HalfWorlder #Wattys2017

Chapter 6-She chooses the nunnery

One foot after the other, I told myself, coming down the steep rise. Thankfully, there were enough scrawny trees clinging to the hillside to offer enough handholds so I didn't Jack and Jill it down and break something. It was pretty steep and I was already exhausted from training yesterday, so that was a real possibility. After days of training, my muscles ached – muscles I didn't know I had – cliché maybe, but true.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and stopped to gaze down at the valley. The whole basin spread out before me, all the Oasens below like little ants. I spied Alexandra and her Oasen friend Amisi easily from my vantage point. Amisi was practically a child by Oasen standards. Only 500 years old. They said she practically grew up on the starship, but she was a genius, so it made her special. Her dark hair was cut in choppy layers like a 90s pop star, but her makeup was definitely 80s. She was a weird girl, but I liked her.

The two of them were straddling the trunk of a large tree that had toppled over near the Tack – right where I was headed. A couple of miniature-looking chainsaws lay nearby like the two of them were taking a break from dismantling the thing. One thing was for sure, no one was ever idle-handed at the ranch.

At least now I had some motivation to get down this hill.

I made my way down, careful to use my stealth training from yesterday. Maybe I could sneak up on them? I wondered what Alexandra would think of this trick. Would it be a smile today or a thrashing? I rubbed my arm, remembering how she bent it behind me and pushed my face into the ground after I caught her with a page-worn copy of Romeo and Juliet. Oh well, I'd add the results to my research. She had become something of a project for me.

I focused on my Bau. The stealth feelings flooded me: lightness, quiet, solitude. I started down the harsh terrain again, but this time, I felt light as air. Still, it was slow going. This wasn't the power you used when you wanted to get somewhere fast, but I still made it down to their tree without getting caught.

I started to make my way around to reveal myself, so I was still hidden by thick fir branches when Amisi spoke up, her black hair bobbing cheerfully, her words stopping me in my tracks. "Even I can see how weird you're acting around him. It's like you've gone all bi-polar."

Alexandra cocked her head. Her eyes wandered in my direction refusing to make eye contact with Amisi, but she didn't see me. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Oh, sure you do." She shoved Alexandra playfully but with enough Oasen strength to jog her. Her balance was impeccable though; Alexandra barely rocked.

Amisi frowned. "You weren't worried one bit about a guy your age coming here until those blue sparks, and now you're totally freaking out over him and NOT in a good way."

Blue sparks huh? I peeked through the fir branches and caught site of Alexandra's face. She scowled at Amisi.

"Those didn't mean a thing."

"Didn't mean anything? You've got to be kidding me. That, Alexandra, meant something. It's like a law or something."

Alexandra huffed and looked down, but Amisi kept talking, ignoring her friend's discomfort. "I heard Helen teasing your dad about it. I don't think they thought it was nothing either."

Alexandra rolled her eyes. It was definitely a habit with her.

"Roll your eyes all you want but his being here is messing with you – big time." She reached over and slapped Alexandra on the leg looking for a response. She didn't flinch. "You want to like him but you're so worried about sticking to your little plan, you can't see straight. I'm telling you, Alexandra, you're managing well enough for now but there's all these little cracks forming in your armor. You're a few more blue sparks away from losing it."