So, um, yeah...Reezy's 24 years old or so. Older than Niira, actually. Yes, he's normally like that.

Sorry this has taken me so long to get up. I had things to do.

-----

Lavitz's house was closest, so that was where the group, minus Happy Tail, had moved. Reezy sat at the table, happily munching away on some bread, while his cousin sat across from him. Coen sat between them; he wasn't sure he quite trusted the newcomer just yet, especially after the welcome he had given Niira. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Coen fel the need to protect 'his' lady from Reezy. He decided never to mention it to Niira though, what with her extreme dislike of having others protect her when she could easily defend herself.

Lavitz didn't trust Reezy at all, and stood apart from the others. The knight's suspicion of Reezy unnerved Coen. He hated being in the middle of family arguments.

When Reezy had finally slowed in his eating, Niira spoke. Her voice had the same odd distance to it Coen remembered from their meeting in the woods. "How did you get here so quickly? You couldn't have found out until later..."

"Shining Claw came looking for you, you know how he does. Probably three or four days after you left."

The significance of that statement escaped Coen, but Niira obviously understood it. She was looking away from her cousin.

"Dad and I both told him we had no idea where you were. He didn't believe us, as usual. Said something about not being able to find Alakyl either. And then he left. And that's about when I realized that you really were gone, because if both you and Alakyl were missing..."

"I thought you said your family knew you had left," Lavitz stated icily from where he stood. Coen could see the First Knight's expression from where he sat, and it was not a pleasant one. Lavitz deeply hated being lied to.

Niira didn't reply.

Reezy was glancing at them. He hurried to distract the tense situation. "I knew I had to get to you before he did."

"He's coming here?" Niira asked timidly.

Coen could see her trembling slightly. He laid his hand on her arm, worried. "What's wrong?"

"What did you expect?" Reezy continued, ignoring Coen. "That's why I came here. Course, I'm not so good at tracking things by myself, that's why I'm a bard instead of a hunter." His whiskers lifted in a smile; he had been so intent on getting food that he hadn't shifted into his human form. "So I grabbed Kitty, and off we went."

"You...brought Kitty to Bale." Niira sounded as if she really wasn't paying attention any more, like something more important was weighing on her mind.

"No, I left him in the forest. I'm not that stupid, that I'd bring him into a crowded city. Meh."

"Who's Kitty?" Coen asked.

"My pet," Niira said simply.

"A gryff. Not sure what you call them in your language," explained Reezy. "Our pack animals." The feline leaned back in his chair. "That's how I got here so fast. Kitty, man, he's smart and can track like a mind reader. Moves like the wind when he has a mind to."

"But...why?" Coen looked hard at him, not liking the distress Reezy's words were causing Niira. "What's so bad about this Shining Claw guy?"

Niira shivered. Reezy only stared levelly back at Coen, as if what he had been asked to clarify was a seriously taboo subject.

Then Reezy turned to his cousin. "You mind?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Well, seeing as how this could easily affect the people here, I think your friend here, and your father, him too I suppose, need to know what's going on."

Yes, I would like to know what the hell has my best friend so shaken. Coen frowned slightly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Niira repeated.

"I never said you had to explain it. Look, why don't you...go do something constructive for a bit. Like find Kitty, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you."

Niira gave her cousin an angry look. Muttering something nasty in the Northland tongue, she stood and stalked out of the house with a huff.

"What was that about?" Coen said, more to himself than anyone.

As soon as the front door shut, Lavitz made a dash for Reezy. Neither the feline nor Coen was prepared for the quick movement--the knight could move quickly despite appearances, and the armor he still wore. Reezy mewed softly in surprise, but before he could react, he was pinned in his chair, blocked from escape by Lavitz's metal-clad arms. "I don't know you, but nobody scares my daughter like that without a damn good reason," Lavitz hissed. "Why are you really here and what the hell are you to her?"

It took a lot to make Lavitz angry enough to talk like that. Coen nervously pushed his own chair a few inches away.

"You had better start explaining yourself before I make you."

Reezy's ears were laid flat against his skull in fear, but he determinedly narrowed his eyes at the knight. "I told you. I'm her cousin." He paused to draw a shaky breath. "I had to get here before...before he did."

"Shining Claw?"

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"Our uncle."

A family member has Niira scared stiff? Coen listened to their exchange with rapt attention.

"Why is he coming for Niira?"

"He wants he back."

"Wants her for what?"

Reezy gave a short, meek laugh. "He wants her because of what she is."

"A dragoon."

"Right."

Wait, Niira's a dragoon? When did this happen? This fact shocked Coen, but at the same time it made perfect sense to him. She's certainly crazy enough at times...

Reezy went on. "He's possessive to the point of insanity. She's his student. In his mind, he's the only one who can properly teach her. That's why he took her."

"What are you talking about?"

"The Fire Monster," Coen whispered; no one heard him speak. Her uncle's an insane dragoon who believes for some reason that only he can train her to the perfection of her abilities.

My father was the same way. Heh.

"That's why I had to come. I have to protect her. You don't know what Shining Claw can do, what he's already done to her."

"And you of all people can protect her?" The sarcasm in Lavitz's voice was unmistakable.

"Yes. I already have. The only thing he really fears are priests." Reezy looked like he was going to say more along that line of thought, but he changed his mind. "Niira doesn't like talking about it. It upsets her so much she just hides for days afterwards. That's why I told her to leave."

A muscle in Lavitz's jaw twitched, then he slowly stepped back from Reezy.

"When he realizes I'm here, he'll take his time in actually showing up in the city. Has to work up his nerve and stuff. What a messed-up guy." Reezy rubbed his claws in the thin mane that trailed over his chest. "Dunno though, if he wants her bad enough I don't think anyone could stop him."

"I suppose you have some grand back-up plan for that scenario," Lavitz growled.

"No, not really."

"Splendid."

Coen felt decidedly awkward sitting near the other two. He stood, gesturing towards the door. "I...um...I'll go see how Niira's doing."

"You do that," Lavitz said. "I still have some questions for our...guest."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Hence why I'm out of here.

-----

Niira, why won't you let anyone help you?

He had been searching for her for several minutes. She hadn't been on the main road heading out to the forests west of Bale, the one place Coen had any idea she could be. After not finding her there, he had slowly wandered back to the tree he had been attacking earlier that day.

Who knows, maybe you could help me.

He traced his left hand over the hilt of his sword, a nervous habit had he acquired over the years. It never was my choice to have this burden. Not like this.

As he neared the low wall bordering the farthest edges of Indels' land, he realized he was not alone. He could hear someone breathing heavily, as if they had been running. Nobody was in sight, though. Edging forward quietly, he leaned over the wall, wondering if the sounds had been coming from the other side.

Niira was curled up against the stone wall, hiding in its shadow. She had a blank look on her face, and Coen got the impression that she had been crying, or close to it.

"Niira!" Not waiting for a reply, he vaulted over the wall, his feet hitting the ground on the other side with a gentle thud. His friend didn't move as he approached. "Niira?" Still no reply. Great gods above... He recalled what Reezy had mentioned about her reaction to talk about her uncle.

Quickly unbuckling his sword belt, he set the weapon aside so he could sit on the grass with her. He allowed the silence to hang between them. It still felt like he was sitting with a ghost, someone who had left the dead just for a quick visit. It was a strange feeling. "Niira?"

"I can't go back," was the soft, almost child-like answer.

"What?"

"There...I can't...go..." She did cry then, a single tear glinting on her cheek.

Coen put his arm around her hunched shoulder. Why won't you talk? We can help you...I'm sure even King Albert would do something if he knew about your uncle.

Niira leaned against his shoulder, despite the light stiffened-leather armor he still wore. "I have to leave...before he gets here...before he tries to destroy the city again..." Her words were half-mumbled, almost slurred, as if she wasn't really aware of what she was saying.

It made the young knight shiver. "Don't talk like that."

She did stop, to Coen's relief. He leaned back against the wall, turning his face to the sky to watch the clouds slowly float past. I hope Sir Lavitz was not too hard on Niira's cousin. He may have to talk to Albert on her behalf if she continues to refuse to ask for help. He closed his eyes. And here I was thinking my life had just started to settle down after all the excitement three years ago...

He opened his eyes with a start, realizing he had drifted off. The sky was just beginning to darken, though, so he hadn't slept long. Shifting his weight to ease a tingling in one leg, he felt Niira stir also. Had she fallen asleep too? Coen tried to turn himself so he could see her better...and then he noticed here toying with a small object in her hand. A dark sphere the size of a marble.

"Niira..." Coen had seen such an object only once before. The one Lavitz possessed, although that one was green. She is a dragoon.

Did she get that from Rose after she died in the war? Gods, what role to step into...

The half-blood didn't seem to notice Coen watching her and continued rubbing the smooth surface of the stone. When it began to emit a faint glow, she quickly stuffed it into a hidden pocket and moved as if to sit up again.

"Niira." The voice was low and tired, but it still made Coen and Niira both jump slightly.

Oh shit, it's her father. Coen stood quickly, his thoughts immediately turning toward Lavitz's protective attitude towards his daughter. It would have been one thing to see Niira and Coen together as children, but now that they were grown, Coen belonged to that group of people who Niira shouldn't be around. Those who could, in Lavitz's eyes, take advantage of her.

Somehow, Coen doubted Niira would ever let anyone take advantage of her in that way. I know I sure as hell wouldn't even try. Not with you being her father, you'd kick my ass.

"Yes?" Niira was standing as well, looking rather flustered as she smoothed down her shirt.

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"I...um...yes. I was...talking with Coen."

"I see." Lavitz had a suspicious glint in his eye. He had known Coen since the younger man's birth, but he had his reasons to not trust the Third Knight. "Mother's made dinner for us. If you feel up to it."

"Yes...I'm fine now. Dinner sounds good." She glanced at Coen. "Thank you."

He could feel his heart racing. Why? It's not like we did anything at all.

"Talk to you tomorrow?"

"...Yes, of course." He watched as she swung herself over the wall and followed her father back to the city.

No...nothing's going to be normal around here for quite a while.