"He said what?"

"…to come to him if he needed help."

"He said his name was Heath? Are you sure you heard it right?"

"Why, is there something wrong with that?"

Rebecca was looking at me with amazement. She had just come over moments before to bring Nino back over to me when I had asked whether she knew anything about Heath.

"I didn't think Heath would be like that," Rebecca says in awe. "He usually keeps to himself and is pretty strict, actually. It amazes that he trusts you when others…." She trails off, looking nervously up at my face, wondering if she should have not said that. But I do not comment on her last sentence.

I nod and look over at Nino. Rebecca sees this as a dismissal, so she walks off. I can tell I startled her. I do not care. I had not tried to scare her, but since I have there is nothing I can do now.

"Are you ready to go?" I ask Nino. "Eliwood will probably leave soon."

Nino nods. I turn, but still feel her gaze on me. I try to ignore it, but her stare does not falter. Finally I cannot ignore it any longer. I turn.

"Did you want something, Nino?" I ask.

She hesitates for a moment. She opens her mouth to speak, hesitates, but finally gets the words out. "Before in the campsite…"

…Oh. She wanted to talk about that. I turn around and pretend to busy myself with my things I will take with me on the journey.

"Jaffar…" Nino tries to say, but I cut her off.

"Nino, you should get ready."

"Were you embarrassed?"

I pause, taking a few deep breaths to regain control over my emotions. "If I was, you're not helping."

She giggles. I turn and look at her questioningly. What is she laughing about? Not me again, is it?

She walks towards me and reaches up. I am still on one knee, in the same position that I had been when I was absent-mindedly searching through my things. My face is level with hers.

Nino gingerly pulls something from my hair. She shows it to me. It is a piece of bark.

"From when you fell down," she explains, and giggles again. I look at her for a moment, studying her, but she is not laughing at me. Even if she was, I would not care. She's so innocent…it's as if she has no faults….

I shake my head slightly and stand. "…Thanks…" I murmur, then pick up the small pack that I had been looking through and attach it to my belt. Nino holds up the bark.

"Here," she says.

I take it and look it over doubtfully. "What do I do with it?"

"I dunno. You can throw it away, if you want," she says, looking away. Then her eyes brighten. "Oh!! I forgot something!!" she says and scampers away.

I look after her and discreetly put the bark in my pack. I don't know why, but I want to keep it. I know it's stupid, I can find a piece of bark anywhere that will look exactly the same. But I do anyway.

A moment later Nino returns. She holds something out to me again. "I want you to have this," she says, putting something in my hands.

I take it and look it over. "…What is it?"

"It's my greatest treasure! Isn't it pretty?"

I study it more. It's an expensive looking pendent. How did she get this? But more importantly… "…Why do you give it to me?"

"I want you to have it," she says quietly.

"…This stain on the pendant's cord…" I murmur, fingering the chain. "…is it blood?"

Nino shifts. "Err…Umm, yeah…. Is that gross?"

"No," I say. I'm an assassin. Why does she think blood is gross to me? "Is it very old? It does not…look like it could be your blood."

"It is…" Nino says quietly. "…It's my real mother's. It got there when Sonia and Nergal killed her…"

"…Then it is a valuable keepsake. You should keep it…" I say, trying to put it back into her hands. But she shakes her head, pushing it back.

"I can't even remember my own mother's face. Even though she died protecting me. So...I don't think I deserve to keep it."

I shake my head. "…You were so small. How could you have remembered?"

"Still…" Nino says, looking down at her boots.

There is silence for a minute, Nino looking down at her boots and me staring at her down turned head. Finally I say quietly, "I will hold onto it then…until you are ready. You're my…you are my…" I struggle to find the right word. "…best friend…. I will always be near you…you can trust me with this."

Nino looks up at me, her eyes bright. "Best friend? You really think of me that way?"

I don't say anything for a long while. "…Yes," I say finally, so quietly it is almost impossible to hear.

"Thank you!" Nino cries, beaming up at me and clasping her hands together. "Thank you, Jaffar! That makes me…so happy!"

I think this is right...the chapters are messed up on my computer. Tell me if this seems wrong and I'll try to find the right one. This should be the next chapter to post, though.