We dragged our feet back to the tunnels, weary but exuberant. After a night of dancing, watching the parade, and more dancing, I couldn't feel my feet anymore. I could barely keep my eyes open to see where I was going, listening to Jinx crack an endless line of jokes to keep us occupied.
Definitely worth it.
After a few rounds of dancing with Ash, we sat on the sidelines, whatever tension before momentarily gone. Sora and Jinx kept joining in until even their endless energy was depleted.
Sora was smiling more and more nowadays and I was slightly confused. I wonder what could've brought on this change in her behavior. Maybe someday, when this was all over, I could forgive the past and move on. For now, I'll just keep an eye on her.
We entered the hidden tunnel and traversed down the slippery steps. By now, I was familiar with the maze of caves and easily navigated to our rooms.
Alastar was nowhere to be found, only a note nailed to the table indicated anything. He said he was on a short trip and that the next day here could be taken off.
He also mentioned that if we'd done anything at the festival, even the slightest hint of magic, he would make us stand on logs and send us down the waterfall.
Aww, he cares. More like he cares about his safety if anything.
I yawned and headed off to find my room. We said our good nights and I shut the door, walking to take a bath. I promptly fell into my bed and slept like a rock.
"Hey, Melody, wake up."
Someone was shaking me gently and I jolted awake, fists pulled back to swing if needed. Whoever it was jumped back, lifting their hands in surrender.
"It's me!"
Frowning, I shifted into my semi-form, waiting for m eyes to adjust to the darkness. The person beside the bed was wearing simple clothing with a red scarf draped over her shoulder. She looked nervous and there were bags underneath her eyes.
Sora.
"What is it?" I grumbled, tying my messy hair up in a quick braid. "It's the middle of the night."
Her eyes were flitting from place to place and she fidgeted with her clothing anxiously. "I know it's late and you want to sleep, but there's something I have to tell you."
I raised an eyebrow. This was new.
"Alright," I said, standing. "What -- "
"Not here," she cut me off. "I'll meet you by the waterfall. I don't people to overhear."
Okay, this was definitely a twenty out of ten for suspicious.
"Give me a few minutes," I responded and she nodded, closing the door as she left my room. I lit a candle and threw on some quick clothes.
After a thought, I picked up the knives that -- shudder -- Dakota had given me. I'd been using practice ones that Alastar had supplied lately because I didn't want to use these anymore. They were the only ones on hand, though, so I sheathed them on my belt in case Sora decided to try something.
I walked down the steps of the waterfall. Sora was sitting on a boulder, her silhouette outlined with blue light. She was staring at the lake and painted a sorrowful picture for someone as young as I was.
"Hey," I called in greeting, taking a seat next to her while keeping some distance between us. "What was it that you wanted to talk about?"
Sora opened her mouth but nothing came out. She paused clasping her hands together. "How do I word this...Oh, where do I even start?"
I glanced at her, a hint of sarcasm in my voice. "How about at the beginning?"
She pursed her lips. "It isn't that simple. There's a lot of things you don't know. It's about what happened at the bridge."
Neither of us needed to clarify what or where 'the bridge' was.
"...Keep going."
"First, what you need to know is that, when Sylvia and I were young, father had his favorites. Since Sylvia was older, she had firstborn rights that I didn't. Neither of us were given that much freedom, but she always had it easier.
"Sylvia had this habit she picked up from my father. She loved to manipulate people and fool them when she had time. Father would always been proud, as if lying was a great accomplishment."
Her eyes hardened at the memories and I wondered where this was going. She took a deep breath.
"What I'm trying to say, in short, is that I wasn't the one who tried to kill you that day."
I stared at her gaping. Nothing came out except an incredulous choking noise.
She hurried on, seeing that I clearly didn't believe her.
"You see, when Sylvia got into trouble, I was always there with her. Then she'd tell our father that I'd done it. He'd believe her because she was his 'precious little angel' and I was the 'rebellious child'. And when we were little, even at fourteen, we looked exactly the same. Father couldn't tell the difference between us. He didn't care enough.
"What was worse was that I was okay with it. With taking the blame."
Sora looked up at me, fierce grief and regret in her sky blue eyes.
"Because I loved her, you know. She was my sister, my twin. How could I say no? That's why I kept pretending, even after the Ceremony. She knew it too, and kept making me hide it, making me take the blame for everything she's ever done.
"The Ceremony had been my only hope. If I could just get into a different tribe, maybe they would leave me alone. But I became an official Feline. And then, at home, the Sun's powers came down on me in a firestorm. On me, not Sylvia. Everyone had expected it to be her.
"Even after I gained my ability, things only got worse. Now Father expected me to act in Sylvia's place because as far as everyone else was concerned, we were one and the same.
"But I'm done," she stated, some of her fire returning. "I'm done with her and my family. I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier. I was too scared of Sylvia, and I still cared too much to let it go."
Those were words I'd never thought I'd hear from her.
She fell silent, searching my face for my reaction, for any indication that I had heard her.
I cleared my throat. "I don't know if I can believe you right now. I need to think first. I can't forgive you just yet...but maybe we can forget about all this."
There was still her secretive transactions with Dakota, but we could all see that she hated his guts, like the rest of us. She'd been fooled as well.
The shining look in her eyes told me that this was more than she could've hoped for. She covered her mouth. "Of course, of course! I didn't expect -- I don't know -- yes, sure."
I looked down at my hands, still processing all of her words. So much had happened today already and I needed time to think.
"Oh!" Sora spoke again, interrupting my thoughts. "I almost forgot."
She reached behind her and I saw a small bundle, the length a bit longer than my forearm.
"I know that those -- " She gestured to the hunting knives sheathed at my waist. " -- Are from Dakota. After what happened, I didn't think it was appropriate for you anymore. You don't seem to want them either, do you?"
I nodded, surprised that she had noticed. Surprised that she knew.
She slid the bundle over to me. "Unwrap it, there's something for you in there." She scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. "Father never approved, but I've always been interested in blacksmithing. I dabbled a bit in it earlier..."
Cautiously, I moved aside the cloth surrounding whatever it was and gasped.
Inside lay two slim blades resting among the fabric. The silvery metal shone bright from hours of polishing and work. The hilts were simply designed but displayed an elegance to it that daggers usually didn't behold. The Lupine's tribe symbol, a crescent moon, was engraved at the base of the blades. There was even a blue sheen to the hilts, as if possessed by the same ability I had.
"They're beautiful," I whispered, lifting them and testing their precise balanced weight.
Sora smiled modestly. "There's a sheath in there too, to replace the other one."
I stood and tried the sheath on, strapping it along with my belt. It for perfectly, as did the daggers.
Something needed to be said to repay such a tremendous gift. There's was nothing that could express my gratitude, but this would suffice.
"Sora...thank you."
Those were also words I'd never thought would say to her.
She gave me a half-smile. "Now that you have those, what are you going to do with the ones Dakota gave to you?"
I considered for a moment. "I know just what to do."
We climbed up the cliff to reach the top of the waterfall. Sora went first, then me. She kept glancing down to check if I was there, making sure I didn't slip.
After reaching the top, I stood at the edge, looking down at the storming water and feeling the spray dust my face.
There was one last thing I was going to do with these blades.
My long braid dangled down to my waist. I hadn't cut my hair since I was a child. Now it seemed to weigh me down, trapping flashbacks I'd rather forget. It would be more practical this way. It would serve to remind me of what I've lost and what I've gained.
With a single slash, I severed the braid at near shoulder length.
Memories of Dakota flashed across my mind. When he'd first given me the knives. That night in the snow. His teachings and his worry. The way he'd stayed by my bed after I'd blacked out.
I held the blades loosely in my fingers.
His gradual transformation into anger. His disgust at everyone. How he had started to sway Sora. The time at the bar where he'd manipulated her.
His betrayal in the arena.
All these things filled my mind as I let the knives fall, fall, fall into the white roar of the water. As the twisting metal disappeared into the blurry mist.
As the memories ebbed back like the tide on the beach.
Goodbye, Dakota.
(Side Note: Stay safe guys.)