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Adaine was sitting cross-legged in the back of their van that was now also a boat, holding a blanket around her shoulders. Very recent events had led to her sitting here with some milk and freshly baked cookies — she didn't have much energy left to think of how that was possible — given to her by Cathilda. She had cheerfully talked to her a little, which had helped, before Adaine had sincerely thanked her and she had gone off to keep watch, reassuring her that they were just outside should she need anything. She could hear the murmurs of the conversation with Sandra Lynn continue outside, and it was a comforting noise.
Slightly less recent events told that she had suddenly woken up to some thing perched right next to her, had gotten the cold feeling of terror that something really bad were to happen if she would look at its face, and then it had disappeared and she couldn't even be sure if she had dreamt it or not.
She could feel the hairs on her arm rise as she shivered. She wrapped the blanket further around her shoulders, drank a little from the milk and took a bite of the warm cookie in a mostly vain attempt to calm herself down. Her heart was still racing in her chest
"Hey, Adaine?" came a sudden whisper through the darkness.
Adaine nearly jumped in surprise and fear.
"Shit, sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." The voice continued while getting closer to her. "It's just me, Fig."
Fig awkwardly but as carefully as she could stumbled her way over to Adaine, trying not to wake anyone asleep in the full van. She eventually managed and sat down in the empty space in front of her with a groan. Adaine shuffled over to give her room.
"Why are you in here? Did something happen outside?" Fig put her hand on her knee as she leaned forward a little, before raising her eyebrows. "Adaine, you're shaking. Are you alright? Sorry, too many questions."
Adaine opened her mouth to form an answer to Fig’s rapid questioning, but words got stuck in her throat. When she didn't reply Fig spoke again, softer.
"What's going on?"
Adaine tried to calm her breathing or get control over her voice. She focused on Boggy sitting next to her, on the contact from her friend and on the warmth of the blanket. She took a deep breath and tried to speak again. Her voice came out in shaky whispers.
"I woke up in the tent and there was something sitting next to me and I couldn't see its face, and I called out to Sandra Lynn but when I looked back it was gone and I don't know if I was just paranoid or if— if I dreamed it or not and I—I"
"Adaine, Adaine, it's alright. Hey, you're safe here, okay? Tracker put this... thing around the van and nothing is happening here so it must've worked. And we are dealing with something that can easily cover its tracks so I think you jumped to a very logical conclusion."
Adaine raised her head to look at Fig and found concerned red eyes looking back at her. She had been trying to pretend everything was fine so she wouldn't feel it, and that being cheerful about herself to Cathilda and Sandra Lynn would help with processing what had happened. That putting all her attention towards her spells and her trance would make her not think about this anymore.
Maybe she could be honest to Fig.
She curled in on herself before speaking, still not breaking eye contact.
"I— I'm really scared."
Fig's expression softened. She opened her arms and Adaine moved into it. Arms wrapped around her and pulled her close. A warm hand moved in up and down motions across her back, the other rhythmically carding through her hair. She could hear her calm heartbeat, could feel her breathe as she lay in the crook of her shoulder.
She was inside the van and it was dark but maybe that wasn’t so bad now. Nothing could get to her here. She was safe here.
She wanted to cry from the shock and from the notion that Fig cared about her, but didn’t cry for either of those things.
Slowly she felt her breathing regulate and her hands stop trembling, and Fig didn’t move until she herself did, looking down and slightly embarrassed.
A hand stayed on hers. “You alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you.”
“Always,” she smiled. “I mean, I’m still trying to get over the fact that I feel like I messed up bad and caused all of this to happen in the first place, so the least I can do is help you.”
She stopped for a second before continuing more sincerely. “Not that I wouldn’t anyway. I would.”
Adaine looked up and smiled at her. “Thanks. For the record, I really don’t think this is your fault at all.”
Fig didn’t look like she believed her, but presumably appreciated it anyway.
“Hey, do you still need to do your trance?”
“Yeah, I do. Why?”
“If you want you can come sit with me or something? Or I can like, sleep here? I get it if you don’t wanna but also you maybe don’t want to be alone, or—”
“I’d like that.” She remembered something. “Also, would you like a cookie?”
“Where did you get those from?”
“Cathilda gave them to me.”
“Well, where did she get them from?”
“I’ve really got no idea,” she laughed.
She could see Fig try her best not to laugh out loud. She reached for the plate.
“These are really good.”
“I know!”
Adaine moved aside to make space for her friend, who lay down next to her, head resting on her arm, legs crossed over each other. She closed her eyes and focused her mind on meditation.
“Goodnight, Adaine.”
“Goodnight, Fig.”
She would go into trance and focus on her spellbook when the four hours were up. Tomorrow they could find out what she had seen, if anything. Now Fig was lying close to her, and there were people on the lookout, and for now it was safe in here.