Our Walk Home

Dusk had Caius sitting on her shoulders, he had gotten giant blisters on his feet and she didn't want anyone walking like that. She was using one hand to drag a cart of the other hostages. "Did we lose them?" She asked Riya when they girl appeared right beside her.

"Yeah, they're around the east border, they probably think we went down where the river is." She murmured, "Because it was the saver route, and had more water." She sighed, "We're going to be walking for days, it's cold, and we don't have enough water, we should've went the other route." She said, "No, we would've gotten caught, I packed water and Liliana knows how to get water from the ground, she read a book about it." She said, Ryder ran over, the smoke billowing away, "Alright, I started a fire at the east border so they still think we're going that route." He smiled, taking the wagon from her, "How long have we been walking?" Pollan asked, running to catch up with Riya. "Around four days, we still have five more, to go, sorry." Pollan spoke up. "How do you know that?" Riya asked, "You're like four."

"I'm the age that my mind is, Riya McAllister. Just like I am nor a man or woman. I am a machine. Your mortal complexities are confusing." She shook her head, taking her jacket off to keep Beck warm. "Won't you get cold?" The boy asked, "Again, I am a machine." Pollan shrugged looking at Dusk for approval, Dusk either didn't notice or didn't care. Sadly, she never seemed to notice. "Can you tell us a story?" Vesa asked in the back, she had her knees pulled to her chest as she shook in fear at the idea of being a hostage to elves, Pollan could tell it from her body language. "The elves aren't going to take us hostage." "But the President said-" "The President is as insane as the training you kids were forced through." Dusk cut her off.

Riya smacked her shoulder and sighed, "We'll be okay Vesa. Juniper knows how to negotiate." She promised, the child seemed barely relieved by this. "If they touch you I'll wave their decapitated heads on sticks just like they will be waving their white flags." Pollan smiled, the child seemed more in fear though, "Was that not relieving? Honestly, I was programmed to believe that an alien machine was very comforting" She smiled, Juniper sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

They were only a day away from the kingdom, Pollan didn't know what to think of the elven people. They all seemed too imperfect. They had great technology from what she had read though. "Have you heard any informational studies on the elven people?" She asked Liliana, who was probably the only one who understood how to talk to her. "They are very independent people, most elven children have to build their own house at sixteen.

Especially the royal family, they are supposed to make markets at younger ages, proving they are capable of survival." Liliana shrugged, setting up camp for the night, Dusk was sitting further away from everyone, writing in a small journal. A dark black mist seemed to trail from her spine, it had blue colored eyes and disappeared when it and Pollan made eye contact. "Lets turn in for the night, you guys need rest, we have a long day ahead." Riya said, waving to the kids, Pollan sat straight up, plugging in her battery cord and watching the children intently. Riya sat down beside Dusk and leaned against her, they began talking. Pollan wished that Dusk paid attention like that to her.

She turned back to gaze at Vesa signing to Jacques about their plans. Pollan tried to read the language, it must've been something different than her language. Jacques looked over, spider lilies springing from the ground around him. "I left Ren back there, what if he doesn't keep taking the medicine? They'll kill him if he acts out." She heard Dusk speak, Vesa pulled on her pointed ears before curling into a ball. Hadn't she been raised by the humans? She was born an elf, Pollan knew that, why was she so afraid of them?

Vesa opened her eyes throughout the night, shaking, it was so cold. Jacques wrapped an arm around her, his eyes opening sleepily. She signed for him to go back to sleep, pulling her jacket around the both of them. She could feel that creepy machine watching her, what if her code cracked again? She looked down at her hands, still cut up from the rose bush she was thrown into. "Enemy detected" Pollan had said, "Vesa di cidmal" Caius said beside her, he rolled over and looked at her. "I don't speak elvish." She said quietly. "It means 'Vesa I Promise,'" He said, "I heard Jacques saying it in his sleep, isn't he deaf though?" "He's deaf because of a bomb in training, he still speaks his language." She said, glaring at Caius.

"Oh, well, I didn't know what he meant by it, did he ever promise anything?" He asked, "That's none of your business Tanginate" she hissed, closing her eyes. "Isn't that a term the human's use for elves? It means evil, you're an elf too you know, you and Jacques both." He said, his face tensing,

"I wish I was born a human, I would never tear apart my own people because of their beliefs." She said, "That was four hundred years ago, we've grown, I don't understand why you hate me so much." He said, sitting up, "You and your prissy family are the same as the Hinayn, you hide behind your abilities and kill the folk around you." "We're not evil, your views are screwed up by the humans." "Caius, canuim, floetean, hunea." Jacques said, looking up, seeing their faces. Vesa sat up and grabbed her dagger, "Dusk is asleep, I could kill you right here. I bet you couldn't even win a fight with a toddler." "You would start another war." "Do I look like I care? Dusk is on a rampant about something every week. President Kintur is all powerful, you are a mere elf." "You are an elf! Realize that alright!" Caius shouted.

Vesa looked at the glow of eyes in the dark, Pollan standing above them. "I can understand both views, you're both flawed, now sleep or I can wake Dusk up." She spoke quietly, sitting down at the edge of their feet. "Whatever, I'm going to bed" Vesa rolled over and curled up against Jacques. "Caius, canuim, floetean, hunea." The boy repeated, and Caius's ears pressed back. "Take that back!" He shouted, throwing a lantern at Jacques, a small fire climbing on the dry grass. Jacques jumped up and tackled Caius, "Tanginate! Tanginate! Tanginate!" Jacques shouted, punching Caius in the face. Caius screamed, and Vesa scooted back, the fire climbing up her arm.

"Dusk!" She cried, and Ryder jumped up running to help, the trees crawled with flames. Dusk jumped up, Riya grabbing buckets of water and throwing them on Vesa. "Boys!" Juniper reasoned, pulling Caius and Jacques apart, Caius's face was already bruising. "TANGINATE! TANGINATE! TANGINATE!" Jacques was screaming, kicking at Caius. Who was crying.