“Morning.’ Renae replied, a small smile playing along her lips.Kat reached for the towel at her waist and wiped her forehead. “I'm just gunna ju...p in the shower…you’re welcome to join me” she said with a wink, and ran upstairs giggling.Renae watched her friend as she disappeared from view, laughing silently to herself. ‘She still amazes me! Not once has she forgotten to ask me if I wanted to join her, not once!’ Well she had another thing coming for her today, Renae thought as she slowly made. Heather was our leader for this trip. She and Kate each carried a pair of binoculars. The rest of us were supposed to focus on nearby threats, giving our Mages time to use their visual enhancers to look around our surroundings more at ease.Our formation was specific to this map also. We were traveling in a square, Ed and I in front on the corners, Tol and Toff in the rear. Heather and Kate were surrounded in the center keeping an eye on the long-range threats. We were supposed to adhere to any. Moe hadn’t realized what a neatness freak Dutch must be. It made him wonder what else he’d overlooked about his friend. Kitty avoided the chairs and went straight to the small bar in the corner. “So what made today so horrible, Moe?” She turned a crystal glass right side up on the polished surface. “Hurting a friend, playing tiddly-winks with the cops, missing Murrow on the radio – take your pick.” Kitty unstopped a decanter and began to pour, but her hand shook and alcohol splashed onto the. At least I started it. I’m a talker, as my dad used to say. I like to fill the silences, but I like to think it’s not all mindless babble. We’d covered hockey earlier (admittedly one of my favorite subjects) so we just started getting to know each other a little. You know, small talk, only it wasn’t. He was easy to talk to and it was a bit of a drive, so once we got past all the what do you do, where are you from, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream, it turned more do you have a boyfriend.