My first actual long post. Yay!

I'd really love it if you guys posted any guesses you might have about where this going or whatever. Foreshadowing and hinting and such is not one of my strong points. I know what is going to happen, so I'm not sure what reading this is like to people who don't know what's going to happen. So, if you're reading and think to yourself Of course! I see it: they're all going to get eaten alive by a horde of dragons! then please post it in a review or mail me. Thanks!

Room: 6

Bunk: 4-Top

Shift: see schedule board

Kayta held a slip of paper in her hand, continually glancing down at it and then up at her surroundings. Where was this Room 6? She glanced up again. Where was she? Outside the room where she'd been given the slip—that she knew—but she wasn't sure where she was in relation to, say, the front door. Will you stop thinking about that? she chided herself. You can't run, not now. You're a part of this now.

No I'm not! I'm just staying here. That's all. That's all

It was true. While Kayta had decided to stay in Camp 5—with Lilika—she had not joined the ALFF and was not planning on doing it in anytime during the near future—or ever, if she had her way. They'd done nothing to change her opinion of them as cowards or liars. Lilika saw this easily and decided that she needed to at least make Kayta glad to—or at least willing to—aid the ALFF and their noble cause. The ewe-girl told Kayta that she'd get on her new challenge as soon as possible.

Now the 4 margay eyed the paper again. She contemplated going back in and asking for directions, but decided against it. Her chin stubbornly stuck out and her shoulders squared, she began her quest. After several minutes of wandering she was beginning to think she was going in circles. After several minutes more, she was sure that she was. After even more time, she decided that it might've been smart to ask someone for directions. Kayta plopped down on the floor and leant against the wall, closing her eyes to try and remember what route she had taken. She almost had it when a nearby footstep startled her. She bounded up to glance at the young man who had so easily snuck up on her.

"I'm sorry," Ben apologized. "I didn't realize I would frighten you. You look lost. Want some help?"

"It's alright." She paused as she took in the rest of his words; she'd been a little flustered when he'd said them. "I am lost. And…I suppose I could use some help." Part of her mind screamed at her. What are you doing, it asked, letting one of the Squad that abandoned you help you. Shun him and turn away, ask someone else for help, girl.

Well, another part protested quietly. At least he was sorry.

As if. But it shut up and sulked in a moody silence.

"I'm trying to find" –she peered at her paper—"Room 6."

He nodded. "This way." Ben set off at a steady pace, Kayta tagging along behind him, looking enviously at his pure human features. Lucky, she thought again.

Ben stopped at a door with a small 6 rudely carved on it. Apparently the ALFF had limited funds, Kayta surmised, thinking of the gold-colored numbers engraved on League doors. But she also remembered days where food couldn't be bought due to budget limits. It would be just like the League to spend money on fancy door numbers and less on experiments' foods.

"Here you are, Kayta. I'll see you around sometime." And Ben walked off, hands in his pockets, whistling a tune. She blinked. He'd remembered her name? Then she shrugged. She'd remembered his after all. Kayta turned and stepped into the Rm. 6 barracks.

It was deserted. Her roommates were probably out helping and working or whatever it was that they did. The room, though empty, left clear evidence of the girls who resided in it. There were four bunk beds, therefore eight girls now that she had joined them. She guessed which one was bunk #4 by the cleanliness of the unrumpled bedspread. Kayta easily scaled the ladder and perched on the thin railing of her new bed to peer down and examine her new room.

Room. Bed. They seemed strange to her. She was so used to words like lab; cage; prison. Words like room and bed were associated with happy things, fairy stories. Impossible dreams. Lilika was the one who believed that they would be able to one day use those words regularly; Kayta had never allowed herself to think that.

Casting her gold-green eyes down again, she noted that each bed seemed to have a distinct personality. The bottom bed of the bunk diagonally across from her was rumpled and totally unmade. Kayta's sharp eyes spotted some little things that caught the light coming through the window, but she soon moved on. The bed above that bed was slightly better made, and held much fewer, though some, of the sparklies.

The next upper bunk—straight across from her—was made uncaringly, just pulled up so that nothing could creep into the sheets. That bunk was totally impersonalized, just kept tidy so as to be a place to sleep.

The bunk below it was a different story. It was well made, tucked in at the corners, as well as being very individual. It was probably a child's bunk as it was displaying a collection of dolls and other such toys. There were dolls of yarn, of cloth strips, even one of two carved from wood.

The bunk bed that was on the same wall as her was what she turned to next. The upper bunk was rumpled like it had once been made fairly well, but then sat on by its owner again. A white curl lay have tucked beneath the pillow. Kayta picked it up between two fingers and grinned. She should've known that she would be put in Lilika's room. How many ewe-girls could be in ALFF's Camp 5?

Below that bunk was another that Kayta had to lean slightly to see. Along its railing was a collection of shells and river- and sea-stones.

Next Kayta leaned forward to peer down below her own bed. It was even more messed that the first bed had been. The sheet was shoved to the bottom of the bed, the blanket slipping off the edge to hide some of itself under the shadows of the bed. Even the mattress was slightly off centered and it didn't seem like the person who the bed belonged to really cared.

The door opened and a curly white head peeked through. Kayta grinned. "Hi Lilika. Guess which room I got?"

Lilika squealed and hugged her tightly once Kayta had nimbly leaped down from the railings. A curly yellow-haired blur sped past the two friends, followed by an older blonde girl who was slowly jogging. "You beat me, Cub, you beat me."

The smaller child laughed, plopped down on the toy covered bed and glanced at the newcomer. "Who's she?"

"This is Kayta," Lilika told her. "She's 4 margay. Kayta, this is Jenelle. We call her Cub. And this is her big sister, Pride. Pride is 3 lion." Kayta now glanced at features which were rimmed by golden fur. "Cub never got added to—that's the polite way of saying it I've been told—they were going to wait until she was older."

Another group came through the door, two fish-girls. One was noticeably more added to than the other, she was swathed mostly in scales and her hands had apparently tried to change into fins, though hadn't totally succeeded. The other girl only had a few speckles of sparkly fish scales—Kayta guessed that the "glittery beds" were theirs.

"This is Fry," Lilika said, pointing to the heavily scaled and scowling girl. "She's 5 freshwater trout. And this is Minnow who's 1." The smaller and more cheerful of the two smiled at Kayta and then went back to trying to cheer up her friend. "Fry," Lilika explained, "Is grumpy about most everything. Minnow's always cheery though. They were in the same lab group like us and they look out for each other."

While Lilika was doing her introductions, another girl had popped in. "Aren't you gonna introduce me, Lika? Don't need to introduce Kayta, though, I heard you fine." The girl stuck out her hand and shook Kayta's. "I'm Shelly, I've heard all about you." Gesturing to her distinct features, she added, "2 otter." Leaning forward, she said with a loud whisper, "That means I'm the only one who knows how to have fun."

The little girl—Jenelle—protested. "Shel, I know how to!" Shelly laughed and picked her up. "Cub, I was teasin'. I know you know how. That sister of yours though." She winked at the lion-girl, Pride, "I don't know about her."

"Well, I guess Shel has introduced herself." Lilika looked out into the hallway. "There's one more of us: she should be here any second." A dark haired girl walked in, eyes downcast, glancing up once at Kayta before looking down again. "This," Lilika said, "is Lark. She's 2 lark," she added, nodding at the girl's wings. "She doesn't talk. She's had some bad experiences." Lark sat on the bed below Kayta's bunk. Kayta smiled feebly at her and got a blank stare in reply.

"We were here because we've got a bit of free time," Lilika told Kayta, breaking the silence. "You see, lunch isn't for ages and other people are working on clean-up and things. What do you guys think of giving Kayta a tour of this marvelous Camp of ours?"

They agreed and soon were piling out into the corridor: Lilika proudly escorting Kayta in front; Shel behind them, chatting with Jenelle and her sister Pride; Fry and Minnow strolling along next; and Lark following behind them all. Kayta looked back over the crowd and smiled for no reason she could name.