A/N: thanx for the reviews ppl... i will now try and reply to reviews like thru emails n that so if u have any questionsor ne thing then u'll get an answer...plz enjoy this chappie.
Chapter 6 An Assassin or Two.
The group now including the 'medicine woman', was only a few hours from the fort. Allen had insisted that the unknown woman travel with them and at least be awarded for her help.
"So what was all that about in Fanelia?" Allen just could not help himself from asking.
"What? Oh. That." The healer held to the back of the saddle of Allen's horse, a hint that she was a common rider of horses. "Nothing, just in a little trouble is all."
Van watched from his position the actions of the woman, he like Allen had become suspicious though it was not her battered hands that bothered the King; it was how she knew how to deal with the dragon, no ordinary healer knew such things. Also her bag. It was not the bag from before, that had torn, this was a bag for carting around swords and such like weapons, he had seen them before used by trainers and Balgus.
"You can hold onto me if you wish," Allen had started a conversation again, he wanted to get as much information out of the woman as possible without being too obvious. "It must hurt you hands holding onto the back of the saddle like that."
"I'm fine." She said, sounding quite protective of herself, "Thank you anyway." She added; changing her tone to sound more grateful.
"If you don't mind me asking, why are you're hands bandaged?"
She sifted slightly.
"They were slashed." The young woman said it like a slashing was nothing.
Using a slash as punishment was still heard of in Zaibach, but it was more commonly used in interrogation. Allen was shocked to hear that a medicine woman of all people had been slashed, but her occupation was a matter to question. He knew in the back of his mind she had been lying to them from the beginning.
"I see." He did not know how to answer, but luckily for the blonde Knight the fort was in clear sight.
As the troupe arrived the crew was waiting, with Eries and Serena stood to the side. Allen dismounted as Serena ran up to him.
"Brother!" She shouted as she ran into an embrace.
Van dismounted first and helped Hitomi down, Merle was quick to jump off the back of her horse and take up her usual place, clinging onto Vans arm.
"Brother who is that?" Asked Serena pointing to the woman with raven black hair.
"I'm Ri, Ri Saki." She held out her hand to the Knights younger sister.
Van raised his head.
That name I've heard it before.
"Any relation to The Saki?" Asked Allen, Ri smiled.
"No. None."
The fort was almost completed, though not all the rooms were furnished. Ri and the others had been given rooms, Hitomi sharing with merle…again.
Allen had been talking to Van about Ri and Folken's journal.
Van had decided not to read it, something Allen could not understand. Their conversation would have gone on further but Gaddess came in saying that a man requested to see the commander of the fort.
When Allen, (followed by Van) entered the hall he noticed the man looking around. He was about the same height as the Knight, with very long dark red hair tied in ribbon like that of a samurai, he looked only a few years older than Allen and had two swords strapped to his belt one longer than the other. He bowed politely to the Knight Caeli.
"Thank you for seeing me Sir Allen. I heard you just returned from Fanelia, I hope I'm not bothering you." The man had grown his hair over his left side of his face, to what Allen judged was to cover a scar he was sure he had seen.
"No it's no bother, you are?"
"Ah yes. My name is Garf, kind Sir. I owned a dojo south of here, I came wondering if you have heard news of a woman once employed by Zaibach." Well that explained the samurai look, so this Garf was a dojo master, he must be good with the sword to own his own dojo.
"A woman? And why might I ask are you looking for this woman. I don't help with run away girlfriends Mr. Garf." The dojo master laughed.
"She's no girlfriend of mine Sir. She's an Assassin."
An Assassin!
Garf grinned. "Yes a Female Assassin, I worked with her for some years though left Zaibach three years ago. I left all my ties to the dark world an Assassin lives in and started up a dojo. I had hoped she would have gone with me but she refused later I hear that she fell (died) during a mission. I never believed it though. A few weeks ago I heard she had been spotted heading for Fanelia and possibly Asturia, and that is what brings me here."
Disclaimer note: I do not own Escaflowne or anything related with it…But Ri and Garf are my own characters.
