The grocery store (open)

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya puts an arm around her to support her, and walks her to the checkout. She scans through the self-pay aisle, and snags a spoon for Holly from the deli counter before they leave. As they walk outside, Maya says "I'm so sorry for everything that's happened. It seems to me that you could use a change of scene. Someplace quiet and private, to think things through." She pauses. "But I can't get the ice cream through because it'll melt by the time I Dedicate it. So why don't we walk back to my house? You can eat it there, where it's warm, and then we can go." Maya hugs Holly's shoulders, rubs her hand against her arm.

[Jane]

Holly gingerly takes the spoon from Maya, opens the gallon of ice cream and scoops out a huge spoonful. Holly sticks the whole spoon in her mouth.

"Whtast omphk"

Pulling the spoon out her mouths, she stops walking for a moment and swallows the mouthful of ice cream.

"Oh that was cold." Holly exclaims, "I could eat on the walk." Holly suggest and pulls her hoody closer around her. Holly digs the spoon into the container again.

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya smiles. "Well, there is that. But this way whatever is left over you can put in my freezer. Unless you plan on eating the entire container?"

[Jane]

"I haven't had anything else to eat today, and most of yesterday." Holly digs into the container again and swallows another hugs bite, this time whole.

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya gets a funny look on her face, imagining that her nice meadow would be getting fertilized again in the near future. But she only nods absently and says, "So then we go."

They start walking north and east, through and out of the residential area, and further on along the bank of the Sammamish River. Maya keeps the pace reasonable, so that Holly can finish off her ice cream. After about an hour of walking, Maya stops to rest against a rock outcropping overlooking the river, where a crack in the rock stretches back into the hill like a tented tunnel. She looks at Holly. "Finished?"

[Jane]

Her spoon scraps the bottom of the gallon container...

"Yup" Holly burps. Her face turns a little green, and wipes her mouth on the sleeve of her hoody. "Uh that was a gross burp. I hate that when you burp up stuff and then it goes back down." Her faces slowly returns to it's normal pink color.

"Um I don't have anywhere to put this" Holly says starting down at the empty container.

[Athena Fire-in-Snow]

Maya smiles. "Be right back." She ducks into the crevasse, but doesn't cross over like she usually would. Instead, she follows it back to a sharp left-hand jog, and into a smallish cave. It smells of bear-musk in a "keep-away" warning to other animals, and there is a small tight tupperware trash bin in the corner. Maya opens it, looks in. Almost time to empty this, she thinks to herself. I'll get it next go-round. She stuffs the empty container and spoon inside, then seals the lid again, locking the heavy-duty raccoon-proof handles around it.

She bounces back out to Holly, takes her hand. "Follow me." She leads her into the narrow tunnel, and Holly feels something shift, as though she is going through the Gauntlet but without actually doing so herself...

(This post will continue in the Elsewhere/Elsewhen thread Dead Dog Walking Part 3)