S a l e t é I V

XLIII - Décoloration - Treize

Nothing.

Cassia wasn't even entirely sure as to how long it had been since she'd last had a drink. It was longer than a day, wasn't it? Had it been two? Three? 

Everything had become so hazy, like her mind was seeped in thick fog. In that fog were the shapes she'd come to fear, the swirling masses and the ugly contortions, each one a grim memory or an ugly truth.

She wanted to be optimistic. She felt as if she'd been doing well up until that day, and yet... It was just so hard. 

It was. It was hard. 

They'd covered the entire old street from top to bottom, speaking to everyone behind a stall who hadn't been preoccupied with customers, and come up with nothing in the way of information or leads. They were without Honey, they were without knowledge of anywhere half safe in which to find Honey, and they didn't know if the one group who certainly had Honey in their inventories would try to harm them if they made contact.

Maybe being optimistic would have been easier if terrible results weren't to be expected? Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, only hope had a tendency to warp into sharp, cruel disappointment.

After coming up with nothing, Monet led them up the slope and away from the street below as they sought a chance to rest. There was every possibility that the officers would return or arrive, and so loitering on the stretch itself would have almost certainly been an unwise decision. At least up top, things were quiet, and the hollowed out storefronts served as cover for a quiet conversation without them having to haul themselves back over the wall to reach the factory courtyard.

Cassie was tired, but she had to keep up. Zisel and Klavdiya were still going, so she would too.

"Monet..." Taya said as she once again took a hold of the older girl's sleeve, her once expectant gaze becoming increasingly unconvinced as her words began to sound more like whines. 

They'd come to a stop in what had once been a lane between two of the more intact derelict shops, the spot they'd chosen sheltered and darkened.

"I know, Taya. We'll keep looking." Monet said to her, stroking the unscathed side of the youngster's head, the gesture only partially working to calm her.

"Where are we gonna go next? We can't go back to the warehouse, not like this." Klavdiya decided as she took the opportunity to lean against one of those walls for support, taking a good amount of weight off of herself. 

She'd managed to sound somewhat upbeat, even if it was clear she was starting to be worn down by it all too.

Who wouldn't have been?

"I'm not sure. La Bande is deep in Sabre territory, and the dockyard entrance has always been attended by them." Monet replied, still stroking Taya's hair as the youngster huddled up against her side.

"Do we know for sure if they'll be harsh to us though...? Just because Sabine didn't see any Jouets at the depot doesn't mean they're going to wail on us, does it?" Klavdiya asked, the look on her face suggesting that she knew she was clutching at straws, whilst also insinuating that she barely believed in her own words.

"I won't risk it, Klavdiya. Not with you girls with me, anyway."

"You can't go by yourself." Zisel quickly insisted, such a condition one that Klavdiya and Cassia instantly backed up.

"No way. You've at least got to take me or Klavdiya with you, whether you want to or not." Cassie concurred, the friend she'd named visibly proud to receive the mention.