Out of the Shadows

By GirlMaverick

Tran, Irritated, tuned to Laura. "May I please have my sword back now?"

Laura scowled at him but returned his sword anyway.

Sensing the tension Carol cleared her throat, "What ya get in them bags?"

Kay smiled, "The one Laura es carryin' has pots, pans, maps, a flint, a compass and the like. The one I'm carryin' has clothnin' and meh tools. She paused and shot a sly glance at Tara. "The two-"

"One!" Tara threw one of the bags at Kay.

"Tara is…was carryin' got food an' supplies in um. What you got Tran?"

Tran looked at his pack. "I don't know." He opened it and pulled out a bundle of food, a change of clothes, a flint, a set of travel pots, a utility knife, a small sewing kit, a travel sized game of knights, and a small jewelry box. Secured atop his bag was a bedroll.

Tran smiled sadly, "A lot of this stuff belonged to my family. I have a memento of each of them now. In fact, the only stuff that are mine are the clothes and the flint." He paused to consider his word. "Well" he amended, "I guess it's all mine now." He looked up the girls. "Best be on our way I suppose."

"I'm hungry," Tran paused to take a big breath, "and tired, and cold, and uncomfortable, and my muscles hurt, and I'm tired of walking, and hiding, and-and…and GIRLS!

Tara sighed in exasperation. The boy had been going off on this same tirade for three hours now. And with pathetically little variation! "Will ya jus' SHUT UP!" Tara paused a moment in order to calm herself. "Look Tran, Ya've been going on like this fo' near on three hours now. The rest of us are facing the exact same conditions and the only thing we're complaining about is ya nevah endin' noise!"

Tran hung his head. The five walked in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Tran looked up to see Laura glaring at him. "What now?" he sighed.

Laura grinned and punched him in the face so hard that he fell flat on his back in the dirt. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that." Looking satisfied Laura walked up to Kay to talk and exchange high fives.

Tran looked bewildered. "Um…Tara…why did she just punch me? What does she mean she's wanted to do it for a long time? Didn't we just meet earlier today? If not, when did we meet? That hurt a lot. Do you have anything to put on it?

Tara looked at Tran. She was astonished he had not figured it out himself. " 'Cause she hates ya. She's hated ya for a long time. Nah. She was your slave you idiot. Who gives a care? No, an' if I did I wouldn' waste it on a whiner like you!"

"I actually understood that!" Tran looked pleased with himself for a few seconds, then he realized what Tara had said. "Oh." For once he was at a loss for words.

Laura smiled to herself. Punching Tran hadn't been very nice, but it sure had felt good!

"Laura tha' was awesome! Ya really showed him!" Kay mimed a punch at an imaginary Tran. "Wham! He went down flat! He-"

Kay was interrupted when Tran stuck out a foot to trip her. Unfortunately for Tran, Kay had very quick reflexes. Instead of tripping she grabbed his foot and flipped him flat on his back.

"-is a pathetically bad at fighting." She smiled sweetly down at Tran.

Amidst her giggles Laura managed to get out, "Tran, you really should be more careful. You might get hurt.

Tara, Laura, and Kay dissolved into laughter.

Carol shot them a disapproving look and went over to help Tran up. "Are ya ok?" She quickly looked him over. "She didn't hurt ya did she?"

Tran brusquely brushed of the dirt. "Only my pride."

Carol pulled a leaf out of Tran's hair. She had just opened her mouth to say something when she was interrupted by a call from Tara up ahead.

"I think it's time ta stop. I found a good spot ta set up camp." Tara had found a hidden clearing. It was hidden from the road and sheltered from the elements by an encircling wall of trees and a roof of over-hanging boughs.

As the others set up camp Laura went over to Carol. "Hey Care'!" "We should go gather more food. We never know when we'll need supplies. If you'll point out the edible plants to me then I'd be happy to help you forage.

Carol looked at her for a moment as if assessing her. An inexplicable chill went up Laura's spine. Finally, Carol nodded her head. "Come on."

After telling the others where they would be they walked off into the forest, each with an empty satchel slung over her shoulder.

Carol glanced at the girl walking beside her. She had seemed nice but…she had been then kind -to say the least- to that boy, Tran. Could she be trusted? "So…" Carol began, "I hard a short version of what happen' but how'd ya all end up traveling together?"

Laura thought for as moment then said, "Well, I suppose since we were all being hunted, and we happened to be together at the time, we just stayed together. There's strength in numbers right?"

"I think it depends on who those number's are."

Laura looked at her strangely, then smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Why did you come with us?"

What! The girl didn't know?! Maybe she's more of an innocent than I thought…No, that can't be right, not from what I've heard of her history. "Well I didn't exactly have much of a choice did I?"

Laura frowned. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Did she really not know? "Well ya friend Tara put a knife at my throat an told me that if I didn't come with ya she'd hafta kill me so I wouldn't tell nobody where ya'd gone."

Laura's eyes went wide. "Oh! I could never do that. I mean, I did threaten Tran…but I was bluffing!"

"Augh!" Tran cried out in frustration as his makeshift shelter collapsed yet again. He glared at both Tara and Kay, both of whom had long ago finished with their shelters and were watching his efforts with obvious amusement. "Why are you just sitting there? Help me!"

Kay began laughing so hard that she fell backwards off the log the two girls were sitting on.

Tara rolled her eyes at Kay. "All ya needed ta do was ask, Tran." She went over to his side and began showing him how to arrange fallen branches and the like into a sturdy shelter.

"Thanks." Tran smiled at her gratefully.

Tara, however, was not so polite. "Ya gonna have at learn fast Tran, right now ya pretty much useless an' I can only help ya so much 'fore I gotta leave ya behind." She walked back to the log and sat down with her back to him, forestalling any further attempts at conversation.

Well. Thought Tran, She's not very nice is she? I guess Carol is the only one who is any good. Kay is a jerck and how could anyone like Laura? But I guess I'm stuck with them for now. After all, Tara's right about one thing; I'd never survive by myself.

"We're back! We found a bunch of good stuff too!" Laura and Carol emerged from the surrounding trees.

Kay ran up to greet them. "Good! We can eat this now an' save our supplies. I'd say we should save some of that too but we got no where ta put it. Once we put the camping stuff back all our bags will be full!"

Tran looked skeptically at the various plants, roots, and mushrooms the girls were chopping up. It didn't look very edible to him.

The girls finally finished preparing the food and when Tran smelled the good aromas he decided that maybe this stuff wouldn't be so bad after all. "Let' eat!"