Hey guys, sorry for the delay, the login was out of order when I tried to update, and now I finally have the time to try again. R&R!

'Nasty weather, ain't it?'

Mai looked up from loading up her shopping bags. It was mid-spring outside and the weather was currently in the middle of a late storm. Mai winced as the wind howled past. She loved storms and the wind that came with it, there was no two-ways about that, but she didn't welcome them when she had just finished planting young roses along her driveway. 'Damn, I should've waited with the roses, but I forgot to listen to the news last night.' She told the lady behind the check-out with a grin that took the animosity out of her words.

'Don't you worry about those roses Mai, they should be fine, they're hardy plants, though they're temperamental about flowering.'

'I'll keep that in mind.'

'So how goes the renovations? My Bill said it's almost done. I must say, when I stopped by last week, it was a thrill to see you, my husband and the other contractors have given it another life.'

'It's certainly become liveable and then some. The roof was finished last night, but then, Bill probably already told you that. Umm... we've just got the little things to do now, like the eves being painted, and the front steps to be redone. All in all, it should be finished by Friday if we push.' Today was Tuesday, and Mai was trying to get her grocery shopping done and hurry back quickly to help the men finish off hanging up the lights and finishing off the inbuilt bookshelf in her study. 'I'd better be off, I've got plenty to do before Friday.'

'Don't you trust those men?' Annie teased. She knew Mai pretty well after the six weeks the girl had come to live in town, especially after she helped her with the curtains for her house. 'Come over on Sunday. I'm sure you want Saturday to relax. We're having a barbeque with the boys and the neighbours, I'll ask the Branches'-Mai's neighbours-'too. And Lila better make sure to keep that damn labrador out of my borders if she takes him this time.'

Mai stifled a laugh. True, the chocolate lab who lived next to her was trouble, but she, like her friend and his owner Lila, adored him. 'I'll tell her to keep Coco on a leash this time.'

'Please do. By the way, have you met the duelist in town?'

Mai's ears pricked up. 'There's another one?'

'Just passing through, he flew in yesterday. Word is, he's supposed to be quite good. I think he's staying for a week before moving on. Maybe I should invite him to Sunday's barbeque.'

Mai tugged on a lock of hair. 'That might be nice. And I'll see how good he is, I've been spoiling for a duel at the last couple of weeks. Thanks, and I'll see you on Sunday.'

'Good luck, I might just drop by the house for a peek later on this week.'

Mai waved, 'feel free.' She ducked out into the storm and raced as fast as she could, with her arms loaded with bags, over to her car. Her mind kept going back to the duelist Annie mentioned, she'd forgotten to get a name, and wasn't running back in through the pouring rain for that, but she could easily find him if she wanted to-the town wasn't big. And she just might do that once her house was finished, she'd meant what she said; she'd been itching for a duel for weeks. It reminded her why she kept travelling to tournaments-duelling was in her blood, and while she was glad to take a break from time to time, she always missed it if she didn't duel for awhile.