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Description
It has been about a week and three days since Ripple and Riggie left Hemlock, and ventured into the mountains, aiming for Ripple's home. The mountains were quiet and the air was crisp. A beautiful night. But it was still cold, and Riggie had gone to gather more firewood. While Ripple was sitting near the cracking logs, staring into the heat, she heard a twig break in the bushes nearby. "Back already?" she asked, thinking it was her acquaintance, who felt it was his duty as a samurai and her old friend to escort her back to her hometown. But then a darker figure emerged from the leaves. Stepping into the light, she could see who it was. And she wasn't necessarily surprised, somehow Kale had always had a way to get whatever he wanted. Now all she could think is 'why is he here.'

She didn't say a word. Her eyebrows lowered and she stared at him as he struggled to breakaway from a briar that had caught his leg. Finally he stood and looked at her, an ocean of mixed feelings written all over his face. "H- hi," he stammered. She continued to stare bitterly, hoping he would just pick up on how she felt for once. For their past was very complicated, and they had known each other for a long time. Schoolmates, traveling companions, friends... she even thought a romance could form but then... he up and left. Without a word he was gone, and no trace of him either. She didn't want to forgive him. Not for how much of her trust he completely threw away.
"I- I know you don't want to see me. And I'm sorry for not respecting that..," he tried starting, "I don't expect you to forgive me for anything I've done, but please hear me out. I want to explain some things that... made our friendship kind of difficult... would you let me?" Rubbing his head he looked up at her with a sheepish smile, remembering all the things they did when they were young.
Ripple crossed her arms. "I guess I shouldn't even ask how you ended up finding me here..." She sighed. "Go ahead."
Kale took a deep breath. "My whole life I've known I was an orphan. I was raised in Boswell. But when I was that little boy, I was... adopted... into uh.. I don't really know any better way to describe it but forced labor. I'd tell you more about them but they're serious when they say I'd better not. Anyways. They paid for me to go to Shevoria, and then they paid for me to go to the dojo. And when I ran away, that was my fault. I... well I had a crush on you back then and when that other guy started becoming your friend it really ticked me off. Not because of you, but that guy would do whatever it took to get on my nerves- anyways," he shook off past anger, "We ran away together, which I really appreciated. It doesn't excuse the way I've behaved but for as long as I can remember I've struggled with feeling like I belong, you know? Like nobody should want to be around me, I don't deserve it. Well after I ran away, my captors threatened me. I was on a mission to find somebody, and I wasn't getting anywhere at that point. And that's when you left for Shevoria-"
"Wait," Ripple interrupted. "What does any of this have to do with finding someone?"
"I'll get to that, I promise. Anyways... I kind of sugarcoated and lied to these people telling them I'd figure it out, hoping that they wouldn't make my worst fears come true. And I arranged for Nessa and Anton and me to come see you... but that's when the actual nightmares started." Ripple kind of rolled her eyes and sat back down at the fire, expecting it to be a long story. Kale ignored it. "I kept seeing myself, and hearing this voice, calling me Michael. I kept seeing a silhouette disappear into the rain, and, well by the time we were at that Snowball together the dreams had gotten so bad they started showing up during the day. And I saw my mom- a detailed version of her. I could never even remember what she looked like. It really scared me- and before I knew it I was running back to my orphanage where I grew up.. I saw my old nanny, and kind of got really mad and accusative of her. I made her tell me my true childhood and the meaning of the dreams. And she did, every bit of it."
Ripple had lightened up a little, and having known him since they were young, she was interested. "What did she say?"
"That my mom was poor, and single. And we lived in Hurst. And she sold herself just like I did to secure our living. Every time she would go... do the work she was hired to do... she'd leave me in the care of the orphanage in Boswell. But one night it was storming, and she never came back. She had-" he choked a little, and breathed to sooth it back out, "she had died doing some of their dirty work. I was too young, so instead of lying and telling me my mother would come back someday, they slowly changed it to 'you'll be adopted someday.' And it all made sense then. The mission I told you I was on, well they were trying to push me back to that orphanage to confront my nanny. To learn about my past so that I could get my emotions under control before they would use me for anything." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I've sold myself in, Ripple. And I'm never coming back out. It's not even my choice to make anymore." He started crying, trying to hide his face.

Ripple looked at him with saddened eyes. Somehow this insanely non-sensical story made total sense in light of how Kale grew up. "If what you say is true, then why are you telling me this?" she tried to say gently.
"Because I didn't want you to hate me forever..." he wiped the snot from his snout and stood strong though his face was wet and shiny from all the tears.
"Is there any way I can help you?"
"Well, I did come with a second motive, but it wasn't my main one..."
"What is it?.."

~NEXT ~

Description
It has been about a week and three days since Ripple and Riggie left Hemlock, and ventured into the mountains, aiming for Ripple's home. The mountains were quiet and the air was crisp. A beautiful night. But it was still cold, and Riggie had gone to gather more firewood. While Ripple was sitting near the cracking logs, staring into the heat, she heard a twig break in the bushes nearby. "Back already?" she asked, thinking it was her acquaintance, who felt it was his duty as a samurai and her old friend to escort her back to her hometown. But then a darker figure emerged from the leaves. Stepping into the light, she could see who it was. And she wasn't necessarily surprised, somehow Kale had always had a way to get whatever he wanted. Now all she could think is 'why is he here.'

She didn't say a word. Her eyebrows lowered and she stared at him as he struggled to breakaway from a briar that had caught his leg. Finally he stood and looked at her, an ocean of mixed feelings written all over his face. "H- hi," he stammered. She continued to stare bitterly, hoping he would just pick up on how she felt for once. For their past was very complicated, and they had known each other for a long time. Schoolmates, traveling companions, friends... she even thought a romance could form but then... he up and left. Without a word he was gone, and no trace of him either. She didn't want to forgive him. Not for how much of her trust he completely threw away.
"I- I know you don't want to see me. And I'm sorry for not respecting that..," he tried starting, "I don't expect you to forgive me for anything I've done, but please hear me out. I want to explain some things that... made our friendship kind of difficult... would you let me?" Rubbing his head he looked up at her with a sheepish smile, remembering all the things they did when they were young.
Ripple crossed her arms. "I guess I shouldn't even ask how you ended up finding me here..." She sighed. "Go ahead."
Kale took a deep breath. "My whole life I've known I was an orphan. I was raised in Boswell. But when I was that little boy, I was... adopted... into uh.. I don't really know any better way to describe it but forced labor. I'd tell you more about them but they're serious when they say I'd better not. Anyways. They paid for me to go to Shevoria, and then they paid for me to go to the dojo. And when I ran away, that was my fault. I... well I had a crush on you back then and when that other guy started becoming your friend it really ticked me off. Not because of you, but that guy would do whatever it took to get on my nerves- anyways," he shook off past anger, "We ran away together, which I really appreciated. It doesn't excuse the way I've behaved but for as long as I can remember I've struggled with feeling like I belong, you know? Like nobody should want to be around me, I don't deserve it. Well after I ran away, my captors threatened me. I was on a mission to find somebody, and I wasn't getting anywhere at that point. And that's when you left for Shevoria-"
"Wait," Ripple interrupted. "What does any of this have to do with finding someone?"
"I'll get to that, I promise. Anyways... I kind of sugarcoated and lied to these people telling them I'd figure it out, hoping that they wouldn't make my worst fears come true. And I arranged for Nessa and Anton and me to come see you... but that's when the actual nightmares started." Ripple kind of rolled her eyes and sat back down at the fire, expecting it to be a long story. Kale ignored it. "I kept seeing myself, and hearing this voice, calling me Michael. I kept seeing a silhouette disappear into the rain, and, well by the time we were at that Snowball together the dreams had gotten so bad they started showing up during the day. And I saw my mom- a detailed version of her. I could never even remember what she looked like. It really scared me- and before I knew it I was running back to my orphanage where I grew up.. I saw my old nanny, and kind of got really mad and accusative of her. I made her tell me my true childhood and the meaning of the dreams. And she did, every bit of it."
Ripple had lightened up a little, and having known him since they were young, she was interested. "What did she say?"
"That my mom was poor, and single. And we lived in Hurst. And she sold herself just like I did to secure our living. Every time she would go... do the work she was hired to do... she'd leave me in the care of the orphanage in Boswell. But one night it was storming, and she never came back. She had-" he choked a little, and breathed to sooth it back out, "she had died doing some of their dirty work. I was too young, so instead of lying and telling me my mother would come back someday, they slowly changed it to 'you'll be adopted someday.' And it all made sense then. The mission I told you I was on, well they were trying to push me back to that orphanage to confront my nanny. To learn about my past so that I could get my emotions under control before they would use me for anything." Tears welled up in his eyes. "I've sold myself in, Ripple. And I'm never coming back out. It's not even my choice to make anymore." He started crying, trying to hide his face.

Ripple looked at him with saddened eyes. Somehow this insanely non-sensical story made total sense in light of how Kale grew up. "If what you say is true, then why are you telling me this?" she tried to say gently.
"Because I didn't want you to hate me forever..." he wiped the snot from his snout and stood strong though his face was wet and shiny from all the tears.
"Is there any way I can help you?"
"Well, I did come with a second motive, but it wasn't my main one..."
"What is it?.."

~NEXT ~