Author's note. Hello everyone. Thank you thank you for all the reviews though it was not as much as last time."I'm sorry for the long wait. It took me a long time to write this chapter and also a long time to come up with this idea. Some Spanish is used in here so first for the translation:

Mis guerreros- my warriors

Mi corazon- my heart, my love

Es verdad?- true?

Bueno- good

Alejandro is pronounced "Allay-handro"

Secondly, if you look at a map, you will see all the places mentioned here. I try to keep it real. Lol

Do enjoy!!!

Chapter 21

Diamonds in the Rough

The year was 1865. It was four months since I became a vampire.

"Jasper," Maria's voice swelled, "Has informed me that you, mis guerreros, are ready." Her voice reverberated on the surrounding rocks and trees.

The crowd of twenty three newborns, all young men, nodded and cheered in confirmation. Maria was perched on a high rock, she looked down upon us, and she was proud- she was proud of me.

"Es verdad?"then came the cheers and clamor again. "I look at you and I see well-bred warriors, eager, and ready to dominate our enemies in Monterrey. You are ready to take the turf and own the blood! This is what you were made for, this is what we do!" she cried.

"Tonight, we leave San Fernando and journey up the mountain to Saltillo. I will decide then when we shall attack the city. Jasper," she called me up to her pedestal. I moved like lightning. She placed her hand on my shoulder and said, "Bueno, mi corazon. I trust that you have trained them to win."

"To the best of my ability, Maria,"

She laughed, "Wrong answer," she jerked my chin up so that her eyes pierced mine, "Will we win?"

"Yes Maria," I answered with reverence.

"Bueno. Then you shall lead them up to Saltillo. Go."

The unexplored terrain of the mountainside was no challenge for my troop. The challenge was keeping the number at twenty three. Being the best combatant, and given my extra facets, it was my duty to train the rest of the newborns and keep them under control. It was a difficult task. My temper was short but my zeal to please Maria overshadowed all.

Marco and Alejandro, two of the strongest and most skilled fighters had always been at odds. I had to watch them like a hawk. The pure rage and hatred rolled off of them. We were halfway up the mountainside when Marco lunged at Alejandro. The sound echoed like thunder. The two of them went rolling and tearing at each other. The ramifications of their actions extended far beyond themselves alone. The sudden frenzy caused a domino effect with all the others. I stood aside, closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Back then, it took a lot more concentration to gain control over their volatile emotions.

Calm. It worked to some extent but, I had to keep it calm for awhile before they could remain that way. Then I took off after the instigators. They did not reach far and luckily, neither was badly injured. I shuddered to think how angry Maria would have been if they were incapacitated.

"Do that again, and you both will be ashes before the day is done." I threatened, accenting it with a strong dose of fear. That was a useful tactic to make them submit.

The rest of the journey to Saltillo was uneventful- that is- until we reached the caves. Maria, Nettie and Lucy were there already.

"We stay here until nightfall tomorrow. We will attack before the moon rises." She commanded. Great. A close space filled with newborn vampires for almost a day. To ensure that no fights broke out, I kept a steady state of calm present.

"Jasper," Maria closed the space between us, she put her hand on my face, "I need you to raise their temperament tomorrow. I want to win."

"Of course, Maria. I will see to it," I answered. She was just a bit nervous about our first attack and I took that opportunity to fill her with confidence. "Ah, Jasper," she purred as she ran her hand down my chest, "I'm glad I kept you."

I caught her hand as it slid down my stomach. "Anything for you," I promised.

She smiled, clearly pleased. "You've done well. I think you deserve a feast, come with me," and like a faithful hound, I followed.

It was only seconds later that a loud detonation was heard emanating from deep inside the cave. I knew what it was before the air stopped vibrating; Marco and Alejandro.

I spun on my heel and launched myself back toward the tumult. Their raw fury grated against my nerves but I was stronger. As I fired bolts of submission at the pair, Nettie and Lucy reined them in and dragged them back to where the others were. They had crept further back into the recess of the cavern to have their show-down, squeezing into a crevice which opened up inconspicuously on the other side to a deep pit.

Inside this pit -the boxing ring as it were-was the crumbled remains of some rock. Maria was behind me and I could feel her breath on my shoulder. Suddenly, her aura flared with excitement, her eyes glinted with greed.

Her body coiled and slithered down the slope of the pit. In her hands, she held a small pebble- no not a pebble-for she looked at it in awe.

"Do you know what this is, Jasper?" I moved in to take a closer look. It was an irregularly shaped clear cloudy crystal.

"It's a diamond." She held it up to my face angling it so that I could see a faint sparkle.

"Are you sure, Maria? It just looks like a clear stone to me. It doesn't shimmer or sparkle like it should."

"Fool. Diamonds have to be cut and polished before they shimmer and sparkle." She sneered at me and began pulverizing the walls of the pit. I retreated to the embankment to watch her. Her needle straight back hair was braided into a long rope that hung all the way past her waist. Her sharp eyes easily found the trinkets she was searching for and she was content when she had two hands full of the stones.

We made our way back to the army, but not before Maria sealed the crevice with a boulder. "This is mine," she warned.

Author's note: well what did you think? Realistic? Who does maria remind you of? no, not Victoria.

So can you figure out why jasper's going to mexico now???

I have to say that I'm disappointed in your lack of response to my friends who wrote the Alice point of view to this story. Don't you like this story enough to at least check out the APOV??? Come on check them out and leave a review.

They are all in my fave authors

The best one I'd say is "can I stay with you" by megumi tsukazu. It is awesome. U need to read it.

Aloso please leave me a comment too. I need inspiration and your comments spur me on.

I would like to also recommend a couple fanfics now.

Some rise by sin – by brynna….its an Alice and jasper story. Incredibly moving and deeply touching. A must read. SERIOUSLY. It had me crying in the first chapter…okay so I'm an easy crier…but that's not the point. Brynna is an amazing writer and you need to check this out.

Nightfall- black angel. This is the absolute best fanfic I've ever read. For one its really long and the plot is soooo complex. Halfway though you think, "oh no the plots coming to a close "and then…BAM …it doesn't. u need to check it out.

Cruel summer was pretty good too. I swear I could see those eyes. Good plot. Little slow in the beginning but overall …excellent writing. I was scared as hell… super imaginative.

These stories are all on my fave list.

NOW please leave me a comment…please please. It means so much to me and it only takes 15 seconds.

LOVE

taz