Courtyard (North)

[Xavior Bushido]

Shadow felt Jaspers soft touch on his forearm and began to feel his sudden burst of rage subside. He listened to her soft voice tell him to stay calm and relax and he felt better. He then watched a hand reach past him and touch Riedonu and saw a flash of blue electricity shoot up his arm.

"Stupid b***h!!!!" Riedonu roarded as he reached back to strike Jasper for shocking him."THAT HURT!!!" he roarded as he brought his hand back to strike Jasper across the face. However, he seemed to not have taken Shadows threat seriouly. And in a flash, Shadow had drawn his blade and in a swift movement, he had detached Riedonus hand.

"I warned you!!!!" Shadow roared as he shook the mans blood from his blade and then sheathed it. He then quickly turned to Jasper and appologised for his behavior as he felt his sudden burst of rage subside."I'm sorry Jasper..I don't know what came over me." he said as he turned back to Riedonu.


"Now, back to what I was saying. We need two horses, tents and other suppies need for old-fasion travel. and we need them...NOW." He snapped abruptly."Now do you have a problem with that?"

"Now why should I do anything for you? You stinkin wolf!" Riedonu snapped as he held his bleeding wrist. "I don't owe you a damn thing!" he shouted.

"Well...this is true. Shadow shrugged with a sly smile. "?That is unless you want your head to end up like your hand. You owe me. I've gotten your stiken behind out of alot of trouble in the past. The least you could do for me is give us what we need!" Shadow snapped dangerously as he hand rested upon the handle of his katana; his eyes shown dagerously and gave off a dark glint that showed that he was not one to make idle threats.

"Fine, wait her a moment while I get what it is that you've asked for...but mark my words wolf. We are not through her! I'll get my revenge. he spat as he walked through a door that was hidden behind him and then reappeared with two beautiful Chestnuts and the supplies and tent that they had asked for. "Here you go. Now get out of my sight. he spat as he turned and walked back into the hidden door and closed it behind him.  

[Purple RadioActive Banana]

Jasper jumped back as the man moved to harm her, and was splattered by spraying blood as Shadow sperated his hand.

" We must be going,'' she said, shivering. Her face was pale and eyes colorless. They weren't even the light grey as usual, but white and frightened. But it was not from the man, it was from the blood. Faces flashed in her mind as she struggled to keep back a gasp, and failing at going so.

Not wanting to trouble Shadow, Jasper released his hand and walked over to the chestnut mare. She grasped the bridle and presses her forehead against her nose.

''Hello beautiful,'' she whispered, ''Do you have a name?''

Used to traveling with horses, Jas went about checking the mare's saddle and tightening saddle bag straps. It was a fine animal, built for speed and agaility. Jasper ran her hands over the horse's sides and laughed when she pranced, tossing her head.

"Ticklish are we?'' The fear that blood was still sprayed over her face and clothing began to recede. With a joyous smile Jasper looked to Shadow, meeting his gaze and holding it, forgetting where she was and what she was going.  

[Xavior Bushido]

Shadow smiled slightly as a walked over to Jasper and took her face softly into his hand and kissed her gently."I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It's not something I'm proud of but the sight of him attemting to harm you was someting I just couldn't standto watch." Shadow whispered softly as he looked over the chestnut mare.

"These are beautiful animals. If there's one thing that that poor excuse for a human is good for, it's stealing fine goods.I wonder what poor sould he killed to get these from." he said as he walked over to the othe horse. He was a large male. Strongly built and full of energy. He tossed his head with anticipation as Shadow ran his hand over the horse neck and back and inspected his legs and hooves. He then moved over to the saddle and began to undo the straps."I never could stand to see an animal all tied up. I preffe to ride bareback."r he said as he tossed the saddle aside and grabbed a supplies pack and placeed it on his shoulder.

H then mounted the horse who shook slightly at the sudden weight of the man. He stomped his hooves unhapily and being reigned back andShadow smiled."He's a bit impatient. So...shall we go?" Shadow asked with a smile as he looked down at Jasper and then reached out to her face and wipe a small smuge of blood that had hit her face.  

[Purple RadioActive Banana]

As he wiped blood from her cheek, Jasper grabbed his hand and kissed the knuckles gentley.

'' They will bear us well... but If your going to get rid of the saddle, at least keep this,'' She walked over, unhooking something he'd overlooked. It was a baldric, with a shoulder strap, meant for holding a katana. "It might be useful.''

Handing it up to him she went over to her mare and mounted up. Instantly the horse reared and attempted to bolt.

"Whoa! Whoa girl!'' Jasper yelled, scrambling down, '' What wrong?''

With soft hands she checked the chestnut's hooves, legs and flanks. She couldn't find anything wrong. Then Jasper removed the saddle. There, imbedded inmovabley in the leather, was a lethal looking shard of glass.

"That b*****d'' Jasper cursed, tossing the saddle aside, '' I bet he knew it was there too.''

Remembering everything she knew about tack, Jasper moved around the from ofthe mare to check the bridle bit. It was a spade, hard and cruel.

'' I only ever ride spade,'' she muttered, removing the bridle and tying a rope in place as a simple halter.

''Okay, I'm ready,'' Jasper smiled to Shadow, clicking her tongue and heading due east for Thakii Ridge.  

[Xavior Bushido]

Shadow smiled as Jasper handed him the baldric and removed his sword from his its sheath. He then placed the sheath in the travel pack and placed the katana ine the baldric. "Thank you. It'll take a bit of getting used to with it being on me back but I'll get over it." he said with a laugh as the mare reared back.

He then saw Jasper remove the saddle and reveal a glass shard sticking out from the animals back and ground his teeth in agner. "He'll pay for that. don't you worry." he told Jasper softly as he reigned the male over to her side as he waited for her to mount.

After she had mounted and had herself set. He reigned the horse towrds the gates and set him off on a swift canter. "Let us ride." he shouted out as he cantered through the gates of the courtyard and out of the school with Jasper following bhind. It felt good to feel the wind in his hair and the powerful animal beneath him; working hard and moving seemingly effortlessly as smooth strides.  

[8track]

William sat down under a tree and rest his body aganst it. "why do I train like this, not like I can use any of these skills..." he said to himself pored some water in to his hand.

The water slowly pooled together until it rose from his hand into a perfect sphere. "But how or why can I do this....." he sifed and drank the rest of the water out of the botle and moved the sphere around in his hand.  

[StrawberryFuma]

Kozue found that she had made her way back outside to the court yard. She sighed a bit at reached into her sweat shirt pocket to look at the school map. After letting her eyes glaze over it for a good three minutes, she ripped it up and shoved the shreaded pieces in her pants pocket.

Using a map was just something she couldn't do. She would just have to be lost a little longer than everyone else.

She found a clear place in the courtyard a plopped down on the ground and thought about what to do next. She couldn't get in trouble for wandering could she? She hoped not, if she couldn't find anything, she could always return to the library.  

[8track]

William looked and saw the girl shreaded her map into small peices. "You need some help?" he called out to her as he rose from his spot and swung his bag over his sholder.  

[StrawberryFuma]

Kozue looked over to see a boy swing a bag over his shoulder. It took her a moment to realize that he was talking to her before she could respond.

"Um..." Kozue shurgged her sholders and looked down at the ground.

"I don't really know...I don't really have a place to go or not to go if that makes any sence..." Kozue knew it didn't.  

[8track]

"Then what are you looking for?" He asked as he walked over to her so he would n't have to shout at her.

he tossed the sphere for her to catch. "As wise man once told me that when you find your self lost just keep on running, sooner or later you will find someing."  

[StrawberryFuma]

Since Kozue wasn't really paying attention,she was too busy look at the ground, the sphere ended up hitting her in the chest, bouncing off and then hitting the ground. She bent down to retrive it and then looked at the boy.

"Um...I'm not really looking for anything, but I want to I think." Kozue thought about what just came out her mouth and realized that it was one of the dumbest things she had ever said.

"I mean...I mean that I just don't like walking around lost but I don't really have a set place to go." She then looked at the sphere in her hands and held it up slightly.

"What is this?"  

[8track]

He chuckled. "well that is water. The only thing I can do with any skill anymore now days. Also the reson why I got shoved into this school, if you can call it that."  

[StrawberryFuma]

Kozue smiled as she looked at the ball of water.

"I think...I can relate to that." Kozue said this while turning the ball in her hands. When had she ever held a ball of water? The answer was, of course, never.  

[8track]

"If you dont mind me asking, but why are you here? Most people here are blood thristy wakos wanting to fight for honor and glory. Frankly I just want to graduate and get out of here."  

[StrawberryFuma]

"Well, I do wanna graduate, but I don't think I'm out for glory... You see, my dad runs this big company, but as you know many companys are run by bad people and my dad happens to be one of them. Because he doesn't want people to think poorly of him, he hid me for a bit, people thought I was one of the employes kids for awhile the way he talked to me. I don't have a mother, well, she isn't here any more, so my dad didn't want people to think he was running around with homeless childern. But after seeing that I can do...things, he sent me here to get me out of his hair..." Kozue stopped, realizing that her explanation was slowly turning into a rant.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk so much." Kozue looked down at the ball of water and coninuted playing with it in her hands.