Finding the Fallen

Chapter 5

When Merik awoke the following morning, Kala wasn't lying next to him as she had been the previous two mornings. He looked around and finally caught a quick glimpse of her through a series of low bushes. She was sitting on her knees by the stream they had been following off and on for days, and she appeared to be naked. He looked away, beginning to think this was a habit of hers. She certainly had no qualms about removing her clothing in his presence...he flashed back to the healing pool and the glisten of the water on her skin.

Assuming she was meditating or otherwise pre-occupied, he rose quietly and set about packing up his things. They should reach Charleston the following day. He wondered what her next move would be from there. How did she plan to find this mysterious conspirator...the one she believed responsible for her friend's death?

But there was something else gnawing at the edges of his mind, something that worried him more than the threat of a new enemy. What did their future together hold? Would she ask for his help or send him on his way once they reached the city?

In the past few days, he had come to know and trust her more. He believed she felt the same, but women were difficult to read...and witches were a whole different story altogether. What he saw as a sign of trust may have held the exact opposite meaning.

After gathering his meager belongings, he chanced a brief glance back to the stream. Kala was gone. Reacting immediately, he moved quickly through the brush to the last place he'd seen her. As he burst from the woods, he instantly regretted his hasty response. She was now sitting on her knees in the center of the stream, water rushing past her lower body, her back and shoulders exposed.

She wasn't moving; he wasn't even sure she was still breathing. Mesmerized by her beauty at that moment, he simply stared as the water pulsed around her and the early morning rays of sunshine danced in her ebony hair. Time seemed to stand still. When she finally stirred, he realized he didn't know how long he'd been standing there, staring at a naked woman like a 15 year old boy full of raging hormones.

But she knew he was there. She had probably known all along, in fact. She turned her head and met his eyes, waiting patiently for him to regain control of his body and brain. Apparently, his mind had taken a slight detour, although he had no idea where he'd landed. He shook his head to clear the steady ebb of testosterone that had inundated his brain cells, and nodded at her, turning to leave.

"You should try it sometime," she said over the soft hush of the water. He froze, the last of the testosterone re-surfacing and chewing at his brain. He could hear the sound of the water change as she rose and stood behind him. He knew she was facing him but he refused to look back out of respect for her and embarrassment for himself.

"What's that?" he managed to squeak out, his voice cracking slightly. Jesus, he was a teenager again!

"Meditation," she replied simply. "It's how I center myself...how I connect with the Mother. At least I hope I'm connecting with Her."

"Uh huh," he answered. "You mean it's how you remind yourself of your calling, right?" he paused, waiting.

"Yes," she said, obviously surprised he had come up with such a response.

Although Merik didn't feel he truly knew the real Kala, their conversations over the past few days had definitely helped him begin to understand the challenges she faced as a Servant of Gaia. That last thought reminded him of an earlier conversation they'd never finished. She was different from the other witches he'd met in his travels. He still wanted to know why, and now seemed like as good a time as any to ask.

"I asked you a question the day we met," he said, changing the subject abruptly. "You never answered me." He could hear the rustling of clothing behind him now.