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It was a few days after they had been lifted up that Toast felt the need to escape.
In the back of her mind, she knew that Joe was dead and gone, that his corpse had been snatched up the Wretched upon their arrival back at the Citadel, but she could still feel his influence all around her. She out of all her sisters was the most ready for the Wasteland and what it had offer, and she had been so prepared for its harshness that it felt eerie when she returned to her bedroom, sheltered once again from the world outside. There was nothing more strange to her than sleeping on soft cotton and covered by knitted quilts, especially after getting used to the cramped quarters of the cab, nestled next to Capable for warmth. She wouldn't trade anything for her new life and thanked every deity she knew for their group's safe return, but a part of her wanted to experience that all over again, this time without the constant threat of being captured.
She decided to broach the subject to Furiosa, once the latter had fully recovered from her various injuries.
"You want to what?" The imperator frowned, as if she couldn't believe what Toast was saying.
"I want to go out," she repeated. "Just for a few days, I have to get away for a while."
"What about your head injury?" Furiosa asked.
In all honesty, the wound looked more painful that it actually was. The Vuvalini healer who survived the ride back had bandaged her head up, and the almighty pain had settled down to a dull throb over the last couple of days. Now that the pain had receded, she had become more aware how uneasy she felt just existing in the same space that Joe had been in only a few days ago and the desire to ride again on the Fury Road had blazed into a burning need.
"I'm feeling much better now. Really!" Toast said, at the imperator's incredulous look. "It's not like I'll be going alone. The Nightingale said she'd come with me, and I'm sure there'd be someone else who wouldn't mind helping us along."
"Hmm.." Furiosa looked deep in thought for a few moments, then asked, "How long will you be gone?"
"Three days, at least. I'm not going to go into raider territory, and I can send up a flare if we run into any trouble," the Sister replied, her detail-oriented mind supplying her with even more safety precautions than they had escaping the Citadel. Of course, in that case, they didn't think that they would be going back.
There was a tense pause as the imperator digested the information. Obviously, no one had to ask permission to go anywhere - they were their own people now, free to do as they pleased - but getting approval from her would give Toast the last little push she needed before she committed to her journey. She knew that she would have to be back soon, the newly formed Council still in its infant stages, but there were the others who could run it without her.
Finally, Furiosa nodded at Toast, satisfied that the Sister knew what she was about to embark on.
... ... ...
The next day, she had everything she needed packed onto a motorcycle, with Gale not too far behind.
"Anyone else coming with us?" The healer asked, filling her bike's tank with guzzoline.
Technically, it wasn't her bike - her one was still next to the Tower, hidden under a sheet - but it would make do as she scouted around for the best path to lead her back there. There wouldn't be enough time to actually go and retrieve it, only having a few days to ride around, but she felt secure in the fact that there would be more rides and more chances for her to go and get it, seeing as there would be no one else (alive) around for miles. This one, tricked out with lances and a passenger seat, would have to make do for now.
"Don't think so, no else volunteered," Toast said.
It wasn't a huge surprise, but it still dampened her spirits. The two shrugged and were just about to set off when someone entered their section of the Garage.
"Greetings, wanderers," she said, immediately getting their attention.
The Sister lifted off her goggles to take a closer look at the intruder. She seemed to be younger than Gale, but had a gleam in her eyes that suggested she had seen many things in her life that had changed her. On her shoulders, she had a tattered-looking backpack, teeming with canned food and bits of papyrus, all rare commodities in the desert. However, what was most striking about her were her tattoos, every bit of exposed skin covered in words, phrases that had some meaning but were indecipherable without the right code. Toast realised a second later that she was looking at a History Woman, just like Miss Giddy.
"My name's Alexandria. I heard about your little expedition and have come to offer my services," the History Woman said, with a flourish.
"What kind of services?" Gale asked, while Toast continued to stare at Alexandria.
"Aside from my time as a living piece of history, I have also dabbled in the exquisite art of cartography!"
"You mean, map-making?" Toast seemed to snap out of whatever trance she had been in at her words.
"Well, if you must call it that..." Alexandria seemed off-put by the description, but continued on. "I want to come with you, so that I can become a more accurate artist! Joe kept me here, to teach the young some rudimentary reading skills, but now he's gone, I can finally stretch my wings. Oh, won't you take me with you?"
Gale motioned for Toast to talk with her, away from the History Woman. The pair excused themselves to the corner of the Garage, out of her line of sight.
"Y'sure you really need another person with you? Can she even drive?"
"Three people for three days," the Sister replied, "She does seem strange, but at least she actually wants to go. What do you think?"
"... I suppose she can ride in the cab. But I'm not lugging that pack around, though, ya hear me?"
Once they reached an agreement, they turned as one to Alexandria who awaited for their answer.
"All right, you can come," Toast broke the silence, giving her assent.
"It won't be an easy ride, though. You ready for it?" Gale added, sizing the newcomer up as if she could detect any weakness.
"It'll be a hard day," Alexandria replied, with a small grin. "I'm ready when you are."
The moment when the trio left the Citadel in a cloud of dust, Toast instantly began feeling better. The more distance she put between herself and that place, the more at ease she became, revving her bike wildly, while the others trailed behind to look for any potential threats. She whooped as she rode over the sand dunes that littered the desert, putting the lessons the Vuvalini taught her to the test, as she became covered in sand which eased itself onto her like a second skin.
She felt free.