Trial and error(private)

Himawari walked up and pressed her right hand's index finger against Corey's forehead and pushed just enough to cause a moment's discomfort. "Watch your speech when talking to you elders. No more verbal cock-fighting." Turning, she left the living room and went back into the kitchen. A minute later, sounds of cooking came from the kitchen.

Ryuuta sighed and ripped it right off Corey's mouth. "YEOW!!!" Corey screamed out wincin. He then managed to smack Ryuuta. "Honestly grow some balls boy!" Said Ryuuta. "Ha I have them more then you do you old geezer!!" Said Corey with a snicker. Leo was laughing into his elbow that moment pretending to cough in it.

Himawari walked past them all without a glance, a narrowed-eyed look on her face, a light-blue bottle in her right hand as she went up the stairs. After an hour, and a couple of yells of 'I dont wanna' from Kana, the woman came back downstairs, tossing away the empty bottle. "Was the tape really necessary, you two?"

A stream of cursing was heard as Corey was pitching a fit. "Easy on the wound damn it Leo! Anymore rubbing alcohol my arm will fall off next!" Corey cried loudly. "Oh shush and be man Corey!" Said Leo firmly as he cleaned out the remainder of the small wound. "And don't adress me so casually damn it!" Said Corey annoyed. A piece of tape was slapped to his mouth and Ryuuta said, "Shut it!"

Himawari sighed, shaking her head as she watched the farmer went on down the path. She had somehow fallen asleep in the back of the cart, and now she had bits of hay stuck in her hair. After cleaning that up, and picking up her back, she opened the door and stepped inside. Setting her bag beside Kana's by the door, she went to wash her hands in the kitchen, then her eyes narrowed slightly as she felt a psychic wave that is unique to physically sick people. "Dammit, Kana...." She muttered under her breath, shaking her head.

Downstairs Ryuuta shook Corey awake and got swung at by the irritated young king. "Why so damn early..." Groaned Corey. "You want to eat then get up." Said Ryuuta firmly. Corey yawned and said, "Fine but I'm going back to sleep after I eat.."

Having strained herself too much by going to the town, Kana was sprawled out on her bed, all but the sheets kicked from her bed. The sheets covered her from the hips, downwards, while her shirt had wiggled up just enough to show the Mark. Her hair was wet, her skin slightly shiny, because of the 101 fever that she was running. She knew she shouldn't have done what she did once she was in the town, but at least it got Himawari to agree to come here.

Both Leo and Ryuuta looked at her and nodded. Corey had fallen alseep long befoe she had come back and was out like a light on the sofa. He hand't even woken up when she came in and ended up staying that way till morning.

It was just dark enough for someone to need a fire to see, when Kana finally came back. She had a package in her hand, and she dropped her bag to the floor by the door. "She will be here tomorrow afternoon." Her voice was a little rough, strained and tired, as she spoke in reference to Himawari. The assassin-Heir Apparent trudged her way upstairs, got dressed in light night clothing, and then collapsed onto the bed with a light sigh, almost instantly falling asleep.

Corey woke up when he heard the door close. Sitting up he rubbed the sand from his eyes before saying, "Hello anyone here?" Ryuuta sat up and said, "I am boy come on we both need to wash up for the morning. "Okay..." Said Corey softly he seemed to be bit sick still but allowed himself to be led in the back and after a while the two came back out and Ryuuta made breakfast.

By the time morning rolled around, the white haired woman had gotten up and retreated to the bathroom. She stayed their for a couple of hours before she was able to take a shower. She came downstairs the next morning, a blank look on her still-pale face, and she was dressed in another set of the outfit she had been wearing yesterday. She made sure all her blades and poison flasks were in the right place before she grabbed her bag, going out the door without a word to anyone, heading in the direction of the village.

Leo had come running over and Ryuuta had kept close to Corey the whole time. The boy was shaking to the point where he didn't hear a word the older man was saying to try and calm him. He had no idea what had happened and just clung onto Ryuuta sobbing loudly.

The door opened and Leo came in and lay Kana down saying, "Try and keep her conscious I'll get a doctor." "W-What happened whose hurt!" Cried Corey shaking as tears streaked down his face. Leo had run on out and Ryuuta was trying to stop the bleeding and grabbed the blanket from the couch and making sure she was covered while he tried to keep her from dying on him.

Leo had returned and the doctor got to work thankfully caught the fact she had been poisoned in time after she was treated she was put to bed. Corey had cried himself sick and after throwing up several times he was finally passed out on the sofa exhausted sound asleep. Both Ryuuta and Leo stayed awake through the night and kept watch over Corey as the boy had a restless sleep.

Right before the nearby window shattered, Kana appeared and knocked Corey back onto the couch, two daggers hitting her: one in the area between the collarbone and shoulder, and the other one striking her right side. Letting out a light grunt, she ripped them from her body and launched herself through the window. Landing on her feet, two wickedly-twisting daggers appeared in her hands and she launched herself at the fast-moving shadow that had started to try and run towards the retreating Leo, hoping to use him as a distraction to get away.

The white haired woman, bleeding from her two wounds and her hair flying behind her, tackled the shadow, and so started the fight. It lasted all of one minute, with the would-be assassin dead, and Kana only suffering one more small nick on the back of her right hand. Standing straight and looking down at the man, she blinked once, and then twice, before her breathing got faster. Her face twisted in a grimace, and she dropped her daggers, first landing on her knees before falling onto her back, her body non-moving except for her breathing.

"And this is coming from a woman I don't know! You have no idea what it's like to lost everything! By all means just let me die anythings better then this! And why don't you go back to dump you came from girl!" Said Corey pissed as he was now even more angry.


A crack was heard that moment and Leo had slapped Corey making the boy yelp. "That's enough I don't care what you say but you will not insult a woman in front of me! Now then I could have walked out on you at any time! You are by no means even fit to rule with that attitude and even I saw it since day one! I hope losing your sight would change you but you're just the same arrogant little punk you always been!!" Yelled Leo.

"Get away from me!" Yelled Corey managing to shove Leo back slightly. He was shaking as tears streamed down his face. "Leo that wasn't necessary the boy is going to have a relapse if you traumatize him again..." Said Ryuuta softly. "Like he cares. he just hit me.. " Said Corey his voice shaking.

Leo just turned and left slamming the front door so hard the window by it shattered. "Come on I think you need to get some rest early.." Said Ryuuta softly trying to help Corey up but Corey just jerked away screaming, "Just leave me alone please I just want to be alone for a bit!"

Kana was suddenly there, two daggers halfway out of their hidden places along her lower back. "You will both shut up. Or you will hurt. Rivain is always willing to help, but even then it would take some coaxing to get the people to rise up. Our main military force is only eight thousand strong, and we would need, if it was just us, to gather at least twelve thousand more to get these old-ass blowhards off of their asses." She slid the blades back into their hidden holsters. "It will be at least another hour before dinner will be done." She turned her back, her head tilted to the right slightly. "You both are right, and you both are wrong. So just agree to disagree." She took a few steps towards the kitchen, then stopped. "You have no idea how important you are, your king-ness. We will do what we can, but you must keep a level head, to be a good ruler." There was a hint of regret that colored her voice as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Make anything!" Both them called back to her and they went back to their chess game. Corey on the other hand said, "How long are we going to hide... If we don't go back soon those bastards will wreck my home at this rate..." Ryuuta sighed and elbowed Leo. "Look I hate to break it to you but as we are we can't do anything about it. We're only a small group."

"Then we'll go to the neighboring nation and request their help. I'm sick of sitting around and I won't take no for an answer everything I've been put through I won't allow them to over take anything of mine." Said Corey firmly. "It's not that simple Corey... The neighboring kingdoms won't be much use unless you plan to wage a war and put innocent lives in danger.. It's not worth the risk.." Said Leo softly.

"I didn't know I had a coward for a godfather! Let me guess you're using me too like those old bastards did! I can't trust anyone it seems! I just my home back and not be stuck in an area I do not like! If I had my eye sight I'd go back now and kick them off their posts!" Said Corey.

Around dinner time, there was the sound of an approaching horse team, followed by the sound of a familiar voice laughing. "Bring it inside." The door opened, and three very.... questionable men came inside and then into the kitchen, loaded down with more food than it looked like they could carry. Kana paid them and hurried them out, locking the door behind her, then proceeding to make a face at it before stretching and then heading into the kitchen to put away the food. "What do you two want for dinner?" She called over her shoulder.

Leo and Ryuuta shook their heads and once she left Ryuuta said, "I noticed you been looking at her a lot lately. Do I sense a blooming relationship." He got clobbered by Leo who flushed saying, "At least I can get it up old man!" "Hey don't count me out just yet and judging by your reaction it seems you do." Said Ryuuta laughing.

Kans shrugged, then reached behind her to take off the band that held her braid together. Running a hand through her hair, she shook it out to let the waves of her hair fall along her back. "Well, I guess I should go into town for some more whiskey and food for this place. You boys need anything?"

Leo shot a glare at Kana and said, "Very funny I wouldn't go anyways. Truth be told I haven't drank that much in years." Yuuta laughed and said, "Pansy..."

"Remind me to never take Leo to Rivain. Everyone would be able to drink him under the table. And that just wouldn't do, now would it?" She smirked, tucking a whisp of white hair back from her face and back into its braid. "Anyways, what are you two planning to do today? I don't have anything to do until later."

"That doesn't change the fact the boy needs her. He's hurting right now and can't take much more I'm sure of it..." Said Ryuuta softly. Cory who remained asleep shifted and nearly fell out of the big chair but Ryuuta pulled him back farther onto it and Cory remained asleep. Leo came out drinking some orange juice and collapsed onto te sofa holding his head.

"She told me not to tell, but you should know. She had a friend who went blind, and her family still lives in the village. They have a lot of stuff they bought her, so she' s working to get the money up to buy it. And she now has a permanent position at the blacksmith shop. So she will be spending at least two weeks a month to earn money." Kana stretched slowly, fighting back a yawn. "She gets restless easily.

Ryuuta had read the letter and sighed saying, "Honestly I wish the woman would just come home." He looked at Cory who had fallen asleep and he lay a blanket over the boy. Seeing a single tear run down Cory's sleeping face Ryuuta sighed and could tell easily the boy was having a bad dream. But Cory's restlessness passed after a while and he seemed to be at peace while sleeping after a half an hour.

Kana left after the stuff was washed, then did not return until just after noon, with a letter in her hand. She put her bag down in the corner by the door, then put the letter on the living room table. She checked all her hidden blades and then went into the kitchen to start on making some leek-onion soup.

"I am working at a blacksmith shop, and our work will not be done until two weeks are up. Keep his king-ness safe until I can return."