"There's room for you with the rest of us." Yehudit argued. "I'm staying wherever you are."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 12):

Aron looked about the group in front of and behind him. "I knew we should have made them walk ahead of us. Lia, you can be certain they're together, wherever they are. HOLD UP!" he called out to the leader of the group. "We're missing people."

In reply to Yehudit Buckley (msg # 14):

"I don't belong anymore. It's your family, not mine. I don't have amfamily anymore," Sileas said softly. If one listened very carefully, they could hear a hint of lost little girl in her voice. Not that Sileas would ever admit to such a thing. "I don't fit."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 16):

Yehudit shook her head vehemently. "You're still my cousin!" Yehudit tried to get up so she could go to Sileas, but her ankle hurt and she didn't want to walk on the cave floor barefoot. "Don't you care about me?"

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 15):

Liadan was in tears, she had lost so many people she cared about, she couldn't bear her children being out of sight. "Should put Yehudit on a leash."

Sileas hated being put on the spot. "Of course I do, that's why I want to take you back to your family. You still have a family and you should be with them. Don't take them for granted, you don't know when you'll lose them."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 18):

"She would fight it. This is a mess. Who the hell were those people and what did they want?" Aron demanded. He had lost not only his cousin and his family, but his best friend. "Do you think we can figure out where we lost them?"

"You're family too, and you're easier to get along with than the rest of them." Yehudit said. "I'm gonna stay with you... If you want me going back to the rest of the family you'll have to come with me."

"Your mother will have a heart attack if she doesn't have you near, not after everything that happened. I told you I would take you back.  But you have to stay with them. This...this is only temporary for me. I don't know where I'll end up when it's time for me to move on," Sileas said, although truthfully she rather liked the cave.

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 20):

"Make it a leash of chains." Liadan sniffled. "I don't think I've seen her since we reached the keep."

"Get the little ones to Ai...no." Aron frowned. So many of his nieces and nephews were gone as well. "Get Questa to watch the little ones and we'll go look for them."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 22):

"If you're gonna take me back to the rest only to leave I'll just follow you again. So you may as well stay with the rest of the family." Yehudit said. "And if you move on again I'll go to."

"Don't you understand I don't want to be with them? It hurts too much. I don't want their pity or to share their sorrow," Sileas stated firmly. "I've decided that being part of a family, loving someone just hurts too much."

In reply to Aron Buckley (msg # 24):

Liadan had mixed feeling about Questa. Liadan had a lot in common with Questa, the hard upbringing with no parents, deep distrust of guards and authority... But there was no getting over the fact that Questa had once threatened one of Liadan's children, even if Questa was still a child herself at the time.

"Hey, Questa." Liadan called the girl over. "Watch my children. Don't try anything."

In reply to Sileas (msg # 26):

Yehudit shrugged. "Fine, we can let the rest of the family worry themselves sick over both of us. I won't go back if you're not and I'm going with you wherever you go."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 27):

Questa frowned, wondering again why she had not been able to convince Sileas to go with her to Portside and form their own gang. Or why she had not gone to Portside alone instead of tagging along with this 'family'.

"Can't they take care of themselves?" Questa asked Liadan. Questa had been on her own when she was smaller than the Buckley's youngest child.

Liadan glared. "Just make sure the little ones don't wander off or get hurt."

Sileas wanted to scream. She wanted to grieve in her own way and alone so none could judge her actions. "I doubt they even noticed I was gone. Why can't you understand that I need time on my own to deal with things? Don't you care about me?" Sileas threw her cousin's words back in her face.

"Of course I care about you!" Yehudit snapped back. "Why else would I go limping after you into this cave instead of letting you go off alone so you can do something to yourself?" Tears overflowed Yehudit's eyes. "You shouldn't be alone, Sileas."

In reply to Liadan Buckley (msg # 30):

"Fine, right, I'll do it." Questa muttered and frowned at the Buckley children. A bunch of soft, spoiled brats, it's a wonder they were still alive.

Difyr went over to Aislyn. She was worried about her. The woman had already gone through a lot before this latest tragedy.
"How are you feeling?" Difyr asked.

Aislyn had been walking without seeing, not paying attention to where her feet were landing. "Numb. I feel nothing at all, I don't think I will ever feel anything again," Aislyn replied in a monotone voice.

"I think we're going to stop for a rest. Try to eat something." Difyr suggested. "Hold on for the children you have left. You're the only parent they have."

In reply to Questa Cort (msg # 33):

Liadan squeezed Aron's hand again. "We have to find Yehudit."

In reply to Difyr Bateman (msg # 36):

Despite the fact that Aislyn had fought as hard as she could to protect her children, she felt she had failed them. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw their broken and still bodies. No parent should have to bury a child. Yet it seemed like all she did.