The Sword and The Rose. ((Kolath x Butterfly))

His hands brushed over her arms and gently guided them into a slightly more relaxed position. He gently guided her hand changing the fingers she was using to hold the string and where they were around the arrow. â??You need to feel the bow is part of your body. it is not a tool you are using it is a part of you that can hit targets farther away.â? His hands left her arms and brushed down her sides adjusting her body position a little then moving down to her hips. â??When you send the arrow out you are sending your whole body so line it all up right.â?

He was trying to get her to relax but his closeness was only making her tense. She had never been this close to... well ANYONE before. Especially a man. Honestly, she was trying to pay attention but between the pounding that was the her own heart racing and the children giggling about them, it was hard to concentrate. "So then... like this?" she asked adjusting her aim. It was closer, but still not perfect.

He smiled nodding â??Better but you still need to do this. Here let me show you.â? His arm slipped down the one that held the grip of the bow and pressed against her arm totally. â??Mold your arm to mine so that its in the same position.â? His other arm slipped around the one holding the arrow and helped her line that up. â??Same with this one.â? He pressed his chest against her back and planted his feet just a little differently then hers were. It was the wrong position for him if he was shooting but she was a little shorter then he was and so her stance would be a little different. â??Like this.â? He was completely out of it not noticing how close he was to her his mind only on teaching.

All she could notice was the closeness between them, but she tried her best to push it from her mind. Even if they were so molded to one another that it was hard to tell exactly where one of them ended and the next one began. She had to close her eyes and breath deeply a few moments, willing herself to focus but soon she was in this strange sort of zone. Pushing him from her head and focusing on the weapon in her hand. She molded herself to him as he directed, including her feet, "Like this then?"

â??Yes good, now focus on the target infront of you. There is nothing else in the world just you and the target. Now picture the path that you, the arrow, will have to travel to hit where you want to.â? His mouth was right by her ear and he was whispering all of these instructions to her. â??Do you see it? put you arrow on that path.â? His fingers moved back from hers that were holding the arrow back. â??When you see it let it travel that path donâ??t hold it back.â?

The target. Nothing but the target. She kept telling herself that in her head. Picture the path. "I see it," she whispered back, taking a few more calming breaths. And before she knew it, there it was, the perfect moment and she let the arrow go flying down the path she had pictures, right to target. It was not a bulls eye, but still the ring before a perfect shot. The children around them all cheered.

He smiled nodding as he could see she had a eye for when the right time was. In fact she was better than almost anyone that he had trained yet. He blushed for a moment as a thought that she was almost the most perfect woman he had ever seen passed through his mind. He turned to look at her and blinked, how did they get so close? Had he really put them this close? Oh godâ?¦she fit against him perfectly it was almost like they were made for each otherâ?¦this was bad. Despite his fear of being this close to her he still hadnâ??t drawn away.

Anya lowered the bow to let it rest at her side, turning her face to look at him. They were so close, they could be kissing if only one of them would make the move to lean just a little closer. Lean.... lean..... her head was telling her, feeling so very much like he did at that moment. They were perfectly fitting against one another. She even sore for a moment she could feel his heart beat... and it was in perfect time with her own. Could it be possible that there would ever be another moment as this? There could ever be another man that would be like this. Another man.... the duke! She a gasp, Anya turned her face away and moved to be a few feet away, and facing him, breaking the connection, the moment. "Thank you, Sir Fox, for... for showing me." She held the bow at arms length to hand it back to him.

Nathan coughed glad for his mask and hood that would hide his blush. â??ehemm, of course my lady, it was my pleasure.â? He took the bow and set it back against the stand that held the arrows to be put away later. Some of the older teenagers were smirking at the little scene that had just happened there mostly girls.

One of the older boys swore a blue streak at that moment and all attention turned to him noticing that he had been shooting this entire time. â??Damn it, why can I not do it!â? he pulled three arrows out and strung them all at once.

Nathan was in movement in an instant coming to stand just behind the boy as he loosed all three arrows at once, all three going wild and missing the target. Nathanâ??s hand came down on his shoulder. â??Mark what are you doing?â?

The poor boy turned and looked around realizing that everyone was looking at him and blushed. â??Iâ??m sorry Fox I just thoughtâ?¦â? sighs heavily, â??I just wanted to be like you and your special move that you do.â?

Nathan smiled and slowly shook his head, â??Mark, dear Mark. How long have you been practicing? A year? Two?â?

The boy nodded hanging his head.

The Fox was having none of that and pulled the boys head back up by his chin gently. â??It took me years and years of practice doing nothing but standing and shooting at the target to get as good as I am, and even then I couldnâ??t do that move.â? He turned pulling three arrows out of the stash and notching them all. â??I only mastered this move two years ago.â? With that he pulled the arrows back and with out missing a beat he fired the instant they were back far enough to hit the targets. All three sunk into the targets bulls eyes.

He smiled and turned back to the boy who was looking even more down. â??Mark you are just starting out, and already you have gotten better.â?

The boy looked up with hope in his eyes, â??Really?â?

Nathan nodded smiling, â??Yes you are already a journeymen in bow skill. I will have Jacob set you up with someone to help you learn more but still even I have to practice every day or my skills start to go away.â? He smiled patting the boy on the head, who turned back to start working on just hitting one bulls eye right now.

Anya watched the exchange with a smile on her face. He was finding his way into her heart. Wrapping his way around it and holding on tight. Even though he didn't know it and even though she feared it, it just was happening. No way to stop it. Not as long as he kept showing himself to be a man with a heart of gold like he was. Where was the outlaw? The evil bandit everyone said he was? She didn't see how anyone could think him to be anything but kind.

Nathan continued his lessons assigning two other of the teens to other teachers because of their increasing ability. They had many capable archers among their group and others that had a spark that no one else had. Finally an hour or so later it was time for lunch. The buck had been well cooked and was ready to be eaten. Everyone in the camp gathered around the large tables set up in the center of the camp under the limbs of the great tree. It was always cool here and they had a large fire pit in the center of the tables cooking everything they ate. No one was kept from meals even prisoners.

Anya had remained watching the lesson even though she did not participate any further with it. Once the call rang out that lunch was ready, she hurried along to meet with Terra at their hut. The girl held a smile on her face and Anya had to ask, "What is that smirk about?"

"I have a plan. I am going to make that outlaw hate me SO much he'll be willing to pay the duke just to get rid of me."

Terra started to walk out of the hut when Anya grabbed her arm, worry on her face, "What does that mean. You had best not be planning to do anything stupid. The Fox has proven to be a patient man thus far, but I don't think it wise to tempt whatever temper he may hold."

But Terra was not listening, she only yanked her arm away, "I don't want to stay here anymore. This isn't even about getting YOU to safety anymore. I can't sleep. I can't eat with all my worry. I need to get out of this place! I need to be free once again!" She departed in a flourish towards shade of the trees.

Anya had a horrible feeling that this was not going to be pretty. Not only that, she was afraid that Terra's bid for freedom may just end up costing her the little bit she had found her. Anya knew she'd have to give it up in time, but.... she just wanted a little bit more time. Following soon after, she found Terra sitting at the table they normally say at for meals, sitting beside her any waiting for the chaos to start.

The Fox came and sat down near the two women where he normally did just on the other side from them. As the food starting coming around with his buck being the main item he smiled and taking a cut of it he looked over at them. â??Well your grace I trust that everything is being to your liking, the accommodations, the food it is all the best we can give.â?

Terra raised her nose into the air, huffing in discontent, "THIS is the best you can provide? I would hate then to see the worst for this is, in my opinion, absolutely horrible, vile trash."

Anya had just started to sip from her cup and almost spit it out hearing Terra's words. She placed the cup back down once again, and cleared her throat before whispering to Terra, "Milady... you have not even tried the food. Perhaps if you taste it you'll-"

"Don't tell me what I will and won't do Anya. If I say this food is like eating slop and I would be treated better on a pig farm, I will," she snipped at her, making Anya actually flinch from the impact of it. No one had ever spoken to her like that and she worried about the path this course of action Terra was taking would take them.

Nathan froze for a moment as the insults began. How could she say that this was better than most of the food that was made by his french cook back at his castle. There was nothing like freshly killed venison. He carefully swallowed the food he had in his mouth and then looked up those deep eyes having become very cold. â??Have a care your grace, the ladies worked very hard to prepare this all for use and I would prefer to not have to save your life from them.â?

She gave another huff, "I am the only LADY in this whole place. Those women you call ladies don't have the grace to earn such a title of distinction. While some of them are kind, the rest are dirty and just as manly as the pig men in this place."

Anya was pale. How could Terra think that THIS was going to help there situation any more then her idea of waiting it out. They couldn't wait if they were killed by the people here.

Nathanâ??s jaw tightened as she went on to insult the women of his group. Everyone around them was on edge because they could see where this was going. Few had made the Fox made but it was memorable when they did. â??I believe that you are over stepping the mark your grace, please stay silent if you value your appearance as it is.â?

"Milady... please..." Anya whispered to her, urging her to stop this course of action.

But Terra foolishly thought that she was actually making headway with the situation rather then dig herself deeper into a hole. "Over stepping? It's hard to do when I speak of the heathens who hold me captive. You people are the bottom of the barrel and the short end of the stick. It's hard to over step something so low."

That was enough, Nathan stood slowly his eyes hidden under his hood, but Terra should have taken a hint from the reactions around her. everyone leaned back in their seats and moved a little to the side away from her. A couple people moved allowing the Fox to stand right across from her. his eyes were looking down at her waiting for her to respond by looking back. When she would look up at him she was met with his eyes looking deep and cold very clearly angry and clearly very under control.

It was not Terra that reacted, but Anya, who stood as well, making the others around them gasp that she would attempt to face down the Black Fox himself. But she was not challenging him. She was only trying to protect her foolish friend. "Milord please forgive my lady! She is stressed and would never say such things if she was not so worried over her own fate in the... the uuhhh current state that she is in. She is simply not use to being treated as such and not use to being forced to be.... well... humble...."

Terra did not yell for being insulted in a way by Anya. She was to busy trying not to pass out.

â??Sit.â? It was the only response that the Fox gave Anya, it was said in such away that it was clear he expected her to obey no matter her station. There was no anger in his voice but it was clearly very controlled.

â??Terra, let me say this as carefully as I can.â? His eyes forced hers to remain locked with his. â??You have proven yourself to not be a lady just as you accused the others here of not being. From this moment on you will not be allowed out of your room for any reason. Your meals will be brought to you but you are confined to your room for your own safety and because I do not wish to expose the young girls here to your unlady like actions. You are excused.â? He looked up at her guard, â??Take her to her room.â?

He then looked at Anya as the guard did as he was told helping her to stand and leading toward her rooms. â??I am afraid I will have to impose on you to take her meals to her. because I doubt anyone else here will be willing to after that display.â? His eyes hand changed from cold and hard to deep sadness clearly not having enjoyed doing what he just did.

As she was commanded to sit, Anya did that, though slowly and hesitantly. She watched it all unfold before her, hoping that her moment of pleading would help her friend survive this. Perhaps it did for it was the best result Anya could hope for especially after all the things Terra had said.

There was no time to judge Terra's reaction to her banishment to her hut for she stood and went off even without the direction of her guard, leaving Anya to receive her own orders from the Fox. "Yes milord," she answered him quietly as if she was afraid if she rose her voice to high he would punish her just the same. She went to her task right away, collecting Terra's plate with the intend to follow after her with it. She looked to her own plate and paused... wondering if she should take her own plate with her as well. She glanced at the Fox a moment, wondering if the orders had meant them both. They had both been lumped together with the freedom to wander the camp so... could he lump them together now as well?

She reached out to take up her own plate as well...

The Fox reached out to stop her looking into her eyes. â??Your mistress does not care for our food at this meal perhaps missing it would make her appreciate it more. Please stay and enjoy the rest of it with my people if you can.â? He leaned back from the table and turned to look around seeing that everyone had stopped eating and had been watching. â??Please everyone try to go back to your meal. It is best we do not let this unpleasant situation dampen our spirits.â? He nodded to a group of people that all quickly broke out some instruments and started to try and lighten the mood.

Nathan however was not around to have his mood lightened. He walked from the tables starting to head off just walking through the camp. He needed some time to cool down.

Anya nodded slightly and went to sit again, moving to place Terra's plate back down as she sat to pick at her own meal. Her appetite was a little ruined by the display she had just witnessed. It was a shame really for the food was mouthwatering and wonderful.

The people around the tables quickly found there ways back into normal behavior and conversation once again. But then. Anya heard a little whimpering. Looking under the table, there was a puppy. It looked so very tiny and frail and so very sad that it was not sitting and eating at the table with everyone else. Her heart went out to the little pup and she made little kissy noises to draw his attention to her. Picking up Terra's still full plate, she placed it on the ground in front of the now VERY pleased puppy who's little tail went wagging like wild. She patted the pup on the head, smiling at him before adding the rest of her plate to his and rising from the table.

Noticing that the Fox had not returned to the table, her eyes looked about for him. Spotting him in the distance, she picked up his plate then and followed after him.

Nathan was lost in his own thoughts not thinking about what was going on back at the tables. It was by mere chance that he looked back and saw Anya giving the puppy the food from the table. He smiled and sighed, why couldnâ??t she have been Terra? He shook his head and continued to walk slowly through the small village finally settling down on a fallen log in front of a beautiful little pond.