Ace looked at Knives, at the rocks, at Knives, and back at the rocks. She couldn't tell why he was so upset. They were just rocks. Well, they were rather cool specimens of rockness, spires of stone stretching into the sky, scattered in a circle. But she saw nothing to swear over. After more then a few minutes of fruitless cursing, he turned to his left a few degrees and started to walk.
Fifteen minutes later she could see the rocks again. So could Knives. He stopped, looked at the suns, turned around, and started to walk again. This happened a couple more times, him changing direction and ending up facing the rocks again. Finally, he snarled something unintelligible and walked towards the spires.
When they got closer, Ace could see that there was a spring in the middle of all the rocks, and a few small, straggly plants growing in an uneven row. Some more of the fernlike growths lined the edges of the spring, huddled close to the source of life, and there were a couple others growing off in the middle of the desert like they had no need of water.
So this was the oasis. She wondered why Knives had tried to go someplace else. Kiley wouldn't have been able to find them then. Ace didn't know what she had done to make Knives end up here, but one sidelong glance told her that Kiley had better be careful when she arrived.
Knives was angry.
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Kiley whistled as she walked across the desert. It was a happy, sprightly tune designed to encourage tired and achy feet to walk more. All the supplies for the next however long were nestled snugly on her back, and they were not especially light. The weight forced her to walk on her toes, and her calves were beginning to cramp from slipping in the sand. Not that anyone was going to care, she thought to herself. I get hurt bringing life-sustaining energies in carbon form to them, and what thanks will I get? None.
Her thoughts continued in the same lightly self-pitying vein as the rocks came into view. She wondered idly if Knives had figured out that she had screwed with his head, or if he had been a good boy and had done what he was told without arguing. Knowing him, she wasn't going to lay odds on him not being mad now.
Ok, no more trips to a casino, she thought. Too many gambling metaphors kept sneaking into her mind.
As she moved closer she still could not see either of her two little plant friends. The oasis looked deserted, but she knew they were there. She could feel them. Closing her eyes, she surrendered consciousness for a brief trance. He…was…there. Halfway up one of the spires. What the heck was he planning? She released trance and continued her transit across the last hundred yards of sand.
She walked past the circle of stone, visibly unconcerned. Her eyes lingered briefly on the mangled remains of the plants she had grown a while back. Hmm. He must have been pissed.
She felt a gathering of energy at her back and revised that last thought. He still was pissed.
She could feel the release as he let go of whatever he had planned. Unconcerned, she hardened the air behind her, then scooped it so that whatever hit it would be ricocheted back at him.
Energy blades of various sizes came at her, some arching around the barrier she had created to hit try to her front. These few she pulled apart, dispersing the component power harmlessly into the air. She dropped the bag of supplies and spun, just in time to stop the ricochets from decapitating Knives. She held the blades suspended in the air before they could cause irreparable damage out of reflex. She had caught them just in time; one had come close enough to cutting his throat that it nicked it when he swallowed, suddenly nervous. He didn't move from his perch on the spire because he couldn't move without slitting his throat; he tried to destroy the blade he had created but couldn't. She had taken control of it when she grabbed it; his efforts to regain control were uncoordinated and easily fended off.
Slowly she stalked over to where he sat. She stood at the base of the rock and looked up, her face expressionless.
"My day's been great; thanks for asking. And how was yours?" she asked conversationally.
"Let me go, vermin. I swear, you shall pay for this," he snarled.
She tapped her lips with one finger, then held it out. "First combat lesson. Don't throw it out unless you can take it back." She cocked her head to one side, inviting a response.
"You are going to die a slow and painful death," he said conversationally. His voice was cold and clearly pitched to frighten.
She laughed. "I already did that. I'm thinking of trying something different next time."
His eyes narrowed to little slits. "You did something to me. You did something to my mind."
She had the grace to look abashed. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. Messing with your sense of direction was wrong. But I was right to do it, wasn't I? You were going back to your ship, weren't you?" He didn't respond, but she didn't need him to.
"I think you are more upset that you aren't getting your way right now than you are mad that I messed with your head. Because, think about it. If you had come here all on your own, you would never have known that I sort of took away your other options."
"I hate you," he said calmly.
"Aw, shucks. You and a bunch of other people. See how much I care?" she said, laughing. "You hate me because I won't let you do what you want. Grow up, plant boy," she said, pulling the energy out of the last blade. "Now get down here; I bought you a present."