Almost a week later, True and Uly sat on a couple of stumps in the Advance's latest camp, receiving their lessons from Yale. As the tutor conducted his lesson on old Earth history, True looked longing in the direction of the lake. For now, she and Uly had been forbidden from entering, or even really approaching it, since Julia said that it had some unusual properties and there seemed to be something about it that linked it to the Planet and the Terrians in some undefined way.
True had protested the ban, to no avail, but that did not stop her from wanting to get to the lake and as far from lessons as possible.
"True?" Yale prompted the distracted young girl. "True, are you listening?"
"What?" She responded, startled from her daydreams as Uly snickered.
True narrowed her bright eyes and glared in Uly's direction before she looked back at Yale. "I don't understand why we need to learn all this stuff anyway. Who cares what a bunch of people did on old Earth so long ago that nobody even remembers?" She said in sullen protest.
"You never understand," Uly said.
True turned on her peer. "Just because you never had anything to do when you were sick but learn about a bunch of stupid stuff that nobody cares about anyway…You think you're so smart, but you don't even know how to do anything that doesn't have to do with some boring old lesson."
"Do so, I know lots of stuff you don't know," Uly protested.
"Now children," Yale admonished.
"Yeah right," True taunted. "This is stupid and I don't need to be here. He's your tutor anyway, not mine."
"True," Yale said in a calm voice. "Your father wants the best for you and feels that you should take advantage of every opportunity," he reminded the young girl.
"This stupid," she protested as she suddenly stood up, "and I don't care about any of it. Besides, we aren't on the Stations anymore. This is a new place, and we should be learning about it, not some stupid Earth that's a million stars away."
Yale was silent for several moments, and True shifted uncomfortably under the tutor's patient gaze.
"Sorry, Yale," True finally said quietly.
Yale sighed, and after several moments finally spoke. "I believe we can conclude our lessons for today, but tomorrow we shall make up the extra time," he warned them both. "You may go, but stay close to camp," he admonished them as both children dashed away.
In moments, True had outdistanced Uly as she dashed into the wooded growth surrounding the camp. But it wasn't that hard for Uly to find her where she had found a small hidden spot in the brush near the lake where she could enter it unseen.
"You aren't suppose to be here," he said as he walked over to where True was standing cautiously back from the gently lapping water.
"You aren't to suppose to be here either," True pointed out.
"But I was just finding you."
"So."
"So, I'm not the one that broke the rules first."
True shook her head. "Just leave me alone. Go away."
Uly ignored the angry demand and stepped carefully toward the shining blue waters. After a moment of watching the gentle ripples, he turned back to True, a challenging look in his eyes.
"I dare you," he taunted her.
"What?"
"I dare you to get in the water."
"What?" True repeated, surprised at the challenging expression on the younger boy's face.
Uly smiled slightly and a little smugly, causing True to narrow her eyes in his direction. Then, with a determined air, she untied her boots and drew them off, tossing them carelessly aside. Her socks quickly followed in the direction of her boots. Finally, True rolled up her pants legs and turned back to Uly, settling her hands on her hips.
Uly gave her a challenging look once more, sending True into the water as she took up the dare. Defiantly, she made her way into the warm blue waters, the tiny waves lapping gently around first her ankles, then her calves. She twirled back in Uly's direction and stuck out her tongue.
Suddenly, before Uly could say a word, True gave a cry of surprise and fright. And though it seemed impossible, she disappeared beneath the quiet waves lapping around her legs.
"True!"
Uly rushed into the water, reaching into the spot that the girl had vanished. In her place, was her wavering image, long blonde hair swirling, as if caught up in the waves. Her eyes were wide with fright and called wordlessly to Uly, pleading with him to help her. She reached a shimmering hand outward in his direction.
Without hesitation, the young boy reached for his friend and a tingle passed through him as his fingers slipped into the warm water. When he grasped at the wavering reflection of True's hand, the tingle became a buzz that seemed to fill his whole body.
He ignored the feeling as best as he could and tried pulling True to the surface. For a moment, it seemed as if he would succeed, then Uly heard the trilling song of the Terrians. He had only a moment to register the presence of two Terrians emerging from the water, before he too was drawn into the rippling waters…
TBC