3

The one's who were paying attention would know on some level that he was admitting openly that he was hiding something. Add on the fact that we were here to steal the slaves away, and it really did fit his theme for this mission. That made me wonder why we weren't both wearing fox masks, but maybe he thought we shouldn't look the same. There was a chance he planned to kill some of the slave owners while we were here. That guard at the gate was infinitely lucky that he didn't try something like that while we were alone.

"Are you cure you can keep your temper in check for another two days?" I asked the obvious question on my mind.

"I never said I was going to keep my temper in check," he responded with a small creepy smile.

That worried me more than a little. How long would he wait before doing some damage? Was he just going to look around this town or the neighboring ones as well? The way he said it suggested that he was going to stir up trouble sooner rather than later.

"What are you planning?" I wondered aloud.

"Nothing too dramatic," He pulled the fox mask down over his face, "Just going to stir up a few hornet nests."

"They're going to know that we're coming if you stir up trouble," I frowned.

"Yes," I could hear the smile on his voice, "And they still won't be able to stop us. The whole point is to give the slaves hope. They're more likely to betray their master if they have some hope."

He had a point. I never would have willingly gone along with any of this if I didn't think I would be freed. My master being dead helped, but it didn't get rid of that dark feeling. That hopelessness that had trapped me for so long. If it weren't for what he did then I never would have gone this far.

Hope was a powerful motivator. I knew that now that I had hope to motivate me. I knew I would see my mother at the end of this. Whether she was alive or dead I would still see her. My hand went into my pocket, and wrapped around the gem that pulsed in rhythm with my mother's heartbeat.

There was something about Wyatt's promise that made me feel whole. I'd gotten used to that restriction that hopelessness placed on me. Now that I had hope I really didn't know how to feel about it all. That freedom was almost as painful as it was liberating. I didn't understand how it could be painful to be free.

Maybe it was the not knowing what was going to happen. Not having my future written out for me. Not having orders to obey. It was easier when I just obeyed orders all the time. I didn't have to make decisions for myself.

I just had to do as I was told. Now I was having to think for myself. I didn't know if I wanted to think for myself. There was something about it that daunted me. My muscles tensed the more I tried to relax.

I'd kept myself busy when I was in the camp back on earth. Now I was a hundred percent awake, and had nothing to do for the first time in months. I was used to working until I couldn't anymore. Then just sleeping for a while before doing it all over again. That was what I had done for almost my entire life.

If was definitely new for me to have free time.

"You can practice your magic or do just about anything else you want to do," Wyatt seemed to know what my internal turmoil was about, "Sleep if that's what you wish, but this is a team effort. I don't plan on ordering you around unless it's a life or death situation. Just decide already. The emotional rainbow you're giving off is very distracting."

"It's not that simple," I exhaled with a little annoyance.

"That's just it Sekka," Wyatt lifted his mask to look at me, "It is that simple. Do what you want. No one is going to stop you."

I stood up, and sat on the bed. I wanted to sleep in without consequence. Preferably on a bed. The blankets were heavy, and I could feel their warmth as soon as I pulled them up. I stared at the wall for a while as I tried not to feel guilty about being in a bed while my mother was probably in a cell.

She probably hadn't seen the light of day in weeks. Maybe even months.

"Stop feeling guilty," Wyatt was reading my mind again, "We're here to free as many as we can. If you don't sleep you won't be able to handle the mission in front of us."

I didn't like that he was reading my mind like that, but he was right. I was here to help them, and I wouldn't be able to do it without proper sleep. I thought about it for a good long while before falling asleep on the bed. When I awoke I could see Wyatt quietly repacking our gear. Taking advantage of his affinity with wind to block the sound of his movement from making it to my ears.

It was warm under the blankets, and I felt far better than I ever thought I would after a night's rest. Sleeping in a bed really was a whole different level of comfort. I'd never felt this good when I woke before. When I fully realized that Wyatt was working on his own I panicked a little, and tried to get up too fast. All the blood rushed away from my head, and made me a little dizzy.

"Sit down, and finish waking up," Wyatt shot me a warning glance, "I don't have the patience to mother hen you all the time so you'd better work up enough courage to take care of yourself real fucking quick."