Leaf and Jack lay back down in the bed holding each other close. Leaf was leaning back into Jack and he put his head behind her neck.

"I love you Jack." Leaf said.

"I love you too." Jack said gently kissing her neck. "So…Are we gonna start this mission?"

"No." Leaf said. "You told us that Spark would be out of action for a few days right?"

"He'll be ok by tomorrow." Jack said.

"Well then let's set off in the morning." Leaf said and stood up.

She was barely dressed and Jack smiled when he saw her stretch. He sighed and reached for his vest and boots. In about a minute they were both dressed and walking into the hallway. Leaf bounced in front of Jack and looked into his eyes smiling.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Do you want to go out on a horse ride?" Leaf asked.

"Am I getting my own horse?" Jack asked.

"If you want?" Leaf said. "Or you can ride behind me again."

Jack put his hand to his chin in thought for a second then looked at Leaf and smiled.

"Well I need to learn to ride sooner or later so I'll take my own for now." He said. "We'll save the romantic ride for this afternoon."

Leaf smiled and hugged him quickly then started walking back down the hallway. Jack laughed as he watched Leaf gracefully walk down the hall towards the dining room. Leaf was almost at the door and Jack had to run to catch her. He slipped an arm around her waist just as they were walking through the door. Spark and Neese were sitting at the table both half asleep and King Kashue was sitting at the head of the table.

"We have been waiting." He said as Jack and Leaf walked into the room.

"Sorry your majesty." Leaf said.

"Have a seat so we can eat." King Kashue said waving his hand at 2 empty chairs.

Leaf and Jack quickly took their spots at the table and the food was brought out. Neese and Spark were talking about the battle the night before with King Kashue while Jack and Leaf were much too busy leaning on each other as they ate to pay any attention to the others. Not even when King Kashue told Spark and Neese how Jack had beaten him in the training room and Spark complemented Jack did Jack or Leaf even look at them.

"Are you two listening?" Neese asked. "Hello?"

Jack and Leaf still didn't pay any attention to them. Finally Spark picked up a grape off his plate and hit Jack in the side of the head.

"What the hell?" Jack asked.

"We've been talking to you." Spark said. "And you have been ignoring us."

"Well you have out attention now." Jack said.

"I was congratulating you on defeating King Kashue in the training room last night." Spark said.

"I should have kicked his ass for interrupting Leaf and I." Jack laughed.

"Yea well I want a rematch." King Kashue said.

"Any time you want it you got it." Jack said.

"Ok well then how about after we eat." King Kashue said.

"Fine by me." Jack said.

"In front of my whole army." King Kashue added.

"Well if you want to be embarrassed that bad so be it." Jack laughed.

"I will not loose again." King Kashue said with a serious tone.

"Go easy on him sire." Neese said. "He did save Spark and I from those Dark Elves after all."

"I'm not gonna kill him." King Kashue said. "I just want to know if he beat me with skill or luck."

Courtyard

King Kashue's whole Army was assembled in the courtyard as King Kashue and Jack walked into the middle of them. Jack was clad in his Army camouflage and King Kashue was in his battle armor. Jack drew his Elvin made sword from its sheath and handed the sheath to Leaf.

"Be careful Jack." Leaf said and took the sheath from him.

"I will." Jack said.

"King Kashue was standing in the middle of the large circle holding his dubbed egged sword in one hand and handed the sheath to Spark.

"Good luck sire." Spark said and backed out of the circle.

"Men." King Kashue said. "Last night this man defeated me in a sparing match faster than anyone else."

There were some murmurs from the gathered solders but they went unheard by King Kashue.

"I have challenged him to a re match to see if it was skill or luck that he defeated me by." King Kashue continued. "Either way I have decided to take him into our ranks as a Free Knight much like Sir Parn."

Jack was stunned by the proposal. He knew what a Free Knight was and liked the idea.

"If he defeats me again I will make sure he is clad in the finest armor in all of Lodoss and if he looses then he will receive nothing but the title of Free Knight."

That sounded reasonable enough to Jack but he would make sure he didn't loose.

"Now without farther a due its time for this sparing match to commence." King Kashue said.

There were cheers from the on lookers as Jack and King Kashue faced off. They slowly circled each other as they studied each other. King Kashue was the first to make a move raising his sword and rushing at Jack and slashing down. He hit only air seeing as Jack was on his right side countering with a hard fast swing. King Kashue narrowly dodged the blow and took up his stance and eyed Jack cautiously.

'He's got potential that's for sure.' He thought.

Wail King Kashue was studying Jack, Jack was formulating an attack plan.

'He keeps his guard up at all times even when he's attacking.' He thought. 'How ever on that first attack he left his back open for just a second. But that's gonna be hard to me to hit. If I can disarm him I can beat him in hand to hand.'

Finally King Kashue rushed in with a straight jab intending on finishing the fight here and now. Jack saw his chance and took it. He parried the blow just enough so that the blow would miss him but stay in contact with his blade. Once the hilt King Kashue's sword was only inched away from Jacks hands he dropped his sword and grabbed King Kashue's wrist and twisted it. King Kashue let out a cry of pain as his sword fell from his grasp and staggered back. Jack quickly picked up both swords and handed them to Leaf.

"I see you want to go with out weapons." King Kashue said as he unsnapped his armor for better maneuverability. "So be it."

Jack clinched his fists and took the stance he was taught in Basic training. King Kashue raised his hands open fisted like Bruce Lee and walked towards Jack. As soon as they were with in reach Jack let loose with a combination of right hooks and left hooks but none of them found their mark as they were easily deflected by King Kashue. Jack was amazed that Kashue was just as skilled with his fist as with a sword.

'Well you thought it would be easier.' Jack said and mentally kicked his ass for it.

Suddenly King Kashue took a hard right hook and caught Jack right on the jaw. Jack spun around from the force of the blow but stayed on his feet. He was a little dazed from the hit and King Kashue took full advantage and buried his fist into Jacks chest but staggered back holding his hand.

"He he he." Jack laughed as he pulled the 12 pound steel plate out of his vest. "I forgot about that."

"Gee thanks." King Kashue said.

"Any time." Jack said and rushed him wail he was still off guard.

Kink Kashue had no chance to defend himself as he was struck many times by hard hits to the face. He was bleeding from his mouth and nose by the time Jack finished the barrage. By this time King Kashue was in a daze from the concussion Jack had given him and saw Ashram standing in front of him and not Jack. He dropped his hand to his boot and pulled a knife and started slashing at Jack.

"That's not fighting fair." Leaf yelled not knowing that King Kashue was trying to kill him mistaking him for Ashram.

Jack was dancing in circles trying to avoid the knife when he backed to far and bumped into some one. King Kashue stabbed forward and jack dodged the knife and heard it hit flesh and bone and someone cry out. When he looked to see it was he saw King Kashue pull the bloody knife out of Leafs shoulder. She fell to her knees holding her injured shoulder.

"LEAF!!" Jack yelled and rushed King Kashue pulling his KAY-BAR fighting knife from its sheath.

He was on King Kashue before anyone had a chance to make a move. Jack swung the knife past King Kashue's throat and came back with the hilt of the knife smashing into the side of King Kashue's head knocking him out cold. He sheathed his knife and ran to Leafs side.

"Leaf are you ok?" He asked dropping to his knees.

"I'll be fine." Leaf said. "He just hit my shoulder."

"I didn't know he was a dirty fighter." Jack said.

"He's not." Leaf said. "Something must have happened to make him to that."

Jack looked back just as Spark and Neese were kneeling by King Kashue's side. Neese reached out her hand and said something Jack didn't hear and King Kashue woke back up.

"Where is he?" King Kashue asked springing to his feet.

"Where's who?" Spark asked.

"Ashram." King Kashue said. "He was here."

"No that was Jack you were fighting." Spark said. "And you almost killed Leaf."

"What?" King Kashue asked looking at Leaf and saw her holding her bloody shoulder.

"Oh no." He said. "I am sorry Leaf."

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." Leaf said. "It was Jack that you were trying to kill."

King Kashue looked at Jack and extended his hand.

"Please forgive me." He said.

Jack looked into his eyes and took his hand.

"I'm guessing you had an illusion of someone you don't like?" Jack asked.

"His name is Ashram and we are sworn enemies." King Kashue said. "But he Left Lodoss and will never return."

"Well then you don't have to come after me again do you?" Jack joked.

"I guess not." King Kashue laughed. "As you all just saw, Sir Jack just defeated me in battle and as I promised he will be made a Free Knight and also clad in the Finest Armor in all of Lodoss."