Ordinary Girl {Chapter 2}

Tifa hurried across the large grassy pasture on her way to the village, Tangwyn loping along behind her. She stumbled on a rock, and went plummeting toward the ground. She cried out and threw her arms out to break her fall, but the impact never came. A strong arm gripped her around her waist. Her breath left in a whoosh. She had a good idea whose arm it was. She felt light in the head. "Are you okay?" Tangwyn inquired. She almost blacked out. "Uh. Uh. Um, yes. I think so. Yes." She felt Tangwyn pull her back to her feet. "Thank you," she said, bowing formally. "I am much obliged." She didn't want to risk being rude to a possible royal. She brushed imaginary dust off her frock. "Let us continue toward the village," she said solomly. "If you would be so kind as to follow me."

Tangwyn grinned and followed her along in silence. Tifa was concentrating so much on not tripping over things that she didn't notice at first when he started whistling. Left foot forward, rock to my right, park bench up ahead.....oh goddess above why am I so clumsy when I'm nervous?!?!?!? Then she stopped momentarily. "What are you doing?" she asked Tangwyn. "Whistling." came the reply. "Yes, I know you're whistling!! But what?" she snapped back, momentarily forgetting her polite mask. "It's a song.....to....increase clarity." Tangwyn said haltingly. "I whistle it when I need to think. I am sorry if it disturbs you." "No, no, not at all...It's pretty." said Tifa in a rush. It was pretty. The tune flew up atop a rising crescendo and then smoothly glided down a legato scale to a low note, where it started over. And Tangwyn was a good whistler. He seemed to do it effortlessly, wheres I just sort of scratch out a tune and then huff and puff. Tifa was so engrossed in the song that she didn't notice the fact that she and Tangwyn were already at the town.

"HEY TIFA!!!" a tall girl with short red hair sprinted toward her. "Have you seen? The traders have come! Finally-" she stopped short when she saw the boy next to her. " Heeeeeeeyyyyy. NICE, Tifa, NICE." Tifa turned redder than a beet. "It's not like that, Meona Gryphon!" she protested, but Simeona just laughed it off. "Sure. Whatever you say, Tifa. I trust you," she told her. She grabbed Tifa's arm and pulled her over behind one of the pine trees that dotted the mountainside. Tifa threw one fleeting glance at Tangwyn but allowed herself to be manhandled over by her best friend, Simeona, "But seriously. Where the Goddess did you find this kid? Just lying on the side of a mountain?" She stared at Tifa, awaiting a simple answer to a what she thought was a simple question, an answer that she thought would never come. "Well... It's... complicated. VERY complicated."

"Oh come on! You can tell ME" grinned Simeona, and nudged Tifa "We've been best friends for years!" Tifa just turned redder. "Well..." She stammered "I DID just find him on the side of the mountain. Tripped over him, actually." and then Tifa told Simeona the whole tale, acutely aware that all the while Tangwyn simply stood and stared at her, that beautiful grin on his face. For a few seconds after Tifa finished speaking, Simeona just stared at her. And then at Tangwyn. And then at Fabian, who had popped out of Tangwyn's pocket, and was now sitting on his head. "Wow. Just Wow, Tifa." said Simeona "soooooo....What now?" "That's what I was going to ask you!" said Tifa, panic creeping into her voice "I found a beautiful boy on the side of the mountain, I think he's really cute, and amazing, but he's probably royalty, and he's kinda weird, and he's totally staring at me, isn't he?" Simeona glanced around Tifa and looked at Tangwyn. He looked away from the back of Tifa's head for a minute, met Simeona's gaze, and waved cheerily. "Yep." confirmed Simeona "He's still staring." "Oh my goddess Simeona....What should I doooooo!!" wailed Tifa.

Simeona looked over at Tangwyn, who had begun to whistle again. Then she looked back at Tifa. Tifa sat uncomfortably, waiting for her advice. Silence. Now Tifa was really scared. She had always gone to her best friend for advice, but now, she wasn't sure if Simeona had any left. There was another long pause. Tifa squirmed in anticipation. Simeona drew breath, and Tifa leaned forward. "Yes?" she asked. Simeona looked right at Tangwyn and said, "Take him to the royal palace in Cade. Surely the royal family will have birth records." Tifa turned this over in her mind. On one hand, it would be incredibly stupid to risk a trip down the mountain and across plains and rivers just to see if Tangwyn was royal or not. But on the other hand, it was an adventure waiting to happen. The possibilities of dragons and princes and chases through the infamouly busy streets of Chouko, the second biggest city in Yore entranced her. She had no difficulty picked the latter option. "Cade it is," she said.