Ethereal

~Charlotte~

Ashan's luleby faded into the darkness and I opened my eyes as the last whisps of melancholy color dissipated behind my eyelids. Marcie was right, his voice was beautiful. I thought how ironic it was that I was stuck in a world void of color, when back on earth my whole world revolved around it. Letters, words, numbers... Every note that was ever written had a color. Even the silences took their silvery translucent form. But here, here I was lost in a sea of browns and grays. I laughed softly to myself.

"What is it?"

I jumped slightly as Tennin raised a sleepy head.

"Nothing, go back to sleep."

"It's late, why are you still awake?"

"I can't sleep."

"you're going to be exhausted tomorrow."

"I'll be alright. I think I'll go send Ashan to bed and take the next watch."

"I'll go with you." Tennin said and started to get up.

"Dont be stupid." I laughed and pushed him back down "Go back to sleep"

He didn't argue, and by the time I got up, he'd already fallen back to sleep.

For a moment I was still, resting my head in my hands. My mind was buzzing with unsettling thoughts most of them having to do with, 'what next?'

Finally I stood up and, grabbing my sword, began to make make my way over to Ashan. The weight of the blade was familiar and comfortable in my hand and I was glad to have something to hold onto. I moved stealthily stepping carefully over the still forms of my companions.

"Go get some rest." I said to Ashan and sat down next to him on the fallen log that was serving as our watch post, He laughed bitterly.

"I wish I could."

"You can't sleep either then?" He glanced over at Marcie's still form.

"Could you if you were me?" I stared vacantly at my hands

"Of course not." We sat in silence for a while. Neither of us feeling much like talking. A wave of homesickness had washed over me. The first since the days that Marcie and I were stuck in that little room in Sub-Terra. I wondered if they missed me back home. I wondered if they had called the police and Marcie and I were front page news. And then I began to wonder if any time had passed at all and thought that I'd prefer that.

The firelight reflected off of my blade forming pretty patterns that twirled and molded before my eyes. A thought struck me suddenly and I turned to my quiet companion.

"I have a question for you." I said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

"If we are underground, how am I supposed to bring light?"

"Well, we weren't always underground you know. Of course I wasn't around to see it, but the records say that there was a time when our city stood where light could touch it."

"What happened?"

"We, and well everyone all the cities and kingdoms, we were buried."

"By whom?"

"That I don't know. But I suppose that was when Sub-Terra began to die. When all the cities began to die."

"Huh, that's right, Sub-Terra is living."

"Dying." Ashan corrected.

"Right. Dying." I repeated and we both fell back to silence.

"any more questions?" he asked after a moment.

"Thousands." I said "but I'll only trouble you with one more tonight." He looked at me expectantly."Where did you learn that luleby?"

"oh you heard that?" he shifted, embarrassed. "I learned it from my mother. It's one of those things that has been passed down through the generations. I'm not sure it even has a name anymore"

"It's lovely."And then conversation stopped again, and we sat in the unbearable silence that constantly enveloped these woods.

These endless woods.

These colorless woods.

These dying woods...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Good morning everyone!" Esperssa cried out.

"mmphmphmhmph" Marcie groaned from where she was. I opened my eyes and stretched out cat like. I guess I had fallen asleep at some point, but I couldn't say exactly when.

"Why in spirits name does she have to be so irritatingly cheery at this hour of the morning?" Dominiv grumbled from where he had been attempting to sleep.

"And what hour would that be? Dark o'clock?" I remarked staring at the sky.

"Oh you think you witty but your not."

"Ouch. I can see someone's not a morning person." I said laughing. Esperssa eyed him reproachfully

"More like someone's not used to sleeping away from his palace luxury."

"I like her." Tennin said approvingly. She grinned

"Yes well-" Dominiv started

"Oh give it a rest will you?" Marcie and Ashan snapped together. I laughed and sprang up from my seated position, strangely energized considering I'd barely slept.

"Well come on then let's go."

"What about breakfast?" Dominiv complained.

"Sorry princess but we need to get going. You can eat on the road."

"Who put you in charge?"

"I did" I said and went to help Esperssa pack up our stuff. The people that inhabited this world were looking at me as a savior, and hero. However wrong they might be, if they expected me to be a leader, I figured I'd better start acting like one.

We all munched on bread as we walked. Esperssa chatted animatedly about her life and home. She did prove to know many useful things. How to track, how make spears. She was an expert in camouflage and as she talked I got the impression that we we're only scratching the surface of her knowledge. Tennin strode next to her, listening keenly to everything she said. Laughing at her jokes, responding to her humor. It was very un-Tenninish and although I hate myself for saying it, I was getting a bit jealous. I had never seen this happy go lucky side of Tennin before which bothered me, considering I felt like I knew him pretty well. Or at least, that I should know him pretty well. What was worse, was that I was beginning to take it out on Esperessa.

We had been walking along for quite a while, a non stop flow of chatter coming from the princess when suddenly she said;

"I'm actually a fantastic cook!"

"Are you now?" I responded softly allowing the sarcasm to seep though my voice. But she didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah! If you hadn't made us leave so early, thanks for that by the way, I would've made you a terrific breakfast!" She turned to Tennin

"you really should try this dish I make with the roots and spices from home! You would die! I could've probably recreated it here! Ugh I wish you hadn't have made us leave to early!" she repeated

"Yes well we need keep on the move. No one asked you to come." I said harshly. She looked at me with an injured expression. Tennin shot me a glance.

"Charlotte can I talk to you please?" He pulled me aside and allowed the others to continue. Once they had gotten far enough ahead he rounded on me.

"What is your problem?" he demanded "That girl has been nothing but sweet to you, and you respond by being inexcusably rude." this is where I should have said something like 'I'm just feeling a little jealous and neglected by you. I know it's silly and I'm sorry'
But at this point I was was getting angry. Needless to say, I didn't really keep my head and instead responded with

"Well if you think so highly of her, why don't you go marry her?"

"wha-?" but I didn't give him the chance to ask his question and stormed after the group leaving him, bewildered, to follow. I felt like such an idiot after said it I was being stupid, and I was furious with myself for reacting like I did. There was no denying I am a jealous person, and I hated it. However, that coupled with Esperssa's subconscious yet incessant need to be the center of attention resulted in obvious badness. it just bothered me that Tennin was so ready to listen to her, I don't know...

I attempted to focus myself on the other things at hand such as the fact that I was supposed to be saving Sub-Terra.

Oh yeah. Just that minor detail.