Path to Starry Pool (MAJOR EDITING)

Chapter Thirteen: Center

Piper was already gone from the window. They looked up as the ladder rattled, and they watched as Piper jumped down the last few steps. Chin-Hae set Sara down on the grass and looked back at Piper with dull eyes.

"Sara needs medical attention," Chin-Hae told Piper.

Astoria could see the exhaustion in his words. Astoria felt bad for them. I'm the reason Sara and Chin-Hae are like this, Astoria thought.

"She really needs it," Astoria added miserably. "Please, Piper, quickly. It really has been a long day."

Piper nodded her head without a reply, and stood Sara up. She hesitated for a moment before standing Sara against the tree to the treehouse. Sara simply slumped down against the tree. Her hand now hung loosely to her side. Astoria could see the whole wound. Her shirt was ripped right at her hip, and there was a long, thin scratch along her side. Blood stained her shirt, and little was coming out of the wound. Astoria recalled running around a sharp boulder back in the Living Realm. Sara must have cut herself there! Why didn't she say anything? Astoria thought, but her eyes narrowed with sympathy as she gazed down at the helpless girl. She has done a lot for her age. She is very fatigued.

"So what happened?" Piper asked Astoria as they left Chin-Hae with Sara and ran inside her house.

Piper led her down the hall and opened the door to their left, grabbing a medical kit from the shelf.

"We were running," Astoria responded. "And Sara's side got hurt from a rock. We didn't see until we got back."

"Where did this happen?" Piper asked as they dashed outside.

"Uh..." Astoria didn't want to answer, but she knew she couldn't avoid the question entirely. "Next to the creek."

Piper brushed Chin-Hae aside and observed Sara's wound. "The last time I was there, I didn't see any rocks. Oh well, anyway, how long has she been like this?"

"From all the way back to the orphanage," Chin-Hae replied, catching Astoria's eye. "We were all tired, so we didn't notice that Sara was hurt."

Piper stayed silent and opened up the medical kit. She pulled out a few bandages and began to clean up Sara's wound. As Piper was wrapping the bandages around Sara, Chin-Hae stood back next to Astoria, leaning forward slightly.

"Does Piper know anything?" Chin-Hae murmured quietly to Astoria.

"About where we were?" Astoria murmured in reply.

"Yes."

Astoria bobbed her head silently. "Piper does know. Not the most of it, anyway. We have went before, but just in the clearing and a but of the woods. She knows nothing about Fleur or anything else."

"You can never be sure," Chin-Hae muttered.

"How so?" Astoria asked.

Astoria was surprised Chin-Hae had any doubts about Piper; Piper didn't make the impression of being untrustful. She didn't seem reliable either. Piper had the impression on Astoria of an air-headed and ditzy girl, having little knowledge or caution. Astoria thought of her as a very young child always get into drawers with knives and falling off of trees.

"She could possibly know more than she tells," Chin-Hae replied quietly. "Not all are loyal friends. Piper could be one of your biggest foes if you don't put yourself in the center of everything."

Astoria's eyes narrowed, and she looked at Chin-Hae with a frown. "What are you implying?"

"I mean no offense," Chin-Hae answered, his voice hoarse as he watched Piper cleaning off the blood around Sara. "But you should almost be like Ji. Sneaky and secretive. I mean, Ji is entirely secretive, but like how we didn't notice her hiding in the tree. We had ourselves in a very bad situation by standing in the open instead of hiding when we were in the Living Realm. What I mean by yourself in the center is basically me saying that being in the open, or even in the back of a group of people you need to be around, it's not a wise decision."