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| - Kya sat huddled atop her favorite rock overlooking the lake, her chin resting on her knees, deep in thought. Torryn had contacted her gently about a dream she had in color, the kind that always came true, one involving her Sensei. Kya knew he was aging, and not well. She just had not wanted to face the inevitable natural progression, and had avoided going back to Lakeshire for this very reason. So, it was true, he was no longer teaching nor training. Kya could not help but worry that once the body stopped training, the mind would soon follow. Seeing her former trainer in this delicate state cut through her like a knife. He was as close to her as a father, and witnessing his demise was heart wrenching. Her worst fears were confirmed when he blankly stared through her, not seeming to recognize her at all. It was her own fault. She'd not shown her face to him much at all since leaving the lake. He'd always told her to not waste her energy on things she could not change; that to find inner peace and acceptance for them was paramount. To accept this seemed near impossible, but it had propelled her thoughts into considering the things in her mind she COULD still affect. Kennia seemed to be bouncing back from her turmoil. Their little jaunt into the jungle the other night had given Kya a glimpse of the old sparkle in Kennia's eyes. No action needed there, Kya thought with a smile. Von was shining in his glory, and it was not just the sheen of his armor. His leadership skills had proven to far exceed her expectations of him, while daily he displayed his courage and that caring heart he could never hide. Sunya was a whirl of activity lately. Not only was she juggling three handfuls of tasks, but also was seamlessly weaving the younger Tigers into her web of activities and ideas. The woman seemed to live the life of 5 all at once and it made Kya's head spin to try to keep track. Sunya, however, was in her element, rising to every occasion... even the more emotional ones which seemed to be less of a threat to her of late. Kya would have to remember to hug Sunya for that soon. There was relief in Kya's mind after talking to Defearon the other night. He had made good on his promise to her and Kya was happily watching him, even when he did not realize it. To see him in a better mood, reaching out more, made her smile. He had potential, that kid. Oni also continued to surprise her. Not because she predicted he act a certain way, but because she saw even from a distance how hard he tried to connect with people outside the Tigers. She saw them rebuff him time and again, and yet, he still tried. Oni was resilient and that counted for a lot. Kya was going to poke her finger in his chest and tell him so next chance she got. This new girl, Taai, was just a bundle of crackling energy. She had an air of mystique about her, carried herself well, and always had something interesting to add to the mix. Taai did not seem to need much encouragement but perhaps Kya could let her know what a great job she was doing, soon as she left the lake. There were a few Tigers she had not seen around lately... they needed checking on. Lothario was always in the back of her mind, and Kya hoped he was holding up well enough. The Captain was off somewhere, Kya knew. She did not so much worry about him as wonder what he was up to. He was that silent but deadly type, and who knew where that would lead him. And then there was Domo, the poet, the charmer. Kya rolled her internal eye over him. Sure, he'd kept his promises to her, but boy oh boy did he have the capacity to get her ire up. The gall of him! She had half a mind to mix some fish oil and nasty old scales in a bottle of perfume and send it to him "l'odeur de poisson mort". His work was exemplary, though, and it had really done wonders to help her with the Land deals. With a sigh, Kya thought she ought to be nicer to him, someway, somehow. He was mildly amusing when he wasn't so damned... cute. She knew Les had planned to come back from his extended journey sometime soon. She kept checking her mail for word from him. None yet. She hoped he was safe. Now, what to do about this Darryl guy. He was obviously talented, had some great people skills and would be a perfect addition to the Tigers. It was fairly clear he would be useful, but sometimes he was... well, distracting was the only word Kya could place on him. Kya pressed the button on her comm to try to reach Tai to discuss this, only to find she'd silenced it upon arriving in Lakeshire, to have peace with seeing her trainer, and had forgotten. Smacking her forehead, she flipped it back on and overheard the most chilling tones. Who was hurt.....? GOD no, it cannot be! Please not Tai! Kya's throat clenched making her unable to speak at all. She listened in horror with a sense of complete helplessness. Here she'd been far away from duty on a personal venture, and she'd not been guarding Tai or relieving the exhausted Kennia. Shame filled her and silenced her while she thought. Tai was stable and had the help he needed - Kya could not take action there. What needed to be done was to find the assassin, and fast. Kya racked her brain for something that had bothered her lately. Oh CRAP, she thought. Urgently Kya switched over to Officer Channel on the comm, "Kya here, is anyone around?! Von, Sunya?" Von answered her with a gruffness she had never heard in him before. The tension was apparent in his voice. The fact he did not even remark upon her absence of late spoke volumes about his state of distress. Kya's voice cracked a bit with emotion as she spoke quietly but with grim determination, "Von, where are you right now? I need to see you ... and Sunya, is she around? Damnit, where the hell is Sunya when I need her?"
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