[b][u]Watcher's Lake[/u]

Beatrice Magin[/b]

Beatrice slowed long before reaching the lake this time. She was tired - both physically and spiritually.

She was surprised to see the Golden Mercenary's gear stil near the lake, exactly how she left it. Not sure why someone would leave their gear unattended for that long, the possibilities flooded B's mind. The least paranoid of those was that the merc set up camp nearby and wasn't worried about his gear. The most paranoid was that a hunter had killed the merc and was now nearby. With the people she had run into so far, and the transport ship crashing, B wouldn't be surprised if more military was close by.

B quickly rinsed the biggest and most annoying pieces of raccoon off of her and her purse, and did her best to wash her hands and her face. She then went to a different part of the lake and drank some water, submerging her head under the surface to avoid any scum that was floating. She wanted to go for a swim, but didn't want to be caught at a disadvantage. For the first time in a long while B thought about her appearance. She knew she looked awful. Her clothes, cutoff jean shorts and a short-sleeved red t-shirt, were dirty and splattered with blood, but at least the blood blended in with the shirt. Her hair, a light brown, had grown out only an inch or two since she shaved her head months ago. It didn't quite cover a nasty scar across her entire forehead, made worse by the lack of medical attention. The only advantage about her appearance was that she was short. She looked non-threatening. She didn't have any hope of getting in town. She needed a proper wash and new clothes. Maybe she should have gone with Ciara.

[i]Screw it.[/i] B stripped and got into the water. She was in and out in record time, finally clean. She did her best to shake and wipe the water off of her, then got back into her dirty clothes. They were wet, but not soaked.

She decided to eat a ration pack from her purse. While the wrappers were intact, B's running around had reduced the contents of the packs to a pulp. She settled on pouring the pack into her mouth.

B wanted to search the path for clues, but it was getting dark and B was not a tracker. She thought back to Ciara. [i]I really should have followed her.[b] You still can.[/b] I'm so tired though, if I run to catch up to her will I be prepared enough if more military come?[b] We can cut the corner, show up on the path in front of her.[/b][/i] B was unsure.[i] I really need to find a place to rest. [b]Ciara may be the best chance of that. Maybe you'll share a hotel?[/b][/i] B thought for a moment. [i]First I'll walk along this path, see if I find any Golden Mercenaries. Or hunters. Then we'll see if cutting across the woods is a good idea or not.[/i]

B started out at a walk down the path, then a light jog. She slowly accelerated to a run, then a sprint, then her bounding stride. She focused on conserving her energy and her spirit. With no more signs of the Golden Mercenaries, she cut sharply North into the trees. If her sense of direction was right, the first trail she hit would be the one Ciara was taking.