To Be Alone.

Well, it appears I have gotten another review from my dear friends Rachel and sam!

Rachel-Sinfield: yeah, it's kinda hard to follow the story if you haven't played the game…but if you need me to explain anything regarding the story, you know my email.

aki yasha: thanks for your review, lol...yes, i love erky.

Well, last chapter was in Priscilla's pov. So this one is in Erk's! Yay! More torturing Erk with Priscilla! So, without further ado (love that.) on with the fic!

Chapter 4: Pirate Ship.

Erk's POV.

I was sitting in my room, reading as usual when someone on deck was making a fuss over something or other. Canas sighs and tries to return to his reading. Lady Lyndis is yelling something like "I knew there would be bandits!" I cannot clearly hear her over everyone else screaming and running along the deck above me.

Mark comes tearing into Canas and mine's room speaking incoherently about something… Oh! We have to fight now. Honestly, Mark needs to learn how to speak when he is frantic. Well, at least in words known to humans anyway.

He doesn't think it is wise I come along to this battle. I cannot say I am not a little disgruntled at that. Yes, I will have time to catch up on my studies but if I have no hands on experience how will my studies serve me in battle? I do not say anything to Mark however. I stay in the cabin while Canas leaves to go fight. He seems somewhat annoyed to have to leave his book whereas I am the complete opposite. I want to test my studies in battle. Perhaps Canas has grown tired of seeing how all his books help him while he fights.

I sit on my bed and sigh. Would Priscilla be in this battle? Probably. She is a troubadour after all. The entire group needs her. Besides, most prefer her to Serra. I cannot help but worry for her safety. She seemed upset only yesterday when she asked for Lucius. I didn't go back. I couldn't. I returned to my cabin and sat there wondering what was wrong with her. I didn't ask her. It is not my place, nor my business.

Priscilla… are you safe? Are you staying close the person instructed to guard you? I pray to Saint Elimine that you remain safe in this battle.

As soon as the battle has ended I go above deck to see if you are alright. I cannot find you. I cannot see your red hair. I look for you; I would look for you forever if I had to. Lady Priscilla…what I would give to see you. I think I may look a little frantic to the others. Searching for you. It is always about you Lady Priscilla. I have an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Are you injured Priscilla? …Are you dead? Priscilla… I… I think I am…in love with you. Love? How can that be? But as I think about it, loving you, I know that it is true.

I stand there, stunned. I cannot believe it. Serra comes over and pokes me. I ignore her for once. She finally gives up and leaves me standing there. It starts to rain but I don't feel it. Then suddenly I remember, where are you Priscilla?

My wet clothes stick to me; my purple hair is matted on my head. I feel better than I have in days realizing that I'm not crazy, realizing that I want to be by your side forever. I run to Captain Fargus and ask him if he has seen you.

" A girl with red hair eh? Nah, haven't seen her. Now get outta the rain you dolt!"

I thank him and run off again. I hear Fargus laughing at me as I run away looking for you. I nearly fall at least twice but I keep going until I reach the cabin that holds the injured, the dead, and the sick. I scan the room for any sign of you. I see a flash of red hair. I recognize that hair. It is you. Lady Priscilla.

You are lying in a bed, bandages wrapped around your torso. Your brother, Raven, is at your side. I freeze. I cannot go near you while he is there. I glance around the room again looking for someone, anyone that I can talk to. Lord Hector no. Florina no. There is no one for me to at least look like I'm visiting until your brother leaves. In defeat I return to my cabin.

The soft pitter-patter of the rain on the deck is the only sound I hear besides my own footsteps. When I finally get back to my cabin Canas is sitting on his bed reading.

I'm cold. Some of it is from wearing wet clothes, some of it is from finding that you are hurt and I can do nothing. I wish that I could sit there a your side and tell you how I feel, that I never want to leave you. But I can't. A wave of despair washes over me. Priscilla… Will I ever tell you? Can I ever tell you?

I sit on my bed and lay down. I curl up and lie there, wishing for something that is almost impossible. I want to cry. I don't though. Canas is here; I am a disciplined student of Lord Pent. I don't cry.

"Erk, is something the matter?" Canas asks.

I don't answer. If I do, it will give away my feelings. Instead of replying I continue to lay there in my own sadness. I know it is stupid to lie her wallowing in self-pity but I cannot stop. You, I have failed you. I am your escort. I am supposed to protect you! I am only your escort…I am not your brother or Lucius. I'm your escort. A person you pay to protect you then when you don't need protection anymore you throw them away. It is not supposed to happen. I am not supposed to fall in love with you. This is all wrong…

Canas is standing in front of me now. He seems worried and is talking to me. I cannot hear him; I don't want to hear him. Finally he leaves. I don't know where he is going.

Cold. I'm so cold. I think I'm shivering but I don't know. I lay here all alone. Always alone. Unless you are here. Lady Priscilla. Please, get better. Don't leave me alone. I would rather die.

Canas returns. I stare at him blankly. He has Lyndis with him. She walks over and kneels down beside my bed.

"Erk? Are you alright? Do you need a healer? Serra would be glad to help you I'm sure." She asks worriedly. Why did Canas go get Lyndis? Is it because I traveled with her for a time?

I shake my head no. Priscilla… I don't know if I said that out loud or not. Lyndis looks at me and smiles.

"Is that what this is all about? Priscilla? Erk, I had no idea," she says smiling wider. I look at her. Why is she smiling? Does she think you are funny in some way? I don't have a clue. Canas smiles too and goes back to his book.

"Come on Erk. I'll take you to see her. She just got injured," Lyndis says that same smile still on her face.

"Raven…"

"He's not there anymore. Lucius took over watching her. Come on," she says and stands up.

I move to get out of bed, my feet touch the floor, I stand up for a moment and pass out. Darkness…

Yes, well that is the 4rth chapter! I hope you enjoyed it. I know Erk is really angsty in this chapter. Maybe I should change it to angst/romance? I don't really know. I was kinda depressed as I was writing this so that's probably why Erk was like that. I know the sentences are really short. I did that intentionally. It fits the mood I suppose. Poor Erky. He shouldn't stand out in rain then lie there in dripping wet clothes! But yeah. Next chapter: the Dread Isle. Stuff goes down…people die (not main chars…) poor little brown haired thief losses his girlfriend. This fic has seriously deviated from the original one…that's ok. I like this one better. I'm sorry if this fic is strange because well, I don't particularly like romance books and I have never really had a serious "thing" well really any kind of "thing" at all so I'm winging it. But anyway!

Matthew: read and review! That comment about the brown haired thief wasn't about me was it?

Me: er…no.