Lacuna

Chapter 14

An early summer storm kept Kahli inside her house most of the morning. She stared aimlessly out the window with a warm cup of coffee in her hands in contemplation. She first debated if she wanted to work on her latest commission, then decided the storm was a good enough excuse to take the day off. But after taking care of the animals, which only took her a couple hours, she was left with nothing more to do and no way to really pass the time.

She opted to stand on the front deck, sheltered by the roof of the overhand, and she leaned on the railing, looking out over the fields that marked Sophie's ranch. She supposed she could spend some time at the Round Table. Or, were she feeling ambitious, she could have gone to the ruins to search for some more materials. But she wasn't feeling ambitious in the slightest. She told herself she deserved a day off. Some time to herself. Self care.

But that only gave her mind a chance to reflect on her life. She thought about her mother, her father, her aunt, and for a moment, Arlo, though she quickly pushed those thoughts away.

To her relief, Sam trotted past, soaking wet from riding in the rain, but she paused when she saw Kahli and waved to her.

"Day off?" Sam asked.

Kahli shrugged. "I guess so."

Sam grinned and straightened. "Excellent. Come hang at the Corps. Arlo's on patrol tonight and I'll be there with nothing to do." She looked down at herself and laughed. "Just let me shower and change into something dry, first."

Kahli saluted her and Sam waved once more before pushing her horse back into a trot and toward the center of town. Kahli decided it was as good a time as any to clean in the house, killing another hour, then stopped to have a late lunch. When she was ready, she made her way to the Civil Corps building. Sam was already inside, sitting cross legged on one of the couches, and she grinned at Kahli when she entered. To Kahli's relief, Sam was alone.

"Thank God," Sam said. She patted the open space on the couch beside her. "It would have sucked if I had to stay here all night by myself."

Kahli sat beside her and pulled her knees to her chest. "What do you normally do?"

Sam shrugged. "Usually just take naps." She grinned. "Sometimes I leave Arlo weird notes. I tried to convince him it was a ghost, but he didn't buy it for a second." She rolled her eyes. "He's such a party pooper sometimes. But Remin - now he's fun to prank."

"Sounds like you work real hard," Kahli teased.

"Gotta keep things interesting around here," she said. "I like working with them. We're a small group compared to the other branches. But I like it that way." She frowned. "It'll be super lame when Arlo leaves, though."

Kahli glanced at him. "He's leaving?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, sure, someday, I guess. You know, if he ever gets into the Flying Pigs. But he will. I'm sure of it. This year feels like his year."

"What makes you think that?"

"I dunno," she said. "Just a feeling. I've known him a long time. There's something different this year, about him. He works hard for it, so he deserves it, yanno?"

"Sure." She hesitated. "Why hasn't he joined earlier?"

Sam laughed. "He fails the test every year," she said. She shook her head. "I shouldn't laugh. But I will miss him. Won't be the same, yanno?"

"What will you guys do if he leaves?"

"I guess we'll need to get someone else over here," she said. "We barely get by with the three of us. I don't think we could keep up if it were just Remi and I." She met Kahli's gaze and brightened. "You could join us!"