"Good morning, Winterheart. You're late again, as usual."
Schale eyed his young apprentice. He sensed the fatigue exuded by her fragile form.
"Haven't I told you to get plenty of rest, young lady? You'll never become a shaman if you can't even handle the pressures of your training."
"I'm sorry Master, but I had to make certain that I had properly placed all of the protection talismans."
"Very well then, now that you're here, shall we begin?"
Just as the acolyte was about to nod, a blonde assassin burst through the door, the floppy rabbit ears of his rather strange choice of a headgear drooping over his face. As he slouched against a nearby pillar, his companion, a rambunctious black-haired rogue, slammed the door just in time to avoid the wraith that had been pursuing them. A somewhat loud thump sound was heard as the result of the poor, helpless undead monster crashing into the large door.
"That...was close..."
"Nice...understatement..."
"Kaname! Tanaka!"
The two froze at the sound of the grouchy old ex-hunter's voice. They didn't even have time to catch their breath and already they were being lectured.
"I thought I told you two to stay out of here while I am training Miss Winterheart!"
"But Master Schale! This was the closest escape..."
"Then you shouldn't have been wandering around like the nosy brats that you are."
The slender rogue took this opportunity to smack the unwary assassin upside the head, nearly knocking off his second pair of ears.
"Darn it Kuro, this is all your fault!"
"And I suppose that you had no part in this, Miss Kaname?"
The rogue responded by looking at her feet and saying nothing, not wanting to anger him further.
"Just as I thought. Now I suggest you two head back to the church and help Father Cyrus with whatever errands he may have. And as for you, Tanaka..."
His gaze wandered to the assassin, who was still rubbing the spot where the rogue had struck him.
"Go with her, and stay out of trouble. And while you're at it, lose that God-awful excuse for a headband that you insist on wearing all the time. You're not a hare, nor are you some pole-dancing floozy from some obscure strip club. Now get going!"
"But I promised Weili that I'd never take this off..."
"Just go!"
As soon as the two former thieves exited the vicinity as if chased away by a rabid Chihuahua, the hunter turned to the acolyte and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
"And you, you should get some rest."
"But Master..."
"No. Kiro, it won't help to torture yourself like this. You need to take a break once in a while."
The emerald-eyed girl nodded and smiled weakly, then switched her attention to a certain swordsman, who now happened to be dozing off as if he were napping under the Pronteran sun. Something about his vulnerable aura tugged at the corner of her lips, and she couldn't hold off the smile that came through. She knelt beside him and gently shook him one, let's go back to the church."