Have you heard the news that you're dead?

"It really is you."

Kallista had approached Fury after the battle was over. She had to remind herself to keep her distance, not to jump on her and hug her as fiercely as she could manage.

"The way you move. The way you fight. The way *we* fight together. You're still you. I... gods, I never thought I would see you again..."

Kallista felt like she wanted to scream and cry and laugh all at the same time, but all she could manage to do was stare.

Fury returned the stare - or at least she rarely seemed to blink. She had the same solid black eyes as Tzesira, but lit with a single point of light.

"No," she said simply.

It was strange though, how much she did remember., It didn't feel like *her* life, more like a story she'd been told. The recollections had served her purpose though - rather they served Her purpose, and Fury had not questioned them, simply carrying on her mission. She was driven, and pure, and focused in a way Tzesira could never have been, and that Kallista would never understand.

But she remembered Tzesira's death, the fight, the bargain that came with it. She had never doubted, but here was proof of the Queen's benevolence. "But you live," she added.

"I..." Kallista fought to hold back the tears that were struggling to the surface, "Yes. I do. Because of you. Because of..."

She shook her head.

"Tzesira, you're still in there somewhere. I know you are. You still remember. I just... I need to help you find yourself again."

"No," Fury repeated. "That is a selfish desire. I am something more."

Kallista tilted her head in confusion.

"Selfish? I'm not... I thought you were dead. No. You *were* dead. Now you're back and I... I'm not giving up on you. Not ever. You would have done the same for me. Aleyn told me... when his old party came back they were... different. Cael too. You just need time... and help..."

"No," again. This conversation was a waste of time - in fact it was insulting, and there were more important things to spend her energies on. She turned away. This camp had been defeated, but there were others... She needed to meditate and heal, and consider her next move. The enemies of the Queen were many, but she had time...

Kallista watched Fury walk away from her as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. She wanted to go after her; to shake her and kiss her and make her understand.

But she didn't. She couldn't. Instead she wrapped her arms around herself. After a moment she turned and hurried away, not caring who saw her leave the camp. She found a large boulder near the lightning pool and sat down out of sight near the crackling waves and cried.

Aleyn didn't hear the whole conversation, but from Kallista's reaction he could guess how it had played out. He gave her a little while to herself, in case she wanted the space to pull herself together, but eventually he went over and sat down beside her, somewhat awkwardly putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, hon... do you want to talk?"

Kallista sniffled and wiped at her face.

"You know..." she said, trying to keep her breathing under control, "When she first... when I lost her I... I used to dream that she wasn't dead. That maybe... we'd made a mistake or... that she'd come back. And now..."

She shook her head, tears streaming once more.

"Now she is and I... I can't..."

She looked up at Aleyn, her eyes desperately seeking answers.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know exactly," Aleyn said, putting his arm around Kallista's shoulders. "I'd guess it has something to do with the Raven Queen, and with the way that she was... sent back? Even people who come back the regular way can be different after, but this is definitely more extreme."

He sighed. "I know that doesn't make it any easier to deal with... it's upsetting, and you have every right to be sad, and angry, and confused. I don't know if it's something that might change over time, or if she'll always be this way, or what. Maybe there'll be someone in the City of Brass who can tell us more, or if not there, then once we get home again."

Kallista leaned her head against Aleyn and sniffled.

"It's not fair... I just... I had finally... I just want her back."

"I know you do," Aleyn told her sympathetically.  If it was Vedran or Ardith, he couldn't imagine how hard it would be for him to go through something like this. "T was a friend to all of us, but you were so much closer to her... And especially after you'd recovered some from losing her before, it has to be just awful..."  He squeezed his friend tighter.

He hesitated, knowing she wouldn't want to hear what he was going to say next.  "I think for now, it might be ...maybe not easier, but... just so that we can keep going as best as we can, for us to pretend that this isn't Tzesira - it's a totally new person."

For a moment it seemed like Kallista was going to protest. She lifted her head and her mouth opened, but no words came out.

Then she looked into Aleyn's eyes and remembered just why they were here. She wasn't the only person who had lost someone. Maybe Tzesira... Fury... had been right. Maybe she was being selfish. She owed it to Vedran to keep it together. At least until the mission was over.

"I... I'll try." she said, eventually, wiping her face once more.

Aleyn hugged Kallista. "We'll get through this," he promised her.

He realized he was already assuming that Tzesira - or Fury, rather - was going to come with them, and he suspected that would make things harder on Kallista. Having her nearby as a reminder of what she'd lost, and harbouring the (possibly futile) hope that something could be done to 'fix' her, would make their journey harder.

"If you need to talk to anyone as we go on, you can always come to me."