4
The light streamed in through the window, awakening Hallie. She sat up in bet and looked around. The door to the extra bedroom was open, but TJ wasn't in there. "TJ?"
At that moment the door opened and TJ stepped in. "Oh, so you're awake," he observed. "I caught some fish for breakfast.." TJ dropped the catch in a bucket near the table. Um." he said, looking at her. I don't think it would be a good idea if you went looking like that. Humans generally don't take kindly to those different from them. Trust me, I know. It's just how they are. Before we go, you might want to do whatever it is you do to change into your human form, okay?"
Hallie blinked. "Well, do you have a bucket of cold water?"
"Next to the washtub outside, why?"
"Could you get it of me, please?" TJ did. Without hesitation, Hallie took the bucket and dumped the water over her head. She was still dressed in TJ's shirt that she had on the night before. TJ had only blinked, and the tiny girl with pointy ears had vanished. In her place was the pretty, human girl that he had saved from the lake. "What are you looking at?" she asked.
"Sorry," He looked away. Then, he changed the subject. "Here, I have a few long shirts. If you tie a sash at the waist, it should pass for a dress. I also have some old boots." He wouldn't tell her that they used to belong to his sister. They were the only things he could find of hers after his village was destroyed. He brought them with because he wanted something of his sister's.
"Thank you," Hallie said, softly.
After asking if there was anything else he could get for her, he went into the other room as she changed.
She went over to her backpack and pulled out a pair of her boxers she normally wore as pajamas. After pulling them on, she kept her undershirt on and pulled on the long shirt that TJ had provided. "All right," she called. "I'm done."
TJ came out with a white, cloth sash. "Here." He gave it to her. After she had tied it around her waist, TJ gave her a nod. "Now, I guess that'll do until we get to Wyndia.
After breakfast they headed out. "TJ?" Hallie asked.
"Yeah?" he answered. "Just how are we going to travel?" she examined the forest around her, as if looking for something.
He swung a small pack over his shoulder. It carried just enough supplies for survival. Some food, tools and a small pot with bowls. "We walk, why?"
"What? But don't you have any pashas around? We could just ride them."
"What are pashas?" TJ asked.
She sighed. "I guess that answers my question. Pashas are animals we used for transportation. We rode on their backs or they pulled carts and wagons," she explained. Hallie looked down at her side. She had tied her father's daggers to the makeshift belt around her waist. "You said it was an eight day walk?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered. 'Hopefully,' he thought. 'I'll be able to find my sister and make sure she's okay.'
"I'm sure your sister's just fine," Hallie said suddenly.
"TJ stopped in his tracks. "What?"
"Come to think of it, you never mentioned you had a sister." Hallie said, thoughtfully.
"I still haven't mentioned I have a sister," TJ replied warily. "How did you know?"
She blinked. "You mean you didn't 'say' it?"
He should his head.
"I'm sorry! I-I didn't know! I thought you were talking to me! Please, forgive me!" she bowed her head.
"Hey.you read my mind?" he asked.
"I-I didn't mean to, TJ," Hallie wailed. "Forgive me."
"It's okay. There was no harm done," he assured her.
Hallie raised her head up and looked at him meekly. "I truly didn't know," she whispered.
"I believe you," he answered. "Let's go." He would drop it, for now.
The light streamed in through the window, awakening Hallie. She sat up in bet and looked around. The door to the extra bedroom was open, but TJ wasn't in there. "TJ?"
At that moment the door opened and TJ stepped in. "Oh, so you're awake," he observed. "I caught some fish for breakfast.." TJ dropped the catch in a bucket near the table. Um." he said, looking at her. I don't think it would be a good idea if you went looking like that. Humans generally don't take kindly to those different from them. Trust me, I know. It's just how they are. Before we go, you might want to do whatever it is you do to change into your human form, okay?"
Hallie blinked. "Well, do you have a bucket of cold water?"
"Next to the washtub outside, why?"
"Could you get it of me, please?" TJ did. Without hesitation, Hallie took the bucket and dumped the water over her head. She was still dressed in TJ's shirt that she had on the night before. TJ had only blinked, and the tiny girl with pointy ears had vanished. In her place was the pretty, human girl that he had saved from the lake. "What are you looking at?" she asked.
"Sorry," He looked away. Then, he changed the subject. "Here, I have a few long shirts. If you tie a sash at the waist, it should pass for a dress. I also have some old boots." He wouldn't tell her that they used to belong to his sister. They were the only things he could find of hers after his village was destroyed. He brought them with because he wanted something of his sister's.
"Thank you," Hallie said, softly.
After asking if there was anything else he could get for her, he went into the other room as she changed.
She went over to her backpack and pulled out a pair of her boxers she normally wore as pajamas. After pulling them on, she kept her undershirt on and pulled on the long shirt that TJ had provided. "All right," she called. "I'm done."
TJ came out with a white, cloth sash. "Here." He gave it to her. After she had tied it around her waist, TJ gave her a nod. "Now, I guess that'll do until we get to Wyndia.
After breakfast they headed out. "TJ?" Hallie asked.
"Yeah?" he answered. "Just how are we going to travel?" she examined the forest around her, as if looking for something.
He swung a small pack over his shoulder. It carried just enough supplies for survival. Some food, tools and a small pot with bowls. "We walk, why?"
"What? But don't you have any pashas around? We could just ride them."
"What are pashas?" TJ asked.
She sighed. "I guess that answers my question. Pashas are animals we used for transportation. We rode on their backs or they pulled carts and wagons," she explained. Hallie looked down at her side. She had tied her father's daggers to the makeshift belt around her waist. "You said it was an eight day walk?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered. 'Hopefully,' he thought. 'I'll be able to find my sister and make sure she's okay.'
"I'm sure your sister's just fine," Hallie said suddenly.
"TJ stopped in his tracks. "What?"
"Come to think of it, you never mentioned you had a sister." Hallie said, thoughtfully.
"I still haven't mentioned I have a sister," TJ replied warily. "How did you know?"
She blinked. "You mean you didn't 'say' it?"
He should his head.
"I'm sorry! I-I didn't know! I thought you were talking to me! Please, forgive me!" she bowed her head.
"Hey.you read my mind?" he asked.
"I-I didn't mean to, TJ," Hallie wailed. "Forgive me."
"It's okay. There was no harm done," he assured her.
Hallie raised her head up and looked at him meekly. "I truly didn't know," she whispered.
"I believe you," he answered. "Let's go." He would drop it, for now.