"Brother, we really should've listened to Khayal. Or atleast asked him for directions!" Al opened his chest plate and let all the sand pour out. He looked over at Edward who was sweating profusely with that stubborn look on his face. Ed pulled out his silver pocket watch and flipped it open.

"We've been walking for a little over two hours now it can't be far Al." Al shook his head and continued walking next to the firey Alchemist.

"How do we know we're even walking in the right direction?" Ed didn't dignify Al's question with an answer, he needed to find this mine and find it now.

"What are we going to do when we find her anyway brother?" Edward scowled at his younger brother and Al knew to shut up. The sun had gotten the best of Ed, Al could see the start of a sunburn on Edwards brow and the sweat dripping off of his handsome face. He knew that Ed wouldn't just give up but he had a feeling that this was a terrible idea. All they have heard is how dangerous this girl is and even if they do find her, Ed is too exhausted to fight her. Al knew it would have to be up to him.

"Hey Al, do you see that?" Ed squinted off in the distance, hoping what he saw wasn't some mirage.

"The tree? Yeah I do see it."

"I.. I suppose we can rest there for a while." Sighing in defeat, Ed made his way to the tree and slumped down laying his back against the tree's dry trunk.

"And people wonder why no one wants to come to the East." Wiping the sweat from his face, Ed closed his eyes trying to regain some composure. He had to make it through this. He thought back to his and the Colonel's conversation two days earlier.

"Does that mean we bring back the girl too?"

"Hah, that is if you can Fullmetal. But yes, that is what I mean. This girl obviously knows a lot, Edward and has probably seen too much. Be careful."

Ed shook his head to get the thoughts out, this was beginning to be too much. He leaned his head against the tree and closed his eyes.

"I told her I was going to marry a girl like her someday!"

Oh Khayal, he may think he's a man but he sure does have a lot of growing up to do. Ed's mind drifted in an out of conciousness as his body cried out from dehydration and exhaustion. He was about to fall asleep when Al shook his shoulder with great urgency.

"Brother.. brother!" Al hissed into Ed's ear making Ed sit up straight, the blood flowed into his head making him dizzy. His vision blurred and he rubbed his eyes. When his vision finally cleared he saw a figure walking towards them.

"That has to be her brother." Al was right, the tattered cloak and the gloves that covered her body, and the black tendrils of hair falling underneath a hood.

"What should we do brother?" Ed shot Al a glare and pursed his lips together.

"Act cool, we got lost in the desert and need help. Got it?" Al nodded and Ed placed a hand on his shoulder and stood up, his knees shaking from exhaustion.

"Hey! Heey!" Ed cried and waved his hands towards the figure. The figure stopped and cocked her head to look at them before advancing. Ed's stomach was churning, Halling was right about this girl having a 'presence'. It was like an ominous cloud had entered over head, simply waiting to strike the brothers down.

The girl was around 20 feet away when she stopped. Ed and Al couldn't see her face but they could feel her eyes studying them. There was a long uncomfortable silence before Ed finally spoke,

"We got a lost a few hours ago, could you help us? My mouth feels like a desert!" The girl cocked her head to one side again before approaching a little closer. This made Ed nervous but he needed to maintain his cool. Refugees, lost, need help, no affiliation with the military.

"The water is filthy here." Was all the girl said and threw a bag towards them. Ed opened it to find two unopened beer bottles, ice cold. He clicked off the top and chugged the first one feeling the cold liquid quench his sandy insides. With a sigh of relief he turned again to the girl.

"Who are you?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Her voice was cool and collected, like water falling over sandy rocks washing away any impurities. She kept at a safe distance eyeing the boys, but they still couldn't see her face, or really anything.

"Oh well, we're.. uhm. I'm.. Lee and this is my brother Fu!" Al looked at his brother and mentally slapped himself. Lee and Fu? Edward was the worst liar.

"Lee.. and Fu. How quaint. If you would like my help I will need the truth." Cooly, like babbling brook in the middle of the desert.

Ed cursed at himself, and stood up to his full height. "We know you helped that town, we just want information."

The girl did not move, not a single flinch. It made Edward more nervous.

"Information hmm?" The girl took a single step forward, "It seems like you already know too much."

Ed looked at Al and swallowed hard, this was not going well. Gaining his composure he finally decided to get to the point.

"Your name.. Your name is Freia isn't it. Freia Lockwood?" Ed could hear the girl hiss at the sound of her own name and take a defensive pose.

"Just who are you? Wandering the desert. Looking for me hmm?" Ed could feel the girls eyes studying him with intensity. "A silver pocket watch. You're military dogs." The girl seethed through clenched teeth. This was not good.

"We don't mean any harm, we just need information!" Al stood up next to his brother and stared at the girl.

"I will give nothing to the military." She spat at Ed's feet. "If it's a fight you want I will gladly give it to you."

Ed stiffened, he was exhausted and dehydrated, how could he fight this girl? Maybe intimidation? But he could hardly transmute anything in this bowl of sand. Clapping his hands together and making a knife of the end of his automail he took a defensive stance.

"No transmutation circles? Stylish." The girl grabbed the clasp of her cloak and threw it off. Underneath she wore black pants that had metal loops down the sides that exposed her skin. All over her body he saw transmutation circles, carved into her pale skin. Her eyes lifted and Ed could finally see her face. She was beautiful, like Khayal said. Almost too beautiful. Her eyes seemed so empty as they stared at the brothers. She closed her eyes and muttered under her breath, when her eyes opened transmutation circles appeared on her face, her eyes being in the center of the circles. Ed and Al gasped as the other circles began glowing on her body.

"No military dog will control me." Her words felt like poison. She jumped into the air, far higher than Ed could himself and she grabbed onto her ankles where two matching circles lay. Closing her eyes she focused her power and two lightening bolts shot from her knees destroying the tree behind the brothers. Ed's jaw dropped and he stared at the girl. He couldn't fight her, not when she had this much of an advantage.

"I just want to talk to you! I don't want to fight." Ed put his hands in the air.

"You will not take me back to the military. I will not be your weapon." She landed deftly on her feet with the grace of a cat. The transmutation circles around her eyes glowed fiercly. She studied the boys for a few more moments before the circles began to retreat back into her eyes.

"But that's not what you're here for is it."

"No, it's not. I swear. We just want to talk." Ed mentally cursed the Colonel and wondered if he knew about this.

"I can see you are not lying." Ed felt stripped naked by the girl's gaze and he blushed.

"You may follow me. Do not forget the other beer." Ed looked down at the bag she had earlier thrown to his feet. The beer was already warm and right before he reached down to grab it, it turned icy cold again. The girl had clasped the cloak around her again and extended a gloved hand to Edward.

"Yes, my name is Freia. It was before. I do not know if I am still that girl. You may call me that if you like. You are?" Her voice made Edward melt and her touch electrified him. He blushed and coyly responded, "Edward Elric."

"I'm Alphonse Elric, his younger brother." Ed had forgotten about his brother until that moment.

"Well then Elrics. Follow me." She jumped away from the boys with ninja like skill. "Don't dally."

Edward ran after the girl with Alphonse, wondering what the hell they had gotten themselves into.