Nineve's eyes popped open, waking from the dream world. She tried to recall the person in her dream…but it was all a red, green, and yellow blur. Someone was riding on a yellow boat…or was it red? Maybe that was the thing that was green…someone jumped off…did he have red hair? Or maybe it was blonde…She shook her head vigorously, then shrugged the dream off and watched the sun set. Soon everyone was piling inside his or her homes in the village of Windfall.

Nineve glanced around her, making sure no one was there before running up the hill in Windfall and towards the safe. She glanced around once more, and then tried as hard as she could to remember the safe lock. 'Numbers…' She thought. 'Oh yes!' she remembered, and then twisted the lock 22190.

           Reaching inside, she grabbed a handful of the imported rare flowers, then closed the safe and locked it once more. 'These will sell for a fair amount…' She thought to herself, and turned around. Jumping at least five or six inches from the ground, she was startled to see a stern looking blonde haired boy standing in front of her, blocking her way.

           "Hey, stealing is illegal." He said flatly to her face.

           "So is wearing a sword in this village!" She retorted, noticing the glimmer of his sword hilt in the moonlight.

           "I never use it here…only when I need to. Stealing is bad." He said as if teaching a five year old.

           Nineve rolled her eyes and suddenly forced the boy to the ground. She hopped up and nimbly jumped over him, sprinting down towards the ocean waves. Quickly stuffing the rare flowers into the pockets of her ragged filthy dress, she leapt into the water, swimming as fast as possible, the boy gaining behind her. Soon she found herself struggling under the water, being pushed down by the boy behind her. He let her up only when she started to look faint.

           Nineve quickly swam to the shore and collapsed, her muscles aching from the struggle. She stuffed her hands into her pockets, only to find that the flowers had passed from them at some point while she was swimming. "You!" She bellowed, passing a death glare to the boy who was steadily making his way towards the shore. "You made me lose my flowers!! I could have sold those!"

           "What makes you think those are your flowers?" He said calmly, clearly keeping a close eye on her in case she decided to leap up and make a run for it.

           "Finders keepers." Nineve said stubbornly, continuing to give him a deep death glare.

           Nineve twitched a little as the boy drew his sword from his sheath, then muttered slowly, "Why, exactly, did you do that?" He asked.

           "I was hungry! I was going to sell them! Got to steal to eat, got to eat to live, you know?!" She informed him angrily.

           "If that's all you wanted, why didn't you just ask me for something?!" He asked, moving closer, his sword in plain view.

           "Well, you looked like you were about to kill me. I didn't think I could have just put down the flowers and said, "Hey, can you give me some money?" now could I have?" Nineve remarked roughly. "I depend on myself, thank you." She looked away.

           She glanced up as a flask of milk was tossed to her feet, as well as a loaf of bread to follow, looking rather soggy. "What's this?!" She asked.

           "Food. What does it look like?" He asked, sheathing his sword finally.

           "Well I know that! But I told you, I depend on myself…and no one else."

           "Take it. I don't want it." The boy said, turning so his back was visible to her.

           "Neither do I. I can help myself, thank you." Nineve said stubbornly, "And I would have tonight if you had just let me go."

           "Well, suit yourself. Go hungry…I don't care." He said shortly, picking up his food and walking slowly away, as if expecting her to call him back.

           Nineve knew this, but also had a feeling that she wanted to…she folded her arms and glanced up at the boy, then tapped her foot a few times. "Well…well…HEY You!" She said loudly, picking up a pebble and throwing it at the back of the boy's head, making him stop. "You owe me for making me lose my flowers!!!"

           The boy chuckled slowly and shortly, then turned back to face Nineve, who had turned the other way, pretending as if she had never said anything.

           Nineve turned her head halfway so she could see the boy from the corner of her eye. "What are you…laughing about…?" She asked, unfolding her arms.

           "What do you think I'm laughing about?" The boy asked, chuckling a little more.

           Nineve frowned and stared at the ground some more.

           "I don't turn down an offer when it's given to me, and I don't want it when it's gone." He said, informing her of his ways.

           Nineve turned around, her eyes in slits, sneering at him. "Fine! Go! Leave! Take your riches and leave this place! I remember what it was like being rich…those days are over…and I think I've learned a lot by being poor…" She said, making herself sound as pitiful as possible.

           "Well, since you are pretty, I'll make an exception…but only for now. Later, you won't be so lucky." He said, as if he were letting her go free from a battle he was about to win. He placed the food at his own feet, then turned and began to walk off towards a small hill beside the sea.

           Nineve glanced from the boy, to the food, to the boy again, then folded her arms and looked sideways, thinking, 'He said I'm pretty? Even when I'm in rags? But why…?' seeing as to how she thought he was about to kill her a minute or so ago, that was a good enough question for her. She looked up at the boy again and tried to think of something to throw at him, "You know…you know, you're just leaving because…because…um…" She thought for a moment, trying to make some sense. "Because you're a coward! Ya! That's right! A coward!!!!!!" she yelled, since he was headed over the small hill towards the docks, not even remembering that she'd told him to leave in the first place.       

           The boy turned around and gave Nineve a look that was clearly stating 'I know what you're up to.', then turned back in the direction he was going before, but instead of walking further, he sat down on the hill he had been walking over.

           Nineve decided to torment him even further. "You've probably got some warm home to go home to! Some wonderful cheery fire under the mantel! Something like that!!!! Someone waiting your return! Someone who misses you! Well…" She shortened off, trying to think of something to make known her self-pity. "Well...I…I don't! So…" She tried to think of what that had to do with him being a coward like she had commented before. "Um…you're just…too…" she twitched, already confusing herself, and sat down beside the food and stared at it, deciding to shut up.

            The boy didn't turn his head, but spoke so Nineve could hear him. "Come here. I need to ask you something…"