Phoenix pushed to her feet, brushing off a few blades of grass clinging to the backside of her trousers. She glanced around, searching for Castor again but seeing no one - no light. With a sigh, she started off back to the hidden campsite, her thoughts still with Eric. 

As she tiptoed back into the array of sleeping bodies, a rustling sound caused her pause. Looking up, Phoenix saw Youlden had woken while she'd been away. He now sat frowning up at her. When she noticed him, he gestured to a place beside him, and she joined him.

"Now, I know it's not exactly fair because you can't lie, but when I ask you what I'm going to ask you, I want you to remember I didn't wake up Roman, Finny, or your brother and let them know you were missing. I had a feeling you'd left of your own accord, as there wasn't a sound of scuffle." Youlden cleared his throat. "Where'd you go, Phe?" 

Phoenix fought against the desire to say nothing, knowing Youlden really had helped her by not telling Maverick or Finny that she was missing.

"I went to meet with Castor." 

Youlden blinked, and at first Phoenix wasn't sure he remembered who that was. Then his brows arched. "You spoke to Eric's Guardian?"

"He's a Watcher, not a Guardian. Everyone gets that confused. Eric's a Guardian, like me." Like you, she almost added, still thinking of the marks covered by Youlden's gloves. "Watchers observe their charges, and they try to help guide them, but they aren't supposed to get too involved the way a Guardian can."

"But isn't it getting involved if someone else's Watcher is meeting with you?"

"Maybe, but I asked for Castor's help. I wanted to try to communicate with Eric through dreams. That's how some of them do it - they talk to their charges in dreams. Castor came down so I could go into Eric's dream with him."

"They can come down here?" 

Phoenix stifled a chuckle. "Well, yes. I mean - that's what Finny is. A Watcher in Braskey."

"Oh, right." Youlden glanced over at Finny's sleeping form. "But Finny is really involved, isn't she? And she's not just here for Maverick - she helps all of us."

"I think Finny is a rebel amongst Ancients," Phoenix said with a grin, which faded as she thought more about them. "Although, I don't know why they're called Ancients."

"What do you mean?"

"Castor's young - well, in terms of years. There's no time up there." She pointed to the sky. "When they're with Adonai, they're outside time."

"Makes sense."

Phoenix snorted. "It does?"

"Of course. I wouldn't expect Adonai to be some little old man who lived for thousands of years, would you? I'd think he was...ageless. Neither young nor old. He's the universe itself. That's not exactly a human equivalent."

"True. I guess with the name 'Ancient' I just assumed they were all old, regardless of how they looked." She glanced over at Finny again. "Finny used to look really old."

"Because she was down here so long, right?" Youlden asked. Phoenix nodded. "From what I read, the name 'Ancient' wasn't their name for themselves, but rather humans' names for them. In the histories it said when Tremaine first came down, he knew so much about all that had already happened that those around him believed he must be an ancient being."

"That's how they got their names?"

Youlden nodded. "According to legend, they called themselves Stars before people here renamed them."

"So Castor really isn't that old," Phoenix said, shaking her head. "That's so strange. I wonder how young the rest of them are."

"I suppose it would depend on how long they'd been down here each time, wouldn't it? It adds up, right?"

"I'd think so."

"There are a lot of Stars, and some of them enjoy being down here. I'm sure there are several that are actually thousands of years old."

"Like Finny," Phoenix said. "I bet you're right. Maybe she's the oldest of the Ancient Order." 

"I bet they adopted that name after Tremaine came down here," Youlden said, snickering. He sobered, contemplating his gloved hands. "Did it work? Did you go into Eric's dream with Castor?"

"I did." Phoenix splayed her hands before her. "It was the strangest experience I've ever had. I don't think it did any good."

"Why not?"

"Eric won't remember the dream because he doesn't understand what he really is. When I figured everything out, I remembered both Altair and Castor. But until Eric's ready to accept the truth, he won't be able to."

"But before you remembered, did nothing from the dreams translate to reality? Not even feelings?"

"Maybe feelings," Phoenix said, trying to think back. "I honestly can't remember what it was like before I knew."

"It must be difficult for Eric, to be all alone in charge of the Army with no on there on his side." 

"He's not alone. Samson's on his side." At Youlden's frown, Phoenix shifted her position. "I mean, I think so."

"Samson Steele?" Youlden considered it for a moment. "Did you know him like you knew Eric?"

"Not exactly." Talking about Samson brought a blush to Phoenix's cheeks making her thankful for the cover of night. "We spent time with him, but not like with Eric."

"So you don't really know anything about him."

Again Phoenix squirmed. "I wouldn't say that. There were plenty of times he was with us or..."

"Or?"

"Or even a few times where just he and I spoke." Her attempt at a casual tone wasn't working, and memories flooded back. Samson, so tall and stoic, his brows furrowing as he gripped her by the shoulders.

"It isn't safe. Whatever it is the three of you are doing, you need to stop."

"We aren't - we can't stop." Truth forced itself from Phoenix's lips. "This is what Eric wants, and what we want for him." 

"He's not going to be the one who gets hurt - you are." His pleading gaze intensified as he pulled her just a bit closer. "Please, Little Dove; I don't want anything to happen to you. Or Maverick."

"Would you consider him your friend?" Youlden asked, pulling Phoenix back to the present.

"I doubt he would call me friend," Phoenix replied, unsure of how she'd qualify him in her own life.

"He held a knife to your throat, so I think I can agree with you there."

"He wouldn't have hurt me. He just wanted to stop you from hurting Eric. We've been over this."

Youlden shrugged. "Still. While I'm glad he kept me from doing something I'd regret, I still don't think I'd call someone friend who did that to me." Youlden cast a sly-eyed look over at her. "Unless friend isn't the word you'd apply to him."

Blood pounded in her face, but Phoenix tried to keep her composure. "I'm not tired. Why don't you get some sleep and I'll take the rest of the watch until morning."

Youlden chuckled, but nodded. "All right, but that answers my question anyway." A flicker of concern passed over his features, though he tried to hide it with a grin. "I'd be careful, though. Samson may not be who you think he is."

Phoenix ignored the comment, clearing her throat and moving into a position where she could watch over all of them, her back against a boulder just a few feet from the mountain base. 

#

Eric jolted upright, sucking in a breath as though he'd just broken a watery surface. He clutched at his chest, trying to remember what had caused him panic. His dreams wouldn't resurface, hazy and ephemeral. The panic that woke him ebbed into confusion and frustration. 

He'd had dreams like this before - dreams that pulled him into consciousness with the feeling that he needed to do something important. But he never could remember what had happened. 

The tent he slept in belonged to Barto's company, as they'd stayed at the base while trying to track the movement of Phoenix, Maverick, and the others.

Eric paused. Phoenix. He'd never thought of her with that name before. He'd always thought of her as Laina. 

What changed?

Eric scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to hold on to the fleeting feeling that he'd dreamed about her.

Swinging his legs over his cot, Eric stood and moved to the front of the tent, glancing out across the dark, scorched earth where the execution platform had finally collapsed. The image left him with a feeling of foreboding as he let the tent flap fall.

Barto, in his attempt to remedy his mistakes, had given Eric use of his tent as it was the nicest. There was a little wooden desk Barto used for writing missives etc, as well as a mirror of about two feet off to the side on a small table.

Eric walked over to the mirror, tilting it up so it showed him his upper torso and face. Without his shirt, Eric could see the markings all over his body. Worse, he could see that his birthmark - the one that designated him an heir to the throne - had somehow faded.

Where the skin had once been a deep brown, it was now so light he found it difficult to see where the birthmark ended and his own pale skin began.

"Go back to bed, Eric," he told himself, shaking off the feeling of uneasiness coursing through him. "Go to bed and worry about the rest of the world in the morning."

He climbed back into his cot, lying on his back as he stared up at the tent ceiling. He had a blanket to cover him, but found it wasn't necessary, even on a frigid night like this. The cold didn't have an affect on him. 

On Eric's orders, Barto had sent out more men to pull back the ones they'd originally sent to find and kill the prisoners on sight. Eric only hoped they succeeded. He had a sneaking suspicion that, if the soldiers managed to find Maverick and Phoenix, he would be finding the soldiers in bits and pieces.

Phoenix. 

Eric shook his head again. It was almost as though he couldn't think of her as Laina anymore. But why?

He lay there for more than half an hour, tired, but unable to find sleep.

"Just go to sleep," he said to himself, his own voice sounding groggy with fatigue. "Go to sleep, Eric."

Go to sleep, Ares.

The thought sent a skittering of nerves through him, but Eric put a voice to it. "Go to sleep, Ares..." 

His eyelids grew heavy and the world went black.

Phoenix and Youlden had a little heart-to-heart. Is he growing on you? Eric's birthmark is fading and WE KNOW WHY!

What do you think about the Ancients not naming themselves, and therefore not all being the same age (or even that old)?  What do you think about Eric's inability to think of Phoenix as Laina anymore?

Do you think the soldiers will find Phoenix and her crew, or will they escape without being noticed?

Speak now...or don't. It's up to you! Vote for this chapter and comment below on ALL THE THINGS because your opinion helps shape the story! 

Love yer face. MUAH!