her arm was afire with pain. She tried to keep the hazed of pain and hurt away. But it was futile and the world was obscured in mist, and then all was black.
She came to on Kera's back.
"Hush, hold still a moment." Said Stella's voice from somewhere in front of her. She felt herself lifting from the saddle. Her arm dangled uselessly and she did not need a Healer to tell that it was broken in more then one place; it was the same arm that she had broken when she was five because a spider had surprised her. She pulled her eyes open. The world spun a moment then she was on the ground looking up at Stella's face. Stella, she saw, was crying.
"Keep holding still." she picked up Ria's arm gently and closed her eyes. She ripped the hem of her Whites, there was nothing else to use, and wrapped Ria's arm tightly so she would not feel the pain as much and her bones would settle in place. Then she ripped some more and made a sling.
Ria looked around. Some thing was wrong, something was missing, "Where's Kae?" Stella looked at Ria, tears streaming down her face.
"She's back.there. Sidra too. I had to help you first. I couldn't let you stay hurt if there was a chance that you would pull through. And Kae.I'm going back now that you're taken care of."
"You mean she never got out of the way fast enough." Stella's silence was all the answer that Ria needed. She struggled to a stand.
"We have to go back there and help her. She could still be alive!"
"You're not going any where, you're swaying on your feet, I'm going but you need to stay."
"No way, come on, let's not waste time squabbling. I'm fine enough to ride." Ria mounted up, using her good arm, luckily she was left handed. "Come on."
They came back to find the road covered in feet of rocks.
"Kae. Kae are you in there? Can you here me?" Ria called as she dismounted. There was only silence and the breath of the wind. Ria began to dig, pulling out rocks, rolling the boulders down the hill as best she could with one hand.
"Kae! Kaelin Aldwrn! Where are you? Get out here this instant or I'll.I'll take away your Whites!" said Stella, her voice cracking.
"Maybe she can't here us. Let's yell at the same time." Suggested Ria.
"Alright. One, two, three."
"Kaelin! Kae!" they called together. Ria could not be sure, but she thought she heard a muffled reply.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yes. It came from over there." they moved more down and climbed over some of the rocks, being careful not to set anything off.
"Kae!" they called again. And this time there was definitely an answer, but it was still to faint to hear.
"Why don't you use Mindspeech? I've heard all about how strong you are."
"Good idea." Ria tentatively out, on an all-call broadcast for the small area where they though Kae was :Kae? Can you hear me?:
:Yes: the thought was faint, too faint for Ria's liking.
:Hold on, we're coming to get you.:
:Good. See you soon.:
Ria put her back into it, using her hand and feet and back to move the rocks. She got the smaller ones that she could pull and carry with one hand. The rocks clattered down behind them. Sweat broke out on her brow and upper lip and the sun unmercifully shown down. They day had promised to be lovely and warm that morning, but they didn't intend this to happen. Stella worked beside her; breathing as hard as, if not harder then, Ria.
Within a few long candlemarks, they had only a foot till they came to Kae.
"Are you alright?" called Ria.
"No. who would be. I didn't intend to get covered by an avalanche!" Ria managed a weak laugh, at least Kae was in good spirits, "Sidra's down here too."
"Good. Hold on we're almost to you."
They removed what they thought was the last boulder to find a bent uprooted tree covering Kae and her Companion Sidra. They moved it to find Kae blinking up at them.
"Hi." She said. Ria couldn't contain herself. She threw her arms around Kae's neck and began crying shamelessly. She sat there a few moments before pulling away.
"Are you alright."
"No. My leg, I think, is broken."
Stella was already looking at it, "It is. Come on, let's get you out of here and to the town before worse befalls us." With Ria's one-handed help they got Kae out of the hole they had dug and out onto the clear road.
It was a candle mark or twos grim ride to the village. When they got there, Stella demanded the use of the Healer. After they had settled the murder they were respected enough to get exactly what Stella asked for.
Ria laid down uncomfortably on one of the beds in the Healers. She never liked lying down when the people around her were standing over her because it made her feel helpless and weak for some reason. She started to fidget.
"Stop that! Hold still, or do you want to lose the feeling in that arm permanently?" snapped the Healer. Ria fell still immediately. Lose all the feeling in my arm, could that actually happen? Oh please, please.
"There all done, you should be just fine and have most or all of the feeling and movement back in your arm in a week if you are gentle with it." said the Healer, letting her sit up. Ria heaved a sigh of relief.
"Where's Kae?" she asked as soon as she collected her wits about her.
"You're friend and mentor is over there." Ria saw Stella's black hair gleaming over a bed at the other end of the Healers.
"Are you alright Kae?"
"I'm fine." said Kae tiredly, but with a hint of amusement. "How many times does some one have to tell you people that I'm going to be fine before you two except it? Do you want me to not pull through?" she said, grinning thinly, looking from Stella to Ria and back.
"Of course we want you to pull through!" said Stella indignantly.
"I love you too much for you to die." Said Stella and Ria together, as if on cue. Ria looked at Stella, Stella looked at Ria, they both looked at Kae, Kae looked at them.
Ria Felt something 'click' into place. She looked at both Stella and Kae and saw a love deep, so deep in their eyes, it enveloped her and she Felt it like warm sunshine on her face. She unshielded her Empathy a little and let her emotions for them leak through. She saw both Stella and Kae's eyes light as they Felt what she was Sending.
"I love you, you both." She said,
"I feel the same." Said Stella.
"How could I not agree?" asked Kae, "I love you both more then anything other then Sidra."
Ria, on impulse, reached out and grabbed Stella's and Kae's hands, only to find they had done the same. She Sent a pulse of pure love to both of them using her selective Empathy, and received something like it in return mind-to-mind, and something a little deeper, a bond of some sort, back from them. She reached out inside and found that bond, so deep and secure she didn't know what could break it; she didn't want to find out. She Sent a pulse of surprise and joy, through it to the others so they would know it was there. She felt their surprise, same as her own, and their joy and love as well, resonating down the bond.
"I love you," she whispered into the silence that surrounded them. And at that moment she knew that she would never be alone, she would never be without love. She could go to the ends of the earth, and beyond and she would always have a home, in the hearts of herself and others, and others hearts would always have a home in hers. She would live, or die, but she would be with love. And that was all that mattered. And she felt that maybe, most likely, Kae and Stella felt the same way.
Intern
Ria stood in front of the full-length mirror that hung in her room, admiring her new Whites. They were splendid. She turned this way and that, trying to get a look at them from all angles. She fussed with her hair to see what looked best with them. There came a soft rap at the door. She moved to open it. There was Kae and Stella.
"Congratulations!" said Stella, enveloping Ria in her arms. Ria froze, trying not to tremble as her sense heightened. She carefully tightened her shields on her projective Empathy so that she would not be broadcasting her feelings.
Stella grinned at the startled look that must have been Ria's face, "I just had to do that. I have to repay you see." She laughed, that broke Ria's spell of surprise, and she to laugh.
"I can't tell you how happy I am. Now were all Heralds together." Said Kae, she had been made a Herald at least a week ago. "But I have even more good news." She grinned, "You know that Stella is going out for another circuit. You also know that both of us are going on internship, and if you put the two together."
Ria looked from Kae, to Stella, and back again, "You mean were all together on circuit?"
"Yup!"
"That's great. When do we leave?"
"In a few days, you should start to pack and ready to leave."
"Ok."
Ria was caught up quickly in preparations to leave. She packed and gathered and studied maps and books just to be sure of everything. On the evening before she left their came a quiet rap on her door. She rose from her book and went to open it. She found herself looking slightly up at Kae's trainee.
"I heard from Kae that you were both leaving. I have made my goodbyes to her but I had to say the same to you." she spoke softly like falling snow. Ria felt her chest twinge. Lillin, for all that she was taller then Ria, was more like a child then either Kae or Stella. There were times when Ria was convinced that Lil had lived longer then anyone else because of her wise words and her excellent timing with them, but then there were times like this where she did seem younger.
"It's alright Lil. We'll see that we write you and we'll be back before you know, nothings going to happen. I'll miss you to." Ria offered genuinely grasping Lil's hand and looking earnestly up into her eyes. "Don't worry." She repeated. But she Sensed something; she thought it might be worry, still coming from Lil. The girl nodded, and smiled a little tentative smile that made Ria's heart squeeze for a different reason. Then Lillin turned and left.
Ria gently rubbed Kera's side with the currycomb; Kera sighed with contentment and leaned into the brushing.
:So what do you think of the journey so far?: Ria asked.
:I think it's going quiet well, for me at least. I am enjoying it thoroughly.:
:I'm glade there we haven't had to many mishaps or things to fix, only some minor chicken stealing cases; and those are easy to deal with.:
:It is a good thing, but it would be nice if there was something that happened that was unexpected so that you could get a better sense of what Heralds usually do and put up with. This has been a relatively calm trip so far.:
Kae entered the stables of the inn, Sidra following, "Where are the brushes and currycombs?"
"In that bucket," said Ria, pointing with her elbow. Kae fished around till she found a good brush, and then joined Ria in grooming their Companions.
"So what do you think about this Internship so far?"
Kae thought a moment, "Well, it has been quiet but that's rather nice. I always thought it would be more difficult, but this isn't, not that I'll take this as a good representation of what it's usually like. I like riding through countryside and hills and forest, as I said, it is quiet pleasant."
Ria nodded, "I agree." She paused and there was only silence, a companionable one. She had gotten less shy of Kae and Stella. That did not mean that her feelings were any less, more rather that she had better control, and she enjoyed their company and friendship too much to be shy. "What are we going to play tonight? We're getting a name as the traveling Herald-Minstrels, soon enough they'll ask for a song everywhere we stop."
"Gods forbid. We'd never get anything done then if they just wanted us for our music. I think we're performing tonight though, what I don't know, Stella probably has it all planed out."
"That's our Stella, at least one of us is organized, I'm not, or at least only when I need to be." Kae and Ria laughed a little as they cleaned and hung up the tack before going back to the inn to see what the night, and Stella, and in store.
:See you in the morning Kera.:
:Pleasant dreams to you too, I should be asleep soon, riding through the countryside might be nice but it is tiring.:
They were welcomed into the inn by a wave of heat and the smell of food. Ria suddenly realized that she was very hungry.
"Do you know what were doing about food?" she asked.
"Hungry too?" asked Kae.
"Famished."
"Let's find Stella."
Soon they had soup and bread and were tucked away in a corner. When they finished eating Ria and Kae went to change into new cloths, Stella had already done so. Then they all met up in the common room of the inn. As soon as they were all together they were asked to play. They played for about an hour before they begged off on the fact that they did need voices for their job, you can't rightly settle a chicken stealing case without a mouth.
They moved on. They began to enter more hilly country. The terrain was not as smooth and flat. There weren't many troubles even up here. Then they entered one town and were met by a slightly frantic man.
"You, Herald. We need you. Shant was murdered and they accused-of all people!-our little Chan! I swear to you, he isn't guilty! Please, help us." He said, his eyes darting all over the place.
"Calm down. We will help you, who ever is the true murder, be it the accused or not, we will settle this." said Stella in a voice of utmost calm. Ria was amazed that she could be so rattled. Kae, from the look on her face was just as rattled as Ria. Stella looked back at them, "Come on, you don't have to do anything, just watch and learn, and if you see something I'm missing tell me." Ria nodded and heard Kae give her assent.
Ria had never been in on a murder investigation. She hoped she never would have to again, but of course being a Herald; that wasn't likely. She swallowed and watched carefully, observing everything Stella did, the questions she asked, the people she went to first. She tried to see if Stella was missing anything, but as far as Ria could tell she had it all covered.
They left that village in a week. It was somewhat of a relief to leave, but the murder was now in prison. So they had accomplished something. They headed up into more mountain terrain, it was rougher and they began gaining elevation.
They were resting and eating, it was sometime around mid-day. They were in-between one town and the next, about fifty or sixty miles either way. Stella froze, her sandwich halfway between the paper she had wrapped it in and her mouth, her head cocked as if listening.
"What is it?" asked Ria, but then she too went silent as the sound that had made Stella freeze. There was a deep rumbling coming from somewhere behind them, it was getting louder.
"I don't know." Said Stella, "but I think we should get out of here." The sound was reaching up into a roar. Ria snatched her lunch and bag and helped Kae up. She followed Stella in a mad dash to the road where their Companions had stayed because they were not willing to pick their way up a steep and possibly dangerous hill. But the roar, and the source of the roar, was already overtaking them.
Little stones cascaded around her head and feet. Ria took a moment to pause and look back, to her amazement and horror there was a wall of rock, big boulders and grains of sand, rolling on them like some beast. She looked back to the road which was still a ways down, too far. She wouldn't make it. She clenched her teeth, running full out. She closed her eyes knowing that she had to move. The road was somewhere down below, and ahead of her. The hill was steep enough.she leaped.
Time and space stretched into an eternity, she wondered if she would ever touch ground again. She opened her eyes to see the Road in front of her nose. She had only a moment to curl up in a ball before she hit the ground with an authoritative 'thwack!'. She rolled sprawling, and then she got to her feet and looked wildly for Kera.
:Here, get on my back, quickly: Ria did, and soon they were flying back down the road, away from the path of the avalanche.
Her head throbbed and she was having trouble holding the reigns. Her arm was afire with pain. She tried to keep the hazed of pain and hurt away. But it was futile and the world was obscured in mist, and then all was black.
She came to on Kera's back.
"Hush, hold still a moment." Said Stella's voice from somewhere in front of her. She felt herself lifting from the saddle. Her arm dangled uselessly and she did not need a Healer to tell that it was broken in more then one place; it was the same arm that she had broken when she was five because a spider had surprised her. She pulled her eyes open. The world spun a moment then she was on the ground looking up at Stella's face. Stella, she saw, was crying.
"Keep holding still." she picked up Ria's arm gently and closed her eyes. She ripped the hem of her Whites, there was nothing else to use, and wrapped Ria's arm tightly so she would not feel the pain as much and her bones would settle in place. Then she ripped some more and made a sling.
Ria looked around. Some thing was wrong, something was missing, "Where's Kae?" Stella looked at Ria, tears streaming down her face.
"She's back.there. Sidra too. I had to help you first. I couldn't let you stay hurt if there was a chance that you would pull through. And Kae.I'm going back now that you're taken care of."
"You mean she never got out of the way fast enough." Stella's silence was all the answer that Ria needed. She struggled to a stand.
"We have to go back there and help her. She could still be alive!"
"You're not going any where, you're swaying on your feet, I'm going but you need to stay."
"No way, come on, let's not waste time squabbling. I'm fine enough to ride." Ria mounted up, using her good arm, luckily she was left handed. "Come on."
They came back to find the road covered in feet of rocks.
"Kae. Kae are you in there? Can you here me?" Ria called as she dismounted. There was only silence and the breath of the wind. Ria began to dig, pulling out rocks, rolling the boulders down the hill as best she could with one hand.
"Kae! Kaelin Aldwrn! Where are you? Get out here this instant or I'll.I'll take away your Whites!" said Stella, her voice cracking.
"Maybe she can't here us. Let's yell at the same time." Suggested Ria.
"Alright. One, two, three."
"Kaelin! Kae!" they called together. Ria could not be sure, but she thought she heard a muffled reply.
"Did you hear that?"
"Yes. It came from over there." they moved more down and climbed over some of the rocks, being careful not to set anything off.
"Kae!" they called again. And this time there was definitely an answer, but it was still to faint to hear.
"Why don't you use Mindspeech? I've heard all about how strong you are."
"Good idea." Ria tentatively out, on an all-call broadcast for the small area where they though Kae was :Kae? Can you hear me?:
:Yes: the thought was faint, too faint for Ria's liking.
:Hold on, we're coming to get you.:
:Good. See you soon.:
Ria put her back into it, using her hand and feet and back to move the rocks. She got the smaller ones that she could pull and carry with one hand. The rocks clattered down behind them. Sweat broke out on her brow and upper lip and the sun unmercifully shown down. They day had promised to be lovely and warm that morning, but they didn't intend this to happen. Stella worked beside her; breathing as hard as, if not harder then, Ria.
Within a few long candlemarks, they had only a foot till they came to Kae.
"Are you alright?" called Ria.
"No. who would be. I didn't intend to get covered by an avalanche!" Ria managed a weak laugh, at least Kae was in good spirits, "Sidra's down here too."
"Good. Hold on we're almost to you."
They removed what they thought was the last boulder to find a bent uprooted tree covering Kae and her Companion Sidra. They moved it to find Kae blinking up at them.
"Hi." She said. Ria couldn't contain herself. She threw her arms around Kae's neck and began crying shamelessly. She sat there a few moments before pulling away.
"Are you alright."
"No. My leg, I think, is broken."
Stella was already looking at it, "It is. Come on, let's get you out of here and to the town before worse befalls us." With Ria's one-handed help they got Kae out of the hole they had dug and out onto the clear road.
It was a candle mark or twos grim ride to the village. When they got there, Stella demanded the use of the Healer. After they had settled the murder they were respected enough to get exactly what Stella asked for.
Ria laid down uncomfortably on one of the beds in the Healers. She never liked lying down when the people around her were standing over her because it made her feel helpless and weak for some reason. She started to fidget.
"Stop that! Hold still, or do you want to lose the feeling in that arm permanently?" snapped the Healer. Ria fell still immediately. Lose all the feeling in my arm, could that actually happen? Oh please, please.
"There all done, you should be just fine and have most or all of the feeling and movement back in your arm in a week if you are gentle with it." said the Healer, letting her sit up. Ria heaved a sigh of relief.
"Where's Kae?" she asked as soon as she collected her wits about her.
"You're friend and mentor is over there." Ria saw Stella's black hair gleaming over a bed at the other end of the Healers.
"Are you alright Kae?"
"I'm fine." said Kae tiredly, but with a hint of amusement. "How many times does some one have to tell you people that I'm going to be fine before you two except it? Do you want me to not pull through?" she said, grinning thinly, looking from Stella to Ria and back.
"Of course we want you to pull through!" said Stella indignantly.
"I love you too much for you to die." Said Stella and Ria together, as if on cue. Ria looked at Stella, Stella looked at Ria, they both looked at Kae, Kae looked at them.
Ria Felt something 'click' into place. She looked at both Stella and Kae and saw a love deep, so deep in their eyes, it enveloped her and she Felt it like warm sunshine on her face. She unshielded her Empathy a little and let her emotions for them leak through. She saw both Stella and Kae's eyes light as they Felt what she was Sending.
"I love you, you both." She said,
"I feel the same." Said Stella.
"How could I not agree?" asked Kae, "I love you both more then anything other then Sidra."
Ria, on impulse, reached out and grabbed Stella's and Kae's hands, only to find they had done the same. She Sent a pulse of pure love to both of them using her selective Empathy, and received something like it in return mind-to-mind, and something a little deeper, a bond of some sort, back from them. She reached out inside and found that bond, so deep and secure she didn't know what could break it; she didn't want to find out. She Sent a pulse of surprise and joy, through it to the others so they would know it was there. She felt their surprise, same as her own, and their joy and love as well, resonating down the bond.
"I love you," she whispered into the silence that surrounded them. And at that moment she knew that she would never be alone, she would never be without love. She could go to the ends of the earth, and beyond and she would always have a home, in the hearts of herself and others, and others hearts would always have a home in hers. She would live, or die, but she would be with love. And that was all that mattered. And she felt that maybe, most likely, Kae and Stella felt the same way.