Author's note: Sorry for the long, long, long wait. I was out on a band trip that year and I forgot about this ENTIRELY. XD You may commence pegging me with random objects. I know you want to. Let's see if I even remember what I wrote in this chapter. Ouch. Most of this is dated May 23, 2004. Stares at the current day February 4, 2006. Wow...that's it. Someone come and smack me right now. Go on Gaia online. My username's Razumi Yazura there. Hurry.
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Out hunting in the forest near the town, two young men hid behind bushes and trees as they awaited a deer to come by. Waiting. Waiting. Silence. It seemed like there was nothing there at all. As if something had killed off all the wildlife.
"How long have we been here, Ardril?" Asked the younger man, holding down his bow. "I'm tired."
"Hm…perhaps we should head back, Noah. I'm tired as well," answered he other, sheathing his sword. "Besides, this was just for fun anyhow."
The two sighed in a fed up manner then stood up. Noah dusted himself off then hooked his bow on the strap around his back. Ardril looked around for a moment before going over to his adopted brother, ruffling up his brown hair.
"Come on, kid," Ardril grinned, drawing his hand back. "We have to get back before it gets dark."
Noah shoved him away alittle then rolled his eyes. He hated being called a kid let alone having his hair messed up. Ardril simply laughed then turned to head back to town. They weren't very far and it was still the afternoon, but he loved to tease his little "brother" about the dark. After all, Noah's real parents were killed at night and Ardril's all he's got. Noah hated his teasing, but he knew he did it to show that he cared. Ardril's parents died long before Noah knew him, though he never did find out how they died. He would never talk about it. Joking around was all he had to avoid depression along with a few other things, it seemed.
"Ardril?" Noah asked as they entered the town. "How are you and Marielle doing?"
"Huh?" Ardril stopped walking, looking over at him with a puzzled expression. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, I just haven't been seeing you together lately, that's all."
A grin appeared on his older "brother's" face as if he were hiding something. Saying nothing, he turned away and started walking again. Nothing was said? That was a change.
"Ardril? Is there something wrong?"
"Mm...nothing at all."
After awhile, the two reached the entrance of the blacksmith's shop. Noah looked up to see the sign. Once he did, he let out a sigh.
"Everything about her is perfect. Her beauty…her intelligence," Ardril finally answered as he walked along the building, "She just needs to tend to her chores sometimes. I respect that. She deserves a better life than what she has now."
"You don't seem to respect her when you flirt with those other girls."
"Oh, don't mind that, Noah. It's just all in fun. No harm in that."
"How can you say that? That's horrible."
"Ay, you don't understand. That's just how I am."
Denek was out in the back, mending leather armour that was damaged when he was sparring with one of his friends. Nearly finished, he overheard Ardril and Noah's conversation, drawing his attention away from his work. Setting down his tools, he crept towards the exit of the room, peering outside to see the two there.
"Listen, Noah," Ardril continued, "Don't get me wrong, but I'll give my life for Marielle, but that does not mean I can't have alittle fun with other women, no?"
Denek's face cringed into a look of disgust. He never liked Ardril. Everything about him was like that of the characteristics of a wild boar to his eyes. He couldn't understand why Marielle would ever like someone like this.
He turned to go back to his work. However, a hand clasped his shoulder for behind to stop him. Still a bit peeved from seeing Ardril, he turned as if to yell, but stopped once he saw that it was Noah. With a calm, child-like smile, he released Denek once he was turned fully to face him.
"Hey there, Den," he said, oblivious to the fact that he was eavesdropping just now. "How've you been doing lately? Haven't seen you in awhile."
Denek thought back to last night. He thought back at how strange Marielle had been acting at that very moment. He looked back at Noah. There was a pause of silence until he turned to go back to his work.
"I've been doing fine," he answered briefly.
Noah blinked a few times, finding Denek's response peculiar.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm only tired right now, Noah."
There was another pause of silence between the two boys. They were friends, but Denek wasn't in the mood to talk. Not after last night and the fact that Ardril is not too far from where they were. He took the armour in his arms then headed inside. Before he did, he looked back at Noah, gesturing for him to come with him with a small movement of his head. He didn't want to be rude by leaving him outside.
Noah followed with concern. He didn't think to call for Ardril. He knew that Denek see eye to eye with him. Ardril would go inside if he wanted to. Once inside, he slipped off his boots by the door then watched Denek put the armour away.
"Hunt for anything interesting?" Denek asked as he took a seat by the table.
"No luck," Noah admitted, talking a seat next to his friend. "I could have caught a deer, but I it got away since I fumbled."
Noah let out a soft chuckle in embarrassment then glanced down at the book that was set on the table. Curious, he reached for it then began to flip pages. Realizing that it was a spell book, his eyes widened. He couldn't understand a thing, but he could tell by the symbols drawn on the pages.
"Never knew you were into witchcraft..."
Denek gingerly took the book from Noah's hands then got up to put the book away.
"Witchcraft is such a harsh word…besides, it's not mine...it's Marielle's book."
Sitting back down, Denek looked down one direction to see Isabelle. She harboured a rather baffled expression on her tiny face. She moved her look back and forth as if looking for someone or something. The two boys stared at her as she came over to them.
"Denek, where's Marielle?" She asked, hopping onto his lap. "Ardril wants to talk to her."
"Hrm? She's wasn't with you?"
The small girl shook her head, her brown locks of curly hair swinging back and forth at each shake. This made Denek worry alittle. Carrying his little sister in his arms, he set her upon his seat then began to check all the rooms of the house. Gone. She wasn't nowhere in sight. Worry grew into fear. Where was she? Denek walked past the room Isabelle and Noah were in, not even acknowledging that Ardril was now sitting there. The mere thought of his older sister disappearing without warning made him behave like a mad man. He didn't care about who saw him acting this way. He cared about his sister being safe.
Practically going insane already, he held his hands to the sides of his head. Right when he was about to yell in frustration, he stops as a thought rushed into his head. Right then and there, he pivoted on one foot then headed his way outside where he saw Marielle singing. It was worth a shot. Once he was outside, his heart nearly sank to see that she wasn't there. He walked right onto the spot where he saw her standing.
"Mer...what's going on...? Things have been so strange lately..."
As soon as he was about ready to go back inside, an arm curled around his neck then pulled him down playfully. This was followed by a rough noogie to his head. Denek flailed around then calmed down once he saw who it was. It was Marielle. As if she appeared out of nowhere, she was there, keeping him in a headlock.
"It looked like you needed this," she said with a grin, releasing him. "What's wrong?"
Shocked by her, he merely stared at her as if in disbelief.
Where in the world were you! That's what I want to know! He thought to himself.
"Oh...nothing, sister...nothing."
