03-12-2020, 06:30 PM
Kerlile-Lauchenoiria Border
3am
“So you’re just letting us go?” Kerrie Lee asked one of the Lauchenoirians, who continued to stare ahead and ignore her. “After all those nights you left me literally tied down to my bed, you now bring me outside in only this tiny pair of handcuffs?” she smirked, holding up her bound wrists.
“Shut up,” one of the Lauchenoirian guards hissed at her as they stood in the cold.
Kerrie shivered slightly as they waited. She knew what was happening, of course. They hadn’t told her, or the others, but from the situation it was patently obvious that the Lauchenoirians were trading her and the other prisoners. She just wished her own people would be a little more prompt with whatever they’d offered to the Lauchenoirians, it was getting cold out here and the metal handcuffs were beginning to irritate her.
“Hey, cheer up, we’ll be free soon,” she said brightly to the older woman they were holding nearby, also restrained but with her face stained with tears. The woman looked up at her, then looked away, shaking her head.
Amaya Morse didn’t particularly want to be traded back to Kerlile. Like Kerrie, she’d worked out what was happening, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Once she was back in the Matriarchy, she’d never be able to return to her life in Carville. Her childhood had been terrible, she didn’t want to go back to the hell that had been. She’d managed to build a decent life for herself in spite of everything and she didn’t want it to end.
“She’s not lying,” one of the guards by her side murmured to her, “you’ll be free soon.” Amaya ignored him.
Maricela Tobin was shivering, though whether it was in fear or from the cold, she couldn’t tell. All she knew was that they’d managed to break her, she’d talked, and now she was going to be sent back and probably punished. It terrified her, the thought of what punishments they could dish out to her for what she’d done. Despite all her training, she’d been weak when it counted and she hated herself for it. She should have let them kill her.
Lorna Rigley, lying in an unmarked van, the inside of which resembled an ambulance, was still unconscious. Alvarez had been concerned what sending her back like that would do, but it was better, she figured, to let her go home than keep her - after all, it’s not like they’d done it to her. Lorna had done it to herself, in her failed attempt at not being taken alive. It was ironic, her actions had actually stopped her being interrogated!
On the Kerlian side of the border, a vehicle approached, and everyone (conscious) in the handful of Auroras and Lauchenoirians suddenly fixed on the approaching lights.
*
The transfer went without hassle, they’d been warned about Lorna Rigley beforehand. She’d sent a message to the Matriarchy before she tried to kill herself, so they had already known of the attempt. The Kerlians who welcomed the Auroras home were professional about it, and the (considerably larger) gaggle of assorted Lauchenoirian spies seemed incredibly relieved to be going home as well. Everyone was happy - except Amaya Morse.
The whole way to Grapevale, Amaya sat silently, scowling, her arms folded now that she wasn’t restrained. Nobody attempted to speak to her, her body language was rather uninviting. It was assumed by the Kerlians present that she’d undergone some kind of horrible torture at the hands of the Lauchenoirians, and didn’t want to talk about it. In reality, unlike Kerrie and Maricela, she hadn’t been tortured at all, not even the ‘mild’ forms the other two were subjected to.
When they arrived at their destination, a familiar figure stood nervously outside. Amaya quickly got out of the car, and ran over to Hiranur, embracing her friend, and squeezing her hard like they’d be separated at any second. She began to cry again, her tears soaking the shoulders of Hiranur’s t-shirt.
“Audrey, what’s the matter?” Hiranur said, using the other Aurora’s training name.
“I don’t want to stay here,” whispered Amaya, afraid someone will overhear. “I want to go home, and my home isn’t here.”
“Oh, Audrey!” laughed Hiranur. “You always did have a tendency to think the worst of any situation! Wipe up your tears, my friend, this problem can be solved.”
“What… what do you mean?” Amaya said, looking up at her friend and finally letting go of the tight hug.
“Well, they’re already going to negotiate with Laeral so that I, and a few others, can return and stay, they seemed fairly willing to do so, so I’m sure they’ll be willing to do the same thing with Lauchenoiria too.”
“Really?” she said, immediately brightening, and wiping away the tears. “I guess they’re not wrong when they say Kerlile is reforming, then!”
“Oh, they’re definitely not wrong,” Hiranur laughed, putting her arm around Amaya and guiding her inside the building where she could fill out the required paperwork.
*
A few hours later, by which time it was almost the afternoon, Josephine Alvarez received a phone call from her still-legally-wed wife, Councillor Hale. After listening, and talking to the Councillor, remaining professional and detached from their still-unresolved emotional issues, she put the phone down, and laughed hysterically until her secretary brought her a glass of water, clearly concerned she would choke. Eventually she recovered enough to speak again.
“As the Kerlians say, oh, for Goddess’ sake!!”
3am
“So you’re just letting us go?” Kerrie Lee asked one of the Lauchenoirians, who continued to stare ahead and ignore her. “After all those nights you left me literally tied down to my bed, you now bring me outside in only this tiny pair of handcuffs?” she smirked, holding up her bound wrists.
“Shut up,” one of the Lauchenoirian guards hissed at her as they stood in the cold.
Kerrie shivered slightly as they waited. She knew what was happening, of course. They hadn’t told her, or the others, but from the situation it was patently obvious that the Lauchenoirians were trading her and the other prisoners. She just wished her own people would be a little more prompt with whatever they’d offered to the Lauchenoirians, it was getting cold out here and the metal handcuffs were beginning to irritate her.
“Hey, cheer up, we’ll be free soon,” she said brightly to the older woman they were holding nearby, also restrained but with her face stained with tears. The woman looked up at her, then looked away, shaking her head.
Amaya Morse didn’t particularly want to be traded back to Kerlile. Like Kerrie, she’d worked out what was happening, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Once she was back in the Matriarchy, she’d never be able to return to her life in Carville. Her childhood had been terrible, she didn’t want to go back to the hell that had been. She’d managed to build a decent life for herself in spite of everything and she didn’t want it to end.
“She’s not lying,” one of the guards by her side murmured to her, “you’ll be free soon.” Amaya ignored him.
Maricela Tobin was shivering, though whether it was in fear or from the cold, she couldn’t tell. All she knew was that they’d managed to break her, she’d talked, and now she was going to be sent back and probably punished. It terrified her, the thought of what punishments they could dish out to her for what she’d done. Despite all her training, she’d been weak when it counted and she hated herself for it. She should have let them kill her.
Lorna Rigley, lying in an unmarked van, the inside of which resembled an ambulance, was still unconscious. Alvarez had been concerned what sending her back like that would do, but it was better, she figured, to let her go home than keep her - after all, it’s not like they’d done it to her. Lorna had done it to herself, in her failed attempt at not being taken alive. It was ironic, her actions had actually stopped her being interrogated!
On the Kerlian side of the border, a vehicle approached, and everyone (conscious) in the handful of Auroras and Lauchenoirians suddenly fixed on the approaching lights.
*
The transfer went without hassle, they’d been warned about Lorna Rigley beforehand. She’d sent a message to the Matriarchy before she tried to kill herself, so they had already known of the attempt. The Kerlians who welcomed the Auroras home were professional about it, and the (considerably larger) gaggle of assorted Lauchenoirian spies seemed incredibly relieved to be going home as well. Everyone was happy - except Amaya Morse.
The whole way to Grapevale, Amaya sat silently, scowling, her arms folded now that she wasn’t restrained. Nobody attempted to speak to her, her body language was rather uninviting. It was assumed by the Kerlians present that she’d undergone some kind of horrible torture at the hands of the Lauchenoirians, and didn’t want to talk about it. In reality, unlike Kerrie and Maricela, she hadn’t been tortured at all, not even the ‘mild’ forms the other two were subjected to.
When they arrived at their destination, a familiar figure stood nervously outside. Amaya quickly got out of the car, and ran over to Hiranur, embracing her friend, and squeezing her hard like they’d be separated at any second. She began to cry again, her tears soaking the shoulders of Hiranur’s t-shirt.
“Audrey, what’s the matter?” Hiranur said, using the other Aurora’s training name.
“I don’t want to stay here,” whispered Amaya, afraid someone will overhear. “I want to go home, and my home isn’t here.”
“Oh, Audrey!” laughed Hiranur. “You always did have a tendency to think the worst of any situation! Wipe up your tears, my friend, this problem can be solved.”
“What… what do you mean?” Amaya said, looking up at her friend and finally letting go of the tight hug.
“Well, they’re already going to negotiate with Laeral so that I, and a few others, can return and stay, they seemed fairly willing to do so, so I’m sure they’ll be willing to do the same thing with Lauchenoiria too.”
“Really?” she said, immediately brightening, and wiping away the tears. “I guess they’re not wrong when they say Kerlile is reforming, then!”
“Oh, they’re definitely not wrong,” Hiranur laughed, putting her arm around Amaya and guiding her inside the building where she could fill out the required paperwork.
*
A few hours later, by which time it was almost the afternoon, Josephine Alvarez received a phone call from her still-legally-wed wife, Councillor Hale. After listening, and talking to the Councillor, remaining professional and detached from their still-unresolved emotional issues, she put the phone down, and laughed hysterically until her secretary brought her a glass of water, clearly concerned she would choke. Eventually she recovered enough to speak again.
“As the Kerlians say, oh, for Goddess’ sake!!”
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