"Take a break" Nuada watched as his student nearly collapsed under the strain of her latest session. He'd moved her from shadow sparring to actual sparring against him, and he had to admit, she was formidable. But there were some things she could only learn by doing, so he couldn't take it easy on her.

"You've done well." He assured her as she panted, moving from her knees into a crouch.

"Yeah?" She swallowed, sweat dripping down her face. "I have no idea how I'm going to explain these bruises to my parents."

"Say you fell from a tree." Nuada suggested, "That's what I used to say."

"Really?" She eyed him, "Wait, why did you have to lie?"

"Well, when I was still royalty it was the law that you couldn't injure me in any way. I was supposed to take the throne after all. But that made it difficult to train properly, so I found a master who agreed to teach me in secret."

"I see." Ruby laughed, "Did he beat the hell out of you like you're beating the hell out of me?"

"Worse." Nuada scoffed, "Much worse, I could hardly move when he was done with me."

Ruby steadied her breathing and sighed, "So, I think my brother may want to go into town with me."

Nuada sniffed, "Really?"

"Yeah." Ruby nodded, "I don't know if our parents would let him, but I think it would be good for him to get out with people."

Nuada didn't respond and Ruby sighed, "I know you don't like them."

"Correct."

"But I still think it would be good for him." She insisted, "I'm serious."

"Are you?" Nuada eyed her skeptically and Ruby crumbled.

"I don't know, I just want him to be happy." She confessed, "It feels like we're from two different planets now, and I don't want it to be that way. Maybe if I can get him out, we'll be able to connect better."

Nuada sighed and leaned back, eyeing her with sympathy, "Just, make sure you're not walking him into the danger you want to protect him from. Those humans….you don't know how they'll react to him."

Ruby frowned tightly and nodded, "I know, but I'll take care of him."

Nuada nodded and glanced behind him slightly, "Your birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?"

"Three more days." Ruby smiled, welcoming the change of subject. "15 years old, I've been trying to talk mom into letting me learn how to drive."

Nuada hummed with slight disinterest as he slipped his hand into his bedroll and pulled out a tightly wrapped bundle.

"Here." He pressed it into her hand firmly, "It's early, but you may need it."

Ruby looked down at the package in confusion but smiled, "You've never given me anything before."

"Well." Nuada glanced away, "My Master gave me one when I was about your age, I thought it only right."

Ruby carefully unwrapped the gift and marveled at the simply made dagger in her lap.

"It's iron." Nuada explained, "from the Troll Market, well crafted to it should last you a long time if you take proper care of it."

Ruby gripped the leather-wrapped handle and let it fall naturally into her grip, her fingers curling around it evenly.

"Thank you." She breathed, her face growing hot with a blush.

Nuada smiled and stood quickly, "Here, let me show you how to use it before you hurt yourself."

They spent the rest of the evening until sunset ensuring that Ruby's stance and technique were solid and that she could use her tool without endangering herself.

Nuada glanced out the mouth of the cave and sighed, "It's getting darker earlier and earlier."

"I should go." Ruby grimaced, "they'll be worried."

"I'll walk you part of the way" Nuada threw a loose tunic on over his trousers, slipping a knife into his belt.

"They could see you."

"Not this far out." Nuada insisted, "I don't want you walking alone in the dark."

"What have you been training me for, if not to defend myself." Ruby laughed but stifled in at Nuada's serious look.

"Just because I've taught you to fight, doesn't mean I want you to be in that position."

Ruby reluctantly followed him out, wrapping the blade in cloth and stashing it in her waistband so she could sneak it past the guards. Her eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, flashing green and catching Nuada off guard from time to time. He still wasn't used to her abilities, mainly because Ruby hardly ever brought them up, and he couldn't tell from the outside.

She was so small when she'd first found him. A hard-faced little girl with serious eyes and steely fists, who somehow had him at the disadvantage of knowing him before he knew her. She was unnervingly strange.

He'd turned her away at first, and moved camp knowing she would tell her parents about him. But instead, he awoke the next morning with a start to find she'd tracked him to his new camp and waited for him to wake up with her plump arms crossed tightly.

"What do you want?" He growled and she glared at him.

"I told you" She sighed, "I want you to teach me to fight like you."

"Why?"

"Because Trevor needs me!" She stomped her foot, clearly frustrated that he didn't immediately know her plight.

It took some time, but Nuada finally gave in, though he still didn't know why.

Maybe it was her promise not to give him away, or her persistence to annoy him until he did.

Or, maybe, it was that familiar fire in her eye that struck some deep chord in him.

"This is close enough, they'll see you." Ruby insisted as they approached the isolated grey brick base that was flooded with security lights.

Nuada sighed. "Fine, but I'm sticking to the tree line until you make it to the lights."

"Fine." Ruby nodded and paused a moment before catching her mentor off guard completely by embracing him tightly around the chest for a split second before pulling away.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She whispered and darted off towards the base. Nuada watched her go with careful eyes, tracking her until she reached the edge of the safety lights. He began to back away but stopped when his eye caught a glint of silver.

"Nuala?" Ruby blinked at the older woman who emerged from the building as she approached. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was taking in the night air." The princess smiled at her softly. "Just getting in? It's late, your mother was worried sick."

"I lost track of time." Ruby rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, allowing Nuala to get an eyeful of the developing bruise under her bicep.

"Oh my!" Nuada gaped and Ruby tensed and snapped her arm down, "What happened?"

"I uh-" Ruby rubbed her toe into the dirt. "I fell out of a tree."

Nuada felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as her gaze wandered to the tree line. Ruby felt her lie hang in the air for too long and cleared her throat.

"I'm starved." She changed the subject hastily, "I'm gonna get a shower." She slipped back the princess but froze when Nuala placed a hand on her shoulder, the spot when numb and tingly almost instantly and Nuala eyed her.

"I'd take a bath in ice." She suggested quietly. "It will help with bruising."

Ruby nearly trembled under her gaze and looked away. "Thanks."

Nuala's hand fell as the girl entered the base, but the woman stood there and turned back to the tree line.

Nuada pressed himself to the broad trunk of a tree and closed his eyes. The back of his brain buzzed like a hornet and the pressure behind his eyes was unbearable.

"Go away," A silent voice told him. "Leave."

He frowned and swallowed hard before glaring out at the building.

"No"