Chapter Six

Amber took a deep breath as she allowed her gaze to travel around the Gaian council table. Most of the council members had left with Great White for the Southern Province, but Amber had filled the vacant seats with those members of the tribe who remained with the exception of Robin and Moose. Both had been considered far too young to be discussing war matters and were asked to watch over Bray and Manatee who were both still recovering from their injuries sustained several days before.

Everyone seated at the table was grim and sober, each realizing the seriousness of what they would be discussing that day. Pride, seated to Amber’s right looked up and offered her an encouraging yet guarded smile and Amber couldn’t help but wonder if he was still upset about last night.

Amber shot him a quick smile back, then cleared her throat, signaling the beginning of the meeting. “Good morning friends.” She began, rising to her feet, keeping her expression grim yet hopeful at the same time. “This morning we have gathered together to discuss matters of grave importance. As you are all too painfully aware, The Chosen have overtaken the city just as we feared. Now we have to decide how and when we are going to strike back.”

Amber took her seat, prompting the discussion to begin. Several ideas were thrown out onto the table, many of them by either Ebony or Lex and Amber was grateful that she had decided that they should be included in the meeting. The ideas that sounded most promising Amber quickly jotted down on a notepad to be discussed later. Among them were raiding the food supplies, blowing up the petrol plant, ambushing their supply lines, and seeing if they could plant a spy inside the mall.

They continued to plan and discuss for several hours and Amber could tell the stressful discussion was beginning to take its toll on everyone. Tempers were running thin and the tension was beginning to build up around the table, threatening to explode into a huge argument whenever someone disagreed with someone else.

“Enough.” Amber declared, her voice firm after she had put a halt to the fourth potential argument. “We need to take a break from all this. We’ll break for lunch and reconvene in about two hours. Sound good to everyone?”

Everyone quickly murmured their approval to Amber’s plan then rose to their feet, dispersing into smaller groups to go scavenge for food among the Gaian stores. Pride hesitated for a moment, looking to Amber for guidance on whether he should remain by her side or leave with the other Gaians, but Amber had already turned her attention to Ebony and Lex who stood around looking uncomfortable watching the other Gaians hurry away for lunch.

“Thanks for the suggestions, guys.” Amber commented, stifling a yawn as the longness of the day began to steal over her. “You had some really great ideas. I don’t think any of us would have thought to destroy his fuel supply.”

“Well, it will be useless if The Guardian’s moved the supply.” Ebony frowned, flipping one of her long bronze braids over her shoulder. She had recently added several dark red extensions to her hair, completing her new look with Minxy’s borrowed red leather.

“Let’s hope he hasn’t thought of that.” Lex frowned, his expression grim. “We don’t have much on the guy.”

“But we will beat him.” Amber spoke with confidence. “We’ve faced tougher challenges before, right? Before you know it we’ll be back in the mall and everything will be back to normal.”

“We?” Ebony looked at Amber strangely. “Are you saying you’re coming back to the mall?”

Amber hesitated not wanting to give the girl who had tried to talk her into going back to the mall on numerous occasions any false hope. “Well, I’m not going to say anything for sure, Ebs.” Amber frowned a bit, choosing her words carefully, “But I’m not so foolish as to think that after this is all over and done with I can go back to being the same Eagle I was a few weeks ago. And yet at the same time I most certainly cannot go back to being just Amber either.”

Lex stared at Amber blankly as Ebony nodded her head in understanding. “Well, think about it, Amber.” Ebony stated quietly. “Everyone misses you back at the mall. Well, most everyone.”

Amber chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. “What do you guys say we go try and rummage up some food, eh? I know I’m famished and if we don’t hurry all the food will be gone in a few minutes.”

Both Lex and Ebony nodded, following Amber away from the council’s fine oak table and to the food prep area where most of the Gaians had already gathered. Amber scanned the group for Pride, but not seeing him decided he must have gone to his lodge to take a nap. He had looked quite tired during the meeting and Amber was beginning to worry about him.

“Eagle.” Robin greeted her the instant she neared the area. Robin was balancing a tray laden with far more food than the slight girl could possibly eat and Amber quickly deducted that the tray must be for Bray. “The Mall Rat, Bray? He’s been asking to see you.”

Amber blanched, feeling a cold sweat break out across her forehead. After Bray had passed out after seeing her the other day and then later being told by the various Gaians who had stayed by his side that he had thought seeing her had been just a dream, Amber had begun to feel almost safe again. But now Bray was awake and fully conscious. And from what Panther had told her that morning, he was quite anxious to get out of bed and finally met this strange and mysterious Gaian leader.

“Do you want me to go?” Ebony inquired.

“No.” Amber whispered, choking on her words. “I need to go. In fact,” She paused, smiling at Robin, “Let me take the tray to him, alright?”

Robin quickly nodded, passing her leader the platter of food, careful not to spill the tall glass of tea that was balanced on it. “He said he was really hungry so I got a lot of food.” Robin stated almost apologetically, knowing that food was becoming harder and harder to get considering the Chosen who seemed to have scared the majority of the animals out of the forest and the fact that most of the Gaians best hunters had left with Great White a week or so ago.

“Don’t worry about it, Robin.” Amber quickly assured her. “The food won’t go to waste.”

Amber took a deep breath, then shot a wary smile in Ebony’s direction. Ebony returned the smile encouraging then whispered a quick ‘good luck’ before Amber slowly made her way to the lodge where she knew Bray was awaiting his food, not knowing that he would receive the shock of his life along with it.

~*~*~

It was the beginning of the end. He could feel it. He just didn’t want to admit it. The signs had started to show even before their commitment ceremony only he had been too blind to see them. But now it was too late and Pride was helpless to stop them. All he could do was steel himself for the day when Eagle would come to him and tell him that it was over.

Pride closed his eyes, allowing the darkness of his lodge to envelope him. He let out a heavy sigh, silently chastising himself. From the very beginning he should have known that the Gaians would never be as important to Eagle, no Amber, as the Mall Rats were. The Mall Rats were her tribe. She had helped form them. She led them. Her heart belonged with them, not with the Gaians.

Pride reached for the ring that he wore around his neck. The ring that Amber had given to him at their commitment ceremony. He could probably take it off and she wouldn’t even notice. In one swift motion, Pride jerked the thin leather strap that held the ring in place and broke it. He closed his fist around the ring, wanting to hurl it to the furthest corner of his lodge, but he restrained himself. The ring was special to Amber. He would give it back to her.

Slowly, almost tenderly, Pride set the ring down on his bedside table, then lifting his head he stared out the window, allowing his gaze to fall on the only woman his heart had ever truly belonged to. She stood talking with her two Mall Rat friends and Robin. Robin was carrying a tray and at once Pride knew it was for Bray. And in the same instant he realized that Amber would bring him the tray instead of Robin.

Then, as if reading his mind, Robin carefully handed the tray to Amber. He could not be certain from his vantage point, but Amber looked worried, almost scared, and Pride began to feel himself grow nervous for her. He knew that she still had at least a shadow of feelings for Bray and that going into that lodge to bring him his food would bring her face to face with those feelings once again.

“You can’t run anymore.” He whispered, closing his eyes.

~*~*~

“I don’t see why she’s so worried about seeing Bray.” Lex commented as he took a large bite out of his apple, not bothering to swallow his mouthful before he spoke. “She should know the instant he lays eyes on her he’s going to fall head over heels for her all over again.”

Ebony nodded, not truly interested in where this conversation was heading. Her mind was occupied by other things right now. Other things being what was going on inside that lodge less than thirty feet away.

“I mean, Bray’s always loved her, right? This whole Danni thing, well, a man has needs and all.” Lex continued the one-sided conversation. “All Amber needs to do is cozy on up to him and everything will be back the way it always was, right?”

Ebony frowned, wiping away some of the apple chunk that had flown from Lex’s mouth and splattered on her face as he spoke. “Has it even occurred to you that maybe Amber doesn’t want things to go back the way they were?”

Lex stared at her blankly. “What do you mean?”

“She left for a reason, you know.” Ebony rolled her eyes, reminding herself to be careful of what she said. “And like she was saying earlier. She’s a different person now. And Bray’s different two. They’ve both moved on.”

“You mean Amber’s actually serious about that Pride guy?”

Ebony nodded, though honestly she wasn’t exactly sure how much Amber liked him. “I guess so. I really don’t know.”

“So why do you think she’s so nervous about seeing Bray?”

Ebony let out a sigh of frustration, wondering if she needed to find a two by four to knock some sense into the man sitting across the table from her. “Well, obviously she’s worried that Bray is going to be upset that she faked her own death. Even if she’s not ‘in love’ with him any longer, she still doesn’t want to make an enemy out of him.”

“Oh, I see.” Lex nodded, understanding finally dawning on him. And then speaking with great wisdom added, “And maybe she’s not really sure how she feels about him anymore. Maybe she thinks she’s over him, but she doesn’t know for sure and she’s scared that by seeing Bray all those feelings will be stirred up again.”

Ebony swallowed hard and nodded, understanding exactly what Lex was saying. She had told herself countless times that she was over Bray, but then the second she would lay eyes on him again all those feelings she had banished to the furthest part of her heart would come rushing back to her stronger than ever.

“Hey guys.” The young Gaian Ebony recalled as Ocelot slid up beside her, offering both her and Lex a huge smile. “How are you two holding up?”

“Alright, I guess.” Ebony replied, thankful for the interruption. “I’m a bit tired, but I think we all are.”

Lex nodded in agreement. “You’re Ocelot, right?” He asked.

“Yeah.” She smiled, her cheeks flushing a bit with color. “And you’re Lex.”

“You remembered.”

Ebony quickly rose to her feet, determining not to listen to any more of Lex’s and Ocelot’s overly cheesy and far too obviously flirtatious conversation. She might loose her lunch. Deciding she might have time for a quick nap she strode over to the lodge she was sharing with Amber, determining not to let one thought of Amber, Bray, or even Lex and Ocelot disturb her sleep.

~*~*~

Amber took a deep breath and slowly stepped inside the lodge, a small shiver running down her spine. The lodge was dark, thanks to the heavy woolen curtains that had been hung to the windows by Hawk and Jaguar months ago. They had complained that the morning sun shone directly in their eyes and always woke them up far too early. So, after a bit of good-natured ribbing, some of the female Gaians had made them curtains for the windows.

“Bray?” She spoke softly, half-hoping that he had drifted off to sleep again. “You awake?”

After hearing no response Amber cautiously made her way in the direction of the bed she knew Bray was sleeping on. Her eyes had begun to adjust to the semi-darkness but still it was slow going to make sure she did not spill the tray on any of the rough floorboards. Finally, reaching his bed, she set the tray down at the bedside table and seated herself in the wicker chair that had been placed next to the bed.

She studied Bray’s sleeping face carefully, for the first time really since he had arrived in the Gaian village. He had changed so little and yet he looked like an entirely different person all at the same time. His tribal markings, something he rarely wore while Amber was with the Mall Rats, had long ago been washed away and now he looked as young, innocent, and vulnerable as Amber remembered him looking that first night she encountered him in the sewers beneath the mall.

She reached over and tenderly brushed aside a lock of his sandy brown hair that had spilled across his forehead. It had grown so much in the months since she had seen him. Though she had noticed it at the dance party some weeks ago, it was not until now that she was only a foot or so away from him that she really paid attention to the growth.

“Could it ever go back to the way it used to be?” She murmured softly, allowing her fingers to linger softly on his cheek. “Could you and I ever forget everything that has happened in almost this year since we’ve been apart?”

There was no answer, but Amber was expecting none. She closed her eyes, allowing the tears that had begun to form in the back of her eyes to slowly slide down her cheeks. She knew she had changed so much, become an entirely different person with a new name, and yet the feelings she had for Bray all those months ago were still there. Yes, they had been neglected and she had tried to look past them, but now that she saw him, lying there so helpless and innocent, she couldn’t help but fall in love with him all over again.

“Amber?” A choked, hoarse whisper jerked Amber out of her thoughts. “Is that really you?” Amber felt Bray’s hand reach out and hold onto her, squeezing it tightly as if for dear life.

“Yes, Bray. It’s me.” Amber murmured, tears streaming down her face.

“It’s not a dream?”

“No. It’s not a dream. I’m alive.” She assured him, squeezing his hand back. “I’m very much alive.”