"The Long Night"

By Nes Mikel

Acknowledgment;

Standard Disclaimers apply. You know what I'm talking about. Don't sue me. Please.

The Caravan

Lekim was still there, staring at the dead fire when someone promptly came up besides him. It was one of the other old ones that had supported Lekim in the short-lived debate. Krr'isha.

"You did well." she tried.

"No, I didn't." Lekim criticized himself. "You know this more than I do." He didn't even attempt to take his eyes off the charred ground.

She sighed. "Can't argue with that."

He didn't laugh.

Lekim sat down. She noticed with interest that his eyes were slightly watery. He had been crying.

"They know too." he replied shortly after. "It must have been hard for all of them to even conceive the thought of disbanding. But I guess it must have come to this sooner of later." His entire body was shaking from anger.

"There was nothing we could have done to save the revolution."

"I know!" he bursted out suddenly, his fist clenched tightly, trying to regain control of his emotions. "I know... but I didn't want to believe."

She sighed again, and perhaps she felt a little sympathetic; she sat down besides him. She put on one of her furry hands onto his broad shoulder, trying to reassure him silently.

"Why?" he asked suddenly.

"Hm?"

"You supported me in my argument at first, but quickly sided with them."

"Yes."

"Why?"

She took her hand away from his shoulder, and gave it some thought. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" he finally turned his eyes away and faced her for the first time. She could see anger was slowly dancing in his eyes.

"I agreed with you at first because you had the same reasons as I did."

Lekim seemed irritated at her response. He had told her before how he hated her the way she talked so cryptically. She shrugged the thought away. She was what she was. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

"So you didn't want to leave the caravan too."

She nodded. "It is hard to leave behind ones you knew so well."

"Even for you? You offered to leave just moments ago even before we talked of this."

"That was a different matter." she replied. "With our homeworld slowly coming under the grasp of those infidels, I knew they would come after our kind with renewed vigor."

"But there are dozen other Mrrshans besides you."

"I am the center figure. Surely they would want me dead."

"That doesn't change the fact that there are others, and they are almost equally wanted as you are."

Krr'isha was silent.

"So," Lekim folded his arms. "You just wanted to get away from us because you felt responsible."

She tried her best to hide her emotions, but Lekim had spotted her reaction. "You're so foolish and full of yourselves." He shook his head, and lied down on his back against the soft sand. Lekim chuckled silently at the comment he had just made.

"I see. I think I understand a little now, Krr."

She smiled. Krr'isha copied Lekim and rested besides him, feeling the soft touch of sand on her furs. She felt a little relaxed for the first time in a long time.

"Krr?"

"Hm?" she was half-dreaming now.

"Thanks."

She was going to have a good dream tonight.