The Hidden Orphan (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 2)

One · · · Dest (.2)

Dest raised her hands in the air and waved over to her. "Roppy!"

Her name caught her attention. Dest watched the flecks of blue from Roppy's brown eyes light up as they ran to each other.

"Hello, Ms. Faniz," Dest said laughingly to Roppy.

Roppy quickly embraced Dest in a hug as if they hadn't seen each other in births when it only had been yesterday, but then pulled back and set her hands on her hips. "And you, Ms. Troy."

They both laughed together even though it wasn't very funny. Every time they saw each other they always called each other by their last names like Theo used to do when they were kids and he called them ladies. For them, it was the funniest inside joke in the world.

When they stopped laughing, Dest lightly elbowed Roppy in ribs so it wouldn't hurt and said, "Theo sent you something."

"What is it?" Roppy asked. "Is it in your bag?"

Dest shook her head and grabbed the small plastic bag of tapees jerky out of her backpack. "No, but I did buy you this jerky. I have some maron root too if you want it."

Roppy wrinkled her nose as she took the jerky. "You know I don't like maron root. I'll be fine with the jerky. Thanks, but what did Theo get me."

Dest bit her lip before she said, "A wink."

Before Roppy could start laughing again, Dest winked at Roppy. Her best friend blushed and said, "Aww, that was sweet of him. Did he get you one too?"

Dest nodded her head. "You know he would do anything to make our gifts equal. Of course, I got one."

Roppy hummed in response as she stood in thought. All of a sudden, a light bulb seemed to go off in her brain and she started to bounce on the balls of her feet. Roppy really did own up to her nickname.

"What?" Dest asked, taking a step away from Roppy's contagious energy.

"You have to meet these people I greeted today," Roppy said as she took Dest's arm and started dragging her back towards the heart of Casest Village.

"What people? Don't you have other refugees you have to greet today?" Dest pulled away from Roppy's weak grip making her stop in her sandy tracks.

Roppy rolled her eyes and grabbed Dest's hand again. This time her grip was stronger. "Ya... but they won't even notice I'm gone. If they do, I'll tell them some of the refugees asked me if I could help them find their tent. After all, I'm only a volunteer. I can leave any time I want."

Dest nodded her head along with Roppy. "That's true, but it wouldn't be kinda mean, don't you think?"

"Not unless you see it that way!" Roppy exclaimed ending their teeny tiny argument.

"I guess you're right," Dest sighed.

They stopped walking when they got to the middle road waiting for a Castan cart to pass. To their right was Keeta. Dest looked over to her and jumped when they locked eyes. Keeta glared at her stood up when she saw Roppy without another group of refugees.

As soon as the cart passed, Dest pushed Roppy forward and whispered in her ear, "Keeta saw you. We gotta go."

"Thanks," Roppy whispered back as she giggled with excitement. Behind them, Dest could hear the yells and shouts as Keeta debated chasing after them.

When they could no longer hear Keeta's yells, Roppy moved to the right bringing them into the center of the east side of Casest Village, Pent's East. The second half of Casest Village was filled with red tents strewn across a windblown sandy ground. Small Pent families huddled together as a large wind traveled through Pent's East threatening sand to sting people's faces. Dest's brown leather sandals, dangling with beads and portex feathers from the only living animal on Rol, made perfect imprints in the sand as they walked. She watched Pents walk past. They walked funny since they weren't used to the uneven ground below their feet.