Chapter Six
Swimming & Home Fears
Dawn a week later. Well, actually, it wasn't dawn. I woke up a half- hour before dawn to give myself an hour to get ready to go the lake - and to get Freya up as well. I slid out of bed and onto the floor, as usual. Some people use their mothers to wake up, or the trumpets and bells of town. I use floors.
I headed into the kitchen quietly. Despite the darkness I knew what I was doing due to excellent eyesight. I lit a candle to help my eyes, then began to prepare water for tea. I then sat down at the table.
To my surprise, I heard someone knock on the door. I got up and headed down the stairs. I opened the door and found myself staring at a very worried-looking Freya.
"Fratley!" she said quietly. "I am so sorry. Did I wake you?"
I shook my head. "What is it?"
"Can I come in?"
"Sure. Just be quiet, everyone's sleeping."
Freya quietly stepped up the stairs while I closed the door. Something was definitely wrong. Freya never invited herself to anyone's house, and she was normally sleeping at this time anyway. I headed up the stairs.
"I'm so sorry," Freya said quietly. "I'm having family problems and you're the first person I thought to run to."
"It's all right," I said gently. "Want some tea?"
Freya nodded. "Sure. Thank you."
I took out two mugs from the cabinet while Freya sat down at the table nervously. The water was not yet boiling, so I set the mugs down, giving one to Freya. I also gave her a packet of tea.
"Thank you," Freya muttered. She was staring at her hands.
I was staring at her face. Her right cheek was bruised and swollen, while her left cheek was just recovering from a smack. The area around her left eye was also swollen and slightly black, though that had been a misaim on Ebon's part. Or so we hoped.
But something about her was still pretty.
"Something wrong, Fratley?" Freya asked.
"Oh, no! Sorry," I muttered, embarrassed. One of my major flaws was staring.
"It's all right," Freya muttered.
"Freya, you can speak. I'll listen," I said, patting her on the shoulder gently as I passed by to get to the boiling water.
Freya took a deep breath. "My mother is noticing the increasing bruises and swelling - how could she not? Now she's getting suspicious."
I nodded as I took Freya's mug and filled it with water. She inserted the tea packet and began to idly stir it with a spoon she had received with the mug.
"She thinks it's you," Freya continued.
"Me?" I asked, accidentally spilling some water onto the floor. "I wouldn't hurt you for a billion Gil!"
"I know, Frat, but she doesn't. This world is a strange place, and my mother is its victim. She's been through a lot, so she worries a lot too. So she's going to - to -"
"To what?" I asked as I stirred my own tea.
Freya swallowed hoarsely. "To isolate me. She say she's going to force me to stay home if it doesn't stop."
"Well, Ebon can't get to you. But then I can't see you," I thought out loud.
"Frat - Oh God, Frat, it gets worse. She says she's going to - to let me go out again, but forbid me from seeing you," Freya whispered nervously.
I managed to keep my jaw from dropping straight to the floor.
"Freya," I muttered. "Freya, that means you'll be absent and late. Ebon's going to -"
"I know," Freya whispered. "Then what will I do? She'll - she'll think I sneaked off with you or something and you hurt me!"
"Freya, why would you bother?" I asked, sipping my hot tea.
"Because I'm a wild, naughty girl! Everyone knows that! You know that, Fratley!"
"But if I was hurting you why would you still bother to hang around me?"
"Frat - Frat, there are people in this world who think they can't live without a person that they love, even if love hurts. It's a mad world out there, and Burmecians are being sucked in. Ebon's a good example."
"Amen to that."
"Frat, what am I going to do? Today we're going to be swimming and I just know Ebon's going to smack me for something. Something's going to be wrong, and I don't want to be swimming naked with Ebon around."
"Freya, Burmecians swim naked all the time. So does the rest of the world."
"I know that, Frat, but something is going to be wrong with my looks or something."
"Freya, I'm sorry to say it, but the only look Ebon wants you to the have is the Black and Blue one."
Freya sighed sadly. "True." She finally began to drink her tea, which she had been stirring while talking.
"Freya, I wouldn't worry about Ebon. I highly doubt he's going to get wet. He'll probably just tell us to do laps and exercise or something without bothering to go in himself," I said gently.
"Yeah, that's like Ebon," Freya said with agreement.
Silence followed as we finished up our tea. I took the mugs and placed them in the sink.
"I guess we should get going," I said.
Freya nodded and rose to her feet. We headed down the stairs and outside. Light was just descending on the city, with the rain coming down unusually hard. A storm was probably on its way. I closed the door of the house, and Freya and I headed in the direction of the lake. Freya didn't say much, but that didn't surprise me.
Soon we reached the lake since we weren't speaking much. Ebon nodded at me, but didn't even bother to acknowledge Freya. I sat down, but Freya kept standing. Ebon glared at her, and she quickly sat. She was looking around nervously. Ebon seemed to be counting how many blankets he had brought. He had seven, and I watched him toss three aside. That left four. Typical Ebon behavior. I noted the location of the other three blankets so I could grab one later.
It was another fifteen minutes before the other three contestants showed up. They sat down a few feet away from Freya and I. Ebon checked to make sure we were all here.
"This week is going to be devoted to physical endurance. You will come here every day around this time and be ready to swim. You will be in that water swimming for about five hours. Be ready. And I want to see you swimming," Ebon explained, the last sentence directed at Freya.
"I'll be swimming. I like to swim," Freya muttered softly.
Ebon ignored her. "All right, everyone in. Just throw your clothes over there." Ebon motioned to the three blankets.
Everyone shed their clothes and tossed them over onto the three blankets. The three boys charged into the water like little kids. Freya watched them nervously, then followed. I walked around the lake and stared into the waters. I was nervous. I had not forgotten the ice incident.
Cool, calm waters returned my stare, if that was possible.
"You must overcome fear," Ebon said. He then shoved me into the water.
At first I panicked as the cold waters enveloped me. Then I felt someone grab me and pull me up.
"Come on, Frat, swim!" Freya said. "Do I have to save you again?"
Great. That was all I needed. To be in debt with Freya again.
"No, I'm fine," I said, managing to keep myself afloat. I looked over at Freya, and managed to keep myself from staring.
"Well, don't just float there. Ebon said swim!" Freya said. Then, with a powerful kick, she began to swim underwater.
Unfortunately for me the kick had sent water straight into my mouth and nose. I sneezed, then dived under. Freya swam like a fish, and she was an excellent swimmer. She was swimming toward the bottom. I decided to follow, though I was much clumsier in the water.
The bottom of the lake was teaming with life. Seaweed and other water plants swayed in the gentle waters. Fish swam toward the greens, searching for small creatures that lived within the plants. Snapping turtles looked up curiously at Freya and I as we came close. Small, alligator-like critters bared their teeth and snapped. One of them caught onto Freya's foot. Startled, I watched as she accidentally opened her mouth and sucked in a bunch of water. I swam over and kicked the critter off her. I then grabbed her and forced her up to the surface.
Freya was choking and gasping for breath. I heard Ebon mutter "Foolish girl", but he sounded utterly disappointed that she wasn't dead. Typical.
"Well, you're not in debt to me anymore," Freya said between gasps. "Ebon is looking at me, is he?"
I looked around and quickly located Ebon. "Yes, he is."
"Oh no," Freya moaned. "I'm going to be smacked the minute I get out of this damn water."
"Maybe he'll forget in five hours," I suggested.
"Maybe he'll love women and take me out to dinner in five hours," Freya snapped sarcastically. "I'm doomed."
Unfortunately, Freya was probably right. Ebon would take any excuse to smack Freya. Normally he didn't smack without reason. Too bad his reasons were stupid.
"Well, we might as well not worry about it. Otherwise we're both going to be punished for not swimming," I said.
"Yeah, but I'm going to be smacked while you'll just be yelled at," Freya moaned. She began to swim slowly on her back, staring at the cloudy sky.
"Freya if you get rain in your eyes and blind yourself, don't blame me," I joked.
Freya laughed and nearly sank. She splashed water in my face.
"Trying to kill me?" she asked.
"Why would I bother? You can flip me over your back, for God's sake!" I said.
"Oh yeah," Freya said thoughtfully.
"Oh jeez, keep away from me!"
At this point Freya had a very keen interest in flipping me over her back, and I was making a desperate attempt to get way. Unfortunately, she was a faster swimmer, and I was having trouble keeping away.
"Come back her, Fwatty!" Freya chirped.
"Fwatty? Okay, Frat I'll deal with, but not Fwatty!" I shouted.
"Aww, why not? It's cute!" Freya chirped.
"How old are you again, Freya?"
"Thirteen."
"That's what you think!"
"Aww, now that's just plain mean!"
"I know."
"I'm going to get you for that, Frat! Maybe I'll even tickle you for it!"
"CRAP!"
At this point I was making an extra-hard attempt to swim better than Freya was. I dived under, thinking that maybe I could use the bottom of the lake to my advantage. Then again, Freya already got bitten once. I didn't want that to happen again, so I simply swam. Fish fluttered by, not scared of us. They were used to Burmecians in the lake. I reached out and touched a rainbow trout. It stood still for a minute then swam away. Unfortunately for me, I had also stopped, and soon I found myself being dragged to the surface.
"Caught ya!" Freya chirped.
The next thing I knew I was hitting the water behind her with a splash.
"Ow, that smarts," I muttered, rubbing my back.
"Of course," Freya said, staring at me with a smirk.
"Someday I'm going to do that to you," I warned. "You watch!"
Freya laughed. "I'm watching."
"I didn't mean now!" I snapped.
"Oh. Well I guess that means I get to tickle you!"
"What?! Since when?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes! Oh crap!"
I dived under, avoiding Freya's tackle. She only grinned down at me, the water distorting her face. I soon surfaced.
"No tickling!" I snapped.
"Yes, master!" Freya chirped, saluting me.
"Eh? Freya, you are very strange," I told her.
"Thank you, I know. Now let's actually start swimming. Ebon's eyeing me."
With a powerful kick, she was gone.
Five hours later, everyone was making an attempt to dry off and relax. I had sneaked away with two blankets, giving one to Freya and keeping the other. By now it was late morning, and the summer humidity was warning of an oncoming storms. Dark clouds gathered in the sky. Everyone was glad to be out of the water just in case lightning came.
Ebon was eyeing Freya suspiciously. As usual she had done something he didn't like, though what it could be was beyond me. She had swum throughout the entire time, and she was a great swimmer. Then I remembered how Ebon had made sure there were only four blankets. Well, he'd have to blame me for that.
"Where'd you get that?" Ebon asked Freya.
"Him," Freya motioned to me.
"Made him, didn't you?" Ebon asked.
"No," Freya replied.
"Don't lie," Ebon spat.
"I'm not lying. I wouldn't lie to you."
Ebon was dangerously close. One wrong word and Freya would have another bruise.
"Speak the truth and lower your eyes," Ebon hissed.
Freya instead stared at him even more closely. "I'm speaking the God- damn truth. It's just your fault that you don't want to believe it."
As expected, it came. Ebon gave Freya a quick smack before walking away. I glared at Ebon as he left.
"Oh God, there's another one," Freya muttered softly. "I can't even argue. I try to be polite and then he just tells me to lower my eyes. Then I lose my temper and twap."
Freya sighed and placed her head against my shoulder.
"At this rate," she muttered softly. "I'm going to be locked up with the key thrown away elsewhere."
"Your attitude is nothing compared to the attitude of two of those boys," I whispered softly.
"I know. They won't do anything," Freya muttered with a sigh.
After a few minutes everyone had dressed and was listening to Ebon talk about the importance of physical endurance.
"Oh yes, physical endurance is very important," Freya muttered softly. "You're teaching me that very quickly, Ebon."
Poor Freya. "Physical endurance will constantly be re-teaching itself throughout your life," Ebon lectured.
"Yes, especially by your sexist teacher," Freya muttered. "He teaches it with smacks for the bad girls and nothing for the bad boys. Oh joy."
I pulled Freya closed and began to rub her shoulders.
"What do you think about what's he saying?" Freya whispered to me.
"I think he's an asshole," I replied.
Freya tried her best not to chuckle, but she didn't succeed.
"What is so funny?" Ebon asked angrily.
Freya looked up at Ebon. "Nothing at all."
Ebon's eyes were on fire as he glared at her. "Really?"
It was too late. No matter what Freya said, she was in for it.
"It was me, Ebon," I said before Freya could say anything. "I told her that I think you're an asshole. And you know what? You are."
Ebon's eyes narrowed. "Get out of here, Fratley."
"Gladly," I snapped.
I gave Freya a quick pat on the shoulder before I rose and headed toward home. I heard someone else rise.
"You do not have permission to go anywhere," Ebon growled.
"Shove it up your ass," Freya snapped.
As expected, I heard flesh hit flesh. Soon, Freya was running beside me, rubbing her left cheek.
"Frat, why?" she asked. "When your mother finds out, she'll kill you."
"It's not right," I replied. "Why should you take the abuse for something I said? I don't care if I have to leave. I know the benefits of having endurance anyway."
"So do I, and I wish I had more of it," Freya muttered.
I was about to reply, but it was drowned away by roaring thunder. Freya and I both looked toward the sky to see that the dark clouds had thickened in the sky. The rain was coming down more quickly, and lightning streaked down.
"Oh no, not another one!" Freya moaned.
"Let's hurry home!" I shouted.
We began to run down the sleek streets. We rushed through the Royal Gate as thunder roared. Lightning cracked and slammed into a tree in the distance. Smoke billowed from the tree, indicating a fire, but the rain would douse it soon enough.
Despite this, something made me stop.
"Was that lightning near my house?" I asked.
Freya stopped and tried to pinpoint the location. She frowned.
"It think so," she muttered.
"Crap!" I shouted.
We resumed running once more. The rain was coming down so hard it was making it difficult to see. Thunder roared every few seconds, followed by lightning streaking down from a black sky. We soon reached my house, and I was running so quickly that I slammed straight into the door. Freya laughed and opened the door.
"Come on, foolish one," she said teasingly, helping me to my feet.
We entered the house, Freya closing the door quickly to keep the rain out. We were both soaked. We headed up the stairs and soon found blankets being thrown in our faces.
"Dry off," Rose said. "Ya will make 'oles in the wood otherwise."
"Huh?" Freya muttered.
"Water will make the wood rot," I explained quietly, covering my entire head with the blanket.
"Oh," Freya replied.
"So, why are ya 'ome early?" Rose asked.
"Ebon told me ta leave," I said.
"Oh? And why is that?" Rose asked, immediately suspicious.
You can't hide anything from Rose.
"I called 'im an asshole, and 'e was goin' to blame Freya for it. So I confessed," I told Rose, taking the blanket off my head. "My hair is all poofy, isn't it?"
Freya looked up and grinned. "You look like you just woke up!"
Rose sighed. "Fratley, why did ya say that? I know Ebon's an ass but ya definitely don't say it near him! Don't tell me all the years spent trying to discipline ya are going to end up in vain."
"Oh great, here she goes again," I muttered, combing my shoulder- length hair with my fingers. "Mamá, ya did fine raisin' me! Jeez!"
"Then why don't ya prove it?" Rose snapped.
"Oh, Great Dragon, 'elp me!" I muttered.
Freya laughed, as she took the blanket and threw it into the small bathroom. Rose rolled her eyes at my comment. I also threw the blanket into the bathroom, then proceeded to try and get my hair into a halfway decent state.
"Stupid hair," I muttered.
"Ya would 'ave a lot less trouble with it if ya would just let me -" Rose began.
"I'm not lettin' ya cut my hair!" I snarled. "Ya cut ye hair first!"
"I'm not cutting my hair," Rose snapped.
"Neither am I!" I replied, still finger-combing my hair.
"Crazy lunatic," Rose muttered. She handed Freya a wet piece of cloth. "'Ere. For the latest of your bruises. What'd 'e smack ya for this time?"
Freya muttered a soft thank you as she held the cloth up against her cheek. "First one is from trying to defend myself about using a blanket to dry and off and I lost my temper a bit. Second one is for choosing to leave with Fratley."
Rose sighed. "Always something."
"She 'as bigger problems. 'Er mothe' is noticin' the bruises and she thinks it's me," I said.
Rose looked over at Freya. "Your mother doesn't know about Ebon?"
"N-No," Freya said slowly. "I never told her b-because she'd freak."
"Relax, I'm not going to kill ya," Rose said gently. "But your mother thinks it's Fratley?"
"Yes," Freya replied.
Rose sighed. "Guess I need to give Ebon a talking-to."
"What?" I asked, surprised.
Rose was already heading into her bedroom.
"A talking-to! 'E needs it!" Rose called.
"But 'e'll cream ya!" I protested, racing into the bedroom.
"E's not creaming anybody," Rose said.
She was placing her twin javelins safely within her sleeves. She tied leather twine around her wrists to keep the hidden javelins from moving. She grabbed her leather jacket and put it on.
"Rain is 'arsh?" she asked me. I nodded. "Right, then."
Rose left the room. She looked over at me.
"Ya stay 'ere, okay?" she said. I nodded. "Good."
Rose nodded at me, then at Freya. She then descended the stairs and left the house.
"She's an amazing person, your mother," Freya said with admiration. She took the cloth and placed it near the sink. "I suppose I'd better head home."
"Ya can stay 'ere. No one will mind," I assured.
"Oh, I know, but my mother's going to be worried sick. I really shouldn't let her worry. Frat, I'm sorry to leave so suddenly," Freya muttered.
"It's all right," I immediately said.
"Frat," Freya muttered softly. She gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good bye."
Her voice was soft like an angel's, and that was what she indeed seemed like as she descended the stairs and left the house. She seemed heavenly, pure, God-like.
My angel.
----- Aww, how sweet - I think. Anyway, just so you know, you're supposed to hate Ebon *evil grin* Anyway, will Freya's family problems be settled? Will Ebon somehow become nicer by a miracle? Can Rose knock some sense into everyone? (Go Rose! Go Rose! *Cough* Er, sorry) Anyway, stay tuned!
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, events, locations, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.
Swimming & Home Fears
Dawn a week later. Well, actually, it wasn't dawn. I woke up a half- hour before dawn to give myself an hour to get ready to go the lake - and to get Freya up as well. I slid out of bed and onto the floor, as usual. Some people use their mothers to wake up, or the trumpets and bells of town. I use floors.
I headed into the kitchen quietly. Despite the darkness I knew what I was doing due to excellent eyesight. I lit a candle to help my eyes, then began to prepare water for tea. I then sat down at the table.
To my surprise, I heard someone knock on the door. I got up and headed down the stairs. I opened the door and found myself staring at a very worried-looking Freya.
"Fratley!" she said quietly. "I am so sorry. Did I wake you?"
I shook my head. "What is it?"
"Can I come in?"
"Sure. Just be quiet, everyone's sleeping."
Freya quietly stepped up the stairs while I closed the door. Something was definitely wrong. Freya never invited herself to anyone's house, and she was normally sleeping at this time anyway. I headed up the stairs.
"I'm so sorry," Freya said quietly. "I'm having family problems and you're the first person I thought to run to."
"It's all right," I said gently. "Want some tea?"
Freya nodded. "Sure. Thank you."
I took out two mugs from the cabinet while Freya sat down at the table nervously. The water was not yet boiling, so I set the mugs down, giving one to Freya. I also gave her a packet of tea.
"Thank you," Freya muttered. She was staring at her hands.
I was staring at her face. Her right cheek was bruised and swollen, while her left cheek was just recovering from a smack. The area around her left eye was also swollen and slightly black, though that had been a misaim on Ebon's part. Or so we hoped.
But something about her was still pretty.
"Something wrong, Fratley?" Freya asked.
"Oh, no! Sorry," I muttered, embarrassed. One of my major flaws was staring.
"It's all right," Freya muttered.
"Freya, you can speak. I'll listen," I said, patting her on the shoulder gently as I passed by to get to the boiling water.
Freya took a deep breath. "My mother is noticing the increasing bruises and swelling - how could she not? Now she's getting suspicious."
I nodded as I took Freya's mug and filled it with water. She inserted the tea packet and began to idly stir it with a spoon she had received with the mug.
"She thinks it's you," Freya continued.
"Me?" I asked, accidentally spilling some water onto the floor. "I wouldn't hurt you for a billion Gil!"
"I know, Frat, but she doesn't. This world is a strange place, and my mother is its victim. She's been through a lot, so she worries a lot too. So she's going to - to -"
"To what?" I asked as I stirred my own tea.
Freya swallowed hoarsely. "To isolate me. She say she's going to force me to stay home if it doesn't stop."
"Well, Ebon can't get to you. But then I can't see you," I thought out loud.
"Frat - Oh God, Frat, it gets worse. She says she's going to - to let me go out again, but forbid me from seeing you," Freya whispered nervously.
I managed to keep my jaw from dropping straight to the floor.
"Freya," I muttered. "Freya, that means you'll be absent and late. Ebon's going to -"
"I know," Freya whispered. "Then what will I do? She'll - she'll think I sneaked off with you or something and you hurt me!"
"Freya, why would you bother?" I asked, sipping my hot tea.
"Because I'm a wild, naughty girl! Everyone knows that! You know that, Fratley!"
"But if I was hurting you why would you still bother to hang around me?"
"Frat - Frat, there are people in this world who think they can't live without a person that they love, even if love hurts. It's a mad world out there, and Burmecians are being sucked in. Ebon's a good example."
"Amen to that."
"Frat, what am I going to do? Today we're going to be swimming and I just know Ebon's going to smack me for something. Something's going to be wrong, and I don't want to be swimming naked with Ebon around."
"Freya, Burmecians swim naked all the time. So does the rest of the world."
"I know that, Frat, but something is going to be wrong with my looks or something."
"Freya, I'm sorry to say it, but the only look Ebon wants you to the have is the Black and Blue one."
Freya sighed sadly. "True." She finally began to drink her tea, which she had been stirring while talking.
"Freya, I wouldn't worry about Ebon. I highly doubt he's going to get wet. He'll probably just tell us to do laps and exercise or something without bothering to go in himself," I said gently.
"Yeah, that's like Ebon," Freya said with agreement.
Silence followed as we finished up our tea. I took the mugs and placed them in the sink.
"I guess we should get going," I said.
Freya nodded and rose to her feet. We headed down the stairs and outside. Light was just descending on the city, with the rain coming down unusually hard. A storm was probably on its way. I closed the door of the house, and Freya and I headed in the direction of the lake. Freya didn't say much, but that didn't surprise me.
Soon we reached the lake since we weren't speaking much. Ebon nodded at me, but didn't even bother to acknowledge Freya. I sat down, but Freya kept standing. Ebon glared at her, and she quickly sat. She was looking around nervously. Ebon seemed to be counting how many blankets he had brought. He had seven, and I watched him toss three aside. That left four. Typical Ebon behavior. I noted the location of the other three blankets so I could grab one later.
It was another fifteen minutes before the other three contestants showed up. They sat down a few feet away from Freya and I. Ebon checked to make sure we were all here.
"This week is going to be devoted to physical endurance. You will come here every day around this time and be ready to swim. You will be in that water swimming for about five hours. Be ready. And I want to see you swimming," Ebon explained, the last sentence directed at Freya.
"I'll be swimming. I like to swim," Freya muttered softly.
Ebon ignored her. "All right, everyone in. Just throw your clothes over there." Ebon motioned to the three blankets.
Everyone shed their clothes and tossed them over onto the three blankets. The three boys charged into the water like little kids. Freya watched them nervously, then followed. I walked around the lake and stared into the waters. I was nervous. I had not forgotten the ice incident.
Cool, calm waters returned my stare, if that was possible.
"You must overcome fear," Ebon said. He then shoved me into the water.
At first I panicked as the cold waters enveloped me. Then I felt someone grab me and pull me up.
"Come on, Frat, swim!" Freya said. "Do I have to save you again?"
Great. That was all I needed. To be in debt with Freya again.
"No, I'm fine," I said, managing to keep myself afloat. I looked over at Freya, and managed to keep myself from staring.
"Well, don't just float there. Ebon said swim!" Freya said. Then, with a powerful kick, she began to swim underwater.
Unfortunately for me the kick had sent water straight into my mouth and nose. I sneezed, then dived under. Freya swam like a fish, and she was an excellent swimmer. She was swimming toward the bottom. I decided to follow, though I was much clumsier in the water.
The bottom of the lake was teaming with life. Seaweed and other water plants swayed in the gentle waters. Fish swam toward the greens, searching for small creatures that lived within the plants. Snapping turtles looked up curiously at Freya and I as we came close. Small, alligator-like critters bared their teeth and snapped. One of them caught onto Freya's foot. Startled, I watched as she accidentally opened her mouth and sucked in a bunch of water. I swam over and kicked the critter off her. I then grabbed her and forced her up to the surface.
Freya was choking and gasping for breath. I heard Ebon mutter "Foolish girl", but he sounded utterly disappointed that she wasn't dead. Typical.
"Well, you're not in debt to me anymore," Freya said between gasps. "Ebon is looking at me, is he?"
I looked around and quickly located Ebon. "Yes, he is."
"Oh no," Freya moaned. "I'm going to be smacked the minute I get out of this damn water."
"Maybe he'll forget in five hours," I suggested.
"Maybe he'll love women and take me out to dinner in five hours," Freya snapped sarcastically. "I'm doomed."
Unfortunately, Freya was probably right. Ebon would take any excuse to smack Freya. Normally he didn't smack without reason. Too bad his reasons were stupid.
"Well, we might as well not worry about it. Otherwise we're both going to be punished for not swimming," I said.
"Yeah, but I'm going to be smacked while you'll just be yelled at," Freya moaned. She began to swim slowly on her back, staring at the cloudy sky.
"Freya if you get rain in your eyes and blind yourself, don't blame me," I joked.
Freya laughed and nearly sank. She splashed water in my face.
"Trying to kill me?" she asked.
"Why would I bother? You can flip me over your back, for God's sake!" I said.
"Oh yeah," Freya said thoughtfully.
"Oh jeez, keep away from me!"
At this point Freya had a very keen interest in flipping me over her back, and I was making a desperate attempt to get way. Unfortunately, she was a faster swimmer, and I was having trouble keeping away.
"Come back her, Fwatty!" Freya chirped.
"Fwatty? Okay, Frat I'll deal with, but not Fwatty!" I shouted.
"Aww, why not? It's cute!" Freya chirped.
"How old are you again, Freya?"
"Thirteen."
"That's what you think!"
"Aww, now that's just plain mean!"
"I know."
"I'm going to get you for that, Frat! Maybe I'll even tickle you for it!"
"CRAP!"
At this point I was making an extra-hard attempt to swim better than Freya was. I dived under, thinking that maybe I could use the bottom of the lake to my advantage. Then again, Freya already got bitten once. I didn't want that to happen again, so I simply swam. Fish fluttered by, not scared of us. They were used to Burmecians in the lake. I reached out and touched a rainbow trout. It stood still for a minute then swam away. Unfortunately for me, I had also stopped, and soon I found myself being dragged to the surface.
"Caught ya!" Freya chirped.
The next thing I knew I was hitting the water behind her with a splash.
"Ow, that smarts," I muttered, rubbing my back.
"Of course," Freya said, staring at me with a smirk.
"Someday I'm going to do that to you," I warned. "You watch!"
Freya laughed. "I'm watching."
"I didn't mean now!" I snapped.
"Oh. Well I guess that means I get to tickle you!"
"What?! Since when?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes! Oh crap!"
I dived under, avoiding Freya's tackle. She only grinned down at me, the water distorting her face. I soon surfaced.
"No tickling!" I snapped.
"Yes, master!" Freya chirped, saluting me.
"Eh? Freya, you are very strange," I told her.
"Thank you, I know. Now let's actually start swimming. Ebon's eyeing me."
With a powerful kick, she was gone.
Five hours later, everyone was making an attempt to dry off and relax. I had sneaked away with two blankets, giving one to Freya and keeping the other. By now it was late morning, and the summer humidity was warning of an oncoming storms. Dark clouds gathered in the sky. Everyone was glad to be out of the water just in case lightning came.
Ebon was eyeing Freya suspiciously. As usual she had done something he didn't like, though what it could be was beyond me. She had swum throughout the entire time, and she was a great swimmer. Then I remembered how Ebon had made sure there were only four blankets. Well, he'd have to blame me for that.
"Where'd you get that?" Ebon asked Freya.
"Him," Freya motioned to me.
"Made him, didn't you?" Ebon asked.
"No," Freya replied.
"Don't lie," Ebon spat.
"I'm not lying. I wouldn't lie to you."
Ebon was dangerously close. One wrong word and Freya would have another bruise.
"Speak the truth and lower your eyes," Ebon hissed.
Freya instead stared at him even more closely. "I'm speaking the God- damn truth. It's just your fault that you don't want to believe it."
As expected, it came. Ebon gave Freya a quick smack before walking away. I glared at Ebon as he left.
"Oh God, there's another one," Freya muttered softly. "I can't even argue. I try to be polite and then he just tells me to lower my eyes. Then I lose my temper and twap."
Freya sighed and placed her head against my shoulder.
"At this rate," she muttered softly. "I'm going to be locked up with the key thrown away elsewhere."
"Your attitude is nothing compared to the attitude of two of those boys," I whispered softly.
"I know. They won't do anything," Freya muttered with a sigh.
After a few minutes everyone had dressed and was listening to Ebon talk about the importance of physical endurance.
"Oh yes, physical endurance is very important," Freya muttered softly. "You're teaching me that very quickly, Ebon."
Poor Freya. "Physical endurance will constantly be re-teaching itself throughout your life," Ebon lectured.
"Yes, especially by your sexist teacher," Freya muttered. "He teaches it with smacks for the bad girls and nothing for the bad boys. Oh joy."
I pulled Freya closed and began to rub her shoulders.
"What do you think about what's he saying?" Freya whispered to me.
"I think he's an asshole," I replied.
Freya tried her best not to chuckle, but she didn't succeed.
"What is so funny?" Ebon asked angrily.
Freya looked up at Ebon. "Nothing at all."
Ebon's eyes were on fire as he glared at her. "Really?"
It was too late. No matter what Freya said, she was in for it.
"It was me, Ebon," I said before Freya could say anything. "I told her that I think you're an asshole. And you know what? You are."
Ebon's eyes narrowed. "Get out of here, Fratley."
"Gladly," I snapped.
I gave Freya a quick pat on the shoulder before I rose and headed toward home. I heard someone else rise.
"You do not have permission to go anywhere," Ebon growled.
"Shove it up your ass," Freya snapped.
As expected, I heard flesh hit flesh. Soon, Freya was running beside me, rubbing her left cheek.
"Frat, why?" she asked. "When your mother finds out, she'll kill you."
"It's not right," I replied. "Why should you take the abuse for something I said? I don't care if I have to leave. I know the benefits of having endurance anyway."
"So do I, and I wish I had more of it," Freya muttered.
I was about to reply, but it was drowned away by roaring thunder. Freya and I both looked toward the sky to see that the dark clouds had thickened in the sky. The rain was coming down more quickly, and lightning streaked down.
"Oh no, not another one!" Freya moaned.
"Let's hurry home!" I shouted.
We began to run down the sleek streets. We rushed through the Royal Gate as thunder roared. Lightning cracked and slammed into a tree in the distance. Smoke billowed from the tree, indicating a fire, but the rain would douse it soon enough.
Despite this, something made me stop.
"Was that lightning near my house?" I asked.
Freya stopped and tried to pinpoint the location. She frowned.
"It think so," she muttered.
"Crap!" I shouted.
We resumed running once more. The rain was coming down so hard it was making it difficult to see. Thunder roared every few seconds, followed by lightning streaking down from a black sky. We soon reached my house, and I was running so quickly that I slammed straight into the door. Freya laughed and opened the door.
"Come on, foolish one," she said teasingly, helping me to my feet.
We entered the house, Freya closing the door quickly to keep the rain out. We were both soaked. We headed up the stairs and soon found blankets being thrown in our faces.
"Dry off," Rose said. "Ya will make 'oles in the wood otherwise."
"Huh?" Freya muttered.
"Water will make the wood rot," I explained quietly, covering my entire head with the blanket.
"Oh," Freya replied.
"So, why are ya 'ome early?" Rose asked.
"Ebon told me ta leave," I said.
"Oh? And why is that?" Rose asked, immediately suspicious.
You can't hide anything from Rose.
"I called 'im an asshole, and 'e was goin' to blame Freya for it. So I confessed," I told Rose, taking the blanket off my head. "My hair is all poofy, isn't it?"
Freya looked up and grinned. "You look like you just woke up!"
Rose sighed. "Fratley, why did ya say that? I know Ebon's an ass but ya definitely don't say it near him! Don't tell me all the years spent trying to discipline ya are going to end up in vain."
"Oh great, here she goes again," I muttered, combing my shoulder- length hair with my fingers. "Mamá, ya did fine raisin' me! Jeez!"
"Then why don't ya prove it?" Rose snapped.
"Oh, Great Dragon, 'elp me!" I muttered.
Freya laughed, as she took the blanket and threw it into the small bathroom. Rose rolled her eyes at my comment. I also threw the blanket into the bathroom, then proceeded to try and get my hair into a halfway decent state.
"Stupid hair," I muttered.
"Ya would 'ave a lot less trouble with it if ya would just let me -" Rose began.
"I'm not lettin' ya cut my hair!" I snarled. "Ya cut ye hair first!"
"I'm not cutting my hair," Rose snapped.
"Neither am I!" I replied, still finger-combing my hair.
"Crazy lunatic," Rose muttered. She handed Freya a wet piece of cloth. "'Ere. For the latest of your bruises. What'd 'e smack ya for this time?"
Freya muttered a soft thank you as she held the cloth up against her cheek. "First one is from trying to defend myself about using a blanket to dry and off and I lost my temper a bit. Second one is for choosing to leave with Fratley."
Rose sighed. "Always something."
"She 'as bigger problems. 'Er mothe' is noticin' the bruises and she thinks it's me," I said.
Rose looked over at Freya. "Your mother doesn't know about Ebon?"
"N-No," Freya said slowly. "I never told her b-because she'd freak."
"Relax, I'm not going to kill ya," Rose said gently. "But your mother thinks it's Fratley?"
"Yes," Freya replied.
Rose sighed. "Guess I need to give Ebon a talking-to."
"What?" I asked, surprised.
Rose was already heading into her bedroom.
"A talking-to! 'E needs it!" Rose called.
"But 'e'll cream ya!" I protested, racing into the bedroom.
"E's not creaming anybody," Rose said.
She was placing her twin javelins safely within her sleeves. She tied leather twine around her wrists to keep the hidden javelins from moving. She grabbed her leather jacket and put it on.
"Rain is 'arsh?" she asked me. I nodded. "Right, then."
Rose left the room. She looked over at me.
"Ya stay 'ere, okay?" she said. I nodded. "Good."
Rose nodded at me, then at Freya. She then descended the stairs and left the house.
"She's an amazing person, your mother," Freya said with admiration. She took the cloth and placed it near the sink. "I suppose I'd better head home."
"Ya can stay 'ere. No one will mind," I assured.
"Oh, I know, but my mother's going to be worried sick. I really shouldn't let her worry. Frat, I'm sorry to leave so suddenly," Freya muttered.
"It's all right," I immediately said.
"Frat," Freya muttered softly. She gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Good bye."
Her voice was soft like an angel's, and that was what she indeed seemed like as she descended the stairs and left the house. She seemed heavenly, pure, God-like.
My angel.
----- Aww, how sweet - I think. Anyway, just so you know, you're supposed to hate Ebon *evil grin* Anyway, will Freya's family problems be settled? Will Ebon somehow become nicer by a miracle? Can Rose knock some sense into everyone? (Go Rose! Go Rose! *Cough* Er, sorry) Anyway, stay tuned!
This story is copyright to me. Some characters, events, locations, and Gaia in general are copyright to SquareEnix.