Vice-à-Vis
Chapter 9: The Deep Dark Woods
Esther and Swaine soon came upon the entrance to the forest. The air was heavy, and the distinct odor of decomposing vegetation greeted their noses as they stood before the opening. The fog made it close to impossible to see far into its depths, leaving much to be imagined on what may have been lurking within. They stood at the entrance in silence, the only sounds that could be heard were the occasional call of a bird and the wind rustling the leaves. Swaine gulped slightly as he looked at the foreboding woods.
This place looks horrible. I don't remember it looking like this several years ago. Then again, he quickly glanced at Esther beside him, lots of things have changed.
Esther's eyes shone with determination as she took a deep breath and started walking towards the forest. Noticing Swaine wasn't following her, she stopped and turned to look at him.
"What are you waiting for Swaine?" The older man shook his head and slowly walked over to Esther. She stared at him, waiting for an answer.
"It's nothing. Let's go. We need to find that tree before dark. And we don't have that much time left." He motioned towards the sky, and Esther could see that the sun wasn't shining through the haze as brightly as before.
"Then let's move it."
They made their way through the dark, damp forest, following the rough, dirt path that weaved through the trees. They climbed over huge tree roots that had grown through the ground. Leaves covered the path and crunched underfoot as they walked. Swaine continued to check their surroundings for any possible enemies lurking in the mist, while Esther gazed in awe at the huge trees and lush flora and fauna. Suddenly he put a hand out to stop Esther. She glanced over at his face. He was staring intently to their left.
"What is it Swaine?" she whispered. She looked around him, trying to see what it was he was staring at.
"Don't you see that pulsing light?" he muttered.
She stared into the mist and watched as a pale blue light emanated through the mist weakly. She took a step towards it, only to be grabbed by the arm, stopping her. She looked to see Swaine holding her back.
"And what do you think you're doing?" he demanded gruffly. She blinked at him in confusion.
"I'm just going to check out that light." She said innocently. Swaine shook his head vehemently.
"Oh no you're not. Stay back. I don't need you to fall for a possible trap or get hurt again." He began pulling her back so she stood beside him.
"But!"
"No buts," cut off Swaine sharply. He let go of her arm. "I'll go see what it's all about. Stay here." Esther crossed her arms with a huff and glared up at him.
"Remember what happened last time you said that? No way. I'm coming with you." Swaine stared intently into her blue eyes and saw there was going to be no way for him to convince her otherwise. He sighed in exasperation.
"Fine. But stay behind me." He turned his back to her, missing Esther sticking her tongue out at him.
They cautiously moved towards the pulsing light. As they got closer, they could see the light was faintly glowing from underneath some moss on a rock. They looked at it curiously. Swaine slowly reached out and scratched some of the moss off, revealing a shiny white metal beneath. He blinked in surprise.
"What the hell?"
He ran his hands over the strange rock, rubbing off the moss attached to it. When he got done, it no longer was a rock, but a shiny, white, angular piece of metal with a strange glowing blue rune in the middle. It pulsed brightly; as if it was glad it was finally revealed. He backed away slightly. Esther gasped, realizing what they were looking at.
"Swaine! It's a waystone!" she said excitedly. She moved closer to look at the object. Swaine couldn't help but breath out a sigh of relief at the news.
"Thank God." He glanced over at Esther with a raised eyebrow. "Uh, do you remember how to activate them?" Esther thought a moment.
"I think you just…touch it. But you have to stand right in front of them." Swaine turned and went over to the waystone.
"Alright then. Let's see if this still works," he muttered.
Swaine reached out and touched the waystone with his hand. A bright blue light surrounded him and a rush of energy flowed into his body. He could feel all the aches and pains go away, though he still felt a tad tired. He heard a slight gasp from behind him and he turned his head to see Esther also enveloped in the blue light. Then as quickly as it happened, the light vanished. The waystone pulsed slowly before him.
"Well that was somethin'." He said cheerfully. "I feel a whole lot better. What about you Esther?" He watched as she checked her leg. A smile fastened itself on her face.
"My leg doesn't hurt anymore!" Swaine smirked.
"Well that's good. I guess we can continue on then?" Esther nodded, the fire in her eyes burning brightly.
They continued down the path through the misty woods. As they walked, Swaine couldn't help but stare at the blonde girl beside him. She was busy gazing at the woods, her mouth miming out words of wonder as she looked at the huge trees. He rolled his eyes and smirked. Nature still impresses her. Looks like that hasn't changed.
Abruptly the path split before them. The path continued on straight, then curved down a slight slope before disappearing into the fog. A much narrower trail extended from the left before being engulfed by wild brush and low hanging branches. The mist curled around the branches, giving the path an ominous impression. Swaine didn't like the look of that path. They stopped at the crossroads and looked down each course.
"Which way do we go?" Esther's head went back and forth as she looked at the choices. Swaine shrugged.
"I thought you knew," he said. Esther sighed.
"No. I thought you did. After all, it was your idea." Swaine raised his hands in defense.
"Hey, I only suggested we go find the old tree. That didn't mean I actually remembered how to find him." Esther could hardly believe her ears.
"Oh my God! Are you serious?" She cradled her head in the palm of her hand and groaned in frustration. "So you're telling me that we are lost?" She glared at Swaine as he glared back. He put his hands on his hips as he leaned towards her.
"No. I'm just saying I'm not sure what direction to go. Sorry if I can't remember every freaking detail!" He crossed his arms defensively. "Besides I don't see you making any suggestions. You're just as clueless." Esther's cheeks puffed out and her eyebrows made angry arches over her eyes.
"Fine! You want a suggestion? How about we go…" she paused a moment then pointed towards the left path, "that way? If it doesn't lead to Old Father Oak then we'll try the other path." She folded her arms, waiting for Swaine to suggest something else. He glanced down the narrow, dark path and frowned.
"Really? Why not the other direction?" he pointed straight ahead. "That way looks a lot nicer than down there." Esther rolled her eyes, then roughly pushed her way past him as she headed down the small trail.
"Fine then, you go that way. I'll go this direction." Swaine watched as the thick bushes swallowed her up. He closed his eyes a moment and sighed deeply. Damn frustrating, stubborn, pesky girl. He opened his eyes and ran after her.
"Esther, wait up!"
Swaine couldn't help but grumble as the two moved through the dense vegetation.
"Oh yes, this is so enjoyable. I'm so glad we went this way." His jacket got caught on an errant branch and he tugged at it irritably. "Stupid forest, stupid plants! This better be the right way," he growled. Esther glared at the frustrated man as he struggled through the brush.
"Can you not complain for a second? All I hear is nothing but whining and moaning." Swaine made a face at her as his finally freed his coat from the clutches of the bough. He mumbled to himself as he trailed behind her.
"Humph. Uppity little snarky…" Esther whipped her head to gaze dangerously at him.
"What's that Swaine?" He averted his gaze quickly.
"Nothin'."
They continued on in silence, dodging branches and bushes. Swaine was getting sick and tired of the never changing landscape of green and gray. He pushed an errant strand of hair away from his face as he continued forward.
God, does this path ever end? I would kill to stop and rest about now. He sighed wearily as he dragged his feet along the rough-hewn path. He felt his stomach rumble slightly. And I'm hungry; I could go for one of those sandwiches about n-OW!
Swaine clutched his forehead and doubled in pain while taking a couple steps back. A low hanging branch had nailed him square on the forehead. It wiggled tauntingly at him as he grimaced. He cracked his eyes open and yelled angrily into the forest.
"Damn it! I've had it up to HERE with this bloody forest!" He wildly grabbed the offending branch and tugged at it, trying to break it out of his way. Suddenly he felt a hand on his arm, trying to desperately hold him back.
"Calm down Swaine! It's ok." He looked down at Esther's face, his mouth still formed into a snarl. Her eyes glowed with concern. Rage still brewed within him, but he could feel the anger slowly begin to melt away as she gazed at him and held his arm steadily. "It's fine Swaine. It's ok. Calm down." Her voice grew soft as she began to gently rub his arm. The rage disappeared from his eyes as he took a deep breath, exhaling the last of his anger. He let go of the branch and dropped his arms to his sides. Swaine didn't look at her, but she could see that he was still upset.
"What's wrong?" She asked quietly as she led them down the path. She looked up at her friend, still gently holding his arm. It was strange, she never really strayed this close to him like this unless something was wrong. Swaine didn't say anything at first.
"I'm...sorry Esther." He sighed. He rubbed the back of his head with his free arm. "I'm sorry for being such a…well," he thought a moment trying to find the right word, " a downer." His eyes softly gazed down at her as he sighed again. "I'm just…worried I guess." He grew silent, but his eyes remained downcast. At that moment, he appeared worn out and vulnerable. Esther stopped walking, halting Swaine in his tracks. He turned his head to look at her. She gripped his arm a bit tighter and bit her bottom lip, as she tried to figure out the right words to say.
"I'm sorry for being…well…such a nag and being mean to you Swaine." Her blue eyes glittered slightly in the fog. "It's been tough for me…but I think even more so for you." Swaine cocked his head.
"How do you think?"
"Well, you lost your brother, your home, your friends, and…" her eyes watered slightly as a memory resurfaced in her mind, "you nearly died." She leaned her head against his arm and sighed. Swaine wasn't sure what to do or say, so he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
"Uh…it's alright Esther and I didn't lose everything." A slight blush colored his cheeks as he continued scratching his head. His brown eyes met hers and he smiled crookedly as Esther returned a small smile. He looked ahead and saw that the path became wider; light glowed through the haze beckoning them forward.
"I think we should continue on. It looks like we are almost at the end." Esther gave him a light squeeze on his arm before letting go and walking in front of him along the narrow path. The area where she had held it and laid her head tingled slightly, and he rubbed the spot absently. Phew, that was awkward. But, a small smile lit the corners of his mouth, it was nice. He heard Esther gasp suddenly and he hurried forward to where she stood. He gaped as he stood next to her.
They stood in a huge clearing. Massive trees lined the outskirts and large tree roots curved in and out of the ground. They walked towards the middle of the clearing, looking around in awe.
"Do you think he's here?" Esther asked quietly as she looked from tree to tree. Swaine furrowed his brow as he also looked.
"Dunno. I'm not seeing anything out of the ordinary." Esther sighed as displeasure set in.
"Oh! I really thought Old Father Oak would be here!" Her mouth formed a disappointed frown on her face.
Suddenly they heard a loud creaking groan from in front of them as one of the gigantic trees shook slightly.
"Mmmmmm? Did someone say my name?"
Swaine and Esther stared in shock as they watched the massive tree before them blink tiredly at them then yawn loudly from a gaping mouth on its trunk. It gazed down at them curiously.
"Oh! Visitors! It's been a long time since I've had company." The tree smiled warmly at them.
Swaine apparently was still to shocked to say or do anything except gape with his mouth open at the huge talking tree. Esther however quickly refocused and smiled up at the tree happily.
"Hello Old Father Oak! It's nice seeing you again." The old tree looked at the young girl before it in confusion.
"Again? Have we met before?" He asked. He must not remember us. Esther thought sadly. Well, it has been a few years, and we don't probably look the same. Well, some of us at least. She glanced over at Swaine, who had seemed to snap out of his shock and was now sitting on top of one of the large tree roots. She turned her attention back to the large oak.
"Yes. Remember? Swaine and I traveled with Oliver several years ago to save the world from Shadar. We'd visit you all the time to tell you stories of our adventures." At the mention of Oliver's name, the tree perked up instantly and peered closely at the two individuals. A big smile grew on its face as recognition glittered in its eyes.
"Ah yes! Now I remember. The musical familiar tamer and…" The tree paused a moment as he looked closely at Swaine. "the scruffy thief, correct?" Swaine straightened up indignantly from his perch and scowled at Old Father Oak.
"Hey! I'll have you know I'm not a thief anymore. I'm a mechanic now." He grumbled at the tree. The tree chortled lightly.
"Oh, I'm very sorry. My apologies." The tree smiled kindly at him. Esther got a big grin on her face.
"The scruffy part is still correct though," she chuckled. Swaine let out a small protest as Old Father Oak chuckled heartily at his expense.
"So what brings you both here to the Deep Dark Woods?" The tree asked quietly as the merriment died down. Esther took a step towards the old tree.
"Well, we were wondering if you knew anything on what's happening right now with the world. As I'm sure you have noticed," She motioned towards the fog around them, "this fog is everywhere. And not only here, it's all over the world and all the kingdoms have a tower of black mist surrounding them, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. Also strange monsters and beasts have been running rampant and attacking. We were hoping you knew anything about this that could help us." Esther watched Old Father Oak hopefully. The tree looked thoughtful.
"Hmm…yes I have heard of this fog surrounding the world. As for the information regarding the black mists at each of the kingdoms that is actually new to me." The tree gazed at the duo sadly. "Unfortunately I do not know what is causing any of this to happen. I apologize." Esther's shoulders slumped at the news.
"Oh. Well, we were just really hoping you might've known something." Esther sighed in disappointment. Swaine suddenly slid off the tree root he had been sitting on and took a few steps towards the tree.
"Are you telling me, that this whole trip has been a total and utter waste? Great!" The flustered man flung his arms into the air then clamped a hand onto his face, shaking his head. The tree looked at the two steadily.
"However I can tell you a few things that may or may not aid you." At these words, Esther and Swaine looked up quickly at the ancient oak tree. Esther moved closer to the tree, as did Swaine. Esther's eyes brightened, anxious to discover what information the tree had.
"Oh please Old Father Oak, anything will probably help." The tree smiled benevolently at them.
"As a magical being, and as an ancient being, I can sense magic in all forms. This fog is not natural in nature."
Swaine snorted and muttered, "Well yeah, I could've told you that. Ow!" He rubbed at his arm where Esther had just smacked him.
"Don't be rude." She hissed at him. The tree continued on as if nothing had happened.
"The fog is being created by extremely powerful and dark magic. I haven't felt magic like this since the great and terrible wizard wars." Esther cocked her head.
"So, whoever is doing all this is very powerful? More powerful than Shadar or even Queen Cassiopeia?" The tree looked at them grimly.
"It's a possibility. This is old magic, from a time when such power flowed unrestricted and uncontrolled." Swaine sighed.
"Great, something even worse than Shadar? That's just wonderful." His voice had a sense of anxiety in it. Esther too was worried, but tried fighting it as she questioned the tree.
"How is it that such magic can still exist?" The tree was silent a moment before it spoke again.
"There is a legend, older than all the kingdoms in the world, even older than myself, that may pertain to the events that currently are happening. It's the story of the ancient civilization of Miroire." The tree's voice was hushed, but Swaine's neck prickled at the words. Esther sat on the ground cross-legged before the tree. Swaine sat beside her, reclining his body against a tree root with his hands behind his head. The air felt different, static was in the air and even the breeze was quiet as the tree began its story.
A long time ago, before the great wizard war, before man created grand kingdoms and giant machines, even before the ancient civilization of the advanced people of Naz'caa, there were once people who lived on this land in the ancient past. They were gifted with the power to communicate with the earth and all it's creatures and they were also a people with great magical power. They controlled a great expanse of the surrounding land, but were a gentle and kind people. They never used their magic for harm, instead used it to advance their grand civilization, rivaling Naz'caa in sophistication.
The people had no king or queen, but instead their leader was a woman known as the Priestess. She was the kindest, most caring, and beautiful being in the civilization, if not the world. She loved everyone and everything, and always saw the good within them, no matter how bad they were. The Priestess was not only kind and beautiful but also had immense magical power, however she only used her power for good. All loved her. The people lived in peace and prosperity for many years and the world flourished and the people were happy.
But of course, with all good things, there are always those who want more.
A group within the society became despondent with their peaceful lives, wanting adventure, fame, and most of all…power. They rose up against the Priestess, demanding that she step down and make way for a new leader. The Priestess however did not, seeing the evil intentions in their hearts and revealing them to all. In rage, the group lashed out at the Priestess and her people, and a terrible war broke out between the factions.
The war claimed the landscape, destroying much of the bountiful forests, creating huge fissures and mountains to appear. Many great beasts perished as well, spotting the land with their bones. A fog covered the earth, blanketing the world in grim darkness.
The evil faction was stronger than the Priestess' people and destroyed most of the gentle nation before the Priestess' eyes. The Priestess, tired of the fighting and bloodshed, fled to her temple, sealing herself within it. The faction chased her down to the temple and broke in, cornering her. The Priestess, knowing that the end was near, for her and for her people, became desperate…
The massive ancient tree suddenly stopped talking and sighed with remorse.
"I'm sorry young ones. But unfortunately, I cannot continue the story." Esther blinked in surprise and Swaine leaned up and looked at the tree in bewilderment.
"What do you mean you can't continue? It's just getting good!" argued Swaine. Even Esther seemed to agree.
"Yes Old Father Oak, what happened to the Priestess, to the people of Miroire?" The tree just slowly blinked its eyes and frowned sadly at them.
"I do not know. You see, the traveler who told me this story many, many years ago, never finished the story, as they too did not know the ending." Swaine sighed in exasperation and rolled his eyes.
"Of course they didn't." he grumbled. "Then what was the use of that story?" Esther frowned at him and smacked him across the arm again, causing him to yelp in pain. The old tree looked down at them.
"The story may be only a legend and I may not know what happened to the Priestess or her people, however I do know that after what happened that day, the whole civilization vanished without a trace. Nothing remained of them, except for the few empty buildings that had been left behind." The tree looked at Esther and Swaine closely. "In fact, I believe one such building still resides in this forest." Esther gasped and Swaine stared in disbelief at the tree.
"You're joking right? You do know you are talking about a building that is ancient and probably doesn't exist."
"Yes, I do know that. But I also do know that there are ancient ruins hidden deep within this forest. Nature has reclaimed most of it however, so finding it will not be an easy task." Esther tilted her head.
"Find it?"
"Mmhmm. I believe the answers you seek are hidden at those ruins. However," the tree gazed at them intently, "others have tried and failed to enter those ruins many other times." Swaine raised his eyebrow.
"Others? You mean to tell me other people have found them before?"
"Oh yes. But it has been many, many years since someone has done so. And even when they do find them, they cannot enter, as there is apparently no way to do so." Swaine stared at the tree.
"Ok so how are we supposed to enter it? In fact, how the heck are we even gonna find this place?" The tree stared at them a moment, then got a thoughtful look on it's face.
"Hmm…maybe…" the tree suddenly began shaking it's canopy violently, showering the two with leaves and twigs.
"Hey! What gives?" exclaimed Swaine as he covered the top of his head from the falling debris. Esther also quickly covered her head as well.
"Ah! Here we are." The tree did one final shake of its leaves before becoming still once again.
Swaine and Esther watched as a small scroll tumbled out of Old Father Oak's branches and landed in front of them. Esther bent down and grabbed it. Curious, Swaine peeked over her shoulder at the paper. It was yellow with age, and was slightly frayed at the edges. Esther carefully unrolled it as Old Father Oak spoke.
"This is a map of the forest. This should help lead you through the heart of the forest to the ruins." Esther stared up at the massive tree in awe.
"Thank you Old Father Oak. This will be extremely handy." The tree smiled at the young girl.
"Oh and also take this before you go." The tree shook once more, this time a couple of bottles came tumbling down along with a small, strangely shaped stone. Esther grabbed the bottles while Swaine snatched up the stone object.
"Those bottles of Sage's Elixir should help you on your journey." It said.
Swaine looked at the stone intently. It appeared to be a flat carving in the shape of a butterfly, with strange symbols and markings on it. The stone itself was a whitish color with flecks of gray and black mixed into its grains. The stone was incredibly smooth to the touch and it shone slightly as though it was polished. He traced the markings with his finger idly.
"What's up with the rock?" He asked the tree while continuing to investigate the stone.
"That stone was found in the forest a long time ago. I've just kept it on me as I thought it was interesting. Perhaps it will aid you on your journey as well." Swaine glanced up at the tree then back at the butterfly shaped rock. It looked vaguely familiar, but he just shook his head dismissing the feeling.
"Whatever you say." He muttered. He handed it to Esther, who promptly placed it into her bag. Esther nodded to the tree.
"Thank you for all your help Old Father Oak." She said gratefully. The tree smiled at her.
"Anytime, little ones. Come back and visit me, once your journey is done to tell me about your adventures." Esther grinned at the old tree.
"We'll be sure too! Goodbye Old Father Oak!" Esther stared at Swaine a moment. He raised his eyebrow at her and she quickly darted her eyes back and forth from him to the tree. Oh!
"Er...yeah. Thanks for the stuff and story…" mumbled Swaine. The tree seemed to smirk at the scruffy man.
"Hmm yes, be safe on your travels you two." The tree suddenly yawned widely. "I think I will rest now." With that the tree closed its eyes and fell into a deep slumber. Esther turned to Swaine and motioned for him to follow, leaving the ancient massive tree in the clearing to sleep.
They made it through the narrow pathway and appeared back at the main path. Esther reached into her bag and pulled out the map, unrolling it with flourish. Swaine peeked over her shoulder at the old yellow parchment.
"Ok so we are here," she traced the path they had just come from and stopped at the split, "so we need to go this way." She traced her petite finger up the path on the map. Swaine squinted at the map.
"It looks like the curves a bit and then there's a clearing and another small path extends from there." He pointed at a faded line that came out of a large circle indicating a clearing. Esther nodded then rolled up the scroll and tucked it back in her bag. She glanced up through the trees. A worried crease formed on her forehead.
"Uh oh, we better find someplace safe soon Swaine, the day is almost over." Swaine looked around him and saw she was right. The sun was barely lighting up the forest now, and the fog made it seem a lot darker in the woods. And it being darker meant…monsters.
"Come on. Let's see if we can find shelter someplace." He took off down the straight path with Esther in tow.
The path curved down a slight slope and they could hear the distinct sound of water bubbling and running in front of them. The mist and the setting sun made it very hard to see, but they could just make out a babbling brook in front of them. Flat stones jutted out of the stream allowing them to quickly hop over to the other side. The path suddenly went up again and they paused at the top to look at their surroundings.
The sun was nearly gone and the cool air of the night was beginning to make them feel a bit chilly. A slight breeze began whistling through the trees, making their hair and clothes gently sway. Esther rubbed at her arms as she tried to fight back slight shivers.
"There has to be someplace we can hold up in. I don't want to stay out in the middle of the forest."
Swaine mentally agreed with her as he scanned the woods around them. He didn't feel the cold as much thanks to his jacket, but he certainly didn't want to be in the woods in the dark. Then he spotted a small cave opening beside a small waterfall that fed the creek below them.
"There's a cave over there, come on." He led the way down a narrow path towards the cave. The stopped before it and peered cautiously inside.
"Doesn't look or sound like anything's home. Hold on a tick." Swaine looked around a moment then started looking at the ground intently. Esther watched him curiously.
"What are you doing Swaine?" she asked. The older man continued searching the ground as he answered.
"Trying to find a particular rock…ah! Here we are!" He grabbed a couple of small jet-black rocks. He looked at Esther. "Grab some wood will ya? We'll make a fire in the cave so we can stay warm." Esther nodded and quickly began grabbing up some wood and dried grass close by. Swaine slowly entered the cave. Being that it was pitch black inside, he kept a hand along the wall of the cave to guide him. He heard rustling behind him, then the sound of wood being dropped to the ground.
"Swaine? Are you in here?" a distinctly female voice asked quietly from behind him.
"Yeah, hold on. I'll make a light."
Esther stared in the direction from where Swaine's voice came from. There was the sound of light rustling, then a slight tapping noise. She watched as small sparks suddenly appeared in the dark and started flying towards the ground to where the wood was. Finally a spark lit the wood, lighting up the cave.
The cave was actually rather short, but was tall enough so that even Swaine could stand up. He pocketed the stones and quickly started putting rocks around the burning pile so as it wouldn't get everywhere. The blaze crackled and snapped and the fire lapped at its fodder. With a tired sigh, Swaine dropped to the ground and leaned against a smooth rock with his hands behind his head. Esther followed suit, but instead sat opposite him on the ground. She held her knees up to her body and stared at the dancing flames. The fire definitely made it warmer in the cave, but a cool breeze blew into the cave and even the fire couldn't prevent Esther from shivering.
Swaine watched the fire a moment in silence. A lot had happened just that day. They had been attacked on the Iron Wyvern by some black creature, fallen out of the sky into a lake, been attacked by strange black Ruffians, then wandered the forest and talked to a huge ancient tree. Now they were staying in a cave with little too no food in search of some ruins that may not even exist in the forest. He glanced over at Esther, sitting across from him. Despite his grumpy attitude about the whole thing, he was glad at least he wasn't alone, even if it was with blondie. He saw her huddle a bit tighter as the breeze picked up slightly; making the long bangs framing her faces swing gently. Quietly he went over to her and took off his green trenchcoat, holding it out to her. She glanced up at him with a surprised look on her face.
"Here take my jacket. Looks like you need it more than me." His face was unreadable, but Esther gratefully took the jacket and draped it around her shoulders. It was still warm from his body heat, and it smelled musty and earthy. He plopped down on the ground beside her, the light from the fire casting shadows throughout the cave and on them. Suddenly Esther realized something, they hadn't eaten practically all day. As if to confirm that, her stomach decided to rumble quietly. Swaine raised his eyebrow as he looked at her.
"Hungry are you?" He smirked slightly at his blonde friend who blushed slightly in embarrassment. She began rummaging in her bag for the sandwiches.
"Looks like it. It's not like we've really eaten today. Here take this." She held out a tidily wrapped sandwich in her hand and motioned it at Swaine. He stared at it hungrily, but shook his head.
"Nah, keep it in there. I'm not that hungry." As if to contradict him angrily, his stomach growled loudly in the cave. Esther giggled as he coughed embarrassingly.
"Uh huh yeah right. Take it Swaine. Besides, it's better than nothing." He took the sandwich and began chewing on it, trying to pace himself, when all he really wanted to do was stuff the whole thing in his mouth. Esther nibbled on her sandwich as well in silence.
They soon got done with their meager meal, and Esther let out a big yawn. She could hardly keep her eyes open and her head began to dip dangerously. Swaine felt tired as well, but he knew better.
"I'll stay up for a bit longer and keep watch." He said to her. The only response he got was the sound of steady breathing and then her head finding his shoulder. She was fast asleep, wrapped up in his jacket.
He smirked at the young girl, her eyes closed, hiding her blue eyes behind her dainty eyelashes. Slowly he reached into his jacket and tried reaching for his pistol. A small smooth object bumped his hand and his fingers wrapped around that instead. It was the small strange blue rock that they had found in the jacket on the ship. He stared at the blue stone in the light; curiosity glittering in his eyes as he twirled the little stone in his fingers; it felt so familiar. For some reason, he felt more at ease as he held the rock. As he stared at the patterned stone, he could swear it looked as if something was fluttering in it. He blinked a bit and shook his head. Must be getting tired. He yawned greatly and he could feel his head begin to dip slightly. His brown eyes blinked furiously as they fought to overcome the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm him. A quiet voice whispered to his worn out mind soothingly as sleep finally overcame him and his head lolled over and came to rest beside Esther's. Though no one saw it, the blue stone in Swaine's hand glowed for a brief moment.
I'll protect you my dear. Sleep now and rest.
Author's Note: Hello everyone! Just want to say, I'm glad people have been reading my story, it really brings me up knowing I have people actually reading something I've written. :D Comments on anything would be much appreciated. I haven't written in a while, so i'm pretty sure some things are out of whack, but I try my best to catch as much of it as possible. Also, I'm a terrible romantic at heart, so I hope I'm not getting super mushy gushy bleh all over my story. I swear I don't mean too but I can't help it if I do! ;)