"So how bout it?" I ask eagerly, watching his face for an answer. He hesitates, eyes flashing. "Pleeeeeeeeaseeeee!" I beg, the thought of magic right now is intoxicating, and I just want him to show me a little bit. I can't wait for Mother to get back with my lamp.
"I guess we can do a little bit..." Said Len hesitantly, he glared at the ground for a moment before lifting his head triumphantly. "I know! We can go to the river," His eyes glinted mischievously, "I've got a surprise for you there."
I can feel my eyes narrowing, "What kind of surprise?" Len just smiled, not giving anything away. He reached out grabbing my hand and towing me through the trees. "Len! What kind of surprise? Last time wasn't funny!" I wail. "Do you know how hard it was to explain how I got covered in multicolored dirt to my parents?"
Len snickered. "I wondered how you managed to keep me a secret after that color bomb. You could have just washed off in the river you know."
"How was I supposed to explain how I got soaking wet?"
"Say you fell in while watching the fish."
"They'd never let me outside again! Let alone in the forest." I groaned.
Len rolled his eyes. "I promise its not another color bomb." He said.
"It better not be." I grumbled. But let him tow me along all the same. I trusted Len, he wouldn't do anything. Most of the time. Other times, he very much enjoyed playing pranks on me. I suppose there's nothing much else to do in the when hes all alone anyways.
I looked around, noting we were near the river. Leaves from last years fall coated the ground, crunching underfoot. The summer sun beat down, but the wind blew strongly, cooling my skin. I think back to the fire in camp. Had we put that out? Surely Len wouldn't be so daft as to forget. But we were in quite a hurry.
All it would take was a strong wind for the flames to reach the leaves, they'd burn easily, like the paper my parents sometimes used to teach me letters.
"Are we there yet?" I ask Len. Worry coating my voice. All the sudden, I just wanted to go back and make sure the flames were put out.
"Oh relax." Len smiled. "We'll get there soon enough." His blond hair danced in his eyes, pushed about by the wind and the pace we were running at. Our eyes met, and thoughts of the fire disappeared, as did my feelings about worry I was having. I was ninety percent that was magic related, but I didn't care.
I could feel a smile starting on my face, and Len's only grew wider. He stopped, and I looked away. The river stood in front of us, river was really a generous description. In reality, it was nothing more than a small creek. It calmly burbled over rocks, and near the middle got a little deeper. There weren't really any fish living in it, which was why Len really only used it to get water and do laundry rather than fish for food.
"Up here." Len tugged my arm, leading me upstream. Our feet splashed in the muddy riverbank, and I signaled Len to wait, tugging on his arm slightly. I bet down, slipping my shoes off and leaving them next to a tree. Len waited, not taking off his shoes because he never had any, as far as I can remember, I've never seen him with shoes.
His feet were calloused and dirty, Len washed them when he could, especially when he knew I was coming, but they always got dirty again without shoes. I tried to give him mine once, but he said no, cause mine are 'too girly'. I think he just didn't like wearing them. They must feet weird after walking around barefoot for so long. Len smiled, and we both continued upstream, our bare feet splashing in the mud.
"It's close." Said Len, not even winded from our uphill trek. I however, was panting, not as used to hiking in the woods as he. The river curved, and we followed it, stopping when we got to a point where the water trickled out from a stone cliff wall.
"Whats here?" Ask, there's nothing special about this spot. Len and I explored the forest regularly. We'd come here many times in an attempt to find the source of the water.
"We aren't done yet." Len replied, his face was alight, and the rest of him was bouncing up and down in anticipation. With a grin, he took my hand, leading me to the center of the river. I jerked at the freezing cold water, but still followed all the same.
"Ok," Said Len, we stood about waist deep in the water, at the spot where the water came out of the stone. "You have to trust me on this spot, got it?"
"Len, we've tried this before, remember? Its too long to swim without air. We won't make it."
"I found a new way through. You've got to trust me."
"I do, but-"
"You either do, or you don't." I hesitate, the problem is, I trust Len-but not so much his judgment. He could lead me into a cave of bears with the thoughts of showing me the cool crystals in the back, with the assurance that nothing is there because he checked it a few days ago. Then we run out screaming while the angry beasts show their annoyance at being awoken. True story.
It was quite the adventure though.
Len looked at me pleadingly, he had his puppy dog eyes out, the ones he used to guilt trip me into doing whatever he wanted. "Fine. But If we get chased and mauled by angry bears, and don't make it out this time, I'm blaming you."
Len grinned, all previous sings of sad puppies gone. "Hold your breath! We're going under." I complied, shutting my eyes as well, and let Len pull me under with him, tugging me through the water as I kicked behind. I startled at everything that touched me, not wanting something to grab me and pull me under, like the Kelpies mother warned me about.
It was after a particularly terrifying piece of kelp or cloth of something wrapped itself around my foot, leading to a large session of thrashing about unhappily and wasting my precious air supply that a tap came at my nose. I cracked my eye open, wincing at the cold water touching my eye and the blurry picture out of it.
Len sat, laughing at me. We weren't even in the tunnel yet. We sat in front of it, right where we were before we went under. With a cry of indignation, and using the last of my oxygen supplies, I stood up, shivering in the warm air out of the water.
"Len! You said trust! And what do I get? Soaking wet! I bet there isn't even anything in there, this was all a big trick!" I yelled angrily. In a tree a on the shore of the river, a bird squawked angrily at my outburst, but I ignored it. My focus on the still laughing Len under the water. It was like he didn't even need to come up.
"LEN!" I yell again. This time getting him to finally surface. "What was that about? Did you really find something, or did you just want me mad on my birthday?" My eyes narrow, "And how did you stay under water so long?"
Len finally quieted down, hugging his midsection he had laughed so hard. "I did figure a way in, so no this wasn't just a ploy to get you soaked and angry." He straightened up, releasing his stomach. "I figured out a way to breathe underwater, but when I saw you, you looked so ridiculous with your cheeks all puffed up, and your eyes scrunched up," Len snickered again, and I sent him a glare. "I couldn't control myself. I made you open your eyes and it was even better to see your frightened expression."
"Glad someone found this whole thing so entertaining." I grumbled, wading my way back to the shore. My arm caught, and I shot a glare back at Len. "What?"
"Look, I promise I'm not lying about this. It's amazing in there." Said Len. "One more try?" The puppy dog eyes again. Ugh.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I crouched down in the water again, this time keeping my eyes open and my mouth in a firm frown. The picture was blurry, but it was better than being completely blind like before. Len came down a second later, unlike me he didn't have his mouth full of air. His face was set in concentration, his eyes squeezed shut. In a second I could see a strange disturbance in the water around his face, like it was pulling away from him.
He opened his eyes, his head surrounded by a clear bubble of what I assumed was air. My lungs began to burn, and I moved to stand, but Len motioned for me to wait again. He closed his eyes, and in a second the water began to pull away from me. I felt the familiar tingle of magic around me, and my frown melted into a smile.
In a few seconds, the water was gone and a little bubble of air covered my face as well. I open my mouth to speak, by Len shook his head wildly. He pointed to the tunnel and grabbed my hand. I got the message, No talking till we're there. Together, we made it to the entrance, and went inside. And by together, I mean Len pulled us both while I tried to pathetically kick behind him.
I didn't know how to swim, and the creek was too shallow to practice in. Until now, I hadn't known Len could swim, but I guess there was alot I didn't know about him anyways, and I still met him in the forest to keep him company without anyone's knowledge. Mentally, I did what was the first of many mental smacks. Stupid. You could have gotten kidnapped.
Sounds like Mothers paranoia is wearing off on me.
I shook off the thought, and instead focused on the area around me. I suspected Len wasn't going as fast as he had in trips by himself because he had to pull my dead weight, but didn't say anything. Maybe if I spoke it would pop the bubble. I was tempted to try, but then was reminded of where we are by the fact of how dark it was in the tunnel.
I couldn't see anything but the slight glow of the light behind us as Len struggled to pull us along. The tunnel was big enough for him in front, and then me in the back where he towed me. Len was struggling against the current of the water rushing out of the dark area, and I frowned. He seemed to be trying to go fast, but unable to.
I doubt the air in these bubbles will last forever.
Carefully, I unlatched one hand from it's death grip around Len's, and reached towards the roof of the tunnel. Unlike the floor or the walls, the ceiling had grips in it, suggesting that sometimes the water wasn't as high as it was today, so got less erosion. The walls were so smooth, except near the top where in places, there were small grips there too.
Len looked back when I let go, the fright that I was falling behind clear on his face. His grip tightened around my remaining hand, and I pointedly looked up, at my other hand, that had managed to grab a ridged spot and anchor myself. Unlike Len, who was floating on his stomach in front of me, furiously kicking to keep in place, I was resisting the water and holding myself in place with the ceiling. Carefully, I straightened myself up and down so I could stand straight up and down in the tunnel.
Then I pulled my other hand from his grip, despite resistance, and started using the ridges on the ceiling to anchor myself and pull me forward. After a moment, Len started as well, the exhaustion at towing me halfway through the tunnel, and then treading water by himself against the current, plain on his face.
After that, we continued forward, the light from the other side of the opening we found fading until it was so dark all I could see was the outline of Len's back in front of me. The air in my bubble was getting rather hot, and I wondered just how much oxygen I had left in there.
I mean, if I run out of air I can just let go and let the current take me back to the entrance of the tunnel. Right?
I press forward, not wanting to give up after so long. Len senses my urgency, and together, we increase the pace. The air in my bubble gets almost un-breathable, and I can tell it's getting to Len too by the time my hand touches air.
I reach my head up urgently, practically kissing the roof of the tunnel in my urgency for some clean air. The bubble pops as soon as my head reaches the surface, and I hold myself there for a minute, listening to Len pant eagerly as he does the same.
His voice comes from in front of me, echoing down off the moving water and the stone in turn. "It's only a little ways farther. Good thinking with the roof thing, I almost didn't think we would make it with me tugging your dead weight."
"Hey!"
There was the sound of laughter, and then a splash up ahead. Grumbling, I followed, keeping my eyes shut tight, and followed. There was no bubble now, so whenever we needed air we just popped our heads up into the growing level of air by the cave roof. Eventually, we could stick our entire heads out of the water, then our shoulders, and finally all the way down to our waists.
"How much farther Len? My arms are about to fall off."
"Just a little ways. Trust me, it's completely worth it.
"It better be."
After a few minutes more of walking in silence, I could see light in the distance. The current seemed stronger now, but at least I could walk with my head above the water. The light grew stronger the farther we went until it was a dim glow that let me see my surroundings. I could make out the back of Len's head, the sandy blond shaggy look that I loved.
Then the roof was gone, and I found myself in a fairytale.
The walls sparkled a rainbow of colors, forcing me to squint, only to open them wide in amazement a second later. The cave had a high ceiling, with an opening at the top where water as well as sunlight poured in. The water fell down the rocks at the side of the cave, pooling at the bottom where we were, and making the spacious area fill with water. It seemed unable to all leave out the tunnel we had come in fast enough to completely dry up the surrounding floor.
Which I was totally okay with, because the resulting picture was beautiful. The walls were covered in crystals of every color, and the light refracted off of each one to make multiple rainbows scatter around the room. Stalagmites hung from the ceiling, some long enough to touch the water, but most still held high above my head.
"I knew you'd like it." Len smirked. At me, but I couldn't even bother to be annoyed by him at that moment.
"Len, it's amazing." I gasped. "How did you keep this a secret from me for so long?"
"To be honest, I didn't find it until yesterday." Len said sheepishly. "The ribbon was really your only present until then."
"I'm so glad you found it, because I think this might just be my new favorite place in the world." I said happily, waving a hand through a rainbow.
Len's face fell slightly, "What about hanging out with me?" He said, crestfallen.
"Len, of course you're my favorite person in the world," I said. "Besides, I don't think I would be able to get here without you anyways. This can be our place." Len smiled again, and I smiled back.
"I think the crystals are some sort of magic, but I'm not sure." Len said. "The blue ones seem to channel water magic," He touched one, and I watched in amazement as water seemed to flow from the crystal, up his arm. "And the red ones are fire," He grimaced, showing me a small burn on one finger.
"The green ones have forest magic, but the white ones don't seem to have any magic at all." Len continued, and I followed him as he pointed out each. "The rest I can't figure out. As far as I can tell, the main colors were that of the main magics, earth, water, fire and maybe air." Said Len. "Then over time they leaked, and the magics blended together."
"For instance," Len pointed to a blue-green crystal. "This one holds water and forest magic. The plants last longer longer because you can use the melded magic to make them stronger." He stared over as the fire and water mix. "I'm really curious how the fire and water ones work, but I'm also pretty sure it could be dangerous to try out."
"Is that how you figured out how to make those water bubbles?" I ask, as far as I know, Len's powers work with the forest, making it his strongest element. Last time I checked, he was terrible at water magic.
Len grinned sheepishly, and dig around in his pocket, producing a small light blue crystal. "I may or may not have borrowed one to help myself out." He glanced down at the crystal, "It was a deeper blue when I took it though. Maybe the more you use them, the more magic drains from them," His eyes widened. "And then they turn white!"
He looked back to me again. "That is so cool!" His words, accompanied by our joined laughter, echoed around the room, bouncing all the way up to the ceiling to rattle the stalagmites. Hurriedly, we stifled the giggles, watching them warily.
"Do you smell smoke?" Len's voice pierced the sudden quiet, and I looked over to him. His eyes were wide. I sniffed the air, stiffening when I smelled it too.
"I knew we should have put out that fire!" I hissed. Together, we splashed towards the exit. I stopped as Len turned back, hustling towards the wall of blue crystals again. "Len! C'mon! We have to go!" I whispered, watching the stalagmites warily. "We can come back later!"
Len hesitated, but turned back all the same. He held a single blue crystal in his hand.
"Listen, when you go under the water, its going to push you down the tunnel. You might bounce off the walls a few times, but its faster to just go with it than to fight it. I won't have time to do what we did before, so we'll just have to hold our breath and hope for the best."
"What do you mean hope for the best!?" I whisper shouted, but Len just gave me a quick wink and sunk under the water. I watched him shoot down the tunnel, and frowned. "A race then. It's just a race." I gulped. "Not a dash for life and death where if I hit my head it's all over."
I ducked down, and curled into a ball under the water, letting the current take me back down. I felt myself bounce off the walls a few times, but nothing major because they were so smooth. It was all fine till I hit the ceiling, and the ridges cut into the back of my arm. I wanted to yelp, but held it in. Other than that, I made it to the other side virtually unharmed.
But what I saw when I surfaced crushed me.
The forest was burning, the leaves acting as nothing more than tinder to light everything else ablaze. Len stood next to me, and when I surfaced, he took my arm and dragged me downstream a ways. "We have to get you out of the forest, your parents can take care of you from there."
"But what about you Len? They'll take you in! I swear! You can't go back to the forest now, you'll be burned alive!" Len's eyes got sad again, and he shook his head back and forth.
"I have to go back, I- I left her there. I can't leave her to burn." Len's eye were pleading. He pulled my arm close, So we were inches apart.
"Who?" I ask, sadness coating my voice. There's no way he'll be able to get out of there alive. Even with the crystal he took. This'll be my last chance to see him.
"A friend." Was the only answer I got. Len leaned down, and our lips met, tasting of the river and smoke and Len. He shoved something in my hand, whispered words I couldn't hear over the fires roar in my ear, and was gone, running into the forest to save whoever he left back at the camp.
A tear slipped out of my eye, and I turned the other way, making my way home. I bolted into the woods, using the crystal to blast away flames that got too close with a hiss. The smoke clouded my vision, and got into my lungs. I held my arm up to my mouth and nose, hoping the sleeve of my shirt would be enough to keep the worst bits out of my throat. The last thing I needed was a coughing fit courtesy of the fire.
Sparks and ash fell from the trees, landing in my hair and on my skin. Leaving little pockmarks. I ran as far as I could, and when I couldn't run, I jogged, then speed walked, and finally my pace slowed to a crawl. I stumbled thought the smoke, no longer knowing if I was going the right way or not anymore. The burning leaves singed my feet, and I repeatedly stumbled, falling and burning my hands more than once.
Finally, I gave in, and leaned on one rare tree that wasn't burning like the rest. I crumpled, the only thing keeping me from falling into the dry leaves below me was my death grip on a branch above my head. With the remaining magic in the crystal, I sprayed the leaves around me so they wouldn't catch. The crystal turned white. And I looked at it in dismay.
I can last a little longer. Maybe...
My conscious dimmed, finally flickering in and out, and I knew I didn't have much time. My arm fell from my mouth, and the full effect of the smoke filled in. I choked on the putrid scent, spitting onto the ground beside me in an effort to get rid of the taste.
Then my vision faded to black, and I fell down with it.
I hear yelling. A male voice, it sounds like Dad. But I'm not sure. I leave the ground, pulled close to whoever it is, and they carry me through the flames. My burnt skin flinches at the touch, but after a minute, the burning starts to fade away.
"Wake up Asra." They plead, and I struggle, opening my eyes to see Father looking down at me. I close them again, and when I reopen them, he's been replaced by a girl who looks my age, with long black hair and brown eyes.
I let out a hoarse laugh. "You look like me..." I whisper, and she looks down in surprise, saying something else, but I can't hear because I'm already back in my dream world, where my parents live. Father sets me in my bed, hushing me and whispering in my ear. But I can't hear him either. All I can think of is Len and the girl he went back for.
And my heart broke just a little more.
After that night, I never saw Len again. I spent the next two years training my magic, friendless once again.
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Len.
Oh gods, how did I not see it before. I was convinced he was dead, I didn't notice it was him... He's probably so hurt...
But why didn't he remind me who he was?
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A/N
Happy Easter!