Ethel watched Bolearis go smiling fondly and then sank into the seat next to Joran. The young man smiled, too.
"See", he said. "I told you it would be easy making him ask. He truly loves you, Ethel."
Ethel sighed. "I wish I could feel the same for him. Everything would be easy then."
"Life never is easy", Joran said sounding precocious. He waited a moment before he went on. "So. Since I helped you out with him, now for my reward."
Ethel shrugged. "Okay. Then just ask me what you want to know and be done with it."
Joran leaned back, looking at the training field below. The others had finished the course and went to the showers. There was still some time left.
"The man you are dreaming of", Joran said to Ethel. "What does he look like?"
"What?", Ethel exclaimed breathlessly. "Why would you want to know?"
"You said, you would answer any question I ask truthfully, if I helped you with Bolearis."
Ethel seemed unwillingly at first, but then decided that a promise was a promise. "He is tall, wearing a white battle suite with red ornaments. His hair is all red, too. He looks older than me, but that's maybe because of the beard."
"And?", Joran asked as if he could sense there was a 'and'.
"And his left arm is on fire, but he is not burning. His hair is burning, too. It's kind of like a flaming braid straight on his head."
"But he is not burning, right?"
"Yes, I know this sounds stupid, but he seems to be fine. It is just the way he is. Fiery."
"Hm." Joran was pondering her words. "Like from another world, right?"
"Yeah", Ethel said slowly. "You could say that." She shook her head as in disbelieve. "As if something like that would exist… another world."
Joran did not blink. "Who knows", he said, "maybe it does."
He would most certainly not tell her about Noah and the girl with the cat-ears he had been dreaming about since he was ten years old. Nor would he tell Ethel how Noah was suffering for her not being here, here with him.
Hearing it from Noah had been the first time that Joran had learned about this other world and it had fascinated him ever since. It seemed like there were some people in this world who were craving for a person that was not around, a person so different that it could not possibly exist in this world. It seemed impossible, a dream, a fantasy, but Joran had set his mind on finding out about this other world. It somehow sounded like a good story, maybe something to make a play out of in the future. And like many a story, maybe this one could – at its core - be real, too.
Somehow for Noah's sake he wished to be able to find this world, link with it and bring together those meant to be together. Maybe for Ethel's sake, too. She was a nice girl. On the other hand, for Bolearis it would be a sad day, Joran thought. But then, the guy was tougher than he looked. He could certainly handle.