It was a warm afternoon, a soft breeze blew through the field, rustling the silver leaves on the trees around the edge of the field and gently ruffled the tips of the long red grass. Beneath one tree in the furthest corner of the filed, relaxing under the shade of a very large tree sat a boy and girl. The boy was leaning with his back against the tree, his knees bent towards his chest as he focused on a large sketchpad that he had leaning against his knees, scribbling away with his pencil. He had rolled his white sleeves of his tunic up and his collar was sticking up untidily at the back of his neck.
The girl, on the other hand, was lying back in the grass a short distance from him with her eyes closed, her head resting on her arms behind her head. She had also dressed for the warmer weather, forgoing her usually heavy, thick dresses for a much lighter, pale yellow one with short sleeves that had white lace lining the edges of the cuffs. Her hair was pulled back into a long plait, tied with matching yellow ribbon, but she had removed her headpiece that her parents insist she wore even at home and left it lying in the grass beside her, the silver metal work entwined with little jewels glittering against the sunlight.
"You know," Ariana began, breaking the silence without opening her eyes, "This is possibly my favourite tree to sit under".
Theta paused in his scribbling and looked up, "It is…peaceful," he agreed.
She cracked her eyes open and turned her head to look at him, "I should have known that peacefulness to you would be boring," she sighed slightly, sitting up, "We could always find something else to do if you wish? You are the guest, after all".
"No, that's not what I meant," he quickly said, shaking his head, looking apologetic, "I like it here, it's nice to get away from your Cousins".
She smiled slightly, crossing her legs beneath her, not carrying about wrinkling her dress as she grabbed a handful of grass, toying with it, "Why do you think I like this spot so much?" she remarked, shrugging, "They barely ever come out here. They think it's childish to sit under trees like this".
He returned the smile and sat the book and pencil on the ground beside him, stretching his legs out before him, "Most of them are hardly older then we are," he commented, sounding amused, "Technically, we're all still kids".
"Oh, you know how some people can be, trying to act grown up and important so that the adults will take them more seriously".
"I take it you don't approve?"
"I think that acting mature is all well and good, but I don't think you should forget to be a child along the way".
Theta smiled broadly at her, "Are you sure that you belong to this family?" he asked her in a mock serious tone.
Ariana laughed, "That would make everything so much simpler, wouldn't it?"
"I've wondered myself if I really am related to my Cousins," he informed her, turning serious, but his tone was light as he spoke. He grabbed a handful of grass and pulled it, toying with the pieces.
She watched him for a long moment, sensing that there was something more to it than that. She knew that he got along quite badly with his Cousins, even though he didn't talk about them very much, she knew that from her own experience that it couldn't have easy for him. He liked to joke around and tease people, but she had long suspected that that was just a cover to make people think that he was far happier then he actually was.
"With how similar you resemble you're Father?" Ariana raised her eyebrows at him, giving him a sympathetic smile, "I'm afraid that there's really no doubt just what family you belong to".
"We don't look that similar," he tried to argue, a frown crossing his face, "My brother looks more like him".
"Well then, your brother and Father must look identical, because you look almost exactly like him," she paused, her eyes sweeping his face, and once again she was struck by how handsome he really was, the shade of the tree only making it more prominent. She quickly went on in an attempt to hide the blush she could feel creeping up the back of her neck, "It's just that you have your Mother's eyes".
Theta smiled softly at the mention of his Mother, "People always say that," he remarked, sounding slightly more cheerful now as he looked across to her, and for a brief moment she thought she saw his eyes cross her face, taking in her features, but then he quickly looked away again. He shifted on the spot, "I expect people say that about you, too," he continued after a moment, still not looking at her as he spoke, his cheeks growing slightly pink.
Ariana eyed him curiously for a moment, taking note of the faint blush, but she supposed that it was just from the heat of the afternoon, "Indeed," she nodded, sighing, "I've seen pictures of my Mother at my age and it was almost like looking in the mirror. It was quite startling".
"Do your siblings take after your Mother like you?"
"My brother takes after our Father more, but he inherited my Mother's pale skin and eyes," she told him, "My sister resembles them both. She has our Mother's skill at botany and temperament, and our Father's slightly sharper features," she sighed again, "While I take after my Mother in looks and my Father in personality, or so I've been told".
He blinked at her, "You don't seem like him at all".
"I've been told that he was quite different before he married my Mother," she replied, shrugging, "I think marrying my Mother changed him. They're poorly suited".
Theta could only nod, not wishing to end up upsetting her or seeming rude by agreeing. He had only been staying with them for a few days, but from what he had seen, Ariana was underestimating just how bad they're marriage was. When they were in the same room at meal times, they would snap and make little remarks back at each other, and then they would completely ignore one another, which was almost as bad. He couldn't imagine how they ever managed to have three children.
"What's that?" Ariana suddenly asked, pointing to the sketchpad he had sat beside him, looking curious.
A blush crossed his face and grabbed the book, "Nothing," he said a little too quickly, holding it closer to his chest.
She gave him a suspicious look, raising an eyebrow, "Oh, now you have to tell me, Theta," she said sternly, watching him, but when he didn't move she sighed, "Please?" she tried.
"You'll just laugh…"
"I won't, I promise!" she assured him at once, trying to look as sincere as she could.
Theta eyed her for a long moment, still looking wary, "If I show you, you can't tell Ushas and Koschei".
"I won't say a word to anyone, Theta, I swear".
He nodded and slowly held the book out towards her, watching nervously as she took it, flipping the first page open. Her eyes widened as she took in the picture that had been sketched on the first page in pencil, very well detailed of what appeared to be a picture of a forest stretching out over the page with a river running along it. As Ariana looked at it closer, she realised that it must have been drawn from looking out over the landscape, rather than from above it, as she could see what appeared to be fields running down towards the edge of the forest.
"This is…" she stared down at it, speechless at just how lifelike it was. She had never seen art done by hand before, well, not real art. Even as a child she had done the odd drawing, but Time Lords created there art by computers, pretty much anyone could make a decent looking painting with the right programme, but this, this was real, pure talent, better than any computer.
"It's silly, I know," Theta sighed, looking embarrassed, taking her silence completely the wrong way.
"No," Ariana quickly found her voice and her head snapped up to look at him, her voice firm, "It's not silly, Theta, it's beautiful," his eyes widened and his blush grew even brighter, "I had no idea that you were so talented".
"It's just a quick sketch…"
"If this is just a 'quick sketch,' then I can't wait to see something you worked hard on," she cut across him, giving him a broad smile. She wasn't used to seeing him so modest, which only made it all the more clear to her just how important his sketching must have been to him. She turned back to the book and flipped to the next page, "Where did you draw that first picture?" she questioned curiously.
"My bedroom window," Theta answered, watching her as she continued to look through his drawings, a soft smile playing across her face. He had never shown anyone, save for his Mother, his drawings before, knowing that his friends wouldn't be interested and that his family would only see it as a waste of time, but he couldn't help but feel slightly pleased that he had shown Ariana. Out of everyone he knew, she was perhaps the only one that he trusted. It was strange, considering he had known Ushas and Koschei for far longer, and yet he trusted her even more than them, "My family's house is built in the mountains, overlooking the Cadonflood River," he explained to her.
"Well, it certainly provided you with the perfect landscape to draw," she remarked, turning to the last page to find a half finished drawing of her own home, the wide, sweeping curves of the roof and even the detailing on the brickwork were vines had grown had been included. Carefully, she closed the book and handed it back to him, "I've known you for five years now and yet I haven't seen you draw once".
He shrugged, sitting the book in his lap, "I don't do it often," he informed her, fiddling with the corner of the book, "Sometimes, in class I will…" he half expected her to give him a disapproving look at that, but she simply shook her head at him, looking almost amused. He looked down, clearing his throat, "So, you like them, then?"
"Like them?" she repeated, giving him an incredulous look, "Theta Sigma, I love them," his head snapped up, looking at her as if he expected her to start laughing. She reached forward and covered his hand as it rested on the book, startling him even more by the contact, "I'm being honest," she meet his eyes, trying to make him see just how serious she was, "I truly do think that they are wonderful. Is there any other hidden talents?" she gave him a slightly teasing look.
Theta couldn't help but break into a broad grin, "I am pretty good at playing musical instruments," he said, a hint of smugness entering his tone as he sat up straighter, "And languages, too".
"I wish I was half as talented as you are," Ariana admitted, sighing slightly.
"You're talented…" he began to argue.
"Academically, perhaps, but I'm not creative in the slightest," she started listing them off, "I can't draw, I can't play a musical instrument, I suppose I could tell decent stories if I tried," she paused before shaking her head, "I can't even garden. Oh, and I've never been very interested in languages, just the basics".
"You're good at building and inventing things," he pointed out, "You always get top marks in engineering".
"Yes, but that still falls under academics".
"Ah, but that's why we make such a good team," Theta said brightly, his tone turning playful, "I'm the creative side, while you're the logical side".
Ariana raised her eyebrows at him, "I don't think I've ever been called logical before, if anything, I think my parents believe me to be the complete opposite".
"Fine, you're the…sort of logical with an imaginative flare side".
"You do realise that that's almost a contradiction, yes?"
He sighed and dramatically fell sideways onto the grass, covering his face, "Oh, I give up," he mockingly shook his head, while Ariana couldn't help but smile.
"How about this…" she began, making him lower his arm to look up at her, "We are both contradictions?"
Theta pretended to think about it for a moment, sitting up, "Yes," he nodded after a moment, "Yes, that sounds about right for us".
Ariana smiled at him, looking amused, "Perhaps we should start a club?" she playfully suggested, holding up her hands to emphasise the words, "'Contradictions United'".
They meet each other's eyes and burst out laughing, unable to contain themselves any longer as they both fell onto the grass, still giggling away.
….
It was the middle of the night and yet, Ariana still couldn't sleep. She had tossed her blankets off, only to grow cold and was forced to retrieve them, only to kick them off not ten minutes later, having grown too hot. She hit her pillow, trying to make it more comfortable, but it still didn't help. She huffed and rolled over, turning the bedside light on, squinting as the bright light hurt her eyes, but she tried to ignore it as she checked the time, only to find that it was still hours until sunrise.
"Oh, this is ridicules," she grumbled to herself, throwing the blankets off herself again, and sitting up, dangling her legs over the side of the bed. She wasn't even tall enough to touch the ground yet and something told her that her height wasn't going to improve too much in the future. She just hoped that her future regenerations would be taller, that way she might actually be able to reach things without needing a step ladder.
She stood and grabbed her slippers from under the bed, moving across to the end of the room to her dressing gown that her maid had placed on a hook, and pulled it on. It wasn't often that she found herself unable to sleep, usually she would have read a book, but tonight she felt restless. She carefully opened her doors and peeked her head out, checking to make sure no one was out there, but the corridor was dark.
She slipped a hand inside her dressing gown and withdrew a small torch, lighting it. It wasn't very strong, but enough to see and hopefully not result in her tripping over anything. The last time she had gone for a night time wonder in her family home she had crashed into a table and almost broken a vase that was a wedding present to her Great Grandmother. And then there was the time she had tripped on the edge of her nightgown and into a pot plant. Luckily, for her, she hadn't broken it but she did send soil everywhere, covering her pristine white nightgown in the process. She had spent over an hour trying to clean the soil up and finding a place to hide her nightgown, but even still, her maid had known that she had been up to something.
As she began to slowly and carefully creep along the hallway, very well aware of every noise she made, from her breathing to the sound of her slippers against the floor, she noticed a light coming from under Theta's room. She came to a stop, staring at it, wondering if she really should…surly it would be okay if no one saw? Hesitantly, she moved closer to the door and raised her hand, pausing for a moment, before plucking up the courage to knock softly. A moment past before the door handle turned and it opened a crack. Theta stared at her, surprise written across his face.
"I'm sorry, I didn't wake you, did I?" Ariana whispered, glancing back over her shoulder nervously.
"Ah…" he gave himself a sharp shake, "No, I was reading," he frowned, looking concerned, "Is something wrong?"
"No…well, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go for a walk when I saw the light".
"Right," he nodded, shifting slightly awkwardly as he pulled the door wider, "Do you want to come in, or is that still not allowed?" he asked, his tone turning playful.
She sighed, throwing another look behind her before stepping forward and into the room. Theta blinked, once again surprised by her as he quietly closed the door.
"What book are you reading?" Ariana questioned, shifting a little on the spot as she toyed with the sleeve of her dressing gown.
"'Mountain Climbing for Beginners,'" Theta replied seriously, making her blink at him, trying to work out if he was joking. He smiled slightly at her face and stepped over to his bedside table, picking up a book, moving back over to him to show her, "See?"
She took it, raising her eyebrows, "This is from Earth," she realised, looking back up to him, "Why do you have this?"
"Because…" even in the dull light she could see his cheeks turning pink, "I think becoming a mountain climber would be fun, better than doing paper work all day".
"You mean as a hobby?"
"No, as a profession".
She eyed him for a moment, choosing her words carefully, "But isn't mountain climbing more of a hobby?"
"Well…mainly, yes, but I could always become a mountain climbing teacher".
"Yes, I suppose you could," she nodded slowly, biting her bottom lip, "Have you ever climbed a mountain before? You never know, you might be afraid of heights".
"I'm not afraid of heights," Theta assured her, shaking his head, "I've climbed plenty of trees, and I've grown up surrounded by mountains".
"Climbing a tree is quite different from a mountain, though," she pointed out lightly, "And living around mountains doesn't mean you have actually climbed one".
He pointed at her suddenly, giving her a mock accusing look, "This is your logical side talking!"
Ariana couldn't help but smile slightly at that, "Yes, but only because I am a concerned friend who wishes to make sure you have actually thought this through," she told him, "Perhaps you should climb a mountain first".
Theta looked at her for a long moment before breaking into a broad smile, "Yes, wonderful idea," he grinned, his eyes twinkling excitedly, "Let's climb a mountain!"
"Yes, I thought…" she trailed off quickly, her eyes widening as she realised just what he had said, "Wait, what?"
"Oh, come on, Ariana. It'll be an adventure!"
"You…you…" she opened and closed her mouth, staring at him, stunned, "You can't be serious," she finally managed to say, shaking her head, "You want me to climb a mountain with you".
"Yes, and why wouldn't I want to climb a mountain with you?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"Theta, this is me we're talking about. I haven't even climbed a tree before, let alone ever even considered climbing a mountain!"
"It will be fine," he said brightly, giving her an encouraging smile, "Like I said, it will be an adventure".
Ariana sighed heavily and ran a hand down her face, amazed that she was actually having this conversation, though, she did have to admit that the idea wasn't quite as startling as she first thought, now that she thought about it. It would be fun, something brand new. If all she could claim to have done during her childhood was sneak around school at night and into the bedroom of a boy, then surely she was missing the point of being a child? Climbing a mountain, while dangerous, did sound exciting…
"We would have to think this through first," she turned back to him, looking determined, her choice made, "We will need rope, warm clothing, and we will have to come up with a believable excuse to my parents".
"Wait," Theta cut in, blinking at her in surprise, "Are you really agreeing to this?"
She took a deep breath and gave him a smile, "Yes, and like you said, it'll be an adventure".
He eyed her for a moment, looking almost worried, "You're not just agreeing because of me, are you?" he questioned.
"No, I want to do this," she said firmly. She had made her choice, she wanted to do this, and she couldn't think of anyone better then to do so with Theta, "I'm positive".
Theta broke into a broad smile, looking as if he was going to hug her, before deciding better, "Alright," he nodded quickly, looking very excited, "Let's do it, then".
And finally, we're moving closer to the mountain incident. Also, did anyone notice the few future references I've scattered throughout this chapter? Ariana wanting her future regenerations to be taller was one of them. I can just imagine the Hatter getting so annoyed by her First regeneration being short that she decided that her future regenerations all had to be taller. Tell me what you thought, please review :)
