Author's notes: I am so, so sorry for not being able to get anything up in a while. I have been, basically, without a computer for a few months. I'm very sorry for the wait and I promise this won't be the only chapter I get up this week! Also, I'm sorry to the people that subscribed to this and are getting like, 420598793 notifications. I didn't notice some mistakes.
"So," Talim smiled at the pale hand reaching towards hers, "What are you doing now?"
"I'm not sure." She replied coldly. "It's mostly up to father what I do." Amy felt a lump in her throat. She hated admitting it, but it was true. Rapheal owned her. She felt as if she owed her life to him, and he took advantage of it whenever he could.
"Well, that's silly." Talim looked down and kicked her feet. "It should be up to you, what you do, shouldn't it? Unless you're some sort of slave, or something."
Amy bit at her cheeks. What did this childish girl know about her? "I am no one's slave." Her voice was hard and cold.
"Prove it." Talim giggled and ran off into the woods surrounding the mansion. Amy wasn't as amused as her acquaintance, but her nature was never to step back from a challenge, to never show weakness. She wasn't always like this, no, she used to be as carefree as the girl she was now chasing through dark greens and browns. Before Raphael adopted her, she was a proud member of a gang of street kids. They would go around mocking the wealthier children and stealing from shops. Somehow, they never got caught.
Amy searched the dense forest, but couldn't find her opponent. She ran, her dress tearing on sharp branches. Amy was quick, but, as it seems, Talim was quicker. It didn't come as a surprise to Amy, as she spent more time working on precision than speed. She saw a bright clearing to her left, and a shadow flicker across it. Her feet swiveled and she hurried towards the clearing.
Stopping at the edge of the forest, she looked around only to find that no one was there. She grunted loudly in confusion and anger.
"No need to be upset." She heard a laugh from above her. "I'm right here." Talim swung from a branch behind Amy.
Squirrel like. Amy thought to herself, this girl is squirrel like. "Spend a lot of time in trees?" Amy managed a small laugh.
"Ah, only sometimes. They make good beds when you're travelling without a host." Talim smiled, her hands holding themselves behind her back. She cocked her head towards the red-headed doll. "Do you travel?"
"Rarely. I haven't in a while." Amy's voice grew cold again. No attachment, no emotion. She reminded herself.
"Oh." Talim was a little taken back by the sudden chill of Amy's voice. "You seem so empty, Amy. I want to help you fill that emptiness. I think I could be your friend, if you open up. Just a little bit, I promise."
Amy's face felt warm, nobody but Raphael had ever really cared about her. The street children depended on each other, but they didn't have any connection beyond that. They, likely, wouldn't care too much if any one of them died. Now this strange tan-skinned girl wanted to fill the emptiness that was clearly engulfing her. Talim wanted to be her friend.
"W-what?" Amy stuttered. Her eyes were shut tightly. So tightly, in fact, that it hurt. Her face was facing the ground, fists clenching. Her thoughts were racing through her head, worrying what would happen if she let this foreign girl in. She tried to slow her thoughts to think of something to say. "Father wouldn't want to share me."
"Why do you love him so much? If he loved you, he'd let you have a friend."
"How dare you question my father's love for me?" Amy was no longer blushing out of confusion, but burning out of anger. "You know not of the wonderful things he has done for me. He's nearly sacrificed his life for me! An orphan! A penniless street kid! And he..."
Talim wrapped her arms around Amy's quivering body. "No, I do not know." She stroked a strand of red hair that fell loose from it's curled pig-tails. "I truly did not mean to upset you. I would never do that on purpose. I'm sorry." She kept apologizing. Amy hung limp in Talim's arms, shocked. This girl was kind and warm with clearly good hearted intentions, why was it so hard to even think of befriending her? Surely Raphael wouldn't protest their friendship.
"Talim..." Amy breathed, still limp in the girl's arms. "I can't promise you anything, but you're kind. I would like..." She felt Talim smile.
"Really?" Her smile grew as she pulled out of the embrace to look at Amy. There were tears emerging in Amy's eyes, threatening to dampen her reddened cheeks. Amy was lonely, and, regardless of how much she loved her father, he didn't make her happy. This girl struck something in her, something strong and unknown.
"Are you travelling now, Talim?" Amy's jaw tightened slightly. "If you are, I'd like to go with you."