Disclaimer: I don't own bleach.
Karin stared up at Ryuujin returning to his cave on the far side of the valley. She continued staring after him while Saru resumed her complaining to Hyourinmaru, Toushiro looked over at Karin in confusion.
"Karin is there something wrong?" Toushiro asked. Karin tore her eyes away from the mountain to look in Toushiro's eyes.
"No, it's just that…It seemed too easy." Karin answered then looked up at Zangetsu. The black dragon looked down to her.
"Zangetsu, you and Hyourinmaru said Ryuujin JKakka is the most feared dragon alive, but just now he seemed too calm." Karin explained to Zangetsu and Toushiro watching her.
"Ryuujin is an old dragon and he has seen more than any of us and so he's more rational than most dragons." Zangetsu explained to Karin but their attention was diverted to Saru complaining to Hyourinmaru.
"You betrayed us!" Saru yelled glaring at the ice dragon. He was surprisingly patient considering she has been complaining ever since Ryuujin left.
"Saru listen to me."
"NO! Humans are forbidden here and have you not forgotten they have killed so many of our kind." Saru yelled again.
"No, I have seen more humans kill our kind than you could know. Saru, these humans are different." Hyourinmaru patiently explained to her but she huffed in indifference.
Karin still thought that the dragons were taking their unexpected presence far too lightly. All except for Saru, she was still complaining to Hyourinmaru while Karin and Toushiro stayed beneath Zangetsu.
"Karin, what is bothering you?" Toushiro asked upon seeing the worry remained in her eyes.
"Well, this seemed too easy. Why aren't the other dragons reacting like Saru?" Karin pointed out the dark green dragon arguing with the snow white dragon.
"Saru, how long do I have to say this: these two humans are not a danger to our kind; Ryuujin has given his approval so why do you remain so stubborn?" Hyourinmaru tried to reason with the irate dragon.
"You snuck these two humans into the valley. That in itself shows your traitorous act." Saru growled and Hyourinmaru had a small flashback to an argument with Shinzo. Saru was going down the same path as Shinzo and he did not want to banish any more dragons.
"You should be more concerned with the gargoyles invading the valley." Toushiro spoke up toward the dragons. Saru transferred her glare to Toushiro and she stalked up to him until she was only a few feet away from him. Zangetsu quietly growled in warning for Saru to keep her distance.
"Saru, keep your distance." Zangetsu quietly growled in his gravelly voice.
"What did you say, human?" Saru bent down so her nose was at Toushiro's eye level. She breathed a strong puff blowing a pillar of air threatening to knock him down, but he stood his ground and did not break eye contact with the angry dragon.
"I said your concern should be with the gargoyles. Hyourinmaru and Zangetsu have explained how secure this valley is from all humans and gargoyles, yet a gargoyle was found within these very walls." Toushrio re-stated his opinion.
"The kid makes a good point, Saru." Gegetsuburi mused to the dragon earning him an irritated snarl.
"How did the gargoyles cross the valley walls?" Wabisuke asked bending down to the pile of rocks as the only evidence of the gargoyle. Toushiro ignored Saru as she transferred her gaze to Gegetsuburi. He looked toward the rocks then glanced at Karin noticing that she did not have her bow and there seemed to be four arrows in her quiver. Toushiro walked over to the pile of rocks not paying any attention to the other dragons squabbling over their presence. Hyourinmaru watched Toushiro walk to the pile and bend over.
Toushiro stared down at the rocks and sifted his hand through the rocks searching for an item. His eyes became more focused as he kept sifting through the rocks not reaching what he was looking for. With a sigh, Toushiro sat up then looked up to the dark gray dragon.
"You're the one who brought the remains?" Toushiro asked the dragon watching his large head nod ever so slightly.
"Was there anything that you dropped when you picked the gargoyle up?" Toushiro asked but the gray dragon did not make any motion to move toward him, so Hyourinmaru stepped up to him and brushed his tail along Toushiro's back.
"What are you searching for, Toushiro?" Hyourinmaru asked him. He glanced up at the ice dragon since this is the first time the dragon had used his name.
"I'm looking for an arrow and I can't seem to find one." Toushiro explained and he didn't notice Karin hide behind Zangetsu's arm to the dragon's confusion.
"I saw no arrow and I retrieved all the items in the area of the gargoyle's remains." Wabisuke kindly answered.
"So how was it destroyed?" Toushiro asked glancing back to Karin hiding behind Zangetsu.
"The girl destroyed the gargoyle." Wabisuke answered for him.
"Karin, how many arrows do you have?" Toushiro asked Karin. He became more suspicious of her when she tried to hide further behind Zangetsu's arm.
"Well, I have four." Karin politely replied.
"Where is your bow?" Toushiro asked his tone expected an answer. Karin became acutely aware that several dragons were staring at her and Toushiro was looking irritated the longer she stayed silent.
"Well, you see…" Karin paused then with a big gulp she rushed everything out, "the gargoyle slapped away my bow before I could get an arrow shot out, and I lost it somewhere in the mountains." Karin breathed in and watched Toushiro's eyes remain blank for a second then he closed his eyes with a deep breath.
"How did you destroy the gargoyle?" Toushiro calmly asked with his eyes shut.
"Well, does it really matter? I mean the gargoyle is gone." Karin stuttered but immediately stopped when Toushiro's eyes blazed into hers.
"Okay, I blasted a shakaho spell into the gargoyle's mouth." Karin hurriedly explained and hid behind Zangetsu once again. Zangetsu looked down at Karin, curious as to why she was hiding from Toushiro.
"WHAT?" Toushiro shouted surprising the surrounding dragons.
"Do you know how dangerous that is?" Toushiro demanded to know while Karin remained hidden.
"It wasn't that dangerous." Karin mumbled loud enough for him to hear.
"'Not that dangerous,' Karin that is how Kaien was killed." Toushiro's statement surprised several of the surrounding dragons.
"What do you mean?" Gonryomaru asked Toushiro. Toushiro looked up to the silver winged gray dragon as Hyourinmaru remained in contact.
"A gargoyle attacked a scouting party outside of our village. Karin's brother was a member of that party and he was severely injured to such an extent the doctors believe it will be weeks if not months before he wakes up." Toushiro paused his explanation so he could gather his thoughts. "There was another officer within that party and sadly he was killed in his attempts to destroy the gargoyle. His teammates informed us that the monster had picked Kaien up to consume him, but he fired a strong blast of kido into the monsters mouth. In the explosion, Kaien Shiba was killed along with the gargoyle."
"But that's the difference I wasn't nearly as close to it." Karin explained trying to placate her friend.
"So then, how far away were you?" Toushiro demanded to know crossing his arms across his chest.
"I was six feet away at the least." Karin explained, and sadly that didn't make the boy feel any better.
"That was still too close you should have been more than 10 feet away from the gargoyle when you blasted it." Toushiro explained; he seemed to be calming down to her relief.
"Well, I didn't have a lot of room to move since I was backed up against a wall." Karin calmly stated and watched Toushiro close his eyes his brow twitching in annoyance.
"I don't think he needed to know that." Zangetsu pointed at.
"Okay," Toushiro took a deep breath and settled for glaring at the pile of rocks.
"Yeah, besides I'm okay, Toushiro." Karin reassured him. She did have a point, she is safe and that is all he cared about, but still he wanted to rip this gargoyle for putting her in danger in the first place.
"It's not like it's going to come back to life again." Karin nervously chuckled then stared when the pile of rocks began to move. Toushiro jumped back gathering energy for a kido spell in his right hand preparing to blast the moving rocks. He was stopped by a little blue dragon head that popped up surprising him to falling on the ground.
"SOGYO!" Saru yelled at him, the little dragon shrunk away while his brother scampered up behind him.
"Will you play with us?" Kotowari chirped prancing up to Toushiro still sitting on the ground.
"Huh?" Toushiro asked the baby and stared as the second followed the first to run toward Karin behind Zangetsu.
"Will you play with us?" The babies squeaked up at her and she hesitated glancing up at the other dragons.
"I don't think I should." Karin nervously stated to the pair.
"I'm sure it will be fine." Zangetsu explained to her. Karin glanced over at Saru who was still glaring at her and growling deep in the back of her throat.
"Well, I'm not too sure." Karin hid more behind Zangetsu. He looked in the direction she was looking and saw Saru glaring at Karin menacingly.
"Saru, I'm sure there will be no problems." Zangetsu spoke to the older dragon. The older dragon simply growled back at the pair.
"Saru that is enough the humans have been accepted by Ryuujin and I have accepted them. It is your turn to drop this animosity toward them." Hyourinmaru warned the irritated dragon as she tore her gaze away from Karin to glare at the ice dragon.
"You may have accepted them but I have not." Saru growled in defiance. Hyourinmaru sighed then glanced back to Toushiro, the boy had brought up a very good point earlier. The presence of one gargoyle in the valley could indicate more have trespassed.
"Then perhaps your anger can be directed to a new enemy." Hyourinmaru began explaining as Saru stared over at him.
"You should circle the valley walls and ensure there are no more gargoyles and if you do come across one then it should be dispatched immediately." Hyourinmaru reminded the pink winged dragon.
"And, how am I supposed to locate these gargoyles if I am unable to hear them?" Saru growled in annoyance at Hyourinmaru.
"You can track them with your nose. Your do have a decent sense of smell, do you not?" Hyourinmaru asked her causing a menacing snarl to erupt from her throat.
"These things do have a most distinct smell." Gegetsuburi sniffed the remains and made a face at the odor. "It would not be difficult at all to detect these monsters." He replied looking up at the two taller dragons. Saru walked over taking several deep sniffs from the pile before she opened her expansive wings and jumped into the air soaring toward the cliffs marking the edge of the valley.
"Now, Saru has something to keep her busy, it should get pretty quiet around here again." Gegetsuburi stated watching her fly off into the day. He stretched his legs and turned heading back into the forest.
"I'll go back to the forest and rest. See you later, Hyourinmaru, Zangetsu." The short dragon nodded back to them waltzing out of the clearing into the forest his swaying tail disappearing in the brush.
"Will someone play with us?" The baby dragons squeaked up to the adults. The adults were not keen on the idea of playing with the babies but it did help calm everyone.
"I'd like to but I don't think the other dragons would approve." Karin exclaimed to the babies. They looked at her in elation their toothy grins splitting their faces in pure joy as they scampered over to Hyourinmaru.
"Is it okay if the human plays with us?" Sogyo asked Hyourinmaru.
"Please?" Kotowari echoed his brother. It was hard to say no to the baby eyes pleading up to him. He may have been an ice dragon but those eyes could melt even the hardest heart.
"I don't see why not." Hyourinmaru nodded to Karin and she started to slowly creep around from her hiding spot.
"It could give you a chance to find the bow that was lost." Toushiro advised to Karin. Karin quietly winced at his sharp tone and the disapproving reminder.
"Yeah, okay." Karin accepted the offer. The baby dragons started jumping up at the same time.
"Yeah (yeah) yeah." Sogyo and Kotowari echoed one another in joy jumping up and down then running over to Karin. Sogyo walked around her and started to push her with his head away from Zangetsu.
"Hebi Zabimaru, will you please watch them?" Hyourinmaru asked the green dragon. The smaller dragon obeyed with a bow of his head and followed the two dragons and Karin.
"Are you sure it's safe for him to go?" Toushiro asked the ice dragon standing above him.
"It will be alright. Hebi will not bother them he'll watch over them and ensure they are safe. Hebi will not attack anyone or anything if they have been approved by Ryuujin." Hyourinmaru explained watching the foursome walk around the mountain being careful not to fall from the cliff.
"If you're sure," Toushiro answered up to him watching Karin disappear around a wall of rocks.
…
Shunsui Kyoraku had remained in the office of Byakuya Kuchiki after Rukia and Rangiku left a few minutes ago.
"Is there something you would like to discuss, Captain Kyoraku?" Captain Kuchiki kindly asked the other man.
"Yes, in fact there is." Shunsui answered then glanced back at the closed door of the office.
"You appear to be content with Rangiku's recent induction to the army." Shunsui pointed out to him.
"Yes, well she will be a welcome addition and a great asset." Byakuya calmly answered in his monotone voice.
"But, is there another reason for your calm attitude?" Shunsui questioned with a small glint in his eye.
"Is there something you are trying to fish for, Shunsui?" Byakuya asked peeking up from his work to look into the crafty eyes of the other captain who was currently grinning like a fox.
"Oh, not really I'm just curious as to why you didn't react to the news she had joined. I mean you were quite the sour puss when Ichigo Kurosaki joined the army. If my memory serves me correctly, he did not fully obey the rules either." Shunsui asked pointing out the circumstances of Ichigo's acceptance.
"The induction of Ichigo Kurosaki was a most unusual case. He demanded to join without any permission and those in Sereitei still are unaware of his presence in the army. It has nearly been three years and he is still the same undisciplined, reckless, stubborn boy that he was back then. No matter how many times he is reminded, the boy refuses to address the rank of his superior officers." Captain Kuchiki complained to his fellow captain in the privacy of the office.
"So that's the problem," Shunsui's smile grew craftier if that were possible, "you don't like his disregard for authority. I knew that you were a stickler for titles but I didn't know how deep it went."
"That is but one of the many issues where the two of us do not see eye to eye." Byakuya answered his curious friend. Byakuya looked up and stared at Shunsui's smiling face.
"That certainly explains a lot, but it doesn't explain your unusually calm demeanor just now." Shunsui smiled wider as he tried to figure out what was in Byakuya Kuchiki's head.
"Princess Shihoin is unaware of Rangiku's presence in the army. Rangiku was not invited by an officer, and she demanded to join just earlier this afternoon. Now, how is this situation different than when Ichigo joined?" Shunsui asked again. Byakuya sighed realizing Shunsui would not let this matter rest, so the writing utensil in Byakuya's hand was placed on the desk allowing Shunsui his full attention.
"There is a difference. I agree with Rangiku's joining the army because her charge has been invited. As you have recently discovered, Rangiku is the person to train Captain Hitsugaya in his kido abilities." Byakuya answered his friend but this still did not seem to satiate the man's appetite.
"So, Rangiku is accepted in the army because Toushiro was made a captain?"
"It is not so simple, but that is the reasoning." Byakuya looked over at his friend blinking at his look of surprise.
"I guess, but why?" Shunsui openly asked tilting his straw hat higher onto his head.
"Captain Hitsugaya is still very young and the army has never before requested a youth of his age. Rules needed to be adjusted in order to accommodate the unique situation in this village."
"Yes which is the reason we are accepting villagers into the army, even without permission from Sereitei. Still they would like an update on the size of the army and who needs to be introduced into the academy." Shunsui recalled the rules passed down from Princess Shihoin shortly after the dragon attacks became more frequent.
"But what does this have to do with allowing Rangiku in the army?" Byakuya pressed further.
"Due to Captain Hitsugaya's young age, there are concerns that he may not be able to adjust to life in the army. I believe it will be beneficial for Captain Hitsugaya to work alongside a friend that he trusts and has known for many years. Rangiku Matsumoto is the person who has known him for the majority of his life therefore her presence will help to anchor the boy and give him a sense of security when he is away from Karakura." Byakuya answered his friend. Shunsui stroked his chin in deep thought.
"I think you're not giving Toushiro Hitsugaya enough credit. He is very mature for his age, I have no doubts that he will adjust well in the army." Shunsui answered to his friend.
"You are correct, however even the oldest of us still yearn for home and the young become especially homesick." Byakuya answered looking straight at Shunsui. The other man stroked his beard once again.
"Besides, given the boy's age he will need an ally when he attends the academy."
"You do have a point there. Have we ever accepted a 13-year old before?" Shunsui asked. Byakuya answered with a shake of his head.
"And certainly never made a child captain without even attending the academy," Shunsui mused to himself noticing that Byakuya nodded his head in agreement.
"That is correct. Do you think there will be many students who will accept him?" Byakuya questioned the other Captain. Shunsui had to look down at the desk and admit that Toushiro would have an especially difficult time at the academy when he did go.
"You're right. There's no doubt he won't be treated fairly. Still I don't think anything will come of it. Toushiro Hitsugaya is more than capable of putting any student in their place if they try anything." Shunsui confidently exclaimed to Byakuya.
"Yes, you are correct. However, there may be a great number of students who will confront him. He will need a friend who can have his back when he is in need of a break." Byakuya stated answering all of Shunsui's queries.
"That's true, but I still think you're selling the kid short." Shunsui exclaimed before they both heard a knock at the door.
"Enter." The door opened to reveal Rukia bowing to her brother in respect.
"Brother, the search party has collected outside of the manor and awaits your orders to deploy."
"Thank you, Rukia. Tell them, I will be out momentarily." Byakuya answered as Rukia bowed closing the door behind her.
"You're starting the search now, but it's so late in the day." Shunsui questioned as Byakuya retrieved Rangiku's map from the desk.
"There will only be a general search to see if we can pick up his trail. The true search will begin in the morning. I intend to mark any location where Captain Hitsugaya and Karin Kurosaki have left any marks." Captain Kuchiki stood walking toward the door followed by Captain Kyoraku.
...
Rangiku was walking down the main road of Karakura heading toward her home. She avoided the Kurosaki residence so she would not be forced to face Yuzu. It sounded mean, but Rangiku didn't trust her own mouth around the innocent and trusting Yuzu.
"Looks like the house is going to be real quiet for another night," Rangiku sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time as she walked to the stable. Entering the stables, Masaki neighed extending her head from her stall. Winter Storm peeked out from his stall and gave a neigh to Rangiku. She smiled at the both of them walking over and petting them.
"It's going to be real quiet around here for a while." Rangiku stroked the two horses, as she did so tears began falling from her eyes.
Captain Kuchiki is correct I couldn't leave because of Masaki and Winter Storm. Who would have taken care of them if I left? Rangiku thought of her possible actions wiping tears from her eyes she stared at Winter Storm.
"Winter you are such a good and noble horse. Toushiro sent you with a note telling me they are safe…" Rangiku's eyes widened as she realized something.
"Winter you were the last to see Toushiro near Karakura." Winter snorted as if to agree with her statement.
"You can lead them to where Toushiro was last located." Rangiku's eyes dried up almost immediately, she watched Winter Storm nod his head.
"Okay, let's go boy. You lead them to the last place you saw Toushiro and maybe they will find him near there. I mean how far could they have gotten without a horse?" Rangiku walked Winter Storm from the stall and immediately fastened an extra saddle across his back along with an extra bridle.
...
Captain Kuchiki and Captain Kyoraku were standing outside of the Kuchiki manor organizing the young men and women gathered for the search party.
"There seem to be enough here." Captain Kyoraku noted counting close to ten riders ready to leave at any moment.
"Yes, I plan to split the search party into two groups. I would take five of the party in one direction and Renji Abarai would take the other five in the opposite direction. We would plan to meet again after fifteen minutes of searching." Captain Kuchiki outlined his plan for the search looking over the map once again.
"So tell me, Byakuya," Shunsui addressed his fellow captain who replaced the map into his saddle bag, "would you have invited Rangiku Matsumoto into the army if Captain Hitsugaya had not run after Karin?"
"Yes, following Princess Shihoin's approval of course." Byakuya answered watching Renji approach the two captains.
"Of course," Shunsui sighed and looked down the street where a horse and rider were galloping straight for the group. The rider looked to be a woman wearing a red outfit and strawberry blonde hair flying in the wind. The horse looked to be a dapple gray with a white mane and tail. They stopped in front of the captains, Byakuya heavily sighed watching Rangiku Matsumoto dismount Winter Storm.
"Rangiku, I believe-"
"I know I can't assist with the search but Winter Storm can." Byakuya was interrupted at Rangiku's pronouncement.
"How can a horse help?" Shunsui asked for a silent Byakuya.
"Winter returned to Karakura bearing a note from Toushiro. This horse is the last to have seen Toushiro in the forest. I know Winter can lead you to where he last saw Toushiro." Rangiku hurriedly explained.
"You believe he can lead us to Captain Hitsugaya?" Captain Kuchiki kindly asked the strawberry blonde.
"Yes," Rangiku stroked the side of Winter's face, "Winter is a noble and extremely intelligent horse. He was able to find his way back home in the middle of the woods with no rider and he came straight back to his stable. Winter will remember the path he took and your party can follow him there and back."
"It's worth a shot." Shunsui scratched the side of his head in confusion but he had to admit the horse did know where it was going there was no doubt.
"Very well Rangiku, we will follow Winter and hope Captain Hitsugaya has remained in the same location." Captain Kuchiki answered earning a beaming smile from Rangiku.
"Renji come over here." Byakuya called his subordinate over to the group.
"Yes, Captain Kuchiki." Renji faced the captain with a white head band covering his forehead.
"You will ride Winter Storm in the lead of the search party." Renji blinked in confusion at Captain Kuchiki's orders.
"How is that, Captain?" Renji kindly asked.
"Winter Storm knows where Captain Hitsugaya was last seen and Rangiku believes Winter will be able to lead us to the missing captain." Capain Kuchiki explained as Renji nodded in understanding.
"I understand Captain," Renji moved toward Rangiku and Winter. But, Winter stepped back laying his ears flat and snorting as Renji approached. The horse's actions froze Renji to the spot as he blinked in surprise.
"He doesn't seem to like you Renji," Rangiku noted holding Winter still as Renji approached.
"Maybe someone else should ride him." Renji asked nervously as he cautiously approached.
"You will ride him because everyone else has a horse." Captain Kuchiki ordered as he mounted his own horse, a snow white stallion with blue eyes.
"Okay," Renji nervously stated as he placed a hand on Winter but the horse continued to back away from the red head.
"Winter cut that out!" Rangiku ordered diverting the horse's attention from the confused red head.
"Now you have to lead them to Toushiro and Renji is going to ride you so the group can get there. Understand?" Rangiku asked the horse, he responded by allowing Renji to hop on the saddle. Renji settled down and sighed in relief when Winter calmed down enough for Rangiku to let him go. To Renji's relief, Winter waited for his directions, so he gently pushed Winter to move forward.
"That's better now you be good for Renji, Winter Storm." Rangiku waved at the pair, the horse responded with a neigh and a nod of his head.
"This horse really is smart." Renji muttered earning a loud snort from the horse.
"Is everyone prepared?" Captain Kuchiki looked around and nodded at everyone's affirmation.
"Renji lead the way." Captain Kuchiki ordered as Renji gently pushed Winter in the lead and slowly trotted into the woods followed by the search party.
"Please find Toushiro." Rangiku begged Byakuya before he followed the party into the forest.
"We will." Byakuya answered then pushed his horse into the woods catching up to the group. Shunsui and Rangiku were left outside with Rukia standing on the porch.
"So, Rangiku do you want that drink now?" Shunsui asked earning another slap on the cheek, the echo ringing throughout the village and reaching the search party.
…
Karin was carefully making her way down a path in the valley cliffs trying to find her bow. The twin baby dragons were playing hide and seek where she was the seeker. So far she had found them two times to the youngster's delight and now they are playing for the third time. Karin tried to find the bow at the same time she was seeking the baby dragons.
"I know it was around here somewhere." Karin muttered under her breath rounding a bend and spotting a little blue tail extending from the inside of a cave. Karin couldn't hide the smile as she quietly crept up to the tail and gently tapped it with her hand. The baby responded with a loud squeal dancing out from his hiding and beaming in joy looking around for his brother along with Karin.
"Now, where is your brother?" Karin asked the baby dragon, he responded by crouching low rounding a bend and easily found his brother in another shallow cave. She heard the baby dragons squeal and chirp in delight. Karin smiled again and continued looking for the bow. Looking on the ground, she spotted the claws of the gargoyle when it chased her around the bend into the mountain paths. Bending down low to the ground Karin looked around and shouted in delight when she spotted her bow peeking out from underneath an outcropping of rocks.
"Ah-ha, there you are." Karin retrieved her bow and tested it, pleased that it was still in good condition even through the trials it's been through. She straightened up and gently strung the bow across her back. She felt a familiar tail wrap around her and gently lift her off the ground into the air so she was staring at the little green dragon, Hebi Zabimaru, again.
"Hi Hebi," Karin greeted the dragon.
"You don't fear me?" Hebi asked Karin as he continued holding her with his tail.
"Not really, no." Karin answered then looked down at the ground very far away, "but I do have a small fear of heights." Karin sheepishly admitted glancing back up to Hebi. She blinked at his look of confusion.
"I don't understand you." Hebi began stating then diverted his attention to the twins as they ran around the bend to look up at the green dragon.
"Hebi, we want to play." Sogyo and Kotowari complained to the dragon as he continued to hold their playmate.
"You can play in a few minutes I need to talk to the human first." Hebi explained to the twins as they both yawned at the same time.
"You guys look tired," Karin noted to the two, "why don't you go take a nap and I can play with you later." Karin suggested appeasing the baby dragons. She laughed watching them running out of the maze of mountain paths to head back to the clearing and the adult dragons reclining in the afternoon sun. After the twins disappeared, Karin looked back to Hebi who was still holding her by the waist using his tail.
"I do not understand you." Hebi admitted his light green eyes staring into her dark eyes.
"What's to understand?" Karin questioned.
"You are here in the midst of dragons and you show no fear." Hebi reasoned watching Karin nod her head in agreement.
"You carry a bow and arrow yet you do not attack us." Karin glanced at her quiver of four arrows and her bow slung across her back.
"And, you want to aid dragons." Hebi exclaimed to her.
"Yeah," Karin admitted to him crossing her arms across her chest to try and get more comfortable, if possible.
"Why?" Hebi asked her again. She gave an answer to Ryuujin but he did not believe this could be true. If it were, then the dragons and these two humans had the same purpose and fought for the same reasons.
"Because my family has been attacked by the gargoyles, one even killed my mom. My brother is in a coma for who knows how long because a gargoyle attacked him. Humans just can't handle gargoyles the way dragons can. Dragons have more power than humans and they are better equipped to kill the gargoyles. The only weapon humans have is a kido blast but even then it might not be enough." Karin looked up at Hebi gazing back at her.
"We could work together to destroy the gargoyles; humans can hear them and dragons can destroy them." Karin answered earning a snort from Hebi.
"Humans do not trust dragons."
"I trust dragons and so does Toushiro." Karin answered. Hebi looked deep into Karin's eyes trying to determine if she spoke the truth or if she was lying to him.
"Human-"
"Karin." She interrupted Hebi before he could continue.
"What's that?"
"My name is Karin." Karin informed Hebi so he could stop calling her human.
"…Karin, you are only two humans. There are far too many humans who will attack dragons the moment they see our shadow. We cannot trust them. Besides, what can two humans do?" Hebi asked the girl wrapped up in his tail.
"We can build a bridge between humans and dragons."
"It's been tried and the Ishida clan paid the price with their blood." Hebi declared to the girl.
"Yes, but it could be different now. We know gargoyles are the real killers, several members of our village have seen the gargoyles. It's not much but it's enough to start work toward a treaty."
"How long would this proposed treaty last?" Hebi questioned the girl in a sarcastic tone.
"I don't know but Toushiro and I will stand by the dragons if things don't go well. Toushiro has more sway because he's a captain in the Sereitei army so he can speak with the other captains to reason with them and gain more humans to trust dragons. At least, I hope." Karin admitted looking down to the ground then back into Hebi's green eyes.
"You are either very brave or very naïve, Karin." Hebi answered her.
"Yeah, I've heard that a lot lately." Karin sighed in annoyance.
"Maybe you can make a difference but I doubt you will succeed." Hebi admitted to her causing fire to rise into her eyes.
"So, you plan on giving up without even trying!" Hebi showed his surprised by craning his head back at Karin's sudden anger.
"At least, I'm willing to try and make a difference. It's a start and you can't go anywhere if you don't pick a starting point." Karin informed him causing the dragon to cock his head in thought at her words.
"Perhaps this can work." Hebi thought outloud staring at the girl.
"Yeah," Karin looked around the cliffs as a thought occurred to her, "but we might want to get back to the other dragons."
"Why is that?"
"Well, Toushiro may not like me being in the mountains with you by myself. He doesn't trust you and he may jump to conclusions if the baby twins get back before we do." Karin hinted at Toushiro's temper and Hebi nodded his head.
"What will he do?" Hebi asked turning from the cliff with Karin still clutched in his tail.
"First, he'll look for me and then he'd either attack you or restrain you with a powerful bakudo spell depending on how he finds me." Kairn answered Hebi's question.
"He seems to be very protective of you." Hebi observed carrying Karin back to the clearing.
"Yeah, he's a great friend and I'm glad he's here with me." Karin answered then looked around at her current position.
"By the way, you might want to let me walk into the clearing. I can tell you now that Toushiro will not like you holding me like this."
"Alright, let's just get away from these cliffs first." Hebi answered as he continued to make his way out of the maze of cliffs and paths in the mountain.
A/N: Well, here's another chapter and this one didn't take a month to get out. Now, inspiration has struck me yet again which helps me write. I'm glad everyone likes this story so much. I enjoy writing it.
A/N2: I need help from my readers: I need more dragons. I can't think of anymore and you guys helped me so much with thinking up names for the Katen sisters. So, if you could give me an idea for a dragon I will gladly accept them. All I need is: size, attitude, power, appearance, and relationships (but it is okay if you don't include the last one). As you know the dragons are Zanpakuto spirits, so you can create your own and they don't need to have a human counterpart if you don't want one. I just need some creative help. So, drop me a private message and tell me what you think.
Please review.