Dreaming Cinderella

Chapter 10

"It's about time!" The Stranger proclaimed making it apparent that he was tired. He had his arm draped lazily around Aster's shoulders his head lying down as if he couldn't even hold himself up.

Emilia watched the scene before her suddenly unfold and knew the new Stranger had to be one of Aster's companions he'd talked of being separated from when she'd first met him. She stared at his companion seeing that he was a bit older than herself, maybe by a couple of years'. Just like Aster had been when she'd met him, his companion was covered in grim and dirt from his travels. Emilia realized as a strong smell wafted past her, that he was actually worse than Aster had been as she fought the urge to pinch her nose to keep back the smell.

Emilia knew the exact moment that Aster caught wind of the smell as well, because he didn't hide his distaste as well as she did. Instead he shrugged his companion off his shoulder pinching his nose closed. "What is that?" He gagged taking a step away from his friend and moving closer to Emilia his finger still pinching his nose.

"What's wrong?" His friend asked oblivious to the fact that he smelled. Emilia wished she too could pinch her own nose, but knew she couldn't, she didn't know the stranger as well as Aster, therefore it would be rude of her to be so familiar. "Aster, I don't smell anything." His friend continued and Emilia tried to keep back a smile as he started sniffing trying to catch the smell that filled the air.

"No, I guess you wouldn't." Aster said disgusted looking over at Emilia rolling his eyes'. "What have you been doing sleeping with pigs the last three days?" Aster asked him and his friend gaped at him and Emilia thought he looked insulted by Aster's words'.

"Do I really smell that bad?" The Stranger asked his attention landing on Emilia, seeming to notice her for the first time as his eyes widened at the sight of her. "Well who do we have hear?" He asked instead, not caring about the answer to his previous question, although Emilia gave him his answer, as he came forward reaching to grab her hands', by dodging his gesture quickly moving backwards to get away from the smell that had filled her nose just from his movement.

"There is no need to by shy my lovely flower," He teased reaching for her again and Emilia looked to Aster for help as she dodged his friend again. "I know it was love at first sight for you as well." He said and Emilia stared at him with distaste as she wondered whether he was being serious or not.

"Alright, Ivan, that's enough." Aster came to her rescue, placing himself in between them despite the horrible smell, blocking Emilia from his friends' path. "This young lady's name is Emilia and she saved me earlier from thirst." He explained and Emilia felt her face flush as he over exaggerated her part in saving him. If anything she'd almost drowned him.

"Well then, I suppose I must properly thank Lady Emilia then," Ivan said instead meeting Emilia's gaze with a teasing smile. "Shall a kiss suffice my dear? I'm afraid it's all I have." Emilia decided he couldn't be serious, nobody could be that full of them self. But when his smile didn't falter and he continued to wait for her reply she realized he was being serious.

"Ivan." Aster warned at his friend's words' again coming to Emilia's rescue and she was grateful for the interruption. "Where are the others?" Aster changed the subject by asking and suddenly Ivan's full attention had changed to Aster his offered kiss suddenly forgotten.

"You mean they aren't with you?" He asked seeming to be caught off guard by this, and Emilia thought she heard Aster swear under his breath. "I'll take that as a no." Ivan said hearing it too. "I got separated too. But I figured they would have found you by now. I kept having terrible luck, it was by dumb luck that I managed to find my way here." He explained his tone now serious and Emilia looked over at Aster at his friends words'. They were similar to his own when she had first met him, more than similar the very same.

"Did a crow lead you here?" She asked unable to keep back her curious nature. She had to know, it was too curious not to ask.

"Are you a seer? How did you know?" Ivan asked shocked, his tone excited at her guess and she looked to Aster to see if he understood. He was staring at her with a raised brow.

"Your thinking the crow lead us here for a reason?" He guessed and she shrugged her shoulders uncertain but finding it odd that they had both been lead here by a bird, perhaps the same bird.

"I don't understand." Ivan said looking between them trying to understand what he was missing.

"When I got separated I was having horrible luck also. I stumbled around looking for the nearest village but couldn't find anything. However, a crow found me and lead me here." Aster explained feeling him in on what was going on. He looked between Aster and Emilia again this time as if they were crazy.

"Surely you don't think it was the same bird?" He asked them baffled at the thought, and Emilia and Aster both shared a look before both shrugging their shoulders. Emilia had heard tales of such things' so to her it wasn't that crazy. "It was just a coincidence, we both happened to decide to follow a bird in hopes of finding a village and it worked." Ivan said logically bursting Emilia's excitement, it would have made a better story if the crow had been leading them both here instead of them simply following the bird.

She looked up at the clear sky. A flock of birds flew above them and she sighed deciding he was probably right. After all birds were always flocking to the village, it wasn't so odd that they had both been lead here by a stray bird who had probably been looking for its flock.

The wind started to blow and Emilia gagged as she caught wind of Ivan, breaking her from her thoughts. She could imagine stories in her head later, but first she had to get away from that awful smell. "You need a bath!" She spoke boldly deciding it didn't matter since he had been so familiar with her first.

Her words seemed to catch both boys off guard for they both looked at her startled by her lack of manners at calling him out. She felt her face flush wondering if she shouldn't have been so bold after all, but when Aster started laughing decided it didn't matter after all.

"Do I really smell that bad?" Was all Ivan asked going back to his earlier question.

"Yes!" Came Emilia and Aster's stern reply at the same time and Ivan started sniffing no doubt trying to catch wind of the smell that surrounded him.