A partially awaken Trixie could perceive someone taking great lengths to move about inexplicatively around the room butthe spell of drowsiness still clung to her,so she couldn't motivate herself enough to see who it was.But when she heard the door opening and closing with a squeak,she t tossed the covers from her bed and waiting for few more minutes to pass,finally allowed her lids to pop open and stared at the illuminated white ceiling and starting to feel her usual grasp in the Morning,Trixie rose with a start and climbed out of bed to begin the day.Stretching,she went to change and wasted no time getting down stairs with a somehow clear mind and conscious.
"You seem more upbeat this Morning..."Jake observed a bit suspiciously,quirking a brow from across the table as Trixie was mapping out some of the best Mountain ranges for serious shredding."I mean..."he put down his breakfast burrito and went on with a slight look of concern."Yesterday you seemed pretty uptight about this."
"Enough about the past,Jakey.Take a look at this,"Trixie brushed aside his dubiousness and turned the map clockwise to face him,tapping her finger a few random places and then finally jabbing her finger down on one taller Mountain in particular,"That,"she grinned up at Jake with a devious smile as she was now leaning forward,"Is where were reallygonna hit it big time,were talkin' unheard-of slopes,jagged rock formations,long trails and of course...it's got big time air action goin' on."
Jake began nodding slowly."Man,Trix,you've totally out done yourself."he told her with a note impression in his voice,averting his gaze up at her as shesmiledsmugly."How'd you manage to pull all of this off in one night?I've never even heard of this Mountain."
"Not important,"She replied simply but her burnt umber eyes glowed heavy with aspiration,"I'll tell ya what though..."continueing on,she and Jake stood as one and started outside,as she went on whimsically."Just think,Jake.By this time next year,were already not only be pumped but prepared.One whole day of runs and we'll pratically master most of these Mountains.You hearin' me,baby?"
They continued to chatter amongst themselves,as they started to follow some of the other kids up to where alot of them were gathering in front of Professor Rotwood.Effortlessly ignoring him,she let her eyes wander back to the lodge purely out of boredom,only to lock onto Teige who was busy collecting fire wood.Clenching her jaw from ambivalence at him,she was about suggest that her and Jake move more to the front,when his dark green eyes transfixed for what seemed like an eternity but in reality was only a quick glance.She couldn't tellwhether he had smiled or not as Jake was now talking to her and he had already turned to go back indoors.But that's when she spotted a feather-clustered Spud heading their way.
"What happened to you?"She inquired him in surprise,gawking a bit as they started to move with the line of charging kids that had already fled."You look likeyou got chased five miles by a pack of ravage Chickens.Hold up,"she eyed him andthen questioned him curiously,"You didn't steal any bird sead like when we were on the trip to the far..."
"No,of course not!"Spud cut her off suddenly,crossing his arms over his chest and continueing defensively."I learned my lesson...but,I guess you could say I got the wrong room.Which in a way wasa good thing but at the same time also sort of painful."
The mention of rooms perked Jake up and he turned to Trixie with a lite up grin."Speakin' of rooms,how's that girl talk going?"he started casually but then sped up effervescently."What did Rose say about me?Does she like my hair maybe?"
Trixie was about to make a statement by how much Rose seemed to be going through,when Jake slapped his hand over her mouth to stultify her words,as he pointed out and exclaimed her presence from where she was waving and coming up to them about ten or eleven feet away.All of a sudden,her mind shifted to the fact that Jake was probably going into the whole thing without taking into consideration how everyone else felt,
"Jakey..."she turned to tell him in a remonstrance tone,as he was blissfully waving back."I'm warnin' you,think this thing through.Take it from us,it aintso easy finding out you're friend is-"
"A Dragon!"Rose stated excitedly,pointing directly at Jake's arm.
"What...uh...a Dragon?"Jake stammered haphazardly,his face paste and his mouth agape.
Rose continued to smile,indicating with her finger still at Jake's arm."You're snowboard."
"My..."He swerved his gaze from her and stared still taken a bit back at the Snowboard that had an elaborate Chinese Dragon on it."Oh!Right.Snowboard."he laughed in relief and when he felt his cheeks burning,remarked to recover."You...still got that birthmark?"
Although Rose was acting nonchalant about it,she thought she could detect a hint of dissatisfaction when the girl brought her hand forward so all three could examine it.It was so much like one of Jake's designs and it intrigued Trixie that it could look so much in resemblance to a Dragon tattoo or something then an ordinary birthmark.But she didn't dwell on it,as the next thing she observed was Brad coming up behindRose and Jake,making a few quick moves and then whisking Rose away,leaving a slightly chapfallen Jake in her wake.
"You've got to really think this thing through,"She came up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder,telling him a bit more firmly,"You don't know for sure if this is the right time,I don't."
An hour or so later...
It was after Lunch and Trixie had decided to go back to her room before they decided to go in pursuit of the Huntsgirl,whom she was still peeved at finding out was on the Ski Trip with them.So much for a fun-filled day of setting any Snowboardin' records...she thought sardonically,as she twisted the door knob to enter and continued to think with still a little bitterness.Just because Jake wanted to get to one girl,don't mean another one's gotta pop up outta...she was jerked out of mid-thought by the sight before her.It was Huntsgirl and she had the window partially open and she wasseatedat the edge of Trixie's bed adjusting one of the holsters on herbelt.Trixiefroze in her tracks and watched with her mouth slightly agape.For about what seemed like a minute,the Huntsgirl didn't seem to notice anything but the second she glanced up she as she was rising to her feet she stood up completely stockstill,her eyes went round and seemed to fill with horror at being discovered.They stood staring at each other,for what seemed like forever.But after what seemed like forever,Trixie slowly took a step and a half forward,her voice slightly quavering,
"You shouldn't be here."she told her with a firmness she somehow could say but didn't feel inside of her,this girl was out to do away with her best friend and she couldn't let it happen."I don't know who you are or what you're doing here...but I do know this...I-"
Before she could continue on,a white bolt of some kind of stunray flashed and clipped from behind her and hit directly in the Huntsgirl's forehead.Trixie watched in panic,as the girl's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collasped onto the floor.That's when Trixie tensed up,her back stiffened and her senses became more keen then ever,she was bracing herself for anything that might take place after that.But on the inside,her mind was running five-thousand miles an hour,her heart was pounding madly and she could feel beads of perspiration starting to trickle down from her temples to her cheeks.Shallowing hard,she allowed her gaze to travel back just a bit and as she thought she could sense someone staring at her as if to decide what course of action to take,she spoke shakily,
"I-I don't have anything to do with the Huntsgirl..."her eyes shut tight and she gripped her hands into strained fists that where trembling as well."...So,you'll be zapping me for all the wrong reasons.Cause guess what?I don't even know her.You're just wasting you're time."
"Oh really?I might just zap you and take you back to my base with me so you won't complain so much."A voice replied to her in a bantering tone,as a wisp of smoke drifted passesd her head and she whirled around to face a slightly grinning Teige,"Though that might be kind of considered abduction,"he passed her as he continued,"If you know what I mean."
"What're you doing here?"Trixie snapped at him hotly,her helplessness having vanished and her temper towards him like the previous night flaring."You could have given me a heartattack,dude!"she told him accusingly as he went over to the Huntsgirl,kneeled and taking his index finger and thumb,proceeded to start to pull her mask off."You..." her words fell short,as she went alongside him and peered down in the suspense of finding out who she was."...Do it.I know this is why you're here firstly anyways.So just go ahead and do it so I can get on with the rest of my life."
Teige nodded his head slowly without looking up at her and with their gazes locked onto Thorn's face,he ripped it off in one quick jerk and revealed the cream-complected face of Rose.Trixie couldn't believe her eyes...how devastated would Jake be when he found out?Was the first thing that came to mind.As she watched her she recalled how much Rose seemed to want to spend more time with Jake and although she was somewhat angry at the girl for being so blind,she still felt a wave of sympathey.The face she saw before her was one of a confused young girl rather then a ruthless and cold-hearted hunter.Her eyes suddenly turned to Teige who had moved to close the window and was now coming up to Rose with a look of intent glinting in his eyesas if he was go to take him with her.Without warning,she bolted forward and got between them to stop him from coming any further,her dark hazel eyes narrowed,
"You can't take her."she told him adamantly,their gazes were locked in time it seemed like but even his mesmeric good looks couldnotwaver her yet she still knew she was risking alot."She's not completely evil."
He studied her crucially for a long time."I believe you,Trixie."and finally he let his guard down with a sigh and averting his gaze passed her to stare at the unveiled Huntsgirl,he drew in another quick breath and released it upon going over to sitat the end of Rose's bed and patting the end beside him for her to have a seat,his eyes and voice a bit defeated."Come over,we have to talk and get this resolved and today."
Hesistant at first,she slowly stood to full height with her eyes on him and made her way over to sit about a foot by him but she refused to look at him as she spoke in a low whisper while looking at Rose,"Jake is going to be so crushed when he finds out his first crush is his mortal enemy,"her words grew stronger and prudent,as she flickered worried eyes on him finally,"What should we do...or what should I?I can't tell him but he needs to know.And what about Rose...what if she figures out his idenity?"
"First off,I want you to know you had every right to go ballistic on me last night."Teige told her quickly,his despostion seeming to still hold regret for the previous night as he went on still solemnly."Second off..."he leaned forward and pecked her softly on the cheek but pulled away abruptly to keep it in the serious matter."...I think you're one of the prettiest girls I've ever met and third off,you can't tell you're friend the American Dragon about this.But,"he was swift to input when she opened her mouth to interrupt,"You can drop hints...he'll have to find out on his own.Listen,the organization I'm in is very strict.My first and foremost mission was to capture the Huntsgirl or at least take care of it so she wouldn't do anymore harm.She's one of the youngest Huntsmembers ever to be ready for initiation and one of the one's with the most dangerous potentials.Trained by the Huntsmaster and one of his top apprentices...I'm willingto make this one exception on you're behalf but you in return have to promise you won't tell 'anyone' about us or it will blow our cover forever and we could be arrested.Deal?"
Trixie didn't answer right way,her head was swimming with a truckload of information and a ceaseless irritation by her conscious that she shouldn't give in to this.Wasn't he just manipulating her again?He seemed sincerely sorry for playing with her emotions but how could sheknow it was right?Deep inside she trustedhim for some odd reason but she still struggled with her logic on what to do.Her brow creased in concentration while still staring into his eyes,wholehearted and supportive of her struggling to come to a final estimate,as she planned to make one of the biggest decisions of her life.
"Deal."
To Be Continued...