The Last Stand (PG-13)

"Thank you."Rimmon nodded at Nileve.

Nileve nodded to Rimmon, and looked at Bambi.

"Awkward........"Rimmon tried to break the silence.

Nileve laughed,"Yeah, I guess." She turned to Bambi,"Nileve, Nileve, daughter of Esserian. Nice to meet you." She offered her hand.

Bambi cleared her throat.
"Bambi, nice to meet you, Nileve." she greeted, shaking the stranger's hand.

Nileve smiled,"And you, Bambi. So, what's someone like you wandering in somewhere like here?"

Bambi's muscles stiffened slightly, but she willed them to relax.
"Oh, just enjoying what nature has to offer, traveling and seeing places I've never heard of..." she said, reminding herself that her statement wasn't a complete lie and that she shouldn't feel guilty.

Nileve leaned back against a tree,"I doubt it. No one so willing to tell the full truth now a-days. Unless, you really have no business in the war."

Bambi raised an eyebrow.
"Wow. You're good." she said nervously, crossing her arms.
"Truth be told...I have some...er, family troubles." Bambi admitted, looking at anywhere but Nileve.

Nileve smiled, and opened one eye,"That, I would believe."

Bambi smiled.
"Good, glad someone understands." she said, chuckling under her breath.

Nileve closed her eye again,"I won't ask any more, Rimmon, it's your turn for questions."

Rimmon nodded."What kind of troubles?Something to do with.....Darkest idiot?"

Bambi quickly shook her head.
"No, no. I just...left on bad terms last time I was with them..." she trailed off, crossing her arms.
"It's a long story." Bambi said, biting down on her lip.

"Explain."Rimmon leaned against a tree.

Bambi hesitated, then sighed.
"Alright. I was born into a large family, consisting of my six identical sisters. Three were fond of me, one didn't care about me, and the last two loathed me. That's one reason. But...about a week before I turned thirteen, I gained a power I hadn't known of. I could see the near future. But what I saw wasn't exactly pleasant; my mother was murdered, a knife was satshed under my pillow, there were bloodstains on my clothes..." she shuddered, and continued, "I didn't want to believe it. So I ignored it. Pretended as if it had never happened. But on the morning I turned thirteen, my house was crowded with people mourning over my mother's bedside, and...there was blood on my nightgown. But I knew I didn't kill her. I loved her. But...the town didn't believe me. They came after me with knives and pitchforks, threatening to take me to the dark one, even. So, I ran. Now, I'm here."

Rimmon nodded."Besides if they took you to the Darkest Moron then he would rejoice.So yes."

Bambi nodded her head.
"Anything else you'd like to know about me?" she asked.

Rimmon shrugged,then looked at Nileve.

Nileve didn't reply. She was thinking. About her mother. It was a long story, and she hated thinking about it. It brutally wounded her father, and lead to the torment of her aunt. She whispered,"Kina...why did he have to take you... Why did he have to take any of them.... And why her?"

"What"Rimmon was by her side in a moment.

Nileve winced, and a tear fell down her cheek. She blinked her eyes open,"Nothing."

Bambi looked back and forth between them.
"I'll just let you two talk." she said quietly, stepping back to give them space.

"Tell me Nileve."Rimmon stood beside her.

The memory was avid now. Nileve could feel the tears swelling, but she won't let them fall. She couldn't. She shook her head,"I can't....I can't..." It burned her to think...she wanted to scream. The knife, the blood, the murder. The dead body of her mother in her father's arms. She hadn't been there, but she had read it from her father's eyes, and it was brutal, brutal to him, to her sister, to Okie, to her.