Aryen's house

------forest

Arya opened the door and walked in. She went to her bed and took her shirt off. Sleeve was all bloody. She frowned and looked at tattoo. It was just a few runes carved in her skin. With a sigh she tied it with clean piece of cloth. She put on clean shirt and went to kitchen to get something to eat. As she passed mirror, she noticed she had black leather trousers, black shirt and the piece she used as plaster was also dark colored. 'All black today' she thought with a smirk.

Kuruk got to the house and Phoenix for the most part was now dry with a few sweaty spots. Trigger happily stood outside relaxing with one foot cocked. He tied Phoenix beside him-but not to close and took off his shirt and wiped down the rest of the sweaty spots humming an indian tune to sooth his restless spirit.

Arya noticed movement outside and walked to the door she had left open. She smiled seeing Phoenix.
"So you found him! Thanks so much Kuruk, you've been very kind to me" she smiled at him

Kuruk looked over the back of the horse as his black hair fell over his shoulders. He smiled as she stood there in the light. "My heart knows nothing but kindness ma'am. I'm here to help those that need it. I couldn't leave this poor horse out there by himself." he rubbed his hand over his back "He was a bit sweaty, I got him rubbed down and gave him some water he should be ok now." He said walking around the back of the horse with his hand on his rump. "I suppose I should head back" He said pointing to his camp. "But I do want to make sure you are really ok...what happened?"

Arya sighed.
"It's a long story. To tell it shortly: I have a tattoo on my shoulder. It was made against my will, by a person who once wanted to kill me. And sometimes... it hurts. Or starts bleeding. It's a magic tattoo - this will be on my skin til the end of my life, and nothing could remove it from there. It can't be healed. But maybe it's even good... it reminds me of what a person I once was." she paused a moment, staring at her hands. Then she looked up again and smiled.
"Well, I won't keep you longer. Thanks again for everything you did to me. Seeya later at the pow wow - by the way, what time it starts?" she asked, looking at him questioningly.

He stepped a few steps closer and rested one foot on the bottom stares. He listened sadly. His eyes shifted. "I'm sorry to hear that...but who you are now can only be better than who you were before. We all learn from our past" He said and then sadly realized what she said "No you are not keeping me. If anything I am keeping you." He said with a sadness in his voice that he hadn't heard in a while. He turned and then looked at her "The pow wow starts at sun down." He smiled with a grin happy to know that she planned on being there.

"I shall be there then" she winked at him.

Kuruk had to turn to hide his smiling face. With a skip in his jump he walked to Trigger and untied him. He turned and smiled at Arya and dipped his head as he swung onto Trigger. The single eagle feather in Kuruks hair swayed as they walked back to the camp. There was hope in his heart after all. Even if he would never find another girl to be with, at least he knew he was still alive.

Arya watched him ride away and and smiled inside. She looked at the sun... a few hours before sunset. She walked to Phoenix and stroke him gently.
"What happened today boy, eh?" she asked him. Horse neighed silently, like he would have apologized. Arya smiled and kissed his nose. Then she walked inside her house and closed the door.

Arya hopped on Phoenix' back and grabbed the reins. Espero's head was sticking out from one of the saddle bags. She looked at the little hut, thinking if she'll ever see it again. Inside, on the table, fixed with her (previously Sloan's) dagger with dragon-shaped handle, there was a letter for Mika.

Mika,
Yeah - I'm going again. Secret prairie roads are waiting. I've always known when it's time to come and go. And when it's time to leave, I have to - as certainly as leaves will be falling next autumn and lakes will freeze to ice.
I don't know where or why - I don't even know weather I'll ever be back. I hope to... but now a times nothing is sure.
Look after Jason and Saron. And hug everybody from me. Especially Ty and Kuruk. And yourself.
Take care.
~Arya

With a slight sigh Arya smiled and looked at the sky. Corner of the sun already peeked over the mountains peaks. She took a deep breath and kicked Phoenix in gallop. Smile played on her lips as she felt wind on her face.
Soon rider and horse were only little black spots on the landscape...

Pierce saw arya riding into the distance.
"ARYA!" He called, concerned.
He kicked Rio into a full racing gallop and with his long legs, they caught up easily.

Arya stopped Phoenix and turned him around, facing Pierce. She rode up next to him and placed hand on his chest.
"I'm sorry, Pierce. Don't come after me. Please. dIt's time to go. Time to say goodbye" she half smiled.
"Tell Malek I love him. And you yourself.... Take care." she whispered in his ear. As he closed her eyes, she turned Phoenix around and kicked his sides. As big friesian disappeared into woods, Arya looked back. Tears were flowing on her face. Then she turned her eyes forward and rest her head on Phoenix' neck, letting stallion choose the way.

"Take care aryen susan..." He whispered.
~She's gone..~ He almost whimpered to Rio.
~We need to find malek.~ The horse said, thinking straight.

Mal walked up to Arya's place with Tsume bouncing along side him, hoping she was around. He saw hoofprints in the dirt but Phoenix was nowhere in sight. His heart skipped a beat and he was suddenly jogging up to the door. He didn't bother to knock and he burst in, looking around. He saw a note on the floor with a few tear stains on it and he read it, holding in the tears that wanted to flow out like a river.
"No...no....this...this can't...happen. No...Arya....!!" He fell to his knees, the note in his hand, and held his face in his hands, the tears flowing. The note became soaked and crumpled in his hands now and he let his hands fall to the floor.
"No....Arya my love....come back...please....come back...." He whispered through tears. Tsume sat by the door, whimpering in sadness and tilted his head back, a small noise coming from his throat. Mal soon heard the small pup howl in sadness to the roof of the small house and he felt the tears becoming faster and faster. He pulled his hands to his face and fell to his side, crumpled on the ground like a child lost in the woods.
He laid there for hours, not sure how much time passed, before he finally fell asleep.

Whisper walked quietly through the town. Her tail twitched when she heard a young wolf whimpering. She sighed and walked into Arya's house. She saw Malek collapsed on the floor. She growled unsure and then walked towards him. She nudged him with her nose.

He felt something cold and wet nudge him sightly and he opened his eyes to see a large cat standing beside him.
"W...Whisper?" He sat up a bit and saw the great cat looking at him with questioning eyes.
~Do you know where Arya went?~ He asked the large puma sadly.

Whisper sat down sadly ~She left...she...had to go~ Whisper tried to explain

He bit his lip to hold back the other tears wanting to flow.
~Go where? I don't understand....I was going to have the wedding next week. I had everything prepared and...I was going to surprise her......Whisper....please tell me she'll come back.~ He said sadly, knowing he sounded more like a child then a grown man.

Whisper slowly closed her eyes and looked away and then looked back at him. ~She wasn't the person you thought she was. There was things she couldn't tell you...she felt bad for keeping them from you. She didn't want to hurt you. She's not coming back~ She said gently

Mal looked up at her and clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Secrets? What secrets? She told him she'd never keep a secret from him.
~What are you talking about? She never kept a secret from me.~ He felt emotions taking over him like a tidal wave. Anger, sadness, regret, what was going on? Never coming back? She had to.

Whisper looked down sadly ~Malek, she isn't as young as she looks.....~ she looked away

He felt his jaw muscles loosen and his hands relax. Not as young as she looks? How old was she exactly?
He stood up so that he could look out the window, watching as the sun melted the snow slowly. Flowers were beginning to sprout out of the snow and leaf buds began growing on the trees. Birds were flying around, chirping happily as if nothing had ever gone wrong.
~Whisper...is she a part of the Revenge? Is she a spy?~ He asked without realizing what he was saying.
~Is this why she leaves so much?~

~NO~ Whisper said sharply ~She is not. But she is part of an organization that seeks to destroy them. An organization whose association with them and her could bring you harm. And...she is several hundred years old~ she said more quietly

He turned sharply back to look at the cat and felt himself glaring at her.
"The same group that came and took Tyler away I am guessing?!" He said outloud, forgetting that he wasn't talking to Whisper through his thoughts anymore.
"The same group that shouldn't be trusted?! And several hundred years old?! I don't believe this! All this and she couldn't tell me?! Was she afraid I would try to KILL her?!" He realized what he was saying and tightened his jaw muscles, turning back around and grabbing the edge of the window.

Whisper looked at him confused as he wasn't talking how she could understand anymore.