Meeting New Faces

"Hara you can put me down now," Galatea whispered as low as she can avoiding the suspicious eyes that glared at them the moment they stepped outside the Cathedral's doors. She knew that it was a weird sight for the bystanders, seeing a nun being cradled like a child by the tall woman.

After a lot of squirming and a mountain of requests to let her down, the ex-Claymore finally shook herself off the crusader's gentle embrace (which she won't admit that she enjoyed) dusting her uniform off, the moment her feet touch solid ground. Looking at her beautiful companion, she can't help but give her one of her reserved smiles of mirth that few people ever saw.

"I thank you Hara for standing up to me when no one else did," clasping the woman's hands on her own. She placed it on her cheek. "I just wish things would have turned out better for you,"

The crusader merely shrugged. "Really Gal, its nothing. I had to admit that it is my first time acting in front of a crowd that large though," an evil smile touching her lips, she added.

"Don't tell them that,"

"Of course, but do you mean to tell me that all those things and brilliant arguments you said just all came from your head?" the surprised nun asked. She never noticed the evidence that what the crusader did was nothing more than a monologue on her part.

"Not really, I was kinda annoyed at them bickering like a flock of untamed geese. So that ticked me a lot. Where I came from priests focus more on being selfless not quivering in fear thinking of how to put themselves in a position of safety at the cost of someone losing a home or a life,"

"I don't really deserve these life though," mumbled the nun to herself.

"Gala! How many times do you have to wallow in self-pity?" asked the crusader. "You already caught the attention of someone like me and have made so many little souls happy on that rickety cabin of yours,"

Despite her bad mood the white-haired woman cannot help but have a faint smile appear in her lips as she heard her lover use her pet name. If any others use that on her, God help them for the beating that will come.

"I can't believe you teased my house," frowned Galatea crossing her arms in her chest in fake anger. She was always amused at how the blue-haired woman took the critics almost way too seriously always.

"Wait! I didn't mean that!" protested Hara.

"Hmmf! Rickety? First time I have someone call my beloved home something like that," continued the nun turning her back to the tall woman to hide her sides which is already heaving with barely contained laughter.

"Aww! Come on Gala, I take it back. I didn't mean anything by it, I just loved the sound of the roof every time it moved,"

"Really? So what does it sound like?" mocked the nun enclosing the other woman in a trap of words.

"I mean it squeaks and it groans like a boat," said the woman thoughtfully.

"And what word describes your squeaks and groans?" Galatea asked raising a single eyebrow at her partner.

"Rickety….. I guess…Wait! Gala wait!" the crusader took off after the nun who walked away as fast as her legs can carry her the moment the word "Rickety" left her lips, making the poor woman run after her thinking that her friend finally snapped in anger at her absurd comments and lack of tact. What she didn't see was the barely controlled snorts and giggles that the white-haired woman can no longer contain as she won against the crusader on their one-sided teasing.

The rest of the morning Galatea spent the time touring her lover on the Holy City. She cannot help smiling as the lithe figure in her white ex-Claymore uniform ogled the shops in a childlike curiosity. She cannot remember the times the blue-haired woman said nothing but non-stop barrage of questions that normally start with "Who, What, When, Where and worst of all Why," as they circled the Holy place. Standing a few feet behind the crusader who was crouched looking at an array of small statues that are designed to be hung on jewelry, Galatea appreciated her luck of finding a rare beauty as her friend. Being at the back gave her plain view of the woman in her glory again and she cannot stop but wonder how old the blue-haired person really is.

A scratching sound made Galatea look back and she nearly flipped in alarm seeing the small crowd of the city boys who had all this time followed them.

"What are they all doing here?" she thought wildly as the stalkers tried to make themselves inconspicuous, acting like bystanders which in Galatea's opinion made them even more suspicious. Avoiding the curios gazes of the others, the nun pointed her attention at the one making the small scratchy sound. The boy, no older than thirteen, froze in fear seeing the nun looking straight at him. He is holding a small sketch pad and are busily drawing something when the white-haired woman caught him.

"Hey little kid, what's your name?" smiled Galatea as she kneeled in the ground bringing her height level to the small boy. On her sides she could feel the envy clearly in the air from the other boys seeing that the lovely woman took interest in the youngest of them all.

"Ro- Ronan," stammered the kid hiding whatever he is doing in his chest.

"Ronan…hmm….. that's a good name and a strong one too," commented Galatea. Looking at the small kid kindly she reached out gently with her pointing finger touching the covering of the small sketch pad that the kid is hugging. "May I see it Ronan….please,"

The young boy muttered a small "Sure Sister," answer as he handed the piece of paper and bark he is holding to the soft hands that held them gently. Flipping the parchment, Galatea could not help but smile as she saw the creative work the kid have finely created with those little hands of his.

An image of the twin goddesses Clare and Teresa is the original design of such a work, but the little kid have changed the proper characters. Instead of the twin faces of the divine deities, the faces resembled hers and Hara's. Even the bodies are designed to be like what they are wearing now. Hara on her white outfit with her sword on the hip and Galatea on her nun robes holding a cross as she clasped her hands in prayer. The wings creatively complemented the drawing giving it a very other worldly design. It was clear as day that the small boy was obviously skilled in using his hands.

"This is beautiful Ronan," commented Galatea as she looked up to the blushing face of the boy who is averting his eyes from her silver ones. Giving it back to the guilty hands, she added. "Paint it for me will you? And when you are done, just drop by to my cabin so I can show it to Hara too,"

"Hara?" the small voice of the kid curiously asked not quite getting what the nun meant by the name.

Smiling, Galatea pointed out to the blue-haired woman who is in some kind of conversation to a shopkeeper on a stall. Judging by the adoring eyes the person is looking at the tall woman and the curiosity in Hara's face, it is quite obvious that their conversation would not end anywhere soon. Galatea sighed, she could not help but wonder how people are open to Hara's likable attitude.

"She's pretty," the small boy shyly mumbled.

"I know," the nun responded with a little envy on her voice. She looked down as the small hand held the tip of her fingers.

"Sister Latea's pretty too," the future artist added, earning him another smile from the nun.

"Thank you Ronan," Galatea bent down kissing his brow, making the crowd of "inconspicuous" boys mutter among themselves. "Now go along now and finish it," she ordered softly the small child, giving him a light nudge to egg him on. Smiling at the nun, he gave one more wave of goodbye before running off into the crowd.

"This is the reason why I like kids," Galatea thought to herself as she watched the small figure go. Children are not as judgemental unlike their adult counterparts. Feeling the dozen of glares glued at her, the nun finally decided that it's time to leave these lovesick puppies before each of them try to make a portrait of her to get her attention.

Approaching the blue-haired woman who had transferred to another stall to ogle at its goods Galatea hugged the other woman's hips lightly catching her undivided attention…..for now.

"Harhar it's time to go now," the nun said pulling the woman away from a collection of golden eggs studded with diamonds in the store she is happily ogling.

"Gala wait, they're so pretty," protested the crusader as the gentle hands pulled her away with no effort at all.

"Yes and you can buy them if you have money on your own," Galatea rolled her eyes in mock annoyance as the figure beside her pouted about not having the money needed, when she wants to buy something she really wants. "But not today,"

Thankfully the tall woman does not said anything more, which pleased the nun to no end. She is in a good mood already thanks to the artistic efforts of the child and she has no plans to ruin that mood.

"Hara?"

"Hmm,"

"May I ask you a question?"

"You already did," smiled the crusader making the nun looked at her in mock annoyance. She hesitated a bit before finally spitting it out.

"How old are you?" Galatea had to resist the urge to look at the face of the woman as she felt a surprise gaze quiz her face. The long-haired woman really was curious about her partner's age, and she felt that now was the best time than ever, there is no reason for her to put the question on hold.

"Why the sudden interest Gala?" inquired the blue-haired woman in a questioning tone.

The nun shrugged, now she understood what her parents told her when she is a little girl about how impolite it is to ask someone's age. It made her uncomfortable and she got a feeling that her friend felt the out of place sensation too.

"You can choose not to tell me if you want to," shrugged the nun walking a little step ahead of the tall woman in high strides making her posture straight as a ruler.

"Damn! I'm acting like a small child," she thought to herself. She dare not look back as she felt the giddy humor emanating from the other woman at her reply.

"Fine, you don't have to act all serious and dreadful you know," joked the crusader as she walked a step beside her. "I'm twenty-two. Happy now? And stop that role playing of anger, because it's really obvious that you are not,"

"Hmmf! And you have to make me pout and act stupid before you answer the simple question," the nun replied making a show by putting both of her hands in her chest in what obviously a position of mock annoyance. "That's no way to treat a nun,"

"And as I always said, such a chaste nun you are," smiled the blue-haired woman throwing a sudden happy hug at her causing the ex-Claymore who isn't used on public display of affection to stiffen at her lover's unexpected twist ofaction, frantically looking at the passerby's who are taking curios glances at them. Both of them stood out like a sore thumb in the crowd after all.

"Why does this girl have to be so pathetically beautiful? She always attract a lot of attention" she thought to herself as she extracted herself from the soft hands circling her. What she didn't get was that she was on par with beauty and grace from her rather happy-go-lucky-companion rather in a cold and mysterious way.

"Gala, since you asked me my age. Is it all right to ask yours?" the crusader inquired after the nun successfully entangled herself away from the probing limbs of her lover.

"Well…if you really want to know I'm nineteen cycles only," Galatea replied not looking at her in the eyes. She was not sure she wanted to see the crusader's mocking face.

"Aww I can't believe that you are younger than me," commented Hara with her usual I-love-you-so-much-you-know smile that she only reserved for the nun, literally sending butterflies flying in the air on Galatea's stomach.

"I thought it is really obvious,"

"Nope, at first sight I thought you are at least twenty-five," joked the blue-haired woman. "The hair and the height dissuades the arguments,"

"You jealous?"

"Me?..Purr lease…." Hara rolled her eyes to the heavens. "I haven't been jealous of anything for a long time"

"Well you gotta start being jealous sometime again," teased the nun. "Like my hair for example," with a small wave of her hand that she had done a million times already, the nun flicked her hair in the air making the crusader's jaw beside her drop in jealousy.

"Shut up Gala!" laughed the blue-haired woman as she playfully punched the nun's arms in annoyance after she regained her cmposure. "You're so evil you know that,"

"I'm best at it," shrugged the nun giving her lover's arm a small squeeze to point out that she is only playing around. The two made progress as they passed on the eastern side of the city which mostly compromises of suburbs and shanties, very different from its richer version who are emplaced near the cathedral. The pair ended up having another round of avoiding lovesick males who are hell bent on capturing at least one of them, leading to a merry chase that ended when they lost the humans on a back alley.

"They never give up do they?" panted the blue-haired woman as she stooped to catch her breath. They had been running a complete half an hour before the nun finally got riled enough to punch the lights out of the first male that is quite excited than the rest.

"If you're a lot less prettier then we don't have to deal with these," the nun replied calmly a smirk lurking in her lips as she observed her exhausted companion growl in disapproval. Lucky for her, being an ex-Claymore in hiding, their great escape took only a little of her stamina and breath unlike her companion. Leaning on the wooded walls, she took a small linen knitting it as a handkerchief for the children visiting her cabin.

"You mean if you are a lot less prettier!" snapped the crusader, earning her an annoyed glare from the white-haired woman. "I mean you are the one they are chasing after, not me,"

"What is that supposed to mean?" asked the nun. "You're the beautiful one, not me,"

"I totally disagree with that!"

"Agree to disagree,"

"No!"

"There they are boys! Have at them," a shout echoed behind them attracted by their bickering, causing the two to wince in alarm. A shadow of one of their suitors are blocking the alley's end, the others are covering the exit while their comrades advance on the two women.

"Looks like we're going to do some fighting after all," sighed Galatea hiding the small hanky she is stitching. "I prefer to show you Rabona as a beautiful and a peaceful city, with its understanding people, not the bunch of doodads that plague its dark pages.

"Come on, don't blame yourself Gala. We all have fools in cities, otherwise it won't be a city after all," replied the crusader not even looking at the men in front of her. Unbuckling the sword in her hip, she laid it on the side making the nun raise an eyebrow. The former merely shrugged at the unspoken inquiry. "They're not important enough to be cut down by a crusader's blade and I don't want to spend extra hours cleaning my blade"

"Suit yourself," answered the nun looking at a drunk sneering at her as he sized her up and down.

"I never thought this would be my lucky day," it sneered as it looked lustfully at the white-haired woman. "Let's get those clothes off you Sister. How do you prefer we do it? Top or down? Personally I liked my women on top,"

"Hey Galatea, what do you say we change places and I beat the crap out of that guy for thinking lustful thoughts about you," called the crusader.

"Leave it to me Hara. Lust is a sin after all, as a servant of the Lord, it is my duty to put him in his place," said the woman with a bored tone. The man is going to have the beating of his life, no human can beat a Claymore in single hand to hand combat.

"Hey Gala," the blue-haired woman interjected. "Don't I get a kiss for luck, its sorta traditional you know," she winked at her making the nun roll her eyes in exasperation. She really is impossible, but as the humans charged she cannot help but consider.

"Maybe after this,"

…..

….

….

It was nearly the end of the day when the two women finally reached the training grounds of Rabona's knights. Like the rest of the city, great care was given unto the place. Though it lacked the beauty and the style that are lavished in most of the Holy City's buildings, it made up with its simplicity and the regular warrior Spartan lifestyle which are only limited to each person's needs. It is already a generational tradition on the Knights' and today was no exception.

A tall muscular man with short cropped hair and a scar on the side of his head greeted the two women that entered the small postern gate, the only entrance to the Knights' training grounds. He is wearing a heavyset armor of dull gray and a broadsword was slung on his hip. Galatea recognized him at once, she heard him a lot of times already speaking during the parades that the Knights do regularly on the streets but this is the first time she saw him with her own eyes.

"Welcome!" his booming voice reflected his body. It was a voice that expect no argument and intervention from the one being spoken to. In other words it's a voice that bears great authority. "My name is Galk, I am the Captain of the Knights stationed in the city. I was expecting you two, Welcome,"

"It is a pleasure to meet you Sir Galk," curtsied Galatea who took the initiative to step forward. "I am Sister Latea of the Orphanage Convent. And this is my companion Hara de Chouville," she beamed in pleasure inside seeing the crusader look at her in wonder at her pronouncing the tall woman's name correctly. She had been practicing on her head how to say it properly ever since the incident at the cathedral.

"It is the least I can do to show my appreciation and thanks for her saving my unlucky hide from the head clergy," she thought sadly as she remembered the incident at the cathedral. She was forced to postpone her self-pity though as she felt the piercing eyes of Galk studied her curiously.

"Hmmm….Sister Latea, there are rumors in the city about you," the knight said looking at her up and down. "Even some of my men knows you, the blind tall beautiful nun that recently applied to the orphanage. But there are new rumors that I heard today," he added looking at the nun's silver eyes critically. "Gossips are that you are a Claymore and a terrible liar and a cheat. Making a fool out of everyone in the city the moment you arrived. Am I wrong…Sister?"

The moment the word "Claymore" left Galk's lips, there was a rustling of weapons from every knight and soldier in the vicinity around them. The nun felt her lips dry with fear, although she had left the Organization, that deeply ingrained rule about not killing humans was still in her veins. And even though she could easily beat the people around her, she had no desire to do so. (The people before is an exception on her rule) She would rather face the three Creatures of the Abyss rather than murder an innocent person in cold blood.

"So Sister Latea, do you confess?" asked the knight who is looking rather proud of himself as he crossed his arms in front of him. Behind are the small company of humans approaching her, weapons on their hands.

"Alright fine! I am a Claymore before," shouted Galatea hoping that the humans would somehow be dissuaded from cutting Hara and her to pieces. "That was before, I don't want to be the Organization's lackey anymore. That's why I left,"

"Still that doesn't give you the right to lie on everyone's face," replied Galk cooly. "As a Knight of Rabona, I judge you guilty,"

"Wait please, you can kill me but let my companion go. She is innocent!" the nun pressed wishing to have the tall woman beside her who have done nothing but watch the entire situation in silence eating an apple she "borrowed" from a vendor outside who insisted that she can have it. Galatea wanted the matter finished before the crusader lost her cool again.

"Why you little liar! How dare you gave orders to us," a soldier in a sergeant's insignia stepped in grabbing the nun's long hair from behind making the tall woman scream shrilly as she felt the scalp almost ripped from her head as the man dragged her out.

The sound of a drawing blade suddenly stopped everyone on their actions and even Galatea flinch at the figure of the blue-haired woman with blue-eyes of anger. Where once peaceful and shiny clouds are reflected in those beautiful irises of hers, there is none of that now. Instead when you look at them, you could see a storm brewing barely contained by its owner.

"I request that you unhand Sister Latea," the tall woman said coldly. "The clergy have already judged her innocent and trustworthy and you have no right to harm her as she is not found guilty,"

Galatea shivered at her lover's voice. Unlike most people who screamed and make a great fuss when releasing pent up emotions, the crusader was different. When angry she tends to be formal and cold, assuming a calmed appearance fooling almost anybody who does not know her personally before she strikes. Galatea could still remember the great rents on the citadel floor before in the one-sided council argument. Inside the nun was so grateful that she was of those people who knows the blue-haired woman in such depth, she almost fell sorry for the one hurting her now.

"Bloody politicians, I don't care-NGGH! He was cut short as the woman slammed the hilt of her sword in his temple sending blood spraying from his nostrils and mouth. Twisting down her body, another punch struck his gut and a frightening uppercut was delivered on the chin sending the man flying to the roof bumping his head in the wall with a thud. As the man fell unconscious on the ground with blood running off his face, everyone was silent. The entire beat up process ends up less than three seconds.

"So…any more of you who wanna insult Sister Latea, must go through me first," she boldly declared. The sound of unsheathing a sword suddenly brought Galatea's attention around. The large knight had drawn his sword pointing it at the blue-haired woman without fear.

"As the current Captain of the Knights of Rabona, I accept your challenge of a fight, though not because I want to have a go about hurting the Sister, it is unbecoming of a Knight," he glanced distastefully at his fallen subordinate.

"Care to explain why?" asked the crusader coldly.

"For the honor of the Knights and for our name not to be shamed by saying we back downed without a fight," the murmur of approval by his comrades could be heard and Galatea was surprised to also see acknowledgement in the Crusader's eyes.

"Very well Sir Galk. Have your sword then," she replied.

"I have conditions first," said the knight his sword dropping to a neutral stance. "I'm sure the Archbishop informed you about me having no wife, and I see you hold that sword of yours. I can tell that you are an expert in holding a blade, so I am sure I would be hard-pressed to defeat you,"

"Cut the chatter already and tell me whay do you want….Sir Galk," snapped the crusader.

"If I defeat you….. Hara de Chouville will become my bride, those are my terms,"

Galatea felt that cold hand grip her heart again. No, she cannot lose Hara, it would be unbearable for her. She has been the only person that made her feel so human. The only one who could kiss her for what she truly is. The eyes that could look at the scars on her body without screaming her head off, but most importantly. The only woman Galatea have ever loved.

"Please, I have better terms," the sound of Hara's voice cut through the fog of her mind. She looked at the Crusader and didn't detect a trace of worry on her. Either she's overconfident, or she is really good.

"If you hit me with even a single blow, I become your wife without question," she proclaimed making the soldiers around Galk grin. Their Captain is good and very strong, he would have no trouble hitting this woman. At the back, the nun could only stare in horror at her lover's proposition."But if I win, I get to be your co-captain and have same privileges as you do,"

Galk needed no more urging. "Agreed," he said before jumping at an astonishing speed whirling his broadsword in an arc that even Galatea was sure she could not block. She looked one last time at Hara's face smiling at her before she opened her mouth and screamed with all her might that her throat almost ripped.

"NO!"