43 Conversations (II)

-------------------(Liana's and Liz's thoughts) 'No one should ever get on Lillian's bad side. She's scary.' ----------------

On their way back, Liana asked Liz,

(Liana) "Why did Bruce say that Lillian was weak? Even if he was thinking that she was weak because she's a girl, wouldn't he have seen some of her power before?"

Liz shook her head.

(Liz) "Only the people she wants to know about her powers know. The way she proved herself to the Elders and the whole Tribe that she was able to be a good leader was not because of her fighting prowess but actually because she proved herself to be smarter than the normal person. Even the Elders couldn't fathom just how powerful her brain was. This way, many don't actually know how powerful she is, and even fewer have seen her in real action. Maybe a few fights here and there but nothing big enough for people to know the full extent of her power."

Liana thought for a moment and asked a second question,

(Liana) "And the Silent Shadow Guard?"

Liz smiled and said,

(Liz) "You're wondering how they're all under her if she has never proved her fighting ability."

Liana nodded.

(Liz) "One of the first few things Lil did after she took full control of the position as Chief was to pick her Elites. Only those she fully trusted or those who pledged themselves to her have seen more than just a fraction of her power. After that, they protected Lil and did all the fighting for her."

(Liana) "Wow. So, they just assumed that Lillian couldn't fight for herself?"

Liz shook her head.

(Liz) "There were actually two different responses. The first was those who thought that Lil couldn't fight or was weak and thus needed bodyguards to watch her every move, since that is actually what they do. The second, are those who remember when Lil was younger, she was already a brilliant fighter. They also thought about it like this: If she has this powerful people protecting her and are under her, just how powerful is she?"

Liana chuckled.

(Liana) "Lillian really is amazing."

Liz raised an eyebrow.

(Liz) "That was fast."

Liana grinned.

(Liana) "You don't think I'd have figured it out from the moment you told me that 'Only the people she wants to know about her powers know'?"

Liz chuckled and shook her head.

(Liz) "You're even worse than my sister. But that's probably just because I grew up with her."

She looked at Liana for a few moments before a strange smile came over her face.

(Liana) "What is it?"

Liz still had that strange smile on her face as she spoke softly,

(Liz) "Why didn't you tell her?"

Liana's eyes widened.

(Liana) "What…"

(Liz) "I have a similar skill to yours, and on top of that one that tells me when someone is lying. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."

Liana's eyes trailed a path to the floor as they walked.

(Liana) "Can we talk about it some other time?"

Liz nodded.

(Liz) "But we are having this conversation."

Liana nodded.

(Liana) "I know. Thanks."

Liz's smile turned sympathetic as she reached out to touch Liana's arm but stopped short of it, remembering that she shouldn't do it without permission.

(Liz) "Hey. It's going to be okay. Why would you think otherwise?"

Liana shrugged.

(Liana) "I don't know. She may have a different reaction because it's me."

Liz nodded thoughtfully.

(Liz) "That is true, but it'll probably be a better reaction, if anything."

She seemed to have wanted to say more, but kept quiet after that.

*

Meanwhile, Lillian was talking with Robyn and Kristen, as they were walking in front of the others.

(Robyn) "Why do you think the Azure Blood Squad came here? They can't possibly think they can take the whole Tribe, can they?"

Lillian considered the question for a moment before replying,

(Lillian) "No. They definitely don't. They wouldn't take the risk even if they thought they could stand against my men."

She frowned.

(Kristen) "What is it?"

(Lillian) "I think they were trying to draw me out."

Robyn raised an eyebrow, thinking about what Lillian had meant.

(Robyn) "You aren't talking about your position as the Chief of the Loyal Eagle Clan, are you?"

Lillian shook her head.

(Kristen) "Then what are you going to do?"

Lillian thought for a while.

(Lillian) "I'm going to do what they want."

(Robyn and Kristen) "NO!"

Lillian's eyes widened at their vehement response.

(Robyn and Kristen) "You could get hurt!"

This time, Lillian's eyebrows raised. She didn't say anything but continued looking at the two of them with her eyebrows raised. Both the older girls blushed when they realised what Lillian's gaze meant.

(Robyn and Kristen) "Sorry."

Lillian brought her hand up to cover her face.

(Lillian) "Are you guys done now?"

(Robyn and Kristen) "Yeah, sorry."

(Lillian, more to herself than anything) "Apparently not."

They both blushed again, but this time chose not to speak.

(Lillian) "Finally. Now, as for the possibility of me getting hurt, how high do you actually think that possibility is?"

Robyn sighed as she said,

(Robyn) "We know you're capable of taking care of yourself. But who knows how long you'll be gone if you do go?"

Lillian breathed out audibly, but it wasn't quite a sigh.

(Lillian) "I know. But I need to. You two both know I have other responsibilities to take care of, and I haven't been back in a while."

*

Somewhere in between of Liana and Liz, and Lillian's group, Ruby and Stella were walking together. Jasmine had gone back to find James immediately after they were done.

(Everyone's thoughts) 'Lovestruck',

thought everyone who saw her expression when she said she was going to look for James.

*

Ruby was more than comfortable to walk in silence, but Stella broke the silence.

(Stella) "I thought about what you said."

Ruby raised an eyebrow at her, as if to ask, 'and?'.

(Stella) "And I wanted to say thank you. If you hadn't told me earlier, who knows what kind of trouble I could have gotten myself into without even thinking anything was wrong."

Ruby simply nodded, accepting Stella's gratitude silently.

(Stella) "What do you think I should do?"

Ruby smiled at this and said,

(Ruby) "You don't need to worry about it too much now, since you are already aware of it. What do you think you should do?"

Stella thought for a moment.

(Stella) "I need to sort out my feelings and find out what they really are."

Ruby nodded.

(Stella) "Thank you. Again."

Ruby simply nodded again. She really wasn't one for many words, but when she spoke it was deliberate and almost always had a solid point within her words.

*

They reached Lillian's and Liz's house, where the two of them and Liana bid the others goodnight. When they got in, Anne was standing next to their dining table, laying out their dinner on it. She sensed them enter and turned around.

(Anne) "Good. You are here. I prepared your meal for you; it will stay warm so if you like you can go wash up or do whatever you need to before eating."

(Lillian) "Thank you, Anne. Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Anne shook her head.

(Anne) "I like my privacy and solitude, thank you very much."

Lillian chuckled and nodded.

(Lillian) "Alright then. Thanks for the food, and you may go."

Anne nodded with a smile and collected her things before bowing to Lillian and exiting their house.

(Liana) "You know, something I've been wondering about is what position Anne actually has?"

Lillian smiled as she sat down at the table.

(Lillian) "She's an Elite."

(Liana) "But she's definitely more powerful, though?"

Lillian nodded.

(Lillian) "I offered her the position of a Special Elite, but she rejected it because of one of the requirements."

Liana nodded in understanding. She didn't know exactly what the requirements for becoming an Elite or anything higher were, but she also knew that if Lillian wanted her to know she'd have told her.

*

They had dinner with casual conversations over the meal, then Lillian retired for the night, having to rest up for the next day. Liz and Liana both went to their respective rooms, but Liz informed Liana that she'd be over in a while.

*

Liana was lying on her bed waiting for Liz to go over and thinking over the things Liz wanted to ask her about.

(Liana's thoughts) 'If I lie, she'll know. If I don't tell her the whole truth, I'm pretty sure she'll know as well. Does it really leave no other choice?...'

There was a knock on her door and she called out,

(Liana) "Come in."

Liz opened the door slightly and stuck her head round it, examining the room first before opening the door wider and slipping her whole body inside.

Liz smiled at Liana and sat down next to her as Liana pushed herself into a sitting position.

(Liz) "So then…"

Liana sighed.

(Liana) "What exactly do you want to know?"

Liz shook her head.

(Liz) "It's not so much more what I want to know, but rather what you want to tell me. You only need to tell me what you like. I'm not going to push you."

Liana nodded.

(Liana) "Thank you."

Liz raised an eyebrow.

(Liana) "Alright fine. You're right."

Liz nodded.

(Liz) "You still didn't answer my question properly though. Why didn't you tell her?"

(Liana) "I'm worried of her reaction. I'm worried that she'll start to look at me differently. Maybe she won't look at me the same way. Maybe─"

Liz raised an eyebrow and cut Liana off.

(Liz) "Liana. You're spiralling."

Liana's eyes widened as she stopped and took a few deep breaths.

(Liana) "Thank you."

Liz nodded.

(Liz) "If it gets really bad, you do know about my skill."

Liana nodded.

(Liana) "I know. Thanks for offering, but I think I'd rather just sort it all out because it's not going to go away properly otherwise."

Liz nodded again.

(Liana) "Maybe it's because of our bond that I'm reacting like this."

Her eyes widened.

(Liana) "Oh great. The bond."

Liz chuckled softly.

(Liz) "Don't worry. She definitely doesn't know."

Liana's eyes narrowed.

(Liana) "And how do you know that?"

Liz froze.

(Liz) "She… said something about something else that definitely said that she doesn't know, or she wouldn't have reacted like that."

(Liana) "What a wonderful explanation."

Liz shrugged.

(Liana) "I know, you can't tell me."

She looked down at her lap.

(Liana) "I'm still worried, but I guess I'll just have to see how it turns out."

Liz reached for Liana's hand.

(Liz) "May I?"

Liana nodded and Liz grabbed Liana's hand, squeezing it lightly.

(Liz) "It'll be okay."