Once Upon a Time
A Slayers Fic
by Hotaru "Aerocephalus" Lai ^.^ (Thanks SzeMing for the name! well...no
not really.....*grin*)
Disclaimer... characters not mine. BUT! the story is... ^^
Chapter 4
There comes a time, in everyone's life, when you wake up and realize that you can't make it by yourself in life. For some, it comes later in life. For others, a bit earlier. You usually realize it when something awful happens, like flunking a class (and you realize you need a tutor...) or when you're friends leave you (and you need new ones...) or when you're parents die or when you realize that life isn't as pretty and rose colored and simple as others say. That time had come for the two young adventurers as they left their home. Had they noticed that they got to the same point at the same time would have given them a clue as to what Fate had laid out for them... but they didn't notice, and Fate was left alone and unworried. As it was, both were so into their own thoughts, that it flew right over them.
*****
"Where are we going?" asked Xellos as he stopped a second, wiping the sweat of his brow. The afternoon sun was beating down hotly on him, and he felt the urge to take of his black cloak and then find a tree to rest under. He had seen Merlina carry her staff and seeing that she walked easier, he had gotten one also. Well, it had honestly been a semi thick branch, since he couldn't find anything else, and it still had had the twigs and other parts of a branch on it. The next day after that, he picked up his branch, only to realize that it had been trimmed and was much easier to handle. Merlina hadn't said a thing, and Xellos kept his questions to himself. The walk had become much easier with the staff, but he was still dead tired. Merlina, on the other hand, didn't look like she'd ever stop. Sure, she was panting also, but not as much, and she didn't look like as if she were dripping buckets of sweat.
"There's a fork in the road a few minutes from here." said Merlina, without looking back to see if he was following nor stopping. Xellos sighed, looked yearningly at a nice big and shady tree at the side of the road and ran after her. "We'll decide when we get there." And they began to walk in silence once more. After a few minutes, just like Merlina said, there was a fork, splitting into three roads.
"So, where to?" asked Xellos, quite curious.
"I don't know." said Merlina. "Do I look all knowing to you?" There was an undercurrent of tension in her voice as she glared at him.
"Sorry." said Merlina. He almost lost control and said 'You certainly act like it!' but he kept silent on that.
"Depends what you want to do." said Merlina. "So choose."
"Huh?" asked Xellos. "Why me?" He pointed to himself, his violet eyes opening slightly in confusion.
"Cause you're the one who wanted to follow me." said Merlina with a sigh.
"So, that means I follow you." said Xellos.
"No, not necessarily. Now, choose a path." said Merlina. She crossed her arms, raised her right eyebrow, and tapped her boot clad feet.
"Why don't you?" asked Xellos. "After all, you were supposed to have a goal in mind." Merlina rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her hood was down and he could see her brilliant red hair float in the wind.
"Fine, but don't come crying to me later when you don't want to stay in town." she said as she began her marching, taking the left fork. Xellos trailed after her. He found himself feeling a bit better. The break had given him some time to gather energy. "Besides, I was planning on going here anyway. I just wanted to see where you would go."
*****
"So, this is the place." said Xellos wearily as they made it to the top of a hill overlooking the town.
"Yeah." said Merlina. "It's called Tryyad. It's a small town. I don't know about you, but I'll be staying here for some time. Until...." She trailed off, looked thoughtfully at Xellos and then turned back to the road. "Let's go." Xellos felt puzzled. After being her classmate for so many years, he was starting to see different aspects of Merlina. First, there was the cold and uncaring Merlina during class. Then the respectful Merlina whenever she handed out notes carefully. Then there was the she Merlina whenever he tried to talk to her. And now, the quiet Merlina, when she didn't tell him anything. How many more facets were there that no one seemed to know about?
"So, what do we do now?" he asked. Truth be told, he was confused and feeling awkward. He had wanted to follow her, who knows why? Maybe it was because he thought he could get answers from if he followed. She seemed to know so much and be so strong. In a way, he was starting to admire her. He had been astonished at what he had seen, but at least his mother was still alive, although that thought didn't give him too much joy. Her mother had died, because of his. And she hadn't given up. Yeah, he was following her to get answers he felt he needed to be able to continue, but he was also following her for a different reason. She was strong. He hoped to be able to learn from her strength.
"You still following me?" she asked. Merlina stared into violet eyes. It was weird, having someone follow her. Sure, she had always been slightly on the independent side and was used to being her own boss. This was the first time, though, that someone was following her, willingly! What was it with him? Didn't he see that they'd probably be better off separate? She knew that every time he saw her, he would be reminded of his home, just like she was reminded of hers. They should be separate, lest they drive each other insane.... But as she looked at him, she didn't want to leave him either. No, there wasn't anything...*shudder* romantic or the such. It was just, that... well... she saw something else in him. Something that she had never thought to see in his eyes. There was confusion in those crystalline depths, and not just that, there were questions, there was a sense of stubbornness and also, there was a look of respect when he looked at her. Suddenly, she felt many years older than she was.
"Yeah." said Xellos.
"Let's go, then." she said. She tore her gaze away from the innocent look in his eyes and made a beeline to a part of the town. He hurriedly followed her, staff in hand, a relieved look on his face. He was glad that Merlina was taking care of things. He knew he'd be hopelessly lost and robbed before the hour was over, had he been left by himself.
*****
"This is where we'll stay." said Merlina. "And before you say anything. Yes, I know. It has a weird name." Xellos hurriedly shut his mouth. They were in front of an inn called THE RAT'S NEST and it had little furry creatures (mice, really) who were running about in yellow and white striped pajamas and carried candlesticks and wore little fluffy slippers and a warm cap.
"Nice decor." he said, lamely. Merlina smiled.
"Yeah." she said. "Come on. It's pretty good. Decent food and rates, and clean rooms and bathrooms." At the mention of rates, Xellos froze.
'Oh no!' he thought to himself. He was so mad at himself. Obviously, it would cost money to rent the place. And like the idiot he was, he hadn't taken a single penny with him when he had left home. He was about to tell Merlina, but she had walked in already. She was already closing the deal when he came to stand beside her.
"... OK." said the Attendant. "It's one room, one week, double meals a day. 200 copper pieces per night." She looked at Merlina.
"And an extra cot." said Merlina with a smile.
"And an extra cot." confirmed the Attendant. "That will be 50 more copper pieces for the whole week."
"Total of 250." said Merlina. She reached into her cloak and pulled out a red velvet bag with a draw string made off yellow cord. She carefully counted the money and smiled as she received two copies of a key.
"Here you go." she said as she turned to face Xellos and hand him the key.
"Reimbursable on leave if you don't eat all meals as usual." said the attendant.
"Um... sorry." said Xellos as he looked at Merlina. He was slightly taller than her. He bowed his head, feeling extremely bad.
"Don't worry." said Merlina. Her eyes took on a far away gleam. "Let's go. It's a nice place. They'll put in the new cot by tonight." They walked up the stairs.
*****
It was night. Xellos stared at the ceiling above them. Merlina had been right. The place was nice and clean and presentable. It was hard to sleep. He was restless. It was his first time away from home. And he didn't like lying still. Normally, he'd be up and doing something, but Merlina was sleeping, and he wouldn't dare bother her. She had done so much already, and he didn't want to become a bigger nuisance. So, he concentrated on sleeping. He tried to count sheep. All he got a tremendous headache from counting balls of fluff that looked more like mice than sheep. (Drat his awful imagination, and all those pictures of mice around the place...) Finally, he accepted the inevitable. He couldn't sleep. Bleugh... All of a sudden, he heard something.
It was so soft that he thought he was imagining it. But he wasn't. Someone was crying softly. He tried to locate the sound. Perhaps the 'neighbors"? No... he strained his ears and realized that it was coming from Merlina's bed. But that was impossible! She never cried... well except for that one time on that fateful first day of classes years ago. But during the school year, she never cried. Some of the meaner kids had coldly said that she wasn't human and because of that, she couldn't cry... But she could. He shuffled slightly in his covers, and immediately, the sound stopped. He was silent, but he had positioned himself in such a way that he could see her back under the covers. After a few minutes of silence, it started again. This time, Xellos knew it was coming from her. Her shoulders shook as she surpressed her sobs and tried to be quiet. And Xellos felt so helpless...
*****
The next day, dawned nicely. The sun was out and the clouds were white and fluffy, and Xellos yawned as he got up and stretched. He had finally gone to sleep last night, but it was long after Merlina's sobs had stopped. Thinking about her, he turned to see her, but saw that her bed was already made and that there was a note on the pillow with his name written in big, bold letters, lest he miss it.
"Went out" it said, followed by, "I'll be back for supper."
He sighed. OK, so she had gone out. Probably to think things through. So, what was he supposed to do for the rest of the day? It seemed as if Merlina had left it all into his hands. His stomach growled.
"Might as well get breakfast." he told himself as he changed clothes and made himself presentable.
*****
That night, when he was eating supper in his room, Merlina walked in.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi." she answered. She looked very tired, and he couldn't help but notice that she had her staff and sword with her and walked with an odd limp.
"How was your day?" he asked. After all, he wanted to be polite.
"OK." she said. She looked at him for a bit as if debating something. Then she spoke. "Is the food good?"
"Yes." said Xellos.
"I'm glad." she said. She limped to her bed and fell on it, her red hair flaring out under her. She closed her eyes and rested. Xellos thought she was sleeping and was quiet. All of a sudden, she sat straight up, groaned and plopped back on the bed.
"You OK?" he asked. He was starting to feel a bit worried.
"No, I'm feeling pretty good. Just very tired." she said. After a while, she spoke again. "I was wondering, could you get me something to eat? I don't feel like walking now."
"Sure." said Xellos. He took his plate down and in a few minutes, he was up with another plate of food. "Here you go." he said as he handed her the plate.
"Thanks." she said. She leaned against the wall and ate hurriedly and hungrily. "I'll take it down in the morn." They were silent some more.
"What did you do today?" asked Xellos.
"Nothing too important." said Merlina. "I got some money by selling off the jewels the robbers had. That will give us another two weeks of rest here."
"Can I ask you something?" asked Xellos, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Sure."
"Are your foot and back OK?" he asked. Merlina looked at him with a surprised look. "I mean, it's a bit obvious. Especially since I was trained in white magic and healing. So, I noticed... and you know... I mean, if you want, I can cast Recovery on you. You'll probably feel better." His words were rushed. Merlina looked at him for a bit before she nodded and laid out a foot on her bed. She had hastily bandaged it, and although it wasn't the best dressing he had seen, it was pretty well done.
"So, what did you do? Sprain it?" he asked.
"I landed wrong on it." she said. He hesitantly unbandaged it and then moved it softly to see if it hurt a lot and where it did. After a while, he held one hand before him. A yellow-white glow appeared on his hand and he quietly mouthed the word, "Recovery". Merlina watched his hands, her eyes not leaving the glow that seemed to surround her ankle and then take all the pain and stiffness away with it as it dissipated.
"There." said Xellos. Merlina looked at him and cautiously moved her foot. When no tinge of pain appeared, she smiled.
"That's pretty neat." she said.
"You're welcome," said Xellos. "Now, is your back hurting you also?" Merlina blushed deep red.
"Um.. no, it's OK." she said. She grinned. He was amazed to see her look so shy and nervous and then grin despite it all.
"If you're sure." he said. He stood up and refolded the bandage and handed it back to her. She hesitantly took it and then he sat on his bed, not knowing what he was supposed to do next. For once, Merlina was the one to break the silence.
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. Then she corrected herself. "Well, a few, actually..."
"Sure." he said. It was better than the suffocating silence about them.
"Well... um... What did you do today?" she asked.
"Nothing much. I did some meditation. And then I worked out some of my white magic. One has to practice every day, after all. And then, I went out for a walk, and that's about it." he answered. "Next question?" He smiled at her.
"Um... uh... that spell you did... What was it called again?"
"Recovery." he said. Then he cocked his head over to the side and asked a question. "Don't you recognize it? I thought you would know, seeing as you know so much magic."
"Not white." she said softly as she gazed outside. Then she asked him a third question. "Would you like to do anything? I mean, where you bored? Did you want to go and... I don't know... go to some class, find a job, or something?" Xellos thought about this for some time.
"That would help." he said. "I take it you'll be leaving tomorrow and not getting back till supper again tomorrow?"
"Yeah." she said. At his unspoken question of what it was she did... "I have a job. I got it last time I came here. Every time I come, I do it."
"Ah." said Xellos. It made sense. Having a job kept the money rolling in and it meant that they'd be able to stay at a warm and clean inn. "Maybe I should get one also. What do you do?"
"It's out of your line." said Merlina hurriedly. "I'll ask around. Perhaps a healer job since you're pretty good. How would you like to help at a small hospital or something?"
"That'd be great." said Xellos. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." she said. Then she narrowed her eyes and looked at him. "One last question. Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" asked Xellos, confused.
"Helping me." she said. "You brought me supper, and healed my foot, and followed me, and didn't complain about your being here. Why?" The question caught him off guard. He thought about it for a while before answering.
"I guess... many reasons." he said. "You already know why I'm following you. I'm seeking answers. Why I'm being friendly... well... perhaps because you actually let me follow you. I know I'm a burden at times, and that I don't amount to much,... but you still helped me and let me stay here, although it costs you more and I wanted to show thanks. I guess."
"OK." said Merlina. She thought a bit. Then she turned to him and smiled a little. "You're welcome. And tomorrow, wake up early, I think I know a place where you could work." With that, she grabbed her pajamas and walked to the bathroom to change and wash up. When she came back out, she threw herself on her bed and fell asleep. No more words were spoken between them.
As Xellos washed, he wondered about Merlina's different attitude. A few weeks ago, he would have laughed to death if someone had told them that Merlina Quertwen actually had a heart and could actually care. Now, though... he could see a totally different person in her demeanor. He quickly changed and tried to fall asleep once more. Tomorrow seemed like an extremely promising day. And all of a sudden, he felt better. Slightly more content, slightly more comfortable... slightly more himself. Perhaps one day he'd be able to put his nightmares and thoughts to rest, but that'd take some time and effort. And until then, well... he had Merlina to look after. After all, if he didn't... who would?
End...of the chapter
Author's notes... Hello! Hi! How are you doing? Impatient? I thought so....*grin* Anyway, I finally got the chapter out, aren't you all so amazingly proud of me???? *basks in the applause* Thank you, thank you...) Well, here's the next chapter. I sincerely hoped that you enjoyed it. It would have come out sooner, except that I totally hated how I wrote my first draft of the chapter and rewrote it. So, I know it isn't as long, but I think it's better than before. And if you think THIS is bad... you should have seen the other chapter....*grin*. Anyway, review as usual. Thank you all for continuing with this and not giving up on me. You guys deserve a cookie! Go ahead, choose the one you like....*grin* Take care, people. Hotaru PS.... The volcano exploded here! It's Ashing!!!! Ash drops falling on my head... which meant I had to spend forever cleaning house with the rest of the family.... tons of Ash fell!!!! So, say hi to me.. .K? I need encouragement after seeing tons of supermarket bags filled to the brim with volcanic ash...Honest! Check the news about Ecuador!
Disclaimer... characters not mine. BUT! the story is... ^^
Chapter 4
There comes a time, in everyone's life, when you wake up and realize that you can't make it by yourself in life. For some, it comes later in life. For others, a bit earlier. You usually realize it when something awful happens, like flunking a class (and you realize you need a tutor...) or when you're friends leave you (and you need new ones...) or when you're parents die or when you realize that life isn't as pretty and rose colored and simple as others say. That time had come for the two young adventurers as they left their home. Had they noticed that they got to the same point at the same time would have given them a clue as to what Fate had laid out for them... but they didn't notice, and Fate was left alone and unworried. As it was, both were so into their own thoughts, that it flew right over them.
*****
"Where are we going?" asked Xellos as he stopped a second, wiping the sweat of his brow. The afternoon sun was beating down hotly on him, and he felt the urge to take of his black cloak and then find a tree to rest under. He had seen Merlina carry her staff and seeing that she walked easier, he had gotten one also. Well, it had honestly been a semi thick branch, since he couldn't find anything else, and it still had had the twigs and other parts of a branch on it. The next day after that, he picked up his branch, only to realize that it had been trimmed and was much easier to handle. Merlina hadn't said a thing, and Xellos kept his questions to himself. The walk had become much easier with the staff, but he was still dead tired. Merlina, on the other hand, didn't look like she'd ever stop. Sure, she was panting also, but not as much, and she didn't look like as if she were dripping buckets of sweat.
"There's a fork in the road a few minutes from here." said Merlina, without looking back to see if he was following nor stopping. Xellos sighed, looked yearningly at a nice big and shady tree at the side of the road and ran after her. "We'll decide when we get there." And they began to walk in silence once more. After a few minutes, just like Merlina said, there was a fork, splitting into three roads.
"So, where to?" asked Xellos, quite curious.
"I don't know." said Merlina. "Do I look all knowing to you?" There was an undercurrent of tension in her voice as she glared at him.
"Sorry." said Merlina. He almost lost control and said 'You certainly act like it!' but he kept silent on that.
"Depends what you want to do." said Merlina. "So choose."
"Huh?" asked Xellos. "Why me?" He pointed to himself, his violet eyes opening slightly in confusion.
"Cause you're the one who wanted to follow me." said Merlina with a sigh.
"So, that means I follow you." said Xellos.
"No, not necessarily. Now, choose a path." said Merlina. She crossed her arms, raised her right eyebrow, and tapped her boot clad feet.
"Why don't you?" asked Xellos. "After all, you were supposed to have a goal in mind." Merlina rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her hood was down and he could see her brilliant red hair float in the wind.
"Fine, but don't come crying to me later when you don't want to stay in town." she said as she began her marching, taking the left fork. Xellos trailed after her. He found himself feeling a bit better. The break had given him some time to gather energy. "Besides, I was planning on going here anyway. I just wanted to see where you would go."
*****
"So, this is the place." said Xellos wearily as they made it to the top of a hill overlooking the town.
"Yeah." said Merlina. "It's called Tryyad. It's a small town. I don't know about you, but I'll be staying here for some time. Until...." She trailed off, looked thoughtfully at Xellos and then turned back to the road. "Let's go." Xellos felt puzzled. After being her classmate for so many years, he was starting to see different aspects of Merlina. First, there was the cold and uncaring Merlina during class. Then the respectful Merlina whenever she handed out notes carefully. Then there was the she Merlina whenever he tried to talk to her. And now, the quiet Merlina, when she didn't tell him anything. How many more facets were there that no one seemed to know about?
"So, what do we do now?" he asked. Truth be told, he was confused and feeling awkward. He had wanted to follow her, who knows why? Maybe it was because he thought he could get answers from if he followed. She seemed to know so much and be so strong. In a way, he was starting to admire her. He had been astonished at what he had seen, but at least his mother was still alive, although that thought didn't give him too much joy. Her mother had died, because of his. And she hadn't given up. Yeah, he was following her to get answers he felt he needed to be able to continue, but he was also following her for a different reason. She was strong. He hoped to be able to learn from her strength.
"You still following me?" she asked. Merlina stared into violet eyes. It was weird, having someone follow her. Sure, she had always been slightly on the independent side and was used to being her own boss. This was the first time, though, that someone was following her, willingly! What was it with him? Didn't he see that they'd probably be better off separate? She knew that every time he saw her, he would be reminded of his home, just like she was reminded of hers. They should be separate, lest they drive each other insane.... But as she looked at him, she didn't want to leave him either. No, there wasn't anything...*shudder* romantic or the such. It was just, that... well... she saw something else in him. Something that she had never thought to see in his eyes. There was confusion in those crystalline depths, and not just that, there were questions, there was a sense of stubbornness and also, there was a look of respect when he looked at her. Suddenly, she felt many years older than she was.
"Yeah." said Xellos.
"Let's go, then." she said. She tore her gaze away from the innocent look in his eyes and made a beeline to a part of the town. He hurriedly followed her, staff in hand, a relieved look on his face. He was glad that Merlina was taking care of things. He knew he'd be hopelessly lost and robbed before the hour was over, had he been left by himself.
*****
"This is where we'll stay." said Merlina. "And before you say anything. Yes, I know. It has a weird name." Xellos hurriedly shut his mouth. They were in front of an inn called THE RAT'S NEST and it had little furry creatures (mice, really) who were running about in yellow and white striped pajamas and carried candlesticks and wore little fluffy slippers and a warm cap.
"Nice decor." he said, lamely. Merlina smiled.
"Yeah." she said. "Come on. It's pretty good. Decent food and rates, and clean rooms and bathrooms." At the mention of rates, Xellos froze.
'Oh no!' he thought to himself. He was so mad at himself. Obviously, it would cost money to rent the place. And like the idiot he was, he hadn't taken a single penny with him when he had left home. He was about to tell Merlina, but she had walked in already. She was already closing the deal when he came to stand beside her.
"... OK." said the Attendant. "It's one room, one week, double meals a day. 200 copper pieces per night." She looked at Merlina.
"And an extra cot." said Merlina with a smile.
"And an extra cot." confirmed the Attendant. "That will be 50 more copper pieces for the whole week."
"Total of 250." said Merlina. She reached into her cloak and pulled out a red velvet bag with a draw string made off yellow cord. She carefully counted the money and smiled as she received two copies of a key.
"Here you go." she said as she turned to face Xellos and hand him the key.
"Reimbursable on leave if you don't eat all meals as usual." said the attendant.
"Um... sorry." said Xellos as he looked at Merlina. He was slightly taller than her. He bowed his head, feeling extremely bad.
"Don't worry." said Merlina. Her eyes took on a far away gleam. "Let's go. It's a nice place. They'll put in the new cot by tonight." They walked up the stairs.
*****
It was night. Xellos stared at the ceiling above them. Merlina had been right. The place was nice and clean and presentable. It was hard to sleep. He was restless. It was his first time away from home. And he didn't like lying still. Normally, he'd be up and doing something, but Merlina was sleeping, and he wouldn't dare bother her. She had done so much already, and he didn't want to become a bigger nuisance. So, he concentrated on sleeping. He tried to count sheep. All he got a tremendous headache from counting balls of fluff that looked more like mice than sheep. (Drat his awful imagination, and all those pictures of mice around the place...) Finally, he accepted the inevitable. He couldn't sleep. Bleugh... All of a sudden, he heard something.
It was so soft that he thought he was imagining it. But he wasn't. Someone was crying softly. He tried to locate the sound. Perhaps the 'neighbors"? No... he strained his ears and realized that it was coming from Merlina's bed. But that was impossible! She never cried... well except for that one time on that fateful first day of classes years ago. But during the school year, she never cried. Some of the meaner kids had coldly said that she wasn't human and because of that, she couldn't cry... But she could. He shuffled slightly in his covers, and immediately, the sound stopped. He was silent, but he had positioned himself in such a way that he could see her back under the covers. After a few minutes of silence, it started again. This time, Xellos knew it was coming from her. Her shoulders shook as she surpressed her sobs and tried to be quiet. And Xellos felt so helpless...
*****
The next day, dawned nicely. The sun was out and the clouds were white and fluffy, and Xellos yawned as he got up and stretched. He had finally gone to sleep last night, but it was long after Merlina's sobs had stopped. Thinking about her, he turned to see her, but saw that her bed was already made and that there was a note on the pillow with his name written in big, bold letters, lest he miss it.
"Went out" it said, followed by, "I'll be back for supper."
He sighed. OK, so she had gone out. Probably to think things through. So, what was he supposed to do for the rest of the day? It seemed as if Merlina had left it all into his hands. His stomach growled.
"Might as well get breakfast." he told himself as he changed clothes and made himself presentable.
*****
That night, when he was eating supper in his room, Merlina walked in.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi." she answered. She looked very tired, and he couldn't help but notice that she had her staff and sword with her and walked with an odd limp.
"How was your day?" he asked. After all, he wanted to be polite.
"OK." she said. She looked at him for a bit as if debating something. Then she spoke. "Is the food good?"
"Yes." said Xellos.
"I'm glad." she said. She limped to her bed and fell on it, her red hair flaring out under her. She closed her eyes and rested. Xellos thought she was sleeping and was quiet. All of a sudden, she sat straight up, groaned and plopped back on the bed.
"You OK?" he asked. He was starting to feel a bit worried.
"No, I'm feeling pretty good. Just very tired." she said. After a while, she spoke again. "I was wondering, could you get me something to eat? I don't feel like walking now."
"Sure." said Xellos. He took his plate down and in a few minutes, he was up with another plate of food. "Here you go." he said as he handed her the plate.
"Thanks." she said. She leaned against the wall and ate hurriedly and hungrily. "I'll take it down in the morn." They were silent some more.
"What did you do today?" asked Xellos.
"Nothing too important." said Merlina. "I got some money by selling off the jewels the robbers had. That will give us another two weeks of rest here."
"Can I ask you something?" asked Xellos, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Sure."
"Are your foot and back OK?" he asked. Merlina looked at him with a surprised look. "I mean, it's a bit obvious. Especially since I was trained in white magic and healing. So, I noticed... and you know... I mean, if you want, I can cast Recovery on you. You'll probably feel better." His words were rushed. Merlina looked at him for a bit before she nodded and laid out a foot on her bed. She had hastily bandaged it, and although it wasn't the best dressing he had seen, it was pretty well done.
"So, what did you do? Sprain it?" he asked.
"I landed wrong on it." she said. He hesitantly unbandaged it and then moved it softly to see if it hurt a lot and where it did. After a while, he held one hand before him. A yellow-white glow appeared on his hand and he quietly mouthed the word, "Recovery". Merlina watched his hands, her eyes not leaving the glow that seemed to surround her ankle and then take all the pain and stiffness away with it as it dissipated.
"There." said Xellos. Merlina looked at him and cautiously moved her foot. When no tinge of pain appeared, she smiled.
"That's pretty neat." she said.
"You're welcome," said Xellos. "Now, is your back hurting you also?" Merlina blushed deep red.
"Um.. no, it's OK." she said. She grinned. He was amazed to see her look so shy and nervous and then grin despite it all.
"If you're sure." he said. He stood up and refolded the bandage and handed it back to her. She hesitantly took it and then he sat on his bed, not knowing what he was supposed to do next. For once, Merlina was the one to break the silence.
"Can I ask you a question?" she asked. Then she corrected herself. "Well, a few, actually..."
"Sure." he said. It was better than the suffocating silence about them.
"Well... um... What did you do today?" she asked.
"Nothing much. I did some meditation. And then I worked out some of my white magic. One has to practice every day, after all. And then, I went out for a walk, and that's about it." he answered. "Next question?" He smiled at her.
"Um... uh... that spell you did... What was it called again?"
"Recovery." he said. Then he cocked his head over to the side and asked a question. "Don't you recognize it? I thought you would know, seeing as you know so much magic."
"Not white." she said softly as she gazed outside. Then she asked him a third question. "Would you like to do anything? I mean, where you bored? Did you want to go and... I don't know... go to some class, find a job, or something?" Xellos thought about this for some time.
"That would help." he said. "I take it you'll be leaving tomorrow and not getting back till supper again tomorrow?"
"Yeah." she said. At his unspoken question of what it was she did... "I have a job. I got it last time I came here. Every time I come, I do it."
"Ah." said Xellos. It made sense. Having a job kept the money rolling in and it meant that they'd be able to stay at a warm and clean inn. "Maybe I should get one also. What do you do?"
"It's out of your line." said Merlina hurriedly. "I'll ask around. Perhaps a healer job since you're pretty good. How would you like to help at a small hospital or something?"
"That'd be great." said Xellos. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." she said. Then she narrowed her eyes and looked at him. "One last question. Why are you doing this?"
"Doing what?" asked Xellos, confused.
"Helping me." she said. "You brought me supper, and healed my foot, and followed me, and didn't complain about your being here. Why?" The question caught him off guard. He thought about it for a while before answering.
"I guess... many reasons." he said. "You already know why I'm following you. I'm seeking answers. Why I'm being friendly... well... perhaps because you actually let me follow you. I know I'm a burden at times, and that I don't amount to much,... but you still helped me and let me stay here, although it costs you more and I wanted to show thanks. I guess."
"OK." said Merlina. She thought a bit. Then she turned to him and smiled a little. "You're welcome. And tomorrow, wake up early, I think I know a place where you could work." With that, she grabbed her pajamas and walked to the bathroom to change and wash up. When she came back out, she threw herself on her bed and fell asleep. No more words were spoken between them.
As Xellos washed, he wondered about Merlina's different attitude. A few weeks ago, he would have laughed to death if someone had told them that Merlina Quertwen actually had a heart and could actually care. Now, though... he could see a totally different person in her demeanor. He quickly changed and tried to fall asleep once more. Tomorrow seemed like an extremely promising day. And all of a sudden, he felt better. Slightly more content, slightly more comfortable... slightly more himself. Perhaps one day he'd be able to put his nightmares and thoughts to rest, but that'd take some time and effort. And until then, well... he had Merlina to look after. After all, if he didn't... who would?
End...of the chapter
Author's notes... Hello! Hi! How are you doing? Impatient? I thought so....*grin* Anyway, I finally got the chapter out, aren't you all so amazingly proud of me???? *basks in the applause* Thank you, thank you...) Well, here's the next chapter. I sincerely hoped that you enjoyed it. It would have come out sooner, except that I totally hated how I wrote my first draft of the chapter and rewrote it. So, I know it isn't as long, but I think it's better than before. And if you think THIS is bad... you should have seen the other chapter....*grin*. Anyway, review as usual. Thank you all for continuing with this and not giving up on me. You guys deserve a cookie! Go ahead, choose the one you like....*grin* Take care, people. Hotaru PS.... The volcano exploded here! It's Ashing!!!! Ash drops falling on my head... which meant I had to spend forever cleaning house with the rest of the family.... tons of Ash fell!!!! So, say hi to me.. .K? I need encouragement after seeing tons of supermarket bags filled to the brim with volcanic ash...Honest! Check the news about Ecuador!
