Our Secret Spot

[Gao Xia]

Xia set her odachi down next to her as she hugged her knees close to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees and looked up at the night sky, admiring the beauty of a full moon. She had come to the mountainous region of Ji often before her "adventures" in Japan. She had visited that exact spot several times before on her own, simply to enjoy some time to herself. It was a very secluded area that was fairly difficult to reach.

You didn't exactly need to bring rock-climbing supplies, but this spot required a decent amount of energy to reach. Although Xia was a proper woman, she didn't mind an outdoors adventure. She had thought about bringing Hiro once or twice before, but always decided that this could be her spot. A secret spot for her to get away from everything. That usually didn't include Hiro, but who knew?

Either way, Xia liked solitude every once in a while. Whenever she visited, it was almost always on the night of a full moon, because she felt that the moon's beauty was the most admirable. The combination of the dark night sky and the bright, white moon would never cease to fascinate her. She moved closer to the base of a large tree and leaned back. She began tracing the shadows of the leaves on the ground with a gentle finger.

She shivered slightly, with her left arm wrapped around her knees. Xia let out a deep breath, being able to see it just slightly due to how cold it was in the mountains. The cold didn't bother her much, most of the time she would simply shrug it off and get lost in her thoughts. She turned her head to the side as she heard a small noise. To her surprise, it was a small bird hopping closer.

She let out a small, quiet laugh. "Shouldn't you be sleeping in a nest?" she whispered. She gently reached a hand out with her palm facing down to welcome the small creature. Eventually the bird hopped closer, and hopped onto her hand, getting comfortable on her wrist. She smiled, bringing the bird closer to her face, and gently caressed the back of the bird's neck.

She could hear the bird's low chirps in the back of it's throat. She assumed that that meant the bird liked being caressed. Xia let out another small laugh. "We'll keep this spot a secret for ourselves..." she said in a quiet voice.

[Hiei]

To call the night Hiei's only friend was quite accurate as a claim, despite how pathetic that actually sounded. The last time he had a friend, the man was murdered by the hands of his father. Such a term had been long forsaken for him, for he had realised by then that the curse he carried from birth would only claim the life of anyone who came close to him. The red eyes were not just for show, it seemed. The young male sighed as he sat under the leaves of the tree, his back leaning against the base of its trunk, the elevated platform of a cliff giving him a clear view of his surroundings and more importantly, the sky.

Peaceful and serene, the night always was. It was almost a clear contrast to what Hiei actually did on other nights, where yells would kill the silence as the smell of blood plagued the air. This night, however, Hiei had no requests to tend to. For the first time in many nights, he was task-less. And it was a good break for a change. He had his cloak folded up and placed by his side, his weapons placed above it, the man being clad by his basic clothing.

The area seemed secluded, Hiei not being able to spot a single threatening soul as far as he could see. It felt almost safe, the thought of actually sleeping here lingering now in the back of his head. He smiled. Yeah, it had been a while since he made nature his bed, having been sleeping either in Yuan Shao's palace, or in inns. The cooling breeze of nature, the soft touch of grass. For some reason, he kinda missed it.

He closed his eyes, allowing his ears to take in the silence of night. The crickets chirping. The faint gusts of wind. The rustling of the leaves. A soft laughte-... His eyes shot open, the assassin sitting up quietly as he heard the faint trace of a voice. There was someone else here? He reached out slowly, grabbing the hilt of Heikage as he slowly pulled it out from its sheathe.

Where was she? And the voice came again, this time allowing Hiei to pinpoint the location of the intruder. He got up, his cloth boots making silent brushes against the grass as he moved from his spot. It was at the small valley his cliff was slightly overhanging. Not that much of a height difference. In fact, Hiei could simply jump off. And that was what the assassin did, leaping off and landing behind her, the flat side of Heikage landing upon her shoulder, the sharp end facing the side of her neck.

"Who are you?" the assassin inquired, his grip on his weapon tight, the blade threatening to slice the woman's head cleanly off her shoulders.

[Gao Xia]

As Xia continued to caress the small bird, her ears perked up, picking up a very slight noise. Her right hand that she was using to pet the bird quickly shot out to grab her odachi as the rest of her body sat still. She had almost no time to prepare herself. Her hand had barely gripped the handle of her sword as a blade then sat at the base of her neck. There it sat, death itself, in the form of a sword.

Quickly she tried to devise some sort of plan to at least distance herself from whoever it was behind her. She wasn't too fond of the idea of simply sitting there, completely vulnerable, with her life in a stranger's hands. Xia was a kind-hearted woman, but she wasn't one to bend to someone's will like that. "Who are you?" a voice said. She looked to the corner of her eyes making sure not to move any other muscles.

There was nothing in view besides the wilderness and a blade. 'It's a man's voice. Not one I recognize...' she thought to herself. 'From the look of it, his blade is from Japan,' she said, paying close attention to the detail of her potential assassin's sword. 'Who am I?' she asked herself.

'I don't know who this man is, but he can't know who I am either,' she told herself, taking into account the fact that she was supposed to be vanished from China. If this man was working for Wei, chances were if she spoke her name, they would be the last words out of her mouth. Her eyes looked to the left, eying the bird that was still on her hand, completely oblivious to how critical the current situation was. 'Why haven't you left, little friend?' Then an idea came to mind.

'Thank you for your company, but I think you have to flee now,' she said in her mind, as if talking to the bird. She made sure she kept a tight grip on her odachi with her right hand and then firmly flicked her left hand backward. The sudden movement startled the bird into rapidly flapping its wings, causing quite a commotion considering how silent it was. The bird flapped its wings furiously near the man behind Xia, she hoping it would serve enough of a distraction for her to get away. The instant after she flicked her left backward she brought her neck away from the sword and kept it close to the ground as she forced herself to slide a short distance.

She quickly stood herself up with her odachi sheathed and held in both hands. She wouldn't have time to strap it to her back for convenient sheathing and unsheathing, but she didn't think it was necessary at the moment either. She was more than ready to defend herself, now that she didn't have a blade against her neck. "One does not ask for another's name before giving their own," she finally said in response to the man's question. "It's simply not polite," she hoped to get a good look at him under the moonlight before he decided to disappear-- if he decided to disappear.

[Hiei]

Hiei furrowed his eyebrows. She was taking too long to answer. He allowed Heikage to jerk a bit, as if reminding her of her position, before bringing it a tad big closer to her neck, the edge now pressing against her flesh. And he would allow a second for her to answer, and yet she failed. Well, time's up, Hiei figured. Pity. He tightened his grip around Heikage and was about to push it forward, when he saw the movement of her wrist, before noticing a moving projectile moving towards him. It caused a lapse in his concentration, the assassin cursing as she tried to get away. Hiei would then allow both of his arms to swing outward, his left arm blocking the projectile while his right arm tried to reach for her neck as far as his blade could, the tip of the blade perhaps at least nicking her neck.

He allowed himself to see what the projectile was, and saw the bird standing on the ground, dazed from being swatted away by Hiei, as it struggled to stay on its feet. Well, wasn't that convenient, using a bird to distract Hiei. A soft grin would come upon his face, as he got straight up on his feet, looking over at her. She now had a weapon in hand, though sheathed, ready to defend herself better than before. He shook his head softly, unable to believe his luck that his plan had been foiled by a bird in her hand. He looked at her then from head to toe. Quite a beautiful young lady indeed. Heh. Pity.

"One does not ask for another's name before giving their own, it's simply not polite,"

Hiei raised his right hand, before jerking it downwards, the wind being sliced apart by Heikage's swing, that soft smirk still plastered upon his face as he took a step forward.

"I'm only going to ask one more time. Who are you?"

Hiei would slid his right foot back, his right hand coming up as he grabbed the hilt with his left hand too, the sword pointing towards her, as he got ready to shoot forward. At the moment, he had no intention of making friends. For some reason, he just felt like being a little more hostile than usual that day.

[Gao Xia]

Xia grinned, watching as the little birdie did as she wanted. She watched as the bird regained its balance and flapped its wings, flying off to safety. 'Thank you little friend,' she said in her mind. She was glad to see that at least the stranger didn't chop off the bird's wings or something like that. She had come to Ji hoping she would get a chance to simply relax, but it just didn't seem like luck was going to be on her side.

Her eyes narrowed as she felt a slight warmth on the side of her neck. She lifted a hand, pressing two of her fingers onto the spot where she felt the warmth building up. She brought her fingers back in front her, and sure enough it was blood. 'I didn't feel it, but he must've gotten me when I pushed myself away.' She felt a bead of her blood slide down her collar bown and run down her chest.

She ignored it for the moment, not wanting to take her eyes off this guy. 'He definitely looks formidable, but I can't tell who he serves simply by his looks. Maybe a hired hand?' she thought to herself. She watched as the man sliced the air in front of him, sending a small breeze towards her. Her long, black hair flowed back just slightly.

"I'm only going to ask one more time. Who are you?"

She pulled on the hilt of her weapon, unsheathing it as the man adjusted himself into a battle ready stance. She too took a battle ready stance without taking her eyes off of the stranger. 'That grin... it almost seems sadistic,' she thought. He seemed creepy, but Xia wasn't easily intimidated. She stood her ground fearlessly.

"I didn't come here for a battle. That's obvious," she stated in a firm tone. "But I refuse to let you know who I am, even if that means spilling your blood all over these mountains," she said. The mountains of Ji weren't exactly the most favorable place to battle. With all the random cliffs, unstable ground, and the abundance of trees, it was more than just a dangerous venue.

"Who do you work for?" she asked. She gave him a chance to back down. Even if he didn't, she figured it'd be best to let him make the first move.

[Hiei]

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And she would react to his challenge by drawing her weapon, adopting a stance of her own, Hiei's crimson hues analysing it carefully. There seemed no obvious opening that he could exploit. Hiei knew he would have to make one, then. He slid his right foot back, bending his knees as he prepared to push forward. He was all ready to fight now.

"I didn't come here for a battle. That's obvious,"

And Hiei stayed his ground, his smile fading away slightly as he looked at her curiously. He had only realised it now, but she had managed to keep calm and composed throughout the whole time. Even when the black blade was placed against her neck, even when Hiei had drawn first blood, her body never shivered the slightest. Hell, she even had the guts to taunt Hiei, drawing a smile on the assassin's face.

"But I refuse to let you know who I am, even if that means spilling your blood all over these mountains,"
"Let's see you try, eh?"

He would once more swing Heikage outwards, as if testing his current opponent, reminding her of what she would be facing against. You see, this was Hiei's battlefield. No, not the mountains. The night. Heikage was a completely black blade. Even with the illumination of the moon, it would still be hard the catch the shadowy blade's movements.

"Who do you work for?"
"The highest bidder..."

His smile disappeared for a moment. Eventually, he started to feel a tad bit awkward about this. What if this woman was under Yuan Shao too? After all, Nan Pi is quite close from here. It would be best if he checked first, just in case. And yes, Hiei was quite unsure of who else was under Yuan Shao, for he never really visited Nan Pi that much.

"... Lord Yuan Shao. Whose banner do you fight under?"

[Gao Xia]

"Let's see you try, eh?"
"Don't test my patience."

Xia was irritated enough that her rest and relaxation had been interrupted. Not only that, but this stranger had managed to nick her on the side of her neck. 'And he still has the audacity to mouth off and demand my name.'

"The highest bidder..."
'So he is a hired hand...'
"... Lord Yuan Shao. Whose banner do you fight under?"

"Yuan Shao? You don't have any business with me then," Xia said. "The only thing I have against Yuan Shao is this wound you've left me," she said in a firm tone. 'He kills for money. I'd be a fool to give my name.' She began to unsheathe her sword.

"I don't fight under any one's banner. I fight for my family. But like I said, I refuse to let you know who I am." She said as her fiance and his sworn brother ran through her head. 'Those two are going to kill me if this man doesn't.'

She finished completely unsheathing her odachi. Normally Xia was kind and forgiving, but clearly this man didn't deserve that side of her, seeing as earlier he had tried to kill a woman he didn't even know. Xia readied her blade. "But if you insist on knowing my name," Xia fiercely swung her blade horizontally, cutting through the air before returning to her battle stance. "I guess we have no other choice."

She let out a deep breath through her soft lips, gripping the handle of her six foot long weapon. She glanced to the side, feeling a sting from the small wound on her neck.

[Hiei]

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"Yuan Shao? You don't have any business with me then. The only thing I have against Yuan Shao is this wound you've left me,"

And Hiei would chuckle softly to himself. So what if he fought under Yuan Shao's banner? The man never gave him orders. The only reason Hiei was staying because it helped him maintain a steady supply of gold. It was a lot better than being a wandering mercenary where he had to take up the smallest of jobs just to make it through to the end of the day. He might as well be working for himself still, though.

"I don't fight under no one's banner. I fight for my family. But like I said, I refuse to let you know who I am."

Ah, a ronin, if that was the right term for people like her? However, despite that discovery, Hiei's attention would focus more on her weapon. That was one long weapon, the thing itself probably longer than Hiei was. And yes, Hiei was considerably short for a male, but despite that shortcoming, it had actually benefited in more ways than one. In a speed-based sword fight, size was not actually the best thing to have. Being larger meant the enemy had more chances of getting a hit in. Size, however, would not play a part in this battle, it seemed.

"But if you insist on knowing my name, I guess we have no other choice."
"Now that's what I like to hear."

And without a warning, Hiei would bend his knees, before shooting forward in a quick-footed sprint, scaling the distance between them in mere milliseconds, Heikage coming in from Gao Xia's left, having being swung outwards before his charge. The angle of the cut would be low, coming in probably from her waist, as Hiei made a wide slash at her chest, his right hand holding the blade on its own, his left hand positioning itself over head.

It was a standard discipline for a swordsman, really. If ever he needed to change direction, his left hand would snap in and push his right hand down, for reversing the momentum in a short period of time would prove difficult for just one hand

[Gao Xia]

[[lol, oops. I didn't realize my mistake in Xia's dialogue. "I don't fight under no one's banner." I don't have my characters speak no bad english... so I edited it xD]]

Xia's eyes widened as he saw the man make his move. Her eyes quickly narrowed again, barely able to keep track of his movements. She wasn't too sure of where the man was planning to swing his blade, but decided to take a risk. As he darted towards her, she jolted forward with a few steps of her own. She didn't cover much distance, thanks to her heavy sword, and how fast her opponent was.

However, she managed to gain enough momentum for her move. As the two were about to meet, Xia shoved her odachi into the ground, almost like a pole vault. This managed to cover herself and once she was able to see that he would swing to her left side, she used her momentum to swing her body to the right. She held onto her odachi's hilt, twirling it around on the ground as she swung herself horizontally. With her legs stretched out, she hoped to knock her opponent back with a strong kick.

After coming back down from the swing, she threw her odachi to the side. "This is obviously an uneven match up," Xia said. She realized how fast her heart was pounding. If the man was honorable enough, he would toss his weapon to the side as well. If he wasn't... well Xia would probably screwed.

She stood there, waiting to see what the man would do. Maybe she shouldn't have tossed her weapon off so soon, just in case she would need it right away. 'I really need to think about getting better weapons for these kind of situations.'