Sorry! I was waiting for a new computer and I only just got it yesterday. I hope you like it!

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No ones POV

The former princess of Nilo stood with the bow still strung in her hand but now resting at her side. Pressed to her hip, Uraza tensed. The large cats fur bristled and her tail lashed, but with a gentle sway of Abeke's hips she relaxed. The two boys standing across from them both took a step back, the blonde smile though; a little small smile. One that showed kindness and concern, not the expected threatening anger.

Rollan looked at the girl with a large smile stretched across his tan features. They just met a princess! Not just any princess though, no they met Abeke, the legend amongst street kids. Abeke; the orphan who rose to be a princess but who still managed to be down to earth and who never lost her humility. Though now, it seems she's back to what she started out as; another orphan girl living on the street with no where to go.

Connor smiled at the scared and beautiful girl. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her dark skin and coal black hair complimented her warm brown eyes, that though were looking at them with distrust and fear he could see the warmth and kindness that was the real her. And so, for this special girl, he smiled.

Connor slowly approaches the girl, his body language is calm and non-threatening in hopes that he won't scare her more than she already is. He reaches out a calloused hand, and Briggan, who as always is staying loyally by his side, lowers his head towards the girl in a more animalistic version of his masters actions.

She looks at the young man with a distrustful look in her narrowed eyes.

Rollan lowers his head and holds out an arm where Essix lands to eye the graceful pair

Connor still smiles.

"C'mon my lady, please, allow us to sit. I promise, we will do no harm to you."

With one last distrustful glance, she takes his hand and allows him to pull her down onto the cold pebble-covered dirt of the alley ways ground. The boys smile at her and sit on her sides, looking at her happily.

"So princess, what can we a do for ya?"

"Don't get cocky boy" She glares at him. " I may have grown up in a castle but I am surely stronger"

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Later that day.

The two boys had managed to calm down the scared and upset girl. So now two hours later, the three kids sat together with a small fire burning brightly in the evenings darkness. The girl sat with her knees pulled into herself and her leopard lying loyally by her side. She watched the flames flicker and listened to the fires cracks and pops, reminiscing in times past where happiness didn't seem so far away. She thought of her mother, the stories she told and love she enclosed her in. Her thoughts then led to her sister. When they were young her and her sister had loved to sit in the 3rd libraries fire place and tell each other stories of mystical creatures, people with animals that were tattooed to their bodies that when summoned, came to life and fought for them. She smiled; those were her favorite times, the time when everything was okay. She is so entrapped in her thoughts that she didn't notice when Connor and Briggan approached her.

"Hey, you okay there princess?" He taps her shoulder and bows his head in a miniscule sign of respect. Abeke's head snaps up and she looks at him with big, startled eyes and tears that she hadn't even realized she had. Abeke gasped as a tear slipped into her mouth, and splashed her tounge with salty water. She whips her head away from her new friends and ducks her neck down, hoping to hide her sadness from the two boys.

"I'm fine. And it's Abeke, oh and drop the 'princess'. That's not me any more" She whispers. Her voice, however quiet, shakes and the two boys look to each other with confusion and concern in their eyes. What do they do next? They're boys...they don't do girls..

Briggan whines and nestles into Abeke's arm; he got attached fast. Uraza growls but Abeke calms her with an unexpectedly steady hand before reaching over and petting Briggan's head.

"You okay there Princess? Don't bother tellin' me not to I'm gonna call you princess, princess" Rollan says with a wry smile. What? He's the funny one. Bad jokes are his specialty.

"I'm fine, the atmosphere simply brought me back to a time that I miss greatly, but not to worry. I will be fine guys. Oh and Rollan, Really?" She looks up at the boys with a small smile, and though she has tears still glistening in her eyes, the boys can't help believe her words.

"Well, from my time out here on the streets, I've learned at least this one thing; groups or completely solo is best. So whadda ya say princess? Wanna join this dashing man and his dorky sidekick?" Rollan looks to her with a boastful smile and she can't help but feel better about the situation.

"Rollan! Don't just randomly ask her to join us! What if she doesn't trust us yet? Huh? She probably thinks we're kidnappers! Oh and another thing! I am NOT your sidekick!" Connor looks to Rollan as he complains, his face easily described as a tomato.

The former princess laughs; a real joyful laugh, and she holds out a hand. "Yeah . I would. So for now on we're a team. Right guys?" She grins.

Her hand is covered by to masculine hands, two paws and a bird.

"Right. We're now a team!"