[Roll]

Akiko stood up very suddenly, startling both Udes and Arthus but keeping the fox safely tucked away and sleeping, as she had seen something moving closer and closer to the gate. She looked as hard as she could towards that person, and tried to make out the body. How she prayed that it would be Rawk over the horizon. Perhaps her prayers were answered! She quickly stuffed a now very startled fox into Arthus' arms ("What am I supposed to do with it?!"), and she raced up to the gate, and stuck her head through the bars to see as far as she could. Perhaps it would be him after all? She looked closer, and saw the one clue she needed to see in order to tell whether or not it was him: a small little thing was moving, but was off the ground and was behind the shadowed figure.

She dashed over to where the gatekeepers hut was, and found a manual turning gear. She decided that might be the thing that opened the gate; therefore, she went up to it, and began turning as fast and as hard as she could. Soon enough, she found that she was right: the gate was now opened up, and she could now leave to go and get to him before anyone could see him and say a word. She hopped out of the window of the hut, and ran straight out into the desert. She ran as fast as she could, and soon, the image became so clear, that her running almost didn't stop; at least not until she almost tackled Rawk into a nice, warm and welcoming hug. Rawk, needless to say, was very surprised and somewhat speechless in this act. Then again, it could have been because Akiko was hugging as tight as she could, and it would be somewhat difficult to breathe for him. Akiko certainly did not know, but when he slowly pushed her away, she didn't care to notice either. She was just happy he was back.

Akiko: "Rawk, please, tell me how you are doing? Is everything well?"
Rawk: "I-- um..... yeah, Akiko. Everything's.. just fine."
Akiko: "Wonderful! So is everyone back at your village ok?"
Rawk: "..Yeah, they're just.. fine. They just need a little bit of time to rest."
Akiko: "..oh... then should you be going back to help them out?"
Rawk: "Are you joking? They don't need me now! They're just fine on their own.. and besides, I couldn't let you go on alone, now could I?"

Akiko blinked, and though she did not really understand what he was talking about, she was still happy that he was back again. She lightly grabbed his hand, and began to pull him back into the city, with a happy smile on her face, and a relieved look on Rawk's. When they made it back, Akiko was sure to introduce Rawk and the others to each other, and the fox escaped from Arthus' grasp and into Akiko's arms again. Feeling very snug right now, and very much not alone, Akiko sat down against a nearby tree. As Rawk laughed with the others, about something that Akiko had not heard, he noticed that Akiko was now quietly and peacefully sleeping.