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Arien raised an eyebrow when she re-entered the kitchen and then thanked the gods he hadn't spiked the food. If she'd been watching... But he was curious now about the box in the cupboard.

"What's that?"

Red hesitated before looking at Arien.
"A solid gold rose.." she whispered. "Ash gave it to me the night she burned down our town.." she continued.
Red thought back and wondered why Ash even bothered. But she already knew the answer.

A chill crept up Arien's spine as he looked at the box. "Do you always bring it with you?" He had a bad feeling about this.

"No. I take it out every now and then though.." Red murmured.
Picking up the box she walked past Arien and out of the kitchen. Sitting by the fire, Red took the rose out of the box. Like she said, the rose was completely made out of gold. Though one of the thorns was blood red.
Red frowned and inspected it. "Wierd...that wasnt like that the last time.." she said to no one in particular.

Arien watched her leave and then looked down at the stew. He tasted it tentatively, figured it could use another minute or two, and then went to the doorway to keep an eye on Red. It wasn't that he didn't trust her; it was that he didn't trust the connection between Red and that rose that Ash had given her.

Red inspected the blood red thorn and lightly touched it then gasped and dropped the rose as blood came off on her finger. Quickly she stood up and stared at the rose not quite sure what just happened. Looking at her finger there was still blood on it.
"Crap.. Ash.." she muttered as she realized what she just did.

Arien cringed internally, seeing her prick herself. But the stew was done. He hesitated and then removed the stew from the fire. "Is everything alright, Red?"

Red jumped when she heard Arien's voice, but quickly recovered.
"Oh um yea. Everythings fine," she said quickly, before putting the rose back in the box.
Red sucked on the tip of her finger, where she had pricked it. Walking over to Arien, she smiled.
"Here lemme help," she said sweetly.

"No-no, I got it," said Arien. "If you want to help, you can get bowls out." He flashed her a smile to let her know he wasn't trying to just push her aside, and set the stew aside where it wouldn't tip over and spill. He then looked for a ladle or spoon; the latter he found soon enough. "Um, so, you want a lot or a little?"

Red took down some bowls then put them over next to the stew bowl.
"Animals first, then you and finally me. I was always told to serve everyone before me," she said, smiling.
Taking the smallest bowl, she poured some milk in it. Then walked out of the kitchen and put it outside for Patch. As soon as she set it down Patch dove in and lapped at it quickly.
Red returned to the kitchen, smiling.

Arien dished out the stew in equal proportions. It was second nature to him, given all his traveling, and was almost done by the time Red returned from giving Patch a bowl of milk.

Bella returned after a lengthy hiatus and went to investigate Patch's milk, attempting a tentative lick when she thought she could get away with it.

Arien turned to smile at her. "Well, in my house, whoever dished it out got the last bowl, so you get to take your pick."

Whenever Bella tried to get a lick at his milk, Patch would hiss then turn his body to protect the milk from her.

Red smiled. "Oh alright. Thank you Arien," she thanked him one more time for the afternoon then kissed his cheek, turned and went to go sit by the fire. With her bowl of stew.

Arien followed after her, after putting the rest of the bowls on the ground for the tigers. He assumed they would eat when they felt like it though.

"Bella, here, come eat your own." Arien said as he offered her a bowl of food. Bella nudged the kitten one last time before abandoning the milk in favor of the stew.

Arien tasted the stew and then dumped another vial-full of toxic red liquid onto it. He stirred it in and then began to eat eagerly.

Red smiled as she saw Bella trying to get the milk. After Bella left, Patch lapped up the rest of his milk quickly. Just in case she came back.

Red thought it was wierd when Arien put a whole lot of tabasco sauce in his bowl but she didnt say anything and continued to eat her stew.
The box with the golden rose in it had been thrown into the fire by Red before she went into the kitchen. Now she watched it burn as she knew very good and well, they were all in very big danger now.

Ash watched the rose melt and the box burn.
"I see. So you will fullfill your promise, Red. But you already know it's too late to run away from me now. I can track you anywhere, you will never be able to escape," Ash said mainly to herself.

Arien didn't comment about the fire or the lack of the rose or its box. He ate and then when he finished, set the bowl aside and sighed. Whatever the rose symbolized between Ash and Red, Arien was pretty sure that it wasn't something Red would want to talk about.

He looked over at Bella who scraped the bowl across the ground in her enthusiasm to clean it. Arien grinned and held his bowl out for her. She stopped to look at him, flicked her ears back in disdain, and then pounced on him.

"Ack! Bella! I ate it all--there isn't any Tabasco sauce--I swear!" Arien yelped from underneath Bella's wriggling body.

Red laughed when Bella pounced on Arien. Then go up and managed to get around the two so she could get theyre bowls. Picking them up, she went outside and gathered Patch's bowl as well as Neo and Nex's bowls.
Taking them in the kitchen, Red washed them out and put them up. Black lines that were etched into her skin had started to form where she had prciked her finger on Ash's rose. The black lines looked like veins and they continued to spread out and go down her finger, traveling up her body. Now they had reached her wrist, but Red predicted this.
Grabbing a towel she covered her hand and walled out of the kitchen, heading to her room.

Arien managed to shove Bella off him by the time Red returned from washing the bowls and walked right past him to her room.

"Uh, is everything alright, Red? You calling it a night?"

He was still seated on the floor, one arm draped over Bella's tall back, but his blue eyes were suspicious.

Red paused at her door and managed a smile.
"Oh um yea. Im a bit tired so i think im gonna go to bed," she said in a happy tone.
Walking into her room she quickly threw the towel onto her bed and inspected the black markings. Damn... The only thing thats gonna save me now is half way across the freakin world.. she thought.
Laying back on her bed she sighed and blew a strand of hair from her face.
"Nothing goes right with Ash around. I need to fullfill my promise. Soon too," she muttered to herself.

Arien may not be a genius, but he knew when to follow his gut, and right now it was telling him not to let her out of his sight. He got up and went to the doorway of Red's room. He peered in and caught part of her muttering. "What is it this time?" he asked, a knot forming in his stomach.

"Arien!" Red gasped and sat up quickly.
She wasnt expecting him to come in her room. It had surprised her when he spoke.
Red quickly put her hand under the towel, behind her back.
"Oh um nothing. Really," she said quickly and smiled.
The last thing she wanted was Arien to worry.