TW Chapter 25 - The Forest

Drew could barely contain his excitement.  The possibilities overwhelmed him.  The entire night, he couldn't sleep, and only thought about what he had done.  This girl, the secret she had unlocked... It was amazing.  Why didn't she see it?

The rustle of leaves beside the ground near him caught his attention.  Elmira awoke, the near dead fire shivering as if it felt her sleepiness.  For the first time, he truly saw her.  Her hair lay around her shoulders, rather long.  When she rose, he realized how tall she actually was.  It impressed him, even if he were taller yet.  The long brown cloak she wore fluttered in the soft wind, revealing a simple dress beneath.

"Morning."  Drew said, as he watched her stretch.  When she looked at him, her eyes glittered.  He almost thought he saw a hint of gray in her sharp blue eyes.

"Did you sleep at all?"  She said, after yawning.

"No.  I'm too excited!  Don't you know what this means?  The ability to transfer large ammounts of energy with little to no cost?  We could..."

She cut him off before he could finish, "It's not important.  It's just a trick."

He stuttered for a moment, "Bu-bu-but.."

A torrent of emotions rushed from her, as she visibly shook.  "Can't you leave off?  I don't know where we are.  You don't know how you even got here in the first place!  There are more important things to worry about!"  Her words stung a little, but he knew she was right.  She continued, "Besides, I'm not sure what you did anyway."

Drew nodded, rising himself.  Whoever...  Elmira, that was her name.  Whoever she was, she was certainly impatient.  "Maybe you know something about how I got here.  You said last night you had a dream.  You told me that a few days before we met, you felt... something?  What was it?"

Even as he spoke, Drew buried the fire coals, and gathered the few things they had into a little makeshift sack.  "It's best we be on our way though."

It was a while before Elmira spoke again, and they had covered some distance through the forest.  "I... I'm not sure."

Drew stumbled for a moment when she said this.  He could tell she wasn't lying, but... "What do you mean you're not sure?  It must have been the Song, right?  You're an expert with it."  When she didn't answer, he asked, "Who taught you?"

She finally answered, "No one."

Drew couldn't speak from surprise.  At last he said, "What do you mean?  There hasn't been a self-taught since..."

Elmira said, "Well you're not from here, are you!"  He was surprised at her outburst, but... He didn't say anything.

The path they had been following seemed to slowly twist and bend.  He wasn't sure anymore which direction they were headed.  Still, they kept walking.  "Still... You might know something about where I'm from."

Drew told her.  He told her everything.  They walked aimlessly through the woods, and he told her about Miranda.  How he'd found her alone in the woods.  He told her about the war.  About their last chance to end it.  Then he got to the bridge.  He recalled finding Miranda in that dark path.  He told Elmira all of these things.

She simply listened, making no comment.  For hours, he spoke.  He didn't remember stopping at all.

"So there I was.  These sickening creatures surrounding me.  How I had made it that far, I'm not quite certain.  I had made a small ward, but the darkness on that bridge was so dense.  I couldn't hear much of the Song.  And I'm not very powerful as it is."

Elmira spoke for the first time.  "How'd you escape?  There's no where to go."  She shivered slightly, but Drew didn't notice.

He answered, "I jumped.  It seemed like a good idea at the time."

She gasped, "You jumped?  And survived?"  All drew could do was stare.  She knew something.  What was it?