Head in the Clouds

Chapter 3: You're Amazing

Deidre easily noticed the three random strangers so painfully trying to keep up with her, but she hardly cared while her attention was stuck on the bandit zipping across the forest. She should have just let him go and move on being happy with Nadja, she knew that, but she couldn't help but have this need to beat the shit out of him. She wouldn't kill him. She decided that as soon as they got over the bridge, but she would hurt him. She'd hurt him real bad.

"Hey! Wait up!" Valery called out.

Deidre ignored her calls. She figured that all of them would eventually get tired and quit chasing her eventually, and even if they didn't, they weren't in much real danger just yet. Needless to say, on any other day she would have forced the group back into their homes.

The bandit was slippery- much rather agile. He zipped around in different directions sliding past trees and jumping over logs. It was clear he thought the horse wouldn't be able to maneuver the tight spaces between the trees, but Nadja was never one to step down from a challenge. She slipped around the trees with almost just as much ease as the bandit and was hardly tired.

"Valery!" Cried Indigo, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"We're following that guy!" Informed Valery, "He's gonna lead us to the cave."

Deidre's interest was peaked. If he had a destination, he'd never go there with Deidre following him, but if she stopped, he'd end up there. The girl already seemed to know he was heading somewhere, so it was safe to assume he'd probably stop.

Gradually, Deidre let Nadja slow the pace until she was no longer running and the man was out of sight. As she and Nadja just stood there, Deidre leaned forward slowly and wrapped her arms around Nadja's neck locking her into a loose hug. She closed her eyes and felt what it was like to hold her old friend again.

"I'm so sorry, Nadja," she apologized softly, "I'll never let anyone hurt you again."

Just as she finished her little promise, Valery and Indigo managed to catch up. Doubling over, the two girls tried to catch their breath as Deidre looked down at them. Soon, Allioni caught up, and he simply dropped to the ground wheezing for air. The three strangers took about five minutes to collect themselves, except Allioni who just stayed on the ground.

"Are you all finished?" Deidre asked almost emotionlessly.

They all looked up at her as though she was some kind of God. Whether they were curious about seeing someone who looked like her: a dark-skinned woman with big hair on top of a horse, or if it had to do with how intimidating it was. It was hard to tell if Deidre knew just how intimidating she really looked, but she never seemed to acknowledge it. She had this intense and serious stare that could scare a lion into its cage if she was particularly annoyed.

"Hi," greeted Valery excitedly, "I'm Valery, and this is Indigo."

Deidre looked at Valery as though she was the strangest thing in the world. She found it strange that he hair was short and pink, and that she was just gleaming up at her like she just hung the sun. She wasn't sure how to treat the girl.

"Who's that?" Deidre asked nodding toward the boy now sitting up on the floor.

"I'm Allioni," he responded. He was a bit intimidated and amased by the woman. She seemed like she could crush his skull with her bare hands while still maintaining something feminine about her. She was also the first person he met that looked so much like him where the brownness of his skin was concerned.

"Why are you all following me?" Deidre asked rather seriously. She did notice them gawking at her, but didn't quite understand why.

"I'd like to know the same thing," Indigo mumbled lowly.