The Exiled Gem

Jade and the Pendant

So the Ceremony was nice. And later, Alexandra was given half an hour to pack - she threw in a box of breath mints, a lot of bandage, some wound cleaner, rope-hook, scissors, extra knives, quills and scrolls, a calendar and a Map of Akwanda, along with her extra clothes (nobody forgot about currency - money was life). All the while, she muttered a relentless chant, "I'll be back, I'll be back, I'll be back," herself not realizing what the need for it was.

She strapped Moira to her belt - as a final gesture of Agent-hood. She then plodded lazily to the Supervisory Centre where the pigeon was waiting for her. One she had been introduced to, in her fifth year, so that the animal recognized her well enough by the time of she passed out. Alexandra had named the pigeon Jade. Jade - because her neck had a greenish tinge to it. Everyone had a pigeon that had been specially trained. From wherever they were left, they would return to the supervisory. With letters - or without. At times, if they wished to, they could return to the Council as well. Especially if the trial was a long one - spanning more than a few months. The birds were temperate ones - tropical climate sometimes did not suit them. But such was seen in very few cases, since pigeons were universal. There was common consent that they did exist in the east too, the east of the world which nobody knew much about, except for the fact that it was quite prosperous.

'Good evening, Jade!' Alexandra cooed to the bird, stroking her neck lightly. 'Ready to come?'

The bird hooted enthusiastically. 'Right on - the exhilaration's caught you too!' She exclaimed, and opened the cage door. Jade flew out and perched upon her arm. 'Ever heard of Akwanda?'

Jade hooted uncertainly.

'Don't worry, it's bad on ground, but you're safe. Their air isn't poisoned - or at least I hope so.' She grimaced, then laughed to herself. Talking to a pigeon was definitely unusual.

She waved her goodbyes to her year-mates - oh no, her colleagues. And then the only thing she was left with was to meet Mark Fannel - who was no where to be seen. Inherently, she stood by the Lake - it was just where she liked to meet people.

'Waiting for me?' He asked, almost the instant she had stopped by the waters. The speed surprised Alexandra.

'Of course!' She told her annoying brother, 'and you better stop messing up your hair, or they'll all fall off!'

'As you say, mother.'

'Mother?'

'Most certainly. I mean, sometimes it's hard to decide whether you're my sister or my mother.'

'What kept you?' She demanded, crossing her arms and staring at him with an unimpressed look. She had wanted to say that if he behaved like a kid, she would have to be his mother - but for now - they didn't have as much time.

'This,' He replied, showing her a locket. 

No, it was a pendant. And hanging from the chains was - even with her despicable nature skills, she had no trouble recognizing it - a blue lily. She gasped and her eyes widened, the natural display of shock. But added to it was the first confusion - how did he have it? Still?

'The - the pendant you gifted Diana. How?!' She asked, gaping at it. If Diana had been wearing it on Velloi Hill during the ambush, the only logical explanation was that somehow, she was back - and so the ornament. 

However, that didn't seem to be the case.

'She dropped it.' Mark clarified, 'Only the pendant - not the chain. I returned afterwards - and this was all I found.' He added, with a small smile. The smile was so evidently fake that Alexandra felt a lump in her own throat. And she hadn't realized it, but in the six years, she had grown mightily close to Fannel. The biggest sign of it was that she felt his pain. She seldom cried, in fact, she didn't remember having done that since her third year's test, but at this trivial moment, her eyes brimmed over with tears. 'Don't you dare cry!' He warned, but it was no use - Alexandra felt one big, hot tear roll down. Mark Fannel only grinned wider, the sight of one person crying made either made the second tear up as well, or pull himself together. Usually, if the latter was older, more responsible and wiser, they pulled themselves together and such was the case with Mark. 'Brothers are supposed to kill the people who make their sisters cry- you want me to kill Mark Fannel?' He questioned, with such sincerity that Alexandra had to give a small laugh.