Chapter Text
Zora carefully followed Robinson down the mountainside, watching her every step and looking around for any sign of the torches that marked the main path. She did not want to join that Bisharp in falling down the side of the mountain, and every step on this hidden trail made her more and more paranoid that it would be her last.
Robinson, meanwhile, did not seem to have the same worries. While he had decided not to fly for fear of accidentally leaving her behind or crashing into a cliff, he still cheerfully walked ahead with no visible fear whatsoever.
Zora wondered how he could act so fearlessly in the face of danger, when all she wanted to do was freeze or hide. It was almost inspiring in a way. Almost.
“So, princess, what are we planning on doing now?”, Robinson asked, slowing his pace to walk by Zora rather than ahead of her.
“Well, uh, we're looking for any clues about the Pokemon that attacked me, right?”, Zora replied. “We just talked about this back at the cave.”
Robinson shrugged. “Maybe, but it's always good to refresh things, right? Make sure we know exactly what we're doing?”
“I…suppose so?”, Zora answered, somewhat confused. “There isn't much to talk about, though. We're just heading into Truth's Landing and asking if any of the villagers know anything about the Bisharp who tried to kill me. That's it.”
Robinson nodded. “Mhm, mhm. Is there anything more you can tell me about where we are and what this kingdom is? I know you gave a quick summary of things, but I'd like to hear more about it. Especially since, you know…”
He bonked himself on the head with his wing. “Amnesia.”
Zora sighed. “Fine. As I said before, these are the White Mountains, ruled by the great city of Reshira to the north. We are one of the oldest and most well-defended kingdoms, all thanks to our devotion to the White Dragon of Truth and the protections and power she gave us. Using the great braziers, we tend to magical everburning fires that create shields, empower our warriors, and drive away the shadows so that they cannot overtake us.”
Zora took a breath, before continuing, “As one of the chosen princesses of Queen Riselda, I have access to even greater knowledge and magical power, and may even be selected by the White Dragon as the next heir to the kingdom should the queen fall. It is my duty to help maintain the sacred flames and ensure that this kingdom stays safe, strong, and true.”
Although whether I can actually do that is a completely different matter entirely., Zora thought sadly to herself, I haven't exactly done a good job so far. I almost got killed by just one Pokemon!
But she did not say that aloud.
Instead, she continued, “This mountain we are climbing down is a holy site to the White Dragon, and is said to be where she first showed herself to the founders of the kingdom. The flame is strong here, and I hoped to find knowledge and the path forward. Unfortunately, well, that assassin attacked, a star fell from the sky, and then somehow you showed up.”
Zora shivered. “Honestly, those are not good omens. I fear what the dragon might be trying to tell me with them. But perhaps by tracking that assassin down, I can figure out how to avert whatever disaster that might be suggesting.”
Robinson nodded. “Yeah, that's good. I mean, obviously all the bad omen stuff is bad. But the fact that you're trying to figure out how to fix it instead of running away or giving up, that's good.”
He thought for a second. “What do you think I am? Since I showed up with all the bad stuff, does that mean I might be bad too?”
Zora hadn't thought about that. She puzzled over it for some time, as they continued walking down the mountain. But she quickly came to a conclusion, and answered, “No, I don't think so. Good can always arrive intertwined with the bad. You rescued me and helped me out, despite also struggling with the fact that you just woke up with amnesia. Now you're trying to help me even more, too, even though you didn't need to and the kingdom's politics probably wouldn't concern you. You want to fix things as well. I think that makes you a good omen, Robinson. Perhaps that help will come from unexpected places, or that our people will work together and help us out of whatever calamity is coming. So don't worry about it.”
Robinson smiled warmly. “That's rather nice to hear. I'll do my best, princess! We'll get to the bottom of this in no time! Just like we got to the bottom of the mountain now, actually.”
Zora blinked, and looked around. “Wait, what?”
Sure enough, they had somehow gotten back onto the main road while she'd been talking, and now Truth's Landing could be seen not far below them. The sun was growing low in the sky, and a light snow was beginning to fall around them. Zora was surprised at how quickly they'd managed to get back here, and without any peril, either.
“I noticed you stopped being scared.”, Robinson noted.
“I…I suppose I did.”, Zora admitted, “That's…huh. It seems I got far too distracted speaking to you.”
She frowned. “Was that why you were asking those questions? Because you figured me regailing you with answers would distract me from my fear?”
Robinson simply smiled. “It was worth a shot. It seems that it worked, too. Do you like talking, princess?”
Zora blushed. “Well, I, uh, don't get to talk a lot. Nor are people usually interested in what I have to say. I mostly just read a lot…”
Robinson nodded. “Ah, yeah. My friend was the same way.” Then he blinked, and frowned. “Huh? It was almost like I remembered something just now…but damn it, it's gone. Shall we head into the town now?”
Zora nodded. “Of course. Allow me to lead, the villagers may not be receptive to the sight of a strange Fletchinder leading around their princess. As I'm sure you can understand.”
“Yes, yes, of course. Lead the way, Your Highness!”, Robinson replied cheerfully.
Zora sighed. “I told you, I don't like honorifics. But alright, let's go.”
She and Robinson continued the rest of the way down to the town, Zora feeling freshly energized with the town in sight. It wasn't long at all before they had reached the archway marking the start of the mountain path, and Zora felt somewhat relieved.
Until she saw who was waiting there, staring at her with her arms crossed.
“Oh no.”, Zora whispered, freezing in her tracks.
Standing in front of her was a very familiar, very snooty Cinccino. Her white fur was braided and bundled around her face, with a sapphire brooch in the shape of the White Dragon's wing pinning it in pace. Her emerald eyes were cruel and mocking, as a similar green cloak to Zora's billowed around her, the white flame torch emblem glimmering menacingly. A silver chain necklace with a sapphire pendant hung around her neck, and she had matching silver bracelets on her wrists. Resting upon the mouse's head was a tiara that perfectly matched Zora's own - a symbol of her status as one of the princesses.
“Uhhh, hi, Mocha. F-fancy seeing you here.”, Zora stammered nervously, “W-why are you h-here?”
Mocha sneered at her. “Zora. Surprised to see you out here all alone. Don't you normally hide behind that vulgar bird and that dumb Bouffalant, or did they finally decide to ditch your weak pathetic self on this mountaintop?”
Mocha noticed Robinson, and snorted. “Oh, wait. Looks like you found a lowly commoner now. How very un-royal of you. Then again, you never were much of a royal in the first place, were you?”
Zora shivered, too afraid to respond. Mocha had always been a rude and cruel bully, but now they were out here all alone with no one to see or help out. Why, why, why was she here!? Now, of all times!?
Mocha clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Aww, can't talk? Flora cut out your tongue? Or are you just being a useless coward again? Ugh, I have no idea what Queen Riselda saw in you. I'm gonna tell you right now - don't you even think about returning to the castle after the week is up. You are very clearly not queen material and I don't want you anywhere near my new palace. You'd just be a depressing eyesore.”
Robinson then stepped up. “Alright, that's enough! Leave her alone!”
Mocha laughed mockingly. “Oh look, the dirty commoner is trying to stand up for the cowardly princess! Isn't that cute? What are you gonna do to me, dumb bird? If you try to attack, I can have you executed with a flick of my tail. You don't scare me in the slightest!”
Robinson hissed in frustration. “Surely Her Prissy Highness has better things to do with her life than tormenting her sisters, right? Did you follow her all the way out to this village just to insult her?”
Mocha huffed. “You're right, I do have better things to do than talk to some lowly commoner and a freak princess. I'm here to speak to the White Dragon directly and prove to everyone that I am the glorious queen this land deserves! After all, who else would she pick? Certainly not the freaky white Zorua who can't even cast an illusion to save her own fur!”
Zora felt like melting under all the hateful words, and sank down into the snow. She had heard those insults so many times now, but they still stung every single time and she couldn't do a thing about it. Especially because Mocha was right. She was a coward and a freak. No Zorua had white fur, and even a newborn pup could create an illusion. Why did she even bother to believe anything could be different?
Robinson, however, didn't seem to agree. “And do you really think your glorious White Dragon would pick you, either? All I see is an ugly mouse who is full of herself and just bullies other people because she thinks they're weaker than her and can't fight back. Sounds to me like you're the cowardly one. Maybe go away and actually do something useful for the kingdom for a change!”
Mocha's face turned red with outrage. “How dare you!? I should have you imprisoned for your disgusting words-”
“Ahem. Am I interrupting something?”
Everyone turned to see another terrifyingly familiar face…except this time, he had a friend.
The Bisharp stood confidently in front of the three of them, looking remarkably unscathed from his fall other than a few dents in his armor and tears in his poncho. He sharpened his arm blades against each other, his eyes stern and focused over his bandana. He struck quite an intimidating figure, and stood tall above the princesses.
But his companion was significantly more massive. He was a Clodsire standing on their back legs, body rippling with fat and muscle. Red markings adorned his body as war paint, and menacing spikes jutted out of his back and tail. A large spiked club was resting upon his shoulder, and he gave everyone a wide, unnerving smile.
“You!”, Zora yelped, stunned at the sight of the mon who had just tried to kill her. How had he lived!? How had he gotten here so fast!?!?
The Bisharp nodded. “Me. I'll admit, the meteor strike earlier did catch me off guard, but unfortunately for you that wasn't the first time I've been thrown off from somewhere high.” He noticed Robinson and gave the Fletchinder a suspicious look. “Interesting. Seems like you found a friend. Not like it will matter.”
He tapped his arm blades together menacingly. “I'll give the three of you one chance. Surrender to us now, or we'll have to make this…messy. Loath as I am to cause a scene, I am not afraid to do what it takes to fulfill my mission.”
Mocha crossed her arms and huffed. “You can certainly try. A foolish mercenary duo means nothing to the heir of this kingdom!”
The Clodsire chuckled. “Is that supposed to scare me?” He tapped his club against his shoulder. “I've crushed far larger creatures than you.”
Mocha's tail twitched angrily. “I have access to untold magical power and all of the guards in the land! You two are NOTHING!”
The Bisharp chuckled. “Not yet and not here, I'm afraid. If you were a queen, no one would dare fight you, but princesses only have a fraction of their power, and you know this. Not to mention that this town is quite the remote location. There are no guards here because there is little need for them. Why else do you think we chose this place to stake you royals out? There is no help for you here.”
“Well, that's, uh…” For once, Mocha seemed at a loss for words. “That's irrelevant! I bet I can still beat you!”
The Clodsire readied his club. “Okay, then. Let's see it.”
Mocha glanced around awkwardly, and scowled. “I refuse to get my precious royal fur dirty in meaningless combat!”
The Bisharp rolled his eyes. “Fine. That'll make this easier. Will you surrender now? We don't have all day, and it should prevent you from getting your ‘precious royal fur dirty’. I do not want this to take any longer than it has to.”
Zora started to panic. Surrendering and going with them absolutely wasn’t an option. But she was useless in combat! She couldn't even work up the courage to say anything! How was she supposed to get out of this!?
Suddenly, Robinson narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. “None of us are going with you rogues. I won't let you hurt them! Even the rude one!”
Zora felt impressed by his boldness, but also alarmed. What are you doing!? You're going to get us all killed!
The Bisharp simply chuckled. “I admire your bravado, young bird. I remember when I was the same way. Unfortunately, there's a fine line between bravery and foolishness, and you've just crossed it. But if you insist…”
He gestured towards the Clodsire. “Take ‘em out. Make sure not to leave them too bloody, though - I want them to still be recognizable.”
The Clodsire grinned. “You got it.”
He took a step forward, and Zora yelped in fear. She knew she had to do something fast, before these outlaws reached them. There was no way any of them would stand a chance in close-quarters combat with the Bisharp and Clodsire.
She felt a surge of magical power from within. Zora was surprised by that - she had thought her ritual on the mountain had drained all her magic for the time being.
Still, she wasn't about to question what was surely a blessing from the White Dragon. She latched onto that power and unleashed with a desperate shout, not trying to focus it into any particular form.
With a mighty roar, a massive wall of white flames suddenly came to life in front of her, instantly clearing away all the surrounding snow and creating a fearsome barrier between Zora and the bandits. Zora was stunned by the sight of it - she'd never tried casting a spell on that level before!
“Run!”, Mocha shrieked, “I have too much to live for!” The Cinccino immediately began to bolt, dropping down on all fours to run faster and completely disregarding her original complaint of not wanting to get her paws dirty. She ran right past the Bisharp, who remained unfazed.
Robinson, meanwhile, curled his wings in a very odd way. It was like he was a Fighting-type, readying their fists…except he very clearly did not have fists. He blinked sheepishly, clearly embarrassed by the realization, before unfurling his wings and leaping into the air, shakily flying. “Well, I guess it's time to fight!”
Zora felt herself shivering in fear, very much wanting to run like Mocha just had and prove herself a coward yet again. But she knew she could not leave Robinson here to fight for himself.
So she suppressed her fear and adrenaline, gritting her teeth and standing her ground, as the flame wall began to simmer down. The two bandits hardened their expressions and readied their combat stances. It was clear they were taking this a little more seriously now. Zora guessed her surprise giant fire wall had caught them off guard.
Unfortunately, she couldn't exactly follow up on that. She had never tried using her magic for combat purposes before, only more minor things like moving things or healing small injuries. Maybe if she had trained some more with her magic and properly tested its limits…
There was no fixing that now, however. She'd have to work with what little she currently had.
“White Dragon, please, give me the strength to survive this fight.”, she whispered under her breath, trying to think of what to do next.
The Bisharp was not keen on giving her time to do so. He ferociously lunged forward, his eyes focused on her. Robinson immediately flew in to try to strike him on the side of the head, but the Clodsire swung his massive club at the bird to intercept him. Robinson squawked in alarm and veered upwards, the heavy blow narrowly missing him.
Zora quickly leaped aside as the Bisharp came for her, but he was light on his feet and smoothly turned his momentum around. However, Zora noticed a nearby stone, and used her magic to throw it into the Bisharp's path. It struck him in the chest, and he staggered. However, it was clearly ineffective at actually hurting him. Rocks weren't very effective against steel, after all, and Zora wasn't even using a move. Her telekinetic powers would have no effect on the Bisharp either, thanks to his Dark typing.
If only she had any sort of fighting skill whatsoever! A single punch would lay this mon low.
The Bisharp clicked disapprovingly. “You really need to try harder than that.” His blades lit up with a dark energy, and Zora shivered. If she got hit with that…
Meanwhile, Robinson was flying around the Clodsire's head, keeping the barbarian occupied. While he was struggling to get close enough to claw at the mon (an odd move for his species - didn't Fletchinder normally use fire and wind to attack from a distance?), he was certainly doing a good job keeping him distracted. Seeing him filled Zora with more determination to fight.
As the Bisharp lunged with his Night Slash, Zora created several small glowing fireballs, which she launched towards him. The Bisharp hissed as they burst against his plates, scorching the metal and leaving him with a burn. He fought through the pain, though, and swung at her with a devastating cleave.
The malevolent energy burst and crackled against her fur, sending her flying. While the burn had weakened his blow, it still left a blazing pain along her side, and she felt her mind struggling as the dark energies rippled against her. However, she got back onto her paws and retaliated with a larger, more focused blast of white fire.
As the Bisharp withstood the attack, Zora retreated towards the town, hoping to lure him into the streets where she could more effectively maneuver or hide away from him. Plus, perhaps she could get the townsfolk to help her out in the fight!
Although, seeing as all the houses were locked up and the villagers were nowhere to be seen, Zora doubted she'd be getting their assistance. Perhaps that would warrant investigation from the palace if she was one of the other princesses, but Zora couldn't blame them for not wanting to get involved. She certainly didn't want to be!
She jumped on top of a barrel and leaped over onto the edge of a roof. She ran nimbly across the red tiles and dropped gracefully down behind the building, trying to decide her next move. Maybe she could try to craft a magical trap?
The Bisharp calmly strode into the town, his eyes carefully scanning the surroundings for her. Behind him, Robinson and the Clodsire continued battling, although Robinson was being forced to fall back as the barbarian grew smarter with his attacks. That wasn't a good sign.
Zora couldn't worry about him right now, though. She needed to focus on dealing with her own opponent. Carefully, she started sketching a simple sigil into the snow. Perhaps her many years of reading and studying would finally have some use…hopefully. She'd never tried this before.
Her opponent was terrifyingly calm as he looked around, completely unfazed by the fact that she had hidden. He carefully slashed at each object he spotted in his path, eyes focused for any hint of her presence as he continued moving slowly and deliberately. Zora was confused for a moment, but then something clicked.
She was completely incapable of illusions, but the Bisharp didn't know that. Perhaps she could weaponize that knowledge in some way!
Once she finished her sigil, she creeped farther back into the alley, and quickly shaped what she hoped looked like a suspicious lump of snow over the sigil. Then she jumped onto the roof again, while throwing a fireball at one of the barrels to knock it over. This immediately drew the Bisharp's attention…exactly what she intended.
She still couldn't help but feel a little nervous as the Bisharp dashed silently towards the alleyway, terrifyingly quiet for such a large Pokemon. He looked around cautiously, trying to spot her. He chuckled as he saw the lump of snow.
“Hiding, are we? I've hunted far more slippery prey than you. I don't like leaving my hunts half-finished, either.”, he stated, “All this is just a waste of time.”
He stepped closer and closer to the suspicious snowpile. Zora rubbed her paws together nervously. He was so close…!
But right as he was about to step on it, he looked up, and his eyes sparkled with amusement. Zora muttered a word that Regina would have been proud of.
“Heh. Magical or not, I know a trap when I see one.”, the Bisharp commented, “Unfortunately, you were rushed and sloppy. If only I could teach you…but unfortunately, I have a mission to complete. Alas, poor princess, there's only so much you can do.”
He nimbly vaulted up onto the wall, before flipping over onto the roof. Zora nervously stepped back, then she turned and ran right to the edge.
She spotted Robinson, right as the Clodsire's club nearly pulverized him into the snow. She felt a surge of fear for him, then narrowed her eyes as another thought came to her. They could not do this by fighting one-on-one. These two Pokemon were far more experienced and far too strong for either to take on alone. But perhaps together they could stand a chance…or at least, find a way to escape.
A quick rush of “what in the mist am I doing this is foolish you're gonna hit the ground and freaking die” rushed through Zora's head, but her desire to help Robinson was stronger. With a defiant yelp, she leaped off the edge of the roof, claws extended. The Clodsire turned his head right as she pounced onto his face, before channeling another burst of white fire right in front of his eyes. He grunted and dropped his club as he raised his stubby hands up in a desperate attempt to grab her or try to recover from the sudden blindness, and Zora jumped down and used her magic to fling the club into the Bisharp, who had just reached the edge of the roof. He fell back, startled and pinned down by the weight of the massive weapon.
Zora doubted that would hold him for very long, but it bought them some time. “We gotta do something, Robinson!”, she yipped, as her feathery friend flew around the stumbling brute.
“I know!”, he chirped back, “I'm just new to all this!”
Zora wasn't sure what exactly that meant (after all, he SURELY couldn't be talking about battling, every Pokemon knew how to do that instinctively), but that wasn't important right now. “These guys are strong!”, she squeaked, “We need to find a way to-”
Suddenly, a deep, indescribable chill rolled through the town, and the last remaining sunlight was seemingly snuffed out. A lone cloaked figure strode into the town, an impossibly large shadow stretching out before them. Everyone stopped in their tracks, the mere presence of this stranger seemingly icing their veins.
The stranger stopped in the center of town, waiting almost expectantly. The Bisharp was the first to move, freeing himself from under his companion's club. “Who…who in the mist are you!?”, he demanded, a faint quiver appearing in his voice tearing apart his earlier confidence.
The figure chuckled warmly. “Aww, that's a shame. Don't you recognize your old friend?” He spread his arms openly, revealing a glimpse of blue feathers.
The Bisharp's eyes widened. “No. No, that can't be right.”
The Clodsire recovered from his blindness, and glared at the stranger defiantly. “I don't like you.”, he said fearfully, “Leave him alone.”
“Oh, how adorable. Is that why you're an outlaw now, Aribala? Banished just like I was, simply for daring to love?”, the stranger commented.
The Bisharp (Aribala, Zora realized now) growled. “You and I both know what you actually did. My later relationships do not matter.”
The stranger chuckled again. “Fair enough. But you wouldn't understand. I have a far greater purpose than what any of you ever dared to dream of. I'm merely here to do a little…checking in.”
He turned towards Zora and Robinson, and Zora felt her fur stiffen up in fear. Something felt deeply and inherently wrong with this Pokemon. Something dark and cold and hungering, an aura no other Pokemon she'd ever met emanated.
“Ooh, how very interesting. A strange bird and a white Zorua. Such odd choices.”, the stranger commented, “You really let yourself go, Aribala, trying and failing to kill such small and pathetic little Pokemon. To think the whole world rests upon their shoulders…well, I might as well take my leave here. I am so very busy after all, as amusing as it would be to watch you all keep flailing about.”
Aribala grimaced. The Clodsire gave him a worried look.
The stranger walked closer to the four mons, his shadow seemingly spreading ever wider, stretching out to consume them all. “You know, I hear Flaregate has many answers. Such a grand city at the edge of a kingdom's isolation. Why, anyone could be there. Princesses. Princess killers. Outlaws. Tricksters. Dead mons walking again. Of course, the choices are up to you. You could all simply finish killing each other, that would be delicious. Or you could run away to your safe little castle…except the walls have knives now! Isn't that fun?”
He chuckled again, and Zora shivered fearfully. This Pokemon…whoever he was…he could not be of a sane mind. He was far more of a threat than anyone here - potentially even more so than her attempted killer, who was currently also very much afraid of the stranger.
“We'll see what happens soon enough, I'm sure.”, the madmon continued, “In the end, all that matters is the misty abyss we all get thrown into. It just depends on how fast we try to get there. I'll be waiting.”
Then, he just…disappeared, smoke rising into the twilight sky. No one moved, everyone all staring at where the mon had been.
Aribala started walking. Zora braced herself, preparing to summon more fire, but he ignored her and instead looked towards the Clodsire. “We'll finish this hunt later. I don't care if the Pokemon who ordered this bounty gets upset or tries to kill us. We have more pressing matters now.”
He then looked back towards Zora and Robinson. “Don't rest easy though, you two. The Murkstone Hunters do not forget and do not surrender. We'll call this a draw. A first bout.”
He then took the Clodsire's hand, and the two retrieved the warrior's club from where it sat in the snow. “And stay far away from Flaregate, if you know what's good for you. Of course, you picked a fight with us, so obviously you don't know what's good for you.”
He chuckled. “Reminds me of something. I look forward to when we find you again. Perhaps contracts can be…negotiated.”
Then the two outlaws fled, leaving Zora and Robinson alone. The two gave each other nervous looks.
“Well…”, Robinson said, twisting his beak into a nervous smile, “We heard them. We're going to this Flaregate, right? You know what that place is?”
“Yes.”, Zora replied fearfully, “It's the garrison that blockades the valleys leading into our kingdom. It's one of the largest cities on this side of the continent. A border city where many Pokemon gather, although few are let past the great wall. They built a city beneath it though, and it's gained a reputation for being a place where kingdom boundaries grow blurry…so that madmon was telling the truth when he said answers could be found there.”
She shivered. “But it's very dangerous, especially now. The Scarlet Kingdom has been moving closer to the city, and it's clear they want to try to launch a conquest. By the time we get there, their armies may also be approaching if our forces or the guild teams stationed there can't repel them. They are a fearsome, barbarous lot who worship a primitive dragon god of violence. If I were to get captured by them…”
“We won't let that happen.”, Robinson stated defiantly. “I'll make sure of that. And it sounds like that's our best bet to find a lead on those ‘Murkstone Hunters’ and whoever sent them to kill you. It'll be dangerous, but I mean really, what isn't at this point?”
“I…I suppose so.”, Zora replied, “I don't like it, though. We're doing exactly what that terrifying cloaked Pokemon wanted us to do.”
Robinson shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose we are, but we might get info on him too if we play his game for a bit. This might be our best chance to figure stuff out!”
Zora shivered. “Maybe. It still scares me, but…well, everything scares me. So I guess I'll just follow your lead, otherwise I don't think I'd do anything but die.”
Robinson shook his head. “Aww, don't say that. You're smarter and braver than you think, I'm sure! You just need some time to break out of that shell you built. I bet that Mocha is to blame for it. But with me, you won't have to deal with her anymore, and I can help you break free!”
Zora smiled softly. “That sounds…nice. And scary.”
“We'll just take it one step at a time.”, Robinson said reassuringly. “Like this.”
He took a step forward down the road. “Come on. Your turn.”
Zora timidly lifted a paw and stepped forward. “Now we go again.”, Robinson said cheerily, taking another step. Zora followed him. “And another, and another, and another, until the past is far behind and the sun is shining high again!”
Zora's smile widened as the two walked out of town and onto the great roads leading through the mountains. The future seemed dark and terrifying and full of danger, but with Robinson guiding her along?
Suddenly, strangely, it seemed like maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all…(-o-)