"Kestra, you're gonna have to slow down," Laura called ahead of her. She could no longer see her companion, and she did not intend to take off running through the trees after her. Kestra came bounding back through the brush seconds later, her face flushed and a smile that lit up her whole being. She panted breathlessly as she came to a stop in front of Laura.
"Sorry, it's just been a while since I've seen trees. It reminds me of home," she said spinning around to take in her surroundings.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a child running around the woods," Laura said with a laugh.
"You don't know any better. That's exactly what I am," Kestra said beaming as she swung around a nearby tree. "I haven't had this much fun since I've been in this galaxy. Running around the woods on Kobol wasn't nearly as fun alone," she said. Laura beamed.
"Well I'm glad you're having fun, but I don't have the energy to go bounding through the forest so could we please walk for a while?" she asked pointedly. Kestra shrugged sheepishly and fell into step beside Laura.
"Sorry, I just got excited," she said, "How's your school coming?" Laura groaned.
"Don't get me started. Getting anything done under Baltar's government is worse than fighting the cylons. At least with the cylons you can tell when you're making progress," she said. Kestra laughed.
"I've never had the patience for politics, so I won't be much help to you on that score," Kestra mused. They had reached a clearing in the trees, and on the other side was a beautiful lake with the clearest water either of them had ever seen. Laura stopped and gasped as she took in the sight, and Kestra turned and smiled at her.
"It's beautiful," Laura breathed as she started moving toward it again. She walked up to the edge of the lake and took off her shoes. Kestra followed suit and they both dipped their feet into the water. "I could stay here forever," Laura sighed as she gazed out over the water, "it's perfect."
"Almost," Kestra said slyly. Laura turned to her with her brow furrowed. "I know what it needs," Kestra said confidently. Laura didn't even have a moment to ask what, because before she knew what was going on, she was falling straight into the water beneath her feet. They both splashed through the calm surface of the water sending ripples out over the lake. Laura gasped as she extracted herself from Kestra's grip and sat up in the shallow water. She looked down at her clothes that were soaked through and then across at Kestra. She fixed her with a hard glare but dissolved into laughter as soon as she saw that Kestra was soaked as well. When their laughter stopped Laura pulled herself to her feet. Kestra shifted to stand up, but halfway up Laura pushed her back down into the water. Kestra let out a little shriek as she fell back down. Laura laughed carelessly as she walked back toward the shore.
"How rude," Kestra accused her as she clamoured out after her.
"You have no room to talk missy," Laura scolded playfully, "now we have to walk back wet."
"Not if we stay here to dry off," Kestra said as she laid in the grass by the bank. Laura lowered herself down beside her. She hummed happily as they looked out over the water.
"I'd like to live out here," she said absently, "I'd build a cabin right here by the lake." She turned to Kestra who had dug her fingers into the dirt and was letting it fall back down through the gaps between them.
"Belna vas rashtan," she said as she lifted her head to look out at the water. Laura tilted her head. The movement caught Kestra's eyes, and she smiled softly at Laura. "Palace of the woods," she explained briefly, "Thad and I built a shelter in the woods near our home. It was my home as one of the Viveen. We would play in the woods for hours, and I would rule from my little palace. When we weren't being attacked from the southern archipelago, we would sit by the lake like this. I always miss him, but this…" She trailed off as she tossed some dirt into the water. Laura felt a wave of despair and guilt wash over her. After a moment or two, she recognized them as Kestra's emotions. She had experienced this sensation before. The first time had been early in their friendship when Kestra had first told Laura about her brother Thad. Laura had almost locked Kestra back in the brig on Galactica until she explained that it was an unintentional release of strong emotions. Laura had been on guard following the incident, but hadn't felt it again until Kestra had talked to her about her doubts about her relationship with Lee. Laura had decided not to tell Kestra about these emotional slips, because the younger girl had become quite embarrassed and guilt ridden when she recognized them. Laura didn't want to add to Kestra's distress by pointing out this slip, but she took note of it for her own edification. She found it intriguing to know exactly what another person was feeling. The insight it gave her into Kestra's actions was fascinating and good for conversation. She put her hand on Kestra's knee.
"The lake reminds you of your home," she said knowingly.
"The water wasn't quite as clear as this," Kestra commented, "but I imagine my parents sitting by the lake like this, thinking about Thad… and me. It's comforting to think their hearts ache the same way mine does, but part of me hopes they've forgotten me already."
"They'll never forget you, Kestra," Laura said, "you know that."
"I'd feel better if they did. Then I wouldn't have to feel guilty knowing I'm the reason they feel this way." Kestra's eyes had filled with tears, and she squeezed her arms around herself as if to keep her pain from spilling out and tainting the picturesque scene before her. Laura scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Kestra.
"They wouldn't want to forget you any more than you'd want to forget them. Because for all the pain their absence causes, you have twice as many happy memories of them. You can't wish away that joy just because it hurts now," Laura said, "I've tried." Kestra looked at her with a guilty expression that morphed into one of gratitude. She took a deep breath and shook her head as she looked back out at the forest.
"Can I help you build your cabin?" she asked. Laura laughed.
"Yes," she said firmly, "as soon as we start building real settlements and stop living in tents, you and I can come out here and build that cabin." Kestra smiled as she leaned into Laura's side, and they didn't leave the lake until they had both been dry for hours.
