Searching

by

JenX

Posted 9/27/02

 

Disclaimers

 

Standard:  No, they’re not.  Even if they look a little bit like them, they’re not.  Adrienne and June belong to me, so if you want to use them, please ask me.  I’m not unreasonable. *grin*

 

Violence:  Yes, but just a little bit I think.  Some sexual violence, but nothing graphic.

 

Sex:  If the idea of women in a physical relationship is offensive to you, best leave now.  If it’s illegal where you live, I’m very sorry, but you should be leavin’ too.  Also if you’re not old enough, you gotta go.

 

A special thanks to Obsidian.  It’s because of you that I continued.

 

Thanks to Debbie and Shana, without you I’d be wallowing it grammar rules and misspellings. 

 

Feed me!  Send feedback to JenX

 

~*~

 

“… the spirit has its homeland, which is the realm of the meaning of things.” – Saint Exupery

 

Prologue

 

The miles flew by as the young blond woman rode her motorcycle south on a road she had traveled many times before. Her thoughts wandered    to the mission she was on.  I know I am getting close… I can feel it.  Will she know me?  Will I know her?  She is out there somewhere and I WILL find her.

 

Chapter One

 

“Stop RIGHT there!” Adrienne growled, pointing her pistol at the woman who stumbled into her camp.

 

The intruder stopped, dropped the rabbits she was holding, and slowly raised her hands. “Easy there. I’m unarmed.”

 

“Who are you? And what the fuck are you doing here?”  Adrienne was furious.

 

“I want to make a trade.”

 

“Open your jacket.” It was not a request, but a demand.

 

“Why?”

 

Adrienne chambered a round. “I’ll ask the questions.”

 

With deliberate, careful movements, the woman opened her black leather jacket.

 

“Take it off.” Adrienne’s ice blue eyes flashed with anger.

 

The intruder slowly slid her arms from the jacket, placing it softly on the ground next to her.

 

“What’s your name?”  Adrienne approached the unknown woman cautiously, gun still pointed.

 

“My name is June.” She stood perfectly still, not wanting to anger the woman any more then she had already. “Look, I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to make a trade.”  June was starting to get annoyed.

 

“Turn around.”

 

June sighed loudly as Adrienne patted her down, checking for weapons.  She found none.

 

“Satisfied?”  she asked over her shoulder.

 

“It was pretty stupid of you to come bumbling in here.” Adrienne tucked the pistol into the waist of her faded jeans. “I could have killed you, you know.”

 

June nodded, knowing this was the absolute truth.

 

Adrienne stood back on the blanket that was near her motorcycle, eyes never leaving the woman.  The bike was a larger one, bigger then June’s.  It was sleek and sharp, the chrome shining in the sun.  The leather of the double seat was supple and well-oiled.  Its black gas tank was delicately etched with the letters ARGO.  Leather fringe on the handle bards danced in the light breeze.  Adrienne’s bike was a work of art on wheels.

 

“So… what do you need… June?” Adrienne crossed her arms over her chest, a look of annoyance on her face.

 

The intruder approached Adrienne slowly, careful not to make any quick movements. “I need a half-gallon of gas.”

 

Adrienne brushed a stray lock of deep ebony hair behind her ear.  “What do you have for me?” She stared into the fire.

 

June’s green eyes met Adrienne’s blue, and she grinned. “Dinner!”

 

“Dinner!?” Adrienne said, “Oh, you mean those rabbits over there.” She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “You’re gonna have to do better than that.”

 

Looking at the woman in front of her, June could tell she was still tense.  She did not want to offer something the woman had no need of, fearing she might be sent away if she did.  She remembered the gun the woman pointed earlier.

 

“Oh!”  She reached into the pocket of her jeans. “Four hollow points.”

 

June held them out in her palm for Adrienne to inspect.  She took them, looking carefully at the craftsmanship.

 

“Throw in two more and it’s a deal.”  Adrienne offered her hand to shake.

 

June grinned again, taking the offered hand and shaking it. “Thank you! I really appreciate this.”  She looked around the campsite. “I’m going to go get my bike so I can start those rabbits.”

 

Adrienne watched as June walked back the way she came.  She noticed the woman’s fluid and easy movements, knowing that this was one who was comfortable with herself and her surroundings. She did not seem at all afraid that Adrienne was going to hurt her, and that was the piece that puzzled her the most.  In this post-apocalyptic world, people traveled alone, but they did not approach each other by themselves.  People traded in towns and villages, but it was considered suicidal to approach a stranger on the road. She thought for a few moments. No, it’s probably my imagination. That mystical shit my Gram told me is getting to my brain. She thought back to her grandmom’s words…

 

“It’s time for you to leave, Addy.”  The old woman said.

 

Adrienne looked at her only living relative.  She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

 

“You have a destiny, child.  And ya ain’t gonna fulfill it here in this one-horse town.”  Her grandmom was particularly fond of old western tales.

 

“Destiny?” Adrienne croaked.

 

“Are ya deaf too?”  The old woman cackled, “Yeah, ya got something important to do with yer life, girl. You need to be leavin’ here shortly, or you’ll never be happy.”

 

“Grandmom, I don’t want to leave you. You’re all I have left.”

 

“Adrienne,” the old woman made sure that Adrienne was paying attention, “What you find when you leave here, will more ‘n double anythin’ I could give ya.”  Grandmom paused, noticing the fear and pain in her grandchild’s eyes. “You’ll do great things, and become who ya truly are.”

 

 

Just then, June pushed her bike into the camp, and parked it across from the other woman.  Her bike was smaller then Adrienne’s, but just as well loved.  The single seat was worn, but not ripped; giving away the number of miles she traveled.  Though not as shiny, this bike had no scratches or dents.  There was a curious emblem painted on the gas tank, which resembled a ring of silver and gold with stones embedded in the surface along the circumference.  There was a carved handle through the center, and on it was the word CHAKRAM.

 

“My name’s Adrienne.”

 

June looked up and caught those amazingly blue eyes again.  For a moment their eyes locked, and in that instant, they both heard in their own head, “Even in death Gabrielle, I will never leave you.” June gasped. Adrienne looked away quickly.

 

The blonde dug around in her saddlebags for her knife. Finding it, she set to work cleaning and skinning Adrienne’s dinner.  Her movements were graceful, done by hands that were used to the task. She offered the skins to Adrienne.  “They make excellent boot warmers in the winter.”

 

“Yeah, they do.”  She took the soft fur from the woman and put them in her bags, and sat down.

 

“You do a lot of hunting?” Adrienne asked, throwing the pebbles in the fire.

 

“I do some. Dried meat gets boring quickly.”  June sprinkled the rabbits with her own herbs, and stuffed them with the rest of the fresh vegetables she had. She put them on the spit, and placed them over the fire.   “Do you hunt?” She asked Adrienne, as be began to dig around for the last two bullets in her saddlebags.  She found them quickly and sat on the ground with her knife, getting to work.

 

“I hunt, but not too much.”  Adrienne stole glances at the other woman as she worked.

 

Though June was concentrating on the task, she could still feel the other woman’s eyes on her.  I know that’s her. I know it. I can feel it in her eyes.  And then I heard that “even in death” in my head… I mean, the name of her cycle is Argo. And Gods! She is beautiful.  Her hair… it’s so dark, and her blue eyes!  She can see right into my soul I think. She’s not as tall as I thought, but maybe I’m just taller in this life.  

 

She inspected the bullets one last time, and was satisfied with her efforts.  She approached Adrienne, and placed the last two bullets in her hand. Adrienne’s fingers lingered for a moment and June felt her heart skip a beat.

 

“Let me get that gas for you.” Adrienne rose, and unhooked the plastic gas can from the back of her bike.

 

June unlocked her tank and opened it for the other woman.  Adrienne quickly poured the gas in the tank, being careful not to pour in too much. As she was pulling the spout out, she noticed the chakram painted on the side.  There was a flicker of recognition, as she saw and heard in her mind, this weapon as it ricocheted of a rock wall. Adrienne touched the painting gingerly.

 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” June’s voice brought Adrienne out of her reverie.

 

She pulled her hand away quickly. “Ah… yeah. I guess.”

 

“My brother… painted it for me.” There was sadness in June’s voice.

 

“It looks kinda like a weapon.” Adrienne observed. And so familiar.  This whole situation is starting to make me feel… strange. But it’s as if I’m powerless to stop it. Definitely not my imagination. Maybe grandmom was right.

 

“It is.” The shorter woman turned back to the rabbits, smelling their aroma, knowing they were just about done. “Do you have a plate?” She asked Adrienne.

 

Adrienne was gently running her finger along the word CHAKRAM.  She had a far away look in her eyes.

 

“Adrienne?”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you have a plate?”

 

“A pla..? Oh yeah. Let me get it.”  She was a bit embarrassed to be caught in the middle of a daydream.

 

Carefully, June slid the rabbits off the spits on to Adrienne’s plate.  They smelled delicious and June’s stomach growled its agreement.  

 

June noticed the sky’s changing colors. The sun was setting.

 

“Adrienne, do you mind if I stay here tonight?” She asked passing the plate back to the other woman. “I mean, it’s getting dark, and it’s dangerous to…”

 

Adrienne interrupted June. “Yeah, you can stay.”  

 

Adrienne’s own stomach growled its impatience and she dove into the meal before her.  The meat pulled off the bone, cooked to perfection.  The vegetables melted in her mouth. 

 

Juni ate her own meal of bacon-biscuits and dried fruits  She gobbled them down, but saved enough for breakfast. 

 

As she ate, June let her eyes wander over the dark haired woman sitting across from her.  Adrienne was tall, even without the boots she could tell Adrienne’s height was near six feet.  She was thin, but muscular, carrying with her a sense of power.  Her dark hair reached passed her shoulders, stopping at the middle of her back.  Silently June wished to touch that hair. However, Adrienne’s best feature had to be her icy blue eyes.  They held a depth of emotion that could not be conveyed with words.

 

Adrienne felt the gaze from the blonde woman across from her.  It made her uncomfortable.  Adrienne quickly looked away. She turned to conversation instead.

 

“So June, where you headed?”  She licked her fingers, cleaning off the juice from the rabbit.

 

 “I’m going south to New Stroudsburg. It’s my hometown. It’s about… two and a half hours from here.”  She popped a handful of raisins in her mouth.

 

“Does it have a market place?” Adrienne tossed the rabbit bones into the fire.

 

Juni nodded. “It’s a rather large one; you can get just about anything that you need.”  Her mind wandered to a possibility that she had not thought of before. “Hey, why don’t you ride with me into town. I can show you which vendors have the best supplies for your money. And my parents own an inn with a fabulous restaurant and the best beer in town. Plus wouldn’t a bed be nice for a night?”  She was rambling, but she felt that she had to hang on to Adrienne however she could.

 

“Okay, okay. I’ll go with you.”  Adrienne paused. “I do need to stock up, and that bed sounds good right about now.” Adrienne felt the same need to keep June company.  She wasn’t ready to end this adventure just yet.  She hated to admit that her grandmom was right on with most of her predictions.  She was mysterious, seemingly having stumbled out of nowhere and into her campsite. 

 

June’s smile lit up her face.  “Wow, she’s really going with me.” She thought.

 

Adrienne wiped her greasy fingers on her jeans.  She wrapped the remaining rabbit in a rag, placing it in a sack. Removing a towel and a pair of shorts from a bag, she turned around facing the blonde woman.

 

“Listen. I need to go down to the river to clean up.” Adrienne’s eyes narrowed. “If any of my stuff is missing when I get back…” suspicion filled her voice.

 

“I won’t take anything. You have my word.”  Green eyes met blue.

 

 “Just make sure you don’t. I don’t take kindly to being double-rossed.” She whirled around heading for the river.

 

June took this time to set up her sleeping blankets and get herself ready for the night.  She spread the blankets out next to her bike, making sure that there were no wrinkles in the fabric.  She placed her gun and her dagger near where she would lay her head tonight.  From her backpack, she removed a pair of well-worn flannel pants and a thin tank top. Unlacing her boots, she pulled them off her feet, giving her toes a wiggle.  She sighed aloud, thankful to be free of them.  These she placed at the foot of her blanket.  Next, she slid out of her blue jeans, folding them neatly, placing the on top of her weapons.  These would be her pillows.  Her black tee shirt came next, folded neatly on top of the jeans.  She was thankful for the thin tank top, for the night promised to be just as warm as the day.

 

“I wonder how long she’ll be gone.”  June thought as she glanced in the direction that the dark haired woman walked.  “Well I should have time to practice with my sais.”

 

June opened the compartment underneath the seat of her bike and removed the three-pronged weapons.  These weapons were what she was most familiar with, having been trained in martial arts since a very young age.  Taking a familiar position on her blanket, the young woman started her routine.

 

~*~

 

Down at the river, Adrienne found the water refreshing.  The coolness of it washed away the sweat and the grim from the day.  She paddled out to the middle of the slowly-moving river and thought about the stranger who stumbled into her camp.

 

Who is she? And why do I feel like I know her? Hell, she looks at me as if she knows me. I feel so familiar around her. How can she know me? I’ve never passed through this part of the country before. 

 

She paddled back to the shore sitting on a rock that came up from the bottom of the river.

 

I can’t help being suspicious, can I?  Who in their right mind stumbles into another person’s camp?

 

She splashed several handfuls of water on her face.

 

I will be glad to sleep on a bed though.

 

She reluctantly pulled herself out of the river to dry off.  She did not trust the blonde stranger, and did not wish to be away from all of her possessions for so long.

 

~*~

 

June moved with the ease and grace of someone who knew exactly what she was doing.  The weapons in her hands became an extension of her body, effortlessly finding her imaginary opponent. Feet swung high, fists flew, and strong guttural noises escaped from her mouth.  She was so deep into her routine that she did not hear Adrienne approach.

 

It was now completely dark, and the raven-haired woman stopped just beyond the reach of the firelight.  She watched the blonde go through her kada, fists and feet connecting with a person who was not there. “ No wonder she is not afraid. Her fists are her weapons. Gods, that is beautiful.”  Adrienne thought as she continued to watch the other woman.

 

June bowed deeply to the center of her blanket, as Adrienne stepped from the darkness into the light.

 

“How was the river?”  June asked, as she placed her sais underneath the pile of clothes at the head of her bead. She found her discarded leather jacket, and added it to the growing pile of clothes.

 

“Felt great. It’s been so hot lately.  The sun really beats down on ya.”  Adrienne folded her towel, putting in on her own blanket as a pillow.

 

The dark-haired woman stole a sideways glance at June.  Her blonde hair had a slight orange glow in the firelight, and her eyes seemed to sparkle with a life of their own.  She was shorter then Adrienne, by at least six inches.  What she lacked in height, she made up for in a quiet sense of authority. 

 

June sat on her blanket and made a final few stretches before she lay down.  She yawned deeply, curling and uncurling her toes as she did.

 

“All that exercise wear you out?”  Adrienne laughed, adjusting her own sleeping gear.

 

June nodded silently, forcing Adrienne to look in her direction. June’s gaze told the other woman that she was looking at the stars.

 

“What was that?” Adrienne’s casual question brought June’s attention back.

 

“What?  Oh that! That was my weapons kada.”

 

June rolled on her side to get a better view of Adrienne.  “These are an ancient  weapon, for hand to hand combat.”

 

“You seem to know what you’re doing.” Adrienne tucked her long hair into a ponytail holder before laying back on her own bed.

 

“I’ve had years of training.”  She turned her head back to the stars, losing herself in the thoughts that swirled in her head.

 

“Well, ‘night then.”  Adrienne rolled to her side away from the fire.

 

“Good night.” With that June closed her eyes and lost herself in dreams.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

 

Part Two

 

Let me know what you think, drop me a line at JenX

 

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