Natalie

"There is no need for both of us running around looking for a boat is there?" Andrew asked, he sat on a wooden chair looking at the quiet street corner out a window of an inn. The last of the moon’s glow faded as it made way for the coming morning, whatever glimmer of energy Andrew had in his eyes seemed to fade at that moment. Natalie clenched her fists. He’d pushed himself out there more than he will admit.

"So then get some rest and I’ll go," Natalie said. Andrew’s eyes found her in the middle of the two-bedroom room. Natalie interlocked her fingers on impulses before twirling her thumbs together one over the other. Despite there being little to no light his eyes were still able to meet hers with shocked disapproval. That got Natalie back up. “You're a mess Andrew, you assume that I didn't notice?” Andrew frowned a moment before glancing away.

She and Andrew had rented a room at the Three prongs Inn, a quiet place with its lamps dimmed so low that she and the others almost thought the place was closed.

“You're not looking too fresh either,” Andrew mumbled as he looked back out the window. That almost derailed her line of thinking for a moment but she didn't let it show.

“Worry about yourself, I’ll be back with news and wash after.” Andrew looked very tired, it didn't take much to notice his relaxed posture on the chair. Twice now she’d seen his head nod and lul back and each time he did Andrew suddenly stood straight and asked her what she said even when she didn't say anything. Natalie hoped that with her going instead at least now he would fall asleep. As she turned around to the door however Andrew said: “So is there any reason why you're trying so hard to keep me here?”

Natalie sighed to herself softly by then. The rig was up.

“Was it that obvious?” she asked.

“I’ve been with you long enough to know something is up, what I don’t get now is why you want to stop me?” Andrew said. Frustrated, Natalie forcefully separated her interlocked fingers opting to instead ball her hands into fists. She did not want to explain this-now mainly because she was going off vague clues and intuitions but…

“It’s got something to do with what Sophie said to you out in the hall, right?” Andrew asked. Natalie stropped her head. So he’d heard. Of Course, he did, it’s not like they made a secret of it. Still, it was not something she could easily put into words.

It started when they made their way into the Three prongs Inn. The young receptionist with glasses who greeted them was hard to hear not only because she whispered the whole time that they talked but she seemed soft-spoken by nature. ‘It’s to not disturb the other patrons’ she’d said when Sophie asked. They followed her up the stairs with only the guide of a single hand lamp. It was reasonable enough but Natalie knew from the way she constantly clenched and fiddled with her long skirt that was not telling the whole truth. Sophie, who caught Natalie staring at the receptions as she left them to go back downstairs not only agreed with Natalie that something was off but also wagered that she knew what it was. They’d been napping on the job, according to Sophie they just missed her sleeping when the doorbell chimed as they entered the inn. Her evidence being the popped collar on the right side, table marks imprinted on her right cheek, and the slightly skewed angle the glasses were on the receptionist’s face when they met. All infallible evidence of her actions in Sophie's eyes. The receptionist was just glad that it was not the boss who strolled in. It was an odd detail for Sophie to spot, and a strange conversation to have in the middle of the hallway.

The plan was to wash and rest up before tackling the issue of finding someone to take them downriver early the next morning. Andrew had agreed with Sophie deduction at the time but Natalie could tell that try as he might to keep to it he was going to creak eventually. And if she could read that much from Andrew’s then Sophie…

“I think she wants us to stay put for tonight,” Natalie said.

“It’s that what she said?” Andrew asked.

“No, well… not directly.” Seeing the baffled look on Andrew’s face Natalie shrugged to herself before looking down at her feet.

“Sophie is kind of crafty, back at the tavern where we first met she had this way of talking circles around me. I get the same feeling now as I did back then.” looking up Natalie saw Andrew leaning forward on the chair a little, weighing her words.

“Do you trust her?” Andrew finally asked.

“I do,” she was a little surprised at how easily the answer came. Was it her fondness for the manipulators of Hallow peak partly speaking?

“Even though she’s being ‘crafty’?” Andrew asked. Natalie looked over her shoulder now to the door behind her. Using her purple eyes she could see through the thin plaster walls and wooden foundations right across them to the other room. Flynn and Sophie were fast asleep. They shared the same bed she noted, it was not really surprising just.

I’d hardly seen them speak a word to each other. Sophie and Flynn had shared more words between her and Andrew than they did with each other when she thought about it. There was nothing wrong with that, and not once did that fact cause any issue on their travels, it just stood out to her as strange. Feeling that she was intruding Natalie closed her eyes and deactivated her angel sight allowing total darkness to envelop her vision.

“It’s not like we’ve been forthcoming with them with our own affairs,” Natalie finally answered. She folded her arms to her chest before looking back at Andrew. “I trust them, I think she honestly wants to get us to Aqua Falls in hopes of reaching your mum before her own mission, but that doesn't mean that they know the best way to make that happen.”

“They never asked you about your eyes did they?” Andrew asked. It was a rhetorical question she knew but Natalie shook her head anyway.

“They’d pushed themselves racing across the desert to catch us. Almost died tonight and the first thing they did when we escaped the wolves was apologising for being a burden.” That's perhaps the biggest thing that swayed Natalie into feeling like she can trust them so easily. Nodding to himself Andrew leaned back on the chair to look out the window.

“Chasing my own problems almost cost them their lives,” Andrew said.

“I think they see it the other way around, the responsibility part at least,” Natalie said. Grimacing Andrew shook his head to himself.

“I know, it’s why they haven't said anything about it, they don't want to be a burden. But it only makes me hate how much of a blind fool I've been.”

“So let me go and find us a boat, she implied that I make sure you rest but technically she never asked anything of the sort from me.” Natalie said. The drawn-out silence that left made Natalie put her hand on her hips in frustration.

“Do you not trust me now?” Natalie asked.

“It’s not that, it’s just I know how your negotiations tend to go,” Andrew said. There was a shade of a smile on his face now which got Natalie’s backup.

“Name one time recently where I've shouted,” Natalie asked.

“I’m sure Shepherd can recall one,” Andrew said. Natalie's face heated up to that.

“That one won't cause us later trouble,” she whispered. Andrew just chuckled to himself before nodding.

“I guess it won’t at that,” with a sigh. His good mood seemed to leak out of him as he again looked out of the window. A wash of pity fell over Natalie at the sight of him. He did make an honest effort to just rest. He laid on the chair as if half ready to fall asleep and although his leg was seen to by a nurse with an earth affinity he needed to keep it still for it to heal properly. Andrew could barely keep his leg still, every once in a while Natalie spotted him shaking it in impatience.

"Whenever I fall asleep I see her," He sighed.

"Your mother?" Natalie said. Andrew nodded.

"It's hardly been ten years, and yet I nearly forgot the look of her face," he looked up, up at the clear sky through the window perhaps more out of guilt than a sense of whimsy. Struck by an ache of sympathy Natalie walked over to the bed to sit across from him. Andrew never spoke about his mother to her before. And although he looked cress fallen Natalie could not help but hold a bittersweet smile for him. To remember your loved ones at all in Natalie's eyes was a blessing. If only he knew just how lucky he was to know that someone out there has a place for him where can belong. Hugging knees to her chest Natalie tries to recall her parents, those memories only deepen her own empathy towards him. She wanted to hug him, to tell him that everything will be ok. Instead, Natalie gripped her legs that bit tighter. Andrew, that blessed fool must have realised hin talking about his family reminded Natalie of her own because he perked up suddenly as if he was over his lament. As thankful as Natalie was for Andrews consideration she fixed him with a stern glare. Though it will open old wounds she had to endure for Andrew’s sake. With that thought strong in Natalie mind she put her own pain aside to comfort him. "Tell me more about your mother Trisha, what is she like?"

"You remembered her name?" he replied, confusion etched all over his features he scratched his dreadlocked hair as he chuckled dryly. “I must have only mentioned her by name once or twice back before we were separated but-”

"-It was only the one time, now stop trying to change the subject, Andrew. Tell me about her, tell me about Aqua falls, tell me about the many rivers that wash over the slopes of your homeland, tell me about the townspeople that live in the safest place in the known world. I want to hear them in your words, paint me a picture of the place that was once your whole world." She needed to hear it now, to get used to the idea that he one day may no longer have her back, that he had another home to protect. He paused and looked at her for a while. Something unreadable painted his features before he looked back out the window in defeat.

"Honestly Natalie, what in cycle’s name has gotten into you today? Fine, fine! I'll talk, but nothing as fluffy or fancy as all that. And I’ll only talk about one of those things, my memory is already hazy on my own mother so you're not getting a peep of the town out from me," Natalie nodded and so Andrew closed his eyes as if trying his best to summon the memory before them. After a brief pause, he shrugged and chuckled to himself.

"What's there to tell really? Nothing fancy comes to mind. She was just... there for me, gentle and caring. She used to always treat me to a sweet drink after I finished my dinners. Grape soda quickly became my favourite," he chuckles to himself then, Natalie could not help but bask in his revelry, now smiling also their eyes met and for a moment all her troubles felt a million miles away. She was pleased to find that not all memories of families had to leave her hurt and that gave her strength. As she accepted this however Andrew's smile thinned.

"I made the mistake of choosing to go with dad and leaving mum behind. Didn't realise I was never coming back until I was travelling a week in with him, that was rough. By the time I realised that I’ll never see mum again I-" he trailed off shaking his head. Natalie's eyes narrowed, she knew where this was going.

"Teacher Shinichi is a good man, I'm sure he had his reasons for what he did," She said. If only he’d realise how much of a blessing it was to still have both his parents living. Even if they were separated Natalie would gladly trade having her mum and dad divided and alive rather than together and dead.

"That's fair; But from when even I do not know his reason you’ve got to wonder. He barely talked about mum ever since the day he left. In his eyes, she must have already been dead. Guess he and I are the same on that at least.”

"That's not true and you know it," Natalie said.

“I pushed her from my memory like some old relic. And now here I am trying to swoop in to play the hero. Honestly, I'm worse than he is.”

"You're over-thinking things,"

Andrew looked unconvinced as he shook his head.

"You don't need to comfort me. All that I’ve said is true," Andrew bowed his head in pity.

"Flynn mentioned that they’d been travelling non-stop before running into us and I ignored it. Now, look at what's happened.” Natalie for one was starting to grow tired of seeing Andrew feeling sorry for himself. Sure she understood his worry but all the self-pity was not going to help him or his mother. Andrew sighed to himself unaware of the tempest whirling within Natalie’s chest as he finally looked at the room's exit with apprehension.

“Honestly,” he continued. “I don't know how to face them come morning,"

"You can start by shutting up and getting some sleep."

Andrew looked at Natalie with a sideways glance, his eyes narrowed in bafflement. Natalie just shrugged her shoulders.

"You told me not to comfort you,"

Rolling his eyes Andrew awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Walked into that one huh?" he sighed calmly, the sombre aura around him lessened somewhat.

"You imply it as if you could have made a recovery from your stupidity. ‘Fell into it’ feels more fitting." she shot back.

Andrew glared at Natalie with an unamused expression. Natalie just shrugged and rose off the mattress. Activating her angel sight, her eyes cut through the darkroom and the boundaries of walls that surrounded them. Sophie and Flynn were still asleep. If she was going to do this thing then it had to be now.

"Just wash up and get some rest Andrew; it will be pointless to show up at your mother’s house looking like a hollowed-out husk only to find that nothing bad has happened,” she said. She heard Andrew sigh soon after.

“I guess you're right,” he said.

“On top of which this is Aqua falls we’re talking about, it’s one of the only known places that’s remained clean from any demons," she continued.

“I get it already! I’ll try and rest. Are you happy?” he said exasperated.

“If I get any news about Aqua Falls,”

“I know, so get going,” Andrew said. With a steady sigh, Natalie pulled her cloak off the coat hanger and made her way to the front door. As she reached for its handle, however, she stopped. “Aqua Falls won’t become another Lacus, I swear it.” had she said the same thing before? Either way, she’d said it not just for him but for herself.

“And I promise that the next time you see me I won’t stink, think I’ll take that bath now,” Andrew said. Despite his silly reply Natalie could not help but smile to herself. Even if it was a little put on she was glad that he could act like himself even if only a little. That thought turned bitter however when she wondered how many times will they have moments like this. Shaking those thoughts out of her head she proceeded to open the door and slip into the hall, glide down the carpeted steps, and make it to the reception desk where the young woman sat, placing the cloak around herself Natalie inspected the reception room with her angel sight once more. Although she was sure things remained as they were when she last checked upstairs she wanted to do a double check on the receptionist now before she stepped into the room.

She was in fact sleeping just like Sophie had predicted. Natalie thought it best not to wake her. And so gelding past them she channelled a bit of her electromagnetic power onto the swinging doorbell with a touch and willing the current in the bell downward she kept it from shaking as she swung the door open. The move was both an easy and yet tricky thing. It was the same method she used to walk up against metal surfaces like she did in the elevator shaft but done to a far lesser extent. Because of this Natalie was far too using far more power. Careful control of her power became the main issue. She had to be careful not to tear the bell off its hinges. This restraint in using her power took a strange kind of focus. Like pulling on alone spider's thread straight tight without snapping it she focused her will on the bell, the thin coil of metal that rattled when the door opened or closed was stretched downward a little beyond its intended limit and for a moment Natalie was worried that she might have broken it.

Thankfully the bell remained stationary and as she slowly opened and closed the door behind her. She continued to hold onto the bell until she was clear from sight of the inn and around a street corner. As let off go of her concentration on the bell Natalie heard it jingle from across the road, She witnessed the young receptionist jump up from her sleep and carefully walk up to the door to investigate. As she inspected the door and bell Natalie noticed that the woman fiddled with the thin metal cord that connected the door and bell a couple of times, a show of puzzled apparent in her features. Mayhaps she did damage the bell a little. Feeling a tinge of guilt at that Natalie ignored the receptionist to check on the other floor where Andrew, Sophie, and Flynn resided. Andrew had moved to the bathroom now whilst Sophie and Flynn were asleep right where she last left them. Satisfied, Natalie pulled her hood over her face and moved deeper into the village.

~#~

Andrew

Natalie soundlessly left the room. Now alone Andrew forced himself off the chair and after a long stretch dragged his feet towards the bathroom, his left leg was no longer wounded there was still the phantom feel of the afflicted pain persisting that the wound was still there leaving him with a bothersome itch. It was often the case of healing such wounds. The healing also made him feel even more drowsy than he already was, this left his mind in a kind of half-dream. It was bothersome true but all his issues could easily be handled with a day's rest. And that can be arranged but not just yet. Instead of resting Andrew had another dilemma to tackle right after he bathed.

Do I even have enough time to shower before she gets herself into trouble? Surely he could spare five minutes to clean himself up before going after her… right?

From the get-go, Andrew had no intention of letting her go completely alone. He knew that she could handle herself. The concern came from whether others would be able to handle her. Even on the best of days, Natalie could be curt to strangers, but once her emotions grew to a point she can be... intense. The look she had in her eye before she left told Andrew all that he needed to know. He had five minutes to wash up, dress and find her before she caused too much of an issue. She would be angry at him, true. She would likely try and call him a liar but Andrew made sure that he mentioned no word of sleeping nore staying put until she came back. Either way, it would be better than the alternative.

Filling the tub with cool water Andrew scrubbed himself down with soap and a brush before drying off. As he dressed back up and reached for his sword by his chair Andrew took a quick glance out through the window at the sky to see if there were any storm clouds present. Normally when Natalie was in a foul mood they'd come rolling in. Thankfully the sky was clear, with only a thin line of cloud faintly vailing the moonlight. It moved slowly along the sky telling Andrew that it was a natural cloud. That was good although that did not mean that she was not causing trouble or about to get into such. She could be keeping her emotions in check, preventing them from affecting the weather. Finding her should not be too tricky since this was a village and most places worth going to were closed at this hour, the few places that would be open won’t have much in information or utility to move them towards Aqua falls. The way Hector and Shepherd went on about nobody willing to sail anyone beyond their town strongly hinted that the docks were closed meaning…

Meaning the only real place that Natalie could end up at is this village's local tavern or maybe another inn. Being the likely place where they would cater to travellers and hunters alike it was the best place to get information on what was going on around here at this time. Now he just needed to work out where such a place was in Progmanfest. Resolving to ask the receptionist downstairs Andrew was about to reach for the door when a knock came from the other side. Blinking a moment he recounted his actions and the time it took for him to do them since Natalie left and worked out that it could have hardly been ten minutes, could her troubles follow her here? Relieved and disappointed, Andrew swung open the door and was about to say something bland but witty like ‘back so soon?’ or ‘you forgot something?’ until he laid eyes on who it was that greeted him, at the sight of them all thoughts of wit and good humour fled Andrew like smoke on dry breeze.

“Flynn, Sophie! Why are you…”

"Sup kiddo," Flynn saluted. They stood there fully dressed. And although Flynn greeted him so casually there was an intense and determined look in their eyes as if both were ready for war. Sophie took one look up and down at Andrew, took a single glance over his shoulder to his room and then with a glance back at his face narrowed his eyes sternly as she folded her arms.

“So then, you convinced her that you’d rest just so you too can go with an excuse of finding her when asked?” She fixed Andrew with the gaze that held the foreboding intensity of a gigantic tidal wave. Andrew was struck with a slight sense of shame at what she said but knowing Natalie and what was at stake he straightened his features.

“Not everyone is as crafty as you,” Andrew grumbled under his breath. That earned him an arched eyebrow making him clear his throat. "Even after Natalie said I should not go she was set on going for me anyway, once she gets like that she won't take no for an answer." Sophie seemingly continued to regard him, satisfied that he was not lying she sighed heavily to herself.

“I hoped that by at least suggesting for Natalie to keep you here and rest that might have kept both of you out of trouble for a time. But it seems like I've misunderstood the dynamics of your relationship. Yes, you two do indeed pull and push on each other in odd ways. Well, that can't be helped now. Come, Andrew, we will head to the tavern and see what we are dealing with.” Sophie turned towards the door to the stairwell down the hall.

"So are you just going to have me pretend that I did hear you openly confess trying to manipulate us?" Andrew said. He heard Sophie stop partway down the hall to his words. Andrew knew what he was doing, he knew that he was hitting a nerve with his use of the word ‘manipulate’, but he was through with all the crap. He needed to reach Aqua Falls, and although he still felt guilty for dragging them into that mess with the wolves, Andrew determined that unless Sophie had a valid reason to try and alter the way they do things then he had no time for it. Unable to watch her slowly reproach his door Andrew made himself busy with eyeing a slightly slanted picture frame at the other end of the hall.

“Is that how you see it?” she said once beside him.

“You could have just asked us to stay put,”

“Would that have worked?” Andrew looked up at her then, his teeth grating.

“Is this any better?” he said gesturing to the stairwell at the other end of the hall.

“All I’ve been trying to do is help you. In that endeavour, I’ve compromised options that would have considered more to my benefit and safety.” Sophie said, reminding Andrew again of how he selfishly dragged them here only to almost get them killed. Unable to look at her face once more he glared at the ground.

“You’ve nothing to feel guilty for Andrew, It was our choice to go through with your decision despite knowing the risks,” she said.

“I didn't think that the wolves would act as they did,” Andrew said in a tone of apology.

“Neither did we,” Sophie sighed to herself. Andrew looked back up baffled.

“We took a leap of faith after seeing your raw determination to make it to your mother. And although things got hairy near the end, if I could have a second chance I would gladly do it again.” Flynn said with a half-smile. Andrew was surprised to see the earnest look of conviction on his features.

“Given what's understood about the wolves here I would have taken precautions against an assault had we been blessed with a reset button. I loathe gambling myself, but given what’s at stake I thought it best I bit my tongue on the matter. Now, why is your mouth half-open?" Andrew blinked before clicking his mouth shut.

"But you hardly know us, why go this far?"

"Everyone knows family Andrew, I may not really know you or your mother but I know what having one feels like and that's enough." Sophie said. That threw Andrew through a loop. So struck by Sophie's simple words that he did not know what to say. "So you see Andrew, you did not force us into anything, convinced with your actions mayhaps but don’t assume this whole debacle is all on your back."

"You're not going to say something along the way if 'we' made the decision," Andrew mumbled.

"No…" Sophie said.

"Oh,"

"Something about the events that transpired here does not quite add up.”

Absorbing all these words Andrew nodded to himself, he felt a tingling on his chest and back, like some unseen baggage, had fallen off his shoulder and for the first time since travelling with Flynn and Sophie Andrew felt that he could meet eye to eye with his new companions.

“Let me go after Natalie while you two rest, it’s the least I can do,” Andrew said.

“And let you have all the fun? Not a chance kiddo.” Flynn said with a toothy smile. “Besides, I've recovered plenty. Men of my stature don’t need much rest.”

“That’s a load of crap,” Andrew grumbled. He was about to point out the evident signs of fatigue but to Andrew dismay he seldom saw any, considering what Flynn went through that puzzled him. Sophie on the other hand had signs of not being well-rested. Although she must have been the least injured in the tussle with the wolves she seemed the most likely to drop from fatigue. To Andrew it was odd, he’d have thought that Flynn would be the most tired out of all of them.

“Thanks, Andrew, but I'm afraid that it’s too late for that,” Sophie said.

“Has this got something to do with the stuff that doesn't add up?” Andrew asked. Sophie nodded.

“News spreads fast in villages such as these. It’s rumoured that travellers both coming and going have vanished these last couple of months. Some claim that the wolves killed them. I was hoping that news of the untimely arrival of young hunters like yourselves along with westerners so far from their homeland succeeding in making it here despite everything would reach the ears of the people who make the heavy decision in this village and that by next morning at the earliest convenience, we would get an invitation to sit in their council meetings. Whether it’s a wolf problem or not they clearly need a helping hand. Fresh recruits would be high up on their list of things to cater to with such a crisis. So long as we didn't make a scene then an invitation to their meetings would be within the realm of possibility.”

“So you had a plan?” Andrew said.

“I'd say it was more of a hunch,” Flynn said with a ponderous frown.

“Even so, why didn't you tell us?”

“I did not want to burden your choice on my hunch. Besides, I thought we all agreed that we should rest.” speechless, Andrew simply closed his hanging mouth as Sophie continued.

“I’d hoped to gleme some more information on what the crisis was before we got involved ourselves by checking how the potential messenger arrived and presented themselves and the message to us but guess we are winging it now. By the by Andrew, did I mention that I loathe leaping into things unprepared?”

"To a degree," Andrew sighed whilst scratching the back of his head. “Cycles above, you're really going to hate travelling with us,” Andrew sighed.

“Oh I don’t know about all that,” Sophie smiled at Andrew. Andrew could not help but smile back. Walking out of the room and closing the door behind him Andrew turned back to Sophie and Flynn.

“We'll do this your way starting from now. What’s the plan?” Andrew asked.

“Besides knowing that they are desperately in need of help with, I'm not sure.”

“That does not give us a lot to bargain with,” Andrew mumbled to himself. Sophie nodded but looked confident.

“Then we'll just need to play it by ear and find an opportunity to strike a deal. We are not totally in the dark,"

"You got some news?" Andrew asked.

"I’ll explain the situation as I understand it along the way. But in the meantime...” Sophie said before turning to Flynn. After giving a silent look and nod at each other Flynn looked back to Andrew with a confident gaze and said: "In the meantime, let's get your friends ass out of the firing range,"