Dryads and Nymphs

Chapter 8-Cheshire and Clove

Right on cue Cheshire walked in. Cheshire was Maryse's father's cat. The gray and white cat's blue green eyes darted around before settling on the quetzal. It purred softly and started sneaking up to the cage. Maryse stepped on the cat's tail, making him hiss at her.

"Shut up Cheshire. You know you aren't allowed to go near Azul."

"Azul?" Ariana echoed.

"I named him that," Maryse said dismissively, looking up from Cheshire.

Then she stopped down and picked the still hissing Cheshire.

"Come on, I'm going to leave you with Rose. She won't let you escape," she said smiling at Ariana who smiled back.

Rose loved, almost worshipped cats no matter what, and the strange thing was that every cat got along with Rose and almost worshipped her too. Nobody could escape Rose's charm: not even animals. Maryse had left, and Ariana was alone in the room with Azul.

She walked towards the bird. Azul cocked his head and looked at Ariana, before bursting into a song. Somehow, the song reminded Ariana of the lullaby and the lullaby reminded her of Aron. She sat down at the edge of Maryse's well-made bed, waiting for Maryse, still in thought.

She remembered Aron's haughty, well-chiseled perfect face. His brown eyes could lighten up to a luminescent brown filled with concern, or darken to an almost black when he was deep in thought. His black hair had been untidily and fell into his eyes. His straight eyebrows had pulled into a frown when he had been bandaging Ariana's foot.

Maryse interrupted Ariana's thought, walking in and jumping on the bed beside Ariana. Ariana turned her head to Maryse.

"Is something wrong? Didn't you like Azul?" Maryse asked, looking worried.

Ariana shook her head, saying, "It's nothing. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Maryse asked eagerly.

Ariana hesitated. She always told Maryse everything on her mind, but she just couldn't bring herself to tell her about meeting Aron. So she told her something else bothering her.

"I was thinking about the uprising father is planning."

"What about it?" Maryse asked innocently.

"Well he wants me to take part in it," Ariana said before hesitating.

"And you don't want to," Maryse completed Ariana's sentence for her, though she sounded rather surprised.

"But why?" she asked.

"Because," Ariana said, trying to explain, "I don't like the idea of an uprising. And I don't know anything about it."

"You and your father are so different. But in case, you want to, I think he will teach you everything you need to learn. Meanwhile I was thinking about joining the uprising."

Ariana stared in surprise. "You can't!" Ariana hissed.

Maryse looked hurt.

"Why not?" she whispered back.

"Because I can't let you get hurt," Ariana whispered softly.

Maryse smiled crookedly, hugging Ariana, and whispered, "Okay but I want to be part of it."

Ariana sighed. Sometimes getting through to Maryse was as hard as breaking a rock with your bare hands.

"Fine," Ariana submitted, "but if something happens, I will kill you."