"Hey little one," A voice sounded from the door and Natsu's head snapped up from his book.
"Papa!" The small boy shouted running over to him.
"Heh, I missed you, what are you doing in here?" His father asked
"I am studying the weapon master's at Hunter academy, cause one day I am going to be the best just like you!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly.
Natsu's eyes snapped open 'That was before my father conscripted, I wanted to go to that academy? He was a weapon master? I don't remember that at all.' Natsu groaned and placed his hand on his forehead he rubbed at it slightly 'I wonder if they have some records of him there.' He sighed as he moved off the bed, a sharp pain roused him from his thoughts and he realized he still didn't have the best movement, looking around the rather dim room he noticed a figure curled up on a chair beside his bed, the moonlight barely illuminating her face 'So the girl is still around I see.' He thought with a chuckle, he noticed she was shivering slightly and using all of his strength to stand up he walked over and picked the blanket from around the floor and wrapped it around her, with a sigh he walked to the window, he looked out at the moon and the village people walked around the street's smiling and laughing as if nothing had happened.
Natsu sighed as he thought 'What am I going to do? I have spent the last nine months trying to avoid the academy, but I do want to learn more about my father, am I only voiding it because I don't think dad will ever see me pass, like I have gone back on my word?'
A ruffling caused him to turn around, he looked at the sleepy form of the woman in front of him and watched as she sat up tiredly wiping at her eyes before looking down at the blanket around her.
"Thought you might be cold." Natsu said making his presence known
The girl seemed to stiffen before she realized whose voice it was and her muscles relaxed again "Thank you," She said simply "Bit you shouldn't be out of bed you are still weak." She scolded
Natsu chuckled as he leaned against the wall heavily "Well I find myself in the predicament of not actually having the strength to walk back over to my bed." He grinned mischievously as she gained the hidden meaning behind his words, she got up but seemed to stop and look down at Karite.
Natsu slumped and walked over to the bed on his own 'For all your talk about women around me.' He thought angrily.
"I will go get you another blanket and some fresh clothes." she said simply before leaving the room.
Natsu looked down at the tattered remnants of his clothing, his pants were torn up towards his thigh he assumed it was so they could bandage his leg, 'Hooray now I need to go buy more clothes and a new cloak.' He thought with a sigh before he heard the door click again and he turned his head as the red-haired woman walked in. She placed the pile of neatly folded clothes at the foot of his bed and left the room silently, he looked down at the clothing and raised an eyebrow, she had brought him up his mask and found his cloak 'Not that I am complaining I like that cloak.' He though with a smile as he pulled on the rather tight fitting shirt and quite unceremoniously tore the last of his pant's free before sliding into the new fabric, the pant's were slightly baggier around the thigh and knee but quickly tighten in the shin to allow freedom of movement 'I'm impressed this girl is apparently a fighter to pick out such suited clothing.' He thought allowing himself a smile as he tied the mask around his neck and pulled his cloak around him for warmth. He looked to the door before calling out.
"All right you can come back in now." He said flatly as he fell rather heavily on the bed.
The door opened and closed with a soft click, he peered at the girl as she watched him stepping forward slowly she retook her chair and looked at him expectantly.
"So how is Kari treating you?" He asked simply
She cocked her head to the side "He has told me a great deal about you for a glove," She said with a smile "Although I am not sure how much is true or false."
"Well I don't feel like I am going to be moving around anytime soon, you can return him and ask away if you like." Natsu half asked, trying to play it off as a simple suggestion when he wanted to outright ask her to return the thing before it said anything else.
She nodded and pulled it off her hand, she tossed it to him lazily it landed with a thud on the bed and he pulled it on his hand.
"I like this one." Karite said quickly
Natsu sighed "Good for you." He answered before turning his head back to the girl waiting for her probable endless barrage of questions.
"Are you hungry?" She asked flatly
'That was the last thing I expected her to ask.' Natsu thought in surprise before his stomach answered with a loud rumble, he looked down in embarrassment before he heard the girl laugh.
"I'll be back in a second." Was all she said as she left the room
"You see, I like this one!" Karite said approvingly
Natsu raised an eyebrow at him "Are you trying to tell me you want me to bring this girl along with us?"
"I am doing no such thing I am merely expressing my approval of this fine young lady." Karite defended
"Subtle," Was all Natsu said "You are a bad liar for a Scythe Kari."
"I know you meet a lot of talking Scythe's these day's don't you they are dime of a dozen in these parts." Karite retorted
The door opened again and an aroma made Natsu's stomach growl loudly as his mouth began to water, she set a tray down in front of him and he eyed the food with a smile "So Karite told you what my favorite is."
The girl nodded with a smile "I hope you all enjoy it." He tone was overly cheery like there was something she needed to explain but really didn't want to.
Natsu noticed so he started to try and divert the conversation around his food "So who taught you to fight?"
She seemed surprised at his question and she eyed him curiously.
"The clothing you picked for me allows freedom of movement perfect for my fighting style, Also you jumped in to fight 40 well armed men…So either you are lucky and insane or you know a thing or two about fighting." Natsu concluded with a nod.
Erza nodded in understanding 'He is a lot sharper than Karite made him out to be.' she thought as she answered "This village wasn't always as weak as it is now, we used to be a fairly powerful clan and we held our land's well, but after a while our children were born without the unique abilities that made our clan's warriors so potent." She trailed off.
"The shadow step technique," Natsu finished for her, he knew he recognized this villages name "It's allows a person to become near invisible in the dark, your clan were praised as great assassin's you deterred entire armies with those abilities."
Erza nodded again "But how do you know about that?"
"Karite taught me how to do it and about its origins." Natsu answered simply.
Erza looked at him in disbelief "That would mean you would have to have been born into this clan only we have that ability!" she snapped
Natsu put his hands up in front of him to calm her "That isn't true at all, in certain cases the bearer of the ability can pass it on to one he or she sees as worthy."
"No one has passed the ability in thirty years!" Erza snapped angrily
Natsu looked at her in surprise "I met a man with the ability a few town's over, he suffered a fatal wound before I could get to him and he gave me the ability."
"So how did your Scythe teach you about it?" Erza snapped
"He is five thousand year's old maybe one of you clan was his wielder or something." Natsu answered his voice flat.
"That man was one of the very few who still have the ability, I am glad we know what happened to him." Erza said a little saddened
"Was he close to you?" Natsu asked simply
Erza shook her head "No, I had barely spoken with him at all, the man training me is my grandfather."
Natsu nodded "There is something you have been asked to tell me that makes you uncomfortable I can see it." he said flatly
Erza nodded and looked at him curiously 'How did he pick up on that?'
"You haven't stopped squirming and you picked up my topic change too eagerly," He said simply "If it makes you uncomfortable don't worry about it, I am sure it can't be that bad anyway."
Erza raised an eyebrow at him "So beyond out abilities what else do you know about our clan?"
"Nothing," Natsu answered as he finished his meal "Thank you for the food, you are going to make a guy extremely lucky on day, that is if you don't kill them first." He joked
Erza blushed too heavily for his joke and squirmed a little under his gaze "U-um t-that's th-e th-ing." she stammered out and he raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.
He placed a hand on her shoulder to calm her down "Take it slow with a few deep breaths."
"Um, well the thing is-." she cut off as there was knock at the door, she stood quickly and practically ran from the room, Natsu followed her albeit slowly 'Whoever is making her feel this was is in for it.' He shook his head 'What am I thinking, all I need to do is heal then get away from this village and take another job, besides it isn't like she would follow me no woman that beautiful takes the life of a hunter, WAIT BEAUTIFUL?!' Natsu gritted his teeth in annoyance 'That's it brain shut up!'
He pulled his cloak from around him, leaving him in his singlet like shirt and pants as he walked into the living room, there was a simple table inside and he walked over and took a seat. The girl ushered an older man inside and the two of them sat opposite him.
Natsu crossed his arms over his chest 'I don't like this guy's aura and I left Karite upstairs if this goes badly I'll have to use my own strength with these injuries I don't know how I will be.' He was snapped firm his thoughts by the man clearing his throat.
"Hello, I am the leader of this village and I came to make sure you were feeling alright and offer a thank you on behalf of everyone." Natsu wanted to pull his mask up and get away, something in this man's eye screamed bad news and Natsu didn't like it 'I am not going o leave that girl with him though, so looks like I am stuck…for the moment.'
Natsu nodded his head "I merely did my job, all I require is the payment promised with the job and I will be on my way."
"Ah, you exceeded many of the jobs parameter's in fact, the job merely wanted to stay and make sure the bandits did not make off with any of the money in our considerable treasury you protected the entire village from and uprising in the process of eliminating them." The man answered.
Natsu used every ounce of his body to stop himself from outright attacking this fool, 'the job called for protection of wealth and he has the gall to make out like it is the woman's fault they were kidnapped and were about to be sold.'
"Well I only did what any honorable man would have done in my situation." Natsu said it with an edge of venom.
Erza heard the snipe at the elder 'Well he is fairly in tune with those around him, does he know how despicable he is just from this small conversation.'
The older man chuckled "Be that as it may, we still need to up the payment a bit, so as the leader of this village I am going to be holding a simple competition."
Natsu didn't like the sound of that at all "Competition?" he asked carefully
"Yes, as a show of gratitude it would be on honor for you to pick out a woman from our village to be such a powerful and honorable man's wife." The older man said simply
Natsu inhaled deeply to keep his emotions from running wild 'What is his game he knows I would never agree to this.'
"That will not be necessary marriage is formed on the status of emotional bounds I share none with the women I rescued therefore I would prefer to take the money and leave as soon as possible." Natsu kept his voice flat.
"Well after those women allowed themselves to be captures so easily and have brought dishonour to our noble clan, I have no choice but to banish them unless of course you wish to find there more redeemable qualities." The elder said it the flat veiled threat.
Natsu had had enough he stood and glared at the man in front of him "This is not only unacceptable it is criminal, you had men in your employ who not only disobeyed there only directive they were prepared to throw away almost all of the women in this village for a bit of money and now you are threatening them in front of me, after I did all of this to keep them here…so heed my warning here, if you attempt to force any of these women from this village I will personally bring your head to Hunter academy so they may display the folly of your actions furthermore if you attempt to send any of these women to sway me in my decision to take the money and leave I will kill you where you stand you are no god and therefore have no right to meddle in the affairs of a heart I would advise you avoid me from now on." He Fired every word of with remarkable determination, he never stopped to take another breath, The elder had paled considerable at the boy's words and was forced out of the house by Erza.
She turned back to him with a wide smile "Thank you for that."
Natsu turned his still glaring eyes to her and she shrank away from the gaze "Are you only here because he asked you?!" Natsu demanded
She shook her head getting a little angry "No, I am here because you saved my life twice! I owe you at the very least a warm place to stay until you heal!"
Natsu heard the truth in her words and sighed rubbing his forehead "I am glad I could intimidate him, otherwise I would be in a much more awkward conversation."
She peered at him curiously 'Would he really have given up everything and married one of us just to keep us in our own village?'
Natsu noticed her look and gave her a wide smile "Why don't you take the bed tonight I will stay on the couch."
Erza shook her head "No no no, that will not do Uru would kill me herself if I let you freeze," She began shoving him up the stairs, he allowed her to move him so he wouldn't hurt himself or hurt her for that matter "Besides after you just saved the homes of a hundred of us I think this is more than fair repayment."
Natsu rolled his eyes as she set him on the bed and pulled the blanket to his chin, before she could turn around he caught her wrist and flipped her beside him he rolled slightly and pinned her shoulder with his arms as he looked down at her face. She looked up at him in surprise a blush tinted her cheeks as he watched her.
Natsu have her a smile "Neither of us are freezing." he said simply as he dropped his blanket around her. The pocket of warmth that enveloped her body made her smile, she lost most of the fight and her resolve fell away from her, he tugged her against him slightly, she felt his arms wrap around her protectively and she didn't care as she rested her cheek on his chest.
Natsu smiled as the girl settled down next to him 'Well that was easier than I thought it'd be, but what the hell am I doing I am not going to go anywhere with this am I? I merely trying to keep her warm, no one deserves to be cold.' He thought firmly as a feeling of doubt set in his stomach, as well as a warm feeling that made him want to smile. 'No, this will never work out I need to leave soon and she is not going to want to join me, this is not going to happen.' He thought a little sadly. as he closed his eyes.
Unbeknownst to the couple another set of eyes watched them through the window, his mouth set in a wicked smirk as he disappeared back into the night waiting for his moment.
A/N: All right Cliffhanger! Who is the strange person, has the elder truly given up? Find out next time :P. As always hope you all enjoyed this chapter!