(A/N: Sorry for the long wait again! :( I've been busy…I haven't even been keeping up with the stories on my alert list! T.T I need to get back into FF…So, here we go! :) Let's hope this will be the katalyst (get it? LOL) to get my unmotivated rear to writing again!)

Don't own a thing!

The rain had stopped, but the clouds stayed put. Ashrah could feel herself sink lower and lower – not just in the mud, either. The dreary weather, Ermac's silence, her clothes being soaked –

She gave herself a study. She was glad she was wearing undergarments otherwise Ermac would be getting an eyeful. Ashrah was so repulsed by the idea that she wasn't even embarrassed by it. She was sure Ermac couldn't read minds, so that was something to be happy about.

He'd probably think I'd want him to see through my wet clothes. Ashrah chanced a glance at her silent companion.

Or, not.

Ermac had that same look on his face from when she first recovered from the hill incident; a look Ashrah couldn't describe. It was more than sad but less than despaired. She really wanted to know what was bothering him, knowing it was none of her business but wanting to know anyway. The longer she thought about it, the stronger the urge became. Why was she so stupid? Why couldn't she be one of those women who were silent to the point of being stoic?

Before she could answer these self-asked questions, Ashrah was asking a new one. Out loud.

"Are you all right?"

By the Elder gods, could she have asked anything less stupid?

Ermac turned his head, his eyes ever giving off that eerie green glow. "If you are referring to our ribs, then yes, we are all right." His voice was a lot softer than Ashrah was expecting. It wasn't a gentle voice, more like a subdued one. Now Ashrah was really wanting to know what was troubling him.

"I mean, you seem…never mind." She didn't want to sound like a complete idiot, so she, for once, was going to keep her mouth shut. Ashrah stared at the ground, hoping Ermac would let it drop, too.

Of course he didn't. "We seem what? You don't know us well enough to ask if something is the matter." Now there was a bite to his words – the tone Ashrah was familiar with – and Ashrah could feel her anger begin to rise.

"I know when someone, regardless if I know them or not, is not happy."

"We are not happy?"

Ashrah growled. "Clearly, Ermac, you're not in the best of spirits."

Ermac slowed his pace, matching steps with Ashrah. Now they were walking side by side, making Ashrah uncomfortable. There was a part of her that still didn't trust the strange warrior…

"Elaborate," was all he said as he stared straight into her eyes. Ashrah tried to control the temperature of her face as she stared back, not wanting to seem weak and look away from his stare. Clearly he was testing her, or trying to make her look foolish. Probably both! But who was he to test her?

No one, as far as the she-demon was concerned. Ashrah gave her best glare – which wasn't much, considering she was soaking wet and covered in mud – and began to elaborate.

"Your face, for one thing," Ashrah pointed at his face, noting how his eyes followed her index finger as it rose to his eye level. She tried not to laugh when she saw his eyes had crossed for a second. It was a rather…silly thing, she decided. She pulled herself from her amused thoughts when she realized she had started a sentence without finishing it. "Your face is cast downward, as if you're frowning."

"You do not know if we are frowning or not,"

"I can tell by the rest of your face."

"Are you certain? Maybe we have a strange face; you have never actually seen it."

Ashrah was not going to admit he had a good point. Strange face or not, she doubted it was so strange that half of it seemed sad and the other seemed happy. That was ridiculous!

"As true as that is, your point is stupid."

It was silent for a moment.

"…and why is our point stupid?"

Ashrah growled, turning her head away. "I'm going to stop."

She could still feel Ermac's gaze on her. "Why?"

"So that I don't beat the hell out of you!" She was a lot more frayed than she first thought – she never got this worked up! Well, not about something as trivial as a conversation anyway. She felt her cheeks burn, and cursed under her breath. "…ugh! Now you've got me angry!"

The strange sound of Ermac's laugh dissolved any anger Ashrah had. She looked at him, not knowing what to expect. Was he going to call her foolish? She would. It seemed to be the action Ermac would take in such a situation. The warrior didn't seem the type find humor in many things, even Ashrah's childish outbursts…which, Ashrah noticed with a good bit of uneasiness, were becoming more frequent as of late.

It was Ermac's fault, though, so she couldn't be blamed.

"You do not act like we thought one such as yourself would." Ermac was very chatty at the moment, which made Ashrah rather uncomfortable. He didn't seem the type – here she was assuming again – to want to talk to people he didn't really know. She wanted to know what was bothering him, but no because she was worried. She was just…curious. Ermac wasn't the typical warrior, he had more than one soul in his body. What kind of problems did that pose? If any? Was that what he was troubled about? Or was it something completely different?

Was it wrong of her to want to know?

"Is something wrong?" Ermac's words pulled Ashrah from her musings and she gave him a hard look.

She steeled herself, hoping she wasn't pushing at some boundary that wasn't meant to be pushed. "Forget it, I'm over it. Is something bothering you? I haven't known you long, yes, but I can tell there is something on your mind."

Ermac stared at the cloud filled sky and Ashrah didn't know if he was thinking of a suitable answer or ignoring her. After a minute – Ashrah counted sixty seconds – he finally said something.

"It is…personal," and that was it, in a flat voice no less, before he quickened his pace, keeping just ahead of her. Ashrah frowned, feeling more than idiotic –

She felt that she needed to know. A funny feeling had settled in her stomach, and she trusted herself enough to know when she was right. Ashrah would wait a little while before asking again. She didn't owe Ermac a damn thing.

But if she was going to preserve her ideas, her goals, she needed to make an effort. Even if she didn't have the Kris, she still had the urge to do right, the same urge that had started her whole transformation. Ermac had also made a change, and that was more than enough of a reason to help him, whatever he was going through.

Ashrah felt stupid for a moment. What if it was nothing? What if nothing was wrong? The gut feeling persisted, and she was sure it wasn't hunger. Yeah, something's wrong…or, it's about to get wrong.

Ashrah felt water running down her face. It was raining again.

(A/N: Umm…yeah. Ermac seems kinda conflicting here, huh? I'm sorry! It's just…oh, you'll see when I update next! lol I have to admit this chapter didn't give you much...*ahem* Ermac's been thinking too much, or maybe he's been living with himself too long, but he's starting to feel it, whatever it is. Emoness, I know…humor's still here, though! Don't worry. Ashrah's here for that. :) She's got some conflicting emotions going on, too…if ya haven't noticed..She'll keep it interesting and keep Ermac from going crazy! Or, drive him crazier, I'm not sure where she wants to go with this yet…;)

'Til next chapter!