Chapter XII

Rumours

We (once again) left the next day at day break. It was cold outside and I wrapped my cloak tightly around my body. As we breathed, small clouds existed and faded in the early morning air. Audax instinctly rubbed his arms to gain some warmth. "Yevon, it's freezing," I said shivering. "It'll be a couple of hours walking before we reach Guadosalam," Audax said and forced a smile. "Until then we'll just have to freeze." I stopped for a moment. "Can't we go sit down for a while, until the sun comes through? If I keep going on like this I'll turn into an ice cube!" I shivered. He rubbed my arms and we kept on walking. "If we stop now we'll freeze for sure. If we keep walking it'll keep us warm, so let's just keep moving."

I walked up close to him, hoping it'd keep me warm like that. After almost half an hour of walking, we finally reached the Moonflow. It was beautiful, but I knew the sight would be even prettier at night. But we couldn't wait that long and I felt sorry. If there would be one place I'd like to pause, to put up camps or whatsoever, it would be here. But it was too cold, we just had to keep going.

Pyrefly didn't seem to be troubled by the harsh cold at all. But of course, he had a thick warm fur to protect him. Jealous, I pulled the hood even further over my head than it already was, leaving me to see nothing but the path. The dry hard frozen ground. Walking along the moonflow I picked up the smell of a fire. Pyrefly, obviusly, smelled it too and ran on. "Pyrefly!" I called but he wouldn't return. Grumpy, we sauntered after him. And after walking for a while, saw a bunch of teens sitting around a campfire. Some grownup was complaining loudly. "Are you out of your mind? In the name of Yevon! You'll create a brushfire!" The teens just laughed at him.

Pyrefly had already found himself a spot near the fire and so did we. "Oh for cryin' out loud! Will you plea-" The man noticed the staf I was holding. "Oh, forgive me, m'lady! My apologies!" I just smiled and closed my eyes, enjoying the gentle warmth of the fire. Audax blew warm air into his fists and pulled his legs against his chest. The teens who existed from three young muscular boys and a girl were joking and laughing loudly. "Hey, did you hear about lady Yuna?" the guy sitting closest to me suddenly said.

Peeking through half-closed eyes I saw he had short black hair sticking out in all sorts of ways. The girl with a long red pigtail sweeped it over her shoulder and shook her head. "Well, you already know she was engaged to maester Seymour, right?" the boy muttered. I listened with all intrest. Audax however didn't even notice. "Well, turns out she had a different view upon the wedding. She killed maester Seymour and suddenly disappeared!" The groups gasped in amazement. "Lady Yuna killed a maester?" another boy with big dark eyes and a very short brown ponytail asked. My mouth hung open slightly. Lady Yuna... It couldn't be! I didn't have any respect left for the maesters since that awful Operation Mi'ihen, but kill one?

I pushed Audax against his shoulder and he looked up. Obviously, he had almost been asleep. "What?" he asked still sleepy. "They said Lady Yuna killed a maester." His eyes widened. "Summoner Yuna?" I rolled my eyes at the teen boy who started telling colourful about wishing he had been there so he could kick her butt as well. The boys laughed loudly but the girl casted them a dissaproving look and fumbled with her pigtail.

"You think he's serious?" Audax muttered. I shrugged and stood up. "Dunno, let's just keep moving." As soon as we were a couple of feet away from the fire, we were struck by the wind blowing shrewdly. Once again Audax pulled me against him in a way to keep us both warm. And it did keep me warm, deep inside. Walking for another 15 minutes a couple of giant blue animals drew my attention. "Shoopuff?" I asked amazed. "Yep, those are Shoopuff," Audax smiled.

I had never seen a Shoopuff before in my entire life. But then again, the farest I had been from home was Luca and the Mi'ihen Highroad, which I had walked already with my dad when I was ten. It was fun. Back then, the Highroad had been filled with Chocobo's, the big yellow birds. My dad had rented two and a Crusader took us for some lessons. I had great memories back then. But, Shoopuffs... Nope, this was the first time I saw one in real life.

"Are we going to ride one?" I asked, observing the cabin on one of the Shoopuff's back. "Yep," Audax smiled and went over to one of the Hypellos, the weird headed blue guys, to get ourselves a ride. Pyrefly barked anxiously at the enormous creatures. I crouched and petted his head in order to keep him quiet. He yelped quietly and I smiled. "Don't worry, Pyrefly, they won't hurt us. They'll only bring us across the lake." "Jentl!" Audax beckoned me. I stood up and walked over to him. "Thish way, Lady, Shummoner," the Hypello said and pointed at the elevator. Stepping onto the elevator I wondered how safe this was? We shot up and screaming I tightened my arms around Audax's waist. He however stood firmly on the platform. It turned and now led us straight into the cabin on top of the Shoopuff. Audax laughed, lifted me up from the ground and carried me insisde.

"That's not funny, Audax!" I cried still in fear. He just chuckled and put me down on a purple couch. "Is this safe?" I asked as Audax settled himself opposite me on another purple couch. "I mean, can't this thing fall down?" "Well, yeah, but it'll need one of Sin's gravity bombs to do that," Audax joked. "That's not funny," I snapped and looked the other way. No Sin jokes were funny, I didn't want to hear about it.

Pyrefly was jumping excited from one couch to another. "Careful he doesn't fall out," I warned. "Come sit over here, Pyrefly," Audax called and tapped the place beside him. Pyrefly ran over to him and sat down beside him. "We're cool," he said and slapped Pyrefly on the back. I smiled slightly and rubbed my belly. "I'm hungry," I mumbled. "We'll eat something in the Inn of Guadosalam. Just hang on for a few more hours." I groaned and lied down on the couch, that way the wind didn't bother me anymore. But I was so tired, that after a few minutes, I fell asleep.

I woke up, uncomfortable. After a while I realised somebody was holding me, and dragging me down the road. In reflex I started screaming and kicking, not knowing where I was or who had been my kidnapper. "Leave me alone! Let go off me!" I heard a loud cursed and was dropped onto the ground. My cape was thrown half over my head so I couldn't see. I quickly pulled it off and jumped up panting. "Ouch... That hurt, Luana... That really did..." I was sure my cheeks were growing crimson at seeing Audax lying on the ground, left cheek red.

"Sorry!" I cried kneeling down next to him. "So sorry!" Moaning he sat up, painfully rubbing his cheek. "Then you're trying to be nice, instead of quite simply waking her up you carry her for about five miles on an uneven road and this is what you get!" I tried to keep a straight face. "Here, let me just... cure!" I was still blushing as he got up. "Uhm, feeling any better?" I asked. He looked at me for a moment then chuckled. "I do know how to pick 'em." I laughed quietly as he rubbed the sand off his shorts and shirt then picked up my shoulderbag and staf from the ground. I took the staf but he said he'd carry the bag.

"How far till Guadosalam?" I asked. "About 4 more miles," he said. "We'll be there at noon." He peeked at me. "We uh, staying there till tomorrow?" I peeked back at him from underneath my hood then nodded. "Sure. I'd like to go see my father in the Farplane." He almost made a little leap into the air, however he did march on with a smile from ear to ear. He truelly was saving as many time as he could and somehow knowing he did made me happy.

In Guadosalam we went straight to the Inn, there to find out there weren't any single rooms left and we had to share a double room. Luckily with two separate beds. I threw myself onto the one nearest the door. "I can't feel my legs anymore..." I muttered and closed my eyes. "What about me?" Audax chuckled. "I had to carry you for most the journey." I sniggered and rolled over. "Now, you're not gonna like sharing a room with me cause I talk in my sleep," I told him with a grin. How often people had told me that after a slumber party. Audax only laughed himself. "No trouble at all cause I snore!" "NOOOO!" He threw his pillow at my face and I could just duck away, causing it to knock a vase off a table.

"I ain't paying for that!" Audax immediately cried. "WHO ELSE? You threw the freakin pillow!" I responded. "But you ducked away! It's all so totally your fault!" "Hey you wanna piece of me?" In a matter of seconds we were lying on the ground holding a pillow fight. And after a couple of minutes, it had turned into a wrestling match. "YOU PAY!" "NO YOU!" "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"

Audax pressed me against the ground. "Pay, or I'll crush you!" "You wouldn't!" "Watch me!" We lied there panting, looking each other in the eyes stubbornly. "We could of course just not tell them," Audax then suggested and rolled off of me. I could just see his face growing red before he turned around and went into the bathroom. I raised an eyebrow. What was with him all of the sudden? My tummy rumbled and I reached for my shoulder bag to check if I still had a little bite left. Nope, nothing. Unless I was planning to ease my hunger with Phoenix Downs and Potions.

Moaning I rolled over on the bed pressing my hands on my stomach. "I need some yummy yummy yummy for my tummy," I whined and the bathroomdoor opened again. Audax chuckled at seeing me. "You hungry or something?" I nodded and rubbed my stomach. "I need fooooood..." I whined in a childlike voice. With a laugh Audax pulled me from the bed. "Let's go get something to eat whiner." "Don't make me have Mammoth sit on you."