Disinclination

Jay sat on his horse, wearing a new blue cloak that draped down from his shoulders, and blanketed his horse's rump. Lord Julien had taken Pixal's horse back with him to the Northern realm, and King Garmadon had lent him one of his own mounts, as well as given him the cloak afore mentioned, and a new set of clothing.

They were on their way back to the Southern realm, and Jay could hear the sound of the Dicara River, which made the border between the Middle and Southern realms. They traveled down the wide dirt road that led to the bridge where they would cross, where it then fed its travers to an intersection where they could choose between a few different routes to varying cities in the South.

Normally, the road was crawling with travelers. But since Sir Cole's attacks several days before, the roads became a desolate strip of land, because no one wanted to risk being caught out here by the Dark Knight, who had a reputation of kidnapping and robbing on these roads, whenever he wasn't wreaking havoc on his own island over the sea.

Jay knew better than to believe all the rumors told about Sir Cole concerning these roadside robberies. Many were true, of course. But it was like playing a game of telephone. You hear an account firsthand from the victim, then it gets passed along to the next person. Before long, you've got a story about a phantom black pirate who has an army of a hundred stone giants who can melt your flesh with a single steely stare.

But Jay had met the guy several times. Granted, they weren't exactly friends, or even on remotely good terms. Cole would likely do his best to remove Jay's head from his shoulders if they did ever happen to cross paths again. But Jay could say with honesty that a lot of the rumors the commoners spread about the guy were about as real as the theory about the world being flat.

Jay followed behind Kaytake's horse, and Lloyd went behind the thief. The guards sort of drifted at random, sometimes in the back and other times in the front.

"Are we almost there?" Lloyd asked after they had crossed the bridge.

Assuming that he was talking to Kaytake, the thief stayed quiet, opting to listen to the birdsong. He loved birds, a passion that was partially inspired by his name.

"Jay?" Lloyd called out with a smile in his tone.

Jay instantly slowed his horse and waited for Lloyd to come up next to him before resuming his normal pace. "Yes sir?" He asked.

"Stop that, please." Lloyd said. "Honestly, there's nothing more annoying. You know my name, why don't you use it?"

Jay resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he sighed. "Yes, Lloyd?" He corrected himself with a tiny smile.

"Are we almost there?" The prince asked again. "To the pile of rocks you told us about?"

Jay nodded. "Yeah, it'll only be another minute or so."

Lloyd hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "How do I get you to talk?" He acted like he was thinking out loud, but Jay knew it was a statement;

'You're too quiet.'

He sighed again and shook his head. "Listen, kid." He said with a patient smile. "I can talk when I feel like it. I just don't feel like talking right now." His face brightened a bit. "But I've got a few stories about times I've used my tongue too much, and almost payed for it with my life."

Lloyd saw an opportunity here, and he grabbed it tightly with both hands. "I'd like to hear one," he said.

The blue cloak rippled with Jay's shrug, which was supposed to be nonchalant, but had failed too miserably to pass as such a thing. He was obviously excited to tell his story.

"Okay," he said. "If you insist, I guess I could explain the details." He shifted in his saddle uncomfortably and began. "So I had this gold statue that I had stolen maybe two years ago. I went to a rendezvous point to meet up with this guy, so I could sell it. Of course, I had no idea who the guy was, because we'd only talked 'through the grapevine,' if you get my meaning. So guess what his name was." He looked at Lloyd with a grin. "Go on, guess."

"Me," Lloyd said gruffly, keeping a straight face with close to no difficulty.

Jay gave him a strange look before shaking his head. "No, actually. Have you done black market deals before?"

"Naw," the prince replied with a grin. "Go on, please. I can't guess."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Okay, so the guy's name was Dark Knight. Weird, right? I'd never heard of him before."

"Sir Cole?" Lloyd interrupted, one eyebrow raised incredulously. "You ran into Sir Cole?"

"You don't believe me?" Jay waved a hand in dismissal and grunted. "Eh, I wouldn't believe me either. So anyways, I meet the guy in this secret place that I'm not supposed to tell anyone because that's where most of the criminals go to sell their spoils, and we haggled over the price." He laughed at the memory. "So we got that deal all settled, and he invited me onto his ship for a drink. I, of course, said no. I didn't really care for alcohol, and I didn't trust him. So we stayed on the ground and talked. I asked him what his real name was, because 'Dark Knight' sounded absolutely ridiculous."

Lloyd guffawed. "That couldn't have gone over well," he said.

"No, you think?" Jay exclaimed sarcastically. "Yeah, so he told me that his name was Cole Reddington. I told him he shouldn't trust so easily, 'cause giving full names in our line of work was a little foolish. I had only wanted a first name."

"You make it sound as if you really had no clue about who the guy was," Lloyd remarked. "What's with that? He isn't really an obscure common thief...no offense."

"None taken," Jay replied. "Although I'm not exactly obscure. I'm one of the most well known criminals in the Northerns. And yeah, like I said, this meeting happened a few years ago. This was before he became the most notorious criminal nationwide. I might have been the first person to actually see him. But I'm getting off track here. I said that the name was familiar. Wasn't he a dancer from the Middle realm? Y'know, the one who went missing a few months before? He snapped back that it was none of my business, and told me to go back to my work, because he had something more productive to be doing."

"But you didn't get back to work, did you?" Lloyd guessed.

Jay laughed ruefully. "Nope. Instead, I tried to convince him to go back home." His laugh intensified. "I know, right? Then we got onto this entirely different track, talking about good looks. I told him that he didn't have any. His skin was so pale, and he was so short and twiggy. Don't even get me started on his hair. He got so mad at me that he pinned me to the ground and took out a knife. At first, I thought he would cut my throat out."

"But he didn't?" Lloyd knew it was a stupid question, but he really wanted to interject somehow. He was stoking Jay's flame, and was actually getting the guy to talk. Interjecting seemed like the most effective way to make him talk faster.

"Well yeah, he actually killed me back there," Jay said sarcastically before sitting back in his seat and going straight in the mouth.

He was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "I don't know what happened, actually. He held that knife at my throat for a long moment, as if gathering his resolve, then his eyes suddenly softened, and he ran the knife across my forehead instead, drawing a lot of blood. So much that I passed out afterward." He ran his finger over the pinkish scar, which ran from the middle of his temple in a jagged line down his right eyebrow. "He said that since I was so confident in my good looks, a little scar shouldn't matter to me. The ladies would be too busy looking into my...dreamy blue eyes...to notice it. Then he just walked away."

He looked at Lloyd thoughtfully. "I really think that he had intended to kill me, Lloyd." He said. "But something stopped him before he could slit my throat. Cole's green eyes were, at one moment, livid and full of hate. The next moment, he softened his expression to one of extreme anger, instead of intense hate, exercising restraint instead of going for the kill. After running into the guy a few more times after that, I can say that he's changed a lot. He finally filled out, got those muscles, that ridiculous tan..." He trailed off, frowning deeply for a moment. "Look, the point is, I think the guy isn't what we've made him out to be. I don't think that he's acting of his own free will most of the time."

"So you mean that some supernatural force restrained him from killing you?" Lloyd asked.

"No," Jay shook his head. "I mean that he didn't have orders to kill me, so he didn't. He won't kill anyone unless given direct orders, or if the person is posing a threat. I've seen it in the way he handles business with Borg and other men. Cole doesn't bear the mark of a sociopathic psycho killer, but of a man being forced against his will, and hating every second of it."

"Interesting," Kaytake said suddenly. Jay had forgotten that the man was even there. "I think that you will be an asset, Jay. Your knowledge of criminals and their activity may be helpful in the near future." He looked into the woods and pointed into their still semi-dark branches. "We turn here, you two."

They left the trail and rode in silence for a few more minutes. Lloyd was proud of himself, because he'd just made Jay speak more than one polite sentence. It was an accomplishment, to say the least. And the guy was actually sort of funny, once you got him going.

A shimmer on the ground caught Lloyd's attention, and he started riding faster. He reached the sparkling object a moment later, and his heart caught in his throat. He leapt down from his mount and stared at the pile of weapons glistening brightly in the morning light.

He dropped to one knee next to the weapons and stared at them with a sad smile. Pixal and her love of weapons... He could tell that they were hers, because they were all so unique. She had invented many of them herself. Things like the tiny flat disc of steel with six sharp points, which she had learned to throw with uncanny precision, like a dart.

Or the weighted rope, with the knife attached to one end. A perfect weapon for sneaking up behind someone, and throwing the weighted end in such a way that it wrapped around the victim's neck, so she could take a hold of the knife at the other end and slit their throat.

Lloyd picked up the sword, one of the only weapons in the pile that he was truly familiar with. The silver sheath had a vine of small flowers and leaves engraved in it, but was otherwise unadorned. No precious stones or anything like that, because Pixal said that such a thing would draw attention in a battle. You don't want to be the target with the pretty prize.

He stood up with the sword in his hands, recalling the day he had given it to her. It had been on her ninth birthday, just over a year ago.

"What's that?" Jay asked, coming to a stop on his horse right behind the prince. "You like that sword?"

Lloyd shook his head quickly, drawing himself out of the reverie. "No," he said slowly. "I like the person I gave it to."

Jay stiffly dismounted, shifting his weight from one foot to the next after once again slamming his heels into the dirt. A bad habit that would need to stop soon. He walked up to Lloyd with a smile in his face. "You like that ill-tempered android?" He asked.

Lloyd shot him a glare. "You don't know her like I do," he said. "I mean, yeah. Sure, she has sporadic mood swings, but she's usually a really sweet girl, unless provoked." He sighed and stuffed the sword into one of his saddle bags. The hilt stuck out of the top, but he didn't care. "It just takes a little while to figure her out, then she's real nice."

Jay rolled his eyes and got scrambled into the saddle. "Whatever you say," he said. "Alright, you've seen it. They obviously aren't here anymore. You ready to go?"

Lloyd nodded and leapt onto his mount. "Sure thing."

"Listen," Kai said as he turned off the burner. "I'm sorry, Zane. It was taking forever, and you know that neither of us have eaten in quite a while." He grabbed a serving spoon and got himself a bowl of the brown mess. "How was I supposed to know that turning the burner on high would make it scorch?"

Zane let out a slow, calming breath and grabbed two more bowls. "I'm not angry, Kai." He said slowly. "I was merely pointing out your lack of patience."

Kai gritted his teeth, painfully aware of the fact that his father had told him the same thing on the afternoon of his capture, right after their sword fight. "Yeah, whatever." He said tartly.

Zane filled his two bowls and grabbed spoons. He pushed the door open and examined the dining room. He barely suppressed a chuckle at the sight. Cole and one of the stone warriors were on their hands and knees, scrubbing the floor with rags.

Zane set the bowls down on the table and looked down at Cole. "You need some help?"

Cole jumped in surprise and got to his feet, brushing a few strands of his long black hair out of his face as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. "I was just finishing up," he said gruffly, flicking his wrist. The stone warrior left immediately. "Is something burning?" Cole tossed his rag into a bucket on the floor.

Zane pointed over his shoulder at Kai, who was walking through the door at that moment. "He seems to have a knack for burning things."

Cole nodded in understanding. "This takes the term 'hothead' to a new level," he said with a straight face. "Not only to you scorch your words, but your soup as well. Great job, Kai."

Kai would have been tempted to snort indignantly if Sir Cole hadn't looked so serious when he said it. "Thank you, sir." He said with the same straight face. "I do my best."

Cole nodded. "I'm sure you do, prisoner." He gestured to the table and sat down. "Sit, and I'll explain the rest of the rules while we eat."

They did as the were told, and the Dark Knight began. "The rules are simple. Rule number one would be to keep everything clean." He gestured with an outstretched arm to the ship. "I keep everything spotless, save for the marks on the walls. And yes, you'll find plenty of those. I like to throw knives, and the occasional stone warrior. Especially on stressful days."

Kai opened his mouth to say something, but Zane kicked his leg under the table before the snarky comment could come out.

The Nindroid nodded to Cole and smiled in a friendly manner. "Understood," he said. "What else?"

Cole pointed to a closet next to the kitchen door. "If you make a spill, muddy something up, or find dust on anything, it needs to get cleaned up." He ran his hand through his hair the best he could, but it was too tangled for his fingers to get far. "I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, so I need things clean. It they aren't spotless, I may go into a fit of rage and clean it up myself, but only after beating you. Just a warning." He picked up his spoon and scooped some of the stew into his mouth. "I'm not really myself when things are dirty."

Zane and Kai followed his lead as they waited for more instructions, eating their food quickly.

After finishing their bowls in silence, the blond man spoke up. "You have any more rules, Cole?" He asked.

Cole looked up from his empty bowl and stared at them for a long moment. "Yeah," he said hesitantly, clearing his throat as he looked around the room for a fleeting moment. "Kai, you can leave now."

The Southern nobleman paused for a moment, frowning deeply. "Why?"

Cole growled, reaching his hand into his coat. "You want to play like that, prisoner?"

Zane knew that Cole was reaching for a knife, and that he had to intervene. He stood up and put a hand on Kai's shoulder. "You heard him," he said. "Please leave for a few minutes while I find out what he wants."

Kai brushed his hand away and got to his feet, swiping his bowl off of the table with an angry harrumph. "Fine." He said shortly. "I'll leave you two best friends alone for a few minutes." He said 'best friends' with dry, angry sarcasm. He turned on his heel and walked into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him.

Zane looked back at Cole with a raised eyebrow. "Alright," he said. "What was so important that you couldn't say to both of us?" He sat down across the table from the knight.

Cole leaned across the table, getting so close that Zane could smell the drink on his breath. "Listen closely." He whispered. "I probably shouldn't be saying this. But things are not as they seem." He paused for a moment, to let the statement sink in. "I cannot give you specifics, but things are not as they seem." He was apparently unaware of the fact that he had just repeated himself.

Zane leaned back and nodded slowly. The man was clearly being effected by the drink. "If they aren't what they seem, then what are they?" He asked.

"Keep your voice down!" Cole whispered harshly, reaching across the table for Zane's collar. He grabbed the man's shirt and pulled him close again. "I can't say," he said. "But be prepared. You passed the test. No one," he shook Zane harshly as he spoke in his hushed tone. "No one has ever passed the test before. And I've tried it on a lot of people. Just be prepared." In his fuzzy state of mind, he was repeating his words. "Got it?"

Zane slowly backed up, expertly extricating himself from the man's grip. "Got it," he said. "So...Kai did not pass this test?"

Cole shook his head. "No, only you." He stirred his spoon in the stew as he spoke again. "Listen, I like you. As a friend, of course. I don't want to see you dead. There might be a way to avoid it, if you're willing."

Zane stroked his chin, vaguely aware of the stubble that was beginning to show itself on his face. "I'm listening," he said.

The Dark Knight took a drink of his water cup. "I want you to be my servant on board this ship," he said. "Believe me, this is a good deal for you. The moment Kozu gets his claws on you, you'll wish you were dead. But if you're here with me, I can keep you relatively safe."

Zane blinked at him, his brows furrowing as he considered the proposition. Living a life like Cole, or dying a death like all of his other prisoners...

...And Kai...

The Nindroid bit the inside of his lip, frustrated. Cole was telling him that Kai was a dead man already. The Southern nobleman was on death row, no matter what. But Cole was willing to give the Northern nobleman a way out.

"Why?" Zane asked eventually. "I thought you said that you were the Black Knight. If I am the white one, and Kai is red, why do you want him dead?"

Cole took out his knife and twirled it in his fingers. "I don't care about any prophesy," he said. "That is my master's job. My job is to kill all prisoners, unless they show potential. Then I can bring up their case to Overlord, and he may let him or her live. I've done it before, but only with the women. And they basically just slave away on the farms."

Zane took a deep breath. How would he be of the most use to Kai? As a servant who assisted in the torture, or as the one being tortured right alongside him?

"Can..." Zane stuttered through his words. "Can I have a few days to think about it? It'll take that long to reach the Dark Island anyway."

Cole looked at him with a raised eyebrow, clearly perplexed. He could not understand why anyone would hesitate to say yes to his request. "Sure," he said slowly. "But I need your answer before we leave the ship again."

"Thank you," Zane said. He got to his feet and grabbed his empty bowl. "I appreciate the offer, Cole." He turned and walked into the kitchen, certain that his face was as pale as death.

Kai turned and looked at him as soon as he walked in. "What did he want?" He asked gruffly.

The Nindroid rubbed his forehead and let out short groan. "I'll tell you later."

Nya sat on the stone bench in the Southern mansion's gardens, her eyes closed as she listened to the sounds around her. There was the fountain, which was a pleasant white noise that flowed through the back of her mind. And there was also the birdsong.

She opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the stars in her vision. The sun was shining directly in her face, making her eyes water. She slowly got to her feet, leaning on the cane she had grabbed from where it sat next to the bench. She limped over to another bench on the opposite side of the fountain and sat down again, so the sun was at her back. She closed her eyes and brought back some memories from a couple days ago.

Nya and her mother had parted ways with Kaytake, and had gone back to the mansion. Driniah had gone right to work, making sure that Nya's wound was clean so it would heal properly.

"So who is this 'Jay?'" Her mother had asked as they sat in the bedroom that night, eating supper together.

Nya had paused for a long moment, chewing her pork thoughtfully. "He's apparently a thief from the Northern realm," she said.

"Well I already know that," Driniah had said with a wave of her hand. "I was asking you what he was like. What did he do to you in the cave?" Her blue eyes were dark with concern.

Nya took another bite and swallowed. "Nothing," she said. "He didn't do anything to me." She chuckled ruefully. "I'm actually concerned about what I did to him."

The older woman put a hand on her daughter's arm. "What are you talking about?" She had asked.

Nya had sighed and spoke slowly. "Well, I sort of treated him like a pervert, for one thing." She said. "In hindsight, I can see that he was anything but that. I guess stress can make the mind believe strange things."

Lady Driniah smiled in a comforting way and patted her daughter's elbow. "Everyone makes mistakes, Nya."

Nya shrugged. "I guess so," she had said. "I want to give him my thanks for what he did, but I'm afraid it may be too late for that."

"Why?" Driniah had asked. "I'm sure you'll be able to visit him in the Northern prisons sometime soon, if you wanted to thank him."

Nya had forced a tear away as she spoke the words she had been harboring in her mind since they had parted ways in the woods. "He won't be in any prison, mother. He'll be dead."

Nya opened her eyes and looked around the garden, realizing that her eyes were moist with tears. She felt more than a little guilty about the fact that Jay was on his way to his death. He had only been caught because he had helped her out. And how had she repaid him? By slapping his hand twice, expressing extreme distrust, and riding off without even giving him a thanks.

She sighed deeply and watched detachedly as birds flew through the air, flitting in circles as they sang sweet songs, as if trying to lift her mood. A noble effort, but a lost cause.

A commotion sounded off in the distance, making Nya turn her head. The sounds of neighing horses and people talking excitedly made her more than a little curious. She called out to Malian, who was running for the stable, and asked what was going on.

The general stopped in his tracks and did a quick bow. "Our lord is back with the prince and the vagrant Lady Pixal picked up." He nodded to Nya and smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, I need to get down there."

Nya held up a hand. "Wait," she said. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Father's come back with the prince and Jay? "Please take me with you."

Malian only hesitated a moment. He ran to the bench where she sat and held out an arm, a warm smile on his lips. "Of course, my lady." He said.

Nya used the leverage from both her cane and the man's hand to pull herself to her feet painfully. She looped her hand through the crook of his elbow, and they walked at the fastest pace she could manage down the path to the stable yard.

"How are you, m'lady?" Malian asked, his blue eyes sparkling with his smile.

Nya found herself smiling back. "Better now," she said. "I am glad that father is back."

Malian put his hand on his elbow, above her hand, and patted it gently. "I believe that everyone feels safer when the lord is at home." His brows furrowed slightly, as if he were second guessing his words.

Nya caught the shift in his mood and questioned him as they neared the barn. "What's wrong?" She asked.

The general warmed his features a bit and shrugged. "Nothing worth your time, miss. Just boring general matters, I suppose."

Nya had been friends with Malian for many years. They were both about the same age, him being a few years older, at the age of twenty-nine. Kaytake had tried to start a spark between them several times, but it never caught. While the general was a wonderful man, and everything Nya could ever want in a husband, she had trouble fanning the flame. They just weren't meant to go together.

One of her parents requirements for her husband was that he must be of a higher class. Someone of high rank in the military, or another nobleman. There had to be some political advantage in the marriage of their daughter, which was the way of all wise rulers. Nya agreed with her parents wholeheartedly on that fact. She had to choose someone of her own rank, and she had to do it soon. But she had problems with actually selecting her man. She would chase one love interest after another, none of them ever lasting for more than a few days before the spark was extinguished by her own lack of passion.

"Nya?" She looked up from her feet and saw her father dismounting his horse. She let go of Malian and went into her father's arms.

"It is good to see you, daughter." Kaytake said, kissing her cheek. "How is your wound?"

Nya wrapped her free arm around his torso and hugged him back. "Frustrating, painful, crippling." She said with a dry smile. "But I'll live."

"Good to know, Nya." He replied with a chuckle as he let her go. "Listen, I need to go. I need to get Jay and Lloyd going on their mission, and then we can catch up." He patted her shoulder and walked past her to talk to Malian.

Nya took a deep breath and steadied her shaking fingers. Jay and the prince were in this stable somewhere. She needed to-

"Greetings, my lady." Lloyd spoke up behind her.

She turned slowly and smiled, offering him her hand. "Hello, your majesty."

Lloyd kissed her hand and looked up at her, keeping a straight face for maybe three seconds before breaking out in an embarrassing chortle. "How are you doing, Nya?" He opened his arms and pulled her into a gentle embrace. "It's been a while."

Nya went into his arms with a wide grin and kissed his cheek. "Too long," she said. "I'm not doing good, but I'm okay. Where's Jay?"

"Why do you want to know?" Lloyd asked with a coy smile.

She rolled her eyes and tried to shove him away, only making her lose her balance. She let out a short yelp as she fell over backwards, and was caught by the arms right before she could hit the floor.

"Sorry," she said as the person helped her to her feet. "Thanks for catching me." She turned around slowly and faced the man. A gasp escaped her throat.

Jay stood there in his old leather boots, with a clean pair of black pants and a grey shirt. A dark, almost navy blue cloak clung to his shoulders, and a sword hung at his waist. He gave her a smile before realizing that he held her hand, and he leapt backwards as if he had been shocked. "Sorry," he said quickly. "I-I should know better by now."

Nya frowned, now realizing the full extent of the monster she had created of herself in that cave. She held out her hand for Jay to take with a smile. "Listen, I'm the one who should be sorry."

Jay looked at the hand for a moment before hesitantly taking it and kissing it lightly. "Why is that?" He asked.

"I wasn't very kind to you the other day," she said. "I'm sorry."

"It's perfectly fine, m'lady." Jay said. "I'm just glad to see you on your feet."

"Thanks to you," Nya replied. She made a face. "I wasn't even allowed out of bed until this morning. I was just out in the garden enjoying my first breath of fresh air when you came."

Jay snorted. "The nerve of some people, right?" He let go of her and backed up a step. "Keeping you locked up? That is a crime indeed." His eyes sparkled with humor.

Nya looked up at him and noticed the pinkish scar on his forehead for the first time. Why didn't I see it before? She supposed that the cave had been too dark for her to see such details.

Jay noticed her gaze, and his eyes found the floor. He obviously was ashamed of the scar.

Nya felt bad for him. Judging by the condition of his skin and hair, he was the type of man who cared a lot about cleanliness and physical appearance. His brown hair was trimmed carefully and styled in a way that was appealing and easy to maintain. It was a sort of free-spirited, and it framed his head nicely. His face was clean shaven and without a blemish, except for the large scar. The one that went straight down his temple and through his right eyebrow, stopping right before his eyelid.

Nya took a deep breath, taking her eyes away from his face. Trying to give him a compliment about how he looked handsome, scar or not, could give him the wrong idea. She did not by any means want a relationship with this thief.

So instead, she turned and took Lloyd's arm. "Look, I've pretty much had enough standing for a while," she said. "Should we go sit down?"

Lloyd hesitated. "Well, we're actually only going to be here a few minutes," he said. "We came for some of my mother's maps, which she hid somewhere on these grounds. Then we're going to start our trip to the Dark Island."

Nya's face lit up a little more. "You're going to go get Kai and Zane back?" She asked.

"And Pixal," Lloyd said. "We have three nobles on their way to death, and me and Jay are the only ones who can stop the current course of things." He said it in a deep voice and a wide grin, as if he were in one of those plays with the all-too-perfect main characters with no weaknesses. He took a dramatic bow and grabbed her hand again, kissing it with a loud smack, enjoying his fun a little too much. He stood up straight again, laughing heartily. "Geez, I'm glad I don't actually sound like that in real life." He said.

Nya pulled her hand away, pretending to be offended. "I am too," she said. "But I seriously need to go sit down. I haven't stood up for this long since my run-in with Sir Cole."

Jay stepped forward and offered her an arm. "I can walk you back to the garden," he said timidly.

Nya slid her hand through the crook of his elbow with a smile. "Thank you, Walker." She said. She looked back at Lloyd. "Make sure you come and say goodbye before you leave," she said.

Lloyd nodded. "Sure thing."

Nya and Jay walked slowly out of the barn. The pain in her abdomen seemed a little more intense than usual, most likely because of the exertion. She was breathing heavily and leaning much of her weight on the cane.

Jay gave her a concerned look. "You okay, miss?" He asked.

Nya shook her head. "I'm not going to lie. I feel terrible."

He stopped and looked down at her. "Do you want me to carry you?" He asked. "If you're in pain, I don't mind carrying you the couple hundred paces to the garden."

"How do you know where the garden is?" Nya asked, knowing that her sanctuary was at this moment concealed by trees.

A blush permeated Jay's otherwise pale face. "I might have been here a few times before," he said. "I'm a thief. It's my job to know this kind of stuff."

Nya rolled her eyes. "I guess," she said. "Although I think you should consider another line of work."

"Done," Jay said simply. "I've just been hired by the king to track down your brother." He gave her a mischievous smile. "Does that count, m'lady?"

Nya shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "It counts, I suppose." Her knuckles went white on the handle of her stick.

Jay noticed this, and he sighed. "Look, if you're done with that whole slapping phase, I'm going to pick you up and carry you the rest of the way. You can't walk anymore."

The young woman gave him a long, hard stare before responding. "I suppose I could live with that," she said.

Jay gently scooped her into his arms, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself steady. "Thank you, Walker." She said awkwardly.

The thief gave her a nervous smile, painfully aware of how close their faces were when her arms were around his neck. "No problem, miss Nya." He walked briskly, wanting to set her down and run off before he did or said something stupid. He'd had this feeling often, around a multitude of other pretty girls over the years. The difference being that they were usually the ones in a lower status than even himself. He could not let himself tangle with a noblewoman. The buzzing in his chest would pass as soon as he was a good ten miles from the pretty face. It always did.

Nya was not having nearly as much trouble with her own emotions. Her mother and father had been very clear about who she could and could not build affections for. Jay fell into the 'no' category without exception. Even by her own standards, he was not any good. She felt nothing at all around this man.

Jay set her down on the bench gently and smoothed out his clothes. "You'll be alright?" He asked, scratching an itch on his forehead. "Need anything before I leave?"

Nya shook her head quickly. "Thank you," she said again. "Good luck on your mission."

Jay started to back away. "I'm sure we'll meet again before I leave," he said, dipping his head respectfully. "See you later, m'lady." And he turned and walked back down the path at a brisk pace.

Nya stared after him for a long moment, trying to figure him out. He was a polite gentleman, with a nice sense of sarcasm and a cute smile.

But he was also a thief. A commoner who had stooped below even the standards of his peers.

Nya humored herself for a moment, allowing her mind to consider him as a romantic option. She took a step back and tried to imagine them in this very garden, hand in hand, laughing and talking of love.

The images it gave her brought a sick feeling into her stomach. She could tell herself with complete honesty that this man was not for her. Even if she could at some point find a place for him in her heart, it would be as a friend. Noblewomen did not fraternize with criminals.

And she was just fine with that.