Children of Nature [8]

"Miles, get up," Rukia mumbled gripping at clothing and pulling it over her head. Combing her hair and rummaging she found some clothes for Miles, "here," and a pair of jeans and a white collared shirt fell from her hands into a neat pile on the floor.1

"We goin' somewhere?" of course we are! How could I forget? The mountains today, some tea, and I think meeting with the elders?2

"I locked your door and mine, we'll sneak out through the window, kay?" she had left a note on the door to tell her parents she was taking Miles on a sight seeing trip to the mountains. They'd be pleased she was having a bit of fun with Miles out here in this rural area. 3

"Ready!" Miles cheered, but softly enough so not to wake her parents.4

He ran up to her, softly though, and lifted her through the window.5

"Thanks," she smiled and pulled him up a path that secretly led to the mountain.6


The two walked for a while till they came to a path, rocky but full of life. 7

"How far are we?" Miles asked.8

"We've walked about...4 miles already," she estimated.9

"MY FEET DON'T EVEN..."10

"Miles, don't you remember? We step so lightly. You'll never hurt again," she had cut him off and looked into the distance. "We'd better hurry. Fog is setting in from the east and the wind will be blowing it this way soon enough."11

Miles picked up speed as Rukia did. He didn't notice any fog. So, no getting tired? He thought. She never tripped over a thing even thought there was rocks and vegetation everywhere. 12

Suddenly Miles knew why she said fog was coming. A gust had blown the translucent first wisps to the mountain. Then after a few minutes the air was cooled and they were walking through fog.13

"Miles," she took her hand through the mist in a fashion where it looked like she was casting a peculiar spell. "watch this!" She cupped her hands and pressed them into a more concentrated ball. She let go and with his total surprise there was a small but perfect, pure sphere of water. It floated above her hands. "Try it,"14

"I can...do that?" he said in disbelief. So he cupped his hands and pressed them together. "Like this?" she nodded and he let go.
His was a little bit foggy but it was still a ball of water. 15

"Come on I'm getting all damp in this," she pulled him along letting the sphere fall to the ground like rain.16

"Are we almost there yet?" Miles questioned. His clothes were hanging limply against his skin.17

"Look around," The mist had cleared slightly meaning they were almost at the top of the mountain where the air was thinner. Her skin had a light film of water on it making it shine a little.18

"Oh! Is that the town?" there were small buildings in the distance and in sight he could also see a huge stone temple.19

"Yep, we're here," she chuckled. After another step the mist broke and they finally could dry off in the crisp air. "Tea first?"20

"Uh, yeah, I'm f-freezing," he faked the chattering but he was really was cold. 21

"Good, me too," she pulled him through the curtains of a shop. It was warm, a dry warm. 22

Perfect, he thought. 23

She led him to a small round table with wooden chairs. "What kind of tea do you want?"24

"Uh...Just pick something. I'm only accustomed to Earl Grey. Pick something different for me," which was true because he had always had Earl Grey for breakfast. 25

Rukia pulled over a lady and said a few words in a language he could decipher. "I got jasmine," she whispered.26

The lady came back with a metal, but intricately decorated tea pot. "Thank you!" Rukia exclaimed. 27

"No, No, It's my pleasure to serve one of the royal family," she smiled and stepped away.28

"Should I read your tea leaves too?" she asked. He thought it was a joke but in the end she was serious.29

"I hope nothing bad happens," he laughed. They waited for a few moments for the tea to steep then she poured it into the small clay cups on the table, letting leaves through the spout.30

"Drink it until there is a little left okay?" she picked up her cup with two hands and took a sip. She stared at him over the cup. He was doing the same. His eyes had changed, she thought, they look at me more deeply than before.31

"Here," he scooted his cup across the table.32

She covered it with her hand and swished it around three times to the left.33

"Ready?" she giggled.34

"Of course!"35

She lifted her hand and peered in.36

"Oh my G.." she gasped. 37

"What is it? Good or bad?" He was slightly worried now because her eyes started tearing up.38

"Bad?" he asked again.39

She sat the cup down and let him see.40

In the center of the cup on the bottom he could make out a clear image.41

"A heart and a hawk," He didn't know what that meant.42

"A heart means love," she smiled but then her smile faded. "The hawk is near to the top of the cup, meaning someone..will be jealous. Jealousy in tea leaves could be far worse. Maybe though, because the heart is at the bottom we'll be fine. You never though," 43

"You started crying over this?" His eyebrows were raised.44

"Sorry, I wanted to make it a little more dramatic," she shrugged.45

"Maybe my first reading was right about love, but the question is: Is it ours?" 46

"YES! Of course it is!" Miles leaned over the table and his face hovered close to hers. What was she talking about? 47

"Come on we better finish up, the Elders are probably waiting," she whispered.48

Miles sank back into his seat, poured a little more tea, and finished it off quickly.49

"Come on," she took his hand and pulled him out of his seat. The temple was only a couple meters away from the tea shop. Outside a man was waiting. He was a bald, old, old, man with a robe something like the one Rukia had on the other day. Yellow like the sun, he thought. 50

"Hello Master Zhong. We're finally here," she bowed to the man. "Oh, this is Miles," she blushed completely.51

"Hello Miles, My name is Master Zhong," Miles was staring at the characters on his chest. 鍾, it read. "It says my name," he added in.52

"Oh, sorry. It's a pleasure to me you," Miles said quickly. Master Zhong chuckled and turned to Rukia. 53

"So you've finally preformed your readings and found 'him'," he said quietly.54

"Yes, it's seems this way," she replied.55

"Miles," again turning his attention. "You do realize, you have been given many gifts. Spirits let you have the powers of Nature,"56

"Nature?" he was confused he thought it was an awakened power.57

Rukia looked up again at Miles' confused face. "Yes Miles, like me, you too are a child of Nature,"