Chapter 7:
Ally's POV:

Ok, so I was settling into life around here. Padfoot and I had fallen into some sort of routine over the past couple of days. We'd get up early, eat breakfast, we'd go our own separate ways and do different things and then we'd get go back at around noon eat lunch, go out and practice archery, practise stealing/pick-pocketing, eat dinner, talk a bit – I did most of the talking but on the bright side he was starting to talk a bit more – and then we'd go to bed before starting the routine all over again. Sometimes instead of stealing we'd just walk around the city, with him pointing things out for me!

All in all, whenever we passed someone also in the thieves' guild they'd nod, he'd nod and then they would look at me questioningly, study me and continue on with what they were doing. I still didn't know how they did it all in a matter of 6 seconds or less but then again they were thieves' and thieves' usually are able to study things quickly… or at people around them and their surroundings for escape roots as I realized in our last exhibition!

I'd realized one thing though, by wearing a red cloak that covered my tattered clothes and covered my face during these… little expeditions! Thereby none of the guards were able to place a bounty on my head or even recognize me for that matter! I also took fun in painting my face white, wear mascara and have black patterns drawn from the sides of my eyes.

Anyway, back to the present, it was sunset and I was looking out at the water as the sun's colours reflected beautifully off of the surface of the water. I let out a bit of a sigh at the splendour of such a sight, once again causing the thieves' and beggars that resided in waterfront stare at me weirdly. Who cares, they always stare at me… always.

"Hello" Padfoot said dropping down next to me.

"Hi ya, how are ya?" I asked, quickly looking down to my sketch again. Yes, now I was doing a black and white sketch of a sun-set… what can I say, I'm unique!

"Good, what about you, I've never seen you like this!" he said.

"Well you haven't known me for long have you?" I replied snappily, taking another bite of my chocolate. Yes, I have chocolate here, yet I have still to find out how long it will last! Truth was, I hadn't slept well and was probably coming up to that time… again… depressing thoughts… more chocolate…

"Tell the truth" he pretty much ordered. It was unfair, I had only known him for who knows how long – I haven't been counting the days, can't be bothered– and he can already tell when I'm lying and when I'm telling the truth, it's frustrating to say the least!

"Haven't been sleeping well" I mumbled continuing with my sketch and chocolate eating, well at least it was a half-truth. I was just holding back a bit of information. He just nodded, staring at me, dang it… he really knows how to make me feel guilty! Then again I could do the same thing, but no I'm just too nice towards people who aren't my brother.

We just sat there until it was dark, people were staring again… too bad that the thieves like the beggars so much… otherwise I'd have a plan to join the Dark Brotherhood and do myself a favour! That isn't happening though so… I'd resign myself to being stared at. After the sun went down I lay down and looked at the stars and the moons. Everything was beautiful about this place, first there were the stars that seemed so much brighter than what we see on earth and then the different coloured moons compared to the one moon we have.

The sunsets are also a lot more colourful though I must say this place is very deadly if you're travelling, what with the wolves, monsters, evil lords and spiders, giant spiders. That's probably the thing I fear most about places here. But moving on…. I get distracted easily… how many times do I go off track? No, moving on. After only… well the beggars, thieves' and possibly Padfoot know how long we went back in and had dinner. This time it was in a complete and strangely comfortable silence. I realized he was looking at me in both confusion and concern… I was never quiet… except while I was asleep.

All counted together, it was dreadfully boring evening, and when I went to bed the horrifying dreams – that I dread to admit that I actually enjoy – started again.

-Start dream-

It was night time, the stars were shining brightly above and I couldn't help but stare at their beauty, beauty which probably rivalled Aphrodite's! The moons were out as well, shining brightly for all of the people to see. I felt an arm wrap itself around my waist and a smile take over my features. Without turning around I already knew the identity of the person.

"Ally" he murmured into my ear, not yet removing his arm from my waist. I managed to loosen his grasp slightly and wriggle my way around so I was facing him.

"Padfoot" I smiled, going on my tippy-toes and quickly brushing my lips over his.

"They're wondering where you are. You realize you're the one who always wanders off getting herself lost!" I nodded at what he said and he thankfully released me so we could walk back!

"Ally, don't do that! You didn't even tell us that you were going!" an Argonian with bright blue and green skin said in a rather motherly tone.

"Sorry, I won't do it again" I said looking down at my shoes. Hearing a snort and uncontrolled laughter I looked up at the others sitting by the camp fire. There was a vampire laughing a dark spine-chilling laughter, another Argonian with darker skin and an Imperial.

"What are you all laughing at?" the Argonian who had scolded me before turned on them.

"Just that every time she says sorry and it won't happen, yet we all know she'll wonder off, get lost and cause us to look for her!" the Imperial laughed.

"You know I don't mean it, my feet just seem to carry me away!" this caused another round of laughter from all the men and even Padfoot let a chuckle slip. Whereas I pretending to be offended and the Argonian just shook her head muttering something about 'childish behaviour.'

"You're mean!" I cried out starting a fake temper-tantrum.

"And yet you still love me" Padfoot said leaning in-

-End dream-

I shot upright by the end of the dream. I somehow felt like I knew the people in my dream, plus my imagination isn't good enough to make up something like that… nah… it was a dream. Just a simple everyday – or should I say every night – dream. So I rolled over wishing to go back to that dream, it was rather enjoyable…

NO, NO, NO I DID NOT THINK THAT DREAMING ABOUT PADFOOT WAS ENJOYABLE! NO, I refuse. I started saying a mantra in my head, thankfully Padfoot hadn't noticed I was awake yet, he usually everything! The mantra went along the lines of: I do not like him, just teenage hormones; I do not like him, just teenage hormones.

"What are you going on about?" Padfoot asked.

"Nothing, just a dream I had" I replied cheerfully, pretending everything was ok.

"About?"

"Nothing much, the moon, the stars, the forests and about having a family" I jumped up, plonking down on the chair for breakfast. I could honestly get used to waking up to breakfast already being ready!

He just nodded suspiciously… damn him and his all knowing-about-me thing! Once again after we were finished, I stood, washed the plates and put them away with his help and then we both left the house. I simply sat at the beach while he headed in the direction of the city.

'You know you think he's hot' the little voice in my head said.

'No, I don't!' I thought back to it.

'Yes you do'

'How would you know about anything?'

'I'm you, you idiot. Plus, I think I should know if we think he's hot!'

'Point taken, but I don't like him'

'Denial is the first step to acceptance!' this little voice was really starting to irritate me!

'Yeah, well GET OUT OF MY HEAD'

'Jeez, talk about mean' of course the little voice disappeared and left me alone to think about what it had said. No, I did not like Padfoot… ok maybe a little bit – as in my odd dreams – but nothing is ever going to happen… I think.

I sighed in frustration and walked towards the shack to get a bit of rest, and perhaps calm myself down before Padfoot came back, I don't know why but I had a feeling someone else would be coming with him. I set the table and went over to my bag, rummaging through it to find my hairbrush. I turned and that's when I saw it.

A spider was sitting in the middle of the room, slowly walking in my direction, so I did what I always did, I screamed in complete terror, backing myself into the corner furthest away from it. I screamed again as it came closer and felt my back pushed against the wall, I was trapped in the corner by a tiny spider, pathetic really…

It was about a metre away from me when I let out another scream, this time a mix of terror and desperation. The door flew open and Padfoot and another guy stumbled in. Then the spider charged. Instinctively I leaped over the spider and ran jumping up onto the bed, immediately bursting into sobs.

"What's wrong?" Padfoot asked, panting ever-so-slightly, probably from running here and possibly thinking that I was being attacked.

"S… s… spider" I sobbed out, curling myself into a ball.

"You're scared of spiders?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in an odd fashion.

"Yes… I have arachnophobia!"

Hey guys! Votes are in for Padfoot, Yay he won, still excepting people who want to be in it! Anyways I just had to add that last bit in as I myself have arachnophobia! So I hope you enjoyed it as much and I enjoyed writing it and it may take longer to update because school holidays are over!

FaelwenofLothlorien