Afton and Rain finally made it to the border.

There, Rain learned that horse-riding really was harder than it looked. He fell off so many times that it was a wonder he didn't have any broken bones. (No, I mean, he knew how to fall properly so he didn't have any broken bones.)

Afton taught him with all the patience in the world. He was in big brother mode it seems, so he asked, “Do you want to take a break? You must be at least slightly hurt.”

“No, it's ok. I need to train to ride. I don't want to slow down everything later on.”

It's so torturous that half way teaching him, I see Alistair. They are so alike. Argh.... I miss Alistair so much and it's only been less than a week.

“Remember to keep your back straight, Rain.”

“Ok.”

“You walk the horse pretty well already.”

He nodded, “I'm a fast learner.”

“To speed it up, just give it a little nudge in the flank...”

The two of them, teacher and student, sweated buckets under the blazing sun. By evening, Rain had brought it to slow trot without an blunder. Cantering came soon after, because Rain had gotten the hang of it.

“Yes! I did it!” Rain exhaled deeply as he threw himself into the long grass.

Rain bit his lip to hide a yawn and turned away. “I'm tired.”

“Sure, sleep well. The horses will need rest too. We'll start out tomorrow morning.”

Rain slept, curled up in the long grass and Afton sat a few paces from him, contemplating.

Alistair would be asleep about now too, right? He'd be hugging that wooden star and talking in his sleep... I'm sure... I'm hopeful... that he's fine.

Afton consoled himself with the thought that he'd be going to visit him again and he too soon fell asleep.

****

“Hurry up, Nissan! It's time!” Rain whispered excitedly.

“Huh? Oh, I'll be right there. Gear the horses first.”

Afton dozed for a few minutes before getting up.

It's rather quiet, isn't it?

Afton went to where they had left the horses the night before and there was Rain.... being held as a hostage.

“There's another one! Get him!” a soldier yelled.

Afton recognized the uniform... they were from Isumton.

Think! I don't have weapons. I probably won't use it o them anyway. I can get out of this so now how should I get Rain out of this fix?

“Wait! I've seen that other kid before.”

“Let that kid go. Let's speak discuss this matter as men,” Afton said.

The soldiers looked him up and down and just laughed. “You look like a kid. Men? Hah!”

This isn't going well.

Afton raised his hands and began approaching them, slowly. “Are you, then, afraid of a kid?”

“Who are you?” one soldier yelled. Afton's confidence was unnerving them all.

“All I have to say is that if you kill me, someone will come after you.”

“You're Afton, are you not?!” one of the soldiers screamed. A few of them put down rifles to look at this boy carefully.

Rain was watching every moment of this with wide eyes. So, Afton chose his words carefully.

“Afton, huh?” he was much closer now. He was only five steps away from Rain and the weapons.

“Or are you not?” the man growled. The rifles rose once more. Every eye was trained upon him.

“Does this Afton get much protection from his country that he'd be this confident? Just think, if you know a person, you'd understand how he'd act.”

Two steps...

“Rain, trust me, we can do this,” Afton said, looking Rain in the eye. There was no sign of suspicion in those almost teary eyes.

“Watch his every move! He must not leave alive. But be careful not to kill him lest we incite his protector's wrath....”

The man had not finished speaking when a group of horsemen came upon them. “Halt! Don't move, any of you! We have permission to kill you if you do not comply!”

Afton froze, but Rain was so relieved that he relaxed. “Nissan, we're safe!” he whispered, throwing his arms around Afton's neck.

Soon they were all walking between the Chrision soldiers, hands above their heads, sweating in the heat.

“I don't think we can go out any more,” Rain whispered, “It's stuff like these that get me back to the underground.”

“So... we're not going across?”

Rain shook his head.

“Hey, kid, aren't you.... Tiqua's son?”

Rain closed his eyes and looked down.

“So it is,” the soldier muttered, “Here.” he stopped his horse and put out a weathered hand.

At that split second, the Isumton soldiers all jumped on their guards. They did all sorts of nonsense like snatch their guns, some even stole their jailers' own horses.

Ah, they were waiting for this moment all along.

It happened so quickly that Afton could only see some Chrision soldiers on the floor, coughing and bleeding with minor injuries, and the dust of the stolen horses.

The guards at the front, who had not suffered under the hands of the POW's rushed after them, leaving the injured and the two harmless-looking little kids.

“Hurry,” one man said to Rain between coughs, pointing at a lonely looking house far away, “call the... girl.”

Rain must have been a rather patriotic little boy, for he ran with all the speed of a patriot back to his white horse. He also held Afton's horse's reins and dragged it along.

“Hurry, Nissan, we might still be able to run after this!” he yelled throwing the reigns to Afton and hurrying on, “Catch up with me!” he called back.

The horse had slowed down considerably much after her reins were being passed between the two. Afton jumped upon it with the timing and gracefulness that only he was capable of. Soon, they were galloping after Rain.

“You tell the girl. After we see her off, we'll go across,” Afton said.

Rain quickly turned in to the house. Up close, it was almost a mansion. But, there was no time for that now.

“Where's the girl?” Afton asked, his face pale from the rush.

“What girl? Oh, you mean Kaylie? She's in the house, master bedroom,” a soldier said.

Rain rushed in and called a rather grumpy Kaylie out. “What's going on? I hate to go out in the sun,” she grumbled. She pulled a hooded cape over her clothes as well as a long pair of gloves and went out.

She left quickly on a chestnut brown stallion in the direction Rain had pointed to her.

“She had... blue hair,” Rain said, staring after her.

“Hurry up, Rain, before it's too late!”

Both of them urged their horses into full speed in the direction of the forest.

****

“It's a trap! They were luring us in!”

“Shut up, noisy Chrisianon!” an Isumton soldier (soldier #growl) growled, hitting him on the head with the butt of his rifle.

“Lookie who we have here. He's a little late, isn't he?” an Isumton soldier (soldier #assume) laughed.

“Probably didn't know how to handle his horse!” another one (soldier #dead) added.

At that, the whole group of nine soldiers laughed. They were still laughing when a very annoyed Kaylie showed up on the scene.

“What's so funny?” she growled (so low that her voice could have passed for a man's), sweating so that she got more annoyed by the second.

The soldiers fell into another fit of laughter, which made Kaylie's pot boil over. She jumped off her horse and ungloved her hands as if she were unsheathing a sword.

“Just take him alive. He doesn't even have...”

Kaylie cut soldier #assume off by freezing his jaw. Very slightly appeased by the terror in his eyes, she paused for a moment. It was terribly short-lived, however, for, they began forming a circle around her and Kaylie felt that they wouldn't spare her.

“Hmm... now that you've all seen this, you won't get back alive, I assure you,” Kaylie said, smiling coldly. She threw her hood back to let the breeze cool her off.

“Her hands. Get that witch!” soldier #dead screamed.

They charged all at the same time but everything froze. “You must have forgotten that I can freeze anything. Even time,” she smirked. She froze them all and got back onto her horse before she let time go again.

“Don't worry, though, I only have that when I go 'poisoned' ,” she laughed as she looked back at all the soldiers stuck in the act of charging.

****

“Quiet! Do you hear that?” Afton whispered, bringing his horse to a stop.

Rain plodded up to Afton as quietly as was possible on a horse and whispered, “Hear what?”

Afton got off his horse and held the reins, Rain followed at his heels. Afton secretly took out three switchblades from his sack. He put one pants pocket and held the others tightly.

Gah! Why do my knees feel so weak? Stop it! You have to take care of Rain!

They crept forward a few more paces when they heard sounds from behind.

Rain froze and began turning white. They were already in enemy territory, possibly even war zone!

We're in war zone. I'm sure of it. We'll get caught in a crossfire if we don't think of something quickly!

Fortunately, there were a clump of trees and bushes where they could hide their horses. Afton quickly concealed their stead before crouching low and doing a leopard crawl. He was in Chrisianon uniform so it could pass as a camouflage. Looking back, Rain seemed to be doing fine as well...

A trench soon came into sight. The resident hadn't seen them yet, which was a very big surprise for Afton.

Wait... I... I can't do it again. I... I can't! Not even for my life! Killing is too big of a shock for me! But... I have to protect someone. Blah! What am I thinking? Why did I come here in the first place? To check on Alistair? He's definitely safe! He's nowhere near the oldest, he won't be sent out! Why did I put this little kid in danger?!

The Isumton #resident shifted slightly in his trench.

Just don't think!

Afton crept up on Isumton #resident and took a few deep breaths before silently turning both his blades into a backward hold edge-in.

Don't think!

Afton hesitated. His heart was beating crazily against his chest... The blood in his veins felt icy cold... The blades in his hands quivered...

Stop thinking! You... can't.

Afton rolled into the trench, covered Isumton #resident 's mouth, and switched the blade to forward hold edge-in and placing it to his neck.

Isumton #resident didn't panic in the least. He was too calm for Afton's liking... But...

You can't! He's your own kind!

Afton ended up dropping the blade and choking Isumton #resident. Isumton #resident produced a blade from somewhere and stabbed himself.

Afton gasped as the blood stained him again. The warm, sticky substance against his skin was too much.

I... I did it... again... He was from my own land! I'm a wicked jerk! Killing my own people

He unconsciously let a tear slip out.

How could I? I'm such a terrible traitor! All just to see how Alistair was? I'll get him killed! My poor Alistair! Oh, how could I?! I'm a wretched failure!

“Nissan, what's wrong?”

Afton wiped the tears quickly from his face with a bloodied hand, leaving a red stain across his face. Rain looked taken aback for a moment. His eyes widened and he bit his lip.

This is the coward I am. This is the true ruthless face. All you have seen is the mask, Rain. Now... what will you do?

“Are you hurt?” Rain asked, urgently. A shot was fired from behind. It was answered with another shot from in front.

“Get down,” Afton whispered, but the words were caught in his throat.

A few more bullets rained around them, a couple even made it into the trench. Afton yanked rain down onto the corpse. The battle had begun and there was no way out.

Afton saw a group of riflers in Isumton uniform advancing. They were passed unnoticed. A few more bullets, a few more holes. A few more deaths, a few more teardrops.

How could they just kill each other like that? What did we all do to deserve this?

**Meanwhile**

“They're not stopping?” the king asked.

“No, master, they have infiltrated the border ranks.”

“So they have asked for it. We will crush them. Do everything, foul play or anything else that will force them into our hands. Fonde, don't stop until Chrision becomes Isumton's!”

“Yes, master.”

“They have been killing our people. Too much. I've lost too much,” the king whispered to himself.

“Master, I shall take my leave,” Fonde said, bowing.

“Yes, yes, do so. Call my attendant in on the way.”

Fonde exited as the attendant came in. “You called, your majesty?”

“Bring her here. Don't let anyone see you or her. Just get her here quickly.”

“You mean...”

“Yes! Yes! My queen.”

The attendant bowed and left the king to his thoughts...

****

“Rain, whatever \happens, however long this lasts, you must play dead. Do you understand?”

A very pale Rain nodded. Afton patted him, “Have you ever been caught in a war zone?”

Rain shook his head.

Afton swallowed and tried to smile, “I've seen deaths. I've made it through many things in life. You'll be safe with me. Trust me, Rain.”

Rain just blinked.

“Rain, it's ok. We'll get through this.”

Rain tried to smile, “Just telling you, but if there's anyone in the world I could trust now, it'd be you.”

That's good to know. But... looks like we won't be lasting a week in this land.

“Do you want to go back to Chrision now?”

Rain seemed to be thinking very hard. “Not now, maybe after the war.”

It seems like the Isumton soldiers were pushing the Chrisianons back because the backs of the Isumton uniforms could be seen moving forward. The worst was over with.

“Nissan?”

“Hmm?”

“Why don't you want to do anything about these soldiers of Isumton? They're killing our guys.”

“Rain. Did you know that before this, both Isumton and Chrision were one? If an Isumton killed a Chrisianon, he'd be killing his own kind anyway. This is a very cowardly thinking, but it makes sense,” he lied, so well that it seemed natural.

“Nissan, if that's what you believe, why did you join the army? What's the purpose of your joining?”

“I joined...”

Great... he got me.

Fortunately (or is it unfortunately), something happened in front that turned the attention away from their present conversation.

A person in a black hooded cape led an army of Chrisianons into the forest. The hood covered most of his/her face. His/her gloved left hand held the cape close, as if he/she was cold, the right hand swung carelessly at his/her side as he/she took each step.

It's Kaylie. I'm sure of it.

“It's that girl from before!” Rain whispered excitedly.

The breeze seemed to have quickened it's pace and the person raised his/her gloved left hand to hold his/her hood in place. The cape fluttered in the breeze to reveal those shapely, slim legs that Afton had seen before...

“Retreat now, while you have the time. I'll let you go for today but it's only because I'm tired.”

Something took over him and Afton stood up, knees shaking.

I can do this. The war... would end with her death

He aimed and but something stopped him.... a different tugging on his heart

Don't think! Gah! Just... do it!

But then, a dagger flew straight to her heart... It hit with such a force that she fell backwards, the dagger pinning her to the ground... Someone had acted out before he did.

Time seemed to stop and he felt a sharp pain in his own chest...

No! I didn't want...

He let his dagger slip through his hand to the floor, drawing blood as its sharpened edge sliced though his palm. But he didn't care. She was dead now... and he just realized... that he might have liked her... even just a little bit.