Chapter 7
Skylar

Tomorrow! I said I would go but... Tomorrow! I am so not ready for this. There's
no way... Stop it Skylar. Stop it. Make the little voice inside your head shut up. There. See? Already better. I'll be fine. With Andrew's help nothing will get me. I hope. I thought I told you, voice, to shut it!
Andrew was studying me again. Waiting for my response. The only reason I even agreed is because I have no where to go. What would change about that if I don't go?
"Ok. But don't make me regret this any sooner than I expect to." He cracked a smile. "Alright. Gather some stuff up then, and get some shut eye. We leave in the morning."
* * * *
We stood side-by-side facing his hidey-hole. I think we both felt that we wouldn't be returning soon, if at all. This quest sure wasn't going to be easy. I half wasn't expecting to come back alive. Positive thinker, huh?
Andrew started walking, and I followed. "So," I said, "Where is this Wand-thingy supposed to be at?" He looked over at me with an amused expression on his face. "First of all, it's the Wand of Life. And second it's whereabouts last heard of were somewhere in the desolate area of BuLeon." I was confused. BuLeon was a forest. Not desolate at all. I asked him about that and he replied, "I guess it's more forest-like than desert, but the thing is the area in the forest we need to go to is desolate. If fact it's so desolate few can travel through it. BuLeon's forest spreads for over three-hundred miles! It's not surprising part of it is like a desert." That confused me even more. Few people can travel through it? How could we? I voiced this and he looked at me like I was an idiot. "Skylar, it's a desert. Meaning lack of water, and cooled temperatures. You possess elements. Have you seriously forgotten that?" Ok. I thought. He really is an idiot. "Andrew, to work with elements the element has to be nearby. You can't make it appear out of thin air!" "Oh really?" He said. "Well then you need a lesson. Water is in everything, Skylar. Not just a lake or an ocean or a puddle. Everything. What makes the air moist? Water. What makes life live? Water. If you wanted to, you could control anyone with that element. Just harness the water within." Ok. Water is officially my least favorite element. He made it sound so evil. But I didn't know how to harness water or anything like that! We are going to die because of his lack of planning. I just know it.
* * * *
We reached Rilipon (the city about two miles from BuLeon's forest filled grounds) well after a day-and-a-half walk from Aristia. Little of interest occurred other than Andrew ducking his head and adopting a fake voice every time a soldier passed us. Any time I asked him about it he said, "Like I told you before. You'll quickly learn I hate my family and don't want to talk about them or anything that might lead to that." If anything, this confused me more, but I let it slide.
As we walked through the gates, I saw one of the guards do a double take in Andrew and I's direction. I almost shouted at him to watch out, that the guards saw us, but then I noticed a man suddenly freak out and bolt out of the village. I heard one of the guards mumble a curse, then chase after him. I sighed with relief and Andrew looked over at me, amused. "What?" I asked, suddenly defensive. He raised an eyebrow, "Nothing. Just..." He shook his head and started forward again. I made a face and followed him. But right before I caught up, I saw him tear down a paper from the wall. I tried to see what it was, yet Andrew apparently anticipated that, so he had hidden it. Not before I had a small glance at the name:

Andrew T. Williams

Andrew. I should've known. Why else would he tear it down? But... Why was he wanted? What did he do? Wait, his last name is Williams? That's the name of... No. No way. Just forget about it. That surname is probably extremely common. I just never have cared enough for it to matter to me, that's all. I started walking again not realizing I had stopped. Andrew was staring hard at me like I had just committed a crime worth hanging. I shuddered at his glare. Obviously, he knew I had figured out something. He always seemed to know.