Amelia opened her eyes to a bright blue hue filling her vision. She blinked and guarded her eyes against the harsh light. She looked to her left and saw the source of the light emanating from Thya’s mark.  Thya gasped and the light dimmed out. Thya shot up and started gasping like she hadn’t breathed in a really long time.

“Thya? What just happened?” Amelia asked softly as Cal stepped fully into the tent.

Thya coughed before turning and hugging Amelia tightly. “You’re awake!”

Cal coughed. “Not to interrupt but what the hell just happened?”

Thya looked confused, “What do you mean?”

The tent flap moved, “What he means is half the camp has just been healed from broken bones, old aches and pains, bedridden people are walking again, and there was a strange light coming from this tent.”

Amelia launched herself at the person knocking Opus out of the tent and onto the ground. “You bastard! Why the hell did you think you could show your face here?”

“Amelia!” Cal shouted. He and Thya stood at the entrance of the tent. The camp turned and stared. The entire camp fell silent.

“Give me one good reason not to punch your lights out and send your sorry arse to hell.” Amelia threatened.

“I don’t have one,” Opus said softly.

“Try the fact that he saved you and your girlfriend from imminent death. Or that while you were out cold he’s found a new city and started to bring in food for the camp, without stealing. You can also use the fact that he was once your friend.” Amelia looked up to see Leann leaning against a tree a few feet away.

“So, you actually got us out,” Amelia said softly.

“We got you out,” Opus said. “One triangle couldn’t do that alone.”

“Leann could,” Amelia said, standing.

“It’s Lee,” said Opus.

Amelia smiled and opened her arms to Lee. Lee looked at her strangely before giving her a hug. Amelia whispered in Lee’s ear, “Have you told Cal?”

“Haven’t gotten around to it,” Lee whispered back.

Amelia pulled away and hit the back of Lee’s head. “Idiot.”

Thya watched the exchange silently. She smiled seeing the similarities to how Amelia treated Cal. She was gripping Cal’s arm tightly feeling lightheaded and weak.

“As touching as all of this is, it is the middle of the night. Amelia can finish killing Opus in the morning.” Shyra said from her hammock.

Cal came out and grabbed Amelia and Thya’s arms. “You both need to sleep.”

“Why?” Amelia groaned.

“Because one, you’ve been out for days. And two, your girlfriend is dead on her feet.”

Amelia looked at Thya and immediately helped her into the meditent. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m just tired. I’ll be fine in the morning.” Thya said softly.

The three walked into the tent and Cal watched as the two girls laid right next to each other. Thya used Amelia’s arm as a pillow. He waited until they were both asleep before sneaking out into a certain person’s sleeping mat.

Amelia woke up a long time before Thya. She didn’t dare move out from Thya’s head. She smiled at the sleeping girl, quietly laughing as she drooled. After two hours the tent flap moved and Cal entered with two other people, Opus and Lee. Thya stirred and moved off of Amelia with a blush.

“We bring offerings of food so we can talk,” Cal said passing over two small loaves of sweet bread.

“We’ve also cleared out anything sharp for a two-mile radius,” Lee said with a smile.

“Amelia doesn’t need knives.” Thya said with a yawn, “She’s way stronger than Idiot-on-legs there.”

Amelia smiled at Thya. “Opus, Lee, sit your arses down and explain. Everything.”

Opus and Lee obediently sat while Cal went around the tent straightening everything.

“So, I guess I’ll start,” Opus said. “After we were forced out of camp most of the men left to find another camp to dote on them. I wasn’t able to forgive myself for leaving you and Cal. A few of the other men also had a guilty conscience so we stayed nearby. We kept watching over the camp. One of us would sit and watch in the trees. We went back to eating boiled plants. I just liked seeing the kids happily running around with fruit and sweets, things we had kept from them.” Opus looked down.

“He visited me once or twice,” Cal said softly. “I talked to him about why he did those things.”

Amelia looked shocked, “You never told me?”

“You were gone a lot,” Cal said sheepishly. “You were with Thya getting food for the camp. I don’t blame you or anything but I kind of felt like I lost two friends. When I found Opus hiding in one of the tree’s one day I was angry.”

“He threw rocks at me.”

“You deserved it.” Cal and Amelia said together.

Thya turned to Lee, “What about you?”

“I was- I was young. Only four. I was already conditioned and going through training. The other kids didn’t like me. My baby brother was born … without a mark. We kept him for a month hoping to find a mark and hiding him from others. I named him… Cal.” A gasp left Cal’s mouth, “The night my parents took him away I wrote the name on his arm. They dropped him at the edge of the camp of unmarked that was rumored to be outside the city. I wasn’t allowed to go because they were afraid I’d go looking for him.

“I went through more training and eventually at the ripe age of twelve I was enlisted to be a guard. It took me until I was twenty to finally go looking for my brother. As I walked through the woods Opus stopped me in my tracks. He wouldn’t confirm if my brother was here or not but refused to let me go any further. After a month he came to me and asked me to help him break two people out of the prison.”

“Cal had told me about Amelia and Thya’s capture and Hilla promised that if we could get them back we would be allowed in the new camp. I struck a deal that Lee would be allowed as well. Shyra helped mix together a drug to knock you both out during the escape.”

Amelia sat silently, Cal stared shocked at Lee who refused to meet his eyes, Thya looked at Amelia to judge her reaction, and Opus stared straight waiting for a response.

“And Francis?” Amelia said accusingly. “How’s she doing with all of this?”

Opus winced. “I-”

“You? You thought in that tiny brain of yours ‘Hmm you know what I should do? Cheat on this amazing guy I’ve known forever with a brainless bimbo!’ Oh and then once he found out you had the fucking nerve to tell him that what you and he had wasn’t serious!” Amelia shouted. “I should castrate you!”

“I was coerced! Francis found out about Cal and me. She threatened to tell the entire camp what we were doing unless I gave her a child.” Opus said. “She’s been shagging through camp trying to get a baby.”

“Did you really think anyone would fucking care?” surprisingly Thya spoke up. “God, this camp is more open and accepting than any camp I’ve been to before. Hell, you have like five same gendered couples here! Were you worried about getting beaten or your fucking image?”

“You don’t understand-”

“No! Of course, I don’t understand! It’s not like I’m attracted to women! No, that couldn’t be possible!” sarcasm was tangible from the way Thya spoke. “And it’s not like I have a fucking circle on my head that can apparently heal people. I have no idea what it’s like to be different from everyone! In fact! You are the only person in the entire world that knows what that’s like to be different, brainless-Bill!”

Lee snorted. Amelia looked so proud. Cal was still stuck on the finding out he had a sibling part.

“Yes! Okay! I was stupid! I made a mistake that I will regret for the rest of my life. I can tell you I hate myself a hell of a lot more than any of you could hate me.” Opus said while biting angrily into his sweet loaf.

The soft sound of a violin pierced through their conversation. Amelia jumped up and pushed out the flap of the tent. Cal and Opus were right behind her. Thya and Lee shared a glance before following.

The trio was in the arms of four people. One held a violin, another had a guitar strapped over her shoulder, a third had a large case next to him, and the last was in the middle of setting up some sort of stand.

“Thya!” Amelia called pushing out of the hug. “These are the Grand’s! They’re a traveling group of musicians. They’ve been visiting for free here every few years since we were kids.”

The group turned. Thya noticed the squares on each of their arms. The girl setting up the stand smirked, “Did little Amelia finally find a friend? Or maybe something more?” Amelia blushed and the girl started tickling her. “I never thought you would get over me.”

“Shut it, Christa,” Amelia said pushing away from the girl and walking over to Thya. “They’ll have the whole camp up and dancing by the time the moon is out.” Thya smiled and took Amelia’s hand. “The violinist is Camryn. She’s Christa’s mother. The guitarist is Haley, Christa’s fiance. Danny plays the cello. He’s Christa’s brother. Christa play’s the keyboard.” Amelia said pointing to each in turn. “And this is Thya. Her family moved here about a month or two ago.”

“Mama, can Haley and I go with Amelia and Thya to the lake?” Christa asked hopefully. Haley stood behind her and wrapped her arms around the pianist resting her head on the top of Christa’s shoulder.

Amelia smiled at the duo. Christa was three years older than her and had always seemed like a random aunt that popped in at random times. Her family had done a charity show at the camp when Amelia was small. They enjoyed the crowd and people so much they kept coming back.

“Opus and I are coming, too!” Cal shouted tackling the two girls. Opus slung his arm around Lee. He whispered something in the person’s ear. Lee shook their head. 

“Fine just be back in time to perform.” the old woman said.

The group minus ran with cheers ringing through the trees. Thya stumbled along still not fully healed. Amelia noticed and crouched down, letting Thya climb onto her back. Thya laughed as Amelia ran behind everyone else.

Eventually, they reached the lake. Thya was deposited safely on the ground. Christa and Haley quickly dived into the lake missing their clothes and only in bare under garments. Opus and Cal were in the middle of doing the same. Amelia took Thya’s hand and led her behind a curtain of vines.

“It’s okay,” Amelia said. “We’ve been doing this since we were kids.”

Thya nodded and turned away from Amelia to get undressed. After a few moments of silence, they joined hands and ran out jumping into the water.

“Holy shit.” Amelia cursed. “A little warning that the water is legitimately colder than Christa’s dead heart.”

“You arse!” Christa scoffed splashing Amelia.

A splash war broke out between them eventually growing to include Opus and Cal. Thya and Haley both backed away from the war zone.

“So, have either you or Amelia made a move yet?” Haley asked.

Thya blushed and sputtered. “Uh- no, I don’t think she-”

“You really can’t be that oblivious,” Haley scoffed.

Thya sighed, “I just- I can’t make the first move. I’ve been hurt in the past and I don’t want to ruin what friendship we have.”

“Even if I’m wrong about her having interest, which I’m not, Amelia wouldn’t do that. She obviously cares a lot about you. I’ve never seen her this upbeat and smiling. Normally, she just puts on a happy face.” Haley mused. “You should ask her to dance tonight.”

“I’m rubish at dancing.”

Thya’s face was suddenly hit with a wall of water. She twisted her face from shock to playful fury.

Amelia’s hands went up. “I was aiming for Haley!”

“You have awful aim!” Thya said swimming over and joining the war front taking Christa’s side.

The friends spent a while splashing each other before Christa and Amelia stared a new war of showing off. Currently, they were trying to see who could stay under water the longest. Christa’s head popped above water with a gasp. Amelia pulled up next and shouted in victory high-fiving Cal.

“A race!” Christa demanded.

“You suck at swimming,” Haley remarked.

“Which is why I choose you to represent me.” Christa smiled and kissed the taller girls cheek.

“I call Cal!” Amelia shouted.

“I want to see what Thya can do,” Cal said.

“I’m fine with racing against you and the giant,” Thya smirked.

Cal leaned over to Amelia and stage whispered, “Why does she look scary? She’s a fricken butterfly why does she look so confident?”

“You’ll see.”

The three chosen ones swam to the end of the lake. Thya took her time getting there. Thya grabbed one of the roots and she placed her feet against the rock.

“One side and then back first to reach this same spot wins,” Christa called. 

“Great. One!” Amelia shouted. Thya adjusted her stance.

“Two!” Christa shouted. Haley and Cal glanced at each other.

“Thre-” Opus was cut off a from Thya’s ears as she kicked off and shot forward like a bullet.

Her arms came one at a time carving a way for her through the water. Her legs kicked and propelled her. The water bent around her as she forced herself through it. She waited until she came close to the other side before fliping and twisting her body kicking off of the dirt side propelling off again like a bullet. Dirt clumps flung off into the murky water from where her feet had hit. Amelia and Christa stood shocked as the girl once again shot off and began moving so fast but also gracefully. Amelia had a smile on her face. Thya’s hand hit the other edge of the lake and came up for air. She gasped in air and grinned with a laugh at the two girls faces. Opus eyes were still on Cal who came in second.

“Woooo! My person beat your person my honor’s secure!”

“Your girlfriend cheated.” Christa protested.

“She did not!” Amelia challenged.

The two began bickering. Opus swam over and hugged Cal. Haley began bowing in respect repeatedly to laughs from Thya and Cal.

“All for never challenging Thya in any sort of swimming race again?” Cal shouted raising his hand.

“Hell no!” Haley smiled. “Next time, I’m taking you down!”

“You can try,” Thya smirked.

Amelia swam over,  “How’d you do that?”

Thya shrugged. “My mom taught me. I would spend hours in the water just shooting off and trying to get faster. Mom claims we’re descendants of Neptune.”

“I didn’t know you all followed those gods,” Haley said shocked.

“A few of us do,” Opus said with a shrug. “We don’t but some do."

“Yeah.” Amelia agreed. “We believe in each other.”

“I don’t like talking about religion!” Cal said happily. “I like noting that the sun is beginning it's decent and we should get back to camp.”

Everyone let out a soft laugh and began to climb out. Thya helped Amelia out as she kept slipping. As she finally made it up onto land she slipped again and she and Thya both tumbled into the grass. A moment of silence fell on them and the world seemed to fade. Thya couldn’t hear the others pulling on clothes and joking around. Amelia couldn’t see anything but the girls face before her. She blinked and just like that the moment shattered as Christa began whistling at them and the others began to laugh. Amelia and Thya flushed and awkwardly stood.

“Shut it,” Amelia muttered at the laughing friends.