Grave of the Shadows (Starting!)

Rodr

I awoke slowly, reluctantly. Looking at the window nearby, I saw that it was still night. I could hear the cause of my awakening - voices.

"This isn't an orphanage," a male voice said roughly. "You can't just take in random boys from the street! What if he's running from the law?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Harin," the woman protested. Harin - I knew that name. They sounded like they were just outside the door. "It isn't as if..."

They both stopped as I opened the door, turning to look at me.

"I'm not running from the law, if that's what you're worried about." It was technically true - I was hiding, not running. Technically. "I'm just looking for medicine. My sister is ill - and you're a healer, if I just heard your name right." The same healer I'd told Liam about before I'd left.

He looked at me carefully. "I've seen you before," he said. "I seem to recall you and some friends of yours doing me a favor." I nodded, and he sighed. "Very well, then. Tell me about this illness."

I described everything, including the nit of nail in her foot - I somehow felt that was important. He stopped me when I told him about that, and looked at me for a moment.

"You're a very lucky boy," he told me. "I believe I know what ails your sister - and if I'm not mistaken, I can help you. Wait here." He was gone for a moment, and then he returned with a bottle of a greenish liquid. "This should help her. Now get along," he said, shooing me towards the door.

"Thank you," I said. "I won't forget this." With that, I left before I could do something stupid like cry for joy. Justia was going to live! I had the cure, right here!

I manged to find my way back to the alley, occasionally dodging around suspicious figures. I moved the rock aside and went in, carefully holding the miracle bottle. "Justia!" I called, just barely managing to keep my excitement from my voice. Celeste took it, her eyes reflecting the joy I felt.

"Drink this," she whispered to Justia, kneeling at her side. Justia did, all of it, and I felt relief seep through me. She was going to survive. I knew it. We all knew it, and for a moment everything was alright.

"We need to find Kye," said Liam suddenly, standing. "Not yet, though; we all need rest. Renya, can we share some bread?" So she was back, and she had bread. "Tess, don't worry, Kyle's fine," he assured Tessa, almost mechanically.

I looked at him for a moment. He didn't look very reassured himself. Then again, I doubted anyone felt reassured. Now, with Justia well, Kyle's disappearance into the town at night, with the Nights searching for us, suddenly became huge. But Liam was right - we needed rest. I laid down next to Justia, who was asleep already. Looking at her, peaceful and recovering, was like a lullaby - I began to drift off myself, until I once again warm and safe in sleep.

Spoiler

So sorry. Haven't had time to write.

Justia
I woke up to the sweet smell of warm bread, and warm milk. I sat up, and found Rodr beside me. I shook him.
"Rodr. I'm better! I'm better!" I said. He sat up, and smiled warmly, breaking some bread off a loaf and pouring some milk for me. I smiled, and he played with my hair as I ate. I had lost a lot of weight. "Where are we?" I asked, preplexed. "Whoah." I said, when I tried to stand up. I got dizzy and the room moved around me. Rodr looked all blurred.
"What's wrong?" He asked. I reached out my arms.
"Dizzy." I said, and started to cry. He came over to my outstreached arms, and hugged me. "Celeste?" I said, looking around, but everything blurred again, and tears came to my eyes at the pain in my foot.

Celeste

I couldn't help but smile wide in joy. When Justia drank that bottle of medicine, she was already looking amazing. I laid next to her and Rodr, not sleeping though.

Lookout. Yes. Justia is okay. She WILL be okay. Rodr made it bacl safe. We're all good. Wait. Rodr's right. Kyle.

I sat up, thinking. I stood, throwing my jacket over myself. "Guys, I think I'll go look for Kyle," I said. "He's probrably cold out there, hungry." I told them. "I'll be back."

Just then, Justia started crying again. I held her in my arms for about five minutes, hushing her. "Justia, it's alright," I looked at Rodr. "More medicine?"

Alexa Noel

I suddenly got the feeling that something was wrong with Kyle. It was almost as if... he had done something wrong. Celeste spoke that she was going to find him. I stood up as well.

"I'm rested," I looked hopefully at Liam. Then I held out the sketchbook, the cover of which was worn down by Kyle's fingers. "Please?" I whispered. Liam nodded reluctantly.

"Celeste?" He turned to her with a pained look in his eyes, "Kyle..." We knew that as strong as his protectiveness over us was, it was even stronger over his siblings. "I need to stay with Justia and the rest, please..." He paused and looked at the wall. "Please do your best to find him. I couldn't live with myself, just, see if you can find him."

I realized that Liam had also felt the worry that was eating me alive. "We'll find him." I said, squeezing Liam's hand. He looked down at me with a small smile.

"The rest of us need to switch hiding places, it's been a long time here. It isn't safe. We'll leave a code for you."

Reyna
When I arrived at Ruby's house again, she opened the door for me. Just as we closed the door, somebody pounded the door. Ruby looked out.
She motioned it was a night, and I panicked. She told her mom to wait while we left. We were about to run out the back door, when we saw that the house was surrounded. We climbed up to the attic, and out the window. As we silently crept along, I noticed there was only one night in the back. The rest were lined up at the front door.
"Wait here." I said, and fell through the air. I landed on the startled person, who was in fact, just a night's follower. He almost let out a yell but I covered his mouth. He grabbed his sword and was about to stab me, but I was faster, and I drove my sword through him. I jumped up, and ran towards the roof. Ruby was waiting there. We ran on jumping from roof to roof. We finally got to the woods, and she led me through it. By a tree trunk, she moved leaves off the ground, and there was a beautiful ivory bow, and shiny tipped arrows. I smiled.
"This, is my weapon. The sword is yours." she said, smiling. She showed me a hollowed tree, that you could climb up into. We squeezed in, and covered the entrance with dead leaves. She had a candle, and lit it. We smiled at eachother, enjoying every moment of this adventure.