Chapter 6

            "Well, good afternoon sleepyhead!" Sain said, trying to be cheerful. Geez, even Kent noticed I was acting weird…I gotta snap out of it!

            "Mm." Andraya sat up straighter so she hardly made contact with Sain and just stared at the ground.

            "Are you alright, 'Draya?"

            "Yeah, I just woke up, okay?"

            "Andraya…" Sain didn't know what to say. He wanted to talk to her about Lord Eliwood, about how he could help her get over it, how she could love him instead…but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. And by simply asking what was wrong, he wouldn't accomplish anything except making Andraya's mood worse.

            The cavalier sighed and decided to just leave her alone. They were almost at their destination, anyway: Gartia, a city in Ostia, where they were to gather information concerning their next battle.

            When the group entered the city, Eliwood, Hector, Lyn, and the tactician went to find someplace to stay, and the rest of the group was told to find out whatever they could about the area. Andraya dismounted Sain's horse to wander around the town and see what kind of place it was. Sain, worried for her, followed at a distance.

            "Apothecary, apothecary…" Andraya mumbled to herself, searching for someplace she could obtain a simple pain killer. She could ask Serra or Priscilla to heal her, but she really just felt like being alone.

            Why did everyone keep asking her what was wrong? Couldn't they see she was in no mood to talk? And I know Lord Eliwood is going to ask why I didn't simply answer his question last night…

            "Ugh…" she muttered at the thought. "That's not gonna be fun…Ah! Apothecary," she said, finally finding what she was looking for.

            Walking in, she found an old man behind a wooden counter, herbs and healing staves hanging from all four walls and the ceiling.

            "May I help you, miss?" the old man asked kindly.

            "Do you have anything to relive a headache?" she asked, still looking around at all the strange looking herbs and glittering staves.

            "Would you like a staff for your healer? Or would you prefer a vulnerary?"

            "Vulnerary, please."

            The man nodded and went into a back room. She glanced around the shop again, just to see if they had any sort of special staff she could report back to the lords to make them think she had been spending her time actually benefiting the group. Through the open window, she saw Sain get off his horse and walk toward the apothecary.

            "Argh…more questioning…" she mumbled, watching Sain open the door.

            "Miss? Your vulnerary…"

            Andraya spun around. "Oh! Thank you so much."

            "500 gold, please." The old man smiled.

            "500 gold?! That's a lot for a vulnerary…"

            "Well, miss, this is a very special vulnerary…my own creation." The man smiled again, a suspicious spark of amusement appearing in his eyes.

            "Well…I only have 250 gold…do you have anything cheaper?" Andraya sighed. And to think, this was supposed to be curing her headache…

            "Here's the money, sir. Thanks."

            "Sain?" The cavalier had come up behind her and paid the man, taking the medicine off the counter.

            "C'mon, let's go." He turned and headed out the door.

            "Um…thanks, sir!" Andraya called over her shoulder, heading out that door.

            "Here ya go, 'Draya," Sain said, handing his companion the vulnerary. "Why didn't you just ask Serra or Priscilla to heal you, though?"
            " 'Cuz I didn't feel like dealing with them right now," Andraya said, taking the medication in the vulnerary. She felt better almost instantly.

            "Andraya…tell me what's wrong, please…" It was getting too much to bear. He loved her too much to see her so sad, especially when he knew he could comfort her if she would only let him…

            "Sain, please. Thanks for caring, but…just…don't, okay?" Though her headache was gone, Andraya was still in no mood to talk about her heartache just yet.

            "Please, I hate seeing you upset…"

            Andraya started, her gaze darting up to meet Sain's. "What did you say?"

            "I said I hate seeing you so upset," Sain repeated, looking at her quizzically.

            Memories of the dream she had had last night in which Eliwood had said the same exact thing flooded Andraya's vision. She didn't know whether to be overcome with sadness at having Sain say those words instead of Eliwood…or whether to be grateful that at least someone had that kind of concern for her…

            "Andraya! You seem ill again, let me take you to the inn," Sain said, almost having to catch the mage as she swayed back and forth.

            "Thank you…" Andraya took Sain's arm and let him lead her to the inn the group was now staying in. The town was small, and it only took them a few minutes.

            Sain led her up the stairs of the inn and into her room. "Here we are, 'Draya. Home sweet home!"

            "Thanks, Sain…I'm…I'm just not feeling well…"

            "I noticed."

            Andraya laughed a little. "I'm sorry I'm being such a burden to you, Sain…oh! Here," she said, handing him her 250 gold. "I'll get the rest to you as soon as I can, okay?"

            Sain closed her hand back around her money and pushed it back to her lap. "Keep it. I've been with the group longer than you have…I can afford to pay for a friend's medicine when she's ill."

            Andraya stared at her hand in disbelief. "Sain…you're…you're so kind…thank you." She looked up at him and smiled.

            "You're welcome, 'Draya…" he said, smiling back at her. She gets even more beautiful when she smiles…

A/N: R&R please!