"Oh come now, dear soul" the childlike figure spoke again. "Who are you? Speak up."
"I..." Anneke started, but her brown eyes were with fear as she faced the figure. Was this character friend or foe? Where did this being come from? Who sent it? Why? She had to know before anything else was to pass. But who was this person to ask such questions!?
"Speak up, coward!" the figure taunted.
Coward!? Anneke dared not find herself as a coward in the eyes of what might be a possible enemy's challenge. Finally, face determined, she found her voice.
"I am... I am certainly not a coward" she spoke calmly.
"I noticed" the oddity spoke again. "And that's why I've kept an eye on you."
"--on... on ME?" the Clandestinian wondered, eyes widened in slight shock. The figure nodded.
"But before I get to what needs to be said, I have to wonder... about your heart" the being spoke again.
"My... my heart!?" This was all too much already. Maybe she and Karl should've just stayed with the rest of the gang after all.
"Yes, your heart."
"But what about it?"
"There has been something you've wanted to tell someone, but you're afraid."
Afraid!? How dare this child says such things!? Anneke thought to herself.
"Oh now, come along, sweetheart" the figure spoke again, moving back the hood of the cloak to reveal a girl's face. "You know your heart's been afraid."
"...afraid!?" Anneke said, looking to the child's face. "But how..."
"It's there" the young girl answered, this time with a kind smile. "All those years of being concerned more for your best friends than finding that one true love. You even feared falling in love because of what your dear Rekah suffered through."
Suddenly the Clandestinian's face sobered. The young child was right--but how'd she find out about the past of the Quartet??
"I..." she tried to speak, but the words died before they she could open her mouth.
"It's okay, you are a friend of Miss Rebekah and my Uncle Wolfgang, are you not?" the child asked again. Anneke nodded before fixing her eyes on the cross between the young girl's eyes.
"What... what happened to you...?" the woman asked.
"That was where I was shot" the child replied.
"...shot?"
"Yes."
Then the child reached out a hand to the woman. "Here, please give this to Miss Rebekah, I want for her to have it." Anneke held out her hand, open to receive the present. The young being placed what felt to be a pendant with two chains in her hand.
"What... what is it?" Anneke asked.
"It's a Mizpah coin, Anneke" the child answered. "My mother gave this to me when I was young, in case I found someone I loved to have a half, but after I died..."
"...you felt as if you had no reason to wear it anymore" the woman finished.
The girl nodded. "Exactly."
Anneke looked at the Mizpah coin and smiled sadly. "I think Rekah and Wolfgang will appreciate this greatly, Miss..."
"Rinyalena, Rinalee for short" the child answered, smiling.
"--wait, Rinalee--!?" Anneke looked at her, eyes widened. But the child only smiled.
"Meanwhile, your heart, Anneke" she spoke. The woman placed the coin in her box-locket pendant, and looked at the girl.
"Y-yes, my heart...?"
"Yes. What... what are your feelings..."
"For who?" Anneke asked quietly.
"For the one you admire?" Rinalee answered.
The woman looked down at the ground, thinking this over. All the while she had been with Karl, life had been at its most whimsical. They had indulged in their love of taking pictures and being silly, of sticking to their companions through and through. And she couldn't help but drown in his bright blue eyes, as he himself couldn't help but enjoy her company.
"Karl... to me... is a friend, a companion... someone I want very much to take care of... and someone I want to always be with... like with Rekah and Elibeth and Johannes..." she admitted with a smile. "But... at the same time... when I'm happy... my heart hurts a little bit too, because I'm afraid that the enemy will find and kill us all."
Rinalee jumped off the branch and ran to hug Anneke. The woman hugged the little one back as the child smiled up at her.
"Whatever your heart needs to tell him, tell him" she said.
The woman nodded, smiling, as the child ran away from her. But she stopped for a moment and waved her goodbye.
"I'll be watching you guys!!" the child shouted, smiling. "See you around!!"
And with that, in a swirl of blue stars, she disappeared.
"...wow" Anneke whispered to herself, amazed at what had happened. She didn't realize that, she had just unveiled her entire heart and soul to a child who died. Even more so was the reality that shocked her when a familiar voice caught up with her.
"Anya, are you alright?" Karl asked, looking at her.
Dear God--what if he heard her talking to the child!? Then what?
"I..." she started, then sighed as her face looked to the ground. "I have... there's something I guess... I guess I've been trying to tell you yet I'd been afraid all along."
Karl touched a finger to her chin, tilting her face to fix his eyes upon hers. His face was now not of concern but of kindness. But the words he told her struck her as a dart of panic to her very heart. It struck a new chord of fear as the quiet words were said.
"Hide what must be hid, tell what must be told" he said.
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