Elaria and Wes

This took me way too long! But now, I shall post the beginning. Man, this is going to be great. I was just re-reading my old posts on the old version of this, and my writing was just...ugh.

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-Wes's POV-

It was a hot Summer's night, close to Midnight. I was sleeping silently in my bed, dreaming. I was suddenly woken by a noise just outside my window. Something in the bushes. It was obviously loud, otherwise I wouldn't of been woken up by it. I figured it to just be some animals fighting or something, and lied my head back down on my soft pillow.

A few moments later, I again heard the sound of bushes, this time, though, followed by someone cursing quietly. This made me get up, obviously worried about who could be outside my window in the middle of the night.

I left my room quietly, not wanting to wake my parents. The voice could've just been my imagination. Then I remembered that they had gone to visit my aunt and uncle. I had faked a cold, not wanting to go through a week of having to share a room with my bratty cousins, and sitting through yet another dinner of my aunt commenting on "how big you've gotten!" and questioning of whether or not I'd "found yourself a girl yet".

I crept down the stairs, and through the kitchen, grabbing a broom from a hall closet. Not sure what I thought I was going to do with it. Anyway, I slowly opened the back door, sticking my head out, and looking to both sides. I walked towards the bushes near my window, and was maybe a few feet away when, suddenly, a girl came walking out of them.

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Okay...your turn, El. ^^

Hey! I'm excited - this will be fifty billion times better than our last one. My writing was terrible. xD

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-Elaria's POV-

I cursed under my breath again, mentally kicking myself.

Somebody lived here, and I was stupid enough to make a racket and let my guard down. I haphazardly de-snagged a loose twig from my straight, mid-back length dark hair. I could tell that I wasn't exactly a sight for sore eyes, my hair disheveled and my clothes dirty and tattered.

Wherever I was, and I'm sorry to say at that point I had no idea, I needed to bathe desperately. But I had other problems on my hands than looking like a worse-for-wear exiled gypsy. For one, a strange-looking person, probably the same age as me, was staring at me like I had just come from Terra (OOC: Terra is like, an alternate universe to Elaria's Ashe). And I can tell you, I definitely did not come from Terra. I came right from Ashe, under the Empire, from a wayward gypsy tribe.

Going into damage-reduction mode, or at least trying, I managed to stammer, "I-I'm... sorry... sir..."

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a shy person, but when you've been separated from your family and lost in some foreign... place, you would be nervous, too. I smoothed down the bottom of my red-and-cream tunic, and continued to stare down at my brown leather boots over cream breaches. Saying nothing else, I waited for the boy to say something.

-Wes's POV-

"Wh-what are you doing here?" I questioned, staring at this girl now before me. She looked as though she belonged at the Renaissance Faire or something. She wasn't exactly dressed in everyday wear.

I waited for her answer, examining her. She seemed a bit nervous. She didn't seem like she was going to try to kill me or anything right that moment, so I lowered the broom I'd grabbed, still gripping on to it. I'll admit, though, I felt very foolish standing there in nothing but a t-shirt and boxers, gripping on to a broom as if it was a sword--or, even, anything else besides a broom.

I blinked, scuffing my boots into the ground. At that moment, I wished the ground would swallow me up and drop me back into Ashe, into my tent, back with the gypsies, and into bed.

"I... er... don't know?" I stammered, overwhelmed by the whole situation. At least the person standing in front of me didn't look like he was going to attack me now, but I doubted he would be any match for my magic and sword anyway. Well, the sword wouldn't be any used since it was sealed away in one of my scrolls in my pack... which I conveniently left in the bushes. Shoot.

Taking into account the quizzical look I was being given, I continued. "Where am I? Who are you?"

"Name's Wes. You're in California, more specifically, in my back yard. Who're you?" I questioned, my tone almost demanding. As I said before, she seemed semi-harmless, but I wasn't about to be all nice to her. She was acting a bit odd.

(Sorry it's a little short.)

"California...? Wes...?" I repeated thoughtfully. Odd name, and California? Where in Terra was that? Not anywhere I'd heard of before. I smoothed back my hair and sighed, running along with the pleasantries. "Elaria. Not so pleased to make your acquaintance under the circumstances, but..."

Another thought, more foreboding crossed my mind as I said that. How would I get back to Ashe? And would I ever get back to Ashe? That thought sent a pang of... I don't know; sadness? Feeling the immediate need to bolt, my muscles tensed and I got ready to run to my back, and at least be armed with my sword. I was weak, without much energy, so my magic would be almost useless.

"You say you don't know how you got here?" I asked. I noticed she was getting ready to run. Not sure where to, though. She obviously wasn't familiar with the surroundings, judging by what she'd said and the look on her face when I'd told her where she was. I was growing more wary by the second. Confused and disoriented people...they scare me, sometimes. Especially in this city.

I shook my head, sighing. In one smooth motion, I disappeared into the bushes, and sighed again, this time in relief. My pack was in the same spot that I had dropped it in, and the scroll which contained my sword was still safe in it. Almost absent-mindedly, I pulled open the scroll, pulled out my inkpot and brush and wrote one of the runes of the gypsies onto it. Soon enough, my long sword materialised on top of the scroll.

At that moment, I mentally slapped myself. What if the boy had seen me and the scroll, and... oh no. I could be executed if he knew who to take me to. I wiped a hand across my face, left wondering what I was going to do.

Suddenly, she took off in to the bushes.

"Hey!" I shouted angrily.

I ran in after her, only to run smack dab in to her right away. Her and a sword. I mentally let out a long string of curses.

She's going to kill you, idiot! One part of my mind shouted. And all you have to defend yourself with is a stupid broom!

Run! Another part of me shouted. Then yet another spoke up.

You can take her! She's just some girl.

Shut up! ALL of you! I yelled, regaining the sanity I had momentarily lost.

Part of me really did want to run. Contrary to what that one part of my mind had said, I obviously had no chance of taking her on. But, the more dominant side of me was crazy, and made me stay glued to my spot. I think the dominant side was suicidal.

I realized how stupid I was being. Of course he couldn't have seen me, he was crashing through the bushes right now! Keeping my cool, I spun around into a fighting stance, sword in my left hand, my right fist clenched, ready to attempt magic even on my low strength, need be. "What do you want from me?" I said in a low tone, my eyes narrowed. I inwardly smiled. I'd regained my wits. This was me, not some stuttering idiot.

"Nothing," I answered calmy, the complete opposite of how I was feeling. She was ready to fight, and I wasn't sure I even needed to provoke her.

"Honestly," I added, gulping. I was in trouble.

I raised a tentative eyebrow. Lowering my sword, but not lowering my guard, I spoke. "Well then... you can tell me how I can get back to Ashe!" I was definitely losing my cool by that time. He seemed to know a lot about this... California... why wouldn't he know how to get me back to Ashe? I thought that was rational.

Now I was confused. What in the world was "Ashe"?!

"Um...I've never heard of Ashe," I answered cooly. I tried to sound as helpful as I could possibly be. The girl had a sword in her hand. I obviously wasn't going to be as rude or as demanding as I had been a moment ago.

"I could try to help you find it, though," I said after a moment of silence.

I nodded. "Sounds like a deal," I said quickly, sheathing my sword. "Now you can tell me where I should stay..." I continued, examining the area. Just Wes's house, and a lot of bushes and trees. Not very satisfactory living, I'd say.

"You could sleep on our couch," I suggested, already contemplating how I'd explain this to my parents. I was hoping I wouldn't even have to, and that this whole ordeal I'd just been thrust in to would be done with long before they even called to say they were getting on the plane home.

I motioned for her to follow me in to the house, my eyes on the sheath she'd just inserted her sword in to. This made me feel a bit better, but not by much. She still had it, and it was still easily accesible.