Anniya

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" There is no way you can make that one, my friend!" Samuel hollered, daring West to make the target.

He set his bow and grinned. He released it, and it split the arrow that he had shot before. The tavern burst into wild drunk applause.

" Thank you, gentlemen." West told them, collecting his money.

He tipped his hat at the thieves and gamblers and the drunks, and started to walk out.

" Milord, you forgot your Ale!" A sweet voice said.

West grinned again, and accepted the free Ale from the redhead and her friend.

" You are a wonderful archer. I knew you were going to win." Redhead said, gazing into his eyes. West smiled at her.

" I was just getting warmed up. What are you doing tonight?"

" I was actually wondering the same thing about you." the girl said sweetly, and began unbuttoning his shirt.

" West!" John grabbed him.

" Trouble." he whispered in West's ear.

West nodded, and gave the redhead an apologetic smile as he raced out of the tavern with John to their horses.

" How much money do you have?"

" 50 Silver KJ's. We have to get out of here before he realizes it's missing." West nodded, and kicked his stallion. It neighed, then shot out onto the soon darkening street. The market was slowly closing.

" Where are we staying tonight?"

" Tavern. We can afford it." West nodded.

His golden hair reflected the lanterns that had been hung.

" Go pick a couple of pockets. We need some gold KJ's if we want to convince once of the higher taverns we won't be robbing their safes." West grinned.

" Got you. We'll meet up at the Dragon's Door Tavern, agreed." He said before spinning his horse around in the other direction.

Some of the classy Tavern's, like the Dragon's Door, only accepted Gold KJ's. No one would be able to follow West and John in there. Not to mention Dragon's Door would have plenty of money that West and John could help themselves to. West scanned the area for perhaps the few high society people that would be left to rob. He got off Diobla, his stallion. It meant Devil in Latin, a suiting name for the horse. West saw a girl leaning against a statue. He wouldn't hurt her. Killing or emotionally hurting girls was one thing that West did not do. Still, the girl probably had a rich Father. She wouldn't miss the money. West whistled, walking by. Usually he tried to get people to trust him before he robbed them, but he was in a hurry tonight. Suddenly, he grabbed the girl, clapping a hand over her mouth and a dagger to her ribs.

" Lovely weather were having tonight, aren't we? Hand over your money." The girl slowly reached down for something.

Then suddenly, a sharp kick was delivered to his stomach. West stumbled back, falling down. Due to years of training, he got up in a flash, narrowly missing a kick delivered to his head. He looked to see who had kicked him. Hell, he thought as West realized it was the girl. She had started to run. West swung his foot out, tripping her. Her head hit the pavement with a sickening crack. She lay there still for a few moments, then weakly got up, and began running again. West started sprinting. Who the hell was this girl? West ran faster. Ten feet. He hadn't seen her face yet, but the girl's white blonde hair looked oddly familiar. 5 feet. West sped up. He could almost touch her. He grinned as he realized where they were. The river Lucarno. West had her cornered. The girl paused. Then she jumped. West stared in amazement. What had happened to the girls that practically handed him their KJ's? He dived in after her. The currents thrashed angrily in the Night. It was steadily getting cold. West spotted the girl's head. It disappeared under the currents, only to appear several moments later. The skirts would be weighing her down. The girl wouldn't last much longer. West kicked furiously, hoping he could reach her in time. The girl's head disappeared under the water. Taking a deep breath, he dived under, groping for anything that remotely resembled a dress. Due to career, he was as good at swimming as he was at running and archery. West felt a clump of material. He pulled it up, only to discover that it had been a bag. He tossed it back and dived again. She would be dead soon. West felt another material, this one silky and heavier. It was the girl, sure enough. West pulled her up to the surface, and kicked toward the shore, careful to keep the girl's face above the surface. As the water became shallow, he looked at the girl's face. She wasn't breathing. But West noticed something else. Despite the green silk gown, the delicate white ringlets that were now wet, the Emerald green necklace, the remaining scent of perfume, the girl was no ordinary girl. It was Anniya. He stared at her for a moment. Where was Robert? Those people she had been with? Had they left her here? He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, and hit hard on the back. He felt her pulse. It was barely there.

" Anniya! Speak to me!" West told her angrily, hitting her on the back again.

This time, she weakly coughed up water.

" Breathe, Anniya!" he told her, holding the petite blonde in a sitting position. She blinked, and began breathing again, in short rasps. Thank god he hadn't killed her.

" My head hurts." she said weakly. West saw that the normally white hair was soaked with blood. Fear gripped him.

" Can you stand?" he asked her.

" I don't really know." she told him, her voice cracking.

" Lean on me. I'm going to get you to a doctor. How are you?" Anniya looked at him. At that particular moment, she was even more beautiful then he remembered her. She sat up, and looked at him clearly.

" You left me. You left me, and you tried to take Gleex." Anniya told him.

" Anniya, you know that I couldn't stay with you. How are you feeling? Thank god I got you when I did." he asked her in Elfin.

" West, how can you ask me how am I? I'm still standing, aren't I?" she said sharply.

He stared at her.

" Anniya, I'm sorry about what I did back at the camp. I shouldn't of...."

" Do you expect me to go on like everything's ok now? Well, you know West, it's not. It's not ok. It's not okay to try and take my dragon and leave me. You kiss me, as if that's supposed to make everything alright."

" Anniya, it look's like you have a concussion. You're head is bleeding, and you just literally"

" Leave me alone. Go kill some more people. I hate you."

" Before I leave you alone, where is Robert? Where the hell did he go to leave you out in the slums of the capital?"

" He didn't leave me. I didn't know Ayorthorian, so I was supposed to stay here until I could speak it well enough. I came here with some friends. Some friends they turned out to be."

West crouched down, to get a better view of her face in the dark night. Anniya was glaring at him, even in pain. Yes, it was definitely Anniya. No other girl would be glaring at her rescuer.

" Well, for now, at least come with me."

" Over my dead body."

" I'll bring flowers to your funeral. Come on now, I'm not going to leave you on the river banks for some serial killer."

" I'm with you, aren't I?" Anniya said sarcastically.

" Fine. I'll leave you here."

" Fine."

" Anniya, just trust me. You need a doctor."

" Just leave me alone. Or, maybe even better, I'll leave you."

Anniya stood up, and began walking away. She took three steps before she crumpled to the ground. West went over and picked her up. Walking up the bank, he acknowledged John was going to kill him. He clucked his tongue loudly, hoping Diobla was in the area. Indeed he was, and trotted toward West. He hoisted himself and Anniya on the horse, and reined him toward the Dragon's door tavern.

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