I gasp awake, sitting up in bed, massaging my right cheek that was stuck to 'The races and cultures of Gladeron' which I had drifted off reading last night, or maybe early this morning. Sleeping off with my face stuck to a book isn't new, but my environment sure is. The smaller bed and the white coloured walls let me know I'm not home. It took me a moment to remember where I was, wondering what had woken me so suddenly.

The pounding on the door came again and I muttered, "right. Probably that."

"Hold on," I said, as the knock came again, more insistent. "What on Yar is going-" I started, then froze when I saw who was at the door. " oh, what do you want?" I asked with a little more hostility than I meant, seeing Zenon at the door.

He regarded me impassively for a short moment. "Meet me outside. You have five minutes."

"What?" I asked, brain still foggy with sleep. "I'm not sure I heard right."

"Five minutes," he repeated, face still blank. "Anything over, and you will not like what I will do." He walked away before I could ask anymore questions and I sneered at his retreating back. How is he always so devoid of emotions? It made me want to poke and prod at him until I got some kind of reaction out of him. I hurried inside to freshen up and get ready, hating to find out what Mr blankface will make me do if I'm late.

I picked one of the more stretchy and comfortable outfits from the pile Rossi had brought me last night. Strange girl. She still didn't say anything to me. Just pushed the clothes into my arms and left. I don't know whether to try to make friends or watch my back with that one.

I hurried to the front entrance where Zenon stood waiting. He glanced at his time piece as soon as he saw me, then dropped it back in his pocket without a word and began walking. I paused for a moment, assumed I was supposed to follow him and did.

I looked again at the open fields out front, they must have enormous confidence in whatever protections they put in place because this amount of open space made me feel naked for some reason. We bypassed the outbuilding I had been wondering about the previous day, right to the back of the house. Here atleast, the clearing of the yard was bordered by an encroaching forest of trees. The forest pulled at something inside me, reminding me of home. Fixated on the trees, it took me a while to notice all the contraptions in the yard that I shouldn't even have missed.

I looked around in confusion, trying to decide what all the contraptions are for.

Zenon stood off to one side, arms crossed watching me observe my surroundings. I looked to the outbuilding again and frowned. "What's in there?" He didn't seem like he was going to answer and I shrugged. "I could just go find out."

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," he said, reluctance heavy in his tone.

"And that makes me want to know even more," I said with a small smile.

His scowl darkened. "Is all this a joke to you?"

I scoffed. "Incase it isn't obvious to you yet, I have no idea what all this is. No one will tell me anything." I said, my voice climbing with each word. I hate being kept in the dark, and this house, though I've barely been here a day, I can tell they're full of secrets.

He regarded me for a few moments. If my outburst surprised him, he didn't show it. "Run from where you are to that post down there close to the tree lines," he said. I guess we're pretending it never happened then.

I looked at the distance I was supposed to run and scoffed. "Yeah, that's not going to happen."

He turned sharply to me, eyes narrowed. "What did you say?

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I swallowed on dry throat, suddenly remembering I'm out here with a man I barely know, who may or may not want to hurt me, and my poor heart began pounding. "I don't run," I said, trying to instill as much strength as I can in the phrase. Maybe if I say it with enough conviction, he'll think it's true. For a moment, I consider telling him about my heart condition, but nothing about this man invites confidence. He looks more like, simply the thought of weakness offends him. So I remained quiet and tried to hold his gaze.

He arched his scarred brow and with an ugly twist to his mouth said, "are you a fighter then?" Sizing my scrawny body from head to toe, his face showing how much he found me lacking.

Shame burned in my chest immediately followed by a spark of anger. I know what I look like. The most intense exercise I ever do is walking in the woods around my house and trying to identify as much of the plants and their uses as I can. But that's not by choice. I'm not lazy, but forced to remain inactive for my health. Living vicariously through the heroes and heroines in the books father would bring home for me about a fantasy world called earth. I hated the maids' pity, and I hate the contempt on this stranger's face even more. "Pathetic," he said, and something inside me broke.

I didn't realize I was moving until my heart began pounding in earnest. I hadn't even reached the halfway mark of the post I was supposed to run to. "I'll show him pathetic," I murmured panting, but my heart already feels like it'll jump out of my chest. Tears of frustration burned in my eyes and blurred my vision. I would have loved to prove the idiot wrong, but look at me, barely halfway there and I'm already weak. I really am pathetic, I thought, just before everything turned dark.

****

My eyes slowly drifted open and a pounding ache on my brows immediately slid them shut. I grunted from the pain trying to massage it away. I really hate when the migraines come. Why did I do this to myself? Over some idiot I barely know and shouldn't care what he thinks. "How are you feeling?" A deep voice rumbled. I turned towards the voice, opening one eye as little as possible to see Baltha sitting on a stool in a corner of the room I had slept in.

"Did you draw the short straw?" I asked. He looked at me confused. Right, I need to watch my earth lingo. It was always a game to see how much I could use and watching the confusion on the maids' faces. Especially after I had heard them gossiping about me when they won't even talk to me. "I guess no one else wanted to be here? Can't say I blame them."

"I wanted to be here," he said in a tone that made me realize I was right again. Ouch. Ofcourse they don't care about me, whatever they need me for apparently doesn't mean they get to care. The only person who does, has been missing for weeks. What am I even doing here? "You didn't answer me," he said moving closer to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

I shrugged. "Like my head might fall off if I move too fast."

He frowned. "I'll call Rossi to check you again, but why did you faint?"

I pulled the blanket someone thoughtfully threw over my legs tighter around me, trying to make my face as blank as possible. "Why do you think I fainted?"

His frown deepened. "We don't exactly know. Rossi could only tell you were more or less fine, and Rowund isn't home yet." I didn't know I had gotten used to seeing his perpetual smile until now.

I sighed. "I'm sick, that's why I fainted."

"That can't be right," he said under his breath and I glared at him.

"What can't be right? The fact that I've been sick all my life? You're right, there's nothing right about it, because I can tell you now, it sucks."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. It's just that...let's just wait for Rowund to get home." He looked perplexed for a moment then asked again, "you've been sick all your life?"

"Yeah," I said with a sigh. "Father said, pretty much since birth, and I don't know how long I have till my heart simply gives up. Can you believe that?" I asked looking up at him under my lashes. He had that look on his face. I hate that look. "Don't pity me Baltha, I've made peace with it."

He gave me a soft smile and gently squeezed my arm. "I'm sorry. It's not exactly that I pity you. In my culture, it's ingrained to protect the weak."

I frowned. "Where are you from?"

He smiled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm Zambinian."

"Right, shifters. Ofcourse you think I'm weak," I said under my breath.

"Compared to me, you are," he said with a toothy grin, shrugging loosely and I rolled my eyes making him laugh.

"What kind are you?"

His eyes twinkled. "Guess? We give the best hug."

I eyed his mass. "Bear?"

His laughter was the loudest I had heard yet. "And right the first time. Have you met any of my kin?"

I gave him a sheepish smile. "Well, I fell asleep reading up on the races and cultures of Galderon. I didn't really care to know before now because I wasn't exactly meeting anyone."

He nodded. "You've a good eye."

I gave him a tight smile. "I've never really needed protecting, but I've always wanted a friend," I said, peeking at his face.

He smiled. "Well then, I'm happy to officially become your first friend. He opened his mouth like he was going to say more, when a commotion outside the door stopped us both short. Looks like time out was over. Time to face the others.