Hope was glad that they had found a place to settle down, but honestly, she still didn’t quite know what to think about this place. The whole tribe thing seemed so medieval and it seemed like all the people around here were either significantly older or younger than her. And that, if she was quite honest, pissed her off. There was no one to talk to!
And that she was being treated more or less like a maid around here didn’t do much to help improve her mood. On the one hand she understood the need to work together, but on the other she was missing hanging out with people her own age. And there wasn’t enough to do to tire her out either, which meant she woke up screaming more often than not, woken up from the memory of the bang! that had killed the man who’d attacked her mother.
Sighing softly, she brushed a strand of hair out of her face, shaking her head to get rid of those gloomy thoughts and wrinkling her nose in disgust at the way her hands were still smelling of fish. She was being taught how to fish and how to remove the scales and gut the fish too. And oddly enough it was just about as interesting as it was disgusting, a curious mix. She was carrying a basket with a few of the - admittedly rather small - fish she had caught herself, ready to trade them for some bread and fruit at the post. Except that she was so lost in her gloomy thoughts that she didn’t pay much attention to where she was going.
It was almost too cold to fish now that the winter had set in, but Orion’s rabbit traps had been empty when she’d checked them that morning and she was running low on dinner supplies. A nice trout would be better than nothing, even if it did stink up her shack to cook them. Plus there were edible plants growing down by the river, which meant she could gather a few of those to round out the meal.
She was headed away from the trading post, since she’d started her journey early in the morning to trade some firewood for apples, and she balanced her fishing pole on her shoulder as she munched on one of the red fruits. The rest were in a backpack she’d slung over her shoulders, her lunch for the afternoon.
The brunette almost walked right into a redhead on the trail, and she backed off a couple of paces to keep from stepping on her feet. “Whoa, sorry,” she said, adjusting her pack even as she noticed the basket the girl was carrying. Taking a quick peek inside, she noticed that the fish within looked kind of puny.
“Guess they’re not biting very much, huh? Will I be wasting my time to cast a line today?”
It was too cold to fish now, Hope had learned that the hard way. Not only had she almost frozen off her fingers, despite the gloves, but it had been a complete waste of time, too. Well, maybe not complete, but the few measly fish she had in her basket would barely be enough for a loaf of bread or anything else that would make a decent dinner.
She was pulled from her thoughts when a shadow stopped short in front of her, almost running into whoever it was. She gasped, hands tightening around the basket handles as she skidded to a halt herself. “Holy....” she muttered, taking a deep breath before looking at the young woman in front of her. She even managed a wry smile, shaking her head. “You scared the living shit out of me, but that’s just as much my fault.”
It didn’t take her long to regain composure, though and her smile turned into a soft chuckle. “I’m not sure if it would be a waste of time for you, I’ve just started the whole fishing thing, so I’m really not all that good. I guess it would be easier for someone who’s done it a while longer to actually catch something that is worth more than dog food.”
She had to be a few years younger, maybe even still a teenager, and Orion was just grateful she didn’t have to look up to meet her eyes. “Fishing is a Zen thing,” she said with a slight smile. “My dad used to say that it was a form of meditation for him, even if he didn’t catch anything. It’s probably too cold to be in the water, though.”
She pointed behind her at the trading post, saying, “They’ve got some good fruit today, though, so maybe somebody will give you a break on the trade. If you like apples, you’ll find yourself in luck.”
Hope quirked a brow at the other girl, who seemed to be a little older than her, but at least not completely out of the comfortable age range like most of the others she’d met. “It’s more a necessity thing, at least that’s what they said. Maybe you can tell me more about the Zen thing someday.” she said with a wry smile. She certainly could use some meditation sometimes, to keep her thoughts from going to places she didn’t want them to be.
“Yeah, probably even for the fish.” She snorted, but given her meager catch it was a reasonable assumption. “Did you see decent bread? Fruit sounds like a good alternative though. It’s apple season right now, so they should be good.”
“They had some loaves out that looked pretty fresh,” the brunette answered, then did a fast count of the fish the girl had in her basket. It really wasn’t much of a catch, but it might be enough for a loaf of bread. If she helped out, would it be a point in her favor later? It might pay to have a kinda-sorta friendly relationship with somebody., when that somebody didn’t tie her completely in knots.
“If you need a hand, I’d be happy to help,” Orion said. “They know me in there since I do a lot of bartering, so maybe I can get you a better deal.”
“Oh that sounds good. I don’t mind when they’re a day or so old, but sometimes they’re so old you could actually build a house with them, you know?” Hope knew she needed to appreciate what they had, but sometimes...she just wished for a decent grocery store. After a moment she realized she didn’t know the other girl’s name so she held out her hand. “I’m Hope.” she introduced herself, offering a friendly smile.
And then her brows rose again in surprise. “Really? You’d do that?” she found herself asking. “I’d really appreciate it. We haven’t had fresh bread in ages, I’m sure Mom would love to have some tonight. Apples are kind of around in abundance right now. So I can wait for those.”
‘Mom’. Orion had figured she still lived with her parents, and mentally she placed her age at around eighteen or nineteen. “I’m Orion,” she said without offering her hand. This was still a relative stranger, and these days it paid to be cautious. At least the girl wasn’t a Chet.
She turned towards the post again, moving the fishing pole from one shoulder to the other. “Sometimes the traders see someone younger and they think they can take advantage,” she said without too much rancor in her voice. “You bring in somebody they can see knows what they’re doing, they won’t try to cheat you.” She paused at the end of the sentence, then cleared her throat a little self-consciously.
“Not that you’re a child or anything,” she amended a little lamely.. “It’s just that bartering is usually left up to older people.”
Hope actually frowned when her hand was left hanging in midair, dropping it after a second or so. “Nice to meet you, Orion.” she muttered. But then again, she had learned quickly how mistrusting the pulse had made people, herself included.
She puffed out a soft breath, shoving her hand back into the pocket of her jacket. “Yeah, I don’t have a lot of experience when it comes to that.” She was learning though. She didn’t let them rob her anymore, that much she knew, but she had seen how others had gotten much cheaper prices. “I’ll make sure to watch and learn then.” she commented dryly, but it wasn’t even hostile, just a little resigned.
She had to laugh, shaking her head. “Believe me, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone around me, but no one seems to want to believe me. Least of all my Mom.”
“Moms worry,” the hunter said with a rueful smile. “It’s unavoidable. I think it’s bred into their DNA or something.” She was lost for a moment in memories of her own mother, and she ducked her head to hide the look on her face before arranging her features into an expression of polite inquiry.
“Does your dad work in the fields?” she asked, gesturing in the direction of where crops were grown. “I wanted to do that before everything went to hell, but now I hunt for my supper. I guess hunting’s not too much different than plowing dirt. It’s all labor, right?”
Hope shrugged a little, playing it down, though of course she knew that. “Yeah. And mine isn’t all that bad, you know?” Her mom was a fighter, and even though she didn’t tell her often enough, she admired her. “I think it’s something that breaks their brain after giving birth.” she said with a soft chuckle.
That smile faded when her dad was mentioned. Her face froze a little and she shrugged again. “I have no clue, never met the man and don’t care to.” Maybe she sounded bitter, but that was more for her mother’s sake than for her own. If that bastard hadn’t left her to do it all on her own, maybe she wouldn’t have to sell her body now. “I never did either, so I wouldn’t know. I think I’d only manage to shoot myself in the eye or something.”
For a second Orion thought she’d put her foot in it, but her posture relaxed when Hope seemed to brush her mistake aside. It was probably hard to mourn for what you’d never had. The brunette made a slight face as the two of them entered the trading post again, and she looked around before setting her pole aside. It really was too cold to fish today anyway.
“Sorry if I said something stupid,” she told the younger woman before pointing out one of the tables with a couple of dozen loaves of bread set out on it. “If it’ll make up for it, I’ll help you carry your stuff back to where you stay. I think the weather’s too chilly to risk getting a cold just because I wanted fish for supper.”
Hope could be a bitch sometimes, that simply came with being a teenage, but she wasn’t unreasonable. And Orion didn’t know her, or her family history, so it would be more than just superficial to blame her for that. And she had brought her mother up herself after all, so asking for her father wasn’t really far fetched.
“Nah, it’s okay. How were you supposed to know anyways?” she said after a moment, still trying to figure Orion out. For some reason, she couldn’t quite. She tilted her head thoughtfully, looking from the few small fish in her basket to the bread. “I’m not sure if those aren’t too small for you, but you know, half a loaf of bread would be enough too, so I wouldn’t need all of them?”
They ended up being able to barter for a loaf and a half of bread for most of Hope’s fish, and Orion collected her fishing pole from where she’d leaned it up against the doorjamb, resting it on her left shoulder as though it were a rifle. There hadn’t been many people around because of the colder weather, and the brunette was almost at ease inside the building. Still, it was getting later, and she had a trek ahead of her if she wanted to make it back before dark.
“How far is it to your camp?” she asked the teenager as the two of them left the shelter of the building. “It gets dark earlier now because of the season, but I should be able to make it back to my camp before nightfall just the same. Unless you needed something else?”
Hope had to admit she was quite impressed with Orion’s bartering. She had gotten better herself over the last couple of weeks, but she would’ve never been that good! She would’ve only gotten half a loaf of bread, she guessed, and that only if she’d been on a good day. Now they had enough food for a while and there were a few fresh apples in her backpack as well.
“It’s not too far, down by the marina.” she explained with a smile that was a lot more genuine than before. “Thanks, for your help with the bartering. I would’ve never gotten that much on my own.” She shook her head then, still smiling. “It sounds like your way is quite a bit longer than mine. So I won’t keep you. Thanks again.”
It stiffened her spine because she couldn’t help it, and Orion immediately looked down at her worn shoes before dragging her gaze back up to Hope’s face. She wouldn’t have taken the girl for Lawu if she’d been asked, but it wasn’t like a tattoo, they didn’t wear their tribal affiliation of their foreheads. She hoped to God she wasn’t already blushing.
“No, it’s, uh, it’s fine,” she said, maybe a little too hastily. “I’ve already checked my traps for the day, so I didn’t have anything planned except to try and do some fishing. If they aren’t biting, it’d be a waste of time. I’ve never been down to the marina in daylight.” That, at least, was the truth.
She looked down at herself. Did she look all right? She’d heated a bath for herself last night so she was clean, and her clothes were faded but tidy. She should do this before her courage failed her. Hope probably thought she was being what the kids used to call spastic. Orion stepped aside to let someone get past her, moved out of the doorway to stand on the hard-packed dirt outside the post. “I don’t bite, I swear.”
Hope wouldn’t have chosen the Lawu herself. If she was completely honest, she had no idea which tribe she would’ve chosen for herself, but it probably wouldn’t have been Lawu. She wasn’t all that fond of the river, or of fishing. Maybe she would’ve just been tribeless. But then again, she was very well aware that had she been on her own, she wouldn’t have survived.
“Okay, cool.” she said with a small nod, actually a little relieved that she wouldn’t have to go back alone in the near dark. Things hadn’t actually gotten more safe after the Pulse. She carried a knife, even though she didn’t know how to use it. But that hadn’t kept her from using the gun either...
“It’s actually quite pretty. You should stay for sunset if you don’t mind walking back in the dark. Though I’m not sure if that’s such a good idea. Who knows what lurks here..” she added with a wry smile. It seemed she was giving quite a few of those lately. Following Orion outside she nodded into the direction of the marina. “Let’s go then.”
They started off, and Orion was grateful for the fact that her face wasn’t red. Hope would have asked what was wrong with her if she’d started blushing, and it would have been too hard to explain that she wanted to go to the marina not just for the girl’s protection but for her own selfish reasons. But this was the first time in over a year she’d gone off of the beaten path, so to speak, so it was worth noting that she was trying it at all.
“I’m armed, so I should be okay,” she said, belatedly picking up the conversational thread after a few minutes. “I learned how to use a knife at a pretty young age, and I use that more often than not when I’m hunting. Besides, when you live alone like I do you get used to looking out for yourself. You’re kind of lucky that you don’t have to worry about that.”
Hope made sure they weren’t walking too slowly, because she knew her mother would worry if she came home after dark. Dusk was pretty much bad enough. She made sure that all she’d traded at the Post was safely tucked inside her backpack. No use in having food if she let it drop into the dirt after all.
“I..have a knife, but I don’t really know how to use it to be honest. Except the golden rule. Stick ‘em with the pointy end. But that’s about it. ” It was said with a wrinkle of her nose that showed her dissatisfaction at that fact. She hated not being able to defend herself, to have to count on others to be safe. And then her eyes widened. “You live all by yourself? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“I haven’t aligned myself with a tribe yet,” Orion answered with a shrug. “I’ve only been at the Locks for about a year, and in that time I’ve been busier setting up a decent-sized camp and finding the best places to hunt instead of looking for somebody to pay tithe to. The world’s hard enough without somebody trying to rule over you all the time, and I guess I don’t put too much stock in it.”
Her mind drifted to Lot, who’d seemed nice enough despite whatever his current troubles might be, and then to Hagar, who’d been unapologetic about being brazen. Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Not that tribal loyalty is bad, really. I guess it can really benefit somebody if they think they can’t get by without more help. I’m not used to having to ask for help.”
It was in the back of her mind to offer to teach Hope how to use a knife, but that might have been going a step too far with a near-stranger. The girl had a mother already, she didn’t need charity from someone she’d just met. “Did you live on the water before?”
Hope tilted her head at that curiously. “A year is a good time to have a look around though. Didn’t you find a tribe you like?” Her and her mother had been here for a while now and Hope hadn’t really had a say in where they were staying. And that her mother had to work for that right to stay...that was something she’d rather not talk about because it would only result in a shouting match with her Mom.
“It seems hard to live on your own though, especially now that it’s getting colder.” she said quietly. She couldn’t really imagine doing it all by herself, surviving in winter. “Safety in numbers and all of that.” She was definitely glad they didn’t have to fend for themselves again. Maybe something like...the incident could be avoided then. “Well I’m not really sure how this whole tribal thing actually works, but I think it’s supposed to work without asking. Like family, you know?”
Not that she was an expert on that. She shook her head to the question, pointing to the marina once it was in sight. “I haven’t. Not even by the water. Not sure if I like it all that much though. You never really get the mud out of everything. But we’re almost here.” And she could smell it, the way Lot had talked of the stink of the place, even the chilly weather not quite enough to dampen the odor. Orion adjusted the way her shirt hung on her shoulders. fiddled with the reel of her fishing pole. She hadn’t had a crush in years, certainly not one on such short notice. Maybe this was what it was like to be around people more often.
“Your mom’s probably got supper ready for you,” she told Hope with a faint smile, noting that dusk was beginning to settle in. “You’ll probably be just in time.”
It was getting dark. Hagar had long lost the habit of keeping time by the ticking of a clock, but the light changed quickly on the water and today's clear skies left little doubt as to the hour. It was getting dark and Hope still hadn't returned from the trading post. She was rarely unreliable, that kid, so the longer she remained absent the more Hagar found herself worrying. She'd already slipped outside twice to check if there was any sign of Hope coming down the path when, on the third attempt, she saw two figures marching steadily along the path.
Ginger-haired and freckled as she was, Hope was easy to spot even at the heart of a roaring crowd. Her mother had only to trust her instincts to know. The figure beside Hope, however, gave Hagar pause. The gait was almost mannish, but the shoulders and hips, the soft swell of breasts didn't add up to a cohesive whole. Hagar stepped further out onto the narrow porch and reached for the wood ax they kept there in case trouble should ever come to the Lawu.
Another beat, another handful of steps and the figure accompanying her daughter became sharper, her features more defined. Hagar felt a breath tangle in her throat. Her. It was a woman—an Enk. The thin pole resting against her shoulder might not have been a rifle, but the thought of anyone brandishing weapons near her daughter was enough to put Hagar in a tiff. She fought to temper her ire and called out, "What time d'you call this, kiddo? What, you decided to take the scenic route?" And make friends along the way?
That was what Hope hated most about the marina. It smelled more often than not. Though with the colder weather thankfully the smells had lessened somewhat. At least they weren’t persistent and made her smell. Now that would’ve made her incredibly pissed. But as it was she still smelled nice, so that was good.
She made a bit of a face at the mentioning of supper, mostly because her mother wasn’t exactly a chef and because she full well knew that she was a little late. Usually she was home before it went dark, which of course was a lot easier to accomplish in summer than it was now. But it wasn’t quite dark yet, and she had brought bread and fruit. Maybe that would ease her Mom’s mood a little.
She winced a little at Hagar’s tone. Even though it was mostly calm she knew that her mother wasn’t happy with her. “The fish didn’t bite today, took longer to get a few together and what little I got was very meager. Orion helped me trade it for some bread and fruit. That’s why it took longer.” For a moment, she couldn’t quite decide whether to sulk or just suck it up, so after a moment she added almost meekly. “Sorry.” But of course her mother knew her well enough to see through that too.
Orion wasn’t sure of where to look. She had enough memories of her own mother to recognize that particular tone, but it couldn’t just be the encroaching dusk that was the issue. She’d recognized Hagar by now, the gloom not enough to hide her identity anymore, and after a quick look at that expression she ducked her head to look at her shoes as if they’d just said something fascinating.
“Hi, again,” she mumbled, just loud enough for her voice to carry. ‘Mom’. Great. “I was just, uh...making sure your daughter got back okay. It’s easy to stumble off of the path once the sun goes down. I saw she was alone and figured she could use the company.”
Her stomach was already knotted, and it was all she could do not to turn and flee. Strange that she could be so brave out in the field, yet so shaky here. She picked at a small hole in her shirt, made herself look up. At least it was nearly dark, so no one could see how red her face was.
"We don't need your help," Hagar shot back, her thumb stroking the ax handle. "Hope, get inside. Now." She'd been worried before, but now her tone left little room for argument. Short of throwing herself at the Chets, Hope couldn't have done a lot worse as far as travel companions. Enks weren't to be trusted. They blew through town like the eastern wind, unpredictable and dangerous, and there was no one to keep them in line.
(The Chets and their rifles were a distant menace, irrelevant to a mother who felt her child was flirting with trouble.)
Hagar fixed Alice with a glare. "Think you'd best be going now. I hear it's easy to stumble once the sun goes down." The message couldn't have been any clearer; she hadn't brought out the ax for decoration.
Hope frowned when she saw the way Orion reacted to her mother. Oh she could be very intimidating if she wanted, no questions asked. And she seemed at least somewhat annoyed now, but definitely not livid or anything. So why was the other girl looking like she’d been caught stealing or something? And then she heard it. ‘Again’. What? They had met before? Had her mother done something to make Orion react like that?
And then her mother decided to play head bitch in charge. And that was something that Hope had never and would never deal well with. “Mom!” she exclaimed indignantly at being dismissed like she was some five-year-old child who’d tried to sneak a cookie or two from jar on the top shelf. “What the hell?” She managed to bite back an outright ‘fuck’ just barely, but only because she knew that this would’ve only made the situation worse.
She remained outside, halfway between Orion and her mother, glancing between the two. “What the hell is wrong with her helping me? She didn’t do anything!” Nor had she ever given off the sense of that intention either. “Why do you have to be so...ugh!”
Orion wasn’t just bewildered now, she was insulted, and she pulled herself out of her slouch even as she noted the way Hagar was fooling around with that ax handle. She’d stepped in it somehow, and worse than before, but this time she didn’t know how. She held both hands up, palms, outwards as if to render herself harmless, and her strong jaw jutted out a little as she set her teeth together.
“All I did was walk her back, that was all,” she protested, deciding not to say that it had been because she wanted to see Hagar herself. The woman was acting as if she were mad, and that ax did nothing to settle the hunter’s nerves. Whatever was going on here, it wasn’t really her fault. She backed up a hesitant step, keeping her eye on the weapon’s blade.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re wrong.”
That's all? Hagar glanced from one half of the pair to the other and, finding them both wanting, said, "this coalition thing y'all have going's leaving me unmoved. Best give it up now." She stepped off the porch into the dusty, unpaved lane. "Hope, you get on inside like I said. I ain't telling you again." She'd drag her in if she had to—anything to get her out of a stranger's reach.
"As for you—" Hagar gripped the ax behind the blade with her free hand, as if meaning to swing. Alice had some nerve coming up here with her kid; what did she think? That there was no one waiting on Hope? That on Lawu grounds no one would care if they heard a girl screaming? (That last one might've been true, but Hagar didn't let herself dwell.) "—much obliged for the help, but it ain't wanted and you're getting no payment in exchange. We got none to spare, you get me?" In plainer terms: Hope wasn't for sale, not for a loaf of bread or a fish or any other trade.
Hope was aware that her mother could be a very dangerous creature when she thought her daughter to be threatened. Or someone trying to get her into the flesh trade. And she was proud of her mother for being a fighter, even though she’d never told her. But she wasn’t that scared child anymore and she wanted to fight for herself. Well, maybe not fight, but at least live her life! And not fear that whenever she found a guy attractive her mom would go postal on him!
And now she did that for girls, too? What the fuck? “Mom! What the hell are you talking about? She just offered to walk me home! If you rather have me walking home alone the next time it gets late, fine!” she snapped, her voice rising in pitch just a little bit. But for now she was trying to keep herself under control. With not that much success, she had to admit.
And then her mom had to treat her like a baby. Again. “I’m not a child anymore! Orion doesn’t want payment. Why do you have to be such a bitch?!” She almost immediately regretting shouting that at Hagar, but her jaw set stubbornly. She wouldn’t take it back or apologize. Not when her mother was being like this.
And then Orion got it. Oh, God, did she get it, and the blush that had been threatening faded as her face whitened. She alternated between watching out for that ax and staring at Hagar’s face as if the woman had suddenly grown another head. Her feet almost got tangled together as she took another step backwards, but she managed to right herself before she fell on her ass. Both hands were displayed palms outwards, a supplicating gesture.
“I never touched her!” she burst out, horrified that the older brunette had clearly thought she was chasing after a younger model. Jesus Christ, Hope was just a kid! Lonely or not, there were just some things she didn’t do. The hunter looked at her hands, then put them behind her back in a gesture that was supposed to render her harmless. “I don’t want to touch her either. You’re nuts.”
She’d better get the hell out of here before Hagar really did start to swing that ax. How had this gone to hell in such a hurry? Orion backed off another careful step, fingers locking together as though she were praying. Crazy broad.
Her patience exhausted, Hagar strode forward until she could grip Hope by the elbow. "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, I'll be the bad guy." When Hope had been born—eighteen hours of pushing and wailing and feeling like her insides were going to shatter—Hagar had sworn no one would ever lay a hand on her daughter.
It had been easy. Hope was a good baby; didn't even cry unless she was hungry or teething, or cold. (She had been cold a lot as a baby.) But the world wasn't made for good children, so Hope had grown claws of her own; she sharpened them often on her mother.
"You must have a short memory, kid," Hagar gritted out, "if you think people offer help for free." She wouldn't have brought it up if not pushed to the brink. Too late to back down, to apologise, she could only hold her daughter's gaze as her meaning crystalized. "Get inside." Please.
Eyes narrowed with anger, Hope resembled Hagar more than at any other given time. Especially once it dawned on her what exactly she was accusing Orion of. She knew full well that it was important to be suspicious, that you couldn’t trust people easily, but what kind of life was it if you always expected the worst in people? Orion wasn’t that much older than herself, how could she possibly be the bad person her mother assumed her to be?
And without even knowing her either! Though they must’ve met before. Which made her wonder even more what had transpired between them that Hagar was so hostile towards her. She threw her hands in the air with helpless anger in frustration. “This is not about anyone being the bad guy. This is about at least being civil, for Christ’s sake!”
And then her spine stiffened visibly, face paling to an almost sickly white. Her mother didn’t need to say anymore for the memories to come pooling back in all at once. Hands, balled into angry fists, trembled as she held Hagar’s gaze, her own stare expressionless. She felt tempted to shout at her, even to fly at her for bringing that moment in their life, but she did nothing. She turned around on her heels, muttering a quick thank you to Orion before actually doing as Hagar had asked, except a lot louder than was truly necessary, doors slamming and feet stomping up the stairs.
The hunter flinched when the door slammed, her shoulders tightening with the tension of the moment, and she kept her hands behind her back. She was mortified and insulted and her feelings were hurt. Had she done something, said something to make Hagar believe she was some kind of pervert? She racked her brain, tracking the bits of conversation she’d had with the older brunette the time they’d met before, but nothing readily came to mind.
“You’re wrong,” she told the other woman with a weird sort of dignity. Her stomach was doing mad cartwheels inside her midsection, but her expression didn’t give any of that away. “About me. I would never...” I came to see you. “I would never.”
Her hands came around from behind her back of their own accord, and she put them in her pockets and backed the rest of the way out of the small front yard. To make sure she was out of reach before she turned her back. “Tell Hope I said goodbye and you’re welcome.”
Hagar swallowed hard. It was going to be a long night with a daughter who felt none too pleased to be set right. She couldn't have apologized if she'd wanted to. There were some things above petty desires, above the will to break free from imagined shackles. As for Alice—
Better to watch her walk away than fight her. The shape she cut across the mottled grey of the path wavered, its tread quick and uncertain, as if Alice couldn't get away from them swiftly enough. "Good riddance," Hagar murmured, to herself and the ghost of guilt blooming in her belly; she turned heel on that note and went into the house. Took the ax with her, just in case.