One quick thing to note; this story takes place in at a different time than "Soulbound" did. That story took place in 1965 and said that the dolls were created in 1938, with the movie taking place in 1950.

In the universe of "The Tribe"; the dolls (by that, I mean both sets) were still created in 1938 but the movie took place in 1947 and the actual story takes place in 1950.

By the way, I know some people have been wondering how I manage to upload new stories so quickly. Well, it's partly because I have little-to-no friends and don't get out much but mainly because I'm a nerd with nothing better to do.

The next morning, Portia and I walked in silence around the inside of the rubble wall. When we did speak, neither of us mentioned her hands or what we'd been talking about yesterday.

Eventually, Rosaline came up to me and said, "Corin wants to see you and Portia. And, for some reason, you're supposed to gather with him in Gertrude's hut."

"Why would he want to meet up in there?" I asked. Rosaline groaned loudly.

"I don't know, all right?" she spat. "Jules had a nightmare and kept me awake all night. It drove me nuts. So, don't bother me, OK?" She stormed off and, as Portia and I headed for Gertrude's hut, I could hear her muttering about how I can never take a hint or something.

I can't stick Rosaline. But I guess that that's one of the good things about being around Corin and Portia so much. Because I know they can't stick her, either.

"Hello, girls," Corin said as we entered Gertrude's hut. Next to Hamlet's throne room (which also had two other smaller rooms attached to it), Gertrude's hut was the largest because, being the Tribe's elder, she spent more time in her own quarters than the rest of us did in ours.

The old woman was the person to see if you'd just been punished. Even when Viola had stumbled into her hut bald and missing an eye, Gertrude had made a fuss and practically forced her to sit in preparation for the healing.

Gertrude was white all over, her skin fastened by vertical stitchings on her front. Her long hair was made of loads of grey thread and her eyeglass casings were copper. She had a slight limp and always carried a long walking staff, on top of which was a piece of pale-yellow cloth secured with rubber bands.

"Right, Portia," the old woman said. "Let me see those notches again." Portia extended her arms, her palms facing in Gertrude's direction.

"Good," the elder nodded. "The sealant seems to have done the trick. But if I were you, I wouldn't put too much strain on them just yet. Give them at least a couple more days before you try lifting anything heavy or something like that."

"Yes, Gertrude," Portia replied as she took a seat. "Thank you." Gertrude smiled at her and slumped into a chair. Corin rose to his feet just as I, too, sat down.

"All right, Iris. Spill the beans," he said. "These past few days, you've been wandering around in your own little world. What's gotten into you?" I bowed my head and avoided the eyes of the three people surrounding me.

"Iris, it's all right," Portia said. "You can tell us. We won't say anything about it to the others."

"Is this really why you guys called this meeting in the first place?" I snapped, raising my head and glaring at them all. "Just because I've been daydreaming more than usual lately?"

"We're just worried about you, Iris," Corin replied, throwing up his scarred hands in admission. "We want to be sure it's just daydreams and you're not planning on doing anything stupid." I sighed.

"Fine, you got me," I groaned. "Truth is…I've been thinking about leaving. To see if I can find Antonio and Viola or maybe even the other clan." My jaw tightened and I glared round all of them again.

"I'm serious, you know," I muttered. "And if you're going to protest, do it quietly. Hamlet's right next door in the throne room, you know."

Portia just kept her hands on her lap and her head bowed. Gertrude stared at a small hole in the roof of the hut. Corin looked almost horrified.

"Iris," he said, "I don't blame you for wanting to leave. Who, in their right mind, wouldn't want to leave if they lived in a place like this? But why would you want to leave solely to find Vi and Ant? We don't know where they've gone. And-And going to find another clan that may or may not exist? That's just stupid."

"They're real," I insisted. "The other clan, I mean. They exist and I know they have to be out there. And besides, out here, none of us have a purpose. If we go to find the other clan, we all might be able to finally find our purposes."

"Iris, don't pretend you want to leave for any reason but your own personal gain," Corin said flatly, folding his arms. "You're always complaining about how you hate Hamlet and Rosaline and you hate being here. And how you wish you could go out into the world and find yourself some adventure."

"It's not just for my own personal gain!" I cried, leaping to my feet. "You could come with me and we could even bring Juliet along, if you like. Out there, we could have a whole new beginning. And, for all you know, it could be the best thing that'll ever happen to us."

"Ah. You have courage, child," Gertrude said suddenly. I turned my head and stared at her in confusion.

"Sorry?" But Gertrude ignored me and continued on with what she'd been saying before.

"And to have courage…is to have a strong heart and a thinking head. Never forget that, young one." I gave her a perplexed nod and turned back towards Corin, who sighed.

"Look, Iris," he said. "You're not just my best friend; you're also my little sister. And I just don't want anything to happen to you. If going out there to just to chase some crazy dream doesn't hurt or kill you, Hamlet will. So, please don't try to leave. Please promise me you won't do that."

"Fine. I promise," I said quickly. "Come on, Portia. Let's go." Corin tried and almost failed to fake a smile for me.

"Things will get better on their own in time, Iris," he said, trying to reassure me.

Fat chance, I thought in his direction as Portia and I left the hut. Just in front of us was the fire pit and on the side opposite to the one we were on, the twins were sitting with their weapons on their knees.

Two ginger-haired sisters who were total opposites. Sweet, childlike Juliet with her pigtails and red torso and that whining little prima donna Rosaline, with her almost-never-smiling mouth and pink torso.

Juliet looked up and smiled apologetically at Portia when she heard us come outside.

"I heard what Rose did to your hands," she said. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologise, Juliet," Portia assured her. "I think I figured out long ago that Hamlet wasn't above punishing me." She shot a brief glance at Rosaline before speaking again.

"Though somehow, I never understood why he wasn't above hurting someone like you or Iris."

Rosaline sighed and touched the white, bandage-like fabric tied around her right elbow. I almost sighed, too. Because though even the youngest person in the clan (me) thought of Juliet as a little sister, she was the only one Rosaline ever thought of besides Hamlet and herself.

She'd started wearing that bandage three years ago, when Juliet had been punished for letting two people escape and then refusing to obey Hamlet's orders to pursue them. But just as he'd been about to lead her away, Rosaline had jumped up and volunteered to take the punishment for her.

Since then, she'd worn that bandage to cover the scars left behind from the wounds she got that day. The same way Viola had worn a scarf to cover the bald head she'd had to live with since she took my punishment as well as her own.

"How could anyone ever hurt that adorable thing?" Portia whispered, though I wasn't sure if it was to herself or me. "By the way, Iris, can I speak to you alone in your hut?"

"Of course," I said, smiling. "Let's go." She took hold of my wrist and practically dragged me into my hut. Once I was kneeling on my sleeping mat, she took a quick peek through the curtain and then, kneeled in front of me.

"What is it, Portia?" I asked. She took a deep breath and looked me right in the face.

"When Viola and Antonio left, I helped them and told them how they leave while avoiding the sentry." I opened my mouth to speak but closed it again when she held up her hand.

"And when I heard you say you wanted to try and find the other clan," she continued, "I knew I had to help you, as well. It'll do you good if you listen closely to what I'm about to say. Now, pay attention; this is important."