Middle of the Road

[Saruna]

May 19, 122PW
Continued from here

After everything that had happened, a quiet carriage ride was not something Saruna would have expected. Yet there she sat on its soft cushions, beside Breda and across from the Amber-eyed and Blue-eyed -- the two strange, asexual beings who had first taken them from the road to Marn and to . . .somewhere else. After . . .that. . . had happened, they were escorted back to the carriage and suddenly expected to go with these individuals to Marn. To somewhere new. Somewhere they were supposed to live.

It was unsettling.

The trip was mostly quiet. Saruna held Breda's hand the entire journey. She wanted to talk, but didn't feel like it -- it was awkward. Really awkward. She knew she had to maintain the sense of calm that pressed at her, at least for Breda's sake, so she didn't fight it. Why would she even want to fight it? For that matter, why did she even want to think? Nothing was making sense, and she was still overwhelmed from the thing -- whatever had happened in the forest. Even now it felt like it was some sticky dream, like she'd been snoozing in the afternoon sun and had been abruptly awoken. It wasn't a dream, though. How could it be, when she still sat with Breda across from the two . . . people. The ones who'd taken them. The ones who'd lost Tanobi. The children. Saruna didn't know which loss hurt more, and she didn't want to think about it.

They stopped only once, and that was at the checkpoint into the city. They were looked at by the guards present, given a bored and cursory glance over, and were let inside. The next stop was more permanent.

"Come," Amber-eyed said. They left the carriage. Saruna knew the area, as she looked around her -- they were on the eastern side of the city. There, she could look across the road towards the Justice Center. But if she looked the opposite way, she could see the edge of the Historic District. The western edge of that district was not so bad. The buildings were relatively stable, and the people who lived in them had money -- just not enough to live in the Residential District. They had stopped on the road that headed towards the Historic District. Saruna swallowed. She had a good home in Shim. She lived well.

"A-are we. . ." Blue-eyed looked at her, and the rest of the question simply disappeared. She stared, and was rewarded with a smile.

"Come," Amber-eyed repeated, starting to walk towards the Historic District.

Saruna looked at Breda, her jaw clenched.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda got out of the carriage with some effort. Her joints were stiff and aching, and she felt faint with hunger. As she looked around and realised where they were, she was hit by nameless panic, as if woken from an already forgotten nightmare.

She had been born in the Historic District. She had fled her home as early as she could, and still it had taken her decades to get out of the District. She had not returned since.

Is this the price? Must I return to the beginning?

Amber-eyed spoke. Breda realised Saruna was staring at her, and forced herself to draw a breath. Amber-eye was already walking, and Blue-eyed made an impatient sound in its throat. Reluctantly, she turned and followed.

They didn't need to walk for long. Historic District was full of narrow, sinuous alleys, and it was easy to disappear among them within minutes. I don't remember this place.

Their destination turned out to be a small wooden door. The District was full of places like that, stone structures barely classified as houses, often half-collapsed and patched with wood. Some of them had permanent residents, some of them were inhabited by an ever-changing herd of homeless people, always searching for a shelter for the night.

As they were ushered inside, Breda realised that this particular building was not quite as ruined as it appeared from the outside. Most of the walls were paneled, the roof appeared to be undamaged, and there were pieces of furniture and carpets on the floor. Nothing is what it looks like with these people. Nothing is real.

Blue-eyed closed the door behind them, and leaned on it casually. "Make yourselves at home."

[Saruna]

Home. What a strange thing to say. Saruna looked around the room -- and it was a single-room occupancy, nice though it appeared -- and felt a wave of uncertainty finally break through the calm that had dogged her since the forest. This was not home. Still, Saruna knew that it was not the place itself that created the idea of 'home,' but the memories that were built there. Given enough time, and even she might come to think fondly of the Historical District, even when she presently fought against the urge to leave.

"This is not forever," one of the two said, and Saruna looked up to see Amber-eyed looking at her. Watching her. Evaluating.

"My -- our things?" Saruna, in turn, looked at Breda.

There was a pause as the two beings looked at each other, something passing between them.

"If all goes well we will move you again in a few days time. Eventually it will be safe for you to go to your homes. Rois has given oath to this, to all who aid Paragon."

"She of the red hair," Blue-eyed responded to Saruna's unasked question.

[Breda Dreaughan]

"Rois," Breda repeated softly. So the beings weren't nameless after all, and neither were they apparently agendered.

"Please," she said, meekly this time. "Let me send some kind of message. I'll let you read it, to make sure it doesn't give anything away. It will be easier and safer for all of us if they don't worry." She placed her hand on her belly. "They will, you know. Because of the - the baby."

The creatures exchanged another look. "Fine, we will find a way to reassure them," Amber-eyed said. "Other than that, you will not communicate with anyone. You also will not leave this building, until instructed otherwise. This is for your own protection."

"Thank you," Breda said softly, easing herself into a rattan chair by the door. She felt tired enough to cry.

Please, leave us alone.

[Saruna]

"She will need to eat, and drink," Saruna said. She lifted her chin, trying to look and sound confident but only managing to showcase her own exhaustion.

"Of course," Blue-eyed said, walking to a covered basket Saruna hadn't noticed. It flipped the cloth back, revealing bread and preserved vegetables. There was a water barrel that was also covered, and the Blue-eyed fetched cups from a small cupboard against the wall. That it filled them and then served them to both herself and Breda was not lost on Saruna. She would not have thought such a creature would perform that sort of menial task.

While Blue-eyed played at being some sort of host, Amber-eyed spoke up. "Tomorrow you will have a task. Depending on what happens, we might need to move you again. At that time, once we have determined the security of the area, we will fetch some of your things from your homes."

It held up a hand to forestall questions as Saruna accepted the cup from the Blue-eyed. She took a drink instead, surprised at how thirsty she was.

"Tomorrow in early afternoon we will come by. At that time you will leave this place and walk along the road near to the Justice Hall. Whatever happens then, you are to cooperate fully with whatever guards you see. Do not mention us. At that time, if they ask where you live, you are to use this location. You will need to wear the clothing we will bring you. If they ask what you were doing, you are to say that you were going to the market to try to buy end-of-day food. We will review this tomorrow. For today, rest. Do you have questions?"

Saruna would say that the look on Amber-eyed's face discouraged questions. That was fine. She personally hoped that they left, and soon.

[Breda Dreaughan]

She ate, although her sense of self-preservation told her not to, at least not before someone else had eaten first. The food was simple and familiar, but incredibly savory. It was to the tongue what the valley in the forest had been to eyes, nose and ears.

"Just walk along the road?" She asked, glancing up from her plate. "We're not going to do anything? Go anywhere?" She saw the Amber-eyed's expression, and hid her face behind the cup of water.

"We will review this tomorrow," Amber-eyed repeated calmly. "There will not be time to discuss everything you will not do." Breda blushed behind her cup.

"We will leave you now," Blue-eyed said. "But there will be eyes on this house. Please, do not try to be clever. This all for your wellbeing." To Breda's surprise, Amber-eyed gave a small, stiff bow as the two retreated out of the door. There was a very definite click from the door as it closed after them.

And then it was just the two of them, in silence.

[Saruna]

"Well now," Saruna said, because the silence had become oppressive to her. She didn't know what to say. If she were a woman who took to idle pursuits she would have rejoiced at this forced opportunity to sit on her heels and relax, but she had been moving her whole life. To sit still then, with everything that had just happened, was simply not an option.

Her own plate and cup in hand, she got up to take Breda's. "How're you doing?" She asked, voice quiet, the significance of the question becoming obvious as her eyes dropped from Breda's face down to her extended belly.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda followed Saruna's gaze, placing a hand on the belly in question. Some of the spasms earlier had been frightening, but they seemed to be over for now. Her back and pelvis ached, but that was not unusual.

"I'm okay, I think. Tired. And quite sore." She looked up, giving the other woman a faint smile. "You look good, though. I was a bit worried for you for a moment, earlier."

She let her eyes wander, partially in order to avoid Saruna's gaze. "I used to live here, you know. Ages ago. This is a quite decent place for this area." She gave a small sigh. "And the food isn't bad. I just wish they didn't have such a control over us."

The child moved against the resting hand, stealing her attention for a brief moment. It no longer had enough space to kick properly, but it was weird to feel it from the outside. Sometimes it made her whole belly wobble.

"Do you think it was all real?" She asked after a moment, hesitantly. "I mean, obviously we are here and… Tanobi… is not, and Changers know what happened to Fayane and the others, but it was just so… weird."

I don't want it to be real.

[Saruna]

Saruna gathered up the dishes and moved them to a shallow basin. It was nicer than the one she had at her home -- a curious thing given their location. That the nice things that had been placed in what would otherwise be a hovel had not been stolen was testament of its own of the supposed eyes that watched the place. Whether thieves had ever gotten into it or not, it was clear that the beings did not expect them now. Comforting and disquieting, all at once.

Breda's words made Saruna want to lecture her. She'd borne enough children to have an idea of what price such an exciting day might extract later, but she also knew the versatility of women who'd lead hard lives. If what Breda said was true, then she was indeed a sturdy little thing, and Saruna could take heart in that. She would still be sure to see the other woman ate and rested properly. It wouldn't do at all for mother or child to take ill while she was around. Strange thing, that she should go her whole life prepared for the role of mother and grandmother, and yet when she had finally let go the hope, here was something of a chance. Like Derin.

The strange vision in the forest came back to her, and she looked down at the age-spotted skin of her hands. Delicate old skin, darkened and toughened by the sun and years of work.

"I don't know," Saruna whispered. "I don't know but somehow I feel like. . .almost as if should we get through this, everything will be better." The time-worn thought of her father, backed by a murky recollection of his image, came to her mind.

[Breda Dreaughan]

"Everything's has been quite good for me as it is," Breda said quietly, barely loudly enough for Saruna to hear. Granted, she would have been better without the looming arrival of the baby, but in every other respect she was better off than ever before in her life.

And yet, she had felt so good in the Waterwoman's cave. The pure possibility of that feeling returning was enough to make her weep.

She cleared her throat and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Uh, can I help you?" The last thing she wanted to do just now was to get up from the chair, but she felt uneasy watching the other woman doing all the work.

"So we just sit here and do what they tell us, I guess." She stared at the floor. "I mean, they can't keep us here forever, right?

[Saruna]

"You can help me by putting your feet up, dear," Saruna said, turning to show Breda an honest smile. "I was never able to pamper my children or their wives," painful thought, "so at least allow me to pamper you."

It didn't take long for the smile to slip away as Saruna efficiently continued the small chore. "It's a hard feeling to put into words. It's not even one I understand. It's as if I've waited my whole life to find them, and now that I have once it's over I won't -- it'll just be better."

Her eyebrows drew together as she probed at the feeling. No matter what sort of logic she applied to it, it was like a pool of water -- like the water from that time -- that stood impervious to any amount of poking or prodding. It was water, and it remained water, shapeless but wholly there.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda smiled softly. "I wish I had your feeling. I just feel like it's all going to end in a disaster."

In truth, she felt somewhat overwhelmed by Saruna's earlier words. Before Mrs. Vondan, the blacksmith's childless wife, there had never been anyone in Breda's life willing to so selflessly look after her. To meet another similar-minded person so soon after was almost too much to handle.

"You have a large family, then?" She spoke casually, trying to find something to talk about. Maybe learning about someone else's family could help her to handle her own.

[Saruna]

Saruna winced. The smile that followed was not practiced, but it still held warmth. "I had five beautiful children, though I live here alone. They've found their fortunes in Eyropa, with their extended family." She did not know what had become of them. "But what of you, dear? Is this your first, or. . .?" The happiness in her voice was brighter, painfully so, when she asked after Breda.

[Breda Dreaughan]

Breda looked down at her belly. "Yes, it's my first." Miraculously, come to think about it. "I've never really had a family of any kind, and frankly I don't know what I'm going to do with it." She gave Saruna a sheepish smile.

It had all been a mystery to her, her own body surprising her again and again, and she had a sinking feeling that the surprises were only going to get nastier. Mrs. Vondan had been very helpful, but she had no personal experience either. A couple of other girls had had babies during Breda's time in The Kitten, but they had been taken elsewhere to give birth, and then the babies had been given away, and to Breda's immense regret she had never really asked questions.

The familiar sense of dread fell over her once again. They should have sunk me in that river. I can't handle this.

[Saruna]

Saruna's expression shifted; she was startled. It dimmed to some puzzlement as she said, "What do you mean?"