The Andalite Chronicles: Loren's POV (KA's timeline approximately ch.11)
A/N: So sorry guys for not updating earlier, but these past two weeks have been crazy for me. My dad just got back home from Kuwait (he's been there since March) and now he's gone to Pennsylvania for two weeks for his "war army college" thing. Plus my g-ma just broke her leg and she had to have surgery. I'm also going on a mission to Mexico tomorrow and I'll be gone for about a week or so, but I'll be taking my notebook and things so I'll be able to have more chapters written, so expect a few more chapters next week! (This is more of the fun part for me since the next few chapters I have a bit more space to write what I want and still staying within the story guidelines). Okay, well here you go, as always, please read and tell me what you think, thanks!
Chapter Nine
"It's okay Elfangor, it's okay." I had my arms wrapped around Elfangor as though I were a mother comforting her child. But suddenly Elfangor ripped himself out of my arms and shook his head, as though he couldn't believe he had just hugged me.
I guess Andalites aren't big on touchy feely stuff. Still, I asked him, "Are you okay?"
//Yes. Of course. I'm fine,// he said a bit roughly.
Okay, okay. He looked just like dad when dad got back from Vietnam. Distant and afraid, as though he couldn't believe what he'd done in war. That scared me. I'd seen first hand what happens to people like that and I hoped Elfangor would be able to snap out of his funk.
I sighed and then turned over to Arbron. He was bleeding on his arm! I went to him, tearing some of my shirt for a bandage. I looked at the gash. While I didn't know that much about nursing, I did know enough that to stop the bleeding, you had to apply pressure.
Alloran came over and just barely glanced Arbron's arm. //You'll be okay, Aristh. Go back to the weapons station. We've just started here. We have to fly this Yeerk crate down to the planet. Aristh Elfangor, you take the helm. The controls are more primitive than our own ships, but-- He stopped, glaring at Arbron and Elfangor.
Couldn't the guy see that both of them were still going on about the battle? Have a little sympathy, mister?
But his face did soften. //It's your first time. You fought well. Both of you. It's always hard the first time. And it never gets easy. But I need you both. Now.//
Better, I thought, but the guy could use some more lessons.
Elfangor nodded, //Yes, Prince Alloran. I'll take the helm.//
//You. Alien,// he said to me. //Get back into the Jahar. We'll be away for awhile. Don't touch anything.//
I looked back at the ship and hesitated. I knew exactly what Chapman would do, or would try to do as soon as the Andalites were gone.
//What is it?// asked Elfangor.
I hesitated a bit more. What would the Andalites think if I told him that Chapman was going to try to take over the ship? And then, would I stop him? What if these Andalites never did come back and we were stranded?
Finally, I said, "Look, tell me the truth. Swear by whatever it is that is really important to you. Swear that you're going to take Chapman and me back to Earth."
//Of course we are. As soon as we can,// he said.
I sighed. Might as well tell him the whole deal. "Look, it's Chapman. I'm sure he's a nice guy (well, that's a stretch) and all, really . . ."
//You don't trust him.//
"If you leave the two of us here on the Jahar, he'll try something. I know he will. And I know you think that we're too primitive to be able to fly your ship or whatever, but don't count on it. Chapman doesn't like you." There. I said it. Bluntly.
//Yes, I got that impression.// (Was that a joke? Who knew?) //But we can tell the ship's computer not to allow him to do anything. He won't be able to fly the ship or use the communications. It will be all right.//
He looked around quickly over at Alloran and Arbron, who were preoccupied. He handed me one of the phasers. //Here. Take this. Hide it under your clothing. Use it if Chapman makes trouble for you. It is set to level two. Just point it and squeeze the trigger.//
I took it and put it under my shirt, lucky it was baggy. "Listen . . . good luck down on the planet. Whatever you're doing down there." I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I meant is as some sort of a "kiss the heroes off" type of thing, but strangely it didn't feel that way at all.
We looked into each others eyes, in a reverie, until Alloran said, //Aristh Elfangor? Whenever you have the time to join us . . .//
Elfangor snapped his head away, as though from a shock. //Ready sir! Preparing to sever the connection with the Jahar.//
The hatch started to close and as Elfangor hurried through it to the other ship, I waved goodbye.
As soon as the hatch was closed, though, who do you know but a voice smirked, "So you have a crush on an alien? Great choice, Loren."
I whirled around. "Crush? What are you talking about?! I don't have a crush on Elfangor!"
"Yeah, sure. Better watch out, who knows what your children will look like."
"You are the most infuriating-ARGH!" I stood there, staring at Chapman who was leering at me. I never wanted more than any moment before to make him shut up using whatever measures necessary.
Instead, I closed my eyes. Just think of him as a little kid, Loren. He's just a little kid trying to get you upset; that's his whole purpose in life at the moment, much as you don't like that.
After a few calming thoughts like that, I opened my eyes. "I'm going to my room to take a nap. Please don't bother me."
Of course, I wasn't. I was going to try to spy on him to see if he was going to do something, but no need for him to know that. I turned on my heel, going to my sleeping quarters.
"Well, I'll wake you when you start moaning about Elfangor in your sleep!"
A/N: Yeah, it's kinda short, but I'll make the next chapters longer, I promise!
A/N: So sorry guys for not updating earlier, but these past two weeks have been crazy for me. My dad just got back home from Kuwait (he's been there since March) and now he's gone to Pennsylvania for two weeks for his "war army college" thing. Plus my g-ma just broke her leg and she had to have surgery. I'm also going on a mission to Mexico tomorrow and I'll be gone for about a week or so, but I'll be taking my notebook and things so I'll be able to have more chapters written, so expect a few more chapters next week! (This is more of the fun part for me since the next few chapters I have a bit more space to write what I want and still staying within the story guidelines). Okay, well here you go, as always, please read and tell me what you think, thanks!
Chapter Nine
"It's okay Elfangor, it's okay." I had my arms wrapped around Elfangor as though I were a mother comforting her child. But suddenly Elfangor ripped himself out of my arms and shook his head, as though he couldn't believe he had just hugged me.
I guess Andalites aren't big on touchy feely stuff. Still, I asked him, "Are you okay?"
//Yes. Of course. I'm fine,// he said a bit roughly.
Okay, okay. He looked just like dad when dad got back from Vietnam. Distant and afraid, as though he couldn't believe what he'd done in war. That scared me. I'd seen first hand what happens to people like that and I hoped Elfangor would be able to snap out of his funk.
I sighed and then turned over to Arbron. He was bleeding on his arm! I went to him, tearing some of my shirt for a bandage. I looked at the gash. While I didn't know that much about nursing, I did know enough that to stop the bleeding, you had to apply pressure.
Alloran came over and just barely glanced Arbron's arm. //You'll be okay, Aristh. Go back to the weapons station. We've just started here. We have to fly this Yeerk crate down to the planet. Aristh Elfangor, you take the helm. The controls are more primitive than our own ships, but-- He stopped, glaring at Arbron and Elfangor.
Couldn't the guy see that both of them were still going on about the battle? Have a little sympathy, mister?
But his face did soften. //It's your first time. You fought well. Both of you. It's always hard the first time. And it never gets easy. But I need you both. Now.//
Better, I thought, but the guy could use some more lessons.
Elfangor nodded, //Yes, Prince Alloran. I'll take the helm.//
//You. Alien,// he said to me. //Get back into the Jahar. We'll be away for awhile. Don't touch anything.//
I looked back at the ship and hesitated. I knew exactly what Chapman would do, or would try to do as soon as the Andalites were gone.
//What is it?// asked Elfangor.
I hesitated a bit more. What would the Andalites think if I told him that Chapman was going to try to take over the ship? And then, would I stop him? What if these Andalites never did come back and we were stranded?
Finally, I said, "Look, tell me the truth. Swear by whatever it is that is really important to you. Swear that you're going to take Chapman and me back to Earth."
//Of course we are. As soon as we can,// he said.
I sighed. Might as well tell him the whole deal. "Look, it's Chapman. I'm sure he's a nice guy (well, that's a stretch) and all, really . . ."
//You don't trust him.//
"If you leave the two of us here on the Jahar, he'll try something. I know he will. And I know you think that we're too primitive to be able to fly your ship or whatever, but don't count on it. Chapman doesn't like you." There. I said it. Bluntly.
//Yes, I got that impression.// (Was that a joke? Who knew?) //But we can tell the ship's computer not to allow him to do anything. He won't be able to fly the ship or use the communications. It will be all right.//
He looked around quickly over at Alloran and Arbron, who were preoccupied. He handed me one of the phasers. //Here. Take this. Hide it under your clothing. Use it if Chapman makes trouble for you. It is set to level two. Just point it and squeeze the trigger.//
I took it and put it under my shirt, lucky it was baggy. "Listen . . . good luck down on the planet. Whatever you're doing down there." I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I meant is as some sort of a "kiss the heroes off" type of thing, but strangely it didn't feel that way at all.
We looked into each others eyes, in a reverie, until Alloran said, //Aristh Elfangor? Whenever you have the time to join us . . .//
Elfangor snapped his head away, as though from a shock. //Ready sir! Preparing to sever the connection with the Jahar.//
The hatch started to close and as Elfangor hurried through it to the other ship, I waved goodbye.
As soon as the hatch was closed, though, who do you know but a voice smirked, "So you have a crush on an alien? Great choice, Loren."
I whirled around. "Crush? What are you talking about?! I don't have a crush on Elfangor!"
"Yeah, sure. Better watch out, who knows what your children will look like."
"You are the most infuriating-ARGH!" I stood there, staring at Chapman who was leering at me. I never wanted more than any moment before to make him shut up using whatever measures necessary.
Instead, I closed my eyes. Just think of him as a little kid, Loren. He's just a little kid trying to get you upset; that's his whole purpose in life at the moment, much as you don't like that.
After a few calming thoughts like that, I opened my eyes. "I'm going to my room to take a nap. Please don't bother me."
Of course, I wasn't. I was going to try to spy on him to see if he was going to do something, but no need for him to know that. I turned on my heel, going to my sleeping quarters.
"Well, I'll wake you when you start moaning about Elfangor in your sleep!"
A/N: Yeah, it's kinda short, but I'll make the next chapters longer, I promise!