Several days on her own, and away from the warmth and comfort of her dojo, Nanami was having second thoughts about all of this...if Jillia had said that her brother and Jowy were dead...then surely they were...what had she been thinking? That Jowy and her brother were too strong, too smart, too fast, too...

Behind, the faint sounds of a carriage in the distance stopped Nanami short, and she turned around. Indeed, in the distance, she could just barely make out the black outline of the carriage drawing near. It was still a ways off. Sighing, she forsake the bath for her supplies. If the carriage was heading towards Kyaro, perhaps the carriage driver wouldn't mind if she tagged along. After gathering her supplies she rushed into the road, in front of the approaching carriage, "Stop! Hey! Stop!"

The carriage rode quietly. Jowy sat in the back holding the resting Pilika in his arms. His deep thoughts of regret and helplessness were abruptly interrupted by a piercing cry. Jowy peered over the driver's seat, seeing a figure hopping into the center of the road, arms flailing to get Marco's attention, "Who...?"

Marco sniffed, "Some peasant girl, thats all,"

Jowy stared as the figured began to aquire a familair shape and face, "No! It's Nanami! What is she doing out here?"

Marco made no signs of stopping. Jowy placed Pilika to the side, then leaped up and grabbed the reigns with a sharp tug. The horses reeled, shaking the carriage and tossing back Marco. Jowy held out his arms to catch his brother and braced himself. "Easy!" he cried to the horses, who listened, and came to a halt.

"What was that for, fool?" Marco cried.

Ignoring the remark, Jowy jumped down and ran at Nanami, who, apprently, still hadn't recognized him, "Nanami!"

Once in distance, Nanami picked up speed, and Jowy found himself laying on his back on the road and Nanami shook him vengefully, "Jowy! You're alive! Jowy! Where's my brother? What happened to you? Are you alright? Jowy you're alive! I thought you were dead!"

Each word was punctuated with a feirce shake that rattled Jowy's teeth. "I will be dead if you keep this up!"

Nanami laughed and cried simultaneously, trying to hug Jowy, and pound him into the ground at the same time. Neither worked well with the other. She ended up choking herself, and strangling Jowy.

"Nanami!" He gasped, and she let go. He sat up wincing, but smiling, "What on earth are you doing out here?"

"I'm looking for you! And my brother! I found you! Jillia told the whole village what happened! Was it true? Huh, was it?" Nanami asked in deep concern, thumping her fists on the ground for emphasizing her words.

Jowy looked serious and helped Nanami to her feet, "What did she say?"

"She...she said every one...in the Unicorn Brigade had been killed. No survivors. But, but you're here, and you're alive...Jowy...what happened to you?"

"Well..."

"You peasant!"

The happy couple turned their attention to the spoiled, bratty Atreides. "My cart. The wheels. Everything...everything is ruined! You'll pay for this!!" Forgetting about his carriage, Marco sped off in the direction of the Tenzen Pass. Jowy shook his head while Nanami blinked confusedly.

"It's a long story." Jowy continued as if Marco had never butted in. He walked towards the carriage to retrieve Pilika. "I'll explain along the way. By the ways, Nanami, where are you planning on going? Toto has been burned down and Muse is shut off. The only safe place to go is Ryube."

Not for the first time, she found herself wishing for her journal. It wasn't as if she really had anything she felt like writing in it, or as if she wanted to read over old entries she'd made, and even if she'd had it and wanted to, it wasn't as if she had anything to write with, or felt like stopping.

Of course, she still didn't know where it was exactly she was going. And her journal was gone, irretrievably lost, ink on the water and swirling down to meet the sea. So...

lost

Tomo's stomach growled, and she winced, remembering that it had been at least a day since last she'd eaten; maybe more. She couldn't recall how long she'd fled from Toto, or lain huddled, weak and helpless, by the stream. Her bare feet ached and her arms were cold. As the day went on and the sun rose higher and higher, she found herself depending more and more heavily on the support of her staff.

By midday, she'd reached the crossroads, where the road split; northwest to head back to Toto, and northeast to the North Sparrow pass, and Highland territory.

She couldn't go to Highland. She wouldn't go to Toto. The person who'd lived in Toto had died there, in a black, dark hole. So.

not

Her legs felt weak, and trembled a little. She lowered herself down to her knees, her staff holding her up, and closed her eyes.

helpless

She heard the movement behind her a moment early enough to save her own life, and reacted with a combination of her father's training and a speed born of sudden terror. She ducked her head and rolled to the right, letting go of her staff. It clattered to the ground, and she felt a searing pain rip through her shoulder; heard the tearing of cloth, and flesh. There was blood on her arm. Too slow...

As Tomo came to her feet, she stumbled a little and almost fell. For a split second the world spun around her, and her vision blurred. She could see a group of four...no, five, small white creatures stepping over and around her fallen staff to encircle her. Red eyes flashed at her. In appearance, the creatures were almost akin to rabbits, save for the scythe-like claws the topped ther paws, and the mouths full of razor sharp tearing teeth.

They would be no problem for her, if she'd had her spear. But she didn't have her spear. She didn't even have her staff. And the slash on her shoulder was bleeding heavily, and burning, and the world was still dancing all around her.

The creatures paused, forming a half-moon around her, chittering amongst themselves. Suddenly, the central and largest of them tensed. Tomo braced herself as it sprang at her face, claws slashing. Tomo twisted at the waist and leaned backwards, letting the claws pass in front of her face...

...and the world spun too fast again, and she fell onto her back. She scrambled backwards as the creature repeated its first lunge, and she flailed out desperately with one foot, kicking it in the face and knocking it backwards. It sprang again...

...and was knocked out of the air with a sound blow from a silver tipped staff. The creature fell to the ground, twitching. Tomo looked up in surprise, and her gaze was met by a pair of serious brown eyes. "Just lie still," her rescuer said. "We'll help you." As he spoke, she could see that standing behind him was another figure; a girl wielding some kind of three part staff.

The chattering from the creatures grew louder and louder as they advanced to where the two new arrivals stood, between them and Tomo. Her arm was lost in that horrible burning, and the world wouldn't quite spinning around her...she could feel consciousness slipping away.

helpless