359 Putting My Faith In You

All of them listened intently, keeping their questions for the end. While they ate dinner, they discussed the information they had learnt. Vyrena wanted to find a high vantage point to see what Pigeon meant. 

However, travelling together in such a large group to such a location would prove to be difficult. 

"Does this mean you're going to leave us?" Maribelle asked as she bit her lip. 

The children were sad to see Vyrena leave. The scare of losing her completely at the wall was still fresh in their minds. Although they might not have known one another for long, it always felt as if they had known each other forever. 

"Not permanently. Just for a short period of time. Once I have it figured out, I will be back," Vyrena assured her as she ruffled her hair. 

She had grown fond of the company of the others, she did not intend on leaving them any time soon. If she could figure out a way to get all of them, she would do whatever it takes. 

There were things she wanted to find out. What was her life like before this place? Was there someone out there waiting for her to return? She touched the pendant around her neck. 

There might be someone she's waiting to meet as well. 

"Maybe some of us can go with you! You shouldn't have to go alone, Vyrena!" Jos added. 

"Yeah! Jos is right. I'll go with you!" Maribelle volunteered.

"I will go too!"

"Me too!"

The other children joined in. All of them wanted to follow her. She appreciated their enthusiasm, but her concern for everyone's safety still remained. 

"It is best that I go alone," she said firmly. 

"Would you mind if I went with you then?" Sorren spoke up. 

Everyone turned to look at him, making him feel uneasy for being in the spotlight. He quickly tried to justify his reasons. 

"I… I don't think you need any added protection, to be honest. But I thought you might appreciate some company."

Ronni chuckled at the awkward expression written on Sorren's face. 

He placed a hand over Sorren's shoulder and teased him, "Looks like someone wants to get some alone time with Vyrena."

"Oooooooo," all of the children said collectively. 

El laughed as she shook her head at the situation that had unfolded. Upon realising what Ronni was insinuating, he quickly denied everything. His face blushed beet red. 

"No! No… that's not it! I did… I didn't mean it that way! Vyrena, you have to believe me!"

Vy laughed it off along with the rest, before reassuring Sorren that she did not take it the wrong way. 

That night, almost everyone was sound asleep except for El and Vyrena. Both of them were on duty, keeping watch over everyone else. With the campfire crackling and splintering in the background, they struck up a conversation with one another. 

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you," El said hesitantly, "But I wasn't sure how I should do it."

Vyrena turned to look at her with a confused look on her face, "What is it?"

El looked up at the sky. The dark night sky was almost entirely covered in twinkling stars. It was not much different from the sky she had seen while they were in the Jungle. But so much had changed. 

She had been in the Jungle for so long, she had never really thought about what laid beyond. Being in the City and its outskirts made her realise the world out there was even bigger. 

El missed the other humans she had lived with in the Jungle. She might not have always agreed with everything Mara did but you had to respect what she was capable of doing. 

Fendrif's sudden death was upsetting, to say the least. They could not even give him a proper burial.

"Why do you trust us with all the information you got from the typewriter? And with everything else that you do?" El asked. 

Vy was taken aback by El's question. But the answer to that had always been clear to her. 

"Well, I sort of learnt that from you."

"From me?" El gasped in shock. 

Vy nodded. From the moment she woke up in the Jungle, El was the first person to show her kindness. El trusted that Vy was harmless, brought her into camp and taught her how to survive in the Jungle. 

"If it wasn't for the kindness you showed me and the trust… the faith you had in me, I don't think I would have survived this long," Vyrena added. 

Furthermore, Vyrena did not feel the need to keep the information she had received from them. She trusted them. Although Pigeon did warn her to watch her back, regardless of who it was, she had a good feeling about them. 

She also appreciated the trust they had in her. The children were young and somewhat naive when it came to trusting people, but Vy was happy to know that they saw her as an ally. 

"So in a way, you have yourself to thank for that, El. If it was not for the kindness you showed me when we first met, we would not be where we are today."

Indeed, things might have turned out very differently. For all they knew, they would still be stuck in the Jungle for an indefinite amount of time. El had long stopped counting the days she had spent there. 

"I can't take all the credit, Vyrena," El smiled, "It takes two hands to clap after all. If you had been a spy, we would all probably be dead by now."

Both of them shared a good hearty laugh as they continued to watch over everyone till the break of dawn.