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Arien couldn't help but turn onto his side to look at her. He never knew that hair could shine like fire, and he reached to finger a lock of it. He felt peaceful just gazing at her.

"I guess we do have our own ways of relaxing," he murmured.

Red felt herself blush a little when Arien touched her hair. Knowing he was looking at her, she kept her eyes closed.
"Would you mind if i dozed off?" murmured Red.

"Not at all," said Arien. He let go of her hair and turned onto his back to look up at the sky. How long had it been since he had taken a day off from traveling to enjoy the day? Too long.

He sighed and closed his eyes as well...listening intently for any sounds in the area. After a minute he heard Bella stirring from within the house; a moment later she came out to investigate.

Red dozed off as Bella came to investigate.

Patch ran to keep up with Bella, just barely keeping up.
Neo and Nex watched with little intrest and Nex got up to put more wood on the fire.

Bella sniffed around to her heart's content, before dashing off into the underbrush to chase squirrels. Arien chuckled to himself at her antics.

Periodically he cast glances at Red, observing her relaxed frame. But everytime he did so he was overcome with a sudden burst of energy. He scowled. He couldn't relax. He sat up and pulled a coil of rope from his pocket and began to work on various knots. It was quiet and wouldn't disturb Red.

A little bit later on Red woke up to find Arien tieing knots. She smiled and quietly sat up.
"You must be bored," she whispered, leaning on him and watching.

Patch watched Bella then did the same except he was out hunting not just to chase.

Arien flinched when Red spoke, interrupting him from his thoughts. "Ah," he flashed a smile over at Red. "Not bored, it's something I use to help me think." He pulled both ends of the rope and the knot, instead of getting tighter, vanished altogether.

"I was perhaps a bit hasty in asking you to join me in traveling, though," he admitted. "You see, I have three older brothers and they kind of have it out for me. If we run into them, there's a good possibility things will get, er, complicated."

A sudden scuffle in one of the bushes ended with Bella trotting out carrying a squirrel. Her head high, tail wagging, and an extra bounce to her step indicated her happiness at success.

Dissapointment clearly showed in Red's eyes when it sounded like he wanted reconsider. Then she stood up.
"Well I need to go..um take care of Neo," she said before turning and going back into the house.
Red really did need to do something with Neo but she really chose now just so Arien didnt see the dissapontment. Neo trotted over when Red whistled. Taking a vile out of a cabinet with some green liquid in it. She poured it into Neo's eyes, hoping this one would help with the blindness.
"Can you see anything now?" she murmured to Neo while he shook his head from the slight stinging pain.

Arien turned to watch her go. Was it something he had said? Was she mad at him again?

He sighed and scowled. "Why are women so complicated?" he muttered. "I was just trying to warn her..."

He got up and entered the house just in time to see Neo shaking his head. "I wasn't trying to talk you out of it..." he began, before getting sidetracked. "What's wrong with Neo?"

Red looked up and frowned.
"I've been experimentig with potions to get rid of Neo's blindness but none has worked so far," she said in a dissapointed tone.
Red stood up an scratched Neo behind the ears before sighing and washing her hands. Getting all the potion of her hands was necessary because she knew that the potions might have a bad affect on her.

Arien crouched to get a better look at Neo's eyes. "Was he born blind? Or did it happen after...?" he trailed off, not wanting to bring up the fire.

"It happened during the fire. It was too bright for his eyes and he got too close to the flames," she said not showing any sign of sadness.
Red sighed because she was actually starting to stress out about everything. She felt like pulling out her hair. Always worrying about Ash or Neo's eyes or how Arien might feel towards her. It was all too much for her too deal with right now.
"Im going for a swim," she said as she was walking out the door.

Arien frowned as Red walked away. But he wasn't sure he should follow this time. "Should I give her some space?" he asked no one in particular. They had spent quite a bit of time together, and it wasn't lost on Arien that Red had been living alone for quite some time.

He considered Neo's eyes again. "Seems that if light is what burned out your sight, then darkness might bring it back. I wonder if she's tried any poultices? Though if it's lasted this long...I don't even know how old you guys are..."

Red's probably just stressed. And we are older than you thats for sure. I mean Red isnt but we are. Neo thought to Arien.

Red walked to the pond and heard thunder overhead. Sighing when she reached the pond, Red quickly stripped down to her under shirt and shorts then ran and dove into the pond. Then disappeared completely from view.

Rain thundered down onto the house and the surface of the pond. Ash saw both places from where she was. Smiling with an evil glint in her eyes, she knew it was almost time.

(Arg! Ash is gonna be the death of me/Arien! Very nice cliff-hanger.)

Arien glanced at Neo in surprise. "You're older than me?" He rubbed his head and then heard the sound of thunder.

"And it's raining again," he muttered, glancing out the door to see if it actually was. He frowned. "It's unusual for just thunder to happen." He felt his stomach tighten and his muscles knotted up. Already his hand was on the hilt of his sword. "Is it just me or does something not feel right?"

He leaned out the doorway, calling: "Red? Red, you should come back...!"

(haha thank you)

Nex was already too the door, staring out and trying to pick up scents but it was impossible with rain this heavy. Neo flicked his ears nervously and trotted over to the door with Nex. Patch came running in, hissing crossly at the rain.

Red heard the raindrops drumming on the surface of the water but she did not resurface just yet. It felt nice to be in the cold water. Something was off though and she quickly worried about Arien. Red started to swim back up to the surface but something caught her ankle and trapped her under the water. Looking down, Red saw a chain clasped firmly around her anlkle.
No!! Ash dont! Not Arien! her thoughts went frantic. Red had experience with swimming so she knew she coul hold her breathe a while longer, but she was already running out of air.
Neo! Nex! Protect Arien! she thought to both of the tigers.

Neo and Nex's fur bristled as they heard the note of desperation in Red's thoughts.

The bristling fur was all Arien needed to see on the tigers to know something was up. That and Bella hadn't returned yet.

"Damn it," he muttered, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. "Red!" He ran out into the rain, determined to find her. "Red! Where are you? Where is your swimming spot?"

Bella fell into stride at his side, her nose lifted, trying to scent Red. "Where did you go?" And then because he had nothing better to shout at, he raised his face to the sky. "Ash--if you're at all responsible for this--take me on yourself, you coward!"

Nex ran outside and grabbed Arien's pant leg. He lifted up his head and made Arien fall forward. Nex dragged him back inside and Neo grabbed Bella's scruff, dragging her back as well. A second later where Arien and Bella had just been standing, spikes shot up and out of the ground.

Red struggled against the chain, trying to free it from the mud at the bottom of the pond. It was no use since the chain didnt even budge a centimeter.

Okay, those spikes had not just been there a moment ago, but it sort of drove the point home that Ash was very well behind it. Arien shoved Nex away even as he was dragged back to the house.

"What about Red? We have to get to Red!" he yelled at the tigers. "Where is her swimming spot? Tell me! Show me! Do something! She could be in serious trouble...!" He didn't exactly wait for the tigers to give him guidance as he rushed back out into the rain--careful to give a wide berth to the area of spikes.

The tigers looked at each other then ran out and right past Arien. They were all soaked in a second and the rain came down harder. Nex took the lead, leading Arien to the pond where Red liked to swim. He motioned that Red always came here and was probably underwater.

Red had already been past the limit of holding her breath, now sh was just trying not to breathe in and stay concious.

Ash watched in amusement. Death games were Ash's favorite and this was starting to get intresting. Motioning towards Arien, a lighting came down just a couple centimeter from Arien.