Rune followed Jacelyn silently, just within the range of the torch's light. The spool of thread at Jacelyn's hip was steadily unwinding itself as they walked, marking the path behind them. Rune was careful not to disturb it as he walked and was grateful that the floor seemed smooth for the most part. They hadn't gone very far when Jacelyn turned suddenly, thrusting the torch towards him without a word. Assuming she needed her hands free for something, Rune took hold of the object for a moment, ready to give it back when she was finished. To his surprise however, she stalked off into the darkness, leaving him alone with the only light source. He stood still for a moment, listening to her retreat and caught a small flash of light that told him that Jacelyn had lit her own torch.

Despite being a bit surprised, Rune couldn't deny that he was happy to be rid of her for a few minutes. He would need to be extra careful however to memorize his own path as the string continued to follow Jacelyn on her path through the cave. Walking on, he contemplated the darkened walls of the cave. Didn't they seem just a bit too smooth, a bit too perfect? He couldn't help but wonder what secrets the place might be holding. He doubted anyone had been inside for quite some time. Most people from Neutral City didn't venture into the forest. Fortunately however, the cave seemed to have been spared by the undergrowth allowing them to explore it without fear of stray vines attacking.

Rune followed what seemed to be the main path for a while before stumbling upon a hallway that branched off to the left. He had just behind walking down it when he heard a sharp cry echo from behind him that could only be Jacelyn. His heart began to beat faster with both fear and excitement and he spun on his heels and ran back in the direction he had come. Soon enough he found the thread and followed the path it traced out. He followed it until it disappeared into a crevice that was too small for his wide set shoulders to fit through. Was Jacelyn stuck? Had she fallen? Or perhaps disturbed some wild creature's lair? "Jacelyn?" he called loudly through the crevice. His deep voice reverberated off of the walls and echoed all around him. As much as she annoyed him, Rune hoped she wasn't seriously hurt, or worse. If something had happened to her on the other side of the crevice, one thing was certain--he wouldn't be able to get her out without first returning to the city to fetch digging tools.

((Just to let you know, I'm home now.))

Almost at arms length from the large metal object her body shivered at the sound of Rune's deep voice. Brought a small incline in her heart rate and a rather frightening skip. Never would of expected him to come to her aid. There had to be an ulterior motive... She had one at least. No matter how much she tried to deny it, she would need his help. Wouldn't be able to let this go and wait for another night. Had to know what was in that, thing. So she made her way back towards the crevice. "I'm fine. Sorry to disappoint you." Jacelyn drawled out before making her way through the crevice. At the entrance she placed her hand upon Rune's chest and walked him back so she was fully out of the crevice. Her touch was cautious and rather timid compared to their encounter that morning. Wasn't playing around this time.

It couldn't be contained, a defeated sigh escaped her lips as her hand slid off his chest. "I found something interesting. Getting to it is a whole different story. Why I kind of... yeah." A shudder rolled through her body the fear she experience still fresh in her mind. "Past that crevice is what seems to be a rather nice, drop. Willing to help me find another way there?" Jacelyn broke down and asked for help once in her life, a nice hue of red stained her cheeks afterwords. Now she just needed him to accept her offer her. She slid past him thinking if there was another way in there and how to get to it if there was one. Not like Rune could fit through her way of entrance, it brought a small giggle from her throat.

The planning soon commenced. Mark that entrance, search for another way in and hope it was more convenient, the cave was too, manufactured. As if it was carved, not even a vine could be seen from anywhere. Those thoughts alone brought chills down her spine allowing her habit of pacing and chewing her lip to commence when she was thinking. "No... Impossible... Maybe..." she mumbled walking back and forth her shoes clicking across the smooth rock. There were so many possibilities if she only waited a day but a day was too long. Her curiosity was sparked, a passionate flame that couldn't be dwindled.

[{Thanks for telling me.}]

Rune wasn't disappointed when Jacelyn reappeared in perfect health. As many problems as he might have with her grating personality, he didn't wish physical harm on anyone, whether it was deserved or not. Life was hard enough as it was these days with the forest's curse without humans wishing harm upon each other. They were all in this mess together as far as he was concerned. He allowed himself to be pushed back out of the way until she was able to emerge from the crevice fully and stand comfortably in the hallway on the other side. He sensed a bit of a change in Jacelyn and when she explained the sudden drop on the other side of the crevice he imagined it was a close encounter with death that had softened the young woman slightly. It would be interesting to see whether the changes lasted.

He was curious as to what she had found. The cave seemed man-made in his opinion and was likely the ruin of some building from the old times. It could contain rare and valuable items that would be prized back in Neutral City. And so when Jacelyn asked for his help in investigating further, he answered with a simple "alright". It was too dark for him to notice the blush staining her face however and immediately set to work at finding another entrance. If they wanted to discover the secret of the ruins before daybreak, they would need to work quickly but carefully so as not to get lost or injured. Once Rune had set himself to a certain task, he would persevere until he achieved the results he was looking for.

The changes in her would last until her shaken heart calmed. Facing death or even the thought of it put Jacelyn in a docile attitude over the remembrance of her mother and soon her grandmother. Was easy to tell her guardian neared the end, her memory continued fading, along with her spunky attitude and willingness to move around so much. For this Jacelyn was hardening her heart. Another death of her loved one couldn't hurt her as bad as the last because she would end up on her own, a rarity. By this age she should be depending on a man in her life. Like that would ever happen. Only good for a laugh. Which did escape Jacelyn, trying to keep from breaking down. An emotionally stressed person she was.

Now with Rune's acceptance in assisting her in further investigation of this cave she veered off down another tunnel that could of easily been a hallway. Perfect right corners, smooth walls, ceiling, and floor. It actually freaked her out, leaving an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach. An unforeseeable force was telling her to turn back which only pushed her onward. If the hallway lead down, she was on the right path or even if it went around the floor-less room she had been in. The thoughts of rare items being contained in this place didn't faze her after what she saw. Something was very off about this place. Why had no veins even attempted to break their way in? "This place is rather, creepy. Not like any of the caves I've ever ventured in." she spoke seemingly to warn herself with no success.

Rune followed Jacelyn as she veered off down a nearby tunnel that ran perpendicular to the one they had just been standing in. It did seem odd how the corners were perfectly square where the two walls met but for Rune that only deepened the mystery of what this place could have once been. He didn't feel any danger in the least, apart from the usual sort when exploring ruins. There was always the possibility of getting lost, encounters with wild animals, and as they had already witness, unseen drops.

It surprised him a bit when from ahead of him, Jacelyn expressed that she found the cave to be rather creepy. He personally didn't get that feeling and found it rather unbelievable that she would express such a concern to him. From what he'd seen of her, she usually seemed more concerned with portraying an outwardly strong personality that verged on domineering. Still, it was a nice change and he thought to himself, better than when she seemed insistent on bashing him down whenever he opened his mouth to say something at least.

He carefully decided upon a response, "This place seems manufactured but I don't get any sense of foreboding from it..." He hoped that Jacelyn was just overreacting after her near encounter with death but he couldn't be sure. His own strong sense of curiosity could be blocking his own judgment as it sometimes had in the past and he decided to put up his guard just in case. It would only take him a moment to draw his sword if the need arose.

Now walking down a tunnel that seemed to be the right one, Jacelyn ended up fiddling with one to the ornamental tassels dangling from the side of her skirt. An easy indication to tell she was nervous. Even as Rune had said something that grated against her nerves, all that escaped her was a simple sigh. Could take his words in and relax, nothing was foreboding about the place... Yeah, right. There seemed to be not a thing calming or safe about the place. Might of helped that what she saw shook her up, a lot greater than she realized.

This new personality of hers, truly was her real one. Showing it, that rarely happened. Once their adventure was over, seeing it again would most likely be impossible. Especially after she realized that she shown it. Avoiding Rune would be the next task. For now a conversation could calm her nerves. "Not even the fact that not even a vine, has even tried to break its way through here?" Her hand trailed across the smooth walls sending shivers through her spine. The more shudders that rippled through her body, the more freaked out she became it. Came to the point she stopped only to fall behind Rune. Would let him lead the way.

"Please... lead the way?" Jacelyn asked at the same time ordered through clenched teeth. Asking for assistance, didn't work for her. Oh, how she wished he would let her live this down. So to make it move along faster, her hands rested against the small of his back, and gave him a little nudge forward. Contact still seemed not to affect her. Just not as suggestive this time, it had came to her mind. Didn't do it for the reason she needed his help, ruining it would be hell for her.

Rune noticed when Jacelyn began to fiddle with the tassels of her skirt but decided not to say anything about it lest he embarrass her. Unlike Jacelyn's usual personality, Rune wasn't one to purposefully make others feel uncomfortable and was a believer in the golden rule, to an extent... Noticing her nervousness more, he wasn't surprised when she spoke up to ask how he felt about the vines. It did seem a bit odd that none of the ferocious plant life had bothered to nestle itself inside the cave but at the same time it didn't. The plant life of the forest had taken over everything within it's reach since the genetic mutation took hold. But plants remained plants. They needed sunlight to grow, which wasn't readily available in such a dark place. "They wouldn't survive in such darkness..." he reasoned in response to her question but that didn't seem to have any sort of calming effect for Jacelyn as she began to shiver. He considered offering his coat to her as his mother would have once instructed him to do but he was reluctant to relinquish it again and so he did not.

A few moments later, Jacelyn fell back behind him and Rune turned to look at her curiously. He was just about to ask if she wanted to go back when she asked him to lead the way instead. He looked at her for a long minute before she gave him a gentle nudge forward, "Hey! Alright..." Rune couldn't help but wonder for a moment if it wasn't all some big setup. Maybe she only wanted him in front as a guard against traps and was only pretending to be frightened. Still, the change in her personality seemed genuine enough and he decided to trust her for the time being. He was extra careful to look out for signs of sudden drops or traps and the like though but the way seemed to be clear. After a few minutes of walking he called back to Jacelyn, "Are you alright back there? Are you sure you don't want to call it a night?" Part of Rune hoped that she would want to turn back but most of him wanted to see what she had glimpsed earlier. Maybe if they did turn back though, he could rally an expedition team in the city and get a group of the guys to come and check the place out with him.

Jacelyn didn't even attempt to start a fight with Rune, she just wasn't up to it or leaving. "Do I have to hold your hand or something so you know I'm alright?" Rolling her eyes she crossed her arms under her chest. The only time Jacelyn would admit being uncomfortable is if she had a sever injury. At the moment, there wasn't even a scratch on her body. Emotionally though, she just got shaken up. But on this rare occasion, she actually brought someone with her into the forest. Didn't feel comfortable bringing anyone. Still, Rune seemed to be with her at the moment all for a stolen jacket and her pride on the line. After this little adventure, for her she would be pretending it never happened and go her own way. One thing was for sure, the eery feeling she had grew as they came closer to the room beyond the crevice. Internally a warning bell rang strong her feet propelling her forward, her eyes falling upon the ledge she had traveled along. Seemed that if she fell, a pit of darkness would be awaiting her unlike the floor that lead to the metal contraption at the end of the large room.

"Heading back is your choice. But do you really want to pass that up?" Jacelyn asked in a rather suggestive voice as she moved past Rune. For an unearthly reason, that sphere drew her in every time. Her footfalls echoed throughout the room, her eyes locked on the contraption that held cryogenic pods from hundreds of years ago yet to be disturbed. One thing was for sure she didn't have the courage to touch it once more, instead all she could do was stand and stare at it. Her slender fingers did react up to feel the smooth metal, only to realize a slight problem. The stature bestowed up her was too small, even at the lowest part of the container. A sigh escaped her lips and she simple looked back at Rune. "Can you blame me for fearing this?" she simply asked wanting to know what he thought. It was Rune though and he would probably have something snappy to say right back to her. Seemed like how she treated him earlier was finally catching back up to haunt her.

Rune couldn't help but chuckle when she asked if he needed her to hold his hand and at the way she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. It was quite comical to see her putting on quite a show actually. It seemed the more she tried to hide her discomfort, the more she was making it obvious. Still, he refrained from pointing this out as he knew it would only anger and upset her. She seemed to become more and more agitated the farther they went but didn't say anything more for quite some time. Eventually however she again gave him the choice to head back but there seemed to be little point in that now as they were coming upon the chamber that Jacelyn sought.

Rune allowed his guide to step past him and raised the torch higher so that she could see more clearly before her. As they entered the room, his eyes followed Jacelyn's to the strange contraption on the far side. There seemed to be large pods sticking out of the side of some old machinery but he couldn't quite make out what was inside of them. He walked closer until Jacelyn paused before him, apparently hesitant to approach any further. Eventually however she did venture a hand up to touch the cool metal of the machine but was too short to reach any of the pods herself. Jaceyln sighed and turned to speak to him. What was she afraid of? Rune just couldn't understand it. What was it about this piece of machinery that made her cringe? "I suppose not," he replied at last, a bit generically.

Stepping up closer to the thing, Rune lifted the torch to the pod furthest down and attempted to peer inside. Afterward however, he wished he hadn't. Stumbling away from the pod, he nearly dropped the torch but managed to keep his grip on it. "Human remains..." he whispered, the hair on the back of his neck beginning to raise. "What is this thing?" Lifting his head back, Rune looked upon the rows of pods thoughtfully. Did they all contain skeletons from a distant past? Was this some sort of futuristic graveyard? But no! His eyes fell upon two pods distinctly different from the rest. Most of the pods that protruded from the strange machine were uncovered, the bodies left exposed to the air of the cave. Two of them however, seemed to have glass that were unbroken. "Look there!" he said, pointing to the two somewhere among the middle rows, "Those two are still intact, there might be something inside!" His fear from before was momentarily forgotten in the excitement of discovery.

The only look on Jacelyn's face was one of, "I told you so." Not much of a surprise to her when the fearless Rune had a little fright. Big metal contraption, not intimidating, dead bodies. Different story. One thing got her attention quickly. Two pods intact? That couldn't be right. Without a moments hesitation she dropped her things, took a few steps to get a running start at the lowest pod. Short she may of been, but that wasn't going to stop her from scaling up open pods to the closed ones. As her fingers wrapped around the cool medal of the open pods rim, she pulled herself up shuddering at the distance she was now from the skeleton of a human. Ignoring it as best she could, she jumped to the next pod above her making her way to the middle in probably the most life threatening manner. All that escaped her pale lips was a simple statement. "This is so wrong..."

For once wearing barely anything was a curios. Everything she felt a bone against her skin she had to bite her tongue to contain the scream that festered in the back of her throat. This little escapade better be worth it. And oh how it was. Within the two intact pods were humans, with flesh. "They're humans! Intact ones.... Wonder how old they are..." Jacelyn mused in higher spirits after discovering something quite valuable. No one could put a price on a human life. A grin played across her facade as she smiled down at Rune. "Any idea how to open them?" she asked with a laughing knowing he wouldn't have an answer. So she sat on the pod, straddling it between her legs to stay up staring at the people. A girl with green hair and a boy with white. Only other thing she could decipher was that they were still adolescents, barely though.

Curiosity a lit her hand went to rest on the lid, an action that caused a panicked cry to escape Jacelyn. The pod was opening and she soon found herself on top of one of the humans. The male to be exact causing a deep blush to stain her cheeks. Unintentional contact with the opposite sex didn't not occur. Either she initiated it or avoided it. One thing for was for certain, the boys heart was beating. Sitting up, Jacelyn stared down at him in question before she raised her hand and slapped the guy...

The slap of life, a wondrous thing. A sputtering gasp escaped Sage's lips as he started horrified, angered, surprised, almost every emotion possible at the women atop of him, who was merely exclaiming happily that he was alive. No duh, he was alive and now had a red welt on the side of his face. All of that keeping him from realizing that he was kind of in the future. Not that the wardrobe adorning the women above him was a dead give away and it definitely wasn't doing any good for his libido.

Rune turned when he heard a clatter on the floor behind him just in time to catch Jacelyn running towards the lowest pod of the bunch. He was quite surprised by the quickness of her reaction but decided that it was probably best for her to get started before she thought about things too much. Rune was honestly glad that she was willing to do it. Although he was dexterous enough, he wasn't all too sure that the old pods would support his heavy frame.

He watched as Jacelyn climbed up from pod to pod until he realized that her short skirt would be a problem and looked away out of respect. He looked up again however when she announced her discovery. Two intact humans? Rune wondered how long they had been in those pods. Was it possible that they were from before the great destruction? His musings were broken when his escort asked if he knew how to operate the pods. He shook his head "no" but it she seemed to figure it out herself a moment later to her surprise.

Rune watched as she slapped the pod's occupant and mentally winced, happy he wasn't on the receiving end of it. He thought of mentioning that a brisk slap to the face might not be the nicest way to wake someone but decided to keep his mouth shut. He heard a noise escape from the pod that sounded like it belonged to a male. He watched their exchange silently, curious about the occupants of both pods. The second was yet to wake but Jacelyn already seemed to have her hands full with the first.

((That totally sucks about your laptop. I hope you can get it fixed/replaced soon!))

It didn't take Jacelyn much longer to move onto the next pod after a few spiteful words were swapped between her and the first pod occupant. Had a wonderful talent of angering people. So now sitting on the next pod she opened it the same way ready for what was to come. This time instead of slapping the person she gently brushed her hand against the girls cheek. Could be said her actions were bias between genders and it wouldn't not be a lie at all. Nothing could explain Jacelyn dislike for men other than her father disappearing when she was born. Would take time for that aspect of her personality to change. "Time to wake sweetheart, reality is waiting."

With the change of heart the other occupant of a pod, Sage, was horrified. Got awoken with a slap and now she was gentle.... Angered he sat up, a little too fast and soon found the room spinning. Then to his surprise the strong hand that slapped him was holding him up. "Thanks." Sage grumbled looking away.

"If you are able to move so well. Make your way towards the light below you." Jacelyn chuckled before letting him go and watched him slowly descended down the pods before turning her attention back to the girl below her. She waited for when she woke leaving Rune to deal with the other.

When Sage finally made it to the bottom he looked at Rune in utter surprise, then up at Jacelyn, and back at him. Expected Rune to be female with how he had been treated. His cheek still stung in pain. "Where am I exactly?" he asked finally taking in what was left of the room they occupied. Hadn't looked like this before.

[{Getting it replaced soon. But for now I'm borrowing.}]

Rune shook his head with a slight smile on his face, Jacelyn sure did seem to have a way with people. Still, it was sort of reassuring to know that she wasn't the only one she seemed to treat in such a toying and harsh manner. Who knew? Maybe this new guy would become her new prey... Rune didn't exactly wish that sort of thing on anyone but it would be nice to not be the center of her attention anymore with someone else a bit more interesting around.

Clover's heart gave a leap when human skin brushed lightly against her face and moments later her eyes fluttered open. Something was looming over her but she couldn't quite make out what it was. Reaching up she rubbed the grit from her eyes and when her vision cleared she could make out a young woman bent over her. Sitting up carefully she asked, "Where am I?" It seemed like she had been sleeping for such a long time...

Down below, Rune watched the first human climb his way down from pod to pod until he reached the bottom. The boy seemed to be not too far from his own age. From somewhere above him he heard a soft voice speaking with Jaceyln. It appeared the second human was female... Rune turned his attention back to the young man who now stood before him and had to stifle a chuckle at the expression on his face. In answer to his question Rune replied, "You're in a cave not far from Neutral City. I'm not sure how long you've been in here but you'll likely find the place quite different than anything you remember of it."

((Good luck! And yay for having both characters to play as now!))

What he had been told still shed no light onto the situation. Sage had not a clue what Neutral City was for all he knew the world was still perfectly fine and the forest upon the moon had yet to reach earth. Was put into one of the pods after learning of the mutation and the destruction that would come with it. Yet to see and discover what the trees really did. The cause of the human race tampering with the laws of nature. So Sage simply looked at Rune blanking nodding like he understood when every word went through one ear and right out the other.

Jacelyn smiled a little when the young female woke without her having to do much more. "A cave in the forest just outside Neutral City. Which probably won't make much sense to you..." She trailed off staring at the contraption around the humans neck. Unconsciously her hand reached out to touch, before her brow creased in confusion. With a simple shrug she moved down to the next closest pod. "Lets get you to level ground before any more questions are asked." Holding a hand out to assist her, Jacelyn made the slow decent back down.

Sage, having much less respect as Rune watched as the girls descended. More out of worry than anything. Either way he was too scared to admit if he saw anything, for Ms. Jacelyn already frightened him. "Why did you even come to a place like this and with that?" he asked. One thing about Sage he didn't know how to keep his thoughts to himself. Really though. Why would they come to a cave like this? They came from a city of all things. Wouldn't there be something interesting there then being in a cave.

[{Thanks. I know, it'll make things more interesting.}]

Rune wasn't quite sure if the guy really understood what he was said but at the moment it didn't seem practical to attempt to explain things in the depths of the cave. The most difficult part of the situation was not really knowing how long the two humans had been asleep but he didn't want to interrogate the poor man only minutes after awaking so Rune merely fell silent and looked up at the second pod, wondering how Jacelyn was faring with it's inhabitant.

When the older girl explained that she was in a cave, things suddenly became much clearer, yet much more confusing as well. It made sense now why the room was so dark and the chilly air caused goosebumps to form on the surface of her skin. It didn't not however make any sense. When father had sealed her away, the pods had been in a well lit shelter, how then did they end up in a cave?

Her mind was reeling with questions when Jacelyn reached towards her neck. Frowning, Clover pulled back from her slightly. The black raban on her neck belonged to her and would only function under her touch. She wasn't sure how comfortable she felt about this girl touching her prized possession but thankfully the girl seemed to realize this and drew away from her. Clover watched her carefully for a moment until it was suggested that they descend. Looking over the pod, she realized there were two others down below that she hadn't noticed before.

Taking Jacelyn's hand, Clover descended slowly behind her, only pausing once to stifle a cry of horror when she discovered that the other pods in fact contained deceased bodies. She was all too happy to reach the ground where she stood shaking both from fright as well as the chilly atmosphere. The fact that she had likely known some of the inhabitants of those pods bothered her deeply.

Rune again turned his gaze away when Jacelyn and her companion began climbing down from the upper pods. He looked back once when the one girl seemed to let out a squeak of fright but once he realized that she was alright, he lowered his gaze once again. When Sage spoke to him however, he turned his gaze on the man beside him, "I keep asking myself the same question!" he replied with a laugh. A few minutes later the ladies arrived safe and sound on solid ground and Rune turned his gaze toward the other awakened human, this one a girl. She was quite pretty but at the moment seemed to be in a bit of a shock. He could only imagine what her reaction might be upon setting eyes on the outside world...

((Definitely! Is the color green I'm using too light to read?))

Descending the pods Jacelyn was glad the girl was at least comfortable holding her hand. Would not want her falling from the height at which they were at. Not be enjoyable at all. Being as supportive as she could Jacelyn couldn't help but let a sigh of relief escape her lips. It was so nice to have her feet on solid ground. No matter how light her body was she always worried about one of the pods giving out form under her. Now they needed to get one thing straight, whoever one ones. She was not going to go around calling them boy or girl. "Alright, lets get through introductions quickly so we can get out of here, I'm Jacelyn." she spoke in a surprisingly calm tone.

It surprised Sage when Jacelyn spoke, expected some ruff tone and to get their heads chewed off. Seemed she didn't treat her companion with a lick of respect either. Clearing his throat he spoke himself. "Sage." he said it quickly, before going back to his thoughts. Everything was so surreal. His mind was still not accepting what happened, the dead bodies, the cave, or the two rather shabby dressed people that got them out of the pods. Kept telling himself none of it was real, but the stinging of his cheek told him otherwise.

Jacelyn slid her hand from the girls not a fan of contact for a longtime, by a complete stranger. Couldn't begin to image that the contact for the girl was at all comforting. If she was in that situation she would of hit the person. Already willing hit Rune a few times, gentle though nothing to hurt him, that would put a lot of guilt on her. Violent, yet gentle, two things you would never associate to her. So she simply picked up her things and secured them to her body. "Ready to go? If not I'm leaving without you. Like to get back before morning." she stated walking past Rune to the entrance. Knew when morning came, the forest came to life. Life that wouldn't be pleasant to two people that never been in it.

Not that she didn't have faith in them, would enjoy surviving this adventure and getting the two to the elder. The elder would know what to do and place them in their designated areas. For once Jacelyn would need to be on her best behavior if the girl would be staying with her. Not like she would be with Rune, Jacelyn would not allow that. Sage she didn't care much for, pretty much gave him the cold shoulder.

Watching the guide walk away, Sage looked from Rune to her, than ran after Jacelyn. He did not want to be left behind. "Don't leave me!" he cried, the fear and terror finally showing through in his voice. Panic was starting to settle and was shattered when he accidently got too close to Jacelyn. The look he was given sent bouts of dread through his body and he slowly slid back, shaking. Now regretting he didn't stay with Rune, would have to fear for his life.

[{It is prefect. I can read it easily.}]

Jacelyn's calm and confident voice broke through Clover's dark musings and she opened her mouth long enough to utter her name to the others after the man next to her introduced himself as Sage. She peered over at Sage shyly, searching long old memories of any sign that she knew him, but couldn't place his face anywhere among them. Either they had never met or her memory of him had long ago failed her. Sage seemed lost deep in thought and didn't seem to notice her staring at him, for which she was thankful. There would be time for questions later but for the moment their guide seemed bent on leaving. Clover had to admit that she wasn't too keen on sticking around the graveyard that the cryogenic pods had become.

Rune waited for the other two to introduce themselves before speaking up, also with a simple utterance of his name. He could tell Jacelyn was getting impatient and there was no sense delaying things. They had found what they came for and it would now be prudent to return to Neutral City. It would be of no use wandering around in the dark with two confused charges and it would be best not to push their luck any further. Jacelyn had already nearly met a sticky end once during this outing...

Clover felt Jacelyn's hand slide out of her own after the introductions were made and she felt a her face heat up. She had been so distracted with her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed that she was still clutching the other girl's hand. Would Jacelyn think bad of her? Clover didn't have much time to dwell on that fact however as the female guide asked again if they were ready to leave. 'Back by morning?' Clover thought, coming to her senses again, 'That must mean it's nighttime... What are these two people doing wandering around at night!' she asked herself before she noticed Jacelyn beginning to move.

Afraid of being left behind, she quickly fell into step behind the other girl without bothering to look back to see if the other two were following. Clover could easily sense that Jacelyn was the one in power here but she still wasn't really sure what to think of the girl. A moment later, the one named Sage came running up behind her yelling like a chicken. Jacelyn gave him one look however and he fell into place somewhere behind her followed by the male guide in the rear. She wasn't sure what to think of Rune either, he seemed so quiet...

Rune marveled at the way Jacelyn seemed to take control. Even if she came off a bit too strong sometimes, she knew how to get people up and moving, that was for sure. He watched curiously as Sage seemed to contemplate whether or not he should get any closer to the female before dashing after her, afraid of being left behind. Sighing at the younger boy's antics, Rune fell in behind the rest of the group to bring up the rear. The going was even slower than before with four people rather than two. He bumped into Sage more than once in the darkness and was forced to mutter a quiet apology each time.

Clover walked as close behind Jacelyn as she could without bumping into the girl. The darkness was rather frightening and she could see now why Sage had panicked at the thought of being left behind. With all the twists and turns in the darkness, it would have been all too easy to get lost without their guide. Even so, she feared that Jacelyn might make a wrong turn but she could do nothing but trust in the stranger before her. The longer they walked however, the more she began to fear. It seemed like they had been circling around in the darkness for an hour at least and her feet were beginning to drag as long unused muscles strained to keep pace.

The already slow pace for Jacelyn didn't seem slow enough, she knew this because she glanced over her shoulder periodically. It panicked her to know this. So with a deep breath she calmed herself and once more became levelheaded. As long as they were in the cave for now they would be safe. Which wasn't much longer, with every step and turn she knew they were getting closer to the awakening forest. Jacelyn picked up quickly on how the pace was slowing immensely. A snappy sorry escaped her tight lips as she stopped, allowed Clover to conveniently walk into her than pick the girl up. "I should of know your legs couldn't handle this. Forgive me if this is at all awkward. It'll be over soon." she spoke quickly continuing to move before the girl could protest.

Now with the added weight, even if it was light, Jacelyn could feel her legs weakening. Being use to it though she fought through it and simply adjusted the girl she held on her back in the classic, piggyback position. If soreness was all she would feel the next few days to keep everyone safe, she would bare with it. For when the forest woke upon sunrise, they would fair so well. Jacelyn had been in the forest enough times to know it didn't take kindly to foreigners and probably more so if they were from the past.

Sage did his best to keep up with leader and assist Rune from not bumping into him so much. The soreness in his legs crept up slowly but he pushed it back down every time holding in his complaints. Than as he was about to whine he watched as the slim figured Jacelyn swept Clover off her feet. A sight like that made him bite his tongue, not letting a single word escape. If she could handle that, he could muster the strength to walk. With that in mind his pace did pick up and he looked back at Rune to make sure he had room. In the end it felt like he was jogging to keep up with person in control and not bother the one behind him. A task he much preferred not worrying about, but was glad it occupied his mind.

"I hope your fine back there Rune. I'm going to need you to assist Sage. Seems the forest is going to wake soon." Jacelyn looked over her shoulder at Rune. The tunnel to the entrance was much lighter than when they first entered and for once in her life she was putting her trust into someone. Trust towards being safe in there hands. Having someone on her back would make it hard for her to string her bow easily and efficiently, needed Rune and his sword to keep them safe. "I hope you know how to use that sword and it isn't for decoration."

That sentence easily had Sage snickering. Would expect Rune to be the leader, he was the, man, in this situation. Instead a rather petit girl had taken the lead and seemed to be tugging him along. A new found curiosity sprung into his head. He would enjoy watching how this young man regained control, he couldn't like being forced around by her. Right? Reassuring himself Sage followed Jacelyn closely only to go limp in the jaw when he saw the coveted forest. It was so, different. A chill easily ran down his spin. Where were the people? Why were there large red veins on the trees? None of it made sense. All of it caused him to panic and he soon hold the tight hold of Jacelyn hand around his. Touch that was reassuring to him even though it was done out of annoyance.

Stopping just outside the entrance, Jacelyn waited for Rune while having both the cryogenic pod survivors at hand. Oh how she was hoping with every fiber of her being they were worth it. In an edgy mood she shook Sage a little. "Get ahold of yourself hun, need you with me right now." her voice was gentle, her eyes shown anger. All before she turned to Rune and her expression turned to incredibly weary. She could only handle so much until her breaking point was reached and it was creeping up fast. A support, some help, was what she needed and the only one she could look to was him, the quite young man she never took a second glance at. Couldn't believe she would end up in a situation like this, with him. Even the true nature hidden with in her seeped out. Gentle and kind, only hurt enough to get a sharp barrier placed around her heart. Living this down would be impossible now...

[{Sorry, if the post sounds horrible... I don't know what about it... Just seems really bad, sorry!}]

Clover muttered an apologetic "sorry" as she bumped into Jacelyn. As they walked along in the darkness the minutes stretched by like hours and she found it hard to remember just how long they had been moving. It almost felt as if she were sleepwalking... After sleeping for years Clover wondered why she should feel so tired. She was almost in a daze thinking about this fact when she felt strong arms pick her up. She didn't even have time to protest and her only response was a surprised, "Oh!"

Clover felt guilty but she rather enjoyed this position much more than walking. Jacelyn's body felt warm beneath her which helped to warm her chilled skin. The warmth combined with the gentle swaying sensation all but lulled her to sleep. Each time she felt herself slipping however, she would sit upright with a jolt and mutter a quiet apology. After a while her thoughts turned to Sage whose footsteps she could hear somewhere behind her and she wondered how he was faring.

Rune bumped into Sage one more time as their party came to a halt. He couldn't see through the darkness to know what was going on at the front of the line but once they started walking again his ears picked up on the fact that there was one less set of footsteps echoing off the smooth walls of the cave and worked out what must have happened. Rune could feel himself beginning to tire, not from the physical exertion of walking but rather from the fact that he wasn't accustomed to being awake at this hour.

In the darkness it was difficult to judge the time of day but his gut told him that it would soon be dawn and Jacelyn confirmed this fact a few minutes later. Looking up, he caught sight of the faint light up ahead and replied, "Don't worry, I'll handle it." Unsheathing his sword carefully, he held it to the side to prevent the blade from cutting the man in front of him and roused himself to alertness. As they reached the entrance he couldn't but imagine how Sage must feel seeing his home land turned against him.

The young man stopped in front of him and stood in a state of shock until Jacelyn managed to snap him out of it. Rune was a bit surprised at her gentler than usual nature at the moment but he could tell she was eager to return to the safety of the city, as was he. It had been a long night and there would be much to discuss with the elder. Catching sight of Jacelyn's weary expression, he could tell that even she was beginning to break down and stepped up to get things going. "You'll have time to take it all in later Sage but right now we need to move. It isn't safe here..."

He gave the young man a gentle nudge to get him moving again and nodded to Jacelyn as he took the lead. Despite all that had happened he could at least remember the path they had taken and set down it at steady pace but not one that was too brisk for the others to follow. He held his sword steady and kept a lookout for any signs of attack. He would need every ounce of concentration to protect the group as vines could attack them from any angle.

As her eyes adjusted to the difference in the light outside, Clover felt almost as if she could still be dreaming. The early morning haze could not hide the fact that much of what she had known was gone. Where were all of the beautiful skyscrapers? The cars? The people? She couldn't think of what could have possibly gone so wrong as to destroy the entire city until she began to notice the subtle changes in the bark of the trees and the veins of the plants in the forest. That wasn't quite right was it? What had happened to their plans for a better world? One designed so that crops would never fail and not a single person would go hungry? Clover hugged her arms more tightly around Jacelyn's chest, desperately hoping that it was all just a dream...

The assistance, that was more along the lines of reassurance, Sage received helped him to find the young man lying dormant in his body. Wrapping his fingers around Jacelyn's hand, he squeezed it finding a strand of hope to grasp onto. A shiver, a shake, and a forced smile he ready himself for the outside. The outside, that was not his home anymore and caused his eyes to sting with tears. His only thought was what happened to his family, his siblings, friends. They were all gone. Shattered, the only way to describe how he felt. He insisted on telling himself it wasn't real, it was all a dream even if the warmth of the hand in his was so warm. Warm enough to send comfort to his frail heart.

Feeling the constrictions on her chest and hand, her free one went to wrap around Clover's in reassurance. Would not let anything happen to her. The sight of the city was most likely going to be an immense shock to them. It was all that was left of their skyscraper filled home. With a slight tug she pulled Sage close to her ready to drag him through the forest. The smaller the target, the less Rune had to worry about and that is all Jacelyn wanted. Asked him more than enough to protect them after she bribed him into coming with her. She would have to make this up to him, even if it took months.

Now in the forest she kept close to Rune, at a distance though so he could swing his sword with ease. While she had the others close to her, at least as close as she could get them. If their protection couldn't get a vine away fast enough, she would sacrifice her already scared up body. A few more wouldn't bother her. Just add to the load of guilt she still felt weighing her down. Curiosity, her curiosity put all of them in danger. Would it even be the worth the trouble? Were her answers even going to get answered? How badly would the two pod occupants be shaken up? A small shiver slide down her spine, leaving regret in its trail.

A vine found contact with Jacelyn's arm and Sage came to her rescue. With his only free hand he grabbed the living plant with all his strength and tore it from its origin. He watched it shrivel in fear, shaking. Vines attacking? What was up with this place. He did not like it, not at all. It was frightening, ominous, and seemed to hate their existence. And it seemed he was the one to pick up the pace. The things fear did to people that had a strong desire to live. His years of rest seemed to be paying off as energy coursed through him. Pushing his muscles this much though, wouldn't feel so pleasant in the morning. "How much farther?" he asked Jacelyn his hand tightly around hers while he was pulling her along.

"Not that much farther. Past these trees you'll see our destination. You'll be safe there." Jacelyn explained talking to both of them allowing Sage to pull her through the woods. As long as he had the energy she wasn't going to stop him, it was actually nice. The few seconds of change, the few seconds she depended on someone else. This day would be imprinted deep in her memories, a day she finally gave into her need for help.

When his eyes feel upon the city he looked all the more torn. All that was left was this... It couldn't be real, but it was a safe zone and if he could run he would of taken off to it without a thought. Unable to hold in the tears he felt them pool over, trickling down his cheeks. Only a few drops. Crying blurred his vision. That would cause problems, he did not want that. He just wanted his home back, but reality was sinking in and the tears fought their way out. How could this happen? He screamed in his mind over and over. Till they reached the city and he turned to look at Jacelyn, than to Rune begging for some direction. Direction he didn't get, only something better. A gentle hand came to rest behind his head and he found his head resting against Jacelyn's shoulder. The tears couldn't be contained now. They needed to be released before he could ever move on.

Looking over at Rune she kept the two comforted, knowing only a little how it felt to lose someone close. "Go and get some rest Rune, I don't think you want to sit through what the elder has to discuss. Thank you for everything though." She tried to smile, but it just couldn't come. Been years since one shown on her face, a scowl or a fake smile took its place. And now she had to go see the elder for reasons other than get into trouble. Would be an interesting change.

At first protecting the group was a rather simple matter. The attacks came infrequently and Rune was able to keep up with them with little trouble. As they continued on however, more of of the forest began to awaken the the glinting rays of the rising sun and he had to work harder to cover the other three. Sweat began to roll down the sides of his face, plastering his hair to his forehead and causing a ring of dampness to soak the front of his tunic. He didn't have the time to remove his jacket however so he merely persisted as his tired muscles did the necessary work. A moment of panic gripped him however as he caught sight of a rouge vine snaking towards the center of the group out of the corner of his eye. Preoccupied with a larger one at the moment, he attempted to hack his way through it to come to Jacelyn's aid but fortunately Sage came through to defeat it.

Clover held on for dear life as the small group forced their way though the unwilling confines of the forest. Confusion and fear gripped her insides like a cold fist and she shut her eyes against the horror that surrounded her. Burring her face into the back of Jacelyn's neck, she keep from looking until felt something tug at Jacelyn's arm. Aquamarine eyes snapped open to witness Sage tearing a vine from their guide's limb. Unable to control her panic, she screamed and clutched even more tightly to Jacelyn if possible. She was thankful when Sage voiced the question that had been on her mind as well and prayed that they would make it to safety as quickly as their guide suggested they would. She fixed her eyes on their destination and prayed that they would make it there safely.

Rune slashed his way through the forest's defenses as they quickly neared the border between the city and dangerous wasteland. He didn't let his guard down for a moment however despite the fact that the forest's power was weaker around the edges. As they crossed over the border and into safe territory at last, he let his sword drop to his side. His shoulders lagged with weariness despite how toned his body was. It took more effort to swing a sword with the strength needed to cut through tree branches than it did to lift buckets of water or build houses from rubble and he realized how sore he would be later that day. Returning his blade to it's usual position on his back, he looked over to the newcomers to see how they were coping with the shock. Sage seemed more than shaken and Clover definitively lost.

Clover immediately slipped off of Jacelyn's back as they entered safe territory at last. She slumped to her knees and knelt upon the ground, taking in what had become of human civilization. Small fires burned in pathetic looking huts that were overshadowed by large buildings that had fallen to ruin. Tears welled in her eyes and splashed from her face down to the dusty earth. This wasn't her home she told herself, wondering if she wouldn't have been better off a mummified skeleton like the rest though the thought of their rotting carcasses made her stomach churn as did the thought of what sort of horrible death her father might have suffered. Clover hugged her arms around herself in a painfully tight embrace and leaned forward to allow her tears to moisten the ground before her.

Rune turned his gaze to Jacelyn when he noticed her looking at him. A pained expression shown on her face as she stood between the two who wept for humanity's loss. Rune had grown up in such a world and although stories of a better time made him wonder what their lives could have been like in the past, he couldn't possibly imagine their loss. At Jacelyn's words, Rune frowned. He liked to see things through and wasn't troubled by the thought of being punished for unauthorized entrance to the forest. "You don't have to do this alone," he said quietly, not wanting to upset the other two, "Come on, let's go," he coaxed gently, offering a hand to Clover to help her up.

Jacelyn broke down to chewing on her lip. It always made her nervous to see the elder, their relationship was on rocky ground. So she would most likely be shoving the 'goody two-shoes' Rune in first. Would make the chances of them getting yelled at lessen and the more important matter rise to the surface. Being in the forest unauthorized and at an ungodly hour seemed minor to the fact they recovered to young beings from the past. Adding to Jacelyn's theory that there were some, odd things afoot. The silver-haired being s being her first indicator into the weird phenomena's and how the elder treated her. Couldn't say it was special treatment, but when she got in trouble, nothing that could be considered a punishment occurred. Only pity.

A sigh left her weary lips as she ruffed Sage's hair to get his attention and to get his tears to stop soaking her shoulder. "Lets get going. You will be in a warm bed with food before you know it. Everything will be okay." she reassured him gently guiding the boy towards the remnants of the skyscrapers that stood erect and beautiful in their time. Instead of clasped upon each other to act as a shelter for the survivors of a tale that was never told. Climbing up the dust stairs and up the caved in floors, they would reach the wooden doors that separated the Elders abode from the outside world. The cleanest room in all of Neutral City to be honest.

Following Jacelyn like a lost puppy Sage kept close holding onto her arm his eyes wandering in curiosity. His attention drawn to the desert like land just outside of the city, the nation of Ragna built on militaristic ways. A place that left him with an ominous feeling. It made the forest seem almost docile in his eyes. So with a gentle tug to get Jacelyn's attention he made a gesture towards the desert. "What is that?" he asked in a soft voice looking back at Rune also, just wanting an answer. Didn't matter who it came from. Just knew that this wasn't his home but he would have to accept it.

It would be a lie to say that Jacelyn wasn't startled by that question, it was a subject she liked to avoid. "It is Ragna." And that was all that left her lips, Rune could add to it, she wasn't. Her grandmother always told her it was an evil place and she shouldn't speak of it or think of. Especially not ask her questions about it. So having years of being told that same thing over and over, she turned a deaf ear to that subject. Leading to her fascination over the forest. Couldn't learn about that place so she moved onto the next. Never would she have thought the forest would lead to this predicament. Had been hoping that he adventure through the forest with Rune could simply be forgotten and avoided. Now after thinking about it, that would be near impossible.

Surprised Sage looked over at Jacelyn as she stopped moving when they stood before a pair of wooden doors. It seemed she was allowing Rune ahead. A shocking thing to him. What could she fear so much that she didn't burst through those doors. He would asked but held his tongue. The quirk of Sage's personality. Curiosity drove his decisions and actions. Wanted to know everything he could before he laid on his death bed. Consumed any information he could, from books or from word. Now in a completely new environment, the gears in his mind were running wild avoiding the thoughts that brought him only sadness. He hated to be sad, it brought about only bad things in his mind. Preferred to have a smile on his face and having a good time. So he wondered how to lighten the mood. How to stop the suffering that seemed to hang heavy in the air.

Clover accepted the hand Rune offered her and let him pull her to her feet. She stood shivering both from the early-morning chill and from her own dark thoughts. The words "warm bed" and "food" filtered to her ears as Jacelyn spoke. Clover longed for that moment so much it hurt, thought that might have just been her aching muscles. Focusing on those two things, she wiped away her remaining tears with her sleeve and set off behind Jacelyn and Sage to see the person referred to as "the elder" who was presumably in charge.

Rune helped Clover to her feet and waited for Jacelyn to get the other boy in motion. It didn't take too long before they set off as a group, Jacelyn in the lead quickly followed by Sage who seemed to be holding onto the authoritative female for dear life, Clover in the middle, and himself bringing up he rear. As they mounted the steps however, he stepped up to take Clover's elbow and guide her up the stairs as the poor girl seemed close to collapsing. He could feel her shiver beneath his grasp and would have offered her his coat if she wasn't at least a foot too short to wear it.

Sage's question came as a surprise to Rune. Almost everyone in Neutral City liked to pretend that Ragna didn't exist. The female in front offered the bare minimum in answer to the inquiry so Rune elaborated further, "Ragna is a militaristic nation that seeks to retake the forest through brute force whereas we, the people of Neutral City, seek harmony with Nature." Rune didn't want to drown the newcomers in complex politics but it was important for them to know, even if he wouldn't have mentioned it so soon without being prompted by Sage's question.

Clover was thankful to feel Rune's study grip supporting her as they climbed. Walking had been difficult enough on the smooth floor of the cave without adding stairs into the mix. Clover decided that sleep would do her much good though part of her was afraid of closing her eyes. How long would she sleep? What if she didn't wake up? Or what if she woke up to something worse? Part of her wished to sleep however in hopes that when she woke she would discover it all but a dream and find herself laying in her own bed in her own room back in her father's apartment.

Sage's voice broke her from this reverie and she too turned her head out to look at the vast expanse of sand that lay off in the distance. Somewhere beyond there lights could be seen and black smoke in the air. Rune explained that Ragna sought to combat the forest, but with what? The lights made her wonder if they might not have machines capable of fighting off the creeping vines. The humans of Ragna it seemed were bent on taking back what was theirs but Clover could tell that Jacelyn and Rune disapprove of their endeavors.

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Sage and the others continued to climb until the reached a set of large wooden doors. Rune hesitated a moment before realizing that Jacelyn intended him to enter first. He regretted disturbing the elder so early but it wouldn't be long before she had to wake anyway so he reached a large fist to the right door and knocked loudly, "I'm sorry to bother you so early but we have a situation," he called through the thick wood. The white-haired male waited for a response from within before leading the other three into the large, well-kept room beyond.

Now taking up the back of the group Jacelyn allowed Rune to enter first, thankful he was with for once. Didn't know how far she would of gotten without them. Would of found the two, got out in the forest and met her demise no matter how hard she fought. Those thoughts didn't sadden her, she worried more about the others. She had a rotten personality but was incredibly sincere. Put others before herself, not now though.

The elder was surprised at who stood outside her door so early in the morning with a predicament. "Come in Rune, I am already awake." she spoke calmly not expecting anything serious. So she didn't put down the book she was reading. That was till she glanced up to see the young lad walking in with two other more kids she never saw, it was the one in the back of the group that got her the most upset.

"What have you gotten yourself into now Jacelyn? And pulling Rune into it too. I question why I give you so much freedom." she spoke looking right at the young lady she lacked the heart to discipline and realized the seriousness of the matter. Standing up she moved over to the sitting area in her office. "Come. Sit down all of you. This is going to be a long morning." she said in a calm voice wanting to make the two newcomers comfortable. Would take care of the other two later, only to inform them they would have to be take care the two they found.

Sage was more than happy to sit down and relieve his weary legs, but he glanced at Jacelyn with a little concern. Either way he was thankful to be able to sit down and waited for another to join him on the couch. His curiosity has finally got the better of him and he wanted to learn all he could about this place. It was fascinating to him while so, horrifying because this was his home once before. Hard to believe it got turned into this.

Jacelyn wasn't that excited to sit down. Instead she kept standing right behind the couch and waited for the elder to sit before she spoke. Time to explain herself and keep the blame of Rune. "Elder, I bribed Rune to come with me into the forest he is of no fault in this situation. I took him to the cave I had been longing to explore. Only in that cave, I never expected we would find these two. I can tell you know something, you are too calm." she spoke as though she had gotten to know the elder quite well. Which was the truth. Been in here enough times to get to know how the elder was quite well.

Trying to keep himself from laughing at how Jacelyn bribed Rune, he continued listening quietly. From what he had seen since he woke things were starting to make sense. He was more interested in the information the elder had for them. Wanted to know why he was in a cryogenic pod and only now did he escape it. If he was going to live here, he wanted to get to know about the place.

[{Sorry it took me so long to reply. Had midterms, than they stressed me out so much I got sick. I'm really really sorry.}]

Rune was happy to hear the elder was already awake. He would have hated to have woken her, even though he knew the necessity of the action. Something as important as their discovery could not wait. Word got around Neutral City like wildfire and if the elder wasn't the first to be consulted with the situation, she would find out in an undoubtedly more shocking and less accurate way.

Pushing the heavy oak door open, Rune was the first to enter the room and caught sight of the elder sitting at her desk and wasn't surprised to find her with a book in hand. She didn't even look up as he led the others into the room, presumably finishing her paragraph, but when she did a look of curiosity crossed her face before quickly turning to anger at the sight of Jacelyn. Rune was surprised by her harsh words and realized for the first time that he had never seen the elder angry. Her attention quickly turned to the newcomers however and her voice became calm once more.

Clover filed into the room behind Rune and Sage, amazed by the difference in this room compared to the outside. There were books and other things of interest. The room seemed full of them, each neatly squared away without a hint of dust or dirt. This room reminded her of the past. She looked curiously from one thing to the next until a voice pulled her attention to the front. It was clear the older woman wasn't pleased to see Jacelyn and she hoped the young woman wouldn't be punished for "rescuing" them.

Whatever her business with Jacelyn was, it seemed that the old woman would save that for later as she addressed the rest of the group, ordering them to sit. Once she realized Jacelyn wasn't going to move from where she stood behind the couch, Clover took a seat next to Sage. The soft cushions felt heavenly and she could already feel herself relaxing too quickly against them. Forcing herself to sit up straighter and open her eyes wider, Clover prayed that the older woman had been exaggerating when she said it was going to be a long morning.

Rune noticed Jacelyn remained standing and chose to follow her course of action. Though his aching feet protested he would not give in to the pain. He was used to more than a little physical discomfort as he worked to rebuild the city but the added weariness of staying up late dragged on him. He was a bit surprised when Jacelyn spoke up first. Thus far she had allowed him to take the lead but it seemed she had perked up the courage to speak after the accusing words of the elder.

The white-haired male was taken aback when the first thing she did was to explain his innocence in the matter. He wanted to interject her but her words flowed quickly, allowing no place for him to cut in. As she finished speaking, he finally saw his chance but hesitated after the last thing she said. It seemed she knew the elder quite well, enough to make accusations against the older woman. Deciding that whatever the elder had to say next would be important, Rune held his tongue and waited for her to speak.

((It's totally fine. I've been there, done that so I know what it's like. T_T))