The Voice From The Tree...

[Kaliri]

The wind sweeps out toward the edge of the cliff, swirling green leaves off the cliff face, in front of the images of the Hokage. If you were to look down, you could see a small child in orange cleaning the faces.

In the trees, about 200 feet from the edge of the cliff, with more cliff rising behind, unseen, a young girl hangs from the branches.

What's the point of scurrying around like that? It makes no sense to me. Much better to stop and think.

[kumar]

lenore crept up behind her friend, and placed herself to jump out and scare her. She sprang from the tree, and grabbed Kaliri shoulders.

[Kaliri]

Kaliri started and nearly fell from the tree. She'd only just barely learned to do this right, and her footing wasn't as secure as she'd have liked. When she'd caught herself, she spun to the person behind her. Realizing who it was, she blinked again. "Oh... Hi, Lenore." she grinned sheepishly.

[kumar]

Lenore smiled and wrapped an arm around Kaliri, looking out over the trees, and over the village. "It's beautiful from here. Down there it looks like just life, and buildings and streets. From here, it's breathtaking."

[Kaliri]

"YEah." she answered. "I've always loved it here. it's peaceful."

[kumar]

Lenore shrugged. "Except when Lauja's fighting Kumori over there..." She gestured off to her right, and behind them. She stopped for a moment, then added. "I wonder why she hasn't come after us yet..."

[Kaliri]

Kaliri leaned backwards into Lenore. "Maybe she's afraid of you." Kaliri joked, Wide bright smile flashing. "You know... all unconscious like you were..."

[kumar]

Lenore snorted and squeezed an arm around Kaliri's waist. "Oh, I was a vision of danger, then, wasn't I?" She nodded towards the sunset, which just happened to hang over the spot they had encountered her sister... and a few other surprises to boot.

[Kaliri]

Kaliri chuckled a bit, glad for her friend's eternal good mood. "Oh, I was shaking, I know that!"

[kumar]

It was Lenore's turn to laugh. "And that couldn't have been from, you know, Kumori trying to cut a bloody swath through anything threatening you, or from Lauja's mere disgusting presense, or from all the effort and exhaustion.... nope." She grinned.

[Kaliri]

Kaliri rubbed Lenores arm around her. "Nope. Just from you. The sight of you, beautiful, vangeful, and awesome in your righteous anger...." she smiled and looked off into the setting sun. "So.... now what?" She asked, knowing Lenore would understand.

[kumar]

Lenore was thoughtful for a moment. "I guess.... I guess I'll train harder, and get stronger. I'll work at it. And when she comes around again, or when next I hear of her.... I'll be able to do something about it."

[Kaliri]

Kaliri sighed. "So, are you planning to follow her? Or are you staying?"

[kumar]

Lenore thought about this for a moment.

"I don't know. I guess it depends on how this all pans out." She looked down at Kaliri. "You understand that, don't you?"

[Kaliri]

Kaliri nodded and bit her lip, watching a flock of birds fly across the setting sun.
"As long as you can understand that we don't want you to.... Couldn't you.... you know... make this your home?" Kaliri picked at a piece of dirt that was on Lenore's arm, flicking it off the tree.