Chapter seven! Wow, I haven't updated in like…weeks! Sorry, my faithful readers! I'll promise to make sure my schedule is less hectic so I can write once in awhile! Anyway, in this chapter things get a little weird… Sain's in this chapter too which is probably why things are getting weird! Hee! So Florina will make a REALLY bold move and Fiora is over her tears. Oh and Farina is just getting warmed up! And somehow Kent is tied into this chaos… Read and review!

Previous Chapter:

Her tears stopped flowing and her pain had flooded away as quick as it had come. She was…happy. And smiling. Fiora propped herself up on her elbows and rested her chin on her hands, still grinning to herself. She started laughing, then giggling. Through her mirth she spoke:

"If Kent loves Farina so much…Farina, he shall get."

Flurries of Trouble

It's cold.

…And snowing.

…And windy.

…And not the greatest atmosphere for fostering forgiveness for, per se, a certain sister…

Florina made elfish footsteps in comparison to her sister's bear tracks. She was still too scared to confront Fiora and didn't know what to say if she did. Comforting her elder wasn't a strong point of Florina's. Maybe I should talk to her…maybe she needs my help. But what if she becomes mad at me? What if she doesn't want to talk about it? Dear Saint Elimine, help me…, Florina worried. It was true though, Fiora was in entirely better spirits. Fiora made not one indication to anyone that she was upset or agitated. No one would have known, or could tell, she cried into a pillow in a lone tent…unless, of course, you were peeping.

"Oh…! You are the Fiora I have heard so much about! You are even… Three times lovelier than I had heard!" The green mopped cavalier gallivanted. Yes, Sain is the Peeping Tom. And he's mighty proud of it.

If it wasn't for the bitter cold, Fiora would have blushed. A girl loves compliments…even if it is coming from an infamous womanizer. Especially compliments reflecting a girl's beauty—one can never have too many of those. Besides, Fiora was in the mood for praise. Her plan was "brilliant" after all.

"Excuse me, but how do you know my name?" Fiora's voice was proper, but her eyelashes fluttered more than once. And no, it wasn't the cold that was doing that. I might as well practice my feminine wiles on Sain so when the real time comes…I know exactly what to do! Fiora thought cunningly.

Sain thought that Fiora was falling for his sugar-coated-compliments. And boy was he pleased. Finally, a girl who hasn't whipped my sides yet or aimed a delicate foot down under! Perhaps we are meant to be! Sain thought dreamily. Not so much, Sain.

"Oh, but my dear… I have memorized all the names of every woman in this army! All the beautiful ones at least… Besides, I saw those awful tears marring those dainty features of yours. I thought: how could one do that to a beauty like you? I know I wouldn't," he hinted. Admittedly, Fiora was enjoying this little "practice" of hers. It wasn't everyday that a cute guy fawned over her. If only this was someone else instead, Fiora fantasized.

But then she realized that he had mentioned tears. And then she wasn't so happy.

"When was I crying, Sir Sain? I don't recall that I was," Fiora said calmly. Anyone with half a brain would realize to shut up and change the subject. Sain didn't do that. Enough said.

"Yes you were! I heard you, silently sobbing in your tent. And I thought to console you, but I knew it was not my place to simply come into your quarters… So here I am, asking if you are alright, for I know what tears like yours may yield," Sain explained. Fiora's irritation quieted a bit, she didn't think it was too bad that a guy was paying attention to her.

During this, Florina thought of how to rid Sain from Fiora. He must be trying to woo her like all the other women! I have to help her, but what should I do? Florina thought fervently.

Meanwhile, Fiora caught sight of Kent; his flaming hair was kind of obvious against the white winter wonderland they were experiencing. Her heart fluttered, butterflies dancing—until she saw who was behind him. As you can imagine, there were no more dancing butterflies.

Fiora's hand that was previously stroking Sain's chest soon tightened into an angry clamp—an angry clamp that had clamped skin. Ouch.

"Urm—OW. Dearest Fiora…erm…that is skin you are so marvelously…gripping." He squirmed under her grasp, but with no avail. When Fiora's angry, she's angry and I don't think she planned on releasing his skin any time soon. After all, she was behind him of all people

And you can very well guess who 'she' is.

While Fiora was ripping skin off of Sain and glaring at Kent, Sain was mentally screaming for Fiora had a tight grip on him, Kent was walking towards the fiasco, Farina was following (albeit not willingly), during all that—Florina had come up with her plan to help her sister.

A very interesting and potentially hazardous plan…but an interesting one nonetheless.

"Sir Sain, you look very…erm…handsome today," Florina complimented. Sain's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. I mean, this is Florina, we're talking about here. The girl can barely talk to normal men let alone non-normal ones (cough cough, SAIN, cough cough). Timid Florina has dared to lend her beautiful voice to converse with…me? Sain was bliss-on-a-stick, as you imagine.

"Florina…you didn't stutter… Are you feeling quite alright?" Florina came closer and touched his shoulder, nothing but a touch, but she still felt very awkward.

Sain took that as a 'no' and therefore was reeling from excitement.

TWO Ilian sisters are paying attention to ME! And I didn't even have to tell them I was dying, or incredibly rich like I usually have to! They LIKE me without me flirting with them first! This is a miracle—thank you Saint Elimine! THANK YOU! Sain thought ecstatically. I wonder how I can somehow make it so all three sisters are falling for me…

Don't push your luck, Sain. You're still breathing after all the women you antagonize—I call that lucky.

Fiora, at this point, had finally taken notice to what her younger sister was doing. There are no words to convey the shock that she was experiencing.

"Florina—what are you doing?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SISTER?"

Or apparently, there is.

In the meantime, Farina was being dragged around by Kent who was leashed to his liege who was constantly in motion. She was not happy.

"Kent, I'm fine now, really. Like, I feel so much better. Priscilla worked wonders with that staff-thingy. I'm ready to take on some evil doers at any time. Really," Farina insisted. Kent wouldn't have any of it.

"You fell from an insane height. Even though Priscilla said you're fine, there's no telling if she's missed anything. Besides," A new tone came to his voice. "I hear you aren't too comfortable with your sisters."

Farina was only too happy to rag on her sisters—make that sister.

"Yeah well, Fiora's the only one who's making life much harder than it has to be. I mean, everything has to go her way. If it doesn't, it's like the sky is falling! She's a stuck-up tight wad, that one. Florina's as sweet as they come, I just feel bad that she has to spend so much time with the enemy of Elimine herself," I grumbled. Kent may be the male version of Fiora, but he's not too bad of a listener unlike her. Whenever I have problems, they're insignificant compared to the issues of the world, Farina thought grumpily. You would think being broke would be an issue, right? Not to Fiora, no… I'm greedy in Fiora's view. That nit-picking, goody-two-shoes-wearing, uptight—

"Farina?" Kent's voice broke Farina out of her tirade. She was kind of upset that he did, she had a good list going on there.

"Huh, you say something?" Kent didn't seem a bit perturbed by the fact that Farina was paying no attention at all to him—which was totally fine by her.

"I was just saying how I admire your fighting skills, I imagine it must be very hard to fly and fight simultaneously. You seem to handle it so well. Is it much different than on horseback?"

Farina couldn't deny the fact that she was enjoying the attention; she loved to hear how great she was.

Now doesn't that sound exactly like another person you can think of…?

Ah, it's so nice to hear someone finally acknowledging my skills as a mercenary! I truly am magnificent… I fear no archer and no man! Kent can't be too bad if he can recognize greatness like my own, Farina thought smugly. I guess I can tolerate him if he keeps on complimenting me like this…

"Well—" Farina was about to answer before Raine rushed to them, her lavender hair flying.

"There you two are! I've been looking for you all over! We're stopping near that overhang for awhile. There are caves and shelter for us to rest. The storm is gaining power and we're in the middle of it, so we have to stop and make camp. If we don't…well, I'd rather not think of that. I'm so glad I found you guys together though! I'm putting you both in charge of getting everyone to safety. I'll help, of course, but I need to set a few things straight… Okay, bye!" Raine rushed off as soon as she came. She called out one last thing that put Farina in a very bad mood.

"I hope you two enjoy working together because you'll be doing a lot more of it soon!" Kent smiled and turned to Farina who wasn't visibly sulking, but still sulking. She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly.

I take back what I said about tolerating him, Farina thought sourly.

Hee, Farina does not like Kent at all it seems! I wonder why that is…? Anyway, next chapter we'll go back and check on the whole Florina and Sain thing, but only after we see how well the Crimson Shield and the Great Wing get along! Stay tuned for the next chapter! (Oh, and a review would help!)