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“She’ll be gone by morning!” Tetora folded his arms crossly. “You know she never stays in one place for long!”

“It’s too dangerous in the dark,” Aleph objected.

“I can see just fine! Let me go!”

Aleph gripped his war hammer tightly but agreed to his demand. “Just be careful. We don’t know who she is with or what she is doing.”

Tetora shrugged, pulling out his iron claws. “I am always careful.”

I heard their conversation with only half a mind as I tried to get my tears under control.

“If you don’t find her within an hour, you must return,” Aleph said. Then he added, “Promise me.”

“I promise,” Tetora repeated, holding up a hand.

“Say all of it when you promise,” Aleph said in a stern tone.

He sighed. “I promise I will come back within one hour.”

“Go then,” Aleph said, then watched Tetora bound off into the dark woods.

Nora patted my back as I continued to sob. “I’m sorry… I’m trying to get it under control,” I mumbled, still pushing away all the sorrow after Raelina had left. By our crude calculations, her parents had been waiting in that graveyard for over a millennium for her triumphant return. No wonder she didn’t want to tell them the whole truth after all that time. Guiltily, I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I had hugged Mother or even just thanked her for taking care of me. Would I ever get to do so again?

“There is nothing to apologize for, little one.” Aleph gently put his hand on my shoulder.

“I don’t… I don’t cry like this, you know. They’re her tears, I’m sure!”

He squeezed my shoulder comfortingly. “Shedding tears is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Did Raelynn ever cry?” I asked, sniffling. I don’t remember ever reading any part where she did!”

Neither Nora nor Aleph answered me outright, but they pulled me into a supportive embrace instead. After a few minutes, my tears dried up. “Thank you,” I breathed slowly. “Again, I’m so–”

“Honey candy!” Nora shoved it at me.

I took the carefully wrapped confectionery. “I thought we were out?”

“I saved mine. Here. It’s no fruit tart, but…”

I stuck it in my mouth, thankful I had an excuse to avoid apologizing or talking about my feelings.

We moved back out of the graveyard and into the village's stone ruins. One exceptionally sturdy shelter retained most of its walls, and we huddled for the night inside it, using a small campfire to keep us warm.

“So, living with Tetora…” Nora’s gaze drifted to Aleph. “What’s his worst bad habit?”

“Nora!” I gasped, almost swallowing the candy outright.

“What? We have to pass the time somehow!”

“You can’t just gossip and dig up dirt on him the moment his back is turned!”

“It’s exactly the best time!”

“That is a troublesome question to answer…” Aleph frowned. “There are so many bad habits to choose from, yet I don’t know where to start.”

My incredulous eyes shifted to Aleph, and I saw him suppressing a grin. He winked at me and continued. “Perhaps it is that he is forever making a mess, yet he turns a blind eye to it when I tell him it is time to clean. Or that he acts before he thinks. He yells when he speaks for no reason. He argues with his students long after they have proved him wrong just for the thrill of it.”

Nora cackled in sheer delight, and I soon found myself smiling as Aleph continued down the list of Tetora’s shortcomings. It was the typical banter I so desperately needed.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“You two get along, don’t you?” I snuggled up in my bedroll, suppressing a sniffle. “I’m glad you have each other. This world seems tough to deal with if you’re all alone.”

“...I believe no truer words have ever been spoken,” Aleph agreed softly.

I glanced at Nora. “Should I tell you about her worst bad habits?”

Nora cleared her throat. “I don’t have any bad habits! Also, you can’t tell him now because I’m right here.”

“I don’t mind saying them in front of you.”

“But I do!” she said somewhat indignantly. “If I hear about them, you might expect me to improve myself! It’s hard enough living up to your idealistic expectations already!”

“You don’t have to change,” I advised, suddenly worried I had taken it too far. “I like you just the way you are!” My old neighbor always said that to me, and I found great comfort in hearing it.

“Oh geez, do you see how utterly impossible she is?” Nora asked Aleph. “She’s just too saccharine sometimes.”

Whew. We were still good.

Aleph chuckled and shook his head. Tetora came back shortly after.

“Did you find her?” Aleph asked immediately upon his return.

Tetora eyed him contemptuously for a moment and then flopped down in the middle of the stone shelter to warm his hands over our tiny campfire. “Aleph always asks ridiculous questions when the answer is obvious! He also nags me to no end about silly and unimportant things. Last, he always forgets that I can hear everything he says, even from a distance, because of my great tiger ears!”

“I did not forget,” Aleph shrugged. “I simply felt it was time to remind you again.”

“If I could go just a day without hearing about it…”

“Well?” Aleph asked again. “Did you find anything at all?”

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Tetora!” we all shouted at him in exasperation.

Tetora grinned viciously. “What is it worth to you?”

Aleph, Nora, and I exchanged glances before shrugging slightly out of sync.

“Forget it.” Nora sighed.

“We can check again tomorrow,” I followed up.

“I’m sure we’ll have better luck in the daytime,” Aleph concluded.

“H-hey! No! I did find something!” Tetora protested.

We all sat up quickly.

“What?” Aleph demanded.

“This.” Tetora held out a flat throwing knife about five inches long. Its center was hollow, but the edges appeared razor sharp. An angry red monkey was painted at the bottom of the handle. “It was embedded in an old stump.”

“That’s her mark, but…” Aleph paused. “Why would she just leave it where anyone could find it?”

“I am not anyone! I am Iron Tiger Tetora!”

Aleph folded his arms. “Was it hidden or not?”

Tetora sighed. “...It was very obvious. I think it is a message for someone.”

Aleph scratched his beard. “Or a trap. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow. Let’s get some sleep.”

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“What were you doing out so late at night in your pajamas?” Detective Harris asked me again. “Were you meeting with your boyfriend?”

“As I disclosed, I do not have any such suitor. I do not recall why I was in that dark alleyway...” I gripped the bed linens tightly, trying to keep myself covered as much as possible, as the hospital tunic was scandalously short. The machine tethered to my arm let out yet another piercing wail. I took a few slow breaths, hoping it would be subdued into silence again. How could I get him to leave? It was almost time to watch the upcoming television program on the station that was my trusted window to the world. It needed contributions from viewers like me, but I could only watch in appreciation for now.

“Do you have a habit of going out late on school nights? What did you bring with you? Who were you planning on meeting?”

“I don’t—"

A loud crash outside my room caught our attention. Mother simply stepped around the overturned cart of meal trays, performed the customary hand cleansing at the door, and entered my room.

“You were right, Clancy. He’s here,” Mother said aloud as she adjusted the audio transmitter in her ear. “Well, that’s up to you, of course, but I won’t see him again.”

“Ms. Smith,” Detective Harris turned away from me to confront Mother. “Rachel already gave me her permission to—”

“Harass her as the victim? I doubt that’s what she agreed to.” Mother folded her arms.

“Ma’am, I’m just trying to piece together what happened that night—” He paused as the mobile communication device strapped around his chest crackled in warning.

“My office, NOW!” the device erupted.

“You might want to call and tell him you’re on your way. I suggest you do this from your squad car.” Mother pointed imperiously out into the hallway.

“Mother?” I asked.

“In a moment, dear,” she said, holding out her hand while gesturing for the detective to leave with the other.

Detective Harris gave Mother a stern look but left quickly.

Mother turned her gaze to me. “You should have called me. That’s what your phone is for.”

I considered the smartphone on the bedside table for a moment. “Yes, I understand.” I hadn’t followed standard protocol again.

“You… know how to use it, correct?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“For my peace of mind, please show me.”

I sighed and called her smartphone, struggling to manipulate the touch-responsive screen with my stiff fingers. “I just… didn’t think of it at the time.”

After verifying that I could indeed use the device, she said, “Very good. I'm just making sure.”

“If he comes again, I’ll call immediately,” I promised, returning the phone to the bedside table.

“He won’t, so don’t worry about it. But if you need anything, all you need to do is ask, alright?”

I frowned. “A hug, maybe. If it’s not too much.”

“Of course.” She gently hugged me, though it felt strange, probably because of all the ‘ivy’ tubing in the way.

“Thank you. I’m fine now.” Everything was returning to normal, and I hadn’t missed the program’s opening. It would be another beautiful day in the neighborhood, I was sure.

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I sat up, bringing most of my bedroll with me. It had been years since I had that dream. Avoiding any more thoughts of Mother, I tried to imagine whatever had happened to Detective Harris. I comforted myself with the idea that he most certainly hadn’t been called to the office for a promotion.

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