Man guys, I am SO sorry that this has taken me so long to update. I had finals week, not fun, and then I came home and jumped right into working and everything. It's been tough finding time for myself working 40+ hours a week. It's been crazy between that and getting ready for Christmas and having my birthday this week. Too much, so I'm sorry. I know it's just be giving you lame excuses for why I haven't written anything. Sorry! Anyway, on with the next chapter.

Chapter 4: Unsure

The next morning Kratos was inside of the house when Thalion came into the kitchen from his room. He had his pack ready to go and was waiting for his grandfather to finish the rest of it. Thalion walked over to the window and looked outside before shaking his head at the sight.

"She's still out there," Thalion said as he looked back at Kratos in disbelief. He looked back out the window and watched as Aria stood next to Noishe scratching his head as she placed some food down on the ground for him.

"I can't believe that she wouldn't come in to sleep at all. She just slept out there with Noishe all night. I wonder why?" he asked as he walked away from the window to help Kratos with the rest of the packing.

"Perhaps she isn't used to sleeping with anyone other than Noishe," Kratos tried his best to come up with some sort of explanation.

"Or maybe she isn't used to sleeping inside," Thalion said quietly, almost to himself as he grabbed a small bag of money and placed it in his pack.

"Is that it?" Kratos asked Thalion as he looked around the room a few times to be sure he wasn't missing anything too important.

"I think so. Let's go," Thalion said as he smiled at him, eager to get going.

The two walked out of the house as Aria looked up at the two. "Are you guys finally ready to go?" she asked impatiently. Thalion nodded his head and she walked over to pick up Noishe's food to get him ready. She placed her pack and quiver on her back and was ready to go.

"So where are we going to first?" Thalion asked Aria before they started on their way.

Aria looked over to Kratos and gave a small smile in his direction. "I don't know. I was thinking that we go look around the town where Yuan and Storm lived by. I don't quite know where it is, but I think Kratos would, and he'd know the face of the man who killed them," she said as she waited for Kratos' reply.

Kratos looked over at her with her reply, a little stunned at her decision. He wasn't sure if he wanted to revisit where he had lost his daughter, but he knew that it was important to the two of them.

"I'll take you to the town, but if I go in I will draw too much attention to the group since they are still looking for anyone for the Regeneration group," Kratos answered as he walked a little farther ahead beside Noishe, leaving Aria and Thalion in the back together.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, Thalion looked over to Aria, a question running through his mind.

"Why didn't you come inside last night?" he asked her.

Aria looked over at him, a little stunned at the forward nature of his question. "Well, I guess I just like sleeping outside, it's what I'm used to. Besides, Noishe deserves some company at night as well," she replied. She looked down at the ground for a moment after she was finished before she looked back at him with a very blank face.

Thalion didn't seem to convinced by her answer as he stared at her, trying to read something in her face, somewhere.

"It has something to do with us, doesn't it?" he asked her finally, staring ahead to where his grandfather and Noishe were walking.

Aria looked over at him, before looking in the direction he was facing. "It has nothing to do with you..." she said, a little uncomfortably.

"Sure it doesn't," Thalion muttered under his breath.

"Look, can we just drop the subject. You know, I'm doing you a favor letting you come along. I don't really need the extra company and you're just a burden at this point. Just leave me alone and take care of yourself," she yelled at him before moving a little farther from him.

Thalion watched her move away as he slowed his walking speed a bit, lost a little in thought. He just couldn't figure her out, but he wanted to know her so much. There was something about her that he just couldn't put his finger on, something that she was trying desperately to hide.

Aria was a little steamed by Thalion's questions and assumptions. She thought things over a little bit before she realized that he had slowed down his pace. She looked back and her eyes grew large when she saw him. Thalion himself didn't shock her, but rather what was stalking behind him.

Kratos soon realized that there was not the sound of footsteps behind him any longer as he turned behind to see where Aria and Thalion had gone off to. He couldn't see anything behind Thalion, but he did see Aria pointing an arrow at him.

"Get down Thalion," Kratos screamed to his grandson as Thalion looked up and saw the arrow pointed in his direction. He ducked quickly, easily dodging the arrow that flew by him.

"What are you doing?" Kratos yelled angrily at Aria as he pulled out his sword from its sheath and pointed it straight at her, waiting for some sort of explanation. Before Kratos could get another word in though Noishe jumped in front of him, protecting Aria from anything he would attempt.

"Noishe?" Kratos asked as he looked at his long time companion standing between him and a potential enemy.

"Grandpa, it's okay," Thalion as he got up off the ground.

"What do you mean it's okay? She almost shot you with an arrow," Kratos said angrily, looking back at Aria with a death glare.

"She was protecting me," Thalion said a little more calmly.

"Protecting you?" Kratos said as he lowered his weapon a little.

Aria didn't say anything as she put her weapon away and looked over towards Thalion and the wolf she had shot. Noishe came closer to her and nudged her hand a little as she scratched him behind the ears in appreciation for his protection.

Kratos walked over to Thalion and saw too the wolf that laid on the ground with an arrow in its side. It was still alive, but it wasn't going to be moving around for a little while.

Kratos looked back at Aria, not quite sure what to say to her. Instead of saying anything he placed his sword back in its sheath and nodded his head at her before continuing back along the trail. Aria watched him pass before Thalion came up to her.

"Thank you," he told her, still a little shocked by what almost happened.

"Don't think you'll get so lucky next time, watch what you're doing," she warned him before she started walking after Kratos.

"Wait!" he yelled at her. Aria stopped in her tracks when he called. She didn't turn around, but waited to hear what he had to say.

"Why did you save me? You said that you wouldn't protect me, but you did," he asked her.

Aria didn't move and didn't say a word. She stayed like that for a few long moments before walking after Kratos once again, not answering his question.

Thalion watched her walk away, wondering what exactly she was trying to do by being so mysterious. Ahead on the horizon, Thalion could see where the woods turned into a town, and he wondered if this was the place that they were searching for. He jogged a little to catch up with everyone else as they came upon the town whose people had murdered his parents. He had no idea what would be in store for him there.

Ok, that's it from me. I know everyone is going to complain that nothing happened in this chapter, but I hope I created the tension between Aria and Thalion that I was hoping for. Thanks for being so patient once again. I hope there are still people out there waiting for this story yet. Anyway, thanks for reading and please be sure to leave a review! Thanks!