Sheep WHEN I woke up, the sky showing through the bathroom window was a pale blue, not too early and not too late. I had slept wonderfully. With a yawn and a stretch, I smiled at Tanis on the pillow beside me and began stroking his back with my finger. He yawned too, then got up and swirled around in circles, as if to find a more comfortable position, before plopping back down and throwing his tail over his tail over his face.

I scoffed. "You can't go back to bed, sleepy-head." I nudged him with my finger, but he looked dead asleep. Sometimes it seemed he might be nocturnal. . . .

With another stretch I got up off the couch and shuffled to the bathroom. After rinsing my face and wiping it off with a towel, I looked up into the mirror.

It was now, for absolutely no reason at all, that I remembered the cause of my late night last night. I almost yelped at the reflection, jumping back a good foot.

Seconds passed. I put a hand to my chest and took a deep breath. You were just a little flustered by all that happened yesterday, Evelyn . . . there's nothing to it all.

Feeling somewhat more in control, I turned on the shower and hopped in. By the time I was out, all silly thoughts were gone and I was determinedly ready to sensibly face the day. I changed into a loose white shirt and tanned-brown, leather pants.

I was so excited to start the day that on the way out I almost missed a note setting on the center table. The writing was messy: *

Evelyn, could you please go to the shop in the woods again for me this afternoon?

I need some things picked up. He'll be expecting you.

Thanks in advance! -Sophie *

I folded the note up carefully, recalling in my mind my last trip to the shop. It seemed like such a long time ago . . .

That man, Adzama . . . ruha, was it? I smiled shortly, he was so odd.

I put the paper in my pocket and left the room. The prospect of going back to see Adzamaruha didn't bother me at all. In fact I almost looked forward to it, especially now that I was more open-minded to the whole magic thing . . . weren't there purple sheep?

On my way to breakfast, I ran into Trevor. He was quite excited about getting a high score on an exam he had taken for his etymology class. Supposedly, now, he'd be able to move on to the next level of studies which would involve much more "exploitable definitions" as he put it. We discussed this till reaching our table, then started to eat as the rest of the usual breakfast group joined us one by one.

Trevor, Jacob, Vincent, Nathan, and Derrith were all discussing their favorite class subjects when a coffee cup was set in front of me. I looked up to see that it was Ikovos, he sat down across from me. His face was bright, but unless I was mistaken there was a look of questioning there.

He joined in with the table's conversation about hand-knives versus axes quite casually, until Nathan started to tell a story about his encounter with a rat the other day. Then he looked over at me intently.

"I heard you had quite the day yesterday." His voice was quiet. I guess I wasn't mistaken about the inquiring look. His smile belied concern.

I didn't have a response. Thankfully, he spoke again before I could anyways.

"You okay?"

My mouth tilted. "Everyone keeps asking me that."

"It's because we know you won't tell us if you aren't unless we do." He smiled. I could hear some of the other boys responding to Nathan's story. "Now that I think about it, you probably wouldn't tell us after we ask either."

The corners of my mouth lifted and I looked down. He was right as usual. After a few bites of food I grinned back up at him.

"See what happens when you leave me for a day?"

He smirked, eyes grazing over Nathan who was continuing his story. "I think Jaden did enough for the both of us."

I had to push down a sudden rushing feeling in my stomach, forcing an unaffected look. "Did you talk to him about it?"

"Yeah. I had to fix up the, ah . . . wound."

. . . The scratch from Sylvanus. It was pretty bad yesterday.

I leaned up eagerly. "So, he's okay then?"

Ikovos gave me a sideways look, like he was appraising me. It was unusual for him. I think I shrunk a little. Suddenly a grin replaced it. "Perfect bill of health, and I'm a bit of an expert on the subject."

I smiled, glad to see I was just imagining things with Ikovos. The grin grew even wider as I remembered something. "We started training last night," I stated happily. "Well, we were going to at least, Cornelius came." Ikovos looked like he was happy for me. "I wonder if he'll want to train today at all. . . ."

Ikovos tossed his head. "We could go ask him. Considering he can't really go anywhere, he's probably in his room."

I thought about the prospect with indeterminable apprehension. Then a thought came to mind.

"Actually, I have to go somewhere after breakfast." I couldn't tell if I was glad for the excuse, or deeply bothered by it.

Ikovos looked curious. "Oh?"

I nodded, clearing my head. "Yeah, the shop out in the woods, Adzamaruha's . . . ?"

His eyes widened instantly. "Oh, God. Not that guy."

I cocked. "Yeah . . . Sophie asked me to. She needs some things picked up."

"He is . . . just absolutely insane." Ikovos ran his hands through his hair as he said it. He seemed unnaturally annoyed at the thought of the old man.

"I really don't mind. He seemed nice enough."

Ikovos looked surprised. "Wait, you've met him?"

"Ah . . . yeah. I went for Sophie like . . . the first day I was here. That's where I found Tanis."

"By yourself?" he questioned.

I nodded, smiling slightly."Uh-huh, why not?"

He cocked his head skeptically."Well, it hardly seems safe."

I laughed. "You think everything is too dangerous for me."

He raised an eyebrow. "The guy's a loony."

I stacked my plate and cup in front of me. "Well, I have to go today, Sophie said he'll be expecting me . . ." I looked up at him, feeling braver than usual ". . . You could come with me?"

He took his last gulp of coffee and set it down on top of my stack."Wouldn't have let you go any other way."

I grinned.

After saying goodbye to the others at the table, we made our way outside. As we were leaving the cafeteria, I glanced around somewhat subconsciously to see if 'someone' had shown up for breakfast.

He hadn't. I think I was relieved.

"Ikovos, did you do exams and training like Trevor and the other boys do?" I asked just as we got outside.

We took a few steps before he replied. "Well, I-" He stopped when a twig hit the side of his head.

"Ow," he complained curtly, rubbing it.

We both looked up in the direction it had come from. There was someone on the roof: dark and thin . . . the sun was too bright for me to make out who it was.

"What are you doing up there?" shouted Ikovos.

Apparently he could tell.

"Just a minute," the voice shouted back.

I looked at Ikovos who was shaking his head, then back up.

Just as I did the figure jumped out past the roof. I didn't even have chance to gasp, I was too bewildered. The building was four stories.

He landed softly beside us, crouching on his hands and feet. I knew right away that it was Jaden. The hair was all perfecty.

"Now what did you say?" he asked Ikovos, standing up coolly.

His appearance was somewhat surprising, I guess because the last time I'd seen him he was all dressed in black with dirt smudges on his skin in a rather dark room. Now we were outside, his hair was still wet from a shower, freshly changed, clean shaven . . . that is if he did shave. I didn't really have a clue as to what age it was that boys had to start dealing with that, or how often they did shave once they had to . . .

I shook my befuddled head as Ikovos ignored his question.

"You could have warned me you were gonna do that."

Jaden shrugged. "I knew you wouldn't let me die."

Ikovos tossed his head up. "Already getting cabin fever?"

Jaden shook his in response. "Just needed some fresh air. What about you two?" He looked at me then, and though it had seemed to take forever, I was completely unprepared. I dropped my eyes.

"We're going to pick up supplies from Adzamaruha's shop."

"Oh. . . . I hate that guy," stated Jaden flatly. I risked a glance up again. He was looking at Ikovos. "How did you get stuck with that job?"

The light-haired boy nodded to me. "Actually, Sophie asked Evelyn to go. I'm just a tag-along."

He considered it. "Hmm . . . that's a little cruel." He looked at me again. This time I didn't freak out as quickly.

Ikovos shrugged. "She doesn't really mind him."

Jaden raised his eyebrows, displaying the familiar "she's-crazy" face, then walked out towards the woods. "Well, best to get it over with."

Ikovos eyed him. "You're coming with?"

Oh, great . . . , I groaned internally.

"Might as well, it's better than being stuck here," he looked back flatly, "what's your excuse?" Without waiting for the answer he turned ahead and continued walking.

I looked back a little surprised. Ikovos's brow was furrowed.

Whatever that was, I'd missed it . . . as usual.

Okay, Evelyn, just concentrate on your quest. Get to Adzamaruha's shop. Get the supplies.

Ikovos walked past me, following Jaden. I gulped at the two boys ahead.

They made it more than a little difficult to concentrate on anything.

"So you really think that we should break the treaty and retake the southern gate by force?" asked Ikovos incredulously.

"I'm not talking about breaking the treaty, I just think we need to clear through the deeper parts of the forest." That was Jaden. He was talking about Sharadeen, I think.

Since we left the lodge they hadn't stopped . . . discussing different issues involving the order, mostly political. I followed along quietly, slightly behind and between them.

Ikovos shook his head not-understanding. "We've known for years that Meoden have camps there."

"Yeah, and we should have done something about it then," said Jaden.

They both sounded so intense.

I guess I hadn't been around them long enough to really grasp their whole relationship, but there seemed to be something up with them today.

"Why?" started Ikovos. "What's the point? We've already given them the portal, there's no reason to waste men driving them out of the forest."

Jaden shook his head. "It's not their dimension."

Ikovos shrugged." They're not doing any harm though. The groups in there aren't organized, they're stragglers."

Jaden was silent for a moment. It looked like Ikovos might have won the argument, but then he spoke. "Do you know how close it is to the towns?"

My pulse quickened. This statement hit home. I wondered if Jaden . . . no.

Ikovos skewed his eyes skeptically. "People there are superstitious about Sharadeen, they wouldn't go near it . . . And no Meoden is gonna risk going into a town that close to us."

Jaden looked back at me in a dry, less-than-obvious, manner.

My eyes widened and I turned my head down to watch my feet.

Ikovos looked back at me now, too. "Sorry, Evelyn, we're totally leaving you out of the conversation."