Chapter 4

Down Time

Sky did not earn any sleep that night, Wu suffered from cold sweats all night. He patted her forehead and her neck with the cloth he raised over the fire to warm.

The moon was high when she calmed down and fell into a restless sleep.

Sighing he struggled into his sleeping back right beside Hou. This was the safest place to be. He did not trust the ones like Zu, and Whirlwind would be hinting dirty ideas to Sky about Wu. No even though Hou never shut up. This was the safest place to get Wu off of his mind.

Across the fire from him was Dawn Star. He could not tell if she was awake or asleep.

'Dawn Star?'

She moved her head and blinked a couple times. Red streaks blotched down her face.

' What's wrong?' Sky propped himself up on his elbow towards her. She rubbed her eyes and whispered.

'I'm just remembering Two Rivers.'

'Tell me about Two Rivers .' Sky offered looking across the fire flames. She looked ghostly, afraid to speak honestly. Finally, she looked at him in the eyes and half smiled. ' Wu was my first friend in Two Rivers. Without her, it would have never been my home. We had one master, and two teachers as well. One was a weapons Master, while the other taught us group combat. '

Dawn Star drew a circle in the dirt with her finger. 'Wu, not matter her mood, would on a boring theory day would make everyone laugh with a silly question that had Gujin or Smiling Mountain snickering under their breaths.' She smiled sadly.

'Then the was our friends. The best was Jing Woo. Poor Jing Woo. He had a crush on Wu since he came to the school. He always said he would prove himself enough in the Imperial Arena then sweep her off her feet.' The smile faded. ' He never got the chance.'

That sounded odd. Was it because Wu left for this mission? Did Wu have someone already? Why did he care if she did?

Who was this little boy anyway? What had he done to deserve her? What made him so much better then…

Okay Sky was letting jealousy get to him. He knew that.

'What happened?' He asked in an attempt to look innocent.

Dawn Stars eyes drifted from the tiny circle in the dirt to the embers at the bottom of the fire. ' The Lotus Assassins and Gao the Greater's men attacked our village. Everyone except a girl named Kia Min, Wu, and Myself survived. All because Master Li is the Glorious Strategist.'

'I don't really believe that you know.'

A voice came from the darkest corner where they could not the Sagacious Zu listening in on their conversation while he was patting down Wu's face with a cool damp cloth.

Sky's face reddened in anger. ' Well, from what I've seen you've had your chance to believe anything you want. You can not trust anyone enough to believe anything, Zu. Your heart is a cold as ice.'

He stood up and wiped his hands. ' And that's my job!' Ripping the cloth out of Zu's hand.

Zu stood up very slowly and Sky's hairs on the back of his neck raised. He suddenly felt a cold fear. Though he refused to show it to this man.

'Walk with me Sky.' Zu commanded, grabbing Sky by the shoulder.

Sky raised his chin. ' What ever you have to say you can say it in front of all the others.' Zu sneered and hissed back at him.

' I don't know about you, but it would be quite unfortunate to me if Wu woke up and got sicker from stress. I would prefer to be out of this disgusting forest as soon as possible.'

Sky looked down at Wu, his eyes in slight agony. He wanted her health back as well. She was a good friend. Not that Zu cared about that.

Her wounded, bandage wrapped leg twitched and she moaned.

Sky stiffened. 'Fine let's go.' In the same commanding voice Zu used.

Strutting into the darkness, Sky was closely followed by Zu. They walked down the stairs.

Sky walking down a the hill was quickly pinned against one of the furnaces of the Forest shadow by the throat, unable to breathe, Zu's face and inch from his.

'You don't know me Sky. Remember that. I've killed hundreds before you were even born. Your nothing but a child. I can take you down as easily as you can swat a mosquito.' Zu hissed.

Sky was struggling under his restricted airflow. He was beginning to earn his name as his face began to go blue. Zu did not notice this of course, what did he care that he was slowly, and quite painfully, killing Sky.

A women screamed. Perhaps Dawn Star had come to check on them. But even running towards them, they were at a distance where it would be to late for Sky, who was turning a nasty purple…

'Dire Flame!' Screamed the same voice. A fireball shot perfectly at Zu's hand that strangled Sky. It knocked his hand away and Sky fell to the ground on his hands and knees. Gasping for air.

Wu came running, well more like limping really fast to the two of them. Dawn Star screaming for her to go lay back down, right behind her. Though Wu paid no notice.

'What were you doing!' Wu yelled at Zu. He looked blankly at her. ' You were killing him!'

'I would have let go.' Zu said in a dead voice. Wu took a deep breath, and when she spoke you could hear the anger rattle her bell voice.

'Zu, Please go around this area and check for intruders please. Ask questions before you kill though, unless their the cannibals.'

Zu disappeared behind the trees with a dead look in his eye. As soon as he was out of sight Wu dropped to the ground wrapping her arms around Sky's shoulders forcing his still blue-ish face to into the view of her deep brown, worried eyes. She was gritting her teeth as he examined him throat and face, and he could tell she was in serious pain. 'Are you okay Sky?'

He smiled as an unexplained urge hit him again. To hold her, and bring her into himself, hold her so close they fused into one person. ' Never better.' His voice sounded rough and unattractive. He was dizzy and everything was a little blurry.

As soon as Dawn Star and Wu helped Sky up the stairs Wu squatted down, sweat rolling down her haunted face and kissed his forehead. 'Sleep well Sky.' She stood up and hugged Dawn Star good night and fell back on to her bed with a pained face. Her leg shaking.

'I'm Sorry.'

'Don't be.'

Sky felt bad all day. Because this morning everyone was awoken by a scream. Dawn Star saw Wu's leg first. It was so bad Hou actually threw up.

It was an revolting green colour in places, bright pink in others, and a dangerous blue closest to her wound.

'If from being on it. You ran or something.' Spear Catches Leaf accused. Wu said nothing. 'Well, you spread the poison through your leg faster. Your up for a harsh pain today Lotus Blossom. Until Sundown. That's when the antidote will be ready.'

The team actually had a pretty good day that day. Well take the bruises on Sky's neck and Zu glaring from the corner.

Sky discovered about Wild Flowers demons. Only to find Chai Ka and his stories increasingly interesting.

Also, Whirlwind, coming from Tein's Landing's wine merchant walked in drunk. Sky at that point was carrying Wu around in his arms because she hated being in one place while the others played. Well, Whirlwind had stumbled in and in a drunk impulse grabbed Wu's chest. She did not say anything but when she had a clear shot from Sky's arms made Whirlwind's head ring like a church bell with her fist. Everyone, and Zu smiled a little.

The group could tell, even as hard as she was trying to hid it, that Wu was in pain. So everyone cheered when Spear Catches Leaf walked in with the little bucket of antidote. When asked who would treat the wound both Zu and Sky volunteered, sparking another argument. Sky had one this one.

Her thigh was on wedged up against everything between his thigh and his belly button. It was hard, but Sky concentrated enough to treat the wound as gently as possible. Though it was so deep.

Wu moaned her head fell towards her shoulder blades , nose to the sky. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

'Am I Hurting you?' Sky asked quietly. He didn't want to draw much attention from the other team members who were eating dinner.

'No… It feels really good.' She whispered her voice cracking.

That night everyone was getting into bed. When Dawn Star, staring at the fire once again turned to Wu, who Dawn Star sat beside on Wu's bed. 'Do you remember the song we used to sing about Love and the stars?'

Wu elbowed Dawn Star gently in the side making her laugh gently. ' Yes, and I remember you making me sing all the guys parts.'

Dawn Star laughed, unashamed. ' You have a better voice. I was jealous.'

Wild Flower skipped over to Wu hugging her arm. The little girl looked adoringly at Wu as asked in a sugary sweet voice. 'Will you sing for us Wu?'

Wu's face for the first time ever blushed. Her face flooded with a delicate pink, rosy colour. ' I couldn't.'

Everyone shouted protests. ' If it's the song I think your talking about then I'll sing with you.' Sky offered laughing at the thought.

Wu's eyebrow cocked up. ' Is that a promise?'

Sky nodded, saying nothing. He wanted to see the other talents that this girl could do.

Wu opened her mouth, but this time a melody rung out off her lips. Her voice was like a shimmering bell, singing high from the song he used to sing to Pin Mei.

Sky voice flowed into her melody like he had never dreamed. Bass and melody wrapping itself into the sky.

When the song concluded silence over whelmed the group. Silently they all slid into their sleeping covers and let the song of love transform into something else in their hearts. Hope for tomorrow.

Sky was in the trees in the middle of the night taking a leak in the forest. No one was awake and it was pitch black. He was as quiet as the shadows slipping out, hoping not to wake anyone.

The fire's glow came into view, throwing someone's shadow across the room. They were sitting up, and visibly shaking.

Wu was sitting as close to the fire that was safe her palms towards it her blanket wrapped around her.

'Cold?' Sky asked softly. She jump and froze. Not recognizing his voice immediately. When she saw him she sighed.

' I guess it's a side effect of the antidote.' Wu shook with such power that the blanket fell off of her shoulders. The wind picked up and her blanket fell into the fire.

'No!' Jumping up Wu tried to grab her blanket before it burned up. But it was to late, her blanket was the new firewood.

In a way, this was Sky's lucky day. She sat on the floor, shaking from head to toe with her head in her hands. A thought, or a fantasy, actually one that didn't include sex… Came to Sky's mind. He grabbed his blanket and sat beside her with his blanket over his head like a hood, trying to cover his smile.

Wu glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, excepting something. Her instincts were razor sharp.

Suddenly he gripped the corners of his blanket into fists and wrapped her in his blanket, pulling her to his chest.

With a tiny shriek of delight Wu squirmed trying to escape this playful game. Still under the blanket Sky pinned her under him. He grabbed her head using his forearm to cover her mouth playfully, his legs locking her knees, his other arm wrapped around her stomach. His face in her hair. He was shaking from silent laughter.

Bright blue light shined in his eyes and something painful hit Sky's forearm. Causing him to let go of Wu.

'Did you just bite me?' He laughed as he beamed at him and her legs on either side of him. She nodded, locking him on the floor.

Her hands roamed to his stomach. 'I'll get you back for that.' And she began to tickle him.

'Wu! St-OP! He gasped through laughter. He hadn't laughed this hard since He met his wife for the first time.

He rolled and suddenly he was on top tickling her. She laughed and shrieked, giggling till tears ran down her face. 'N-n- O!' She gasped through laughter.

'You didn't for me!' He shouted as he tickled under her armpits.

Wu's back arched and she laughter like no tomorrow, squirming under him, laughing. The blanket acted like a tent, covering them out of sight.

'I think that's my favourite thing about you. ' Sky whispered stopping and placing his hands on her face. ' You're a warrior with a passion and a happiness about you. Your defiantly unique.'

Wu sat up her legs still under him, smiling playfully. Tears of laughter still stuck to her face. Her finger tips brushed his hair line. 'Your not exactly average yourself.'

Wu's arms wrapped like vines around his waist and his hers. He put his forehead against hers and slowly but surely their lips inched closer….

The blanket was ripped off and Wu sprang away about ten meters, landing on her feet, the delicate blush returning.

Sky looked around, Hou and Wild Flower looked shocked while Whirlwind and Dawn Star were obviously suppressing laughter, that threatened to explode.

Zu on the other hand had Sky's blanket in his hand. Zu's face was red with rage as he through Sky's blanket into Sky's chest. 'Go to sleep pervert.' Zu snapped at Sky. His head snapped up at Wu ' Wild Flower and Dawn Star will share with you Wu till we can get you a new blanket.' Zu's eyes flashed at Wild Flower and Dawn Star lethally. And They both nodded frightened.

Wu didn't looked scared. She looked pissed off. But without complaint she stalked over in between the two other girls and glared at Zu defeated.

Sky however was unexplainably on Cloud Nine.