Chapter Two:

Teasing

Guy stomped angrily into the tent, with Matthew following behind him. He flung himself onto his cot muttering angry words at the ceiling. Matthew wisely kept his mouth shut and sat down on his cot. When the angry mutterings subsided he decided to speak.

"Uh, Guy?"

"What?" Guy said harshly.

"Are you completely insane?!" Matthew asked incredibly.

"What?!"

"Are you insane for asking that man to teach you how to swordfight?!" Matthew asked.

Guy just turned around in his cot.

"Guy, that man is mad. I don't care if he is the Sword Monster, or whatever you call him. He killed that soldier in the most brutal fashion I've ever seen. And you hate killing people. How can you ask that madman to teach you?"

Guy didn't say anything, his back still facing Matthew.

"

Besides," Matthew continued in a gentler tone. "You're a brilliant swordsman. You don't need a psycho like him teaching you."

"I need him to teach me," Guy replied. "I need to become stronger."

Matthew sighed. Arguing with Guy was like arguing with a rock, he was just so stubborn. "Why do you need to become stronger?" he asked.

For a moment Guy didn't answer. Then he turned around and faced Matthew.

"When I was young," he began. "I was always pushed to the side. I was terrible at using the bow. All Kutolah tribesmen were excellent at using the bow but I was a complete failure. All the boys teased me, said I was a screw up. And even my family looked at me with disappointment. My father was one of the best nomad troopers there was. His disappointment was the worst. But then one day the tribe chieftain complimented me on my sword skills. Said I had a natural sword arm. Right there I found my calling. I needed to be one of the best swordsmen and then I could make up for the disappointment I was. I thought going on a journey would hone my skills but I found that the journey would take too long for me to become a swords master. So that's why I need to become stronger," he said. "I must become stronger to show them that I'm not a failure. I need him to teach me."

There was complete silence in the tent after that. Then, Matthew spoke up again.

"Well that's one reason. Care to tell me the other reason why you need him to teach you?" he asked.

"What?!" Guy yelled in disbelief. "I just told you all that you need to know, there is no other reason."

Matthew shook his head. "Guy, we've known each other for 4 months now. I can tell when you're hiding something from me. To redeem yourself to your fellow tribesman may be one reason but I know that's not the full story. You have another reason for wanting that mad man to teach you. What is it?'

Guy shifted uncomfortably all through Matthew's talk. He was quiet for a moment. His words were exact. Never had he known somebody so good at reading emotions.

"Well," he said after a while. "You're right. You have a right to know why."

"Which is?" Matthew prompted.

Silence hung down on them. Guy looked like he was in great pain.

"…The reason…" he said after a long time. "Why I want to become stronger is because…"

"Because?" Matthew asked, suspense killing him.

"Because… I need to… I must… av—

"Hello Guy, where were you all this time?"

A girl slightly shorter than Guy entered the tent. She wore a white robe signifying her as a healer. As she entered she carefully patted down her flaming red hair. Her emerald green eyes took in her surroundings. Matthew recognized her as Priscilla, a troubadour in service of the army.

As soon as she entered the tent, Guy seemed to forget he was talking to Matthew. He immediately jumped up and his cheeks turned a faint pink.

"P-P-Priscilla!" he stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were ambushed by a band of enemy soldiers. Did they cause you any trouble?" she said, smiling sweetly at Guy.

"N-No," Guy said looking away from her. "They d-didn't cause any trouble for us."

"Are you sure? Your face is all red and you're stuttering," she said worriedly. "Did you catch something out there in the weather?"

"W-What? N-no it's nothing," Guy said still looking away.

"Here let me see," she said, putting a hand on Guy's face and turning it her way. Matthew noticed as soon as she put her hand on Guy's face his cheeks went from pink to scarlet in a flash.

"Oh my, that's a nasty gash you have there," she said, noticing the cut on Guy's cheek.

O-oh that? I-it's just a scratch," Guy mumbled.

Priscilla smiled warmly at him. "I don't know how many times I've heard that before, but I can tell you; most of the time it's not a scratch. Will you let me heal it for you?" she asked kindly.

"Uh, sure. G-go ahead."

She closed her eyes and muttered a few words under her breath. A white light enveloped her hand and she touched the hand to Guy's cut. The gash instantly sealed up, leaving no trace of the former wound.

"U-uh, T-Thank you very much Priscilla," Guy mumbled, bowing slightly to her.

Another warm smile lit up on her face. "Anytime Guy. If your ever injured again just give me a call," she said walking out of the tent.

"U-uh, yeah," Guy said, watching her walk away into the snow. When she was out of sight, Guy gave a sigh and plopped back down on his cot.

Then, he noticed Matthew's mile long grin.

"Oh, no, no, no you got it all wrong! She's not—. We aren't—

"Does my peerless warrior harbor feelings for a certain person?" Matthew said teasingly, the grin, if possible, widening.

"M-Mathew it's not like that!!!" Guy yelled, mortified.

"Oh really, then what is it like?" Matthew countered.

"It's not… She isn't… Oh shut up!" Guy yelled, burrowing his crimson face into his cot.

"Ah don't worry yourself, I'm not gonna tell anybody."

Guy lifted his face up. "Really?" he asked.

"Well you'll have to excuse me if I laugh at you right now," he said, erupting into a string of hearty chuckles.

Guy moaned again and buried his head back into the cot.

All through the night he could hear Matthew's chortles.