"Hidden Springs"
 Tristan/ Aerianne, Darren, Odyssa; Igan
 Still Early morning of Day three
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    It took some time, but Odyssa managed to find out where Aeri had
wandered off to. It was true that the latter had an uncanny ability to
disappear and remain hidden from view whenever she wished, but Odyssa was no
slouch when it came to tracking. Absently, she rubbed the falcon ring on her
finger. It seemed to tingle more than usual, for some strange reason.

    She may as well broach the subject of the job she wanted Aeri to do once
again. It wasn't that she wanted her parents to die; but her father was
always off in some old bloody war no one really wanted to participate in
except for him, and killing off the people in the process; and her mother
spent more time gauging how high her rank was among other noblewomen in the
court than actually caring for Odyssa and her sister. As much as it pained
her, she knew that her parents were wholly corrupt and would probably
destroy their kingdom in the process. Her younger sister on the other hand,
was strong and wise; Odyssa wished her all the best when her sibling finally
assumes the throne.

    Using her falcon, she managed to locate Aerianne only some distance away
from where the ship was docked. The older girl was crouched on a large stone
overlooking a clear spring, her eyes closed but one hand still poised over
her bloodsharde. "What do you want?" She asked without opening her eyes.

    "You heard me?" Odyssa asked, sounding crestfallen. She had planned to
surprise Aeri in the hope of actually seeing some kind of expression other
than  scowls or sardonic amusement.

    "No. You didn't make any sound." Aerianne stretched languidly, before
jumping down onto the grass. "The other two around?"

    "They're back in the ship. I think they're gonna take a nap or
something. Tristan better take a nap, after what he's gone through. And I
suppose Darren should too." Odyssa added, a bit grudgingly.

    "Good." Aerianne set the bloodsharde against the rock and began to undo
her braids. Once that was done, she started unbuttoning her blouse.

    "They both need it anyway, they look pretty tired......Aeri, what are
you doing??"

    "Undressing. What does it look like?"

    "But...well....." Odyssa gaped. "I mean, I dont mind, servants have
helped me with my bath before but........in here?? Out in the open?? I mean,
what if someone stumbles in and he..."

    "Dies. I know this place. I've been here several times before." The
blouse dropped onto the ground.

    "You have?" Odyssa cast a longing glance at the spring, meticulousness
slowly overcoming prudishness. The clear water did look inviting.

    "I grew up around this place." The sash and leggings followed the
blouse. "And I like it here." Quickly shedding the rest of her clothing,
Aerianne took a running leap and dove in, slicing effortlessly into the
water and drenching Odyssa, who was pondering the fact that Aeri actually
LIKED something.

    "WATCH IT!"

    Aerianne popped back up into the surface, treading calmly. "You didn't
answer my question."

    Odyssa looked down at her soaking clothes. "I suppose I could bathe here
first, too?" She asked hopefully.

    A shrug. "I don't own the place."

    "You should! Aeri's Spring. It's got a nice ring to it!" Quickly
shucking off her clothes, Odyssa jumped onto the water, surfacing with a
dreamy smile. "Niiicee...."

    "Don't call me Aeri."

    "Sure, Aeri. Oh yeah, and I wanted to talk to you about the job I asked
you to do."

    "Changed your mind?" Aerianne had closed her eyes and leaned back, her
hair floating all around her.

    "No, actually. I just want to finalize things so everything'd go
smoother." Odyssa got to work scrubbing her face, sighing with relief at the
feel of getting clean again.

    Aerianne was silent for a few moments. "You must really hate your
parents."

    "The other way around, actually." The purple haired girl still wore a
dreamy look on her face as she started on her hair. "It's just that they're
not fit to rule. With the way they run things, everything's gonna collapse
in a few years, and they're too stubborn to abdicate. It's nothing personal.
Politics, you see."

    Aerianne mulled that over, her face expressionless. In some ways, this
half-grown girl was just as dangerous as she was. She never really cared
about politics, but it sounded just as corrupt as theft or murder.

    "So I suppose that if it's done by the common people, it's called crime.
If it's done by royalty, it's called politics." Aerianne said with a cool
smile. Odyssa paused in the act of fussing with her hair long enough to
shoot an expectant look at the other girl. "Fine. How much did you say were
you going to pay me again?"

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Wahahahaha! I'm done! *silly grin* I dunno, I felt a bit silly when I was
writing this, and a water post sprung to mind....maybe because of a certain
girl who absolutely refuses to give back the stuff I wanted scanned.
*Aerianne-esque look at T-chan*

Aerianne: ....Do I really look that hideous when I do that?
Odyssa: Yes, you do.
Aerianne: *sighs*
Ryoko: *looks injured*

Ryoko^__^