A few hours later and the tribe settled in for the most part. Beds had been made up for most of them, although a few of the men had to sleep in the barn due to limited space. The evening was drawing in fast, but that didn't faze Kes and her tribe in welcoming their guests. Tables were set up in the garden behind the farmhouse and soon everyone was sitting down to a banquet of an evening meal after introductions had been properly made.
The first half hour of the meal, was taken up with short explanations of how the Mallrats had come to the Island, followed by the revelation that they hoped to find some of their missing people.
"That's some story," smiled Kes. "How can I help?"
"We were hoping you may have some information on, well anything," said Stealth. "Any news of runaway slaves, where they may have settled, be hiding out. Thomas said to head for the old monastery, that it would at least be a good place to start."
"Yeah, it's you're best bet before you start getting into dangerous ground. You know some of the tribes further along the coast, wouldn't blink an eye on taking on some poor soul who'd fell into Dirt Dog hands, if it meant trading them on would get them their next meal. You could talk to Dot, she came to us about six months ago after being on the run from the 'Dogs, she may be able to help you out."
"Have you seen the Ludars recently, or heard of them around here."
"Yeah, there's been talk that they've been seen. Certainly not been on any of our territory though, or one of us would have sighted them. Most likely they down over by the Parkland's land or further up west towards the mountains," replied Kes. "Are you heading for the monastery tomorrow?"
"We were thinking about it," said Amber nodding. "And then from there-."
She looked to Stealth, wondering what other plans had been though out.
"At this point we're taking it one day at a time. The information we gather, the more we can plan. I'm hoping the monastery will give us some leads though."
"You may even find some people there," said Kes. "That monastery has been a safe haven for slaves ever since the Chosen abandoned it a few years back. We trade with them now and then, they pretty much work their own fields there but this isn't the easiest way of living. They come here now and then needing supplies and I ain't gonna deny them food when we have plenty to go around. Just watch yourselves; they can be a little jittery around newcomers. Considering what they've been through, I can't say I blame them."
As the evening meal started to wind down, everyone pitched in with clearing the tables and moved into the house as the dark evening brought a cold chill into the night air. Oil lamps were lit in the farmhouse casting warm welcoming glows throughout the room. A few of Kes' tribe disappeared to close the farm down for the evening.
Salene and Ellie both started yawning tiredly and made their excuses to go to bed. Lex, Ram and Jack also headed for bed, exiting the farmhouse and heading to the barn with a few of the farm hands to set up beds for the evening. Ebony snuggled up on an old couch in the main room of the farmhouse in front of the dying fire; Jay and Amber sat on another as Stealth took up an old rocking chair filled with cushions. Kes took up a worn down footstool by the fire.
"So, how have you folks found living with cave dwellers?" asked Kes folding her arms and propping them onto her knees.
"Certainly an interesting way to live," smiled Amber, laying her head onto Jay's shoulder as she watched the embers of the fire burning.
"Yeah, some of us haven't taken to it as much as others," agreed Jay. "Although I think Gel would be pleased you left her with the Speleos than dragging her across the countryside to stay at a farm."
"I hope everyone's ok," sighed Amber, as she relaxed her thoughts were turning towards her son. Only a day away and she was already feeling guilty having left him in the care of Trudy.
"They'll be fine Amber, Moss is under strict orders to keep an extra eye on them," smiled Stealth rocking slightly on the chair.
"Ah Moss, how is the young ragamuffin," grinned Kes, picking up the poker from its stand and poking it into the fire.
"Hot headed as ever and always ready to join a fight," grinned Stealth as she though of her friend. "And not so young anymore, he's changed quite a bit since you last saw him."
"So how do you two know each other?" asked Ebony, curious as to the friendship between Stealth and Kes.
"We've known each other all our lives, well almost," replied Kes. "Our fathers were brothers, so every summer, the family would stay here a week or two before they headed to the beach house. I usually headed to the beach for a week or two with them afterward."
"When the virus hit, I and my brother were sent here when our parents died," added Stealth. "And when Kes parents died, we stayed here for quite a while, but we weren't cut out for farm life. We enjoyed vacationing here, but two or three weeks are different to indefinite. We didn't want to return to the city, so we headed to the beach house instead. And well, you know the rest."
"I don't suppose you know how Hawk is?" said Kes in a low tone.
"Power hungry as ever," replied Stealth in an equally low tone, averting her eyes from her cousins and instead focusing on the fire. She tried not to remember the past times they three had enjoyed at the farm. "And I think he hates me more and more every time we come across each other."
Salene and Ellie had settled into the soft welcoming beds in the room that Kes had designated to them. On a small bedside table, an oil lamp perched, casting an eerie glow into the room as the wrapped themselves under the covers and faced each other over the small space. Another two beds lined the opposite wall of the room, for Ebony and Amber.
"You ok?" asked Salene, Ellie had been a little quiet throughout the evening despite having been excited at the prospect of being back on a farm.
"Yeah, I just -being back on a farm, just reminds me, well, I miss Alice," replied Ellie.
"You know, these past few days, I've been feeling a little apprehensive about finding people. Like maybe we're just doing this because we all feel we need to say we did something before we get on with our lives. Like maybe we won't feel as guilty about not finding people if we say we tried looking." Said Salene, "But I don't want to feel like that, I need to believe that we will find someone, and that we won't stop trying until we find at least one person. The past day or so, I just have been getting this feeling that we're on the right track."
"We've lost so many people Sal, I just wonder how we've survived so long with so much loss. First the adults then the new family we built around us, I keep wondering what if I wake up one day and everyone is gone".
Tears started welling up in Ellie's eyes but she blinked them back, trying not to break down. Salene noticed her friend's distress and got out of bed, sitting on Ellie's and running a hand comfortingly over the blonde hair.
"That's not going to happen, because we'll keep looking and if anything did happen to any of us, we have that knowledge that our friends won't stop looking for us. Mallrats always stick together, it's been our motto since the start. Look at what we've come through, look at what we've achieved. Now we're just picking up the broken pieces that we didn't have time to pick up before because we were too busy surviving. Our friends are ok, especially Alice. Can you imagine Alice giving in to anything that was thrown at her? Alice was always a strong character, she was a backbone to this Tribe, despite her own problems she looked out for everyone else. We're going to find them, all of them, I don't care how long it takes us, we just need to believe we can do it."
"That's right," said a voice behind them. Salene turned her head slightly to see Amber standing at the door. Salene gave her a soft smile as she closed the door and sat at the end of Salene's bed.
"Everything ok?" asked Amber a little concerned looking over to Salene and Ellie.
"Just a few emotions and jitters starting to surface," said Salene softly, Ellie had allowed a few tears to fall but had taken heed of her friends' words.
"I think we're all feeling like that," said Amber. "Not only am I thinking about what's ahead of us, but I'm already worrying about the others."
"I think Trudy is quite capable of running the fort and keeping the kids under control and May certainly won't let them get into too much trouble." said Salene reaching over and wrapping a hand over her friends. "The Speleos have kept us safe these past few months haven't they?"
"We were lucky to fall into their hands than the Gulls," said Ellie in thought, sitting up slightly.
"We owe the Speleos a lot," agreed Amber.
"Don't think we'll ever be able to repay them?" said Salene.
"Thing is I don't think they even expect to be repaid, its almost instinctual that they welcome people with open arms. The same with Kes, so ready to help when it's needed," added Ellie.
"Must run in the family," said Amber thoughtfully. Salene and Ellie cast her puzzled glances and Amber remembered they hadn't been present on the revelations of Kes and Stealth being related.
"Kes and Stealth, their cousins," she rectified.
"Pity their good sided nature didn't run in the male side of the family," grumped Ellie, before letting out a rather large yawn that had both Salene and Amber yawning themselves.
"Well on that note, perhaps we should try and get some sleep before we head off tomorrow," smiled Amber, standing and crossing over to one of the beds at the other side of the room.
"You ok?" asked Salene to Ellie as she rearranged a pillow. Ellie gave her a wan smile and nodded her head sheepishly
"Yeah I'm fine, thanks Sal," She reached up and gave her friend a soft hug before lying down and pulling the blankets in close.
Salene moved to her own bed once more and looked over to Amber as she pulled the covers back from the bed.
"And are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," smiled Amber. "Like you said, between them both, Trudy and May will have those kids under complete control."
Salene grinned at the thought, Trudy and May could certainly lay down the law when they wanted to.
"Come to think of it, Brady and Bray won't be the ones causing any trouble, but who knows what Sammy and Gel have already gotten up to."
"By the time we get back Darryl will have gone grey from the stress, Ruby will be a nervous wreck and the Speleos will be begging us to take the two of them away," said Ebony closing the door behind her having walked in on the conversation.
"Took the words right out of my mouth," came a muffled voice as Ellie spoke sleepily from under the covers.
"Well on that note, and thought-," smiled Salene as she lay down and pulled the covers over herself, turning the lamp on the bedside table. "Goodnight everyone."
"Night." came the muffled voice of Ellie once more.
"Goodnight Sal, Ellie," said Amber climbing into bed herself and sighing as she sank into the soft mattress of the bed. "Goodnight."
She gave a soft smile to Ebony as Ebony slipped into the opposite bed and turned down the oil lamp on their bedside cabinet .
"Goodnight," replied Ebony softly, before lying down to rest herself.