21 No Shower, No Hair!!!

"There's one condition. You should not use your abilities until we ask you to." Doctor Schwann's words fell like a rock on her heart. She knew that she was trapped. The doctor tricked her. She fell in his trap.

Though reluctantly, she had to agree to his deals. She knew that there was no going back. She could not go back to her home without explaining where she and Eren had been. And if she did, Aster would be in trouble. She could not let her friend be in trouble. The doctor played well. Sienna understood that very moment that he was concerned only for Aster and he would use anyone to protect him.

Aster looked at Sienna. He felt increasingly sorry for her. He pulled Eren's and Sienna's hands and took them into the cave. They had a lot to speak. Three days were a long time for them. Sienna and Eren was astonished at the sight inside the cave. Clear vision in total darkness. It amazed them, dazed them and made them ponder about the hidden secrets of the world. Aster looked at Sienna thoroughly. Something about her had changed.

Aster scratched his head in confusion. Her sweet face had given away to a bold and strong face. Yet, she was no less beautiful. His eyes kept on drifting to her face. 'What is it?' He thought. Eren saw Aster's confused glances. A playful smile played at the corner of his lips. He tried not to laugh out aloud. Aster kept on stealing galances at Sienna who was way too busy sightseeing. She was gazing at the huge chambers of the cave. She was occasionally picking up rocks and studying them as if she was a geologist. Once she caught Aster while he was stealing a glance at her. She ignored it. Once again Aster was caught. This time, she wasn't going to ignore it.

"What?" Sienna asked in a irritated tone.

"Nothing." Aster said plainly, trying to hide his curiosity.

They kept on walking in the cave. Aster felt tempted to look at her again. He stole a glance so swiftly that he was sure she would not see it. But, Sienna was far more observant than Aster thought.

"What is it?!" She asked angrily.

Eren almost burst out laughing. But he thought he should let the drama run a little longer. He giggled under his breath silently.

"N...Nothing." Aster said again.

Sienna's face flushed with anger. Her round face looked like a huge tomato.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Aster found no point in arguing. He could not figure out the change in Sienna yet. He gave in.

"Something about you have changed." Before Aster could pull his tongue back into his mouth afepter saying this, Eren burst out laughing. Aster confused by such a reaction. Sienna was really angry at Eren.

"Hahaha You didn't hahaha see that hahaha yet? Pfthaahaha" Eren tried hard to control his laughter.

"See what?" Aster asked, still confused.

Sienna glared at Aster. A menacing look. Aster was scared to the bones. He knew that look very well. She shot such looks only when she was really angry or when she was really sad. Last time he saw this look was about six months ago when she broke up with her boyfriend. Now, ex-boyfriend.

That was when Aster spotted it. 'Oh my God! How could I have missed? No wonder she is angry. But why?' Aster said to himself. He had to find out a way. At last he decided. Though, it was mot the best solution available he decided to stick on to it. Unlike him, Eren who knew the whole drama was still laughing.

Aster looked at Sienna and smiled. A pleasant, presentable face.

"Nice hair cut." He said.

"Is it?" Sienna asked back.

Aster couldn't help but look away from her. He knew he was lying. The shoulder length hair suited her better than anything. She had shortened it into a bob now. She was still beautiful. But, was different. The girlish charm had given way to a bolder stronger beauty.

"Well... You look different." He said which was not completely a lie.

"Different?" Sienna asked widening her eyes.

"Yeah! Like... different from what you were earlier."

"Why didn't you say this earlier?" She asked with mischief and anger playing at the corners of her lips and in the eyes.

"I...I..." What do I do? What do I do? If he said to her that he didn't notice, she would be damn angry.

"Well??" She asked again.

"Uhhh.... I....." Aster stuttered like a student giving an oral test in school.

Eren was enjoying the scene. Sienna was bullying Aster. It was a scene.

"You didn't notice it, did you?" Sienna shot at him angrily. She bent low and searched for something in the cave floor. As a bolt of lightning, she straightened her back and threw a large pebble a Aster. It came so fast that, he could not dodge. Consequent pebbles hit him with the same force. Sienna was shouting at him angrily all the while. Eren watched the drama and almost collapsed on the floor laughing hard.

Aster moved backwards as each pebble hit him. In the process, he stumbled upon a small rock and fell on his back. Sienna stopped throwing pebbles at him and rushed to Aster who was now lying with his back on the floor.

"Did something happen to you?" She asked, a bit concerned.

Aster immediately got up and chuckled. Seeing Aster chuckle, Sienna got even more angry. She threw the rest of the pebbles in her hand right on his face. Aster cleared his face off the dirt and started laughing. Eren was rolling on the floor. Eventually Sienna joined in the laughter too.

The laughter died down. Aster couldn't help but asking.

"Why did you cut it?"

"Hair need to be clean. Otherwise it would stink. If I were to come here in hiding with you in a forest, how the hell do you think I take a shower everyday? So I cut it off." She started laughing again. But, in the depths of her eyes, Aster could see the pain. She had loved her locks. They were gone now. He could guess how much it hurt her. Everyone became silent for a while.

Eren saw the scene getting grave. He had accompanied Sienna to the saloon. He had seen the pain in her heart that day. He did not want her to remember that again.

"For her, it's like, no shower no hair!" He joked. That worked a bit. It switched everybody's mood, though a bit of the moody silence remained.

**************

A SLUM IN DEPCOD

The slum did not horrify her. Nor did it make her uncomfortable. All she wanted was a safe hiding where she could plan her next move. She thought of Aster. She wanted him to be safe. His protection was her duty. Moreover, it was one of her father's last wishes.

She was sitting in the kitchen come dining room come living room of Huda's house. Huda was the lady who gave her a shelter. She had promised to keep Tania safe. Tania could see Huda's children crawling about here and there in the room. She had three children. Two of them were twins. They were 8. Another was just one year old. Her husband died some days ago. No! He was killed some days ago. By the same person who killed Tania's parents. Huda was the only hope of the children.

Huda had promised Tania any help to kill the master who mercilessly murdered her husband. Huda was poor. She could barely sustain herself and her children with her meager earnings. Tania could not afford to be a burden on her. Tania had to think about something fast, as the royal guards were all over the place, searching for her. She could not endanger the poor woman and her children.