Whoa. It's been awhile!! I'm so sorry! OMG, it's been so long!! AHH!! School started and suddenly I had to deal with an overflow of school work and then trying to keep up with a sport and a job and well, FML. Anyways, here's the next chapter. I'll try to be faster next time!! ~~~~
" How much farther until we get to Castle Araluen, Halt?" Aaron groaned for about the 20th time that day. Halt's tolerance level was reaching it's height, and this was about to break him. He always knew that women could be a pain, but this . . .this was full on torture.
" I keep telling you, it's still a few days away! How many times must I tell you?!" Halt kept himself from shouting and instead, snapped at the girl.
A few more days had gone by, and the pace was pretty good considering the extent of Aaron's wounds. The girl looked right perky right now. Halt wanted to smack that look right off her face. The only signs of her injuries at this point was the occasional squint of pain and the sling her arm still hung in for the time being. Other then that, she seemed chipper and eager as ever.
On the note of the sling in question, Aaron had actually begun to take the arm out of the sling to test it from time to time, but Halt kept telling her not to move it if she wanted it to recover quickly. All she did was laugh, and keep disobeying Halt over and over again, which frustrated the old Ranger. Stupid kid . . .in his day, you listened to your elders. This was a sad time indeed . . .
" Be patient, Aaron, we'll get there soon enough, just take it easy until you recover from those wounds and bruises." Gilan said with a laugh at her enthusiasm with getting to her destination to find Crowley.
For some reason she seemed much more happy, as if some weight had been taken from her shoulders since the time they took that break and talked about perverts and cross dressers. Not sure exactly why, but glad to see her in such high spirits, Gilan smiles, feeling the sun warm his face in the early morning lights.
" Yeah, it's a really beautiful place there." Will told her, and Aaron showed a clear interest, no, fasination with the subject of Castle Araluen.
" You keep telling me about it and how your friend is there now. It's you who's got me so excited to see this place." Aaron replied, smiling at him. Will grinned. Aaron was a very curious person once she actually opened up to others. She was excitable and devious at times too, and despite her steely tongue, she meant well and was a big joker at heart. Kind of like Gilan in a way, when Will thought about it.
" You haven't finished telling me about this huge adventure you went on,"Aaron went on, leaning slightly forwards to prompt Will into talking about the subject," what happened after you guys all found Evanlyn?" Of coarse, Will realized that this was a rather sore spot for Gilan. It didn't take a magician to figure out that the blame he felt was still there. Anybody could tell him that it wasn't his fault, even Will had told him that, but there was just no convincing him in that matter. Gilan felt he'd made a mistake separating from them.
" Don't you think I'm tired of hearing your blubbering," Halt snapped at Aaron, soothing over the awkward feel in the air, " shut the hell up, Aaron." Aaron, pouting, sat back on the saddle and muttered a series of curses in Gallican again. Halt said something in Gallican in a normal tone to Aaron and she stared and was quiet for a long time after he said this. Not knowing what he said, Gilan had to wonder what exactly had been said to Aaron. However, it seemed clear that it wasn't something that should be said in such a plain voice. Gilan was glad that he didn't understand Gallican when he saw this transaction.
However, Gilan was more troubled then ever, though it didn't seem like it at first glance. Will was completely unaware of the fact, because Gilan was good at hiding things from the young apprentice.
It was Aaron that was the hard one to convince. Sure, she was in a good mood, but Aaron was very observant and had spent enough time with Gilan to know that something was out of place with him. Gilan was trying his hardest to keep her thinking it was because of her injuries rather then something else.
Halt, of coarse, knew that something was up, but he didn't mention it. Cause his words were what was weighing on Gilan's mind, and Halt was aware of that. Gilan just couldn't get those words out of his head. Why did Aaron lie to everyone so much? It wasn't that he'd never thought about it before either. After all, Gilan had helped Aaron at the start simply from the good of his heart, though he had the thought of Aaron being a stow away criminal at the start of all of this.
Being a Ranger didn't make Gilan cold hearted.
Either way, Aaron had lied to Gilan the first time he spoke to her. She still was, and Gilan knew that all too well. The girl was hiding something, and he was ready to get Aaron to tell the whole truth to him now. Tonight, he told himself all that day, even as he looked at Aaron now, we'll talk tonight.~~~
Even though she was injuried, Aaron still had to take watch like the Rangers with her. There was simply no avoiding it, and in all honesty, Aaron had actually wanted to start doing watch again. She wanted to be of use, and these injuries made that hard for her. Keeping watch was something to keep her busy and was something productive she could still do even with the wounds she had sustained.
So, the three Ranger's went to sleep, wrapped in their thick gray and green cloaks and rolled to the side.
Aaron took to glancing at them every once in awhile when she was on watch, and smiled every time she did. Gilan looked damn cute when he was sleeping, and she always got a good laugh when one of them, she thought it was Halt but she wasn't sure, might mutter a word or a sound in their sleep.
Now, she focused on her current job, watching the ground with a practice eye. Never turning her head she looked side to side with her eyes, far and wide, near and narrow, not allowing her eyes to linger too long on one spot for to long and taking the occasion glance behind herself. However, she'd taken to letting her ears and the horses to inform her if something or someone was coming from behind. All was silent for the time being.
Musing for a moment, she thought that this was a peaceful night. One of those nights that you could look out at the sky for the entire night and never be tired of looking at how star filled it was.
" Want me to take first watch?" Gilan asked Aaron, as always. Aaron had been waiting for this offer for awhile now, as Gilan had taken to asking it after Will and Halt had drifted into sleep. As usual, Aaron shook her head at him. She didn't look over at him, focusing on keeping watch.
" Aren't you tired? Halt and Will are already asleep. You must be tired too." she commented, her eyes flicking at Gilan to note the way he seemed to slump while he stood next to Aaron. Then her gaze turned away to observing the ground again. Gilan chuckled wearily, sitting down.
" I've been worse." he said, his hands settled in his lap. Looking down, Gilan twitched his fingers, rubbing his hands together nervously. Aaron's lips formed a smile and she half-laughed, half-exhaled.
" You're a Ranger. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." Aaron replied, not looking over again. She smiled a little more and kept to work at her task. Gilan felt a smile pass his face, but once he realized it, the smile faded. Again, his face turned back to his lap, and he thought it over again. No, he had to do it. The resolve had set in too far now. Too late to turn back.
" You alright, Gilan?" Aaron had noticed that Gilan seemed a little strange right now. Well, he was the closest to her, maybe he was worried about her condition. Still, it concerned her that he was acting like this. Gilan tilted his head to the side, surprised by the suddenness of her question. " You just seem a little off right now. Really, I'm find, you need your rest too." Smiling, Gilan shook his head, until the smile faded away once more.
" I need to ask you something. I'll go after that." Gilan assured her. He had her full attention now. She even leaned in closer, urging him to go on with the glint of her bright blue eyes in the moonlight. Right then, Gilan lost his will for an instant. He looked at her, and the words froze in his throat, un-uttered. After swallowing, he regained his vocal cord use.
" This whole time," he moistened his lips,"you've been using me, haven't you?" he firmed his voice for the question. Aaron stared, and the words seemed to echo for how silent it felt at the time. It was almost too quiet to be natural.
Gilan half wished he'd choked on the words, rather then said them aloud.
" W-What do you mean, Gilan?" she tried to pass it off and dodge the question. However, Gilan wasn't going to stop now that he'd finally asked her. In fact, he got mad that Aaron was avoiding his question, and he let it out.
" You know what I mean. All you've done is lie to me from the beginning! What am I supposed to think?" he said sharply. Aaron flinched away, looking out and scratching her head.
" That I'm trying to protect you?"
" Well, it's worked wonders so far." Gilan's voice was thick with sarcasm. Now Aaron began to get mad too.
" What the hell's with this suddenly?!" Aaron stood up, and Gilan did the same.
" It's true! I've been wondering about this a long time!" Gilan exclaimed back, fists clenching and unclenching over and over again.
" SHUSH! You want to wake Halt and Will?!" Aaron hissed, switching topics again. Gilan wouldn't have it now. He'd had enough of the deception and the lies. Enough of the way she'd hide from him. Gilan was tired of it.
" It's true then, isn't it? You have been using me." Gilan spoke in a low voice this time.
" What?" to this question, Gilan only shook his head at her.
" You're avoiding the question, Aaron," he shoulders slumped, as he was sure of it. Aaron had played him, " and the only reason to avoid the question would be because you did just use me." Aaron's eyes stretched wide, huge and frantic as she looked at him. That pleading look was too much for Gilan at this time, and he turned away from her, a bit hurt.
Truth be told, he'd known this was basically fact. Now that it had been uttered, however, it felt like getting stabbed in the heart.
" NO! No, no, no, no, no!" Aaron spoke soft denial, begging almost to Gilan with her voice. "Please! Just let me explain! You've got the wrong idea-!" Gilan pulled away from Aaron, his eyes the coldest and most sad Aaron had ever seen before.
" Do I, Aaron?" the words were like ice. Aaron felt the phrase chill her bones and freeze her heart. " I don't think I have the wrong idea. You know that, don't you?" Gilan shook his head, rueful of himself. For letting her use him. For his childishness and for his own kind hearted nature.~~~
Omg, what is this? Lots and lots of drama in this chapter. Great, I go away for a long time then give you a bunch of drama. lolz. Enjoy. REVIEW! Then go tell your friends about this story so they might enjoy it's contents as well!!