"Talk"
'Thought'
Settle In
The next morning they wake almost at the same time.
"Good morning everyone," says Crystal.
"Damn my back. I don't want to sound like a whiny brat, but we'll need better beds," says Noel as she tries to stretch the soreness out of her body.
"And how do you suppose we bring them up here? We are at least 3000 meters high if not more," says Sophia.
"Don't worry, I have an idea," says Crystal as she gets up.
"And what would that be?" ask Irene with raised eyebrows.
"Let it be a surprise," says Crystal.
"Alright. I don't mind surprises as long as they are pleasant ones," says Teresa She walks to the cave entrance with a bottle in her hand. "Hey Noel, come with me to get some water, and then we can actually talk a little."
"Me?" ask Noel with trembling voice.
"Yes, you. I promise I won't bite," says Teresa with a smile.
"Alright," says Noel with worry and slowly follows Teresa.
"Since this is our first day I'll see what I can do to get the beds Noel asked for," says Crystal and she exits the cave.
Sophia looks with worry at the entrance. Irene notices and realizing why she is worried says, "Don't worry. Teresa won't hurt her. She promised it."
"How do you know that they wont kill each other?" ask Sophia.
"I know Teresa, and if she promises something she keeps her promise," says Irene.
"I hope you are right," says Sophia with a worried tone.
Outside by the small stream Noel follows Teresa nervously. Teresa kneels down beside the clean fresh mountain water and fills one bottle after another.
Noel watches silently and waits tensely wondering what Teresa will do.
"Clam down Noel. I promised I won't bite," says Teresa but she does not look up from her work.
"Then why did you want to talk with me? If I remember right we don't really like each other too much," ask Noel quietly.
"Look Noel, we will live together up here for who knows how long and there is no way I want to do it in a way that you and Sophia fear me. Besides, I still didn't thank you for saving my life back then," says Teresa as she sits down beside the stream.
"Huh?" ask Noel.
"You are so strange some times," says Teresa as she smile for a moment. "I am talking about the incident with Maric when you pushed me out of the way."
"Oh... look I..." begins Noel so she can save face.
"Stop the stupid macho excuses. Its doesn't matter if you accept it or not, but you actually got used to all of us, and maybe you even like it with us. I even saw you act nicer with Clare," says Teresa as she looks at the fast flowing water.
Noel opens her eyes wide in shock but before she can come up with an excuse Teresa continues. "So let's make peace and begin with clean slate."
"Look at that rock formation in the stream," says Teresa as she points at some rocks in a formation withstanding the stream power. Noel looks at the rock with confusion then she looks back at Teresa.
"We are in this together. So we should hold together like those rocks. Even though I am the strongest, the power is still in numbers. Because if we don't," says Teresa as she picks up a rock and throws it at the formation which separates from the impact. The stream easily carries the individual rocks away. "We will end up just like those rocks. The stream of life will carry us away and probably we all will die sooner or later."
Noel looks a Teresa in silence for several minutes. Teresa stands and extends her hand to the sitting Noel. "We are in this together may it be good or bad," says Teresa.
"I..." Begins Noel with an unsure voice. She shakes her head and looks up at Teresa and accepts her hand. Teresa drags her to her feet and smiles.
"So what is between you and Clare? Its seems you are getting along nicely?" ask Teresa.
'There is no way I will tell her that Clare snaked into my heart. When did that happen anyway? Me, the great warrior Noel, liking a human girl? No she is not human, not any more. Still how did this happen?' wonders Noel inwardly. "Let's Go back to the others," she says avoiding an answer. She picks up several bottles, and begins to walk back to the cave.
Teresa smiles knowingly then picks up the other two bottles and follows Noel.
After Teresa and Noel exited the cave Clare goes off to find a secluded location on the plateau. After a few minute she finds a small lake on the others side of the plateau. She looks over the lake then looks out into the mountain range admiring the view.
After some time watching the beautiful landscape she decides to continue her training. She sits down and again begins to meditate.
She only concentrates on her surrounding area and slowly begins to extend her senses while she tries to suppress as much of her aura as possible. She concentrates on the two energies in the cave circling each other in a chaotic manner. 'Hehehe it seems Noel and Sophia are wrestling. ...but where are Teresa and Irene?'
Clare concentrates more to find her guardian and her guardian's best friend. After some difficulty and frustration Clare senses the two higher near the top of the mountain. 'What are they doing that high?' thinks Clare but her question is answered a few minutes later when she feels some energy released as they begin to spar.
'So you can actually sense us this far away,' thinks Teresa, smiling inwardly as she feels Clare probing. "...so will you spar with me?" she ask Irene.
"You know as well as I that my technique isn't a subtle one. If I use it everyone will know where we are," says Irene.
"No they won't. There's no one in one hundred miles. Well maybe yomas, but we can take care of those if they attack," says Teresa.
"Since when did you plan to desert? This location looks as if you scouted it out quiet some time ago," says Irene with raised eyebrows.
"Seriously?" ask Teresa as she turns around and looks out on the mountain range. "From the moment I was certified. I knew they would decide I was no longer useful to them sooner or later and then I would have become expendable. They probably would have sent me on a suicide mission so I'd die under tragic circumstances," says Teresa. "There is no way I'd let myself get thrown away like a broken weapon no one needs anymore, so my first action after I became a full fledged warrior was to find a perfect place for myself when that time came. Of course I never expected Clare to appear in my life and turn it upside-down like this."
"So the cold attitude towards agents was only for one reason. You knew you were only a tool to them. ...and towards other warriors because there was no sense in making friends if you would desert anyways."
"Well... you where always very intelligent. Anyways, as I said before, we can fight to our heart's content here. So come Irene, show me what you can do," says Teresa. She takes a sword's stance before Irene.
"I cant believe this," says Irene. She attacks Teresa with her quick sword, but Teresa blocks all the attacks easily and even has the time to return an attack.
Irene jumps back just as Teresa almost lands a blow."I can't believe it. I can't even scratch you," says Irene as she charges again, but Teresa jumps over her attack and lands behind her leaning on her back.
"Did you think I didn't improve after our training? Our encounter when you hunted me should have clued you in friend," Says Teresa.
Irene remembers what she told to Noel when they watched Priscilla and Teresa fight.
"Do you know why she is called Teresa of the faint smile?" ask Irene.
"Huh? Isn't she always smiling when she kills a yoma?" ask Noel.
"That's no different from you or Sophia, but only Teresa is called that," says Irene as she walks over to the window and watches the fight.
"True. So why is that?" ask Noel.
"Unlike Sophia's strength, my speed, and your agility, Teresa's only asset is her smile."
"But she excels in all those things," says Noel.
"That is not exactly true. Each of our talents is better then hers. What makes Teresa the best is her unparalleled ability to sense yoki auras," says Irene.
'I was wrong. She may not have any of our talent, but she makes up for it with lot more then just her senses. Teresa of the faint smile *The Strongest Warrior to Ever Live*. You live up to your reputation my friend,' thinks Irene as she tries to attack Teresa again but she dodges her quick sword easily.
A few miles away in one of the valleys below the mountain pass Crystal searches for a perfect tree. After a half hour of search she finally finds the perfect tree. Its trunk is a good two meters thick and the pine tree is about forty meters high.
"This will do nicely," says Crystal. She draws her sword and cuts the tree down with one swing. The tree begins to fall but before it can hit the ground Crystal catches the trunk and puts it softly on the ground so it is not damaged.
"Let's see. Six beds, that's three times two meters. I'll take about twelve meters. That should be enough for many things." She cuts off the twelve meters with a single swing and tracks the wood back to the lair.
"I can't believe it. I feel like an amateur," says Irene laying on the ground after trying to catch Teresa for more then an hour.
"Well all of you will have lot of time to train up here, so I hope you will improve, my friend." says Teresa.
Irene just gives her friend the evil eye but Teresa ignores it.
"Come. Let's get back to the others. I'm sure they are missing us already," says Teresa as she helps Irene to her feet.
The two climb back down to the cave and enter. Both raise their eyebrows when they see in which poses Noel and Sophia are.
Noel sits on Sophia's back and tries to keep her down while Sophia hugs Noel with all her might so she lets go.
"I don't want to know how you two ended up in that position," says Irene as she walks to her bed and sits down.
"Well this is awkward," says Teresa while the other two jump apart and try to save what is left of their dignity. " Anyways we still have some food from yesterday. We should eat that, but tomorrow someone will have to go out and hunt so we can eat."
After a little preparing the food is ready. When Clare arrives they eat together.
"Say, did any of you see Crystal?" ask Teresa.
"Not since she said she had an idea and ran off," says Sophia.
"I wonder what she's up to? After all, she promised to solve our bed problem," Says Noel.
"I am not worried. She is probably the second strongest after Teresa," says Irene.
"Well so much for my dream that I am stronger then her," says Noel.
"Are you joking? She took you out with one punch when you tried to start a fight with Teresa after the incident with Priscilla," says Sophia.
"Don't remind me," says Noel. The others smile.
As everyone is about to continue their meal when they hear a big crash from outside. "What the hell was that?" ask Noel.
"I don't know. Let's check it out," says Sophia. They jump up taking their swords and run outside.
What they see outside surprises them. Before the cave there is a very thick trunk on the ground and Crystal seems to be measuring something on it.
"So is this your surprise?" ask Teresa, breaking the silence.
"Partly," says Crystal absently as she scratches the trunk on several places.
"So then, how will this be for the bed?" ask Irene.
"Watch," says Crystal as she finishes the last two scratches. She steps back a few feet and draws her sword. The others are just about to say something, when she does several swings at the trunk. She puts away her sword and the side of the trunk falls into six seventy centimeter thick boards. Crystal walks up to the pieces and picks them up on of the board.
"An even surface where you can put bed-sheets or mattresses or your mobile bed on," says Crystal as she shows the board to the others.
"Why didn't I think it?" says Noel.
"I better not answer that," says Sophia.
"What do you mean with that?" Ask Noel with a scowl.
"I don't think any of us thought about such irregular answers for a simple solution," says Irene.
"They don't promote free thinking in the organization, do they?" ask Crystal with sarcasm.
"No, they don't," says Irene.
"Anyways, Crystal we began lunch. Eat with us and afterwards we'll put those beds you made inside the cave," says Teresa. And all turn away to finish their meal.
After a quarter hour they finish lunch and work on putting the unusual beds inside the cave in a perfect horizontal position. And all of them realize that is not as easy as it sounds. The five woman finally have all the beds in one corner of the cave and the mobile beds placed on top of them. It only took two hours of work.
Noel tries out the new sleeping arrangement and sighs. "I can't believe it. This is actually a lot more comfortable then the ground was."
"Of course it is. Since it's even and there are no small differences in the surface," says Crystal. "So it won't make you uncomfortable." She nods and exits the cave.
Sophia looks at Crystal's receding form for a moment then turns back to Noel and ask, "Hey Noel, do you want to spar?"
"So the gorilla wants to be defeated," Says Noel.
"I'll make you eat those words," says Sophia as she smirks and they both exit the cave.
Teresa flops down on her bed and looks up with surprise. 'It's really lot more comfortable. I never would have believed if I hadn't experienced it,' thinks Teresa.
"Teresa, would you help me learn to suppress my power?" ask Clare.
"Sure Clare," says Teresa with a smile and both exit the cave.
'Everyone is training so I should too,' thinks Irene. ' I can't let you get comfertable with your power Teresa.' And she walks off to find a secluded area to train.
Breathing hard from her training Irene sits down.
'This won't do. My yoki gives me away before I can even begin the quick sword. And my enemy does not need to have Teresa's sense to realize this. I can either try to decrease the yoki I need to use to it, or I must get faster so my enemy won't have the chance of dodging even if she feels it.'
'Decreasing the yoki is impossible since I have to partially awaken my arm to use it. I need to get faster in my normal suppressed state. If I am faster my quick sword will be also faster, not to mention all my other techniques.' She picks up her sword and begins to swing it as quickly as she can without unlocking her yoki.
Noel blocks another of Sophia's swings and her hands almost go numb.
'I hate to admit it, but her strength is phenomenal,' thinks Noel as she does a back flip then attacks Sophia with acrobatic sword swings.
Sophia barely has time to block the attacks but she manages. She swings her sword with all her might but when it would reach Noel she dodges it quickly. The claymore slams into the ground creating a small crater.
'I have to give it to Noel, I have hard time trying to keep up with her now that she got used to her new sword,' thinks Sophia as she lifts her sword and breathes heavily.
"We can have a break if you need it Sophia. I see you're tired," says Noel panting.
"So are you," says Sophia.
"Not true, I just..." Begins Noel when she falls over from exhaustion trying to lift her sword.
"Hehe, I was right monke...," says Sophia when she also falls over.
"What do you say we quit for today?" ask Noel as she slowly stands using her remaining strength.
"So you give up?" ask Sophia as she rises to her feet.
"No way. We'll just postpone the match, you idiot," Says Noel.
"You're a moron Noel," says Sophia but before Noel can say her comeback she continues. "But you are my moron, and I wouldn't change that... alright let's postpone it." She holds her hand out to Noel.
"Sure. But next time I will win," says Noel accepting Sophia's hand.
-to be continued