Risa woke to the smell of fish and yawned as she sat up. But then flashes of what almost happened, and then Tien made her gasp. She shot her eyes up, worried that him saving her had all been a horrible dream. But she sighed to see that he was sitting opposite the fire from her. But then she cast tear filled eyes down. "I am sorry for what happened."
Tien looked up at her with wide eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. They were the idiots that were going to force you to do something that you didn't want to do."
"But it is my fault in a way. Had I never tried to go into town on my own and back this wouldn't have happened."
Tien arched his eyebrow. "What are you talking about? What happened?"
Risa hugged her knees to her chest. "There is a little town that is about two days away from where I live in the mountains. I made it to town just fine, but I couldn't remember the last time that I had been there so I got turned around when in town and ended up going out the wrong way and getting lost."
Tien nodded as he looked into the fire. "You seem to know the general area where you need to go. Just before you passed out yesterday you said we needed to go North East from here. That way."
Risa nodded. "That's right. But I only know that because papa taught me that if I ever got lost to always follow our Little Wishing Star."
"Little Wishing Star?"
"Yes. Papa and I use to look for one certain star in the sky every night when I was little and we would wish on it. It was our Little Wishing Star as he called it."
Tien sighed as he checked the fish. "If you don't mind my asking why did you go into town all on your own? Why didn't your father go with you?"
Risa smiled as she let fresh tears stream down her face. "I lost him and my brother last year. They were caught off guard one time when they went into town and just never came home. The neighbor that lives in the next valley from us brought them home in his wagon so they could be buried next to mama."
Tien felt his heart go out to her as he listened to her story. "So you are all on your own up here?"
Risa nodded. "Mama died right after she named me. And then Papa and Saito last year." She laughed as she looked up at Tien wiping tears from her face. "It is funny that you were the one that saved me."
"Why is that?"
"The last thing that my brother did was go to the World Martial Arts Tournament the year that you won. You let him take a picture with you."
Tien smiled. Though she was crying she at least had something to smile about. "Well then I take it that is a good thing."
Risa nodded slightly then gasped and hid her face as her stomach growled loudly. "I'm sorry."
Tien laughed as he once again checked the fish and then handed her one. "It's alright the fish is done." He ate in silence as he let her do the same. He could get her to where she lived by night fall that night if he flew. But there was something else that was troubling him. He couldn't figure it out so he sighed then looked up at her. "Risa."
Risa looked up and saw he was standing. Fear gripped her that he wouldn't take her home like he said and that the bandits from the day before would find her. "Yes?"
Tien smiled as he held his hand out. "Let's get you home. I can have you there by night fall."
Risa gasped as she starred up at him. "But we are at the very least two days away!"
Tien winked at her. "Remember, I can fly."
Risa's eyes got even bigger. "You mean not just floating? You can actually fly?"
Reaching down and pulling her to stand next to him he nodded. "So can Chiaotsu. If you will trust me, I can have you home in no time."
Risa could feel her blush rising to the surface of her face. She was standing so close to him, and he was even more handsome than the picture that her brother got showed. She looked down with an awkward smile. "I do. I trust you Mr. Shinhan. My brother and father said that they could not have met a better guy than you."
Tien laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well I am glad of that, but don't call me Mr. Shinhan. It just doesn't sound right. Tien will be just fine."
"Tien! Look what I found!" Chiaotsu flew into the camp and then stopped and smiled at Risa. "Good you are awake you will like these too!" He then let his shirt fall and a whole mess of strawberries fell to the ground. "Can we eat some before we take her home Tien? Risa would that be alright with you?"
Risa had to laugh at how excited he was at finding wild strawberries. "I don't mind."
Tien sighed with a smile. "Okay. We will eat some and then we will take her home."
Chiaotsu giggled as he sat down and picked up the biggest one and handed it to Risa. "You can have the biggest one."
Risa took it from him with a smile. "Thank you. You know my father use to make the most delicious strawberry pie with strawberries I grow in my garden. Once you know where I live you will have to come back and taste it one day."
Chiaotsu nodded. "I would love to. Do you think we can one day Tien?"
Tien laughed as he nodded. "We can do that." Then he watched as Risa and Chiaotsu talked about the different ways that they liked to eat Strawberries. They seemed to really like each other, and he could not deny her beauty.
She had jet black hair that reached bellow her behind in thick waves. Her eyes were as green as fresh spring grass. And her body was absolutely stunning. Just right no matter what. 'I need to get her home and then get out before she bewitches me into staying forever.'
He stood as they finished the last of the strawberries. "Well it is time to get you home. Are you ready to fly?"
Risa stood with a nervous smile. "I am. I trust that you won't drop me, but I can't help but be a little nervous."
Tien stepped up next to her and lifted her into his arms with a smile. "That is usual for someone who doesn't fly. Just hold onto my neck and you will be home in no time."
Risa nodded as she once again blushed and cast her eyes down. Then she let out a little scream as he shot off from the ground and soared through the sky causing her hair to fly behind them. She looked down and watched as the ground and trees zoomed past her faster than she thought possible!
Turning her head she buried it into his neck to keep the wind from hitting her face. But her heart was racing. She knew that if she spent much more time with this man, that she would never be able to be with another one. He was handsome, strong, mature, and kind. Everything that she pictured he was. And she knew that she could fall in love with him so easily if she would just let herself.
