the Forest of Emmitaenu

What Ifs

The next morning Jade was awake long before the other two. After a night full of cleaning, they slept through the entire morning. She found them both dreaming away in the entrance room on the large rug facing each other. Jade appreciated the work they did after she'd gone to sleep. She had been too shocked to do anything after the attack and in her grief stricken lapse Zeftx and Lara had stepped up admirably. She was grateful to them both.

Retreating quietly to her room so as not to wake them, Jade slipped into her bathroom to fix a quick bath. When she and Zeftx last entered this room she was already too deep in shock from the dismal state of her bed to feel anything but disgust toward her bathroom.

Those beasts had tormented every furnishing in their home, and that included the claw foot tubs as well. Rather than breaking it like they broke everything else, they choose rather to break the toilet over the tub which left her with a tub full of excrement and urine.

Well, at least it meant the tub wouldn't need replaced. Before she could do anything else she had to clean this mess up. Wistfully Jade wished she had emptied the toilet before leaving the hut yesterday as she got to scrubbing up.

It took Jade a good hour to rid the room of any unpleasantness. Once it was scrubbed squeaky clean she was desperate for a bath. Before she could climb in though, she had to prepare the water first. Going to the kitchen to collect water, she realized all the dishes were destroyed.

"Snaggle tooth!" She huffed. Then she snapped her fingers. She knew what to do. Climbing out the empty window frame Jade slipped outside to the back of the hut. Her little horna had gone unnoticed and untouched. Thank the Immortals, Jade thought. Inside the structure was her black pot. "Perfect!" She beamed.

It took her a dozen trips from the crooked copper faucet, to the horna to heat, to the bath where she poured the hot water before the bath was full enough to use. Half the morning was over by now but that didn't stop her from enjoying her hard earned bath.

When she finished and dried off, she had to wrestle one of her dresser drawers open before she could get to her clothes inside. She was afraid the noise she made yanking the drawer out would wake the other two, but when she checked their auras she found them still sleeping.

Dressed, Jade made due with charcoal and a strip of cloth to prepare a note to leave on the sink explaining she had gone to get them fresh supplies from the forest. She would return with some things to eat and enough clay gathered from the riverbed for the basic dishes they would need.

Zeftx was the next to wake. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Lara's pretty face. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing deeply. He could see the rise and fall of every breath and knew she was still caught in a heavy sleep.

He reached out slowly to stroke her hair. It was so soft and rich. The deep burgundy quickly became his favorite color from the moment he saw her. Gently he rested his hand into the curve of her neck, absently rubbing his thumb on her jaw line. Watching her sleep produced a longing in his heart that made him want to be next to her forever.

He couldn't remember a pain more real than what he'd felt last night. The decision he had to make to save Jade and leave Lara stranded alone in the room with the gargoyles had been the most difficult of his lifetime. He knew there was no other way but it didn't change how much it hurt him to abandon her.

There was the frantic fear of what if when he made his move. What if he couldn't get around the room to her side in time? What if the gargoyles kidnapped her? What if he never saw her again? His heart squeezed. That was one what if that still existed.

"What if I never see you again?" He whispered to Lara. She didn't answer.

He knew with a sinking feeling how impossible the odds were. Her only mission since he'd met her was to return home. The reality of his purpose stung him deeply and he felt a heavy pang in his chest. She needed him to help her succeed in leaving and the truth was he would do anything she asked of him no matter how much it hurt.

He remembered her haste just yesterday morning. Then it was Saturday and she had time to spare. Zeftx wished it wasn't true but she needed to get home today. Sunday was her last chance before her parents missed her and he didn't want her to miss them the way he missed his own parents. It was settled long before he came to terms with it. Today was the day. There was nothing else to it.

Even with these disheartening thoughts, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. It was all he had to hold on to. Every memory of her would make a lasting impression. Memorizing the way she looked now so he could immortalize her face forever in his mind would make letting her go easier. Or at least he hoped so.

For the longest time now he had wanted to try one thing. Allowing himself just this one liberty, he leaned forward and kissed her. It wasn't a passionate kiss, or an earth shattering, wake sleeping beauty kiss either. It was a kiss so delicate and light that it brushed her lips too softly to wake her. It felt like a goodbye kiss.

With a shaky sigh Zeftx decided to get up and check on Jade. In the kitchen he found her note and decided to take advantage of the time alone to wash up and clean the stench of hard work from his skin.