There was no mistaking it. She was here and she was alive. The Signless felt his throat go dry from pure elation. The sheer happiness he felt at finding his friend again, his first friend. Pins began to prick at the back of his eyes, threatening tears. The Psiioniic had stopped clapping and was leaning forward to get a better look. The girl disappeared behind the curtains onstage and a Jade blood came out to replace her for the next dance.
"Are you sure that was her?" He whispered to the Signless.
"I have no doubt in my mind. Let's go find her." The Signless grabbed the Psiioniic by the hand and followed the trail to the way backstage. It was a small archway covered with beads, the two boys slid through it. The group of women inside turned, a few of them shrieked.
"No one is supposed to be back here!" A rust blooded fiery girl troll shoved them back towards the door. "Get out!"
"W-wait, I need to talk to someone-" The Signless grunted. The girl was strong but so was he. "Disciple!" He yelled out with slight desperation. Two security guards were now "escorting" them out of the building.
The Psiioniic hit the ground first, then the Signless on top of him. Both of them had more toned and actually muscular bodies since they were lanky teens but that did not soften the impact a bit. The Psiioniic sputtered beneath him.
"Why ith everyone thuch an athhole today!" He cursed in frustration, blocking out his lisp completely forgotten. The Signless didn't hear though, he was busy looking into the deep olive eyes of the girl before them.
"You called my name?" She said quietly, extending a hand to help the men up. Both gratefully accepted.
"Yes, my dear friend, it is I!" The Signless pleaded. He motioned to the Psiioniic. "It is both of us! We found you!" The ruby troll couldn't keep the grin off his face. He had been almost completely sure she was dead, but here she was! The girls jaw dropped a bit as she looked at the two.
"Signless?" She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Psiioniic?" The two nodded vigorously. Olive tears began to well in her eyes.
And then they were all squished so tightly they could hardly breathe. The Psiioniic swooped in on her right and the Signless on her left and she squeezed them both into the biggest hug any of them had ever been a part of. It was a while before any of them let go. The joy and love pouring out of the three trolls was enough to make passerby's watch in disgust or interest.
She had really grown up. They all had. He hair was still long and wild; but it looked much cleaner and softer now. Her eyes still held the brightness of excitement and curiosity and her body was well toned. There were very obvious muscles played out around her exposed stomach and her arms held them in tight for the hug.
"I c-can't believe you two are alive! I thought they had captured you, i-in the fire!" She choked through her tears of happiness, looking in turn at the two of them. Then her face fell from the grin. "Your mother…" She turned to the Signless.
"She is fine and well! You can meet here later." The Signless grinned. The Disciples smiling face returned.
"But where have you been all this time?" The Psiioniic asked.
"That's a question I was going to ask you." She replied. "I know a place where we can sit and talk about everything. Just let me grab my things."
The Psiioniic nodded and she disappeared back into the building only to reappear moments later with a bag and still donning the dancers outfit. It was a sleeveless tight shirt that exposed her strong belly and a beaded flowing skirt that reached all the way to the ground. Together they made their way across the square.
The shop they entered was cramped and small despite the fact that they were the only ones in there besides the worker. At a table they were served a strange drink neither the Signless or the Psiioniic had before, but the Disciple claimed it was good. It was a bit too bitter for Psiioniic so the worker added extra honey to his.
"That's better" He sighed, indulging himself in the warm drink. The Disciple smiled at him.
"I see you have a sweet tooth." She mused. The Psiioniic winked back at her. A light giggle escaped her lips.
"So tell me," she continued. "What happened in that fire?"
"It was all so sudden. We were all sound asleep when it started so by the time we woke up we were surrounded by it." The Signless began.
"It was like a nightmare." The Psiioniic added.
"My mother got us up, we abandoned everything and ran straight to the river. But when we got in I remembered you." The Signless looked her in the eyes. She was watching his every move, listening so intently it hurt.
"You should have seen him," The Psiioniic chortled. Disciple turned her unwavering attention to him as he spoke. "He sprinted back to the fire as fast as he could. But the Dolorosa made him stay and went in herself to look for you."
The Disciples eyes grew worrisome. "She did?" Her voice sounded broken when she spoke. The Psiioniic nodded and the Disciple looked down to the table. "She didn't even know me and she was willing to risk her life for me…"
"That's just how my mother is." The Signless smiled, placing a comforting hand on his companions shoulder. She smiled back. "After searching for you she returned to us. We had to leave or we all would have died. So we headed East down the river until we came upon this wonderful group of trolls. Heh, we still live with them now. They are all old and very wise."
"And ever since we've been training." The Psiioniic flexed and wiggled his eye brows at her, she laughed it return. "Although I can see you have too." He pointed to the girls own muscles and she flexed as well.
"So tell us, what happened to you?" The Psiioniic prodded.
"Well, when I woke up the fire was everywhere already, so a ran. But it was a trap. A bunch of blue bloods started chasing after me," The Psiioniic and Signless exchanged a grim look. "I managed to shake them off and went up the river as well, only I took the North fork." The boys nodded in understanding. "I walked and walked until I ended up here. The town was dirty and disgusting; but so was I. People treated me like a feral lusus for quite a while. Until one day our head dance instructor noticed how quickly I moved and my flexibility; must have been from all those years of hunting. So she took me in and I made a living with the other girls." She shrugged. "You know, I thought you had all been captured in that fire. I went to your cave and you were all gone…"
"It's amazing to think we have been this close this whole time!" The Psiioniic spoke excitedly. But the Signless noted the guilty look on the Disciples face.
"It wasn't your fault. They weren't after you, they were aftr me and the Psiioniic. If anything, we should be sorry. But we're not because it isn't any of our faults. It is the way the high bloods think, so please, do not feel sad for this. We are all okay and together again." The Signless smiled at her. She smiled back and grasped his hand.
"I am so happy." She breathed. Signless squeezed her hand and she felt a flutter in her stomach.
"As am I."
The sun would rise in a few hours, so the boys invited the Disciple to stay with them for the day. She agreed graciously and together they made their way back to the small village. After quite a while the three arrived, many of the elders watched the newcomer. They smiled in welcoming and the Disciple felt honored. Soon they arrived to their own hut.
"What if she doesn't like me?" The Disciple bit her lip. She was about to meet the woman she looked up to for years. The one who kept her going with stories ever since she became separated from the Signless and Psiioniic. It was easy to say she was nervous.
"I guarantee there is no possible way she won't like you." The Signless grinned as he reached to open the small wooden door.
And there she stood, more beautiful than the Disciple had imagined. Her graceful movements tending a flower in a pot, her short silky hair framing her face. A beautiful dress she had woven covered her body smoothly and her sharp features created a fierce yet kind expression. Her head turned and jade eyes fell on olive. The Disciples breath caught in her throat as the woman looked at her. Them she walked over to the three looking very relieved.
"Who is this?" She asked.
"Mother, this is the Disciple. The one you went back in the fire for." The Signless spoke, almost breathless. At this the Dolorosa's eyebrows raised as the looked at the girl with wild hair.
"Ms. Dolorosa, I would just like to say that I greatly admire your work-" Then the Disciple was cut off by the warm embrace. It wasn't nearly as tight as her hug with the boys but it was just as warm.
"Welcome." She spoke softly, brushing some hair behind the Disciples ear. Suddenly the olive girls nerves melted away.
Now with everyone inside they sat and talked. The Psiioniic ranted about how the crowd was rather displeasing and the Dolorosa offered some motherly advice. To calm him down she had him sit in front of her while she braided parts of his hair. You could see the golden troll visibly relax, but there was also that rather obvious blush that always appeared when the Dolorosa came within certain proximity of him. While his hair was braided the Signless told of how the came upon the Disciple and the Disciple told of how she came to be where she lived today.
"What an amazing story. And to think you were so close this whole time."
"Yes, and speaking of stories it is yours that kept me going the whole time!" The Disciple whispered excitedly.
"What do you mean?" The Dolorosa asked.
"Well, when the Psiioniic, Signless, and I would play in the forest they would always tell me the stories you tell them. They were so wonderful, I never forgot them."
"That is wonderful! The night of the fire we left everything behind so all of the stories were gone."
"I remember them though, I even wrote them down. Some nights when can't sleep I just write them out." She spoke, still amazed she was even talking to the creator of these stories.
"I am flattered you like them so." The Dolorosa said. The sun had been up for a while now and all the trolls were yawning. "But I do believe it is time for bed, young ones."
"Disciple, you can have my quarters." The Signless offered. But she shook her head. "I insist, you are out guest."
"Oh, alright." She said with a smile. The Signless grinned in return and lead her to the back of the hut where the beds were. The Dolorosa was prepping a bed on the ground and the Disciple climbed in Signless's. To her right was the Psiioniic, already snuggled into his bed. He smiled and waved to her. She giggled and waved back. The Dolorosa climbed into the bed on her left and the Signless into the one by her feet. She was surrounded by these wonderful trolls, one for the first time. The Disciple could hardly contain her joy as she fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a long time.