What do I have to live for....

Mal just nodded. He looked at the food, then shook his head. He didn't know where she'd gotten it, so he was hesitant to try any of it.

"You sure? I made it myself you know, from the forest plants." She shrugged and took a mint tea cup, drinking some.

"Really, I'm fine," Mal said, glancing at the food a second time before shaking his head.

Alena shrugged and took a honeycake, popped it in her mouth. Outside of the cave, the hunters were scaling the cliffs, heading towards the cave.

Mal sighed. "How long are we gonna have to stay here?" he asked, getting bored. He could hear the hunters outside, and it was making him uneasy.

The hunters jumped down, trying to enter the cave, grinning. Alena looked over, not worried at all, as they tried to enter. As soon as one touched the inside, they burned with flames, and some of the wisps went from blue to reddish orange flame color, spinning around happily.

Sophia stared,fear spreading across her face,even with the reasurance she was safe,they terrified her.

Mal watched the entrance to the cave closely, prepared to use his magic if he had to.

As the others tried to enter, vines wrapped around them and dragged them down, wind carried them away, water drowned them, spirits took them away, until all were gone. Alena smiled and thanked the wisps, which were now different colors for whatever nature spirits they had been before.

"Whoa," was all Mal could say, watching the wisps. He hadn't been expecting any of that.

"I told you, we are safe here!" Alena insisted quietly, now swirling some silvery water in a bowl, murmuring encantations. Kayden stirred.

"Yeah, I guess so," Mal said, even though he still would have preferred to be at home. He didn't have anything against caves or anything, but those hunters scared the crap out of him--not something he would admit out loud--and he always felt safest at home.

Kayden woke up, groggy and sad still. He clenched his teeth at the sight of his sister and Mal, another reminder of what he would never have again. He clutched his knees and hugged himself, staring dully in the fire. Alena looked sympathetic at him and Mal, and continued to scry.

Mal removed his arm from around Sophia and glanced at Kayden. He wasn't insensitive, he knew how seeing him with Sophia would make Kayden feel.

"Doesn't matter Mal, go on ahead, be happy while you can." Kayden mumbled, staring into the dying flame. The wisps made a sad sound, feeling his pain.

Sophia sighed quietly,staring into the fire.Spaced out.

Alena sighed and got up and walked to the back of the cave, disappearing for a few minutes. Kayden still wanted to kill himself, but was under his idiot sister's control.

Mal shook his head. "You know, Layla... This upsets me too. She's one of my best friends, but I haven't even gotten a chance to be sad about it because I'm busy keeping you from killing yourself. This doesn't affect just you, you know," he replied, wondering why Kayden would think he could just be happy right then and move on.

Kayden shrugged, not bothering to answer. He secretly planned to find a knife later.

"We are all sad...Layla was a good freind...",Sophia sighed staring sadly into the fire "dont yo dare try to kill yourself again.",she said stifly.

Kayden just stared into the fire, making it bigger.

Alena came back looking happy about something.

Mal glanced up at Alena and gave her a dirty look. "What're you so happy about?" he asked. Usually he wasn't this grouchy but, well, a lot had happened today and it was really taking its toll on him.

Alena looked at him oddly. "The pathway's clear, you guys can go now." She looked uncertain as if to share this information.

Mal nodded, more than ready to get out of this cave and go home, but he looked at Sophia and Kayden to see what they thought. He would stay too if that's what they thought was better.