"All's fair in Love and Romance"
BY: Hitomi Aku and Crimson Koshaku

Chapter one.

Along a small dirt road a boy came to a small town. He lived on the outskirts of the town in a forest. He headed into the town and started looking around for a small stand. He wasn't watching where he was going and tripped on a rock. He landed on the ground. A girl with red cat ears, a red tail, and a red jacket helped the boy up. "Who's there, mate. Don't go a-falin on me now!"

"I'm so sorry I'm just not used to all this activity. I live in the forest ya know" He took her hand to get up. She smiled to herself. His hand was so warm in hers. His black tail helped him as he rubbed his head from the impact of falling. "My name be Sakiro you?"

Brink smiled. "I'm Brink, mate. Nice tah meet yah! What are you doin 'round 'ere?" she asked.
"Well I was searching for a maiden around here she had a herb I was needin it was a kio herb so yeah what bout you?" As he spoke he melted into a wolf like creature.

Brink giggled at the wolf boy. Something about him seamed familiar. "I know who you be a-needin! Foller meh! Nya!" She walked towards a stand that she had just come from. "Master! This young boy needs an herb!" When talking to this so called master, she had a completely different tone of voice and used proper speech, unlike what she had used with the Sakiro.
When she came out he recognized her at once. "Do u still have the kio herb I brought your hren herb as you requested? "He said bowing in respect taking the pack off his shoulders to show her.

She nodded at him. "I do. Wait here!" she said and went to the back of her stand. She came back with an herb of a greenish color. "Here!" she trusted it in his paws and took the Hren herb from him. "And Brink! Get back to work! Have you finished your deliveries!"
"No, ma'am. I had just started when I ran into this young man. He wanted to know where your shop was so I brought him here. I will be on my way now to finish." She waited for the woman's dismissal before she left.
"You where not to return until you had finished! Go now and I will take away from your payment for disobeying me!" Brink nodded and ran out of the shade of the stand. He ate the healing herb and trotted up behind her following her like a lost pup

"I'm so sorry I've gotten you into so much trouble" he said with his ears down flat against his head as he looked down in dismay… "Cant I make it up to you somehow I could help you with your errands or at least meet you somewhere to make it up to you later..." he said. she smiled down at him and lifted up his head to look into his eyes "Later… at the river east of here in the forest sound good?" he nodded. He transformed into his human self and he started to get up but half way there she stopped him and ever so gently kissed his lips before he could get one word out she did. He sat there in a state of shock as she ran off to quickly finish her errands she turned her head to say one last thing "see you at sundown!" She turned and was gone. He watched her from there until he could no longer see her. Then he trotted off into the forest to go and wait for her.
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By the time the sun had set she had finally arrived at the river. She didn't see him anywhere so she took off her vest, belt, and overdress and jumped into the river. "what are you doing?"
She heard his voice say. It was coming from the tree and sure enough there was a cock headed Sakiro sitting in the tree looking down in wonder. "what's it look like I'm doing?" she asked him climbing on to the bank. "getting out?"

"Before that" he shrugged.

"where'd you come from? Swimming!"

"Well let's see here there was Crim and she love Hawke and they…" "That's not what I mean and you know it" he smiled "I lived with my parents till I was four then I was mentored by Yahiro till the last two years from when I've been alone" he replied. Crossing his arms looking away with a 'hmp' she could see he was offended from the way he was acting. "oh-I- I'm sorry I-"

"S'all fine I mean at least you came. I appreciate that and also I just- I wanted to...see you again" he said leaping down from the tree to approach her. "and one more thing to answer for earlier…" he came up to her and kissed her sweetly. "You are very beautiful" now it was her that stood there in shock not knowing what to say next. He smiled brightly at her. "I'm not lying. I've watched you every day for a very long time. I haven't ever seen anyone as beautiful as you" she still didn't say any thing but instead fell into his arms and lay against him. He hugged her warmly whispering into her ear softly "I love you.." they sat there awhile while brink was looking for the words to say
"so do you want to learn how to swim?" she asked.
"I know how I just never knew that there was a name for it.." she took him by the hands and pulled him in with her. He had already taken off his outer clothing. He swam around in the water with her. He dived beneath the water. When he came up she was nowhere to be seen. He let out a small quiet howl and went to the bank to get out and go home…