Avangeline frowned, turning to eye Al-Hattaal as he politely excused himself from their small gathering. Her heart sank, wishing the idea of hers could have panned out and they could be speaking to Gabbar now, who would have some lead as to where their search could begin. Instead, Avangeline had learned he had disappeared (and she worried about him now, too). The trip was not entirely fruitless for her, of course, for seeing Evaline safe in the Dunes again (if not for the wound she’d suffered, for which Avangeline’s heart ached) and seeing Valve here touched her heart in a way she couldn’t explain. The time she’d lived in the Dunes was important to her, even if it wasn’t as pivotal as her adventures with Al-Hattaal.
Avangeline offered a grateful smile when Valve promised to let her know if Gabbar returned to the islands. “We aren’t living anywhere yet,” she said, “but we’ll be around, traveling the islands to see what we can find.” She wouldn’t lead Valve on a wild chase island to island looking for her, but should they cross paths after Gabbar’s return, Avangeline would appreciate the information.
She looked more closely at the black mare when Al-Hattaal had left and Valve had addressed her alone. A protective nature for Al-Hattaal was more dominant within Avangeline than her loyalty to the Dunes, but she thought it couldn’t hurt. Valve had promised to share information with her, after all. Hopefully Valve did not mean no harm and only wished to know. Avangeline nodded. “I’ll be sure to come and visit again, and if I have any news of a child, I’ll let you know.” She drew a step back and smiled at Evaline warmly. “It was good to see you again, Evaline,” her eyes drew toward Valve, “and you too, Valve. I’m happy to know I’ve friends in the Dunes still.”
With another warm, deep smile, Avangeline turned and headed off in Al-Hattaal’s wake. When she reached him she did not apologize for their loss, but bumped her nose against his wither and offered him a small, supportive smile. “It could have gone better, but I still have faith. We’ll find out if you have a child or not, Al-Hattaal. This was only the first stop among many.”
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