Salene had slowly made her way along the steep cliff paths that the Speleos used to traverse the steep incline of rock they lived in. She enjoyed to climb to the top and take in the scenery which it overlooked, she hadn't expected to find Lex there already.
Lex merely gave her a small nod of acknowledgement before gazing past her out towards the sea, in the direction they had sailed from. Salene, paused a moment before approaching slowly.
"Mind if I join you?"
Lex merely shifted slightly on the large boulder he was leaning against and Salene sat down beside him. They were both silent for a time, lost in their own thoughts.
"Thought we'd find you two up here"
The two both looked over at the pathway to see Amber emerge, followed by Jack and Trudy.
"Hey" smiled Salene as they approached, before frowning a moment "something wrong?"
"No, nothing in particular...I just thought it was about time we all talked" replied Amber, halting for a moment and taking in the view.
Salene gave her a wry look and glanced at Jack, who shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the ground. Trudy looked equally at odds as to what was going on in Amber's head and settled down by Salene. Amber sat down beside Jack, and silence fell once more.
"So...what is it you want to talk about?" asked Jack after a few minutes
"Oh I don't know, us, everything that's happened, what we're going to do next" replied Amber, picking at some of the grass at her fingertips. She glanced up to see three blank curious faces looking at her. "I just wanted a chance to talk to you guys before we involve the whole group"
"Why?" asked Jack
"Because I was thinking the other day, about everyone, how we ended up here, what we've been through the past few years."
"Yeah but why just us, why not have everyone present?" Trudy pressed
"Because we've been through everything from the very beginning together" said Lex
Silence fell again as gazes turned to Lex when he had spoken.
"Yeah I guess that's partly true. I was reflecting on when we all first met. Not the greatest of a first meeting I must say" said Amber with a smile "We didn't exactly all get along together the first few weeks"
"Yes I seem to remember some animosity going on for a time," smiled Trudy
"Yeah well...things have changed since then right Lex?" grinned Jack
"Well I guess we had to get used to you eventually right Jack" replied Lex before he turned his attention to Amber "So what's on your mind fearless leader?"
Amber held Lex's gaze a moment before looking down at the grass she'd pulled from the ground beneath her.
"Like I said I've been thinking, these last few years have put through a lot together"
"Got that right" groaned Jack, lying on the ground "I think Zoot finally got his wish, Power and Chaos"
"And yet we've gotten this far" replied Amber
"Not all of us" said Salene
"That's what I wanted to talk to you all about"
"So I'm not the only one thinking about..." started Trudy
"Everyone else?" said Lex folding his arms
Trudy nodded
"Well we know from Ram and rumours from the chosen that others could still be alive" said Jack staring up at the sky
"I want to look for them," said Amber with a sudden determination, which caused all eyes to fall upon her once more.
"I'm still not sure why you're just telling us this," said Salene
"Because being round the Speleos, I realise how much I miss being a family, being part of a Tribe"
"We are part of a tribe Amber" interjected Trudy
"No, we're part Tribe part wanderers, misfits, people we've picked up along the way," replied Amber
"I hope you're not including Ellie in that description" said Jack sitting up suddenly
"Or May" added Salene
"No, no, look that's not what I'm trying to say it's just..." Amber tried to find the words "Look we've been in this from the beginning. In fact we've all been through something which either got us thrown out or nearly thrown out, removed, expelled from the Mall Rats, yet we've made it this far together"
"Despite our differences" added Trudy
"I've spoken to Jay about this, but it just doesn't feel like he understands the way I feel about it. I wanted to talk to you all because I hoped you did. Actually talking to Jay made me realise how broken up this Tribe is as it stands."
"I think I know what you mean" said Salene "I was thinking about when we first became a Tribe. The things we went through, how we worked things out. In fact I was thinking about how we put Jack on trial, two of the young kids were fighting over a bowl of food and it just got me thinking"
The others gave a small smile at the thought.
"The injustice, here was I giving you all my mall to move into and you try and throw me out onto the streets" protested Jack with a grin
"I was talking to Jay yesterday in the glade. I was thinking about when we first became the Mall Rats, holding hands..." said Amber
"Brothers and Sisters to the end" added Trudy
"Exactly" said Amber, "Look I don't want to go back to the past, we've come a long way in five years. We've changed, we've grown up, but I didn't think those words would haunt me so much as they do. We've been dragged through so much, and we've come through it fighting. If there's a chance any of them are alive, I'd like to think that they know we'll to everything we can to get them back"
"We will get them back," said Lex with the stubborn determination they were used to seeing in him
"You know you have our support Amber" added Trudy
"We have to do something first" said Amber
"What?"
"Become a Tribe again"