Aqua Jewel

Chapter 10 - The Importance of Friendship

Lia led me along the many rows of silent shops and houses, not stopping to tell me what was happening or even where she was taking me. After approximately ten minutes of blindly following her, immense curiosity got the better of me.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Instead of answering, however, Lia simply turned her head just enough to make eye contact with me for a few seconds, then redirected her gaze to the dirt road in front of her.

Annoyed by the lack of information, I attempted – and failed – to conceal a groan. But if Lia had noticed, she gave no sign. I gave up pestering her for answers and started paying closer attention to the buildings around me.

Looking up at a second-storey window on my right, I could swear I saw a human-shaped shadow moving. I wondered what the non-whisps of Jesburgon would see if they looked out of their windows. They wouldn't be able to see Lia, but would they see a strange human-shaped light form wandering through their village, closely followed by a confused-looking girl?

We came to the edge of the more populated part of the village and Lia kept going. For the next twenty minutes or so, we walked past smaller clusters of houses, and farther out, several farms. It was around that time, when my whole body was burning with anticipation, that I asked Lia yet again where we were headed. Her response was the same.

Eventually, we came to what seemed to be an old, abandoned farm on the outskirts of Jesburgon. The wooden fences were rotting, the ancient looking barn desperately needed repairs, while the fields were congested with weeds and looked like they hadn't been trimmed in years. I also noticed a small flickering light – a fire most likely – beside a large run-down farmhouse a short distance away.

I was just about to ask another question – which would probably have been left unanswered – when someone called Lia's name from behind us, making me jump.

"Lia." I spun around. The speaker was a boy of around my age – another whisp. He had the same back-and-white appearance as Lia, but he also had his own distinctive look, just like any regular human.

"Mallie." Lia did not sound at all surprised to see the other whisp. Then again, I had never seen her show any emotions at all.

"Something has come up, Lia. You must come with me; it's urgent."

For most people, a phrase such as that would be very emotional for both the informer and the receiver. However, both whisps remained as calm and emotionless as ever. What has Dennek done to these people? I wondered.

"I'm sorry," Lia said, turning back to me. "Do you see that fire?" I nodded, looking at the small flickering light beside the farmhouse. "Go there; they can help you." I nodded again, not taking my eyes off the fire. I could now spot several figures around it.

"Thank you ..." Remembering my manners, I turned back to the two whisps, only to find that they were gone. I was alone once more.

Taking a deep breath to gather my courage, I started towards the fire. As I got closer, I noticed something familiar about the five figures sitting around it, but it wasn't until I was too close to turn back that I realized who they were.

Sitting around the fire were Haras, Lae, Nika, Alyk and Rennoc.

Why had Lia brought me here? Did she really think they would help me? After all the cruel things I'd said to them? Did Lia even know about that? She must have, or she would have told me where we were headed. She must have thought I'd refuse if I'd known, and she was correct. Even as I stood only twenty meters away, I was tempted to simply turn and run, and hope they didn't notice me.

Then I remembered Lia's words. Second chances, isn't that what friends do? Would they give me a second chance? Would I give me a second chance in their place?

"Lexa?" My stomach dropped as five pairs of eyes suddenly snapped in my direction. I'd taken too long; fate had already made up its mind.

Taking a deep breath, I walked the rest of the way over to the fire.

"Look," I began. "I ... I'm sorry, I really am." No one replied, so I continued, more desperately this time. "I didn't mean anything I said earlier. I didn't ... I wasn't ..." Unsure of how to continue my apology, I ended up closing my mouth to choke back tears.

"No, I'm sorry." Confused, I looked at Lae, who was staring into the orange flames. She looked up at me, as if she could feel the heat of my gaze, and I saw that she had a dead serious expression on her face.

"I yelled at you," I said.

"Well, I kind of provoked it."

I was astonished. I'd never seen Lae as an apologetic person. I guess there was more to the small blonde than being a bossy leader.

"I was being selfish," she continued. "You were overcome by shock and grief, and I should have tried to see things from your perspective."

"The point is, Lexa, we've changed our minds," said Rennoc. "We were going to go find you."

"We will get your mother back, even if it means handing over our necklaces," said Nika.

"Any mother of a friend is worth giving up an amazing talent for," Haras concluded.

I blinked back tears, wondering what in the world I had done to deserve these wonderful, forgiving people – my friends.

I just couldn't let them make that kind of sacrifice for me.

"No," I said. "I won't let you give up something you love so much for my cause."

Every one of my friends was stunned by my sudden decision.

"But ... your mother ..." Nika began.

"We'll do it another way," I said, as a sketchy plan began to take shape in my mind.

"What do you mean?" Rennoc asked curiously.

"We'll go to Lord Dennek, just as he expects us to, but we won't give him our necklaces. We'll use them against him instead," I declared, more confidently. I looked at each of them, nodding thoughtfully.

"That might actually work," Lae said. Then she noticed my watery eyes. "Don't start crying again," she begged.

Suddenly, all of my bad feelings for Lae sprinted away, leaving only good, warm ones. She was going to help me rescue my mother, no matter how crazy my plan was. For that, I was very grateful. I plopped down beside my friend and threw my arms around her, squeezing hard.

Lae's muscles tightened in surprise. She pulled away from me, a look of discomfort on her face.

"What's wrong?" I asked in concern.

"I just ..." Lae kept switching her gaze, looking everywhere but back at me. "I've ... never been hugged before," she admitted finally.

How could anyone live without being hugged? Without being loved? Lae had never mentioned her life before we met, and to be truthful, I'd never really wondered about it. Perhaps it had not been as happy and loving as mine. Perhaps that was why she hadn't originally seen rescuing my mother as a top priority.

"Well, there's always a first time," I told Lae softly. She didn't answer, which was quite unlike her.

I cautiously placed my arms back around her chest. She flinched when I touched her, but this time she didn't pull away. After a few long, awkward seconds, Lae reached over and placed her arms around me in return. It wasn't passionate, but it was a first.

Rennoc cleared his throat and Lae and I broke apart.

"We only have a few more hours before dawn," he reminded us.

My heart rate sped up. We would have to leave now.

"Right. So, which way to Lord Dennek's castle?" I asked whomever.

"There's a path that goes through those woods," said Alyk, pointing to the tall, ominous trees behind us.

Haras stood up briskly. "Let's go get Lexa's mother back!" he said.