It is official: I suck at updating. But in my defense, I have been busy. Work and school and preparing for college...it's a lot for a girl to handle. But my muse has decided to come back from vacation and I am here to bring you the fifth chapter of Redwing Blackbird. For those of you who were losing faith in me, hang in there, the ending to this story is going to be great.

Disclaimer: As much as I love Yu-Gi-Oh, I would personally commit myself to an insane asylum if I was the one who came up with Duelists of the Rose.

Warning: A little gory in parts

Chapter 5: (Oh what to call it what to call it...hmmm...Got it!) Finally the Romance Starts! (kinda)

"How!" screamed the blue hair boy who was currently banging his fists on the ground. "How could you defeat me! The gypsy fortune teller said that the stars foretold my victory!"

"Quit the fortune talk, Roba, and give me your rose card," a triumphant Ari said, watching the boy closely as he picked himself up. Espa Roba dug out his White Rose Card. As Ari walked over to claim it, he said:

"It doesn't matter that I have lost today, you will never make it past Seto." Ari made no reply. She simply snatched the card out of his hand and walked away.

High noon that same day found Ari riding behind her two man-servants along a forest road. For once our hero was not complaining, but sitting quietly in the saddle, thinking.

This makes six rose cards, she thought to herself. (AN: Yes, I realize that I've skipped...counts ... three duels. I really just needed to move the stories along. If you really want to know what happened, review and tell me so and I'll add those chapters in after I've finished the story. Thank you for your time) That leaves just Seto and King Richard. Ari shook her head. I guess that really doesn't count as a "just".

Suddenly the two men in front of her pulled their horses to an abrupt halt. Attempting to peer around them, Ari caught sight of something that made her breath catch in her throat.

Spread out before them was a scene out of Ari's nightmares. Roughly a dozen men were strewn across the forest clearing, none of them moving. Ari dismounted and moved toward them, but Remi grabbed her shoulder from his seat on his horse.

"Don't approach, milady. It is not for a maiden to see." Ari pulled away and continued forward. Crouching down beside a partially decapitated man she shook her head. "I've seen worse," she said.

By now Jonathan and Remi had also dismounted. Together with Ari they walked among the fallen.

"It was probably an ambush," Jonathan commented, turning over one body with his foot.

"Bandits by the looks of it," Remi added, picking up a rusty sword from the ground. "It looks like they had archers in the trees, which targeting those five there." Trying to follow Remi's logic, Ari looked up. First her eyes went to a tall pine several yards away. There, a man with a green cloak was fixed to the tree trunk by a lance, his bow still in hand. Then, Ari's eyes followed to where Remi was now pointing. A cluster of five men in armor had fallen together at the center of the clearing. Drawing closer, Ari gasped.

One of the men had a standard still grasped in one hand. The insignia on that standard was a white rose. These men were Rose Crusaders!

Shaking slightly, Ari walked from body to body, checking pulses, wiping the blood from faces. She was not sure why she bothered, they were all obviously dead, but the idea of anyone lying here, whether alive or dead, gave her the chills.

She stopped at one last solider who was lying face down, with several arrows sticking out gaps in his armor. Ari knelt down, pressing two fingers to his neck. There was really no hope for this one, but as with the others, she tried anyway. Nothing, no pulse. Ari started to pull away, but something twitched under her fingers. She held very still. There it was again! A pulse, incredibly slow, but still there.

"Remi! Jonathan!" Ari yelled. "Come help me!" With their help she worked the arrows out of the man's back. That done, they turned him over.

"Oh... my... god," Ari said, very slowly. Lying there, drenched in his own blood, was Seto.

Seto woke to find him self in so much pain that there was no way he could be dead. Trying to ignore it, he glanced around, trying to figure out where he was. Judging by the dim light, it was early evening. He was lying on a bed of grass, covered by a coarse blanket. A little ways away, a small fire crackled. Seated around it were three shadowy figures, conversing in low tones.

"Milady, I mean no disrespect, but this is pointless. I know yours is a gentle heart, but we really should have just taken his card and left him in the clearing." said one or the figures, a man.

"No way! He would have died!" Seto went rigid, which really only served to take the pain from his wounds to new heights. Fighting to concentrate, he tried to remember where he had heard that female voice before. "...we really should have just taken his card..." the man had said. They were after his Rose Card...Seto tried and failed to stifle a sound of astonishment as his pain clogged brain produced that same girl's voice saying "It's Ari".

Though he had tried to be quiet, the sound he had made had caught the attention of the people around the fire, one of which he now knew was the Rose Duelist. The two men stood and went for their swords, but the Rose Duelist made calming motions with her hands, telling the men to sit back down. Grudgingly they obeyed. Then the Rose Duelist came over and knelt beside him.

"Um...Hi," she said after a few moments hesitation. Seto blinked at her. Was that supposed to be some sort of greeting? "I suppose it would be sort of stupid to ask how you feel but uuuuhhhhhh, oh screw it! Are you going to die?"

"What the hell kind of question if that?" Seto yelled at her. She sat back with a satisfied smile.

"Good, at least you're talking." She placed the back of one hand against his forehead, watching him closely. He flinched at the contact, but there was really nothing he could do.

"You don't have a fever, that's good. It means none of arrow bites got infected." She pushed his hair out of his eyes, grinning at him good naturedly. Suddenly catching herself, she pulled her hand away. He smirked back at her.

"Duelist, doctor, what else can you do?" Ari's answer was to tell him that he should go back to sleep, before standing up and walking back to her bodyguards.

Morning found the captain of the Rose Crusaders much more lucid, and much more confused. Sitting up while Ari changed his bandages, he asked the question which was bothering him the most.

"Why are you helping me?" Ari glanced up, then went back to her work.

"Because you need it," she answered. Seto chuckled slightly, then winced as the wounds in his back sent out a spasm of pain.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, seeing how you dealt with Weevil. But still, this won't help you in the long run." Seto watched her, feeling a little sad. He knew that eventually this kindness would come back to haunt her. Sooner or later someone she had spared would try to kill her, and he had a nasty feeling that it would have to be him.

"I thought you were supposed to help others?" Ari replied, sitting back and studying his face. "Isn't that what being a knight is about?"

"You're not a knight and, in case you forgot, we're at war. In all actuality, I should kill you." Ari laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"You're in no position to be making threats." Seto had been serious, but he couldn't help but smile as he watched her laugh. She was really quite pretty and...Seto cut off that train of thought very quickly.

Ari stood and walked off to restart the fire. Remi had gone off hunting, and Jonathan was seated a short distance away, keeping a close watch on his charge. Seto stood up slowly, testing his balance. Finding that he was stable, he turned to face Ari.

"So, are you ready?" he asked.

"Ready for what?" Ari asked, one eyebrow raised.

"The duel, of course. I assume you still want this," He held up his White Rose Card. Ari looked at him through lowered eyelashes, smiling slightly.

"Aren't you the one who wanted a fair fight? I don't think you're up to it," she said.

"I assure you I am."

"I won't duel you while you're injured." With that Ari turned away. Seto was about to protest, but Jonathan cut him off.

"Milady," he said. "If you will not fight him, I will!" Surprised, Ari looked over at him.

"You have a deck?" she asked incredulously.

"Prince Henry asked us to carry them, in case you..." he trailed off

"Failed," Ari finished for him. "I won't allow it!" Here Seto cut in.

"I'll make a deal with you, Rose Duelist," he challenged. "Instead of taking all your Rose Cards if this man loses, we'll make it fair. One of your Rose Cards against mine. How does that sound?" Ari hesitated, then nodded her assent. Taking a seat on the grass, she sat back to watch.

By the time Remi returned from his hunting venture, Jonathan was leaning against a tree with his eyes glazed over and Ari was haltingly returning one of the White Rose Cards to Seto. After stopping Remi from trying to run Seto through with his sword, Ari explained what had happened, then set about reviving Jonathan. But Jonathan was not the only one feeling dazed. I..I can't beat him, Ari thought, trying to stop her hands from shaking. It's impossible!

When everything was relatively calm Ari went off to sit by herself. What do I do? She wondered. I can't beat Seto in a duel, he too strong! I need a new plan. Foot steps behind her broke her out of her reverie. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Seto leaning against a tree.

"Come to kill me?" she asked in a dry tone. He smirked at her.

"Not just yet." He came and sat down in front of her. "So, have you realized that you can't possibly win this fight?"

"Actually I was wondering if it matters," she snapped back.

"What?" he asked, surprised. Ari bit her lip. I shouldn't have said that! She made as if to leave, but Seto stood up and pulled her back.

"So it's true, what they say. That as Rose Duelist you already know the outcome of this war!" Ari glanced around for an escape route, but Seto held her firmly. "Tell me," he ordered her. She refused to look at him. His grip on her tightened. "Tell me!"

"It's not for you to know!" she yelled back at him. Then, more quietly she asked, "Would it change anything, if I told you who I thought would win?" Seto thought for a moment.

"No," he said, and let her go. Without a word she walked off to where her bodyguards were waiting.

"How far are we from London?" she asked Remi.

"About half a day's ride," he replied.

"Then there's no time to lose," Ari said decisively, and walked over to the cold ashes of their fire. Picking up a small charred stick, she used it to write on a peace of paper which she had pulled from her belt purse. This she folded and handed to Remi.

"You and Jonathan are to take this to Prince Henry. Don't lose it. And don't," she stopped him from unfolding the paper, "read it".

"But our orders were to protect you, milady," protested Remi.

"Your orders were to obey my orders which are to take those orders to Prince Henry." Ari said very fast. She turned to look at Seto, who had come to stand near by. "Did that make sense?" she asked. He just shrugged.

"But what about..." Remi started, only to be cut off.

"Don't argue with me, just do it."

It took only minutes for the two bodyguards turned messenger boys to pack up and be ready to go. Leaning down from their saddles, they wished Ari farewell.

"If anything happens to you, Prince Henry will have our heads," said Jonathan. Ari just smiled and waved as they rode off. Her smile turned sad though, as soon as they were out of sight amongst the trees.

"Bad news for you, then," she whispered. Turning around abruptly, she jumped to see Seto right behind her.

"What are you plotting?" he asked, eyes narrowed. She smiled at him winningly.

"I just thought of a way that you can pay me back for saving your sorry ass," she said cheerfully as she started to saddle her horse.

"And what's that, Rose Duelist?" Seto asked, still suspicious.

"You can come with me to London."

"Are you insane! You'll be captured as soon as you set foot in the city! King Richard will have you locked in the Tower! Or executed!"

"Probably both," Ari said, already perched in the saddle. "Now are you coming or not, Rosenkreuz?"

"Didn't you here me tell that old fool Simon, only the Rose Crusaders can call me that," Seto said, growing more and more frustrated.

"Then don't call me Rose Duelist!" Ari snapped. Seto sighed, then mounted up behind her. (AN: They only had three horses, remember.)

"Ari then," he whispered in her ear. "Now will you tell me what you're plotting?" Ari didn't answer at first. She tapped her heels against her horse's sides and they set off at a trot. Then she said in a low voice:

"Congratulations, Seto. You've captured the Rose Duelist." Seto's only answer was to wrap his arms around her and take the reigns from her hands. Ari allowed herself to lean against him as they picked up the pace.

Wow, I think this is the longest chapter yet! I've been writing for like...4 hours. Does this make up for my being away so long?

Starts banging head on desk I can't write romance! How are they suppose to go from this to how I want to end the story! How! Things only get worse! I am such a failure. But did you notice that he actually seems to care whether she dies or not? Uhh, yeah, Seto makes a pretty quick recovery there. Maybe Ari just sucks at first aid and he wasn't as deadish as she though he was. Or maybe I just want to move the story along. Anyway, story should be done in another chapter or two. Hang in there!