Hullo Again! Yes I have finally come with an update.

To those of you who were here the other day, you probably saw my little speech. I have deleted it due to the fact that I know the Anonymous writer has seen it.

Gunther quickened her pace. The footsteps behind her sped up as well. After a few long moments, she cursed herself. She would not be able to go home if he kept following her. So after a deep breath, Gunther turned to face Smithy.

Smithy looked a bit out of breath. Gunther figured it was probably because he spent most of his time working on his upper body strength. Still though, it was a bit amusing to see Smithy worn out. Gunther could not remember a time when she had seen Smithy need to stop for a breath before talking.

After a moments rest he straightened up and smiled meekly at Gunther. She raised an eyebrow and attempted on of the numerous Death Stares that she had seen Jane do many a time.

"I do not wish to pry, but am I right in assuming you are friends with the mentioned Gunther?" Smithy asked in that gentle tone of his. It amazed Gunther that not a moment ago he had been out of breath, and now he sounded the same as always.

His question gave her many roads on which her thoughts took her down. It would be a good explanation for why she had been so upset about the whole thing. "Yes. I'm very close to him." Gunther replied after a few moments thought.

Smithy nodded gently. "Then I would like to apologize for the cruel things said about your friend." Gunther gave him a perplexed look.

"But it was not you who said anything. Why are you the one to apologize?" She asked sincerely. "It was your friends who were making fun of him. If your friends were sorry for what they said, they would be the ones out here." Smithy then looked at her with an expression she could not read.

"Perhaps so. But still, I was there. Sometimes it is not what you say that matters; it's about what you don't say." He answered, his blue eyes never leaving Gunther's pale ones. It was unnerving and calming at the same time.

After a moment the silence was broken by Gunther. "Then I suppose I accept your apology." She said gently. Smithy smiled, and then looked around at the darkness surrounding them.

"Perhaps it would be wise for me to assist you on your way home." Smithy suggested. Gunther smiled mysteriously

"Thank you, But I don't think so." And with that she left him standing in the middle of the road as she slipped off into the darkness.

After Gunther had made sure she was well out of sight of Smithy she ducked around a bend and dashed home. After hurrying through the front door and up the short flight of stairs she quickly pulled the dress off and through on whatever manly clothing was lying about. All the while she couldn't help feeling that something big had just happened. Something that was going to change everything.

Pepper looked out the window of the kitchen as Jane, Jester, and Smithy began filling into there normal places. Rake was still doing his morning gardening rounds. "Well, how was your evening?" Pepper asked cheerfully as she set bowl of porridge in front of everyone. Jane was the first to speak.

"It was fine until Jester asked some horrid girl to sit with us." She miffed. Pepper looked at Jester curiously.

"Jester asked a girl to sit with him?" She marveled. Jester attempted to avoid eye contact with Pepper. Jane just rolled her eyes.

"You are completely missing the point Pepper. The point is that my entire evening was spoiled by her." Jane complained. "She obviously has no regard for the feelings of others." Jester shook his head.

"According to her we're actually the one's with not regard for the feelings of others." He said gently, not wanting to anger her any more. Jane simply went on to eating her porridge. Pepper looked on in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about?" She asked eagerly. Jester then proceeded to explain the events of the previous night. Jane added a few comments in-between, but Smithy remained silent, seeming lost in thought.

"I wonder why she got so upset…" Pepper asked as more of a rhetorical question then anything else.

"She said she was a friend of his." Smithy murmured slightly. Everyone turned towards him.

"How do you know?" Pepper asked, fascinated with the entire thing. She loved a good bit of gossip.

"After she stormed out Smithy followed her." Jane said as more of an afterthought. Peppers eyes lit up.

"You followed her!" She said excitedly. Smithy looked up at her with a look of slight annoyance.

"Yes, I wanted to apologize." Smithy said more to Pepper then anyone else. "I asked her why she was so upset about it and she told me she was good friends with Gunther."

Pepper just smiled knowingly at Smithy. Smithy just shook his head, and went back to his food.

"I wonder why Gunther never mentioned her." Jester thought aloud.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Pepper said as she walked back into the kitchen. At that moment, Gunther arrived and seated himself at the table.

"Ask me what?" He asked as Pepper came out with his bowl of porridge.

A quick chorus of "Nothing"s rang thru-out the table. And Pepper could have sworn she saw Gunther smiling as she slipped back into the kitchen.

The day seemed to have dragged on for ages. Or at least it felt like that to Smithy. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about that strange girl Isabelle.

As soon as he had bid his friends good-night he found himself walking towards the pub they had been at the night before. 'This is silly. I should just go back.' His feet obviously did not care for his minds opinion, as they kept moving towards the pub.

A few short minutes later he was standing at the entrance. 'It can't hurt just to look.' He thought as he pulled open the door and walked in. Cheerful music hit his ears the second he entered. The smell of Ale tempted him as he walked thru*.

He had just sat down when he saw something at the back of the bar that made him get up and walk towards it just so he was sure he was not mistaken.

"Jester? What on earth are you doing here?"

I do so love my cliff-hangers.
And despite the recent events, I will still be holding my next chapter "Hostage" for 5 reviews

*Yes I intentionally spelled thru like that.