Authors Note: Hey guys, I know I said this chapter would be pretty long, but about halfway through I decided this would be better from both Balto and Jenna's P.O.V. My bad. Also expect to see a lot of these flashback moments in the future, I thought it was a nice way to really show some of the defining moments in Balto's life.

Chapter 11

Dodge left, dodge right, parry. Dammit Boris's knife is too fast. I'm only eight years old how does he expect me to beat him? It's always like this no matter what weapons we use stave, swords, knives, it always turns out the same, me with more bruises. Out of desperation I make a wild swing at his knife hand trying to cripple him. But he's expecting this, he catches my wrist and with a sharp twist my tan-to sails upward out of my hand. Faster than the eye can follow he snatches the blade out of the air, and with a spinning motion slices my face from ear to lip. The last thing I think before I black out is a shocked, "He cut me."

"What the hell is he doing in my house!"

"He's our guest for tonight, Father." Jenna say's calmly next to me. Mrs. Rozenwieg jaw has just about hit the floor, and Mathias look's like he's about to burst a vein. I can tell he's planning something by the way his muscle's tense and his eyes glance towards the coffee table in front of him, or more specifically the letter opener lying on top of it. He looks up at me and with a smirk say's, "Over my dead body."

I bite back the first statement that come's to my mind, and instead try to reason with him, "Mayor please just allow me to explain."

"Shut up and get out of my house."

"I just-"

"I said get out!" He yells as he hurls the letter opener through the air. Instinctively I reach my hand up and catch the blade mere inches from the black scarf that conceals the lower half of my face. It's Matthias turn for a jaw drop, even Jenna looks stunned, but Rosie look's like she could bust out laughing any minute now. Before anybody can recover I speak.

"Mr. Rozenwieg you are the Mayor of this town and I have always paid you the respect your position deserves, even if you have treated me like scum. And now I come into your home in order to ask you one simple question, did you chose to be born with red hair?"

He get's a confused look on his face then say's, "Of course not. What kind of-"

"So how do you think I chose to be born the way I am?" I growl out with nineteen years of hatred for whatever cruel deity allowed me to be born this way behind it.

Now he just looks cornered, "I-mean, that's...well that's, different." Then out of nowhere a voice that had been silent up until now speaks out.

"Let him stay Matthias." Everyone looks at Mrs. Rozenweig in shock, even Jenna look stunned.

"Anna, what are you saying?"Mathias finally manages to say.

"Admit it Matty, you are obligated as mayor to at least get to know him, and besides he's been nothing but polite so I say give him a chance. And even if manners don't matter to you, you do have to respect his courage to show up here."

I glance at Jenna and arch an eyebrow as if to say, "Matty?" She smiles and mouths back, "Pet name."

Mathias gets a stubborn look on his face, "I don't have to respect anything." He say's crossing his arms over his chest.

"So now your going to change your entire point of view, just so you don't have to speak with the boy?"

He looks at me with a scowl on his face, but he knows he's been beaten. "Very well, it won't do you any good mutt, but I'll listen to you tonight. However once the night is done with I have no further obligation to you. Clear?"

"Agreed, Oh and by the way," with a flick of my wrist I send the letter opener sailing throught the air, burying it in the coffee table between us. "My name is Balto."