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Rue stayed still, seeming asleep but wide awake. Her brown eyes caught the moonlight, making them look amber. She slid the blanket off, standing up softly, trying hard not to make the wood groan. She walked outside, the cold night air embracing her. She spread out her wings fully, glad to strecth them, as she had been unable to do so in the small interior of the cabin.

Jaci stirred. His eyes opened and he surveyed the cabin. Setsuko was still asleep, breathing lightly. But Rue was out of bed. Sniffing the air, Jaci caught her scent. A fresh trail led outside. He warily followed it, pawsteps light so as not to wake Setsuko, and found Rue standing near the cabin. He mewed softly in greeting, walking up to the winged girl.

Rue jumped, slightly startled by the meow, but relaxed when she turned around and her brown eyes alighted on Jaci.

"Hey Jaci," she said, her voice weary.

Jaci sat next to Rue, eyes glowing with concern. He didn't know Rue very well, but he knew she was Setsuko's friend, and any friend of Setsuko's was a friend of Jaci's, too. He meowed again.

Rue smiled softly at Jaci, placing a hand on his thick pelt, burying her fingers in the greyblue fur.

Jaci purred, both out of happiness and for comfort for Rue, who seemed down. He could smell the wariness emitting off her. Perhaps she was just surprised when he had meowed, or perhaps there was something else on her mind. He licked her hand encouragingly.

Rue felt Jaci's rough tongue rasp against her hand and her smile widened slightly. "Thanks Jaci," she said softly. She wished he could answer her like Total could.

Jaci blinked at her. She stared curiously for a moment, studying her face. He yowled, but not loudly, as if to say, What was wrong before? He wasn't sure if Rue could understand him as well as Setsuko could, who had known him nearly all his life. But he was curious.

Rue wasn't sure what Jaci was trying to say, or if he was trying to say anything, but decided to say something back.

"THanks Jaci." she repeated. "It's nice to have some company." She was silent for a moment.

:I really don't want to go to the CAverns of LIfe,,,,but I don't think I have a choice. It doesn't help that I miss my home, my family." RUe said, looking up at the stars twinkling overhead.

Jaci followed her gaze, staring into the night sky. He mewed again questioningly, but then purred comfortingly. He glanced in the way of the Caverns, and then back at Rue, purring growing louder. He tried to reassure her that she would be fine.

Rue felt slightly comforted by Jaci's purring and relaxed. She kept her brown eyes on the night sky, ocntent to watch the tiny flames of the stars flicker overhead.

Jaci slowly fell silent. He sat there with Rue for a moment, expression as close to smiling as a feline's could be. His ears twitched and he stood and turned, brushing Rue's face with his tail as he walked back towards the cabin. He entered and curled up next to Setsuko, falling back into a light sleep.

Rue watched Jaci go, wrapping her arms around herself as a cold night wind blew over her. She let out a soft sigh, wondering if she should go in. She was content to stay out here and watch the stars, but the temperature was dropping. She finally stood up, letting her arms drop and folding her wings again. She walked inside, her footfalls light on the wooden boards. She walked over to her 'bed' and lay down, pulling the thin, scratchy blanket over her, leaving her wings lying outside of it.

Setsuko's eyes opened, blinking as she filtered the streaming sunlight. She stood and stretched, yawing. Jaci stood too, shaking his thick pelt. "Uh oh," Setsuko thought nervously, "Today is the day we have to go into the Caverns..." She shivered at the thought. But she knew it must be done. She gulped, then bent down and placed a hand on Rue's shoulder. "Rue?" She whispered. "You need to wake up now. It's dawn."

Rue sat up. She had dozed off when the sun was just breaking over the horizon. Only a few hourse of sleep, maybe not even that, and today was the day the went into the Caverns of Life. "I'm awake." Rue said, her brown eyes exhausted and worried about what the day would hold.