Sa: -grins- me happy
Helga: and that would be…why?
Sa: fiirrreee…heh heheh…heh –twitches- o…what?
Helga: your happy wouldn't have anything to do with a certain redhead, would it?
Sa: no. Of course not. Never ever ever. It has to do with the fact that there is snow outside. And u no what dat means?
Helga: yeah. Fire fizzles out
Sa: exactly! If it doesn't melt before Friday, I can burn the carnation form and not worry about setting the yard on fire!
Helga: but that would be SO COOL!
Sa: heh…yeah, it would. But my duckies would get roastied.
Helga: oh…the ducks. Your god damn ducks!
Shawna: I like the ducks!
Sa: they are MY DUCKS! NOT YOURS! MINE! JUST LIKE HAYDEN! …unfortunately I don't own Aiden's Cauldron. Mr. Young and his friend got dibs on it first. –sighs- damn copyright laws.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Rain beat against the windows of the Dragonsong Inn. The Party stood in the main room and a massive storm raged outside. "Well, looks like we'll be staying here awhile," Tarbuck remarked casually.
"I hate being cooped up like this," Mayetwist grumbled.
"Easy, Maye," Gnawgh said. "We'll be out on our way soon enough."
"But I want to leave now!" Mayetwist snapped, fingering the hilt of the Song Sword.
"Gnawgh's right," Klaigge intervened. "We'll be able to travel again soon enough. Storms don't last forever and mud will dry." He shot a meaningful glance at Mayetwist, who released the hilt of her sword and walked away. Slowly, the rest of the party did the same until only Klaigge and Sendraak were left. "The Party's getting restless," Klaigge said. "And to tell the truth, so am I."
"Just think, storms are the least of our worries. It gets worse after this," Sendraak said.
"That's all the more reason to get out of here," Klaigge said. There was a cold edge to his voice that surprised Sendraak. It wasn't like Klaigge to let his emotions get the best of him.
"Klaigge, try not to be impatient. The Party looks to you at times like these, if you don't hold yourself together, they won't either." Klaigge sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"You're right. I'm sorry, Sendraak." Sendraak smiled reassuringly and walked away. Klaigge retreated to the corner he had claimed for his own and sat, lost in thought. He didn't like staying so long. Somehow he didn't think that those Things hunting them would mind a bit of rain.
Maali walked towards Klaigge. As she neared him, she halted. The brooding look on Klaigge's face seemed unwelcoming, a warning. Assuring herself that Klaigge would like someone to talk to, she willed herself forward. As Maali approached him, Klaigge looked up. "What's wrong?" she asked. Klaigge shook his head slowly and motioned for her to sit. "It's alright, you can tell me," Maali said. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked into his clouded eyes. "I'm here for you, Klaigge." Giving his shoulder a friendly squeeze, Maali diverted her gaze. Slowly, Klaigge reached a hand up and grasped her forearm softly.
"I'm alright," he said quietly.
"You know you can always talk to me," Maali told him. She suddenly felt very hot and nervous. His hand on her arm was unnerving her fast. Mentally, Maali scolded herself. Klaigge is upset! You should be focusing on helping him, not on your feelings for him! Finally, she spoke again. "You're worried about something. What is it?" Klaigge looked ready to give her another halfhearted reassurance, but seemingly changed his mind.
"The Things that are following us…I don't think this storm will affect them much. For all we know, they could be waiting for us outside that very door."
"It'll be alright," Maali said. "Besides, the villagers would have said something, had they seen the Things."
"You're right," Klaigge said. He looked convinced, but there was still something weighing on his mind. Somehow Maali knew it wasn't of the same nature as the Things.
"Klaigge, is there anything else you want to talk about?" she asked. Again, Klaigge shook his head wearily. If only he could tell her.
She would laugh at me, Klaigge thought. She doesn't love me. He contemplated this for a moment before meeting Maali's eyes and smiling. "Look at me, shoving all my troubles on you," he said. "I'm sorry, Maali. I know you're just as anxious to leave as the rest of us." Maali shivered slightly at the warmth in his voice. Klaigge's eyes filled with concern as he looked at her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Maali reassured him.
"Are you sure you aren't cold?" he asked. Maali nodded.
But you could warm me up anyway, she thought. Maali shook her head slightly as if to clear it and slowly removed her hand from Klaigge's shoulder. He did not release her forearm. Instead, he slid his hand down to hers and held it gently. After a moment he stood, looking at the clock mounted on the wall.
"It's getting late," he said. "I'm going to bed." Then, softly, he whispered, "goodnight milady." The glint in his eyes again caused Maali to wonder exactly how he felt about her. She decided that she would just have to wait and see.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The next morning, Sendraak woke the Party just after dawn, telling them to pack their bags. Finally they had gathered downstairs. He quickly explained that the eye of the storm was above them, and they needed to move on before the rest of the storm hit. He said that the townsfolk had informed him of a larger, cheerier inn in the next town, only a day and a half's walk away. The Party, glad to be finally moving on, traveled in high spirits. Several times that morning, Maali glanced at Klaigge to find him watching her. He would smile slightly and that glint would flash in his eyes, and then he would look away again. She found it hard to keep her mind off him. The roads were muddy and wet, but so long as they stayed to the outer edge, near the grass, it wasn't too deep. When they finally stopped for the night, they found a small hill where the trees were thick and no water had gotten beneath them. Again, Klaigge dreamed.
He walked alone through dark halls; the only light came from his dying torch. With every step he took, the light grew smaller and less bright. He had a feeling that he was needed somewhere. Klaigge walked faster, calling out words he did not recognize. The corridor ended sharply, turning an abrupt corner and stopping at a door. Light flooded through the cracks between it and the walls. Klaigge put out his torch and crept inside. The light was blinding at first, but when his eyes adjusted, he wished he hadn't. There stood InkleTomb, his back to Klaigge. Again the Sorcerri was surrounded by the bodies of his friends. Again, Maali was not among them. He crept along the wall carefully to see what he was doing. When he finally did get far enough along the wall, he saw Maali bleeding to death on the floor. InkleTomb laughed softly, a cold, humorless laugh. Then, he turned on Klaigge. The small dagger left his hand, and before Klaigge knew what was happening, it buried itself in his heart…
Klaigge was about to wake up, just as he always did from his nightmares: sweating, shaking, and holding back a yell. He was half awake when he felt someone gently brush a few stray hairs from his face. The hand pressed lightly against his cheek a moment, and then was quickly withdrawn as he stirred. Klaigge opened his eyes slowly to find himself looking into Maali's gentle face. "You had another nightmare," she told him softly. "It's your watch." Klaigge sat up slowly, feeling as if he had been hit with a sack of bricks. Slightly disoriented, he walked over to the spot they had chosen for the watch. Maali sat beside him. "Do you mind if I stay up with you?" she asked. When he shook his head, Maali looked at him, concerned. "Klaigge are you alright?"
"Mhm…I'm fine…just tired."
"You haven't been sleeping well lately." Maali said. Thoughtfully, she added, "Did you know that you talk when you dream about him?"
"No, milady, I wasn't aware of that."
"Since when was I your lady?" Maali asked. Before Klaigge could answer, she added, "Klaigge, are you flirting with me?" She held back a smile as she watched his eyes go blank for a second.
"It depends," he said slowly, a mysterious grin on his face.
"Depends on what?" Maali asked cautiously.
"Do you want me to be flirting with you?" Maali thought about her answer a second.
"What if I were to say yes?"
"Then I might just have to do…this," Klaigge said, leaning closer. His lips were just meeting hers when they heard a rustling in the underbrush.
"Klaigge, your watch is over," Sendraak said. The tall man ignored the fact that Maali was there. If he had any idea of what he had disturbed, he wasn't letting on. Both Klaigge and Maali stood and left. Stopping just at the edge of the soft firelight, Klaigge smiled and winked at Maali, then walked away, the grin quickly fading from his face.
I can't believe I did that… he thought. A small voice in the back of his head buzzed softly, And she let you…