Thank you so much for the reviews! I thought long and hard about how Freya and zid should meet, hopefully this is kinda original! Anyway, enjoys this chap, guys!
Chapter Twelve
Antics Of A Monkey, Part I
Despite being not far past midday, the forest was obtrusively dark. Vast clumps of leaves knitted together to form a thick balcony above, which grudgingly refused sunlight access to the ground below. Occasionally a splash of gold filtered through and the plants battled feverishly for that spot, greedily soaking up the warmth. Elsewhere, it was decidedly cool, the environment bathed in subdued shades of inky blues and greys. Insects hummed from unseen places and the thick trunks were a foreboding, silent presence.
Hidden within the crook of a large tree's snaking roots, intruders into this dank environment drank in their surroundings cautiously.
'Tough luck, huh?'
The Burmecian girl turned her disdainful gaze to the boy in front of her. No more than thirteen, she guessed, he was clearly a ragamuffin street urchin from a nearby city. He was caked in foul smelling swamp mud from chin to toe, dried blood slathered up one arm, but his bright eyes bore into hers with such profound confidence and intelligence that she was endeared to him nonetheless.
'It is,' she replied.
'How're yer wounds?'
Freya flexed her arms experimentally and pain rippled through her chest and shoulders.
Her face must have been ample answer enough because the boy said, 'I'm not a doctor but I reckon some Pina-Pina weed will fix those wounds up. Should be some growing under a rock somewhere here abouts. I'll go find some and then we can start a fire. I guess we'll be staying the night, unless you want to move further into the forest?'
'Hm? Oh no, here will be quite adequate.'
The blonde nodded and stood, allowing Freya to notice his tail. She quickly averted her stare to avoid seeming rude.
'I'll go then, be back in a sec. I'll look for food too,' he added, walking away into the tangle of trees. 'I do have a food supply but it's not big enough for the both of us so I suppose -'
'Why are you helping me so?' the girl asked suddenly.
The boy shrugged. 'You don't need a reason to help people.'
Any initial distrust and coldness toward the boy immediately vanished, his reply warming the Burmecian profoundly, and she said, 'What's your name?'
Already hidden amidst the crowd of trees she heard him call, 'Zidane!' before disappearing out of earshot.
XXXX
The youth named Zidane returned just as Freya was beginning to worry, with a handful of Pina-Pina weed and a pocketful of wild mushrooms, herbs, edible roots and fruit.
'Hardly a feast,' he said, piling the food by the fire Freya had lit, 'but it's fit for travelers, I'm sure.'
The silver haired girl nodded her approval and set about preparing their meal while Zidane busied himself by constructing a makeshift-sleeping base with leaves and blankets.
'We should search for a spring to clean ourselves and refill our water bottles,' Freya suggested as she ground the healing weed into a paste. 'You're wounded as well, I see.'
Zidane shrugged and flashed her a cheeky grin. 'Not half as bad as you. What were you doing taking on a Grand Dragon anyway?'
'I hardly intended the encounter,' Freya retorted. 'They don't usually come this far south. It attacked me and fleeing was not an option.'
'Why?'
'Dragon Knights do not flee.'
Warming his hands by the fire the thief raised an eyebrow. 'You're a Dragon knight? From Burmecia?'
Freya nodded, inwardly cursing herself for bringing the subject up.
'What are you doing here then?'
'That is not your concern.'
The blonde shrugged again. 'Sorry. It's just I've only ever seen one other Burmecian before, so I was curious.'
Freya's attention was piqued. 'You have? Who? What did they look like?'
Zidane brought a hand up to his chin and stared at the canopy. 'Um...I think it was about a year ago in Lindblum. He was really tall, had a blonde moustache and wore a dark blue cape. He also carried this massive spear, like yours.'
'That's him!' Freya yelled, blue eyes sparkling.
'Who?'
'Sir Frately!'
'...Who?'
Freya sighed. 'I doubt he'd still be there... if you saw him a year past...'
'You're looking for him? Is he your brother?'
The silver haired knight shook her head. 'No... He's my... he's a...my... well, I...'
'He's someone important to you,' Zidane supplied.
'Yes.'
'Well... he's not in Lindblum anymore.'
Freya's shoulders drooped.
'But I know where he might be. Word on the street was that he was headed toward a place called - what was it? - Dali...'
'Finally!' Freya cried. 'A clue to Frately's whereabouts! Thank you so much, Zidane, I don't know how to repay you!'
He smiled. 'No problemo. But there is something you can do for me...'
'Oh?'
'Take me with you, to Dali, I mean.'
Freya raised an eyebrow. 'Why's that?'
'Because I'm looking for something too,' he grinned. 'And if I get to look for it with a pretty girl at my side, all the better!'
Freya chose to ignore the comment. 'What you're looking for is in Dali, then?'
'Maybe. I don't know. Is Dali blue?'
'What?'
'Is it blue?'
'Blue as in... sad?'
'No, blue as in...the color of my trousers.' He looked down at his mud caked breeches and laughed. 'Well, they were blue.'
Freya shrugged. 'Maybe. I've never been. You're welcome to accompany me, if you wish, as long as you stay out of my way. Why is the color blue of import to you?'
Zidane stared into the dancing flames, melancholy clouding his azure eyes. 'It's the color of my home, I think. I live in Lindblum with an acting troupe, Tantalus. Boss adopted me when I was a kid and I don't remember anything before that except... except that damned light...'
An understanding yet somehow sad silence enveloped the pair and Zidane reflected briefly upon the unexplainable bond that had abruptly developed between the two.
'Life is a cruel mistress,' Freya whispered. 'We've both lost irreplaceable parts of our lives and must leave family and home to find them.'
The blonde nodded in unspoken agreement and after eating his fill of Freya's stew, he curled up by the fire and fell into a fitful sleep dominated by a blue light.
He awoke to find his surroundings laced with frost. Birds sang in the canopy and the smell of cooking wafted on a chill breeze to greet him.
'You're awake then,' a female voiced chimed and Zidane suddenly remembered where he was.
'Yep! I'm always awake at the crack of dawn,' he crowed, stretching.
Freya raised an eyebrow. 'Crack of dawn? It's edging on midday.'
Zidane gaped. 'What!? Why didn't you wake me?!'
'I tried but you sleep like a rock.'
Zidane giggled and Freya admonished him slightly with a disapproving shake of the head.
'Come on,' she said. 'No time must be squandered. We must make haste to Dali.'
XXXX
Thrilled to have someone to speak to, Zidane practically indulged the rather ear-sore Freya with his life story. Despite his perseverance the chatty boy could determine nothing of Freya's past, who was very tight lipped about the whole subject. All he could discern was that the nineteen-year-old left Burmecia to search for Frately at the age of sixteen. He was disappointed to know that Freya, despite her extensive traveling, had known not of a place with a blue light, and for that she was apologetic.
Having run out of things to say, Zidane had now resorted to the next best thing.
'I spy with my little eye...something beginning with...'f'!'
'Fields?' Freya sighed. Ignoring him hadn't worked so now she felt obliged to play his silly game.
'Yep! Your turn!'
'Zidane, for the hundredth time I'm not playing your childish -'
'Ok my turn again! I spy with my little eye...'
'Oh for the love of -'
'Hey look over there!'
Thankful for any distraction Freya turned to see where the boy was pointing and spotted a nymph prancing toward them.
Could today get any worse? 'Ignore it,' she said. 'She'll keep bugging us for loot otherwise - Zidane!'
Heedless of Freya's warning the thirteen year old was bounding toward the green elf with an endearing grin pasted on his features. The Dragon Knight sighed and jogged after the mischievous teenager.
'Hello,' Zidane said to the Nymph. 'What's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?'
Freya looked at him in disbelief. 'You're not serious?'
'Ore, please!' the Nymph chimed, swaying hypnotically. Freya noticed with mild distaste that Zidane's eyes were shamelessly drinking in the curves of the Nymph's body.
'Never mind the ores,' he replied. 'How 'bout me and you go someplace quiet and -'
'Ore, please!'
'Persistent aren't you? Alright we'll make a deal.'
'Zidane, cease this foolishness at once!'
'I'll give you an ore if you go on a date with me.'
The Nymph fixed the boy with a cold stare then abruptly turned to Freya. 'Ore, please!'
Zidane hung his head.
'Ore, please!'
Freya rummaged around in her bag and practically threw the ore at the Nymph. 'Take it and go! Irritating thing...'
The Nymph greedily snatched the ore then dashed off into the Mist, leaving behind a rejected Zidane and a fuming Freya.
'That was disgusting,' Freya concluded after a moment.
'What?' he protested. 'Can't a guy get a little fun? You're clearly besotted with Frately so it's not like me and you could -'
'Don't even suggest it,' Freya growled. 'Aren't you a little young to be thinking along those lines? Your voice is still breaking for Eidolon's sake...'
He grinned. 'Nah! I lost my virginity at -'
'Alright, alright, sorry I brought it up. 'She sighed. 'Come on. Dali isn't far now. Gods know I could do with a break from you...'
Yet despite everything Freya couldn't hide her smile or deny the affection she felt toward the frivolous boy.
I recalled in the game that Zidane mentioned how he'd been to Dali before...so...yeah. Thought I'd incoperate it. Haha I love Zidane's ability to flirt with anything with a pulse lol. Please leave a review! I love them so...
