Chapter 4
Nervously, Jasmine sat down on the couch Silver gestured to. She wasn't quite sure what was going on, and wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know. Sure her life may not be easy, but it was relatively simple. And as much as she wanted to keep it that way, she knew that this would change everything.
"Now then, Jasmine," Silver began. "We need to figure out how this happened to you. Have you ever visited a voodoo priestess by chance?" She shook her head anxiously.
"Of course not, that would be too easy." Jim said with a smirk. He wrapped an arm around Alex's waist as she sat on the arm of his chair. Jasmine couldn't help but sigh at the sight. They obviously loved each other very much. She hoped that someday someone could love her like that. But as Silver started to speak, she paid close attention.
"Well, if she herself wasn't taken to the priestess, than it must have been one of her parents, or even someone before them. It would be almost impossible to find out I'm afraid." Silver said, scratching his chin. "Well, I'm afraid there's only one thing to do, lass. We need to follow the clues." Jasmine stood, shaking her head.
"No way! I heard the riddle, it says to go to an entirely different planet! I can't just leave everyone. The other children are counting on me!"
"Jasmine." She heard Charlie say quietly. She looked into his eyes hoping he'd understand.
"I can't help them if I'm not there Charlie." She whispered. She knew he understood, she could tell. But he also thought she should go. She turned to walk away, she wouldn't leave them, she couldn't! A hand on her elbow stopped her. She knew it was Charlie, but she refused to look at him.
"Jasmine, this riddle will lead you to treasure. What better way to help them than to take them all away from Simon altogether? With the treasure you'd find, you would be able to support them all, and find them all new families where they'd be safe. You wouldn't have to rely on the old scumbag for anything." Jasmine looked at floor, slowly turning to look at him. He smiled encouragingly.
"Your headaches will go away." Silver pointed out. "The only reason you have them now is because the human body isn't meant to have magic of this sort in it. The only way the voodoo priestesses have magic is because they were generally mad to start." He grinned at her. "Just think how much easier it'll be to sneak around in the shadows when you can't be stopped by these pains." Jasmine was able to get out a small smile, but wasn't entirely convinced.
"But he'll hurt them." She whispered. But Charlie could tell she was thinking seriously about this. "As much as I'd love to do this, I don't want to leave almost twenty children with a man who will beat them for no good reason." Alex's eyes widened.
"Beating children?" she asked, her voice hard. Jasmine looked at her in surprise. The way Alex had said that told her that she had been beaten herself as a child. She looked into the woman's eyes and nodded. She saw the pain of old memories cross Alex's eyes before she looked away. Jim rubbed her knee comfortingly, and she took his hand, gripping it tightly. Jasmine had to look away as her throat constricted. The fact that anyone would want to hurt such a nice person was horrible to her. And there were kids all over the galaxy who needed rescuing. Maybe with this treasure, she could do something about it. She took a deep breath.
"I'll do it." She said strongly, and everyone in the room smiled as the promise of adventure filled the air. "On one condition. I want to take the kids away from Simon before I leave. I refuse to leave them where they can get hurt, not when I can do something about it." Charlie patted her shoulder, seemingly proud of her. Alex stood and looked at Jim
"We can take them, can't we?" she asked her husband almost like a little kid asking for a cookie.
"What, all of them?" Jim asked, sounding slightly scared. Jasmine understood his fear. Twenty children could be very overwhelming.
"Why not? We've taken care of our own kids while babysitting all the Doppler children, it can't be much worse than that." She pointed out. Jasmine giggled at that. Charlie laughed too.
"Yeah, we were pretty rotten dad, and these kids are all very well behaved. It'll be a cinch compared to watching us."
"He's right." Jasmine added. "They're all good kids, really. They've been forced to grow up far too fast." Jim looked back at his wife who smiled pleadingly at him, and he sighed.
"Alright! Everyone stop giving me the big puppy eyes, I've given in already. We'll take the kids at our house, and they can have the entire forest to run around and be kids again." Jasmine ran to the man and kissed him gratefully on the cheek, mimicked by Alex who did it at the same time. The poor guy actually blushed, and Jasmine backed off snickering.
"Then it's settled, we're going on an adventure!" Charlie said with a whoop. Silver stood.
"Don't get too excited laddie, there's a lot of work to be done before we leave, and a lot of work afterwards." Jasmine stepped forward.
"I have some tale spinning to do to Simon as well. I'll need my own clothes before I go though. The man may not be the smartest, but he'd not stupid either." Alex led Jasmine upstairs and helped her change back into her own outfit. Once they reached the main room again, Silver was sitting head to head with Jim, most likely planning the beginning of their trip. Charlie was making fun of Taver for something, and Scarlet looked on laughing. Alex went to join her husband once more, and Jasmine smiled as she slipped out the door.
Only a short time later, Jasmine was leading the children though the town to the port in front of the Benboe. There stood Alex and Jim, waiting by their ship to take them back to the moon where their home was. Jasmine hugged them all good bye and watched as the ship left until it was completely out of sight. She wiped a tear from her cheek. She had no reason to be sad. She would see them again once she got back from her journey, and then she'd be able to find them all good homes. She walked up the lane and into the Inn once more. The others looked up when she came in.
"That was quick." Taver said as she joined them at the table. "What'd you tell this Simon guy to let them leave?" she giggled.
"I told him that the villagers liked my dancing this morning so much that they didn't want me to stop. Then I said that they'd set up an entire production for me, and that I was to dance on stage for them, and that I'd need all the kids to do the pick pocketing in the crowd because it'd be so large." She laughed out loud and was joined by the others. "I can't believe he actually fell for it!" the group laughed and joked some more until Silver joined their table, a serious look on his face.
"Well, I believe the only way we're going to be able to bring you on this trip is if you agree to work. We can take my ship, and my crew is loyal. But they don't take kindly to strangers, and refuse to take on passengers. So you'll have to work for your keep, and you can't expect any favors." Jasmine nodded.
"That's what we're used to anyway." She said, nodding to Scarlet. Taver and Charlie nodded as well. Silver look at them in shock.
"What makes you lads think you're going?" The boys gaped. Charlie sputtered.
"Of course I'm going! Jasmine is my friend, and I'm going to be there throughout this entire thing! I saw the beginning and I'll see the end." Taver nodded, and Silver raised an eyebrow. The boy blushed.
"I know I wasn't there for the riddle or anything, but I can help! I'm good with machines and stuff, and I am good with riddles! I've already figured out that this one is talking about Bornia." They all stared at him. "What? It does!" he insisted. "Bornia is mostly ocean, but it's all frozen over with thick ice. And the warm place the riddle mentions? There's a single volcano, and a large warm lake with an island right in the center. People come from all over the galaxy to visit the place; they've turned it into a place to relax with the warm water and all."
"How do you know all that?" Scarlet asked him surprised. The girl had been thinking over all of her studies and hadn't even come close to figuring the riddle out.
"I'm good with that kind of stuff." He tapped his head. "Lots of useless facts up here." He said with a smirk. But Silver grinned.
"Those useless facts may just help us. You're welcome to come as long as you parents are alright with it." Now Silver smirked while Taver groaned.
"But they could be anywhere right now!" he complained. "They could be home drinking tea or on the other side of the galaxy for all I know!" As he ranted, Sarah came down the stairs in her nightgown, a shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
"Are you all still awake at this hour?" she asked, surprised.
"Sorry if we're being too loud Grandmother." Charlie said standing to help her to the table.
"No no, I just came to make some tea. My back is keeping me awake again." She explained and Scarlet stood.
"I can make you something for your back if you'd like. And something to help you sleep." Sarah smiled at the redhead gratefully.
"Would you? That would be ever so kind." Scarlet nodded, happy to help. She grabbed Jasmine's arm and dragged her to the kitchen. The boys followed while Silver chatted with Sarah.
"What do you need me for? You know I couldn't tell mint from nettle if my life depended on it." Jasmine protested standing at the counter.
"No, you're hopeless. You can however cut herbs for me while I mix the correct amounts." Jasmine rolled her eyes as Scarlet took control of the kitchen. No one would even guess from her shyness everywhere else, but in the kitchen Scarlet was always in charge. It didn't take her long to know where everything was, and only needed to ask Charlie a few questions. She put them to work as well, cutting different herbs while she mixed them into jars. As she bustled around the place, Taver leaned over to Jasmine and whispered
"Is she always this bossy?" Jasmine chuckled softly.
"Almost never. Only when it comes to cooking does she ever tell anyone what to do. That and her books. She doesn't like to be outsmarted, but she hides it well. You impressed her back there, the way you figured out the riddle and all."
"Really?" he asked and Charlie grinned at his eager friend.
"She's a good girl Taver, take it easy on her." Taver grinned at him and went back to work, and Jasmine glared.
"Oh yes." Jasmine said, narrowing her eyes at him. "And she's never even had a crush on anyone before, let alone having anyone flirt with her. If you dare hurt her in any way, I will hunt you down." Her eyes had a malicious glint to them and he believed her entirely, gulping nervously. Charlie laughed at his friend's predicament, and nodded. He believed Jasmine as well. But Taver grinned at him and went back to work, already planning how to make his first move.
The next two weeks were spent preparing for the journey. There wasn't much to prepare in truth, but Silver wanted to give his crew ample time to enjoy their shore leave. He didn't want them to mutiny halfway to Bornia. For the teenagers, the time was spent having a good time in town. They'd be working hard once they set sail, and they wanted to take full advantage of their free time. Taver spent a lot of time flying through the canyons on the solar surfer Jim had given him for his twelfth birthday. Charlie worked with Alex on upgrading his solar bike so it would work better in the areas with less gravity. Jasmine had been spending a lot of time in the butterfly garden in town, just thinking or writing in the journal she'd bought with a spare coin from someone else's pocket. Scarlet spent as much time as possible in the library at the Benboe, wanting to soak up as many of the stories as she could get her hands on.
She was there one day, reading a novel when Taver found her. He entered the room quietly, wandering among the many bookshelves. He was there for the pure intent of finding her. She was curled up on an armchair in front of the fireplace which wasn't lit as it was a warm day. Her shoes were abandoned on the floor, her bare feet curled up underneath her. Sarah had given her the shoes the other day, but he'd heard her complain to Jasmine about how she wasn't used to them and that they pinched her toes. He'd noticed since then that she kicked them off as often as possible.
Taver stood there for a while, just watching her read. He noticed the way her dark red hair glinted in the sun. The subtlest shifts it would make it shine in a different way, just inviting him to stare longer. Her green eyes skimmed down the pages rather quickly, she was obviously a fast reader. Finally he straightened and cleared his throat. In the quiet room it was very loud and she jumped, looking up in alarm.
"Oh! Hello Taver. Come to find a book to read?" Scarlet asked, blushing a bit. He smiled at her and sat in the opposite chair.
"I'm not much of a reader I'm afraid." He said and he noticed her droop a bit. "Not that I wouldn't mind it, I'm just not a fast reader, so I don't enjoy it very much. My eyes switch letters around, it makes it hard." Her eyes widened in understanding. She'd heard of it happening to others and was very grateful that she was free of it.
"Well, if you'd like, I-I could read aloud to you." She asked shyly. Taver smiled at her gratefully. He hadn't expected that! He'd expected pity or sadness on his part maybe. Instead, she had turned it around and made it something that she could help with. He was already off guard about her; no other girl had been able to do that before.
"I'd like that." He said and her smile grew. She flipped back to the beginning of her book, and started to read. At first he had trouble concentrating on the words. Taver could rarely sit still, even on the best of days. He kept thinking about other things he'd like to do, most of them revolving around his solar surfer. But something about Scarlet's voice was calming somehow. Soon he found himself unable to stop listening. She would subtly change her own voice for each character, giving them all personality and bringing them to life. She made even the boring part of the story seem interesting, and the most exciting parts had him sitting on the edge of his seat. The two of them continued in this fashion for hours, and only once the sun went down and she could no longer see the words clearly did Scarlet stop.
"What? What happens next?" Taver asked hurriedly, and she smiled at him.
"Taver, I've been reading for hours! I can't see what I'm reading anymore, and I'll lose my voice if I go on. And if that happens, then how am I supposed to read to you tomorrow?" She stood with a sly smile and left the library, leaving him speechless. He sat in shock for a few minutes. For someone who had never flirted before, she wasn't too bad at it. And she had said that she'd read more tomorrow. As he thought that, he stood with a smile heading to his room. Suddenly he was really looking forward to the next day.
Scarlet spent all the next morning outside. She sat at a table on the porch and wrote down short stories. The children loved them, and she was hoping to someday publish them for children all over the galaxy. At lunch she made herself a sandwich rather than ask one of the people working in the kitchen to make her anything. They were busy enough with the lunch crowd; she didn't want to add on to their work load. She took her sandwich into the common room and ate by herself at a small table in the corner. She watched the people all around her, laughing at them sometimes. People watching was one of her favorite activities. Once she was done, she went towards the library, wondering if Taver would actually show up. She entered the room and had to laugh to herself. Taver was already there sitting in his chair and looking restless. He looked at the door when he heard her enter and smiled. She went to her chair and sat down, kicking off her shoes and curling her feet under her. He smiled at that, though Scarlet didn't know why. She blushed a bit, knowing that it was customary for civilized people to wear shoes. But Taver didn't comment; he just leaned forward eagerly.
"So what happens next?" he asked, and she giggled.
"Hello to you too. Do you want me to tell you or would you rather me read some more?" Taver chuckled a bit, laughing at his own eagerness. He couldn't help it though! The story had been on his mind all day. When he'd gone flying that morning with Charlie, his friend had asked if he was alright, as he wasn't being near as reckless as usual. And despite his safer flying, he still came near to crashing at least three times from his mind wandering.
"Sorry, hi. But if you wouldn't mind reading out loud some more, I'd be the happiest guy in the galaxy." Taver said with a grin. She smiled back.
"And tell me eager sir, if I don't leave you at a cliffhanger today when I finish, will you come back again tomorrow?" she blushed at her own audacity, but didn't look away. He blushed as well.
"I'll be back every day if you don't mind reading to me." he looked at his shoes, but Scarlet beamed. When he glanced up, she tried to hide how happy she was, but her eyes were sparkling and her face glowed with pleasure. He sat back in his chair and she opened the book to where they'd left off and went on, her smile staying put the entire time, and Taver once again watching her.
They continued reading every day until it was time to leave. Scarlet then packed as many books as she possibly could and they agreed to continue the tradition on the journey. Charlie had walked in on one of their sessions one day when he returned a book, and had snuck right back out again. He had been wondering where Taver had been disappearing too these past afternoons, and this explained it. At first he thought Taver was using the reading as an excuse to spend time with Scarlet, but realized that he was getting the good end of the deal. He was really enjoying the reading periods, and was getting to spend time with the girl at the same time. He didn't think he had ever seen Taver sit so still.
Charlie then went down into town, entering the butterfly garden. He found Jasmine sitting at a table there, writing something, and he sat down across from her. She was so absorbed in what she was doing that when she glanced up she jumped in surprise.
"When did you get here?" she asked, placing a hand on her heart to calm herself. He chuckled at her.
"A few minutes ago. What are you working on that keeps so oblivious?" he looked curiously at the book, and she closed it with a blush.
"It's a journal. So much has been happening that I feel overwhelmed. So I got a journal to write down everything that happens and everything I feel." She looked down at her clasped hands and finally back up at him. She did indeed look overwhelmed. "I'm scared." She admitted softly.
"Of what? Jasmine, you are the bravest girl I've ever met! After everything you've done in your life, why does this scare you?" She was blushing at the compliments, but she gave his question serious thought before answering. She was chewing on her bottom lip, a habit he'd noticed a while back. She always did when thinking. Finally she looked up again.
"I don't understand this. Everything in my life has been very straightforward. Steal enough, or you'll be hit. Behave or you won't get supper. Look after the younger children so they don't get hurt. Even though we've traveled all over, I haven't seen much of anywhere. Simon always made us camp in the most remote places of the planets where we went. And after all that…sure it was hard, but I understood it. This…this I don't understand. Somewhere in my family, someone was cursed by a voodoo priestess for some unknown reason by an unknown person. And now I have to go to an unknown location, maybe more than one, and solve a confusing riddle and find some unknown treasure. Before this I've always known what to do…and now I don't." she was looking at her hands again, which were clenched together. It looked like she was trying to keep from crying. Charlie scooted his chair over until he was next to her and put his arms around her. She leaned into his shoulder, allowing a tear to fall. "I can't help but be scared Charlie. I have no idea what's coming anymore." He pushed her away and put his hands on her shoulders. He looked into her eyes and smiled encouragingly.
"Jasmine, this little curse of yours has given all of us the opportunity of a lifetime. Yes the future may be more unclear now, but just think how much better it can be after it's all over! You'll be able to live a good life and do whatever you want to do! If you had money now, what would you do with it?" he asked her. She bit her lip again and smiled.
"I'd open an orphanage. I want to help all the kids in the galaxy who don't have families, and find them good homes where they'll be taken care of. And in the meantime they'll have lots of friends with me and the other kids and have good meals and a nice bed. If I had money I could give them that." She looked back up at him, hope in her eyes. He nodded happily.
"Exactly! So maybe this confusing mess will get figured out, and hopefully you'll be able to open your orphanage once it's over. You'll be making quite the difference Jasmine." He said with a smile. She grinned back and she suddenly hugged him tightly. She pulled back, blushing soon after.
"Thanks Charlie. Now, if you don't mind, I suddenly have a lot I want to write down. You can stay but like you said, I'll be completely oblivious." She laughed.
"In that case I'll stay to make sure that you aren't stolen away without your own knowledge." She stuck out her tongue at him and he laughed settling into his chair to reread the book he hadn't been able to put away. Jasmine grinned to herself and went back to her journal. She suddenly had a lot of hope for the future and wanted to write down her change of heart, and about her changing feelings for the boy who had helped her get there.
Another chapter, hurray ^^ I just gotta say, I love Taver, he's just so awesome ^^
I hope everyone enjoyed it, and please review! I love knowing what my readers think of my work :)
Your Humble Authoress,
Whisperwings
