Finding the Wisest

Chapter Nine

The small smile was still on his face the closer she got to him. She noticed his shiny jade eyes even from afar and she rolled her eyes. Of course the thief would have beautiful eyes. He was slightly darker than Maya and the skin color made his eyes appear brighter.

As soon as she was close enough to hear his words he spoke.
"I'm sorry for stealing your map but I noticed you were going to see the wisest and I want to tag along."
Maya's face twisted in annoyance. She was still upset that she had been stolen from and he was just throwing an apology to her along with a request!
Seriously!

"This isn't an excursion or a field trip. And I don't know you so no I'm not going anywhere with you!"
"Okay so you want to know me before you allow me to go with you?"
"I did not say that!" Maya hissed
"It sounds like you did, my name is Kieran, the thief. Let's be on our way now"
"Kieran the thief!"
"Yes the thief, or troublemaker. It depends on which guard catches me or what time of the day it is." His green eyes sparkled as he gave the answer.
Maya rolled her eyes
"Now that doesn't even make sense. I can't allow a thief to follow me on this journey."

Maya panicked slightly. Her mother had always complained about how trusting she was and how it would lead her into trouble someday. She always argued back. Her mother even believed that Maya's high trust would cause her to be kidnapped by someone. Absurd.
But she was in a strange land now and didn't know who to trust. Was this boy bringing trouble her way?
The tall boy crossed his arms
"Why are you going on this journey anyway? You know the whole myth about the wisest is just a bed side story"
She frowned
"What's a bed side story?"
He looked at her like he couldn't believe she just asked that.
"A story that mothers tell their children at night to get them to sleep"
Maya clarified. "Ohhh, you mean a bed time story"
He shrugged. It was practically the same thing anyway.
"So why do you want to go with me if you don't believe that someone like the wisest exists?! "

" Now miss.."
"Don't! Don't call me miss" She didn't want to be reminded of Hartley because she would wonder again if Hartley's map was real.
Also it was just weird to be called miss, Sheesh.

"What do I call you then? You know my name. Do I call you shouty? Confused? Pretty curls?"
She placed a hand on her forehead wearily "Just call me Maya"
"Now Maya, I didn't say I don't believe in the wisest. I just said it was a bed time story. Who is to say that it isn't true? "
"What do you want from me Kieran the thief and troublemaker?"
He closed his eyes and smiled, the light dusting of freckles over his nose
"I'm never two at once, either I'm a thief or a trouble maker. Choose your pick Maya"
"What do you want from me you infuriating male?"
"I want to go find the wisest. You need me. besides I think I just proved I'm a good person. I stole your map and I brought it back"
Maya narrowed her eyes at him as he looked back at her.

"I'm very certain that you don't even know that there is a guard wall in the middle of the grasslands."

Maya stilled. She wasn't sure she even knew what a guard wall was but she didn't like the sound of it.

"What did you plan on doing when you came across them? Shout? Roll your eyes?"
Maya rolled her eyes without even realizing it and he laughed.
"Well I would have had a plan by the time I got there." She hesitated " I'm pretty sure you're making this up anyway"

"Why so stubborn Maya, what will it cost you if I go with you?"

"My sanity, maybe"
The girl replied simply
He smiled again
"Well that's a small price to pay"
Her mouth fell open in shock
"I'm joking. Now are we going or not? We've spent a lot of time arguing here."

She looked at him warily. Maybe he was right. He did seem to know about the guard wall and he did bring her map back. He wasn't so bad looking either.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt a bit if she let him tag along for a while. She wouldn't put all her trust in him anyway.