"I could go with you."

"No. This is official business, not for assistants."

"I won't get in the way. I promise." Arra dragged her feet in the dirt, trying to walk as slowly as possible while not letting Mika notice she was trying to hold them up. Official business. He was probably going to go to vampire mountain.

"I think you'll like Seba and his assistants from what I've heard of them. One of them is a little strange, but he has a good heart..." As Mika rambled on about all the reasons not to worry, Arra's mind was busy with the reasons she should.

She hadn't always been like this. She used to walk like she owned the place- wherever she was- and she would openly argue with people. She used to drive Mika crazy when she did that. Question his judgement in public loud enough for everyone to hear. Now, that self was gone. She kenw why, but the change had left Mika confused. His little fire-cracker of an assistant had suddenly burned out. Become... odd. Quiet. And scared. That was the most odd part about it. Suddenly, she was so afraid of every person out there. She wanted no outside contact. She could even be cold to him sometimes. Mika tought that all Arra needed was a change of scenary. That would make her okay (whatever the heck was wrong in the first place).

"Hey," someone had come running down the path and skidded to a stop in front of them, "Are you that guy Seba's expecting? Mika Ver Leth? And his assistant? Hi, I'm Wester! C'mon, we're just a little bit ahead-"

"What if I'm not Mika?" Mika asked.

The young man with brown hair named Wester stopped in his tracks. His face fell. "Oh... sorry, I thought you were him."

"I am, just messing with you. You should let people get words in edgewise."

Another young man, this one with strange orange hair, caught up with Wester. "Hey, I told you to wait for me!"

"You were being so slow though..." Wester protested.

"I'm Larten Crepsley, Seba's other assistant." Larten held out his hand for Mika to shake. He did so. Then he turned to Arra. "You're staying with us for about a month, right?"

"A month?!" Arra wheeled around to face Mika, ignoring Larten. "I had like a week in mind. You can't leave for that long, please..."

"Greetings Mika, I see my assistants have already introduced themselves." An older man dressed in red approached.

"Hello Seba," Mika bowed his head slightly, "They have indeed."

"Don't you dare ignore me, you said a few weeks was-"

"Arra, do not speak to me like that!" Mika snapped. She instantly looked away, recoiling in fear. His gaze softened. "I don't know why you've become so clingy," he continued, trying to be kind but stern at the same time. "You will be completely fine with Seba, I trust him and so should you."

"He is really nice, my mother hit me harder than he does." Larten said.

"When he hits at all, that's pretty rare." Wester added.

Arra simply sighed, not looking at anyone.

"You'll get used to it," Mika laid a hand on her shoulder for a moment. Then he cleared his throat abruptly. "Well, I'll be heading off now. Thank you, Seba."

"No problem, old friend, I'm sure she'll start to enjoy our company eventually."

Then he was gone, and Arra found herself in the company of three strangers.

Wester would not. Stop. Talking.

They'd been on the road for the past three hours, and he still hadn't run out of things to say. Arra hadn't mentioned the fact that to drop her off with this lot, she and Mika had traveled for an entire day already. She hadn't actually mentioned anything at all, between being tired and suspicious of these people. But the fact she didn't want to engage in any conversation didn't put Wester off. He just kept right on running his mouth.

"Hey," someone tapped Arra's shoulder, jerking her out of her thoughts. She jumped, alarmed. "It's just me," Larten held up his palms in a sign of surrender. "Didn't know you were so jumpy. Your name's Arra, right?" She nodded, eyes fixed to the ground. Wester, oblivious to the fact that no one was listening to him, continued filling the silence with mindless chatter. "I don't bite, you know. You can look at me." He gently tilted her chin up so that she made eye contact with him. He was stunned. "You... your eyes... they're really pretty," he stammered, his hand dropping back ot his side, glad that it was getting dark out because he felt his face getting warmer. Arra dropped her gaze again, also blushing. He couldn't avert his eyes though. How had he not noticed before? She was truely beautiful.

"Thanks," he heard her whisper, almost too soft to hear.