Notes: I know that they are called "Marks of Shella", but I have always called them Shella Marks, so that's what I'm calling them in this story. Also, I am trying to work on more relationships, other than Sienna and Naza Dat's.

Chapter 7: Confrontation

"Well, I don't have any Shella Mark, so we can't go to Shella yet." Nayruu said.

"Really?" Sienna bit her lip. "How do we get Shella Marks?

"Hey! You started talking!"

"I can't stay silent forever…" she whispered.

"You can get Shella Marks by going to Veo Lu Sluice." Nayruu smiled. "And there is also a myrr tree there, so we can kill two birds with one stone!"

"Why would you want to kill birds?" Sienna mumbled.

"We don't! It's a figure of speech saying that we'll get two jobs done in one task." Nayruu laughed.

Sienna sat down in quiet confusion as Nayruu spoke of things she had never heard of. Shara Ne and Celeste were, once again, arguing over Elliot, and Elliot was talking to Dahn Mi. Yhagris and Naza Dat went to look for water and firewood.

"Sienna! You're finally talking!" Dahn Mi laughed.

"I only stopped talking for one day…" Sienna muttered.

"It seemed like forever to me." Dahn Mi smirked.

Nayruu glared at Dahn Mi as Sienna half-giggled.

"Why are you always hitting on girls?" Nayruu gave Dahn Mi an evil stare. "You are such a perve."

"What?" Dahn Mi smiled. "Well, I can't say I'm not one…"

Sienna and Nayruu moved a little more away from Dahn Mi.

"I was joking!" Dahn Mi yelled.

"Riiight…" Nayruu said.

----

Yhagris followed Naza Dat as they made there way through a small forest. The rest of the group had the chalice, so Yhagris and Naza Dat used a little backup Myrr "lantern".

It was not really a lantern. It was just a small lantern, without the candle, and a tiny myrr crystal with some myrr droplets at the bottom of it. It didn't give off any light, but it did provide ample protection from the miasma.

Yhagris held the lantern ahead of him, trying to walk a little faster. Naza Dat was a little too fast for Yhagris, simply because Selkies have excellent speed, and kept stopping and waiting for Yhagris.

"I found some good sticks." Naza Dat mumbled.

Yhagris picked them up and threw them in a bag he had on his back.

"You should know you really hurt Sienna." Yhagris said.

"That's a bit off topic, don't you think?" Naza Dat closed his eyes. "Besides, I already know that. I feel like shit already; don't make it worse."

"Sienna doesn't know that." Yhagris had a bit of anger in his voice.

"I can't talk to her."

"Why? Is it because you're afraid of her hating you?"

"Exactly."

Naza Dat started walking, pretending to look for firewood. Yhagris could tell he was just trying to get off the subject.

"I was told that you didn't want to hurt her, but you already killed her inside…and you're also killing yourself inside." Yhagris said very seriously.

Naza Dat stopped in his tracks.

"Do we have enough firewood?" Naza Dat muttered.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I'll get the water later. I have to talk to Sienna."

----

Sienna hummed as she poked the fire with a thin stick. The sparks flew up in the air, making a red, shining veil over her. At first she was afraid of burning her hair, but soon the fear was gone.

"Is she okay?" Dahn Mi asked.

"Don't be stupid, obviously not. She's hiding her pain." Shara Ne whispered.

"I figured that much." Elliot got up

Elliot walked into the caravan and searched around. He grabbed some meat out of a bag and put it on a plate. He carried the plate out of the caravan.

"Sienna, will you help me cook these?" Elliot asked.

"Oh, sure." Sienna said quietly, half-smiling.

Sienna grabbed a few sticks and started weaving them together, making a flat surface. Elliot then placed the meat on the wood, trying to keep the weight even. The sparks kept flying around, so the moved a little away from the fire.

'They know about my feelings, don't they? I have to hide them. I won't let myself appear weak. I don't want to be made fun of.' Sienna thought in her head.

"Hey Sienna, you're the better cook. Are you helping me or not?" Elliot laughed.

"Huh? O-Oh yeah!" Sienna said, sounding very out-of-it.

"You look so strange when you're deep in thought." Elliot smiled.

Yhagris and Naza Dat were in the view of the caravan. When they got near it, they put down the firewood. Yhagris put his firewood down softly and Naza Dat dropped it on the ground, ignoring the chance that they may roll away. His mind was completely focused on one thing: Sienna.

"Sienna, can I talk to you?" Naza Dat whispered to Sienna as he got closer to her.

"Um…okay." She sat in confusion.

'Please…Please don't make it hurt more. Please!' Sienna's mind screamed.

----

Sienna sat on a large, rock as Naza Dat sat across from her on a fallen tree. They were not far from the forest Naza Dat and Yhagris were earlier.

"Why did you tell me to come here?" Sienna whispered as a tear fell from her eye. "Do you just want to hurt me more?"

"I'm…I'm sorry. I just-I've experienced things like this before." Naza Dat hid his face. "When I was a child, my father left my mother. It killed her, because she was in so much pain. That's why I wanted it to end then, because incase I did that or died…on you. You're pain would be a hundred times worse."

Sienna sat there silently, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"The pain would be less if I left you before you grew attached to me, before you loved me…" Naza Dat lifted his head and looked at Sienna.

Sienna smiled. "I can take the pain of losing you, because I've already lost you before. I can stay with you and live without pain, until then. Then, when it does happen, I'll just have to live with it."

Sienna got up and sat beside Naza Dat. He grasped his hand and held it tight. Naza Dat looked at her and smiled.

"You could live with that chance? The chance of losing me?" Naza Dat asked.

"Of course. Everyone has to anyways."

"Thank you, Sienna."

"For what?" she blushed.

"For easing both of our pain."

Naza Dat let go off Sienna's hand and hugged her instead. Sienna smiled and pushed her face into his, forcing a kiss. Naza Dat held her tighter, kissing her back.

'I'm so happy that this can happen.' Sienna thought, then closed her eyes.

----

Naza Dat and Sienna walked back to the caravan, hand in hand. Sienna was smiling as she was thinking.

Elliot smiled and laughed as he held a plate full of burnt meat.

"Oh jeez! I forgot about that! Sorry Elliot!" Sienna had her first real laugh in days.

Dahn Mi moved a bit closer to Shara Ne. "They actually made up. Wow." He whispered.

"Unlike you, neither of them believes in one-night-stands." Shara Ne glared at him.

"I never believed in those! Damn stereotypes…" Dahn Mi steamed.

Elliot walked up to Shara Ne and Dahn Mi. "Want some?" he said holding out the steaks.

"No thanks. Hey, where's Nayruu? It's too quiet for her to be here." Shara Ne smiled.

"Sure. Mmmm! Fully cooked!" Dahn Mi laughed. "Nayruu went to fetch some water."

"Umm…Dahn Mi? I-I … crap! I can't say it!" Elliot tried to say something, but ran away.

"Is he okay?" Dahn Mi asked.

"I dunno. Something definitely strange is going on with Elliot." Shara Ne mumbled to herself.