"Within the Ringer"

(3 1/2 years prior to last FlashBack)

Casse frowned slightly, as she worked with a thin pin on her wristlets. She

didn't hate it here, but she didn't like it at all much either. The first

morning, 6 months ago, still rung in her head.

-------------

"No you're wrong. That's not her. She's been dead for like two whole years and besides she's too young. It's not her."

"The femme's been reported dead as many times as the seasons change. I won't believe she's dead till her heads on a pike and her bodies pieces are scattered to de winds before my very eyes."

"She's weak as a kitten, couldn't do no harm, 'sides she'd barely even breathing."

"I wouldn't stand by those words, she tends to slit the throats of those who even attempt to help h-"

"SHOO!!!!" a deep third voice bellowed and the sounds of the two scurried away. It was a woman's voice. The door creaked to the left of the bed where the woman lay breathing softly, as if the faintest movement would spring a

trap on her and yet completely relaxed at the same time. She'd been playing possum a good maybe 40 minutes, maybe even an hour by now.

There was a shuffling of objects, louder to her ears than she had heard in years, and it only help to remind her leg hurt like hell. Broken in two places. Sometimes having hollow bones was proving a too dangerous medical

peculiarity. She remained partially worried about where she was as she tried to block out the constant throb of pain, knowing it would take a day or two or three, for she realized since she'd awoken one thing with crystal clarity.

Her powers were back, and it hit her almost with a wave of sorrow; because she didn't want them, need them, even wish for them to ever come back. How'd she gotten here? Where was Master Yido? Even as groggy as she felt, she tell that simple reason of her powers for one thing atleast alone. Out of the tiny crack of between long fringed black eye lashes she could see the shimmer of blue which surrounded the cheek of her face glaring at her ominously, knowing the rest of her glowed, too.

"Ah'm not waiten' all day. You alive and 'wake over there, so's ya ain't got no choice 'bout eatin' now, cause nobody, I mean, nobody died under mah watch."

The bed indentured as the woman sat down, and gravity pulled Casse lightly as the bed sunk on one edge. Casse was prepared to wince at the pain of movement but all she felt was the soft tickle of The Perfection, and she let out an incredibly light sigh, audible though for she hadn't practiced being silent in years, not in that way atleast.

"Ah ain't lost me no body an' ah I don' plan to start with you, chil'"

Casse glanced at her slightly, taking in her feature. A soft and yet rugged expression on the woman's face, but her eyes, her eyes which twinkled with life, were what drew Casse's attention to her, like a child's suddenly spawned curiosity.

--------------

"Riven? Riven?" The voice called from the door, but she hadn't looked up yet thinking.

"Casse?" She looked up slightly towards the door, no one but the healer knew her name, and him. She frowned as she looked at him. He'd been here the first month only to turn around and leave again. It had been odd. Things had

been odd between she and he, even though they had talked but three times.

It was as if something just took over her when she was near him. It was unsettling, in a terrible way, especially when she could even seem to keep her life so perfectly in order. Having come from Old Japan to 4 years before she even got knocked back into it on accident had a bad enough effect on her. Everyone here though she was still Riven, there was no existence as Tandy, or way to prove it to the three people she mentioned it to.

He was walking towards her quietly, and she wondered if it was just a twist of fate that her heart leapt into her throughout and her hand slipped crashing the pin into another section of her wristlet, which made her glower

at her wrist when she looked at it. Maybe if she could forget that day in town and that kiss……oooh, that kiss, that kiss that dizzied her world and made her forget everything…..maybe things could be okay.

He kneeled leaned down slightly by her where she'd gone back to working on her left wristlet silently.

"You can't ignore me forever," he said and his voice was smooth and accented to the fact a chill ran down her spine, almost putting her too on edge.

"Who says I'm ignoring you? Who ever said I had the time for you even?" Casse said with a bite to her words as she concentrated on the wristlet, relaxing she'd never get any work done like this, her finger trembled at rate only she could feel and see and it was going to ruin her wristlet is she broke any more connections. And she did so love her wristlets, so she looked up.

Just in time to see his hand coming at her face, which almost made her jump; and often from someone always on the defensive again. She didn't move though as his fingers touched her cheek softly, and she almost winced. She was a

poster child for pain and suffering, but kindness, even love, those were like foreign ideas to her. They were things that made people weak and sentimental and soft.

His fingers traced the side of her cheek lightly as she finally looked up to meet his eyes, only aware of his touch, and her heart pounding and him being so close.

"You can't lie to me," he said softly, as he took one of her hands pulling her up, "Besides I know dos expression's too well. I remember 'em all from when I taught you to ride."

But it was like something snapped inside her, within the worry, the panic of emotions racing through her she couldn't control, when his lips touched her again. It was the only thing she could do, the only thing at the touch she

didn't want to do. She shoved him backwards only about half a foot.

"STOP! Don't touch me! Get away from me! Go! Get! Go away!"

Her powers only still integrating back into her system and into her mind, with little use since she'd awoke, seemed to jump alive suddenly within the volumized emotional outburst she had, and it effected him. He looked shocked, like he was about to say something; then trapped. And suddenly he just fainted completely on the floor.

Casse finger and hand covered her mouth partially in shock or surprise. What happened? Had she done that? She kneeled down by him checking his pulse. Still alive and fine, but what had she done? Her fingers rubbed lightly over

her throat as she was more shocked and scared than anything at the second and she was almost determined not to move until he either died there or woke up, whichever came first.