Elementum

Ten

We reach camp by nightfall. I do mean a camp. Tents are popped up in the clearing with a huge fire burring in the middle.

And of course Quinn didn't answer any questions. Sure he talked a lot. I didn't learn anything new.

He ushered me to a huge black tent in the middle of all the other ones and just left. I didn't get a good look around with it being dark and Quinn rushing me but I did notice six other tents in various sizes and a big fire pit.

A lantern lights the inside of the tent. It looks to be two rooms the way a red curtain hangs in the back. There's a desk and chair off the right and in the middle of the tent is four pillows just big enough to sit on surrounding a low table. The ground is covering in different black fur like rugs.

"To the left please." Comes a perky voice.

I twist around and shuffle closer to the pillows as two guys come into the tent. They place a wooden tube on the left side and leaves without a word.

"Hi. I'm Amy." The perky girl flutters her fingers at me.

Amy is about my age with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She's dressed in a brown dress with a white apron tied around her waist.

"Quinn's sister." She says when I just stare.

"Basil."

"I know." She gushes. "I'm so glad another girl is finally at camp." She smiles wide showing off white teeth, "It gets boring with all the men around. We need girl time ya know."

I don't know. I really didn't have any friends. I kept to myself a lot but I'm not about to tell her that.

"Why are you the only girl here?"

She tilts her head a little, "Because this is the gate camp. Only warriors and hired help. The only reason I'm here is because I begged Quinn to bring me. Which I'll know better next time. It's so boring." She huffs.

Her skin turns a shade of red, "It might not be boring any longer. I just saw Prince Derrick. He's so dashing. I wonder why he's here. Our gens get along okay, but not good enough for the Prince to be here." She shrugs looking lost.

The same two guys as before come back carrying two large buckets of water. It takes a total of six to fill up the tub to a decent level.

The water has steam floating up.

"Well, what are you waiting for. Get in." Amy says.

Get in the tube with her in here.

She must recognize the look crossing my face. She giggles, "Ain't nothin I haven't seen before."

When I still don't make any move towards the tub, she sighs and turns around.

After a minute I finally get undressed and lower myself into the warm water. It feels so good.

"Let me help you with your hair." Amy says coming up behind me.

It makes me uncomfortable but soon the warm water has me relaxing. She dips a pitch in the water and slowly dumps the warm water on my head. She grabs a brown bottle pops the cork and puts it in my hair next. Sudding up my hair has me closing my eyes and I enjoy the moment.

"Here." She says handing me a white cloth and a bar of soap that smells like honey suckle.

"You know. Maybe they found the girl."

Another pitcher of water.

"What girl?" I mumble, getting sleepy.

"The one from the scrolls."

"Huh?"

"How could you not know that. It's every girls dream." She gushes.

I feel her twisting my hair up and clipping it out of the way.

"Your hair is so pretty and the colors."

I frown rubbing the bar of soap on the rag, "You mean the black?"

"Well, I suppose so, the black to. The purple and blue is what's so eye catching. I'll be back with some food."

I freeze with the cloth on the top of my foot. Purple and blue. I watch the rag float in the water as I reach around and unhook the pins she put in my hair.

Pulling it over my shoulder I bite my lip. My hair is no longer just black. It now has blue and purple under tones.

I close my eyes and sink under the water. How much of my body is going to change? Am I even going to look like my normal self? I wonder why she didn't say anything about the runes now tattooed on my back? What of the scroll girl?

With no more air trapped in my lungs I come back up. Grabbing the rag and soap I finish washing imaging that I am washing away everything that has happened today.

I look around the tube for a towel. Something.

Amy has been gone for awhile and the water has turned cold.

Hearing the flap of the tent open I turn around and feel the smile slide off my face.

"Hello?"

I watch the guy spin around, a dagger clutched in his hand. I don't know what to do. I'm naked in the wooden tube and this guy looks like he wants to kill me.

I don't know. I don't know.

I breath in deep and just scream my freaking head off.