Warehouse

She wasn't really, but there was no need to scare her anymore. "I'm fine...I'm fine." she reassured her, glad to have the water to cover up her tears. "Let's just go back to the house..." she said and got up shakily, putting a hand on the wall to steady herself.

Rhea looked at Danielle sadly and put one arm over her shoulder to steady her as they walked back to the house.

-------------------------> Rhea's house

--> Rhea's house

"...Nothing" Arya whispered silently.
~Come on, boy.~
Arya put one hand on Phoenix' side and together they walked back to the village.

---------------forest

......................forest

Still without a word we walked into the barn. It was clean for a warehouse, not much dust and no holes most importantly. I pointed over to some burlap sacks in a dark hidden corner and made my way to it. I removed my cloak and was shirtless underneath it. Shirts restrained my movement to much the cloak was perfect. I sat down on the burlap sacks and pushed some more underneath for pillows. I leaned back a little and patted the sack beside me. One leg out straight with my knee high leather boots and the other bent a little. I leaned back exposing all my well defined muscles in my torso. I held the cloak in my right hand so she could lay down on my left side

---------forest--------->

Mika came in close behind Jarlon. She looked around at the warehouse and nodded. It looked good. She saw him take off his cloak and tried to avert her eyes slightly but it was hard. He was a good looking guy. Mika slowly walked over smiling ever so slightly. She layed down next to him and sighed slightly. She carefully snuggled a little closer till she could feel his heart beating. It soothed her and she closed her eyes slightly.

I had an arm out for her to place her head and shoulder by. Instead and much to my surprise she placed her head right on my chest. With asmile on my face I reached over and brabbed my cloak and covered us up with it, at least as much as it would cover of her and a little of me. With my left hand I ran my fingers through her hair for a while and then began rubbing my fingertips along her arm. Her sent again filling my head I began to drift off to sleep. In one arm holding Mika, so her back was to the wall, and with the other my dagger on my belt. My breathing rythem slowed and my heartbeak became rythmatic. "good night, sweet dreams" I whispered with a last sigh. I wasn't sure if this was right, but right now all I knew is that she needed someone, even if it was just a big brother figure, or more. Only time would tell and right now time was standing still which was just fine by me.

(bed time YAWN!)

Mika felt his hands playing with her hair and sighed slightly. She smiled as his fingertips played on her arm. She sighed and snuggled a little closer. His scent filled her nose and she felt herself calming as she had when she had been blinded. Her big, brown eyes closed and she slowly fell asleep. For once since the meeting on the range she didn't dream of the the cloaked riders. Her head was instead filled with sweet memories. She didn't realize it but her arms wrapped around his sides with out even thinking about it.

A smiled danced on my face as we fell asleep in eachothers arms. It didn't feel sexual by any means. Just me being there for her. I laid my head to the side to where my chin was on her head.

Mika slept soundly for several hours. She dreamt of forests and meadows, riding Kola over the plains and hunting. Then her dreams shifted to riding Beauty and Koda she woke with a start when the black riders rode into her dreams. She sat up quickly her eyes wide and her breathing heavy. She looked around into the dark with fearful eyes.

As soon as her breathing became labored I awoke with watchful eyes. I waited to see if she would calm down again into a dream more peaceful. When she quickly sat up again I placed a hand on her back to let her know I was still there. through the darkness of the warehouse I whispered "Everything ok?"

Mika jumped slightly at the hand on her back but she remembered it was Jarlon and quickly calmed. "Um..bad dream.." she said softly "I can't seem to get away from them even in my sleep" she said sadly shaking her head to clear it and quietly easing back down next to him. "Sometimes I wish I could just be free..." she said quietly

"cloaked riders?" I asked as she said bad dream. "I'm sorry..." I said as she laid back down. I could feel her voice vibrate through her. "Free huh......I wish that sometimes too. But we will never be truely free. However there are things that we can do that make us feel free temporarily."

Mika nodded sadly at his mention of the cloaked riders. "ya.." she said silently. She listened as he talked "What kind of things?" she asked softly

"well everyone has their own things they like to do..." Time seemed to slow down for a moment, when I realized that things outside of us were moving slower. I gave her a gentle squeeze "Like you...you love to ride and be in the prarie. Doesn't that make you feel free when you are running through tall grass with a hrose beneath you and it's mane blowing in your face. As you feel every muscle in their back contract and release. As the hoof beats drum with the beat of your heart. Eagles flying above you, mountain streams running with you. Isn't that a feeling of freedom" I smiled in the dark

Mika smiled at his description. She nodded "Almost more free than I have ever felt" she said quietly. "What makes you feel free?" she asked softly

"What makes you feel more free than that?" I asked wanting to know what made this girl happy.
"Me....hmmm" I though about it for a moment and nothing really came to me. I never really had felt free before "well I guess when i'm out..'scouting' when it's just Imatari and I and we are standing over cliffs looking over cities, and no one knows we are there. It's such a thrilling feeling." I tried to think of something, I didn't want her to know that I was actually a clamped up guy, hiding away from my very own feelings.

Mika smiled sadly "Well the only time I felt more free was when I was young. I had no worries..no cares. I just lived life every day. Gathering berries, practicing hunting, horseback riding. Time didn't seem to matter." She sighed "but that type of freedom I fear I will never feel again. To much has happened..it's changed me for the worse I believe" she said sadly. Mika listened to his description of what made him feel free. She nodded in the dark. "Sounds great" she said softly

"You might never feel that type of freedom again but you feel new and mysterious feelings, things that can't be explained. Not that you would want to, it's part of the feeling. You may not see them now but 10 years down the road you will look back and smile." I laid there in silence for a while thinking about my childhood. Not that it was bad, just not the same as hers.

Mika nodded "True" she said softly. She sighed slightly and laid her head on his chest again listening to his heart. Suddenly she thought of something. She quickly looked up. "oh...um the associates are part of the reason I didn't want Sloan leaving. If they were to capture her they would discover that I lied to them about you three not being here..." she trailed off

Worried i looked into the dark. "I sent her and Bardon on a mission...well actually it was something they needed to do." I hesitated "No matter what you will be safe. I wish you lived closer, I feel helpless when you aren't here. Is Aaden taking good care of you?" I finally broke out and asked it. I was curious to how he felt about her and visa versa.

Mika looked around a little nervously at his mention of Sloan and Bardon going out on a mission but she tried not to think about what could happen. She thought about his question. "Um...he has alot to learn" she said simply "he's different, I.....don't trust him completely" she admitted. "We'll see how he does with Koda tomorrow. He said he wanted to check her out but I am afraid his way of getting to know a horse and mine may be two different things." She said softly

"You don't trust him?" I asked confused "But isn't he your lover?" I looked into the dark fixated on nothing. "It will be interesting to see how he acts with her. She's a sensative horse, very smart but needs a soft hand, she's not an alpha mare for nothing." I smiled and turned my head to look at her in the dark.

Mika blushed slightly "kind of, we haven't actually..."done" anything" she said softly. She coughed "um truthfully...part of it was I needed a cover if the cloaked riders ever came through. If they were watching they needed to think that I was settling in and that I was successfully hiding who I was, a plant is no good if they stick out." She said sadly "I..........could learn to love him" she said quietly and averted her eyes.