"So, d'you guys still hang around that rat-bastard, Jaoullin?" Biggs asked, his mouth full of food. Norman shot Biggs a glare.
"Yes, we do. Do you still hang around...oh, that's right. You don't have any friends, DO you?" he retorted.
"Come over here and say that, you--" Biggs snapped.
"I just might!" Norman returned.
"Hey, hey, guys!" Scotch said, intervening. "We can't help anyone if we're at each other's throats. So settle down, all right?" Both men nodded, but as soon as Scotch turned his back, Biggs gave Norman an obscene gesture, and Norman responded by sticking out his tongue.
"Real mature, you guys..." Scotch sighed.
"How...didja see that??" Biggs asked.
"I KNOW you guys." Scotch said. Bechno tried to hide his smile by looking generally dwarf-grumpy, but failed.
"I think we should get going, you three. If we're to catch Ronnie before someone else kidnaps her." Bechno said with a grin. So, they packed up and walked towards the third grand mansion they had seen in just a few weeks.
******
Cornelius Anterra Lobel, hunter of men and beasts, had a small problem. That Capule Ette, the fat, old aristocrat with lots of money, was paying him for the safe return of his daughter, Jewel. But according to the woman in the net over his shoulder, he had the wrong person. At first, Cornelius, who had been informed by Capule that Jewel Lee Ette was quite smitten with the Darston boy and would try to elude capture, had been sure that the girl was lying. But now she was protesting quite vehemently that she was not, in fact, Jewel Lee Ette.
"You stupid, stupid bounty hunter! What is it about 'I'm Ronnie Bell' that you can't understand?!" Ronnie demanded from the net.
"I was told by your father, Capule, that you would try to evade me, thus furthering your forbidden romance with the Darston boy!" Cornelius said, although he wasn't 100% sure of himself anymore. Ronnie sighed. There was no getting through to this guy, was there? Cornelius, sure enough, ignored her, trudging further. They were walking in a patch of trees that might have been scenic, had Ronnie not been being kidnapped along at top speed through it. Suddenly, a blue flash leapt from the treetops. Was it a rescuer? A friend?
"Unhand my blooming flower, manhunter!"
Or was it another nut, like Ronnie expected?
The voice belonged to a young man, dressed in a blue tunic and breeches, brown boots, and a blue cap with a feather in it. He had brown hair, and brown eyes as well. He brandished a rapier.
"Aha!" Cornelius said with relish. "You must be Montague Darston. I was told you would come for your lover! Well, you'll have to go through me." He drew his wickedly-curved blade, so fast Ronnie didn't even see it until it was out. Of course, she didn't have the best viewpoint in the world. Cornelius set her down, and charged at Montague. The teen barely had time to dodge the blow, and certainly had no time to counter with his own. Ronnie finally figured it out--Cornelius had a Holy Rune! That's why all his movements were so fast. Damned bounty hunter. Ronnie wasn't losing any opportunity in charging up her Hate Rune to blast open the net. She fired a screeching fireball through it, causing Cornelius to turn and look. Montague also heard the knocking of opportunity, and slashed at the bounty hunter's arm while he was distracted. Ronnie rolled out of captivity, and jumped up to freedom!
"My sweet rose!" Montague called to her. He did a double take. "You...you are not Jewel!" Ronnie nodded.
"You bet I'm not. And, I'm outta here!" Ronnie said, getting ready to leave.
"This is a trick. It has to be." Cornelius swore. "You aren't going anywhere." He pointed his sword at Ronnie. Montague looked perplexed, but knew one thing for sure.
"You cannot attack an unarmed woman, sir! It is unjust!" the Darston heir said, leveling his rapier at the bounty hunter. Cornelius got a look in his eyes that could only mean he was figuring in his head how much more money the Ettes would pay him if he 'accidentally' killed Montague Darston in self-defense. He raised his sword.
"Very well," he said with a wicked smile. "Take that!" He slashed the blade upward, but it was intercepted by a flash of pink that came from the bushes. Before they knew what was happening, a scream split the air, and a girl lay on the ground, having dove between the dueling men. She had golden hair, arranged just so, and wore a formal ball gown of pink silk, perfect except for one sleeve that had been slashed as she came between them.
"Jewel!!" Montague cried, forgetting that Cornelius existed and dropping to his knees beside the girl. Ronnie looked closely at her--she certainly appeared unhurt. Her eyes fluttered open.
"Oh, my precious love! Is that you...?" she gasped.
"I am here, my darling rose!" Montague proclaimed. Cornelius watched, uncertain. After all, he had thought that Ronnie was Jewel, and here the real girl was, on the ground.
"I thought I would...never see you again..." Jewel murmured.
"No, no, my love!! I am here for you, now and for eternity." the Darston boy vowed. Ronnie frowned. This girl hadn't even been hit!
"I...I fear...our time together is...drawing to a close, my love..." the fallen girl breathed, "But it is a time...I will cherish...forever more."
"Do not leave me, my sweet flower!!" Montague protested tearfully. "I love you with all my heart! If you go, I will be but an empty shell, without...LOVE!" He sobbed brokenly. Cornelius looked puzzled by this as well. He actually examined the blade of his sword, in case there was blood on it that he had missed by chance.
"But...perhaps it is better, this way. For our passion...is a Forbidden Love!" Jewel gasped. Montague shook his head vehemently.
"No! They cannot tell us how to live! If we cannot live, our two Destinies intertwining, then...we shall die! Together!!" he cried.
"Excuse me..." Ronnie interrupted. "I really think I missed something. What is going on here??" Montague shot her a look of contempt.
"Are you blind, madam? Can you not see that...*choke* my True Love is leaving this mortal world?!" He continued with the broken sobbing.
"Cry no more tears for me..." Jewel Lee insisted. "My life, though short, was filled with happiness. I can ...*cough* ask for...nothing...more..." She fell silent, her eyes closing gently. Ronnie rolled her eyes. Could this get any more nauseating? Montague collapsed in a sobbing heap. He beat his fists on the ground.
"Noooo! NOOOO! Jewel! My love! My only love!!" he wept.
Montague's cries of anguish caught the attention of some of the Ette estate staff, who were very close, considering how close they were to the manor in the first place. A short, fat, balding man in a suit ran as quickly as he could into the clearing in the trees.
"M-Miss Jewel! What has happened?!" he demanded, seeing the girl's prone figure in the grass. He pointed at Montague, ignoring the extremely-threatening sword-brandishing figure that was Cornelius, preferring to accuse the weeping, feather-wearing Darston.
"You! You've killed her?!!" the fat man shouted.
"No! I would never harm her, never!" Montague returned tearfully.
"Lies! You Darston filth! You drew her into your web of evil with your wily charms, and now you've slain her!!" the man insisted. Hostilities were increasing quickly, and Ronnie thought it was a good time to get out of there. Unfortunately, her knights in shining armor were just arriving.
Rather, Ronnie's men and would-be rescuers were being chased by things in shiny armor. Biggs, by far the most skilled at saving his own skin, was first up the hill, followed by Norman and Scotch, and finally Bechno, who was trying to fend off their pursuers with his axe. Their pursuers, being a rampaging herd of Cutrabbits, had no intention of stopping.
"Why did you have to 'investigate' that hole in the ground?! We all knew it was a Cutrabbit burrow!" Norman puffed.
"Shut up and run faster!!" Biggs cried. They sprinted towards a small gathering of trees near the manor, hoping to shake off the homicidal rabbits in there.
For some reason, instead of masterfully dodging through the trees, Biggs seemed to be slowed down somewhat. Maybe because he had just knocked down Ronnie. If he remembered right, she didn't enjoy that very much. Especially coming from him.
"Biggs, you idiot! Watch where--" but that was all she was able to get out, as Scotch and Norman fell into the clearing, followed by Bechno, who hit the deck before a wave of Cutrabbits, vicious beasties wielding little blades, swarmed over the fat balding man, Cornelius, Montague, and the 'fallen' Jewel. Most of said rabbits continued swarming on through, intent on killing whatever prey was out there. Two, however, noticed the prone form of Jewel. Easy prey, they figured. So they certainly felt justified in trying to carve up a drumstick or two. Ronnie picked herself up, and helped her men up (excluding Biggs), just in time to witness a 'miracle'.
Jewel Lee Ette, it seemed, was not so dead anymore.
"EEEEEEEEEEEE!!" she screamed, leaping up into Montague's arms. "Those things are trying to EAT me! Icky-icky-EWWW!" Montague looked as surprised as the fat bald man that she was alive, although Ronnie had no idea why. She had clearly not been dead the entire time.
"My love! Y-you are alive!!" Montague stated. Jewel gasped as if she too was just realizing this fact.
"Why...it is a miracle! A heaven sent gift!" Jewel cried, forgetting the cutrabbit and spewing poetry once more, "Angels have given...wings to our love!"
"So our love may run free once more!" Montague agreed, elated.
"M-Miss Jewel? You are alive?" the fat man inquired.
"Oh, Smithers!" Jewel said. "Yes, I'm fine." She looked around, "Goodness...we have gathered quite the crowd, Monty!"
"They must be believers of Destiny, brought here by our powerful Love!" Montague gushed. Ronnie's men were entirely confused by what was going on, but they had found Ronnie, so that was a plus.
"Uh, sorry, miss, but we only came here for her." Scotch said, gesturing to Ron. Jewel turned to Ronnie, absolutely ecstatic.
"You must be an Angel of Destiny!!" she cried. Ronnie held up her hand.
"No. No. A thousand times, no. I'm not even going to get started on this track again. Goodbye." Ronnie said quickly. She turned to leave, followed by Norman, Scotch, Bechno and Biggs. They stopped a few feet away from the clearing. Everyone burst out with questions.
"Where's Jaoulliin and Eyesoar??" Ronnie asked.
"What happened to you?!" Scotch demanded.
"One at a time, if you please." Bechno said.
"All right. Where're the others?" Ronnie asked again.
"We don't know." Norman admitted. "We're on our way after them."
"Now, what happened to you?" Scotch repeated.
"It's a long story, I'm afraid. I'd be interested in hearing your side, too, since there seems to be a serious lack of two of my men, as well as our kidnapped girl." Ronnie said.
"We can talk while we go." Bechno said. "We must search the area for that butler."
"Butler?" Ronnie said, blinking. They began to walk.
******
"Jeeves!!" Pauline Fargolon said from her rather uncomfortable position under the butler's arm. "I demand you tell me what is going on, here! Where are we going??" The butler, as usual, said nothing, but it was unusual in that this time Pauline had directly asked him. Jaoullin was still unconscious under the butler's other arm.
"Jeeves! Stop, at once!!" Pauline ordered. Jeeves did stop, but only after he reached a rock face, steeply reaching up to the sky. Trees were all around behind them, but now they were against this rock wall. Jeeves set Pauline down, and began to tie up Jaoullin's wrists.
"Ah, yes! Good, Jeeves. Tie up this felon, and make camp for me at once. I shall be expecting my afternoon tea soon." Pauline said, stretching after walking a few steps.
"Of course, my Lady." he said. Pauline smiled haughtily. Jeeves got an odd look on his face. "You are looking...quite cheerful, my Lady. I would have thought you would be more...saddened by these events." Pauline nodded.
"I...really am not completely sure...what has occurred. Is it true...my father is...dead?" she asked tentatively. Jeeves nodded solemnly.
"It is a great loss. But there is still...you." the butler noted.
"And the entire mansion...all gone..." Pauline said, beginning to realize as if for the first time the full impact of the tragedy. "What will I do, Jeeves? Where will I go??"
"There, there, my Lady...I will be here, by your side, as always. It is ...my duty to protect your interests, as sole heir."
"Of course..." Pauline said sadly. Jaoullin finally stirred. He awoke with a start, to find himself neatly tied to a tree.
"What...what the hell?! What's going on, what happened??" he shouted. Jeeves calmly gazed at him.
"YOU are responsible for the destruction of Fargolon Manor, and the death of Mr. Fargolon and countless staff as well."
"WHAT?!! What are you talking about?? That thing with my sword--I had nothing to do with it! It's never done that before..." Jaoullin protested. He looked around.
"What about my friends??"
"What about them?" Jeeves asked.
"What happened to them?" Jaoullin asked. The butler shrugged.
"They appeared to be merely unconscious, some distance from the wreckage, but they were not my problem." he said.
"Well, why am I here? I don't see my sword anywhere, so what could you want with me?" the Sunshine Knight asked.
"We're going to show you what it's like to be tied up all the time! Serves you right for kidnapping me, hah!" Pauline said, sticking her tongue out for emphasis.
"I brought you here to eliminate you." Jeeves stated calmly. Jaoullin's jaw dropped, as did Pauline's.
"Excuse me? Jeeves, that's a bit too--" Pauline put in.
"No one asked you." Jeeves snapped. Pauline gasped.
"Jeeves!! What has gotten INTO you?! I demand an explanation for this behavior! At once!!"
"I...eh, apologize, my Lady. But it cannot be avoided. This fiend must be eliminated. He has wronged the family name." the butler said. Pauline shook her head.
"I don't care! You aren't killing him, and that's final!" she said, probably more to be antagonistic than out of any care for Jaoullin.
"How the heck did we get away without a scratch, anyway?" Jaoullin wondered idly. "The explosion was right next to us!" He looked to Pauline. "Do you know how?"
"...Not really. We were both carried here by Jeeves." she said.
"Say what? Both of us? Carried?" he asked, incredulous.
"Do you have a hearing problem? I just said that!" Pauline snapped. Jaoullin shook his head.
"That's not possible...how could he carry both of us, by himself? He'd tire out!"
"Not necessarily." Jeeves said. "There was no choice in the matter. If I could have, I would've left you to die, you scum. But you were right there, in the way of everything. I couldn't leave Miss Pauline behind. Everything would be ruined, without her as heir." Jaoullin glanced strangely at the butler. Something was wrong here.
"Everything....'ruined'? What's--" he began.
"What are you talking about, Jeeves? What do you mean??" Pauline demanded. But she wasn't angry or generally loud like usual. She sounded almost...afraid.
"Who knows how much financial ruin the Fargolon business would go into, what with the master getting killed and the mansion destroyed. But with you still alive, Miss Pauline, the wealth will still come in. Everything will be all right." Jeeves stated. He was rubbing his hands together in an odd, compulsive way.
"The...wealth? Jeeves...are you saying you only saved me because I have money??" Pauline cried.
"You are the heir to a great legacy, it is true." Jeeves said. "But to be honest...yes, my main concern is continuing my..eh, lucrative practices."
"You've been taking money from us, Jeeves?" Pauline asked tearfully. "How could you betray us like that? How?"
"There is no 'us'. Your father is dead. There is only you, now. You are the sole heir. You must collect your inheritance, and I will continue to serve under you. As your...faithful butler." There was something in the way he said it that made him seem not entirely sincere.
"Faithful? You've been embezzling from us, for who knows how long---" Pauline launched into a tirade, but was stopped.
"The entire time, Miss Pauline. My entire length of employment. Has it made any tangible difference to you? I take a business report, now and then, to see what's going on, marketwise. A few confidential files here and there. Cash. Priceless works of art. And has your quality of life been any different, my dear girl?" Jeeves' voice lacked any of the subservient, respectful tone it had possessed before.
"My father trusted you! This cannot stand, Jeeves. I'm sorry, but I no longer have need of your services, if this is the way you plan to behave. Goodbye." Pauline said. Jeeves laughed.
"That's not an option, my dear. The Guild will not allow it."
"Guild?" Jaoullin and Pauline said in unison.
"I've said too much already." Jeeves said, with a flick of his wrist. "Now, dismiss these foolish thoughts, and allow me to kill this wretch while you go...stand over there and look pretty. Come, now." He waved his hand dismissively. This admission of embezzlement didn't appear to bother him in the least, in fact, he seemed to regard it as an inevitable fact of life. Pauline leveled her coldest look at her butler.
"You expect me to just do whatever you say, just because you ask me nicely? I'm not going to stand and 'look pretty'. You're not killing him. Leave now. I never want to see your face again, or you will suffer the consequences!" She stalked over to Jaoullin and began to untie him. Jeeves frowned.
"Don't do this..." he warned. Pauline ignored him and continued to untie Jaoullin. Jeeves walked over to her, grabbed her from behind, and threw her into a tree. The force of the blow was such that needles showered down like rain as she hit the trunk. She fell silently to the ground.
"W-what are you doing?! You've gone crazy!" Jaoullin cried. Jeeves shook his head.
"Stupid girl. Her life has sheltered her from even this. Why can't she see that it's been this way all along? And it can be no other way. The Guild would not allow it." Jeeves said matter-of-factly. He seemed to be repeating the same point as before, compulsively.
"What Guild? You aren't making any sense!" Jaoullin said.
"The Halfmoon Butler Guild." Jeeves said, not looking at Jaoullin, who took the opportunity to try and finish what Pauline had started with his ropes. "Butlers all over this area work faithfully for their masters. But they also do things for their own personal profit, for the profit of the Guild. Is that so wrong?"
"Actually...yeah. Your employers trust you to do your job, not half-ass it and take what doesn't belong to you." Jaoullin said.
"Oh, and of course being a bandit, you've certainly never taken something that wasn't yours, have you?" Jeeves sneered. Whoops. The butler had him there.
"Well...uh...at least we don't pretend we're doing something besides that!" Jaoullin replied lamely. He loosened the ropes up, and got ready to spring for it.
"I wouldn't try that if I were you. The same rune that saved your life can break your neck just as easily." Jeeves said coldly, still not looking at Jaoullin.
"R-rune?" Jaoullin said uncertainly, hoping to keep this crazy butler talking long enough to stay alive.
"Yes." Jeeves said, nonchalantly tapping his right hand. "The Tributler Rune. Only the very best in the Guild possess it." Only the very best? If so, it didn't bode well for Jaoullin.
"Where'd ya..get...a rune like that?" the Sunshine Knight said.
"They are specially crafted. Now, you've asked enough questions. I must dispose of you and return to the manor with her. It will take long enough to brainwash her back into trusting me, thanks to your idiocy." Jeeves said impatiently.
"What are you talking about? That Butler Rune thing is obviously what blew the place up, right? Just part of your 'plan'?" Jaoullin shouted. Jeeves frowned, shaking his head.
"No. I do not know what caused the explosion. Why would I plan for the master to die, when it is better for me for him to be alive? Training Miss Pauline to take over will be a terrible chore."
"You're just using her to your own ends!" Jaoullin spat.
"So it has always been." Jeeves said as if he was commenting on the weather. Jaoullin didn't need to know any more. He certainly wasn't going to wait around for the butler to strangle him, so he made a run for it. Jeeves intercepted him with speed he had never seen a person pull off. The butler's hands went to his neck with lightning speed. Jaoullin struggled to pull him off, struggled to breathe. Jeeves tightened his grip, attempting to choke the Knight to death. They wrestled back and forth. Jaoullin was a strong, young man, but Jeeves had experience and rune-enhanced strength on his side. Jaoullin was slowly losing his battle.
The world spun around, he blacked out for a moment, and suddenly found himself lying on his back in the grass.
"...Am I dead? What happened?" he murmured. "Is this...Heaven?" He found the cheerful face of Eyesoar looking down at him.
"Gosh, I sure hope not." he said with a grin. Jaoullin sat up, dazed. He looked around. Jeeves was facedown in the dirt, unmoving. It was then that Jaoullin noticed the large, unfriendly piece of wood that Eyesoar was holding cheerfully.
"I've been watching, up in the trees. That Jeeves really isn't a nice guy. I figured I'd wait to show myself until you really needed it! And boy, did you. That old guy had you beat, Jaoullin. So I flew down and popped him one! I thought I was too late for a sec, but you're okay, right?" the teenage Winger explained simply. Jaoullin nodded. But he had a feeling Jeeves wouldn't stay like that for long.
"Let's go while we still can, okay? We have to find the others." Jaoullin said. Eyesoar nodded in agreement.
"I've been awake the whole time, so I know everything that happened. I followed cuz that guy seemed suspicious. I think the others are nearby. But..." He looked over at the tree where Pauline lay unconscious.
"What? Let's just go." Jaoullin said hurriedly. He didn't want to risk Jeeves waking back up.
"...You're just leaving her?" Eyesoar said uncertainly. Jaoullin remembered Pauline. He couldn't just leave her with that psychotic butler. No, he'd have to take her with him for now. He got up, and picked her up gently in his arms. It was marvelous how nice she looked when she wasn't awake and bitching about everything. They began to walk away from the rock face, Eyesoar leading the way back.
******
When the stories were finished, Ronnie had gathered that after the Dock brothers had grabbed her at Fargolon Manor, her men had taken Pauline back to the hideout. But when they had needed her to get info about Ron's own disappearance, they had returned to the manor and got caught. Then, somehow, Jaoullin's sword had caused some sort of energy burst. They had been seperated, and moved on to the Darston and Ette households. Ronnie told them about her escape, meeting with Biggs, and how the old woman had disappeared. It was all very puzzling. And, as Bechno added, damn unlucky for all of them.
"I guess the ring with the 'D' insignia we found wasn't Darston after all...it was those idiot Dock brothers." Norman said.
"Yeah..." Ronnie sighed. Suddenly she pointed. "Look, isn't that Jaoullin??" The others snapped to attention, looking off in the distance. Norman broke out in a wide grin, while Biggs tried to mask his contempt with indifference.
"Eyesoar, as well." Bechno said. They hurried over to meet them.
"Jaoullin!" Norman said happily. "What happened to you guys?" Jaoullin set Pauline down in the grass. "And why...what's with her?"
"It's a long story." he said.
"We've had our share of those today. Go on." Bechno urged.
"I--" Jaoullin said, seeing Biggs. "What the hell? Why is BIGGS here?!"
"Another long story." Ronnie said with a smirk.
"I'd be glad to hear it, but we need to get away from this area, first." Jaoullin said, glancing nervously behind him.
"Steal someone else's girlfriend again, bud?" Norman asked.
"Nah...he's afraid the butler'll come to kill him again." Eyesoar explained cheerfully.
"Come again? You mean Jeeves...?" Scotch asked.
"Yes, I mean Jeeves." Jaoullin said, pointing to several red marks on his neck. "He's crazy. He's absolutely mad. He says he's part of some secret society that lives on embezzling from the rich." The others stared. This was not the Jeeves they knew.
"Are you sure? Perhaps he wasn't feeling well?" Biggs put in.
"Yeah, so bad that he threw Pauline into a tree. He said it was the way it had to be." Jaoullin said sourly. Ronnie's eyes widened.
"He IS crazy. He would never have done that, earlier."
"That's why we need to move our asses away!" Jaoullin said, picking up Pauline again. "Let's head back towards the hideout, all right?" The others nodded, and started walking. They talked along the way, exchanging stories once more.
Ronnie almost made a clean getaway. She had found her men, all of them, gotten Pauline, though there really was no reason for her to be there, and ...Biggs was there too, she supposed. But she still couldn't get away completely. It was just her luck. They were intercepted a few miles south by the star-crossed lovers themselves.
"O Angel of Destiny..." Jewel Lee Ette pleaded. "I implore you, take us with you, so that our Forbidden Love may flourish and run free!"
"We cannot be confined to these dusty rules of our feuding families, like birds in a cage!" Montague Darston added. "They may trap our bodies, but our souls shall run wild, like the wind in---"
"For heaven's sake! Will you two shut up for a second?!" Ronnie snapped. "I need to--" But she had no chance to finish, for apparently believing that they had offended the Angel of Destiny, the two lovers began launching into a new tangent.
"My love! If the Angel shows its wrath, let me shield you from harm as an umbrella from the rain of despair!!" Montague cried.
"Nay, my sweet knight! Do not throw yourself into danger! It should be me! You must leave me behind! I will always remember!" Jewel cried back to him. Ronnie clenched her teeth. She was tempted to kill them both and be done with it, but she needed to get her point across before Jewel 'died' again, so she just held up her hand.
"I am NOT an Angel of anything! I'm not about to unlease any unholy wrath except for my own temper! Now LISTEN! Why should I let you two idiots come along with us? We're bandits, you know. You wouldn't last three minutes, the way you're going now." she shouted.
"Oh, have mercy, O Angel." Jewel said. "We merely wish to tag along until we can escape the torment that is this feud..."
"All right." Ronnie said shortly, before Monty had a chance to chime in with his woes as well. "But only for a little bit." Jewel leapt joyfully into her lover's arms.
"Oh, thank you, Angel of Destiny! Our pure hearts shall aid you in whatever way you need!" Montague said, groveling.
"Uh, Ron..." Scotch said uncertainly.
"I know it's not a good idea, Scotch." she said irritably. But then she smiled at him. "It was strange, not having you around to give me your priceless advice..." She winked. He reddened slightly.
"Good to have ya back, Boss." Eyesoar remarked.
They walked to the south, as the sun was setting on the rest of the world. Night didn't stop them, they merely continued walking, though they were all ready to drop on the ground and sleep for a week. Ronnie led the way, with Scotch beside her, like it had always been. Bechno stayed in the back with Eyesoar, and Norman and Jaoullin took turns carrying Pauline Fargolon. Ronnie kept her eyes forward, not wanting to look back at Biggs, who was walking in a silent fashion that bothered her more than if he had been his usual self. That, and Jewel and Monty were cooing and gazing into each other's eyes so often it was sickening. That, and those three walking there reminded Ronnie of memories...she didn't want to think about. She knew she'd have to, soon enough, though. For now, she just walked.
By the next morning, they figured themselves to be safely far away from any of the local mansions and stopped. They sat in a circle--Ronnie, with Scotch and Bechno on either side, and then Eyesoar, Norman, Pauline (who hadn't said a word since waking, which disturbed Ron perhaps more than anything else that had happened), Jaoullin, Montague, Jewel, and Biggs, going around the circle.
"Well, Ronnie..." Biggs said. "You promised." Ronnie nodded.
"Promised what?" Jaoullin asked sharply.
"Promised I'd explain what's going on. It's...it's this old woman. I saw her once, the other day. I must find her." she said.
"Old woman?" Norman asked.
"Listen, it's just best if I tell the entire story. All of it, from day one, all right? This...this won't be easy for me." Ronnie said.
"Er...the whole story? Like, life story?" Biggs asked tentatively.
"Yes." Ronnie replied, eyeing him.
"Shit..." he cursed under his breath.
"Deal with it." Ronnie said. She took a deep breath. "Okay, here goes..."
