Skipping Stone(s) | 5.1

     “Kelso, where going?”

     The Vima’s ears twitched back at Stone’s words the tiniest bit. She hesitated, focusing instead on pushing aside some of the undergrowth of the forest they were passing through.

     “We are going to train.” She finally responded, her tone flat. She did not turn to look at the fish-cat as she led her.

     Stone tilted her head to the side, pausing briefly before stumbling ahead to keep up.

     “Lide said no fighting?” As the larger woman spoke she bustled past Kelso, reaching up to hold some vines out of her way.

     Kelso stopped short, her nose angled down. Silently she looked up at Stone as the other woman tried to be helpful. Despite all the bandages that now wrapped her arms and throat the massive woman still smiled down at her gently. Kelso whipped her eyes back in front of her, brows furrowed as she pressed ahead.

     “Well, no offense to Lide but she’s wrong about this. And what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”

     Now more than ever Stone would benefit from proper battle training. Even if the remaining competitors seemed to mostly be reasonable, with the exception perhaps of the swamp mother. The training itself would help give the fish-cat a focus and way to vent anger. Anger which she seemed to be full of. It was not wise to leave such a naturally strong bottle brimming with rage.

     Finally the foliage eased them into a small clearing. Nothing like the ones they had frequented during the tournament and its down-times. This one was small enough it still felt well confined within the woods, private even. Small enough that the undergrowth never really cleared out, tall wispy grass rose to the Vima’s knees throughout the clearing.

     The warrior walked to the center of the clearing, looking up at the bright sky. The rustling of her student approaching brought her gaze back to earth. Stone looked at her with big attentive eyes.

     Kelso gave a small shake of her head, closing her eyes to bring herself to focus. She dropped to a wider stance, raising her staff. When her eyes opened they had a fierce determined look to them.

     Stone didn’t move. She stood with her arms at her side, hunched slightly. Despite her outburst last round, Kelso found it difficult to imagine her as dangerous. When they had been opponents the large woman had been nothing but kind. Even when she was attacking her the fish-cat had merely disarmed her.

     Kelso ran her thumb over the still new vines on her staff. Despite breaking the thing that was hurting her in the moment, Stone had fixed it the best she could. The Vima’s orange eyes locked on Stone’s green.

     This was a good woman, who had a temper she didn’t know how to control. This was exactly what she needed. Kelso knew so from her own past. If nothing more than to be an outlet for her own rage, this would be good for her.

     “Alright then. Let’s begin.”

-----x-----

     They returned hours later, the sky dark above them as Stone opened the door to the room they’d been staying in. She looked up as Kelso stepped inside. It looked like a big storm was coming. Her attention drifted to the top of the buildings, including the otherwise empty building she was staying in. It looked more deteriorated than usual. It all did.

     “And where have you two been?”

     “Finding a productive method to relieve Stone’s anger,” Kelso answered, raising a hand to smooth back locks that looked messier than usual. The answer seemed rehearsed.

     Stone noticed the fur on the vima’s neck sticking out at an odd angle and reached up to smooth that down as well. Kelso shivered, an uncomfortable chuckle escaping her mouth as Oxalide peered at them.

     “That’s nice,” Oxalide finally said, smiling softly. If she felt anything was amiss she said nothing. Kelso and Stone shared a look, both wondering silently if Oxalide had forgotten she had forbidden battle training. “Come, let Us check your bandages Stone.”

     Stone stepped forward and sat on the edge of the triple bed. The flowery guardian unwrapped and rebandaged all her injuries. Kelso stood at the far side of the room, watching in silence. She turned her head to look out the window as Oxalide checked Stone’s ribs.

     “Are you going to tell Oxalide what you told me on our walk?” the vima commented without bothering to look at the pair at the bed.

     Oxalide’s long fingers hovered over the three punctures on Stone’s ribs. They were healing nicely, and quickest of everything. Then again they were probably the least severe. Oxalide looked up, her masked face turning from her work to peer at Kelso as she spoke.

     “Oh, did you both have a nice walk?” Oxalide tilted her head up to smile at Stone.

Stone looked at Kelso, head cocked to the side at the lie. They hadn’t been on a walk. Well they had. Kelso met her gaze evenly and the fish-cat got the feeling she shouldn’t mention it.

     “Ya,” she answered simply.

     Her eyes dropped to where Oxalide had gone back to bandaging her side. The memory guardian hummed something about that being nice as she worked. After she was done and Stone had pulled her cover-all back over her shoulder, Stone caught slender hands in her own.

     “Lide. Know how I said three months?”

     “Your age?” Lide said softly, almost distracted. Her mask turned down to where her hands practically drowned in Stone’s.

     Stone shook her head, lifting one hand from where she had been holding Lide’s to press fingertips against her own chest.

     “Think. Only this body, three months.” Stone spoke sternly. She met the hollow sockets of Lide’s mask as the other woman looked up at her.

     “This body?” Oxalide emphasized ‘this’. “Indicating you believe you have another?”

     “Yes? But no.” Stone closed her eyes, shaking her head a bit and raising her free hand to her temple. “It’s… fuzzy. Here and there. Not like me, but feel like memory.”

     “Hmm,” Oxalide made a noise to fill the silence while she thought. The irony that Stone might be regaining some sort of memory while she was losing all of hers didn’t escape her scattered thoughts. “How old do you think you might be then?”

     Stone’s eyebrows furrowed. She seemed deep in thought, considering her answer.

     “Maybe… 50… no,” the fish-cat dropped Oxalide’s hands entirely as she raised both to hold her own head. One hand formed a fist and rapped lightly on her forehead. Lide allowed this for a moment before lifting her hands to pull Stone’s away from her head. “53… I think, was just uhm… party.”

     Kelso perked up at this as well. This was more detail than Stone had mentioned before. The vima hesitated before stepping forward and placing a hand on Stone’s hunched shoulder.

     “Oh my! Were you celebrating a birthday? Isn’t that just lovely.” Oxalide chimed, rubbing her thumbs over the back of Stone’s hands comfortingly.

     The action earned a small smile from the fish-cat, and a concerned sideways glance from the vima. It was hardly something to be cheery about. Then again, she supposed she hadn’t told her everything yet.

     “Perhaps We should get you a cake?” Oxalide smiled, looking at Kelso for support.

     Kelso nodded stiffly.

     Stone shook her head, as if trying to refocus herself.

     “Not just that…” Stone took a deep breath. Exhaling and looking up she seemed more focused as she met Oxalide’s gaze before turning to meet Kelso as well. “Maybe… kittens? Swimming. No, hate the water. Running. Yelling. Flakes of tasty on the surface.”

     Stone trailed off, eyes staring at the wall somewhere between her friends. The silence felt like a weight on all of them. A possible realization settling in.

     “Fish,” Oxalide said, her mask looking at Kelso. “Flakes of tasty and swimming.”

     “Cat,” Kelso returned. “Kittens… litter mates?”

     Stone shook her head.

     “Yours?!” the vima said, eyes wide in surprise.

     Stone nodded.

     “So that just leaves ‘a little bit of other things’,” Oxalide interjects. She tilts her head once more in consideration before her petals seem to droop a bit. “But We believe the world you came from did not have any creatures that would celebrate birthdays on it except…”

     “Humans.”

     Stone’s voice hung in the air.