The Welder of BlackFire:

Thorn's New Life-The Legend Lives

Chapter Eleven: Kurama's Offer

Kuwabara sighed. "I thought she said she was going to be here."

"She will," Hiei said, sitting in his usual spot on a window sill.

"How do you know?" Kuwabara asked with a small growl.

"Because she's standing in the doorway," he said. They all looked around to see just that. Thorn was standing in the doorway to one of the bedrooms, back in her long pants and shirt.

"I was waiting for you to tell them I was here," she said, stepping forward. She took a seat in an armchair after leaning her sword against it, facing the window Hiei was sitting in.

"How long were you waiting there?" Kurama asked.

"Hey look! Fox Boy snapped out of his silent spell!" Yusuke said with a laugh.

"Long enough," she said, relaxing in the chair and crossing her legs as her eyes closed. Her shoulders slumped slightly, her arms resting on the armrests as she sighed. She opened her eyes and saw them looking at her expectantly. "I was making sure that the police didn't think it was anything more than another robbery," she said to their unspoken question.

"What did you do with the demons?" Botan asked.

"They've been taken care of," was her reply.

"Tell me Thorn, who is your trainer?" Kurama asked after a moment of silence. Thorn jerked her head in his direction, but he was sipping coffee and she could not hold his gaze.

"I have no real trainer. Just this voice in my head," she joked. "Besides, my trainer is no longer one with his body." Her face turned serious.

"You mean he's dead?" Botan asked. Thorn did not answer. "Oh, I'm sorry, it must have been an awful experience, him leaving so soon after you started your training. I'm sorry." Thorn's expression darkened.

'There is nothing I hate more than pity,' she thought hotly.

Kurama nodded. 'So the legend is dead. That's good to know,' he thought, putting down his coffee cup.

"Why did you interfere today?" Hiei asked, looking out into the dark sky. There was no moon shinning this night. The clouds were thick and the wind rough. Rain would be there by morning.

They all looked at Hiei before turning back to Thorn. She sighed.

"You are all very persistent in finding a reason why anyone would help you. Maybe its because I'm a nice person," she said. Hiei snorted. Thorn looked in the glass, glaring at his reflection as he smirked. "Fine. So maybe its not because I'm a nice person. If you insist, I'll tell you. But don't pester me after I'm done. I'm paying a debt is all. And now my debt is repaid. I have saved at least one of your lives today, if not two, and saved you a lot of pain in the Turnamate."

"What was your debt?" Yusuke asked quietly.

"I told you not to pester me after I told you. I will not answer that question," she said with the touch of a growl. Silence settled around them. Five minutes passed before it was broken.

"Thorn, you have a lot of potential as a fighter," Kurama said.

"You're trying to say something, Kurama. You don't say basically the same thing twice in one day if you don't have a point behind it. What are you trying to say?" Thorn said, looking at him.

"I'm saying that I think Koenma would enjoy having such a powerful member on his team," he said. Even Hiei turned to stare at Kurama. Thorn nodded.

"I had a feeling you were going to say something like that," she said.

"B-but she's a girl!" Kuwabara stuttered in disbelief. Thorn glared at him.

"Do you have a problem with that, Kuwabara? Because I could make you regret that statement quite quickly," Thorn spat, sitting straighter in her chair. Kuwabara leaned back on the couch, waving his hands in surrender with a stupid grin.

"Hn, she could finish up everything you're too weak to handle easily," Hiei said with a smirk, turning to look back out the window. Kuwabara opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by Thorn.

"First of all, I will clean up after no one, I work alone. And second, I have paid my dues, I have no reason to stay around. If there was something for me to gain by staying I might think about it, but there is nothing for me in the end. Besides, its time for me to leave you four behind. I am done here and I have yet to master my trainer's techniques, and I need strong opponents in order to perfect them."

"The enemies Koenma gives us are more than strong. They're cunning and swift, better than anything you'll ever find," reasoned Kurama. Thorn looked at him suspiciously. "The challenge they would give you would be enough to perfect your attacks."

"Kurama, don't try to talk me into anything. I know why you want me to stay, but it will take much more than my presents for you to find out who taught me. I should be going," Thorn said, reaching for her sword. Kurama's expression turned grim.

"So what you are trying to say is that you are afraid of what we might learn about you," Kurama said, his eyes watching his coffee cup. Thorn's hand stopped and she froze. After a second she looked up, her normally emerald eyes a furious blue.

"You dare call me a coward? I am afraid of nothing, Kurama," she said, her voice a deadly hiss. "And if you beg to differ then I'll slit your throat." Botan, Kuwabara, and Yusuke gave her startled looks. Her voice spoke with such confidence one could be sure that the threat was not an empty one.

"I never called you a coward, Thorn," Kurama said solemnly.

"You don't have to speak for me to know what you are trying to say. I know every thought you think, Kurama. You try to deceive me and I will kill you." Thorn had picked up her sword, which hummed gently as she placed it on her back, and began to move toward the doorway from which she had entered.

"I have no intentions of deceiving you. I was merely stating what I thought you were trying to tell us," Kurama explained. Thorn turned, her azure eyes hot ambers as she stared at him, trying to make him look up. His gaze wavered from where it was leveled, glancing up but for a second. But the second was all that was needed. His eyes were held by hers, which seemed deep and dark compared to a moment ago. They were bottomless pits of abyss that never seemed to end, that pulled him into a dark and icy hell.

"You speak the truth. I see that now. But your clever tricks will not work on me, Kurama. I'll tell you what, you give me a reason to stay, and, as I said before, I'll think about it. But, as I said at the turnamate, there is nothing you could give me that I could not acquire in one year's time." Thorn stood, waiting, as the group looked at the kitsune. Kurama thought a minute, his mind buzzing from the sight of her cold, empty eyes.

"What about training?" said Hiei from his window. "She clearly could use it." Thorn turned her cold, raging blue eyes toward him, but could not catch his eyes in the reflection before Kurama agreed.

"Yes, what do you think, Thorn? Your alliance in exchange for training?" The room was silent for a moment but for a rumbling from the girl's sword. Even Kuwabara and Yusuke were quiet while she thought a moment. She mumbled something a moment later.

"Whadya say?" Kuwabara asked, who had turned around in the couch to look at her. He was met with silence for another two seconds.

"Yes, I think that I could come to an agreement with that," Thorn finally said, the blank, expressionless look on her face and the far-away look in her eyes vanishing. "One month of training in exchange for my helping you with any missions that might come about during that time."

"Agreed," Kurama said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Authoress' Note: I am now excepting anonymous (sp) reviews! Yay! I thank you again, Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame! ^_^.

Kuwabara: we have another review! -begins to open envelope-

J: -snatches it away- hey! -glare-

Yusuke: -chuckle- alright! You let me chuckle!

J: -snort- it's a privilage, don't abuse it. Now, let's see our review! Oo!

Hiei's1girl-again! Yay! I've updated for ya! ^_^

Rose Whip of the Darkness Flame- lol, hope your comp gets…ahh, less evil? And I made my note about anonymous reviews! ^_^ thank you! Being called a favorite author really is touching, I appreciate it! Thank you!

Hiei: I want to write another story.

J: -glare- you should reply to the wonderful reviewers!

Hiei: -slump- I smell sweet snow I want it so bad -grumble-

Yusuke: -quickly hides sweet snow he's eating- -licks fingers of ice cream-

Kurama: -chuckle-

J: -rolls eyes- anyway. Hope ya'll like this chapter! ^_^ I think I'll try to finish this story up before I let Kurama post his story that I promised he could write.

Kurama: -swells with pride-

Yusuke: -rolls eyes-

Kuwabara: how come you didn't promise me I could write a story?

J: franky, I don't think anyone would read it and I think I might die after trying to correct all your spelling mistakes. You can't even spell cat.

Kuwabara: can too! Its K_A_T! ha!

All: -_-' baka.

Kuwabara: speaking of kitties, where's yers?

J: I don't think so! Pilgrim's mine dammit!

Kuwabara: I just wanna pet 'im.

J: -snaps fingers- -Eikichi appears- here. Be happy.

Kuwabara: Eikichi!! -pets lovingly-

Eikichi: Meow!

Yusuke: I feel so bad for that cat.

J: -glare- shut-up before I make you giggle again. Just as long as he's quiet. For that, I demand you do the disclaimer.

Yusuke: -rolls eyes- okay. J-san owns only Thorn, BlackFire, but not us, thankfully.

J: please review!