Tsugi glanced around. She had lost track of time again. It was dark and she was standing in a small clearing on the mountain with a few trees in the area. In her arms, she was holding a pile of sticks.

“Here.” Lugo piled more sticks into her arms.

“Am I hallucinating?” Tsugi mumbled to no one in particular, turning this way and that to take a gander around her, looking for the faintest trickle of something out of place. There must be something amiss.

“What do you mean?”

“How long has it been since we left Listoria?”

“What?” Lugo looked at her, puzzled.

“I-I mean, I’m just curious to know how long till we get to the boat.”

“We just left this morning.” He chuckled. “We still have five days till we get to the bottom of the mountain and then another five days till we get to the docks.” He placed some more sticks into her arms. “Why?”

“Uh…nothing. I was just curious.” She returned to the camp and threw a few sticks into the fire.

Was she sleepwalking again? How did she lose track of time? Did spirits really follow her from the dark forest and possess her? If she showed any signs of anything being wrong with her, Lugo would send her back in the blink of an eye. And so she swept the thought under the rug and continued to feed the fire.

“I’ll take your shift tonight.” Lugo sat next to her by the fire. “Get some rest. You look like you could use some.”

“No. I’m fine.” She smiled wryly. “Besides, you won’t be able to communicate with Ellie.”

“We can write.”

“That’ll take way too much time.” Tsugi chuckled. “I’ll be fine. Just get some sleep. It’s your shift tomorrow night.”

“Fine.” Lugo pouted. “But if anything happens, and I mean anything weird – like anything at all – you wake me up immediately.” He glared at her. “Okay?”

“Okay. Jeez.” Tsugi rolled her eyes. “What has gotten into you? You’re just obsessively hovering.” She mumbled.

“That’s because you are always getting into trouble.” He sneered and walked to his tent.

{What’s his problem?} Ellie tossed a potato at Tsugi.

{I wish I knew.} She sighed and took a bite out of the steaming potato. {Has anything weird happened that I should know about?}

{Huh? What do you mean?}

{I don’t know, I mean…have I been acting weird or…different?}

Ellie chuckled. {You’re always acting weird and different.}

{No, I mean, since we started this journey.}

Ellie took a bite out of her potato and scratched her temple. {I don’t know. Well, you were flirting with Princess Aylin, today.} She chuckled. {Made me a little jealous.} She jest, laughing and moving away so Tsugi couldn’t push her over.

{Seriously?} Tsugi frowned.

{Yeah! You were all up in her space and asking her what her name was and everything. As if you’ve never met her or any of us before. It was pretty entertaining actually. It was a good act you put on. It made time go by fast.} Ellie laughed.

Tsugi chuckled nervously. {Yeah, I should become an entertainer instead, huh?}

Was she really possessed? Did a soul manage to follow her out from the dark forest?

Tsugi sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

{You okay?} Ellie signed after waving to get Tsugi’s attention.

{Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been a long day.}

{I bet.} She smirked. {You and your crazy acting skills. Although, I’m not sure if Princess Aylin knew you were acting by the way.}

Tsugi was at a loss of words and didn’t know how she should respond. She only smiled sheepishly, giving her a slight nod of her head.

{What are you going to do after the mission?} Ellie stood across the fire, twirling her staff in her hands.

Tsugi shrugged. {Return home? Why? What are you going to do?}

{We’re going all that way to the Royal Kingdom to a masquerade ball.} Ellie gave her the ‘what do you think I’m going to do, stupid?’ look.

{Of course.} Tsugi rolled her eyes. {You’re obviously going to dance your butt off.} She chuckled.

{Obviously!} She rolled her eyes right back at Tsugi. {And you are joining me.}

Tsugi chuckled nervously. {No. You can go dance and have fun on your own. I’ll be at home.}

{No you are not! I need you to go with me.} She pleaded.

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{No. I don’t even have anything to wear.}

Ellie looked around like people could understand her. {I’ve already got a dress for you.}

Tsugi snorted and laughed loudly, before quickly covering her mouth, not wanting to alert anyone or wake the others. {You’re funny. I am NOT wearing your dress. Besides, how in the world am I going to fit in one of your tiny dresses? Look at me? I am not petite like you.}

{Not one of mine. I got a dress specifically for you.}

{No, I’m not wearing it!}

{Yes you will!} Ellie held her staff behind her back and stomped her feet like a petulant teen not getting their way.

{People will find out I’m a woman! No!}

{So what if they do? What’s so wrong about being a woman? I’m a woman and I’m fine!}

Tsugi frowned, her gaze dropping to the flickering flames. {You won’t understand.}

Ellie let out a huff of air. {I bet they won’t even recognize you! On top of that you’ll be wearing a MASK! They can’t see your FACE!} She signed rigorously.

{No!} Tsugi pouted. {Besides, I don’t even know how to dance!}

{Oh, stop coming up with excuses. For once in your life, just join me! Besides, did you forget I was your dancing partner when Master Lumes made us take dancing lessons?} She knocked on her own head, calling Tsugi ‘stupid’. {You were a very good dancer, if I remember correctly.}

“Damn it.” Tsugi muttered under her breath, slumping her shoulders. {I was taking on the role of a boy, remember?}

{So? You’ve watched me and danced with me enough times to know how to dance the part of the woman.} She scowled. {Stop coming up with excuses! You’re going with me!}

{No! I don’t want to!} She whined. {You can go dance by yourself.}

Ellie pouted. {You’re really going to go home and leave me all alone in a strange place? Full of strangers? With no one that can understand me and communicate with me?} She stuck out her bottom lip and tucked her hands behind her back, swaying back and forth gently, acting coy.

“Ugh.” Tsugi sighed, muddling her face with her hands before running them through her hair, vexed at Elli. “Damn it!” She scowled and glared murderously at Ellie. {Fine.}

Ellie squealed with excitement, leaping up and down clapping her hands. She twirled her staff through the air with grace and elegance before catching it and jumping over to embrace Tsugi in a tight hug.

Tsugi chuckled and rolled her eyes to the heavens at the amount of joy Ellie expressed. Tsugi was secretly hoping Ellie would forget by then, but knowing her – she was better off hoping for the sky to fall.

Ellie retracted her staff into a tiny stick and tucked it away on her belt. She bowed and leaned over like a polite gentleman. {May I have this dance, my lady?} If she could talk Tsugi was sure she would’ve faked a deep voice for her acting. When Tsugi didn’t respond, Ellie stood straight up. {Come on! No one else is awake! Let’s practice!} Ellie fixed her composure and once again, bowed like a gentleman. {May I have this dance, my lady?} She signed and held her hand out to Tsugi again.

Tsugi rolled her eyes and took Ellie’s hand.

{No!} Ellie scolded. {You’re the woman, remember? Your hand goes on the shoulder, not the lower back.} She moved Tsugi’s hand up to her shoulder.

Tsugi stomped. {Do I have to dance? Can’t I just go with you and not dance?}

{There will be all kinds of men asking you to dance. You can’t deny them all night, it’ll look suspicious. Besides, if you don’t practice they will find it suspicious why you are taking on the role of a man.} Ellie raised her brows, but Tsugi just grumbled grouchily. {Besides, what if Lugo is there and he asks you to dance?}

As if on cue, Tsugi’s face turned bright red. Ellie bit her lips to stifle her smile, and fixed her posture, ergo forcing Tsugi to fix hers in response before they began to move and glide across the ground in an elegant dance.

{See?} Ellie bowed after they finished their dance. {I told you you’ll be fine. You just have to work on not leading.} She chuckled.

{Sorry, are your feet okay?} Tsugi smiled apologetically.

Ellie waved her hand dismissively through the air. {Eh, what do I need feet for?} She smiled. {I’m fine. I’ve dealt with you stepping on my feet for a long time when we first started dancing too.}

Ellie pulled out her staff and threw it across the camp like a javelin, impaling a belgrog straight through its head and pinning it to the ground. The other belgrog’s screeched and scurried away.

Tsugi and Ellie ran over to check the surrounding area, making sure it was clear. Ellie pulled her staff out of the creature and swung it through the air, throwing the blood and brains off of the stick and splattering them onto the cold ground.

{Trying to steal food.} Tsugi crouched down and picked up their bag of potatoes that fell onto the floor. They picked up the scattered potatoes and returned them to the bag before securing it back onto the wagon.

“What happened?” Lugo’s hair was disheveled and he still looked like he was still half asleep.

Tsugi chuckled at the sight of him, thinking he looked ridiculously adorable, but she would never say it out loud. “You’re a little too late. We’ve taken care of the matter already.” She waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Go back to sleep.”

“Are you hurt? Is everything okay? You’re not injured are you?” He panicked, rushing over to her and grabbed her arm, turning her so he could look her over.

She pulled her arm out of his grasp, “I’m fine.” She hissed. All the while, Ellie just had the expression of, ‘this is none of my business’ look on her face as she slowly snuck away like a mischievous child.

“Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

“Go hover over someone else! God, you can be so exasperating!” Tsugi breathed and picked up the belgrog, dragging it to the cliff.

“Let me!” Lugo ran over and grabbed the belgrog’s leg.

Tsugi clenched her teeth and let go of the creature, stomping back to the campsite.

He’s been nothing but overly protective since the dark forest and it was irking Tsugi to the very last of her nerves.

{Where’d you go?} Tsugi asked Ellie, who was now throwing more wood into the fire.

{What? You two were having a moment, I didn’t want to get in the middle of it.} She shrugged.

{Well, thanks a lot for your help!} Tsugi smiled wryly and clearly irritated.

{Don’t take out your frustration on me!} Ellie placed her hands on her hips. {I’m not your punching bag!}

Tsugi sighed and calmed down a little. {I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.}

Ellie let out a huff of air and continued to tend to the fire.

“Done.” Lugo returned.

“Good. Now go back to sleep.” Tsugi muttered.

“Well, since I’m awake, I can take over for one of you.”

“No! You already have watch tomorrow night! Go – to – sleep!” Tsugi hissed through her gritted teeth.

“Why are you so mad at me?”

“I don’t know!” Tsugi stood to her feet and glared at Lugo. “Ath’ka nye!”

Lugo flushed. His mouth opened like he was going to say something, but he closed it, pinning his lips into a thin line. After much hesitation, he retired to his tent, slumping his shoulders in disappointment.

Tsugi sat back down on the log and poked angrily at the fire.

{Jeez, don’t take it out on the fire too.} Ellie signed with wide concerned eyes. Tsugi glowered at her. {Never mind.} She held up her hands in defense. {What did you say to him?}

{What?}

{I don’t know. I couldn’t see your face, but you said something to him that made him blush. Did you tell him you love him?} She smirked.

{NO!} Tsugi flushed. {I don’t know what language it’s in, but Lugo said it meant ‘get away from me’.}

{If you don’t know the language, then how’d you hear the word?}

{Lugo said it to me when he was drunk.}

{I do a lot of reading, I might know what language it is. What’s the word?}

{Ath’ka nye.}

Ellie scrunched her face and tapped her forehead with her finger. {Sounds familiar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. It sounds like it could be elvish – or dwarven – or something else entirely.}

Tsugi rolled her eyes. {You could just say you have no idea.}

{Okay fine…I have no idea. It really does sound familiar though. I swear I’ve read that somewhere.} She signed, scratching her head.