Chapter 10 : broken Sandra

As soon as the group stepped into the town Elena was immediately surrounded

"Are you here to sing?! Please please sing!" one young boy excitingly begged as he jumped up and down.
"I'm s-sorry. I am not here with my troupe today. I am only passing through." The crowd voiced their disappointment but still welcomed her warmly.

"Your certainly a popular one." Skye noted as he landed on Ryudo's shoulder, careful of Lita that also sat upon them. Elena smiled as Millenia also added
"Your troupe must have been a sight to see. I wish I could have seen a show."
"Miss Ele sings so prettily! We saw a lil' when I first met her! HEEEEEYYYYY! I know! You should do one by yourself miss Ele! I want to hear it again!" Lita happily bouced up and down on Ryudo's shoulders. Skye quickly fluttered to Millenia's shoulders in hopes to escape the excited girl. Ryudo wasn't so lucky as he found himself falling over from the sudden movement.

"Kitten..." Ryudo mumbled from the muddy puddle he now found himself laying in "Don't do that again or I will kill every flower we see."
"MISTER RYU! DON'T DO THAT!" she cried in panic. Ryudo was quite enjoying this new found threat of his.
"Ryudo?" A familiar voice called out. Ryudo slowly sat up, Lita sliding off his back as he did, and his gaze fell on the worried face of Sandra. She smiled slightly but Ryudo could still read the concern that covered her expressions.

"SANDRA!" Elena happily exclaimed as she hugged the middle aged woman. Sandra happily accepted the hug.

Ryudo all but glared at Sandra as she poured some tea. He knew something was wrong and he knew Sandra was hoping to get everyone comfortable before she exposed her news. Looking out the window Ryudo calmed slightly as he watched Aria, Nicolas and Lita running around playing together. Millenia, though, seemed on edge as she also watched the children, or rather, she watched Aria. Sandra finished serving the tea and slowly sat in her chair. She was silent as if searching for the right way to word it. Millenia sighed and blurted out in her usual impatient manner
"You feel the eyes of valmar has returned to little Aria." Sandra did not reply but her eyes showed that Millenia had hit the nail on the head. Elena looked saddened as Ryudo finally drew his eyes from the window and back to Sandra.

"Kinda knew already. Anyone fallen asleep yet?" He asked bluntly. Sandra shook her head
"No...But what if it happens soon. Aria told me she is seeing things others can't see again... She seems scared this time because she knows that it's bad. She is scared she will sleep again and not see Nicolas for ages." Millenia looked pained...Because she had no choice but to take the eyes from her. Ryudo stood up as he asked

"Sandra...Please watch Lita. We will be gone for a little while." Sandra nodded as she watched her group of guest file out of the house.
"So...They will examine the fissure...Please...help my daughter. I only just got her back." Tears streaked her face. She had been so quiet...but really she was broken. The first time she sound out about the eye of valmar in her daughter, she had asked that they kill her, when it looked like they would she threw herself in hopes to protect her. She thought she lost her but with the hope of getting her back she spent one and a half years filling the barren garden with flowers. Now her daughter was back but now...did she really have to go through it again?

The fissure was still dark and dank. Elena watched as Ryudo and Millenia searched for the trap door. She wanted to pray to Granas that they would find the seal unbroken...old habits die hard she thought as she helped her two friends yank at the chain in the ground. They kind of knew what they would find... and despite all their hopes, they were right. A broken seal. Millenia looked around and finally pulled out a box. Once again a page was in it, torn from a book and aged by the years.

"Still can't read the damn thing." Millenia muttered under her breath.
"so what now Ryudo?" Elena asked. Ryudo sighed as he looked up at the seal
"we look for the copy. What else?" He sat on the ground and the girls sat either side of him.

"Can we sit here Like this?" Elena asked leaning her head on Ryudo's shoulder.
"Just for a little while?" Millenia asked as she also rested her head on his shoulder. Ryudo sighed before replying
"Just a little while." And they sat silently in the dark caves. All disheartened and tired. Millenia's fire burned out leaving them in the pitch blackness but no one bothered to light the room. They just sat quietly, as if in a daze, the silence was deafening. Elena quickly pulled away and coughed into her hand.

"Elena? Are you okay?" Ryudo asked. She could feel the wetness that covered her hand, that thick liquid that she knew was red but the dark made it impossible to see.
"Fine. I think the crash in the snow just gave me a cold. I will be fine." She replied as she took her already blood stained handkerchief and tried to wipe her hand clean.
"we better go. Maybe you should warm up at the inn?" Ryudo suggested.
"Yeah! I can look after Ryudo." Millenia teased as she took Ryudo's arm
"I'm fine." Elena snapped back, obviously not amused by Millenia's jesting.

Mean while The kids played happily in the garden. Aria and Nicolas ran, about to take each others hands when a woman's hand appeared between theirs. Their eyes followed the hand, up the arm and reached the beautiful woman's face that frowned back at them, her white hair framed her face and her dark brown eyes seemed to plead with them
"Don't touch." She said with a sad smile before returning to Lita's form.