Chapter 29

 "This is quite alright."

~*~

Midshore, Alex, and Aquila were gone for hours up at the cabin, well into the evening. Gloria enjoyed being able to spend time with Ashton, Arhun, and Maria while they identified plants with Miranda and Timothy. Gloria was never much of a survivalist when it came to plants, and she usually acquired her plants either from a nursery or from seed packets bought at the hardware store. Her parents and godfather were far more likely to know which plants were safe to eat and the benefits the parts would have. They'd lived off the land for a few months when she got herself into that mess with Blake and Seneca's father. She should probably take this information to heart if she was going to live up to their example and be able to live off the land in case of an emergency.

"There's a hot spring near here that has clean enough water to swim in, I think we're headed there this evening if you want to come along," Ashton said, his voice soft and hushed. "Arhun and Maria don't know about the spot, but Alex and I and the rest of the fellowship went two years ago. It's a surprise, so you didn't hear it from me," he tapped the side of his nose like an old-timey gangster telling a secret.

"A hot spring? You mean I don't have to take a cold shower tonight?" Gloria smirked and raised an eyebrow. "But won't Maria be training with Midshore tonight on her talking to spirits and the like? I thought that was the plan,"

Ashton just shrugged. "I don't know anything about that or magic. Next to Midshore herself, you'd be our next expert, so if you don't know I don't know how the rest of us are supposed to,"

"Fair enough," Gloria admitted. "Good thing I brought a bathing suit! It's been forever since I went swimming. It better not be a slimy pool though, I don't do slime..."

"It should be divine," Ashton said, turning his back and walking back to camp. "Let's eat dinner and see how Miranda and Timothy feel about it."

Midshore, Aquila, and Alex saturized into being during dinner, appearing in the middle of camp near the fire. They were all holding hands, with Midshore in the middle and a student on either side. They were holding hands and none of them were being zapped, something that made Gloria feel a stab of disappointment. She wanted to be in the group, to be a part of it all, but she couldn't be. 

"Oh good, I'm starving!" Alex said, holding a hand to his stomach and walking briskly to the table full of food. "She barely let us eat all day, we had a granola bar and a glass of water, but then we were right back at the training! And hey! Gloria! You're not the only one who can shoot sparks anymore! I can light a fire safely now!" He seemed thrilled, and Gloria didn't know how to tell him that's usually the first thing students learn to do. She'd learned to do that at age 11.

"That's great progress!" she said instead. "Being able to channel your power reliably is incredibly important, but also pretty tricky. You're doing great!" she smiled. Alex, having grabbed a plate of food, was trying to find a seat near Gloria, but all of the seats near her were taken, so he had to settle for a seat further away. Gloria looked at Midshore with a cocked eyebrow, her expression asking how it went. Midshore rolled her eyes and sighed, looking exhausted. It must have been a long, tough day then, and she looked very tired.

"How're you kiddos feeling tonight? We have a bit of a surprise for you all if you feel up to it and aren't that tired," Timothy said, trying to look innocent but failing. 

"I feel pretty good," Aquila said. "Tired, but not bad. What's the surprise?" 

"That would spoil it. Alex and Ashton know what it is already, or at least they should, but that's only because we've been to this campsite before." Miranda jumped in.

"Do I?" Alex asked, looking puzzled at Ashton. "Oh right! Yeah, I totally remember that. I think,"

"Aren't I going to spend the night with Midshore and practice talking to spirits? I thought that's why Midshore was here in the first place, not to spend all of her time with you junior spellcasters," Maria asked in an assertive tone.

"Maria, I'm too tired for that, but we can work on it tomorrow afternoon. Training those two and working on their spellcaster marks was all the energy I had for the day," Midshore let her usually perfect posture sink slightly as she accepted she was tired. Maria looked crestfallen. "Maria, you should have fun with your classmates. Stop stressing about the spirits, they'll be there when we have time for them."

Maria poked at her food and rolled her eyes. "I guess so. What're we doing?" she asked Miranda and Timothy.

"We're swimming in the hot springs!" Miranda giggled. "They're usually quite lovely, and I for one have been looking forward to this for a while. All year, in fact."

Maria lit up instantly. "Then I get to use my new bathing suit!" 

"This would be the time to use it," Timothy laughed, standing up from the table. "You can all get ready, we'll be ready to leave in 10 minutes. I'll stay behind to wash the dishes and I'll catch up with you after,"

Ashton winked at Gloria and blushed at Aquila as his gaze passed her. He stood up from the table. "Ladies, I'll see you later," 

Aquila bristled. "I'm so tired of people walking on eggshells around me!" she said quietly so Gloria could hear as Asthon left. "I'm not a damaged flower, I'm fine! I'm angry, beyond angry, but I'm people don't need to be sad for me. Ashton can't even look me in the eye without flushing and turning his head. I'm not a jilted lover, things just didn't work out between Arhun and me and if people keep looking at me like I'm a lesser woman, I'm going to blow someone's head off!"

"Aquila, I don't think that's it," Gloria soothed. 

"What else could it be? How else would people be perceiving me? Why are they being so quiet around me for the past two days?"

Gloria took her hand in hers. "I don't think he's blushing at you because you're less of a woman, but because you're more of one than he'd thought."

~*~

Gloria wrapped her robe around her tighter as she exited the tent. It was mid October and the air was crisp and dry. The sky was clear and for once she could see the stars. Without the city blocking out the light from them, they shone magnificently. Gloria remembered when her mother had told her she didn't like looking up at the open sky because she was sometimes afraid she'd fall into it and lose everything she'd grown in her life. 

Gloria had never had that fear. She'd seen what a world of stars could look like when she'd started sharing dreams with Seneca and it was beautiful. There was nothing like it and there never would be. It was their world alone.

But the wind was still cold and Gloria shivered. Aquila exited the tent after Gloria, similarly wrapped in a robe and with sturdy sandals on her feet. Gloria had brought flip flops, but they didn't help much with the pebbles that the ground was comprised of. 

The rest of the gang was similarly dressed, except for Alex who despite the chill was only wearing his swim trunks and no shirt and no shoes. Gloria hoped that the springs were close or else his body temperature would sink and he'd get a nasty cold. 

Ashton started walking over to Gloria and Aquila, and Alex followed after him, trying to act like the ground wasn't hurting his feet. Ashton arranged himself on the other side of Gloria from Aquila, and that left Alex to stand beside Aquila. 

"I figured we shouldn't let anyone get lost," Ashton said. "I'll keep you folks company on the short walk over there. It's really not far,"

"Good, I don't want Alex's feet to bleed," Aquila said with humor. 

"Aren't we worried that Arhun and Maria will get lost on their way there if neither of you two are with them?" Gloria asked. 

"Nah, they've got Miranda and Timothy to look after them. We just got lucky and got the better group of newbies. They can be on their own anyway, no need for us to come between them," Alex laughed gregariously.

"Nothing wrong with them figuring things out on their own now," Aquila said quietly. "Now that they've jumped into things,"

"Oh, darling, don't feel that way," Gloria cooed, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. Aquila squeezed back. "You don't need to think about them. Wish them the best luck the universe can give them and let it go." 

They continued walking, and Gloria kept hold of her hand. Ashton accidently bumped shoulders with Gloria as then went, small talking. Alex and Aquila were talking about what they'd learned from Midshore, looking away from Ashton and Gloria. 

Ashton mouthed a sorry and Gloria gave a forgiving smile, patting his arm, then moving her hand down to his wrist and taking his hand. She took a deep breath and passed his hand over to her other hand, and with physical smoothness she hadn't imagined would work, she passed Ashton's hand into Aquila's so that while she was distracted, she was now holding Ashton's hand. 

Gloria moved to Ashton's other side as he beamed at her, hardly believing his luck. Was this ok? Would Aquila freak out? She hadn't consented to this, was this wrong?

"Aquila, what mark did you decide on?" Gloria asked. 

"Oh, I decided on a wrist mark, right here-" she held up her right hand without first turning her head, only to notice the hand she was holding was Ashton's and not Gloria's. Ashton looked beet red with a blush, and Aquila blinked a few times, stopping her pace.

"... ok. This is ok. This is... alright." she said, not letting go of his hand, and she continued walking, a flush coming to her cheeks as well. "This is quite alright."

Things are starting to simmer between Ashton and Aquila, and I'm here for it! She's a strong, independent woman who is noticed by a strong, kind guy. Let's wish them the best, perhaps?

This chapter is short on pictures because my game kept going buggy and I didn't want to break it. I have downloaded the newest MCCC, and I've taken the sims out of Granite Falls from their permanent housing, so now I have to sort out how the plot takes this unexpected turn. Fingers crossed I can pull it off, and please have patience with this unexpected speedbump.

Bloopers!

^ Ashton is a hugger, apparently!

^ You don't usually have a conversation in-line with another conversation... You guys need help.

^ Ashton is such a gentleman, shaking the hand of the guy who hurt Aquila's feelings.

^ I just like this picture. It was an awkward hug, but it's so nice. Give your homies a hug today.

Stay classy!