Knight of Kandor

Kara- Winter Solstice

"Anything yet?" I ask as I walk into the kitchen.

Alex had been sending me on errands on my own this week. One of the longest weeks of my life. Waiting for Killer to return. Not only was I not sure if she would find Lena, but also I had no idea if Lena would read the letters or respond. Despite my anxiety, I was trying now. I was trying to be apart of the group that had adopted me into their ranks.

"Not yet Kara. Have patience. It's a long way to Kandor from here." Alex gives me a sympathetic smile.

"Okay. Hey, what do you guys do for Winter Solstice?"

"Winter Solstice? Nothing. Why?" Maggie asks back.

"Nothing! How do you do nothing? It's one of my favorite holidays. At least it was when I was a kid." I exclaim.

"How is the darkest day of the year one of your favorite holidays?" Alex asks.

"How is it not? All sorts of lights twinkling in the street, fires burning in every corner of every village. Everyone gathers and give thanks to Rao. We give gifts to share Rao's light. Families sing and eat together, all to fight off the darkness until Rao's light shines again."

"Wow, that sounds... like a fairy tale," Maggie says.

"Apparently it is in Cadmium," I say, downhearted by knowing that I may not be able to celebrate Winter Solstice again.

In the army, it was usually just a night off for the men with a lot of drinking. I hid in my tent and lit candles for my missing family. I had looked forward to seeing Kandor lit up so bright that night would turn today. I had heard stories of the celebrations every since I was a kid. Now I would never see it.

"I'll see you guys later. I umm... I'm going to go for a run." I leave the two puzzled women and head back outside to clear my head by jumping across the rooftops.

_____________________________________________________________________________

I watched from across the street as the woman discovered her bag of coins on the counter of her fruit stand. Almost as soon as the guardsmen had left I had swiped the purse from the commander, only earning a shove to the ground before the men moved past. It was almost dark and I had no desire to return home.

"You are getting good at this." Alex's voice comes from the alley behind me.

"I love watching how happy they get. The hope that sparks in their eyes." I nod to the woman who is near tears as she casts about, trying to figure out how her coin purse found its way back to her.

"Is that all you want to do? Make people happy?" I think about Alex's question and the meaning implied behind it.

"No. I want to make a difference." I see Alex nod out of the corner of my eye.

"Okay, well your time may be coming soon. But you won't be alone." Alex says solemnly.

I start walking and Alex follows. We wander through the streets as the night starts to come to life. People still bustle to and fro because it is still early, but the darkness has already descended. The air had become cooler as the weeks passed but Alex had told me she had never seen snow. The weather hardly changed here. A commotion up ahead caught our eyes so without a word we weave into the crowd. Soldiers with torches are hanging up posters and One of them addresses the crowd.

"Attention! If anyone has seen this woman, please report to the nearest Guard Post. She is a dangerous, banished Kryptonian. She is only known by the name of Kal Ward and anyone with information leading to her capture will be rewarded. Kal may be a danger to the crown and a danger to our society, so please do not confront her."