A/N: WARNING! PLEASE READ THIS NOTE WOULD YOU KINDLY?

Sorry for the delay, I've been -and still am!- wretchedly ill as of late. Its not a fun thing to have your body betray you. Still recovering, such as it is, and need more tests to figure out what's wrong with me. I better not have another infection. If so, back into the hospital I go. That would drive me crazy at this point. Doesn't help that I'm all but buried by this snow, which means I cannot go out. Still, I've got power so I'll take what I can get at this point.

At last! Now we come to the chapter I've been wanting to write for quite some time now.

I had to hold back, had to restrain myself, couldn't give too much away.

No longer!

Its all coming together...

Now then, onto the questions!

Q: Did...did you hear the news about *SPOILER* and the state of *SPOILER* in the Boruto manga? What are your thoughts? Will you ever include Boruto in your stories for that matter?

A: I am aware of the recent events that transpired in said manga. A friend all but shoved it in my face and forced me to see the latest news. I wasn't pleased. It felt beyond cheap and genuinely rage inducing. I didn't bother reading/writing anything to do with Boruto before and I certainly won't now! All that potential! Gone! Wasted! And for what?! I don't even have words for what I witnessed. No, wait! I do have one!

*inhales deeply*

NOPE!

I'm not bashing those who enjoy Boruto, mind you. To each their own and all that. Me? I will never, ever write about it. Nothing can make me break that vow. Not after what I've seen.

Q: Sooo...is Sasuke real? Wasn't sure if you clarified that yet.

A: Its not a spoiler. At this point Sasuke's all but confirmed his existence. He isn't a figment of Naruto's imagination, entertaining though that might be. He's quite literally a chakra ghost, an echo left behind within his eye. I...wouldn't call him a devil on Naruto's shoulder, but he's certainly no saint.

Nor is Naruto at this point, but we all know what he's been through.

Q: When will you update your non-RWBY stories?

A: Um...I have? I've updated other tales, including Mass Effect, Fate, Attack on Titan, so on and so forth. They're not hard to find, just buried under my RWBY updates.

As ever, I own no quotes, references, themes or memes.

Now then, I think I've kept you all waiting long enough, no? Lets get started.

"We have a saying, where I come from. A little good don't stop the devil."

"Then you're not trying hard enough."

"Ha! I like you."

~A Meeting of Minds.

Partners in Freedom

Naruto wasn't a very good architect.

With the exception of his marked hand, his talents lay more to the realm of destruction rather than creation. Oh, he understood the concept behind building mind you; Yamato had drilled it into him after Nagato's attack on the Hidden Leaf years back. And didn't that feel like an age ago? Nostalgia aside, he'd seen his teacher's jutsu in action often enough to make some reasonable assumptions of his own when it came to construction. In the end it came down to three basic tenets.

When built to last, a solid base could support even the greatest of burdens.

What could not be remade from wood must simply be forged with stone and steel.

When one created something, be it building or otherwise, they must start with the foundations.

As stated, Naruto wasn't all that skilled when it came to building things. But he would be. Soon. While he might not possess the Mokuton bloodline, he made up for it in other ways. Whatever his clones learned, so did he. And right now? They were learning a helluva lot. Hundreds of doppelgangers routinely scoured Mountain Glenn from tome top to bottom, rooting out Grimm wherever they found them. Dozens went to clearing the rubble in the tunnels and the streets. As for the rest?

They studied. They practiced. They learned.

Practice makes perfect after all, and after nearly a week of this, he received plenty of the former.

The thought tickled him in his more upbeat moments. Technically, this was cheating. Most people couldn't throw a small army of shadow clones at blueprints and building manuals. He could; though the headaches were a bit of a bitch when said clones dispelled themselves. In the the span of five days, he had crammed decades of knowledge into his head. He, who began as nothing more than underdog ostracized by most of his community, was bringing a long-dead city back to life. By the time he finished, no one would be able to breach Mountain Glenn ever again.

If only his friends could see him now. But they never would. The reminder slew the smile on his face as surely as any blade.

"Damn." Roman's yawn broke him from his maudlin thoughts. "You're still standing here? Do you ever sleep?"

Naruto's unsealed eye flitted over his shoulder to find his erstwhile ally coming up over a nearby rise, cane in had. For once, his impeccable demeanor was ruffled; his hair was tousled, suit dirty, boots covered in dust. Yet for all that, his green eyes burned with a fire. Roman seemed to enjoy the outdoor life. Who knew?

Ah, but he'd asked him a question. It would be rude not to answer.

"A few hours here and there." he muttered absently as he watched a pack of clones demolish a dilapidated building. "But they don't."

Shadow clones didn't require rest. Or food. They were him, after all. They understood why he was doing this. One mind. Many bodies. So long as he kept his spirits -with his chakra!- at a reasonable level and gave them reasonable orders, they would accomplish any task within reason. Each and every one of them was just as keen on this task as he was.

Roman winced as the gutted remains of a squat townhouse fell under a hail of powerful jutsu. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."

"Hmm?" the whiskered warrior spared him a quick glance. "Why would you? We're in this together."

That seemed mollify the flamboyant thief somewhat, for his smile broadened.

They'd spent the better part of a week making this place livable again. Even then, Grimm incursions were an almost daily occurrence. He'd had to detail another dozen clones to repair the breached walls, and yet another dozen to ensure it remained as such. More than once, he and Roman -even Neo, when she took a break from training Satin- were forced to go over the walls themselves and purge the surrounding forest before the next build up. Inevitably, their numbers swelled again, but so too did the clones.

Bastards really wanted this place. Badly.

Well, too bad, so sad! The Grimm couldn't have it. He'd called dibs.

...is there a reason you're here?" Curiosity got the better of Naruto at last. "I thought you were helping Neo clear the tunnels."

"I was." his partner grimaced. "We didn't find anything down there but Grimm and bones."

"The...remains." Naruto winced. "How many did you find...?"

Roman's expression said it all. Too many.

"Did you at least bury them?"

He looked away. "Yeah."

A pall of uncomfortable silence fell between the two men, broken only by the distant sounds of creation and destruction. Somewhere in the distance, a Grimm dared to poke its head out of a building and was promptly set upon by a horde of clones for its trouble. Still the two of them stood together, united, surveying their work as the afternoon sunlight spilled down upon them. At length, Roman spoke once more.

"So, you and Goodbitch, huh?"

Naruto nearly dislocated his neck by rounding on him. "What?"

"Glynda Goodwitch." the thief grinned from ear to ear. "Don't be coy; you're taking her out tomorrow, aren't ya?"

That was tomorrow, wasn't it? He'd nearly lost track of time. They'd spoken on Monday. Tomorrow would be Sunday. Had it really been that long? It felt...longer. All that reading, all that studying, tearing down buildings, repairing new ones. As if he'd spend a lifetime here in Mountain Glenn. Hmm. Maybe it was time to ease up on the shadow clones. His ill-acquired knowledge was starting to bleed over into the day-to-day. That couldn't be a good sign.

Moreover, he had a sneaking suspicion just how Roman ferreted out that tidbit.

...Emerald talked, didn't she?"

"Yup." the burglar sing-songed, grinning like a cat. "She sang like a canary once I gave her some candy."

A blond brow rose in mild riposte to his remark. "There's something to be said there, but that's low-hanging fruit even for me...

"Alright, alright." Roman raised a hand to ward off the scowl that followed. "I walked right into that one, didn't I? Hey! Don't give me that look! I didn't mean it like that!" Eager to avoid a dent in his head, Roman quickly changed gears. "Still, you've got a pair, gunning for Goodwitch like that. Hope she doesn't cut them off."

Naruto turned back to the demolition below. "You say that as if you know her."

"Well...yeah...she might have taught me a few things awhile back."

He looked back at him. "You went to Beacon?"

Roman's face closed down. "Once."

He felt a curious pang of negativity from his ally then. Not anger toward him, but sorrow. Grief. Realization dawned. Roman had gone to Beacon. Roman must've had a team. Roman had been keen to takeover Mountain Glenn. Determined, even. And he'd vanished with Neo for nearly an entire day after they'd dealt with the bounty hunters. Something about personal business, he'd said. Mountain Glenn had been a tragedy. Huntsmen and huntresses died in these very streets. It didn't take much to add it up.

Had his team also perished here?

He held his tongue and let his ally continue.

"Anyway, rebuilding this place is a good a way to spit in Vale's eye." Roman spoke into the silence once more. "We're making progress, but...can I make a suggestion?"

Naruto waved him on.

"I was thinking we might need to bring some more hands onto this little business venture of ours." when he didn't object, the thief bulled on ahead. "Stone masons, cooks, electricians, that sorta thing. I don't know jack about construction and you're better at breaking things than fixing them." Naruto scowled at the reminder. Roman caught it. "Look, Satin's the only one here who can cook a half decent meal and we've been running her ragged. Your boys are good an' all, but like I said, they're good at knocking down buildings."

His pride prickled, Naruto sniffed. "I got the power grid running again, didn't I?"

Roman conceded the point with a rueful laugh. "Yeah, by zapping it."

Sasuke slipped past with a smile. "You're welcome, by the way."

Faced with the very real possibility of chatting up a ghost, Naruto would gladly speak to the living instead. Simpler that way. "Fine, I'll bite. What did you have in mind?"

Of course, Torchwick had an answer for that too, wily bastard that he was.

"Now hear me out." he squared his shoulders, planted Melodic Cudgel in the street, and braced both hands against it for balance. "I know a few guys. They'd be more than happy to get out of town and set up shop here."

Mismatching eyes rolled in mild derision. "Criminals, you mean."

"Pot meet kettle." Roman jabbed him in the chest with his cane. "Like it or not, you're one of us now."

He had him there, didn't he?

...continue.

Roman did just that.

"As to actual people, we won't charge rent for the first...I dunno, year or so? Maybe two?" He threw out a random figure, warming to the idea as he spoke. "It'll just take time, you know? Vale's heavin' with people. Give them a chance to have a life. Before you know it we'll have a booming economy. With your boys cleaning up, we'll have this place ship-shape in no time."

"Its not a bad idea." The specter of Sasuke strode past him with a thoughtful look. "We can rule here."

Naruto shot him a quelling look. "Not interested in ruling."

"Too late." His old friend gave him a death's head grin, lone eye burning in his skull. "You're already leading a merry band of misfits. Why not take it a step further?"

"I'm a criminal."

"Bah!" The Uchiha scoffed. "By their reckoning. Since when did you care what others thought of you?"

A sigh. "You're not going to let this go, are ya?"

"No."

Truth be told, he was warming to the idea himself. If they had their way, Mountain Glenn would be a fresh start, a separate settlement within Vale. Out here in the wilds, only the occasional bounty hunter could hope to reach them; the authorities weren't about to foray into the wilderness to get at them. Killing bastards like Winchester was all well and good, but he couldn't go around butchering everyone who crossed his path. That way lay madness. No, the path he saw ahead was a long If people saw him doing good deeds, then their opinion of could change. The SDC might even drop that ridiculous bounty. Unlikely, but who knew?

Shaking his thought away, he kicked off a wall and turned back to their camp. "Is that all?"

"Not quite," Roman's voice rose a little in pitch, a note of stress eating through his smile. "Satin's sleeping off her shift, but we've got somebody from the White Fang here. They wanna talk to you." he flicked a thumb over his shoulder. "I left 'em with the kid. She's keeping them busy."

Naruto paused. "Which kid?"

"Emerald. Handy little Semblance she's got."

He frowned at that. "Roman, I'm rebuilding a city. I don't have time to-

The barrel of a gun clicked against the back of his head. "We weren't asking. Come with me. Now."

Once upon a time, such an action might have concerned Naruto. He would have panicked and flailed and shouted like a buffoon. He would've gotten himself shot. Now? He couldn't bring himself to feel any fear. There were a dozen different ways he could've escaped, but all of them ended with his captor dead. Unacceptable. This one needed to be interrogated before they dispatched him. Strangely enough, he didn't sense any negative intent from the gunman. How odd. Just resolve, cold and firm. Surprising.

Naruto sighed and rolled both eyes. "Well. That? That's just uncalled for."

Roman pinched the brow of his nose. "Best put the gun away, friend. You're liable to lose an arm...

Black flames began to smolder around Naruto's sealed eye, burning the bandages there.

...or worse." he finished with another sigh. "Neo? Little help here!"

The air shimmered.

"Wait, what the hell's a Neo-aargh?!"

From there, it was over in very short order. The little hellion appeared with a silent cry and brought her parasol down on the gunman's head, stunning him. Naruto ducked and rammed an elbow backward into his ribs. A sullen crunch filled the air. Not one to be outdone, Roman sauntered up and swept the fool's legs, sending him spilling to the floor. He thrashed upright and Melodic Cudgel came up under his chin. Naruto's would-be kidnapper turned still as stone.

"Told you." Roman all but hummed the words.

Emerald came trotting up, gasping for breath. "I'm sorry! He got away from me!"

"Its fine." Naruto unbent enough to tousle her hair. "Go wake Satin and bring her here. Tell her we've got a prisoner."

The little illusionist scarpered and in the meantime they had a good long look at the intrepid soul who'd dared to strike at them.

With his hood down and eyes spinning, the faunus -really, those scales on his face gave him away all too easily- was a tanned fellow clad in a nondescript black and silver with contrasting brown eyes and a faint stubble around his chin hair. He didn't look much pleased to have been bested; less so with Roman's cane in his face, even less when he realized the man could blow his head off with the twitch of a finger.

"You got a name?"

"Grayson!" the faunus warbled. Please don't break my everything...

Naruto leaned forward. "That depends entirely on you. Why did you put a gun to my head?"

"It was a test!" the poor bastard flailed his hands, then thought better of it when Roman's cane dug into his neck. "My boss wanted to see how you would react; if you were the real deal!"

Neo tilted her head. Naruto and Roman chuckled.

"Are you satisfied?"

"Yes! See! Its empty." A sullen click came from the pistol, revealing itself to be harmless. "We never intended to hurt you. Honest!"

...interesting. Was he sent as a sacrifice, then?"

Sasuke drifted into view and dropped down onto his haunches, considering their captive with unspoken intent. A spectral finger passed through Grayson's cheek. The poor sod yelped, his body jerking like he'd been hit with a cattle prod. Naruto pursed his lips, considered telling him off, then thought better of it.

"Where's your boss?"

The poor man winced and looked away. "I shouldn't tell you."

"You really should." Roman's grin grew. "Unless you want to be a head shorter."

"Alright, alright!" Grayson warbled for a moment and spilled the beans. "She's here!"

Naruto looked left. Roman looked right. Neo shrugged helplessly. Three pairs of eyes snapped back to the faunus.

"Wrong answer. Neo? Start with his ribs-

"I didn't mean here!" their captive groaned. "We have a base nearby. A temporary encampment. I'll take you there! Just don't kill me!"

"And your boss is...?"

Grayson sang like a canary.

"Sienna." he whispered. "Her name is Sienna Kahn."

(.0.0.0.)

They found the camp easily enough.

Less a camp and more a hastily-constructed series of tents, the complex blended in well with the forest; anyone else would've bumbled right into the sentries before they knew what was happening. Just the sort of place that could be broken down at a moments notice, leaving its occupants to melt back into the trees. This place would never stand up under an coordinated assault, but then again, it didn't have to. No doubt the White Fang were relying on the land's more...natural defenses to dissuade any intruders.

Only the brave or truly foolhardy would willingly walk into the Emerald Forest in the dead of night.

Grayson was all too happy to lead them here in return for his life; almost eager, even. Naruto let him lead them in silence. The spry faunus still hadn't quite recovered from his brush with death. There had been a brief, startling moment when he'd actually considered simply letting the man go. They hadn't, of course. One does not simply let an enemy walk out their gates unsupervised. If he was leading them into a trap, best spring it now and get it over with.

Roman proved downright twitchy about it. "You sure about this, partner?"

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and flicked a glance at Grayson. "Better safe than sorry."

"Greeeaaat." the man fumbled for a cigar and managed to light it after a few attempts. "Way to inspire confidence."

The whiskered warrior grimaced. "Didn't you say the White Fang was a peaceful organization?"

"Sure, but they've been getting aggressive lately."

An ear twitched. "How much do you know?"

"Not much." Roman offered a half-hearted shrug. "Old leader's gonna step down soon or something like that. He's a moderate. New regime's less talk and more action." he looked away with a grimace when his ally arched an eyebrow. "Not that its any of my concern."

"You know a lot for someone who claims not to care."

"Thief, remember?" Torchwick tilted his hat. "You hear all sorts of interesting things in my line of work-ouch!" Neo slammed an elbow into his side, drawing a snarl from him. "Alright, I was curious. Shoot me."

Naruto did no such thing. He kept walking.

"..."

"If you're worried about the kids, don't be." a hand came down on his shoulder before he could drift back into melancholy. "Junior's a decent sort. He'll look after them while we're away. Besides, you've got Satin with 'em, and she knows how to fight now; not to mention those clone of yours. After what you've done, he wouldn't dare harm a hair on their heads-

One of the sentries spotted them and shouted a warning. "Who approaches the camp?"

Grayson hallooed the guards in return, called a password of some sort, and the guards relaxed minutely.

They were prepared to be challenged at the entrance. They were prepared to identify themselves. They were not prepared for the Fang's reaction to said identities. There were three sentries guarding the entrance to the camp. Two men. One woman. Naruto pulled back his hood. The moment he did so they all startled babbling like children.

"Is that...?!"

"Its really him!"

"Welcome, brother!"

The blond blinked. 'Brother?'

"They thing you're a faunus." Sasuke ghosted through a sentry with a shrug, uncaring as the poor woman shivered. "Roll with it."

Roman sniggered softly. "Seems you're something of a celebrity."

Naruto rounded on him. "You knew this would happen!"

"Suspected, really. I wasn't sure."

Neo tittered soundlessly.

There was nothing more to be said and he didn't enjoy being gawked at for something he wasn't. He gave Grayson a nudge and the man moved on, ready to fulfill his duty. Naruto stomped after him and resolved himself to ignore the awed looks that followed him. Something told him the main camp wasn't going to be much better, but at least he wouldn't be doing this alone-

"Wait. Not you." The largest of them held out a weapon to bar Roman and Neo when they made to follow. "She will speak with Him alone."

Naruto bristled. "Like hell I will-

"Fine, fine." The thief stepped back with a shrug, cutting him off. "Didn't wanna go in anyway. We'll wait outside."

Naruto caught Neo's wink over his shoulder just before he rounded the bend and rounded a tent. They might be able to stop Roman, but they wouldn't be able to keep her out. Not for long. No point in making a meal with it. Neo would make mincemeat of anyone who tried to betray them. She might even take a few shiny baubles for herself. Roman flashed a jaunty wave and then they were gone, out of sight. He didn't have time to brood over it in any case and soon found himself distracted by other things.

Rings within rings. That was his first impression of the camp. It was not an unfavorable one. Everyone was looking at him.

None of them were a threat to him -he could flatten this entire camp if it came to it- but their attention disconcerted him all the same. Naruto did his best not to look at them, but with so many bodies crammed into such a small space, it was an effort in futility. Whispers followed regardless, haunting his every step. One in particular reminded him of a moniker was desperate to be rid of.

"Is that the Flame...?"

"He's a tall one, isn't he?"

"Looks like. Think he'll join us?"

"Wow. He's well-fit. Think he's single?"

"Shut up, Mary! Do you want him to hear you?!"

By the time Grayson guided him into a tent, Naruto could feel his ears burning; even then, he couldn't help but notice the man's near-silent hysteria.

"Relax." the word escaped him in a sigh. "I'm not going to kill you. Tell me more about this leader of yours."

It was like flipping a switch; the man went from terrified to downright chatty in an instant.

"Sienna is...intense." Grayson gesticulated wildly. "Her voice holds a lot of weight in the Fang. She's a shoo-in as the next leader. She saw what you did, you know." when a blond brow arched, he hastened to clarify. "The video. Winchester's death. Well done, that." he whirled and spat upon the dirt floor. "Scum like him shouldn't be allowed to live."

...no doubt about that." he muttered.

"I hope you find everyone like him and tear their bloody hearts out."

His guide stopped short of a particularly large tent with yet another pair of guards standing watch. Their eyes bulged at the sight of him. By some miracle, they managed to hold their tongues.

"Ma'am?" Grayson raised his voice to be heard. "I've brought him."

"Good." a low, muffled voice came from within. "Enter."

They did so.

Flames flickered from a pair of metal braziers, limning the room with light.

Surprisingly, the quarters within were relatively spartan; there was a worn cot off to one side, nearly buried by blankets, accompanied by a folding table bearing a pitcher of what smelled faintly like whine. He didn't fail to notice the pair of glasses beside it. Past them, a dark-haired woman sat behind a sturdy desk, fingers stepped, chin laid to rest atop them. She smiled at the sight of him and he was nearly undone.

"You've done well." Her eyes flicked to Grayson. "Leave us."

"Ma'am." her underling saluted and departed.

Sienna was...not what Naruto had expected. Limned by the firelight, she possessed a strange, wild allure that he wasn't accustomed to. Skin kissed by the sun, shoulders silhouetted by dark stripes that flowed down bare arms, red robes that left little to the imagination...she dressed to impress.

With a surname like Kahn, one might think Sienna would be ten feet tall with lightning shooting from her eyes. Not so. She was rather short, actually. Amber orbs met his in the low light and drank him in, devouring him like a cut of prime meat. If Satin was a fighter then this woman was a predator through and through. He thought she might have a voice like thunder.

Again, not so.

"Naruto Uzumaki." no longer muffled, her voice was smooth as cream. "You're a difficult man to find."

Sasuke blinked. "Well, well, well...

"But where are my manners." Orange-black ears twitched atop her head as she regarded him. "I bid you welcome, brother."

Right. They thought he was a faunus. Why correct her? Still, it rankled him. "What do you want with me?"

He wasn't prepared for her laughter. It was a rich, low sound, like bells ringing at midnight.

Sienna rose from her desk with small, sultry smile. Her eyes never left his. Naruto watched her in turn, ready to spring at the slightest provocation. It wasn't necessary. Rather than attack Sienna nudged past him, body brushing his, hips swinging as she sashayed her way the table. As he looked on she poured a glass of wine, first for him, then herself. In short order she returned. From there she offered him the first glass, brimming with red wine. It reminded him of blood.

Reluctantly the wayward warrior accepted it. Their glasses clinked together in a toast.

Sienna drank deeply and he did the same. Her smile was truly thing to behold.

She timed her words just as he swallowed.

"I want your babies."

Naruto choked.

"EH?!"

A/N: SIENNA WHY?! Don't worry, you'll get the second part and more. Had to cut it off here, I'm horribly sick and I can barely move at the moment.

Oh dear, Sienna's making moves and now the came begins to change...

As ever, reviews are a mighty wind beneath my wings.

Without them...well. I just can't seem to fly.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...

...Review, Would You Kindly?

And one last thing:

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

PLOT DETAILS AHOY!

YE BE WARNED!

Read if you dare!

(Previews!)

Their discussion began in earnest.

"I'm not part of the White Fang." Best make his position clear from the beginning.

"You aren't." She frowned only a little. "But you could be." his expression must've been telling because she laid her hands on the desk and kept them there. "You're hesitant. I can understand that. Most are when they first come to us. Rest assured, our group is changing for the better."

'Oh, dear.'

Her words set an alarm wailing in the back of Naruto's head, but he didn't give voice to it. He'd play along. For now.

Leaning back in his chair, he regarded her warily. The chair itself was sturdy enough. Might make a good bludgeon if he had to bolt.

"What do you want with me?"

She threw a photograph down on her desk.

"Your actions lit a spark." She steeped her fingers once more. "Kali and Ghira wanted to meet you, wanted to talk you down, but I convinced them to let me handle this. Your work is the bleeding edge. Ghira will step down in time, but this has meaning." she stabbed a finger down on her desk, digging into into the oak. "This has significance. They're afraid of what you represent."

"And what's that?"

"Change." she spread her arms.

It wasn't difficult to guess what Sienna wanted. How could he not? Her tacit advances aside, she was obviously pushing for an alliance between the two of them. Ordinarily that would have been seen as a good thing. But he wasn't sure he wanted one. Not with her. Not without knowing her goals.

"And your goal?"

"Revolution." her grin grew. "What else?"

Sasuke plonked down on the corner of her desk, unseen by the freedom fighter. "I like her."

Naruto forbore the urge to roll his eyes. 'You would!'

"You're working with the White Fang?!"

Naruto waved a hand. "Eh, more like they're working for me."

Burning eyes met his. "Hide me...!"

Naruto swore pushed the little girl into the shadow of his cloak.

"Welcome to Mountain Glenn. All are welcome."

"And you're...what, its king?"

Roman chortled.

"Kingpin, more like."

"Got our next target, boss."

Glynda looked up, somewhat startled by the intrusion. "You came."

Disguise or no, he didn't look half bad. The voice gave him away, however. Perhaps that was intentional on his part.

"I'm a man of my word. No funny business now." His warning rang true. "If I see so much as a single hunter or huntress, I'm gone.

"I accept those terms." She offered him her arm. "Shall we?"

He took it. "We shall."

R&R~!