MAHREAD'ZHU THOUGHT she would go out of her mind with boredom. She disliked this city, even though it certainly spared her from the Wraith. She was used to work, and lots of it. At first coming to the city, which the Earthers called Atlantis, seemed like a dream of luxury and safety.
Now, many days later, she'd gladly trade that luxury for something to do. She sighed from her vantage point, a nice little corner where she could look out on the large meeting room and all of the people she'd known her entire life, milling around aimlessly.
Someone slid into place next to her and she sighed. She'd tried to ignore him as he walked up, but as usual, that proved impossible.
Jondo. Lifetime friend, a few years older than she. She could see him without even looking at him: blonde hair hanging shaggily down, green eyes focused slightly beyond whatever he was looking at. She knew if she bent her head to the side, it would just touch his shoulder; he was only a little taller than she. He was usually polite and frequently annoying in his expectations of her, always prodding her to reach higher, to do more. She could admit to herself that it wouldn't be so annoying if only he wasn't always so much better at the things they did.
"Come see what I have discovered," Jondo said without preamble. He was always like that, never one to deal with formalities when he perceived them as 'being in the way'. But for once she was grateful. Grateful for the distraction, but also a bit fearful it would prove to be, once again, nothing. Still she nodded and rose fluidly, turning back with a puzzled glance, to see Jondo still sitting where he'd been, looking up at her. With a deep inhalation he rose. "It is this way," he said, and walked off rapidly without checking to see if she was following. As he always did.
She tried to memorize the route but the corridors were still confusing. They reminded her of her childhood, and hiding when the Wraith came. Inside the rooms she could pretend she was back home in the village, in her dwelling, but the paths of her home were nothing like the boxed in feeling of the corridors. She concentrated on the steps they took and the turns. When she got to the doorway of the end of the explored territory, she stopped. Jondo didn't. She waited, but again it did not appear that he was going to notice her. With a "some things never change" sigh, she called out to him.
"Jondo!" He stopped, looking back at her expectantly. "We are not supposed to travel past the point the Earthers have explored."
"They take too long," he said simply. For a moment, they gazed at each other, and mixed emotions warred within Mahread'zhu. She knew it was not the wiser course of action...but to turn back was to face the long day ahead of her. Gathering a deep breath, she started forward once again. Jondo gave a brief nod and once again started off.
He stopped in front of a doorway and stared at it for a moment. To her amazement the door opened. "You have the same ability they do!" she exclaimed.
He gave a brief smile, and nodded. "You do, too," he said, and she stared at him in shock. "I have seen it. When you are off in one of your daydreams, the doors will open for you, and the other small mysteries. You do not notice."
She could feel the heat rising on her face. Many times at home in the village she would be scolded for being lost in her own world. Jondo himself had chided her about it, many times, as they worked side by side. He turned to a wall, which had opened to reveal a softly glowing panel. He studied it briefly and touched a section. The room gave a small lurch and the doorway opened again. Jondo walked confidently through the doorway, and she followed with more hesitation.
The room they walked into was not the same as the small hallway they had left. She stared about it in wonder. It was large, and somehow familiar...
"Oh, Jondo," she said, at a loss for words.
He finally broke into a small, childlike smile. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Where will we get the seedlings and plants?" she asked, excited.
His smile grew larger. "Come see," he said.
[A/N: I'm spoiling y'all with the posting every day. Weekend is probably going to change that, and besides which, y'all need to start coming with the reviews. On the (possibly) plus side, like most of my things, this is turning into an epic.]