D15cL41/\/\3RZorZ: L337 edition- I doo n0t pwn pkmn, n00b lololz!1!1! (I apologize for that. If you write like that in a non-joking manner, there's no help for you. You're too far gone.)
A/N I apologize again for not updating for a while. On a positive note, I know where I'm going again.
Words
in the actual chapter: 2845
Active Characters: 7
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5: Even Killers
"Don't
be so quick to condemn, for even killers have their reasons. The war
they fight just isn't one you're familiar with."
--Username
Kiyura, from Kuuiishakei
Strained breaths betrayed her position as she slowed. It wasn't the loss of blood that was beginning to take its toll on her, not yet; nor was it the strain of dragging herself off with the use of only three of her legs. It was the nidorina's venom that spread through her bloodstream through the grievous wound, causing her to slow and stumble. The trees doubled before her vision, a slur of brown and green that Mahe couldn't tell apart anymore and no longer cared. As she pitched forward, her good front leg tripping over the limp one that dragged beneath her, she had no more energy to even attempt to rise. She lay in the brambles, no longer feeling the insects buzzing about her, unable to gather enough energy to care. Instead, she noted with a lethargic, weary mind that the trees stretched forever upwards, growing as her vision faded. Faintly she heard the birdsong around her still, the distant hum of insects, a long series of calls somewhere far, far away...
Some part of her mind wondered how far the trees rose, and at what point the sky broke free from their reach and soared high above everything. She could see sparkles of piercing blue and white, fading to a yellow as it filtered down, and she watched it, keeping it in her vision as the blackness threatened to take everything. Just as it started to fade away, as well, a dim light filled her, and she felt nothing but energy all around her.
- - -
The woman held Mahe's pokeball extended, staring at where the creature had been moments before for quite some time before snatching it away and shoving it into a slot on her belt. She turned, dragging Annie along after her once again, but not before Annie had seen the expression on her face and felt the tightening of her hand on Annie's wrist.
With a sudden vicious pull, Annie was wrenched off-balance, barely able to correct it in time before she fell. They ran through the brush, something that Annie found immensely difficult. Many times she stumbled, and a few times she fell altogether, at which point the woman yanked her upright. "Where- where are we going?" she gasped when she could go no further, and there was no amount of pulling and curses that could get her to run again. They had been forced to slow to a walk, something the woman did not like one bit.
"We're almost to the river," she said, more to herself than for Annie's benefit.
"The river?" Annie echoed, seeming to pull her captor out of her reverie.
"Will you come on!" she snapped, and practically dragged Annie forward, forcing her on. She did not glance behind her but plowed forward, although she picked an actual path to follow this time: something that Annie was exceedingly grateful for.
- - -
Will stared at the dead body of the pidgeot, unable to look away and knowing he should. The nidorina had explained as they ran, but this spoke more than any words could.
--Annie?-- the neosaur chirruped, calling out to silence. --Annie!--
--She's probably dead,-- Pohi told her, causing her to stiffen, meeting the nidorino's eyes in obvious challenge. He looked away, unwilling to meet it, though Nasa's stance did not soften as she watched him.
Will was at a complete loss of what to do. On the one hand, he felt sorry for her, and it helped him none to know that he'd been the cause of this, but what could they do about it? He didn't know anything about tracking or woodlore: that was up to Pohi's instincts. Fala, he knew, preferred open spaces where she could run, and this twisted maze of brambles hardly qualified in the equine's eyes as somewhere she could run. Necessity forced her to, earlier; now that they had a lead, she could pick her way carefully through the brush. He doubted he could coax more out of her.
A velvet nose brushed against Will's shoulder, the ponyta's breath sending warmth through his shirt. He touched her cheek gently, and she snorted. --Will?--
"Nothing," he said quickly, bringing his mind back to the present. "I just need some time to think."
What was going on? Events were going far too rapidly for Will to keep track of them, and he had too many questions with too few answers, the most prevalent being what exactly he had in his pocket.
He didn't know what had made him pick it up, really. He still didn't know why he didn't just get rid of it, seeing the trouble it caused. Why not hand it over? What exactly had he done?
Because of me, someone's dead. All because of me...
--We should go,-- Fala told him, withdrawing her head. --I don't like this place, but I think you may already have guessed as much. I'd much prefer the open where I can run, if it comes to a fight, and somewhere that doesn't offer as much cover.--
--Then I'm leaving,-- Nasa said, flicking an ear to rid herself of an insect. --If you're not going to help my partner, I'm going on my own. I'm sure you understand.--
She watched as Will turned, running a hand through his rumpled hair. "Pohi?"
--I go with her.-- He met Nasa's gaze. --You gave the call to Herd, and Herd came. I'm not about to abandon you now.--
--Thank you,-- Nasa replied simply.
"You're BOTH insane!" Will cried, not for the first time and, he felt, likely not for the last. "She'll kill you both!"
--Not if I kill her first,-- the nidine - what was her name - Nasa, said amiably, and Pohi raised his head in acknowledgement.
"I can't believe this. My best friend deserts me." Will sounded hurt, and the nidine looked at him over his shoulder.
--Not if you come with us. You caused this mess. It's up to you to fix it as best as you can.--
For the second time in one day, Will gave in. "You owe me, y'hear? You owe me majorly, the both of you knobskulls."
- - -
Annie heard the river before she saw it, and when they broke free of yet another tangle of barbed underbrush, the woman released her, letting her rest. She panted for breath, trying to figure out just how many scratches and bruises she'd acquired from that wild flight through untamed forest.
"It should be here somewhere..."
"What should?" Annie asked, rising painfully to her feet.
The woman did not answer, pacing the top of the riverbank. Annie repeated her question, annoyed by being ignored for so long. "What should be here?"
"You'll see."
At last, the last straw had been placed. Annie let her fear and uncertainty channel into anger, feeling herself bridle with indignation. "No! I'm not moving from this spot until you explain to me just what is going on here! Why did you do that? Why don't you let me go? Why did you kill Skyva? What are you so afraid of?"
The last question made the woman spin around, and Annie was surprised at what she saw in the woman's eyes as she came within inches of her face. She's only a few years older than I am!
"I can't let you go. Don't you get it? I can't! There's too much at stake here, and if I don't get-" She broke off suddenly, whirling with such force that Annie was almost knocked off-balance. "I've said enough on this matter."
This made her all the more curious. "No you haven't! What the hell's going on here! Get what? What's at stake? Lives? You've taken one already! What do you plan to do, go after everyone until you find what you're looking for?"
"Ah, here it is," her captor said, answering her earlier statement. "And no, that's not what I plan to do. I plan to get to a Center, and fast. I can't leave you here because you'll just warn them away, and as long as I have you your friend will hunt for you, hopefully bringing the other with her. That saves me a lot of trouble, girl. Now come on."
She pulled from her belt two item balls, releasing from them a canoe and a kayak-style paddle. "Get in," she ordered, and when Annie hesitated dragged her bodily forward and threw her into the half of the canoe that was in the water. She stepped in herself, only to have Annie struggle to get to her feet, neatly tipping over the canoe in the process.
Annie quickly found that with her hands bound it was impossible to swim. She struggled, panicking as she felt the current start to drag her into the middle of the water, and to her dismay she could not even touch bottom. The river was far deeper than she had thought it would be.
Frantically she kicked, feeling her efforts grow increasingly feeble as the cold of the water sapped her strength. Air! She needed air! Frantically she squirmed, trying to break free of the ropes that bound her hands, but the more she tried, the tighter they grew. Her chest was burning from lack of oxygen, and she let out the breath she'd managed to gasp in before the current pulled her under, allowing herself a moment's reprieve.
It was short-lived, however, and then she wished she hadn't let that breath go. The burning need had returned almost instantly, this time with a vengeance, and as much as she struggled she felt herself slipping...
Suddenly something gripped her shirt firmly, pulling her upwards. She came up coughing and gasping for breath, feeling her body being tugged to the narrow bank, up and out of that vicious river. She lay there, exhausted and shivering as her savior recalled the canoe before it was out of range.
"That was stupid," the woman chided her. "Don't do that again." After a moment, the woman rummaged through and found another item ball. She cut Annie's bonds, saying, "Here, take those clothes off. Now!" she chided the younger female when she hesitated. Reluctantly, Annie removed shoes, socks, shirt and pants, standing there shivering.
The woman scowled. "Undergarments, too."
"Wha-?"
"Don't make me do it for you," she growled threateningly, and when Annie still hesitated, took a few steps towards her. "Or do you want to catch hypothermia?" Annie turned around to allow herself at least a little privacy, glancing over her shoulder hesitantly after a moment's passing.
The woman was no longer guarding her, but instead was rummaging around her pack, which, to Annie's surprise, was stocked full of item balls. She'd find something, shake her head, and put it aside, and only after a while did Annie realize she was looking for a spare set of clothing that would work.
Once she had turned her attention back to the task set to her something made of cloth hit her back. "Dry off, and then put these on," the woman ordered, and returned to muttering under her breath.
Annie glanced around to see the woman sitting perfectly straight, facing the opposite direction. She then looked at what had been thrown at her.
There was a cotton towel that Annie snatched up immediately, and to Annie's surprise she'd been given a complete change of clothing, minus shoes. They fit well enough, if a bit more snugly than Annie was used to, and she had to roll up the ends of the pants so they wouldn't trail in the dirt. "Thanks."
"You done yet?"
"Yeah..."
"Good." She stood, still not looking at Annie. "Now let's try this again."
- - -
They stuck to the game trails, Pohi and Nasa in the lead. Fala trailed along behind, her ears flicking at every slight sound in the underbrush. Once or twice she startled, dancing nervously to the side, and at last Will recalled her, to everyone's relief.
Nasa had an intent look in her eye that made Pohi not question her. The path she followed was fairly evident, until it vanished, to their dismay. The trail through the underbrush was hard to follow: now it seemed impossible. They'd reached an imposing wall of branching nettles that showed no sign of being disturbed.
--We must have took the wrong path somewhere...--
--We can't have!-- Pohi flinched at the vehemence of Nasa's reply. --Where then could they have gone? Can you answer me that?--
--I cannot,-- Pohi replied reluctantly. --But I do know that I do not see how we are to pass through, nor can I fathom how they managed. Do you see a way?--
Will had caught up with them now, and stood staring at the nettles. "No way they went in there," he said after a while. "Unless there were a hidden pathway through, and even then I don't see it. And- what are you doing?"
--Seeking the hidden pathway,-- Nasa said, as if it were obvious.
"You're not going to find anything, you know," Will informed her, dubiously regarding the matted tangle of branches. "We'd do better to find a way around."
Nasa would not listen, trying to burrow here and there in the branches, and each time was forced to retreat. She snorted, though her resolve was weakening as she grew more desperate. Finally she abandoned all caution, charging the brush with a war-cry that quickly turned into a cry of dismay when she became irrevocably wedged. The more she struggled, the more entangled she became. It took the combined efforts of Will and Pohi to free her, and once she was able to back out of the brush, she sat down, defeated and dejected.
"Come on. There's gotta be another way around..."
- - -
Something had changed in how Annie viewed the older woman. She now wasn't sure what she thought of her. On the one hand, she'd shown a lot more kindness than Annie had expected. On the other... she was a murderer.
She looked out over the water, sitting in the front seat of the canoe. They went against the current, but were making great time. Though Annie had no idea how far they'd gone, she saw the trees sweep by with surprising speed. For all her faults, the woman knew what she was doing.
The woman had said nothing more sine she'd shoved them off, though Annie thought she was being exceedingly trusting. She'd given what Annie saw as multiple opportunities to slip off, but in doing so she'd shown that she at least had some level of decency. She'd even saved Annie's soaking clothing, which lay in a soaking bundle on the floor of the canoe.
She glanced back at the woman, watching her paddle for a while. She was strong, and it showed as they practically flew along the water, propelled by her sure, strong strokes. Annie waited, but the woman didn't even meet her gaze. "Hey," she started, and when no reply came, she continued, determined to break the silence.
"Why did you do that?"
"Do what?" the woman replied, plunging the left side of her double-sided paddle into the water.
"Back there, in the river. Why did you save me?"
The rhythm of the oars did not break stride. "You're no use to me dead."
After a pause, Annie had another question. "Then why bother giving me fresh clothing? You could have let me dry off in the sun."
"Next time, I won't."
The silence stretched for another few moments before Annie managed to break it. "Are you hungry?"
"No."
"You don't even know my name, do you?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Well," Annie said, not at all discouraged, "I'm Annie Callaghan. So what's your name?"
The woman ignored her, dipping the right oar into the water.
"I can't very well go around calling you 'hey you,' can I?" Annie waited, and after a while, smiled brightly. "Okay. If you won't tell me, I'll guess. Hmmm. Let's see. Is it Lisa?"
The woman did not answer, but Annie didn't seem to care. "What about Zelda? No? Okay... Victoria? Ella? Margaret?" She was running fast out of names to guess, and fell to trying to think of what it could be.
"Hannah? ... What about Tomoko? Rosaline?"
At last the woman sighed. "Look, just call me whatever you want to. I don't care."
"Okay! Rosaline it is. So Rosaline,-"
Does she never shut up? the newly christened Rosaline wondered to herself, listening to Annie pepper with more questions. She was beginning to seriously regret ever kidnapping the girl, what was her name - Annie - to begin with. She seemed to have forgotten all fear she'd had of 'Rosaline' to begin with, and now filled the silence with endless chatter. Rosaline sighed. Some people liked silence.
Rosaline. The name almost made her laugh. At least the girl has imagination...
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Posted January 11, 2006
