Sixteen - Alden

Tristram came back with a smug look on his face as I attempted to make our small fire a little bigger. He sat down, giving me a knowing look that I knew nothing about.

"What?" I asked.

"I just want you to know that I am here if you ever need any advice." He said, resting his hands against the back of his head as he leaned against a tree.

"Right..." I said, pretending to understand what it was he was trying to say.

"Girl can be tricky things, I've had my fair share of experience."

"Girls?" Suddenly I understood what it was he was implying and I grew furious. "Are you stupid!" I got up in a huff. "I'm going for a walk." I managed through clenched teeth.

I made my way down the path with the two intertwining trees, safely tucked away from the glow of the fire, and slid down beside a strange looking bolder. How could Tristram even begin to think that? We were two completely different species, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I crossed my arms, feeling my face growing hot regardless of the fire's absence. Glancing up at the trees, I did have to wonder if she was watching.

Maybe Tristram was wrong about the whole love aspect, but I suppose I did feel a similarness between the girl and I. Her eyes, while supposedly hard as Viridian eyes should be, were not. They looked like they had seen too much, just as I have. Perhaps I would be the only one to understand the pain behind hardened eyes, that there was always a reason for it and it was never a joyous occasion.

I sighed to myself, "She's stupid, I'm stupid, it's whatever!' I exclaimed, trying to convince myself none of this mattered when I heard something within the trees. I jumped up. "Who's there? Are you there?" I cried, but the trees were quiet with only the descent of a couple leaves. I stepped closer to where the leaves fell. "I'm sorry." I said, in a sincere tone that I'm not sure I'd ever taken towards another person before. "I don't know what it was, but I'm sorry." I stood there a moment, a hand resting on the rough bark of a nearby tree, taking in the smell of the musty land and trees. After a minute or so passed, I decided to head back to Tristram, with any luck he would already be snoring and my episode would be forgotten.