~ Departures ~

I Remember Me

Ada awoke to the sound of crickets chirping and the wind rustling through the trees. It was dark, aside from an orange glow coming from somewhere outside. Outside where? Where am I? Oh no, she thought. I'm not at home. They found me. I'm being taken to Lumière Island. Or … no, that's not right. I'm not kidnapped. I'm ... travelling. With people. I just met them but they seem fine. How can I be sure, though? This is mad! This is all mad! Is that bacon I can smell? That is definitely bacon. Am I hungry? I think I might be. I think I might be really, really hungry.

The carriage was in a small forest clearing, the surrounding trees sparse and dark. There was a fire in the centre of the clearing, upon which two bacon-wrapped rabbits were roasting, being tended to by a very serious Selene. Maya was standing beside her sister, who appeared to be arguing with Fin.

"—ain't listening to me," Ashley was saying. "Maya and I spent the last year running AWAY from that damned place, we ain't going back now."

"If the trail leads there, then that is where we must go," Fin said. "I know that you may have some bad memories—"

"Hah! Memories I can deal with," Ashley said. "It's all the scraps that've got it in for me I'm worried about. And more'n that, it just ain't a nice place. Me and Maya lived there our whole lives up until we left, there ain't nothing good about it."

"It would be a short stop on our journey," Fin said. "You needn't even leave the carriage. I have a friend there on the outskirts of the city, he owns a warehouse, you can stay there until I have conducted my investigations."

"You got an answer for everything, don't ya?" said Ashley. "But the way I see it, I can go one better; Maya and me head off on our own and leave you to your little 'quest' or whatever it is."

"I think of it as more of a dream," said Fin, mildly. He sighed. "You are, of course, free to depart from our little company at any time. I'd suggest you wait until the morning at least, and I would urge you to—oh, Ms Hasard. I didn't notice you, standing there like that. Are you hungry? The rabbits aren't quite ready yet, but there's some bread here, and some fruit, apples, oranges, if you're interested?"

"Thank you," Ada said. She accepted a small loaf of bread from Fin, then sat down beside the fire to eat it.

"I ain't saying we're gonna just leave right this minute," Ashley said, after Fin returned his attention to her. "But it gets under my skin the way you just decide things. I ain't into being assumed about."

"I apologise," said Fin. "It was not my intention to make any assumption about yourself or your sister."

"Yeah, well, just watch it, okay? For now we're going along with your thing, but don't go thinking we're in for the long haul. That ain't the deal we got here."

"Oh, would you PLEASE show just a LITTLE gratitude!"

Ada stared at Selene—the girl had suddenly stood up, going from intently concentrating on the rabbits to glaring at Ashley.

"Fin has shown you nothing but kindness and respect since we met you," Selene said, "and yet you constantly grumble and backtalk and complain—"

"Hey, I got opinions, you don't gotta listen to 'em," Ashley shot back. "At least I don't just stand around looking all moody."

"It may look like I'm just standing around to an idiot like you," Selene said, "but trust me, I'm doing a lot more than just that."

"Oh yeah? 'Focusing'? That what you're doing?"

"Ash, don't fight, please," Maya said.

"Stay outta this, Maya," Ashley said, not taking her eyes off Selene. "You wanna go with me, Princess? Show me just how focused you are?"

"That wouldn't serve any useful purpose," Fin said.

"You can stay outta this too, Prof." Ashley took a step towards Selene. "Well?"

"Believe me when I say this," Selene said, her gaze locked with Ashley's. "You do not want to fight me."

"Ash! Please!" Maya cried, as she saw her sister tense. "I don't want you to fight Selene either!"

"Neither do I," said Ada, finally finding her voice. "Mr Fin is right, it wouldn't—"

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"You can just shut it, new girl," Ashley said, as she and Selene continued to stare one another down. "Didn't hear no one asking you—"

"I know I'm new," said Ada, "but I have a name; Ada Hasard. And I don't understand why you want to fight with Selene."

"I don't gotta explain—"

"You just don't like me," said Selene. "This has nothing to do with anything else, you took an instant dislike to me and you've been itching to fight me ever since."

"Nah, I don't like you," Ashley said. "But that ain't what this is about."

Selene was silent, fight in her eyes as she stared down Ashley. Ada swallowed.

"What IS it about?" she asked Ashley, pleading in her voice. "Please tell me, I don't understand at all."

Ashley was silent, her shoulders tense, her fists clenched.

"Ashley," Maya said, "I don't mind going back to Unity, I kind of want to, even—"

"What?" Ashley turned on her sister. "What the hell are you saying?"

"I ... I miss it, a little bit," Maya said. Gathering her courage, she pressed forward: "And ... and maybe if we went back, we could—"

"No. No way, don't even think like that, kid. We're walking forward. Ain't no going back, not for us."

There was a tense silence, which Ada broke:

"I think the rabbits are starting to burn."

Selene made an annoyed noise and went to rescue them. Ashley glared at her, then shook her head and stomped away, towards the night forest.

"Ash—"

"Stay here, Maya. Eat some of the rabbit your princess there got. I'm going for a walk."

Maya looked helplessly at her sister as she stalked away into the darkness. Ada stared down at her hands, wanting to do something or say something but not knowing what might help.

"I do appreciate your sister's passion," said Fin, as he placed a comforting hand on Maya's shoulder. "This is a stressful time for all of us. I'm just glad it didn't come to blows."

"Not this time," Selene muttered. Fin glanced at her.

"Selene," he said. "After we finish eating I would appreciate your assistance with a small matter. Would you be able to help me?"

"Of course," said Selene, smiling at Fin.

"And Maya, I thought of a small trick that might aid your concentration, if you're not too tired I thought we might practise together?"

"Oh, yes please!" said Maya. "I've been working hard, I wanted to show you how good I'm getting!"

Fin smiled at Maya as Selene took the rabbits off the fire and began dividing the meat on to plates.

Ada watched all of this with curious eyes.

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There were many roads leading from Rosanth to central Targe. Ada knew this because she'd read it in a book. She'd also read that the countryside along the western coast of Targe was 'ruggedly beautiful'.

But to see it with her own eyes...

The road was old and smooth, its surface broken only by an occasional small rock. Surrounding were flat fields of pale grass that whipped and whispered in the constant winds, and further inland were forests of thin trees, branches intertwined, a wall of twisted wood. Beyond them were rocky hills, dark grey and dull green and pale yellow.

Past the fields on the other side of the road, of course, was the ocean.

The waves were high and the water was dark, a contrast to the brightly overcast sky. The beach was black sand and great clumped mounds of seaweed, twisted rocks cluttering both sand and surf. Ada had memories of going rowing with her mother, in a lake near the college, but the thought of rowing in these waters made her shiver.

Ruggedly beautiful, Ada thought, as she stared out the window, transfixed by the passing countryside. It's a good description ... but actually being here...

Maya glanced shyly at Ada as they rode along. Ashley was sleeping, Selene was up front with Fin, and Maya was bored.

"Um, Ada," she said. Ada turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Ada.

"Oh good." Maya smiled at Ada, then looked out the window for a bit, then glanced back, then looked at her properly. "I was thinking," she said, slowly. "About leaving places."

Ada looked at Maya, her expression open.

"Ash and me, we've been leaving places our whole life. Like ... places we lived, and then since we left Unity every place we stayed. But we're always together. So it kind of never felt like we were really leaving. But then I was thinking about things, because we're going to Unity now, and I was thinking, I don't think we've ever gone BACK to a place before. After we left it, I mean. Um. Do you know what I mean?"

"I ... I think so," said Ada. "I've never really returned to a place either. But that's because I've never left the college. When I was younger ... with my mother ... we sometimes went places. But I was little then, so we never went far. I've never even been outside Cerveau before, not really."

"It seemed nice ... nicer than Unity," Maya said, her voice a little distant now. "I kind of wish we could have stayed longer. As soon as we arrived we had to leave again."

"Why did you come to Trinity College, anyway?" Ada asked. Maya's face lit up.

"Oh! We're looking for a statue. Well, Mr Fin is, it's really important to him, he says it'll make sure we're all safe and with it he can find a home for all of us. So he thought it was at your college but the man who had it died so all his stuff got sold and Ash got the name of the place it got sold to, then she gave that to Mr Fin and he knew it straight away and said it was in Unity, so that's where we're going now."

'Mr Fin' didn't mention any of that to me or my father, Ada thought, but she said nothing.

"I really hope we find it soon! I can't wait to go to the home Mr Fin has for us!"

"Maya, what'd I tell you about bothering the new girl?"

Ada glanced over at Ashley, who had apparently just woken up.

"She wasn't bothering me," she said. After a moment's hesitation, she added: "And please, I'm asking you, call me Ada."

"Please, Ashley," Maya added. "She doesn't like you calling her 'new girl'."

Ashley wiped her eyes and looked out the window. Ada watched her, fascinated by the way her face moved as she worked her jaw.

"Yeah," Ashley said, eventually. "Yeah, sorry. Been a bit tight lately. Ada, yeah?"

Ada nodded, her cheeks warm.

"Yeah. Heard you left your dad behind, must be tough."

"Mm."

"Just wanted to say," Ashley continued, still looking out the window, "I got your back. If we get in trouble or whatever. Pretty obvious you ain't never been near a fight before, so just ... y'know, if there's trouble just get behind me, yeah?"

"Are you ... are you expecting there to be fighting?" Ada asked. Ashley looked at her and grinned.

"Always."