Skippy: Womble's been bullying me on this one. :( Anyway, Chapter 8 - title from my reviewers. Thanks again!

Hats and veils

Natasha liked talking to Joshua. Somehow talking to him released the childish teasing personality she'd had to hide when she became a cleric. Now, sitting by the camp fire she thought of something that puzzled her.

"Why don't you ever take off your hat?" Natasha asked, staring at the ruby eyed myrmidon.

"Why don't you ever take off your veil?"He replied, smirking mischievously back at her.

"My veil is to protect me from evil spirits, I am a cleric you know and being protected from spirits is important to us. It also keeps the blood off my hair."She added, as though he already knew this, "You hat does neither of those things." she poked him in the ribs, "Is it to hide your grey hair?"

"I found one! One! In all my life, I found one grey hair in the midst of war. It's not surprising." He crossed his arms over his chest and turned away.

"Is it because you're some form of alien? And you need to hide your weird brain that sticks out the top of your head?" her eyes sparkled with her unvoiced laugh. "I won't tell anyone if you are, you know. I can keep secrets."

He blinked, "No..."

"Was it your dad's before he died and you wear it because of the emotional value and you hold it dear to your heart as it's the only thing you have left from him?"

"No..."

Natasha almost kicked herself for picking such a painful topic for him. She was carried away. She changed back to a joke, hoping to snap Joshua out of his raw memories of his last visit to Jehanna "Is it to stop your head from swelling from your ego?"

"No..."Joshua had almost settled back down next to her, but upon hearing this, turned away again.

"Is it some form of really fashionable accessory in Magvel that I don't know about?"

"No..."He shook his head, sighing

"Well I think it makes you look like a pirate." She 'hmphed', running out of ideas. "So what is it for then?"

"Do you like pirates then?" He smiled, almost laughing at the change of personality he'd seen in her since they met in Serafew, she blushed. He decided to answer her question "It stops me from burning when I'm in Jehanna"

Skippy: I'm not going to be on for a few days, I'm a bit busy with GCSEs and all (quote Womble: You wait until you're in the middle of your GCSEs to start writing a many chaptered story). So, sorry but this'll probably be all for the next few days. Keep reviewing!