Ichigo woke up with a start. He wasn't quite sure what had woke him up, only that he had been asleep and now he wasn't. The sun was barely up and he groaned softly, wanting to go back to sleep, but knowing that he shouldn't. Every bit of his body ached deeply and he rolled his neck trying to get rid of some of the soreness that came with sleeping while leaning against a tree trunk. He breathed in deeply; the morning air was crisp, cold, and smelt of decaying leaves – an earthy smell, mixed in with a bit of spiciness. The Hunter camp had always smelt musty, of sweat, blood, and animals hides. This was a change for the better. He leaned back against the tree trunk and shut his eyes; he needed to come up with a plan to rescue his sisters and to destroy the Hunters. They would be safe for now; the terms of his agreement with the chief would keep them from harm. It would be dishonourable to harm them while he had not yet failed his task. But he would not leave it to chance, the sooner her found help the better. He finally stood up, stretching his arms above his head, and walked down to the edge of the lake.

Soft mud gave way to his moccasins as he stooped down at the shore line. The water was freezing when he dipped his hands into it, and he breathed in sharply as he splashed his face, washing away the last bit of sleep from his body. Brown paint came off, creating a smoky film in the water, before it disappeared and became one with the rest of the lake. Ichigo ground his teeth together; he was a Sceyh no more. He would rather become an aimless traveller with no real home than return to that life. He splashed water against his chest and arms, goose flesh rising all over his body almost instantly, and scrubbed away the class markings. He would have no more to do with the Hunter tribe now, and after he rescued his sisters. He used the bear-skin cloak to dry off and wrapped himself up tightly once he started to shiver. The springing season always brought cold nights and mornings, but the sun would easily chase them away. He retreated from the shore and headed back to the tree to gather his pack and weapons. He would concentrate on finding another tribe today.

As he slung his pack over his shoulder and adjusted the sword on his back, he heard a splashing noise from the lake. An animal drinking maybe, judging from the ripples on the surface of the lake. If he got lucky he could sneak up on it from the cover of the trees and have a decent breakfast. He stopped to quickly string his bow. His moccasins were already soaked through with morning dew and mud, padded noiselessly against the fallen leaves and dirt. He crept in between the trees, stepping over giant roots and keeping low, moving smoothly, until he had a clear view of the lake shore. He scanned the shoreline with narrowed eyes, holding his breath and preparing to take aim. There, a little way away from the shore, movement caught his eye. But his stomach jolted, it wasn't an animal; it was another person. They were up to their waist in the water and leaning over to scrub at their hair. Ichigo lowered his bow; he hadn't expected to find someone else so soon, but it was a good thing. If he could explain his idea he could see the downfall of the Hunters sooner than he had thought. He knelt down to unstring his bow and was about to call out to the person when they straightened. Light hair cascaded down their back, and water ran down pale arms and shoulders. Ichigo's cheeks heated and he spun around, ducking behind a tree.

A woman. He hadn't expected that either. He slid down the rough bark, wanting to groan. How was he supposed to explain this? He would just have to wait until she was finished and dressed before making his presence known. He certainly didn't want her to think that he had been spying on her. Now even his ears felt hot. The splashing continued and Ichigo took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from imaging what was happening on the other side of the tree.

He hadn't seen anyone with hair that light before; it had looked almost white. Most of the Hunters had dark hair and were tanned from days spent in the sun. He and Yuzu had stood out from the rest of the tribe. He knew that people from the north had light skin and hair, but he hadn't come into contact with anyone from outside of the Obrijan Forest before. At least, he thought she wasn't from the Obrijan. The Hunters didn't care about other tribes, apart from the ones that they raided, so he hadn't been able to learn much about them. The Hunters didn't care about learning for that matter; their own language didn't even have a written form. He had to teach Karin and Yuzu how to read write in Trade himself, and had practiced his letters every night so he wouldn't forget. Still, he couldn't deny that he was curious.

The splashing drew closer and he had to hazard a glance from around the tree trunk. Hopefully, she wouldn't be able to see him from her position. He couldn't see much from around the tree, but she was wading back to the shore, and Ichigo shivered as he remembered how cold the water had been. She must have been freezing. Her hair hung over one of her shoulders, shielding most of her face. Heat rose to his face again; either her breasts were exceedingly small, or she was much younger than he thought. She did look a bit small, even from this distance. The thought hit him like a swift blow to the gut; he shouldn't be doing this. He was twenty-one, if she was a child he was disgusting. But what would a child be doing by herself in the middle of the forest? Was she lost? Or were her parents or tribe nearby? Either way, he was not in an ideal situation.

And the stars always had a way of kicking dirt into his eyes.

He heard a strange chirping noise, not unlike a small reptile, but much louder and more forceful as if it came from a larger animal. Ichigo was hesitant to look back around. If he ignored it maybe it would go away. He cursed himself for unstringing his bow. If it was a small animal, he could have easily shot it down, but if it wasn't – and considering how his luck had been lately – he was going to be in trouble. The chirping increased in speed and volume. He drew in a deep breath through his nose. He'd been so fixated on the girl that he'd stopped paying attention to his surroundings. He slowly reached for the sword on his back, pivoting his body to face the source of the noise.

Fallen leaves crunched and branches brushed against a large body, signalling that the animal was coming closer. Ichigo had been expecting anything but this. A dragon wound itself in between two trees and stopped a mere five paces from him. Ichigo froze completely, he might have even stopped breathing; he couldn't be sure. The dragon was pure black, which explained why he hadn't caught sight of it before now. Long shadows still stretched between the trees in the dim morning light; it had had the perfect cover. But, it didn't look like it was hunting him, with ears perked up and facing forward and its neck stretched towards him rather than pulled back and guarding. Its mouth was shut, no sign of teeth, in fact it looked almost friendly. Then there was the chirping. He could see miniscule movements in the muscles of its neck with each chirp. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. He hadn't thought that an animal that big could make such a noise. The dragon stared unblinkingly, seeming to seek out his eyes and stare deeply into them. They were amber with flecks of gold and Ichigo drew in a sharp breath.

"Is it you?" he breathed.

The dragon tilted its head to the side then took a tentative step forward. Ichigo couldn't believe it. This could be the black dragon from all those years ago, the one that had protected him and his sisters. It was almost surreal, Ichigo felt light headed; his body was weightless and numb. It was bigger than he remembered, of course. Its head was almost as large as his torso, and the horns behind its ears and along its neck weren't stubby anymore; they were as long as his forearm, possibly growing longer along its back.

Ichigo stretched out his hand, the dragon drew closer, and he was tackled to the ground from behind.

It was then his entire body decided to regain feeling, as he collided with the hard ground. His vision went black for a moment as the back of his head struck a tree root, but he was all too aware of a body pinning him to the ground and something cold and pointy being held to his throat. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his vision.

"Move and you die."

The voice was deep and cold, but the accented Trade told Ichigo that this person wasn't from the Obrijan. He decided not to move. All the while, the dragon kept on chirping. The second mistake Ichigo had made that day, or the first, was thinking that the child in the lake had been a girl and a child. He was small, yes, slender and almost delicate, Ichigo could tell that he would only come up to his chest if they stood up, but there was no child whose gaze was that harsh, or who had sinewy muscles that defined. Ichigo fought against the need to swallow, as blue eyes – on the verge of being green – bored into him. His hair was still wet, dripping onto Ichigo's chest as it hung heavily over his left shoulder, the right side being shorn closely to his scalp. Scars, both old and silver, and a few ones that were still pink crossed his body, presenting him as an experienced warrior. Ichigo hopped that his mistake wouldn't cost him his life.

"What it is you are doing?" he snapped. "Who are you?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer when he felt something press against the top of his head, then rhythmic streams of hot air, that smelt faintly of ash, blew against his face and shoulders. He assumed that it was the dragon, but he didn't dare move his head to look. The man frowned raising his gaze to the dragon then back to Ichigo. He felt the pressure from the knife at his neck recede slightly.

"Answer question, now."

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki... a... traveller. I mean no harm." Ichigo's heart was beating so intensely that he was sure the man could feel it.

"A traveller?" His eyes narrowed. "I do not believe this."

"It's the truth." It was the truth if he stretched a bit.

He stared at Ichigo for a while, deciding whether to believe him or not. His face was impassive, however. "Dragons do not trust so easily. Why it is this one did not kill you?" he asked after the dragon let out a remarkably large puff of hot air.

"I... it was ages ago, but I think we met before. We helped each other."

"Explain."

So he did. Ichigo told him about how his had escaped from the Hunters, how he had lost his mother and how the dragon had protected him and his sisters. He left out the part of him having to join the Hunter Tribe later on and was glad that he had washed off his markings.

The boy ... man...removed the knife completely and allowed Ichigo to sit up. He took a few steps backwards, eyes still narrowed and body still guarded. He looked sceptical once Ichigo finished, but less wary. The dragon snorted softly and nudged Ichigo's shoulder with its snout. He scratched it between its nostrils and its eyes fluttered shut. Ichigo smiled and the dragon set its enormous head in his lap.

"I apologise. I needed to know if you were threat. Dragons only make that noise when very distressed or very joyful," the man muttered, sitting down a few paces away from Ichigo. "Zangetsu trusts you and I have no reason not to."

"Zangetsu?" The dragon cracked open and eye and its ear twitched. "That's its name?"

"He. Is drake. Young, not full grown."

Ichigo nodded. "And you?"

He raised an eyebrow, and hesitated as if unsure what Ichigo was asking. "I... oh. My name is Toushiro Hitsugaya... from the Breidor Plains of north."

Ichigo's eyebrows shot up. He'd remember glancing at a few maps during his excursions through the Hunter's storage tent. "What are you doing so far south?"

"Is nesting season."

Ichigo should have realised this sooner, but with his mind all over the place; trying to come up with a plan, then meeting Zangetsu again, he hadn't been able to put the two together. "You are a Dragon Rider?"

Toushiro inclined his head.

Excitement rose in Ichigo's stomach, and he felt his mouth stretch into a smile. He couldn't believe it; maybe the stars hadn't forsaken him after all. This was perfect. "I've only heard of your tribe in legends."

Toushiro scoffed, dipping his head to his chest. "We are no legend," he mumbled.

"Anyone who saves dragons from the Hunters is a legend to me. My mother used to tell me stories of you before sending me to bed. You are a great and noble tribe; I couldn't me more honoured to meet you."

Toushiro took sudden interest in combing his fingers through his hair, effectively hiding his face.

"I could only dream of living alongside a dragon. I've always been fascinated by them."

"Why didn't you keep Zangetsu, then?"

Ichigo paused. "Hunters were nearby. I didn't know if I could protect him from them. Besides, I didn't know the first thing about taking care of a dragon. Something tells me they aren't like other animals."

"They take care of themself. Can get own food. But need to form bonds, with other dragon or human. If you kept him, he would never leave your side."

Ichigo nodded. He wished that he could have kept Zangetsu. If he had the strength to back then, things would have been much different than they were now. He glanced to Toushiro and felt slight jealousy.

"Is Zangetsu your dragon?"

"No." He shook his head. "My dragon is hunting, will be back soon, actually."

"But the Hunters-"

"Hyourinmaru can take care of himself. He knows what places to avoid."

Ichigo nodded. "You should still be careful; Hunters can be ruthless and unpredictable. They set traps further away from their encampment than there is need for. They kill for the pleasure of it."

Toushiro eyed him. "I appreciate warning."

Ichigo patted Zangetsu, his legs were beginning to lose feelings and hard scales were digging into his thighs, but he didn't mind. The dragon was warm to the touch, more so than any other living creature he had felt. "I can't believe that he remembered me after all this time."

"Dragons do not forget. They hold grudges and also remember kindness. He must have been very grateful to you." He was silent for a while, watching Ichigo as he stroked Zangetsu. Ichigo glanced his way every so often, pleased to see that some of the tension he held in his shoulders was disappearing. Riders did place a lot of trust in their dragons it seemed. Zangetsu's judgement appeared to be good enough for him.

"Hyourinmaru should be back soon," he said suddenly, staring at the hand Ichigo had on Zangetsu rather than his face. "Stay for meal – I want to ask you more about these traps."

Ichigo nodded gratefully. Now he didn't have to worry about hunting, or using the dried food in his pack. Toushiro stood up, dusting off his legs and motioned for Ichigo to follow him.

"Camp is this way."

He led Ichigo nearer to the lake shore, stopping to pick up a small bundle of clothes. Ichigo realised with reddened checks that he wasn't fully dressed. He was only wearing a breechcloth, Ichigo just realised, no leggings, shoes, or cloak. He had probably jumped straight out of the lake when he heard Zangetsu chirping. He eyed Toushiro's bare chest, feeling slightly guilty. He must have been cold.

Toushiro's camp was right next to the shore, water on one side the rest surrounded by trees. No one would be able to sneak up on him in that location. And with two dragons he was well protected. A fire pit was set up between two small tents. Ichigo tilted his head, but before he could ask his question a shadow passed overhead. He looked up grinning and saw a pair of white dragons circling the camp. Toushiro looked up as well, squinting against the morning glare. Zangetsu, also inclined his head and sniffed the air before rearing onto his back legs and flapping his wings excitedly. Ichigo jumped away to avoid getting hit. Toushiro snickered, covering his mouth when he realised that Ichigo was looking at him.

The two dragons landed further down the shore and Zangetsu took off to greet them. Ichigo tilted his head; they obviously were not meant to be runners going by Zangetsu's uneven gait. Toushiro sighed and motioned Ichigo to follow once again. Zangetsu was now circling the two dragons with his head bowed; the larger of the two was ignoring him, while the smaller nudged his side. He chuckled, but stopped when he noticed that there was a person perched in between two of the smaller dragon's spikes. She – Ichigo was positive that she was actually a woman this time – had black hair tied up in a bun, though a few pieces around her face looked very windswept, and she was almost as pale as Toushiro.

She jumped off the dragon, landing gracefully; her worn moccasins barely made any noise as she hit the ground. She was small as well, though taller than Toushiro and dressed in a light tunic, her legs were wrapped in strange looking leather and her shoulders were covered in a fitted coat, of the same leather, that extended from her neck to her wrists. Her clothes further proved that Toushiro wasn't fully dressed. She was holding a couple rabbits, tied together with string in one hand while the other was resting on the pommel of a thin sword strapped to her hip. She was scowling at him, but looked questioningly from him to Toushiro when he took a step backwards. Her eyes were light like Toushiro's, but were a deep blue that looked violet when she tilted her head. The colour was intensified by the thick rings of blue paint around her eyes. It swooped up to her temples like wings. There were also three blue dots between her eyebrows and a single strip on her chin. He briefly wondered if all the Riders were as beautiful as these two.

Toushiro said something in his native tongue – a heavy language, almost guttural, with harsh vowels. His eyebrows jumped. Most of the Obrijan dialects were smooth, lilting even, with short words rolled into one. The Trade tongue was supposedly made up of many different languages from all over the world, but this was still very different from anything he had heard before. He was caught up in listening to them speak, regarding the glances sent his way with mild interest. A modicum of self-consiousness crept up his spine; he had no idea what they were saying about him and he didn't know what to do with himself as they spoke.

The woman suddenly waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello?"

He blinked, jumping back again. She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I'm Rukia."

"Ichigo-"

"Yeah, he told me. So you're Zangetsu's match."

"His what?"

She chuckled again. "He didn't tell you?" she eyed Toushiro who just shook his head. "You'll have fun when you figure that out. Anyway, boys, these rabbits didn't catch themselves and I'm starving."

She marched over to the fire pit and dropped the rabbits in the middle of it then went over to her tent. Ichigo was left blinking in surprise. He appreciated the directness, but it left him feeling a little lost. If anything Dragon Riders were very accepting. He'd have thought that she'd be a little more hostile towards him. Toushiro sighed as he went to pick up the rabbits, untying their legs. He threw a knife at Ichigo's feet. It landed blade down in the dirt.

"Get to work," he instructed dryly.

Ichigo hesitantly sat down and picked up the knife. Toushiro watched as he briefly examined the blade and began to skin one of the rabbits. He began to work on starting a fire when he deemed that Ichigo knew what he was doing.

"Is she coming to help?" Ichigo asked jerking his head to Rukia's tent.

Toushiro shrugged, the muscles in his arms tensing as he struck a piece of flint. "She will be out soon. Prepare for question."

As if she had been listening, Rukia pranced back out of her tent, having shed her leather coat – Ichigo would have to ask about the material later – but right now he couldn't tear his eyes away from her arm. Her tunic was sleeveless and on her right forearm, just below the crook of her elbow, was a crest that looked to be made up of wings or tree branches and a small blossom. He had thought that it was paint at first, but as she drew closer her realised that it was a tattoo. Some of the Hunters had tattoos, but they were marks of strength usually only awarded to Summas and Drangas. He had heard that they were extremely painful.

"It's my clan sigil." She saw him looking at her arm and smiled as she sat down next to Toushiro. His small pile of fodder began to smoke and he layered dried leaves and sticks over the small flame.

Ichigo tilted his head. "Aren't you a Rider?" He hadn't noticed any tattoos anywhere on Toushiro's body. Weren't they of the same clan?

"Yes. The Rider tribe is made up of many different clans. I'm part of the Kuchiki Clan."

Ichigo nodded, even though he didn't quite understand. The Hunters had all just been Hunters. There were families within the tribe, but there was no distinction between them other than name.

"Ichigo Kurosaki? Your name sounds familiar."

Ichigo paused, nearly dropping the knife. Did she know that he had been part of the Hunter tribe? "Familiar?"

Rukia sat back on her heels. "Yes. Have I heard it somewhere before?"

"I... I'm not sure where, or how."

She shrugged. "I'm glad Zangetsu found you. We were beginning to worry that he hadn't made a bond with anyone yet. Who would have thought that he had already had made one before we found him."

Ichgo glanced over his shoulder where the three dragons had curled up together, sleeping. It was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. Except, Zangetsu stood out with his black scales against the white of the others'.

"A bond?" Ichigo asked.

Toushiro snorted softly as he fanned the fire. Quiet snaps and crackles grew in sound as orange flames liked the wood. "Exactly what it sounds like," he explained.

"So, he's mine now?"

"As much as you are his."

Ichigo raised his eyebrows. "That sounds uncomfortably matrimonial."

Rukia chuckled and Toushiro glanced up at him, a small smile playing on his lips.

"It's hardly romantic," Rukia said with amusement. "It's trust. I would trust Shirayuki with my life and she would trust me with hers."

"How do you form a bond with a dragon?"

She tilted her head. "They choose you. That's how dragons are."

"What if I didn't want a bond?" Ichigo ventured.

"You don't have a say in the matter."

"So what if they bond with someone that they shouldn't? Someone who would hurt them?"

"Why are you asking?" Toushiro cut in curtly.

Ichigo waved his hands, setting the rabbit down again. "I was just curious. Isn't it dangerous for them to just choose someone?"

"We don't know how they choose, or if there is criteria. But never in history has bonded human turned on their dragon."

Rukia nodded in agreement. "And if you somehow manage to turn on Zangetsu, we'll kill you where you stand."

She said it with a smile, and Ichigo made it a point to remember to never anger her. He finished cleaning the last rabbit and handed all three to Toushiro to cook.

"I won't."

Toushiro stared at him, with a glint in his eye. He looked away before Ichigo could be sure of what it was exactly.

"Did the dragons eat?" he asked Rukia.

"Hyourinmaru caught an elk, but he shared it with Shirayuki, so they'll need to hunt again in a few days."

Toushiro nodded. "We should heading back to camp before then."

"So, the two white ones are your dragons?" Ichigo asked, awkwardly holding his bloody hands away from his body.

Rukia nodded. "Shirayuki is mine. She's the smaller one with blue eyes and black claws. Hyourinmaru has red eyes and a frill on his neck. They are from the same brood."

Ichigo tilted his head as he looked at the dragons. They did seem a bit more serpentine than Zangetsu, a bit more slender in the chest with longer necks, tails, and limbs. He still couldn't tell the difference from this angle, but once one opened its eyes and Ichigo saw ruby red he knew which one it was. Hyourinmaru stared back at him then snorted, a wisp of smoke escaping from his nose.

Toushiro made an amused sound at the back of his throat. Ichigo turned back around as he speared the last rabbit with a stake and set it near enough to the fire that it would cook, but not burn. "Come, we need to clean." He wiggled his bloody fingers and stood up.

"Ah, that reminds me," Rukia said, clicking her tongue. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

This time Toushiro most definitely blushed. He moved to cover his face, but stopped when he remembered that his hands were dirty. He coughed awkwardly. "I was bathing; he interrupted me."

Rukia's eyes seemed to sparkle. She reminded him of Yuzu, she too had very expressive eyes. There was a sudden pang in his gut.

"Is not like that," Toushiro spluttered, his face reddening even further. "Zangetsu made chirping. I had to hurry-" He cut himself off and muttered something in his native tongue that caused Rukia to cackle. Toushiro stalked past her, shooting her a cold glare that only caused her to laugh harder.

"Ran is going to love this."

What seemed like fear flashed across Toushiro's face. "You do not do that."

Rukia smiled evilly.

"Is order."

He huffed shaking his head as he made his way to the lake. Ichigo followed not quite sure what had just happened. The dragons silently watched them as they passed, at least Hyourinmaru and Shirayuki did. Once Zangetsu realised that Ichigo was up he wiggled out of the pile, causing Hyourinmaru to growl softly as he disturbed him. He practically pranced over to Ichigo. He reached out to pat his muzzle before stopping down at the water's edge and rinsing his hands. Toushiro waded into the water, and bent first cleaning his hands, then splashing water against his muddy legs. Ichigo didn't realise that he was staring as the water ran down his thin, yet surprisingly defined legs until he noticed that Toushiro was staring back.

He coughed, immediately looking away and wondering what had come over him. His face felt hot.

"Sorry," he muttered. He stared at his submerged hands, focusing on cleaning under his nails. What was that, he asked himself. He looked back up at Toushiro through his eyelashes hoping that he wouldn't notice. He could admit that Toushiro was attractive. There were very few Hunters that Ichigo had thought were comely in his time with the tribe; he was not afraid to acknowledge beauty when he saw it. But somehow this felt different. The heat upon his cheeks intensified.

He jumped slightly when Zangetsu nudged him with his nose and, when he didn't respond quickly enough with a pat, he nudged him harder. The drake probably didn't mean to, but with him being as large as he was the nudge sent Ichigo tumbling into the lake.

The water was cold enough that his body forgot how to breathe and he resurfaced spluttering and shivering. Zangetsu looked shocked and slightly agitated, jumping away from the water and beginning to pace, as Ichigo shot to his feet, swearing. He hoped out of the lake, his skin burning with cold and wringing out his soaked cloak. Toushiro was laughing, his entire body shaking. He was covering his mouth again. Zangetsu began rumbling softly in distress.

"You will learn to brace feet whenever dragon is around," Toushiro chuckled.

Ichigo's teeth were chattering and he reluctantly began to strip off his cloak and leggings. "I'm not the first person that has happened to, then?"

Toushiro shook his head. "Dragons are graceful, but not all times."

Ichigo glared at Zangetsu. "I don't see why you're panicking; you're not the one who got wet."

"He doesn't like water," Toushiro answered, still chuckling. "You splashed him."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ichigo growled, "did I get you wet?"

"Come, I think I have something dry to fit you."

...

The three of them sat around the fire eating. Toushiro had given Ichigo a pelt of unfamiliar fur to warm him up. He wasn't shivering anymore but he still felt chilled, even though the sun was now high in the sky. Zangetsu had slunk back to nap with Hyourinmaru and Shirayuki after Ichigo had refused to pet him. Toushiro was now wearing leather leggings similar to Rukia's, and a fur cloak that was clasped together at his throat with a string of blue, glass beads. He had combed out his hair and Ichigo was shocked at how it shone. He wanted to run his fingers through it – he coughed, killing the thought before it could go anywhere.

"Younglings are like that," Rukia was explaining. "Zangetsu will calm down once he reaches maturity."

"And how long will that take?" Ichigo asked through gritted teeth.

"He has a few more seasons still; you can tell by the roughness of his scales. You can compare his to Hyourinmaru's, if he'll let you. He's grumpy sometimes – just like Toushiro."

Ichigo grinned and glanced to Toushiro who briefly glanced to the sky as if asking the Great Cynosure for strength.

"Ichigo, I have question," he said.

"Yes?"

"What are your plans? You said you were traveller."

Ichigo blinked. The weight of what he had set out to do came crashing down on his shoulders and he felt guilty for letting it stray from his mind. He hadn't come up with a way to breach the subject.

"I am on a quest of sorts," he said at length. "The Hunters have wronged me. They have my sisters and I want to get them back." He saw the muscles in Toushiro's jaw tense and Rukia was suddenly serious. "As I am now, I do not have the strength to do so. I was hoping to find a tribe, or any one bold enough, to aid me."

Rukia looked like she wanted to say something, but she fixed her gaze on Toushiro instead. He was scowling staring unblinkingly at Ichigo. Ichigo's skin began to prickle and he felt ashamed of not giving them the full story. But he needed help, and he wasn't sure if they would pledge their aid if they knew he had been part of the tribe.

"The Hunters are plague to this world," Toushiro growled, "taking, killing, destroying..."

Ichigo felt his gut tense. He could only hope that Toushiro would offer his aid, and the Riders would help him take down the Hunters.

"What you ask, is not easy thing. I cannot give answer right now."

Ichigo's throat tightened. Toushiro made sense. He was being ambitious with his request. But he had hoped-

"I will bring this to counsel of our chief."

Ichigo breathed in sharply, his spirits rising minutely. "Thank you."

"You will have to join us, of course." Toushiro cleared his throat. Ichigo glanced his way, but he turned his head, eyes fixed on a spot on the ground. Rukia was grinning widely, almost all of her teeth on display. "As Rider," he continued. "Zangetsu is part of our tribe, so I offer you invitation."

Ichigo was sure that his jaw dropped slightly. Ever since his mother had been around he had dreams of meeting a Dragon Rider, he had never been as presumptuous as to think of himself being one. He nodded, unable to speak.

He was on his way to gathering the power to rescue his sisters. He couldn't stop the huge grin that broke out on his face.

I imagine Toushiro's and Rukia's accent to be somewhat Russian. Toushiro's Trade is not as strong as Rukia's that distinction was intentional :)

And yes, Zangetsu is acting suspiciously like an overgrown puppy. BTW google gecko chirping if you want to hear something utterly adorable.

Thanks for reading and to those who reviewed the last chapter, you're awesome!

-Mymomomo