Chapter 3: B1: P3: Parting

Kia scoffed as Valeria asked her to calm down already. Sherwood had already stormed off into the woods behind the house as the result of the argument so for now the only one she could get to reason was Kia. “Kia, please. Sherry meant nothing of it.”
Andrius nodded, “Honestly, I forgot it was a secret.”
“It isn’t but my crush on Sister Portia was! I don’t reveal any of his crushes!”
“What crushes does Sherry even have?”
“I don’t know but if he told me I wouldn’t tell the person.”
Crea spoke, mouth full of toast, “Sister Portia did ask what you were talking about.”
“He could have lied!”
“Sherry, lie? He can’t even lie when acting.” Valeria said patting her on the back.
“I don’t care. I want to get even. Do any of you know any secrets of his?”
“Kia, you’re the closest to him why would I know more than you.” Andrius said.
“Only the secrets well all told each other. Well, that and he did admit he’s scared frogs one time.” Valeria said.
“Not good enough.” She turned to Crea.
“Perhaps, but I’d suggest it stay with me, unless you want Sherry to stab you.”
Kia blinked, “Oh, fine. I’ll make something up. Like her has a crush on Sister Vea or one Ashley or perhaps he enjoys dressing as a princess.”
Andrius rolled his eyes, “Seriously, you’re almost nine. Be the bigger kid, and let it go.”
“Or I could use my send or kitty… er, seniority to make my revenge rumor have more weight.”
Before either side could continue there was a knock from the front door of the house and then after a few seconds there was a call for Kia who huffed away from her friends and towards whoever needed her.

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Sherwood was pissed. He had done nothing wrong. He was asked a question and gave them an answer. Kia was just to soft on things like this. Who cared that Sister Portia knew now Kia was crushing on her.
Sherwood didn’t understand secrets anyways, it wasn’t like the five of them weren’t open to each other- so why would it moving one more person matter?
He had no secrets. Well, there was a thing he admitted to Crea once, but that was more of something he need to talk with them about. He didn’t want anyone to hear it, but it wasn’t a secret since someone else knew it. Secrets were only for those who were there when it originated, once someone else knew it just became something that you knew about some one.
“Stupid Kia.” He kicked the leaves that covered the ground where he walked. Why were girls like that anyway? So, emotional. Then again, he was the one who stormed off, he was the one who let his emotions overrun him. Maybe there was a reason only he could play male and female roles.

As if.
He turned down a side path and reached a stump which he stood on. He then yelled until his frustrations were settled a little bit and sat.
He should apologize. It wasn’t like he fully meant it, but he knew it would be the easiest way to smooth things over between them. So he began to practice
“Ahem, Kia I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” He asked mimicking Kia’s voice with some success.
“Sorry for saying you liked Sister Portia.”

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“Wrong. Try again.” That was bad, that wasn’t why she was mad and Sherwood knew it.
“Kia. I’m sorry for telling Sister Portia you liked her. I know you didn’t want her to know, and I’m sorry I told her. I hope you can forgive my horrid crime.”
In his Kia voice he replied, “A bit over-dramatic. But will do.”
He stood up and began his way back to the house. He opened the back door and walked inside and towards where the others usually were. When they weren’t he went room to room and found no one. In fact some other kids weren’t in their usual spots as well.
He found Sister Portia and asked, “Sister? Where are my friends?”
She cocked her head, “Oh, they’re being sent to the castle as servants.”
“What!” Sherwood yelled and ran out the door.
Portia shook her head and tried to yell something back but Sherwood was out of earshot. He pumped his legs as he ran down the roads, making sure to stay on the first path. He didn’t know why the castle would take a bunch of Hustarian orphans as servants but it clearly would not be anything good.
Ahead. He could see a large and extravagant covered carriage with a small armored girl with a black inverted blonde standing on the back. She looked towards Sherwood with little interest at first until she realized he wasn’t slowing down and was currently ready to jump on the back of it with her. She tried to yell but was forced to the little floor she had to sit on in the back.
They wrestled while the girl barked at Sherwood to back off. He screamed back about not taking his friends or something that the girl could not understand.
Her hand swiped at his face, breaking the strap of his eye-patch, revealing his one odd eye.
The girl knight stared and suddenly a large armored arm holding a spear appeared just above her shoulders. Sherwood stumbled holding on to a post on the back of the carriage.
“H-hold on. Let’s calm down.”
“Demon!” The girl yelled raising her disembodied arm above her head.
Sherwood had two choices. Die from a spear or jump off and try another time. It was a simple choice really. Unfortunately, as he jump the girl swung her spear, it hitting him square in the chest and sending him flying with unnatural force into the side of a nearby building.
The girl watched his body slide down, blood painting a trail behind him. She broke the flow of magic and the arm vanished. From inside she heard a knocking. She opened the back door and went inside.
On the floor napping were a few younger kids and the trio of Andrius, Valeria, Crea. On the satin cushioned seat was Kia.
“What was that, um?”
“Sasha. It was nothing. Just some Hustarian youth with the eye of a demon. I dealt with him.”
“Dealt with?”
“I… think I may have killed him.”
“That is all. You may, um, return to your duty.”
Sasha saluted and walked back out to the back of the carriage.
Kia looked down at her hands and started to cry. If she hadn’t gotten mad, Sherwood would be here with the rest of them. He’d be alive.
“I’m sorry, Sherry.” She said under her breath. Her last words to him were that she hated him. That was something she was going to live with, for the rest of her life.