The next morning rolls around in a similar way to the one before, with Reza waiting for the others to arrive. They are supposed to meet at the fence at eight thirty every morning, but Reza has been sitting here since six. He doesn't have a phone or music to keep him occupied like the others his age, but he doesn't require such distractions. Nature sings its own music, though people seldom pause to listen to the voices of the early birds and the symphony of frogs and crickets.

Reza's eyelids are heavy today, reminding him of the lack of sleep he got the night before, though he is no stranger to sleep deprivation. Before heading out the door of his shabby apartment,  he pulled his only hooded sweatshirt over his head to ward off the morning chill. He was able to remove the bandage on his arm before he left, as the wound had finally decided to quit bleeding. Every time the fabric of his hoodie brushes against the bruised flesh though, it is still tender and painful.

While he is waiting in the tree that resides just above his usual spot atop the fence, Reza allows his right hand to rest against his aching forearm, warding off the soreness that surfaces. The young Leofwin has been thinking about last night's events and his dirty pile of laundry since he arrived this morning, trying to occupy himself with thoughts of anything but Tarsis. He watches the sun rise, fighting off the mist that hovers like a spirit over the small city streets.

He will have to work harder and rise in ranking so he can get a larger pay check, and maybe even earn enough money to move from the housing the government had given him. He truly hates that place.

Reza had nibbled on a slice of bread on his way over this morning, but his stomach is already complaining again. The coins in his pocket feel heavy, but the young boy shoves the thought away quickly. That is what will buy his lunch for the day, and he is not going to waste it so soon. Reza pulls his hood further over his eyes and nestles into the crook of the tree, his back pressed up against the rough trunk as he forces his mind to other things.

He inevitably falls victim to the nice temperature and relaxes, mind drifting from laundry to thoughts of slumber. His is eyes just begin to close in the warming air when an image of Tarsis, fair face blood splattered and crusted with insanity, plows itself into his brain. You should have stayed at home, little brother. Tarsis whispers, before running a blade through Reza's abdomen. 

The pain is nearly plausible, tearing through the rest of his body like a fire. He fights a scream and reminds himself that it is only a dream, that nothing actually happened. That Tarsis would never do something like that. Reza squeezes his eyes shut and the grip on his arm tightens until the sharp, burning pain is enough to chase the specter away. Even when it leaves, the pain in his stomach remains.

A sheen layer of sweat covers his brow when he opens his eyes and he has to fight to gain control of his emotions. His stomach lurches, but there isn't enough to come back up, thankfully. That is what he gets for falling asleep.

Reza hardly has time to get himself together before he feels someone's presence nearing. With a soft curse, he looks down to see a thin ribbon of blood dripping down his pale skin. He had dug his cursed nails into his arm again, disrupting the already red, angry sores from hours earlier. He carefully pushes his sleeve up to avoid staining it and holds his arm out to the side, allowing the air to sooth the pain. The wound isn't bleeding a lot, but it is more than enough to gain some attention from his squad mates. Even if he pulls his sleeve back down in attempts to cover it from their view, the crimson will just bleed through the grey material of his sleeve, anyway.

A presence nears the fence and Reza wonders briefly if he has enough time to return to the complex, dress this wound and get back here before the others arrive, but he immediately knows that he would run out of time. The squad would start without him if he tried to leave and come back now, because he would be far too late to expect the others to wait. With a vexed sigh, Reza looks through the thinning branches below him to see the person who has stopped in front of the fence.

Leigh stands with her back to him, holding a wicker basket and checking the time on her cell phone. At least it isn't Rowan.  Reza swings from his branch and drops soundlessly in front of her. She looks up just before he lands, having been able to sense him coming when he got closer.

Instead of yesterday's braid, Leigh's long locks are piled on top of her head with wisps of the fawn colored hair framing her face. She doesn't look surprised to see Reza and smiles, holding up the large basket. "Oh, Reza. I thought you may be here already, but I wasn't sure. My mom packed us all a lunch for later," Her green eyes drift to the arm that Reza holds with a tight grip, seeing the blood. "Oh my gosh, Reza you're-"

Reza lifts his pale gaze and gestures to the basket with his chin. "That was thoughtful. You wouldn't have any napkins, would you?"

It takes a moment for the girl to respond, as she is busy staring at the Leofwin boy's arm. It isn't a lot of blood, but she can't figure out why he would be injured already, when the day is still so young. He hadn't gotten into a fight, had he?

"Leigh." Reza tries again, voice hard enough to snap her from her daze.

"Oh, s-sorry. Yeah, I have a few," She sets her wicker basket down and opens the top, beginning to shift through the contents. "What happened?" Leigh asks, glancing up as she hands him two paper napkins.

Reza takes them and mops the thin ribbon of scarlet from his pale skin before folding them and pressing it down against the wound. He resists a wince at the way it burns and responds with more pressure, clenching his jaw. "Nothing. I slipped coming down from a tree."

Leigh looks skeptically at him, her eyes flickering to the split on his lower lip. Reza is definitely not the type to fall over his own feet, let alone from up in a tree. That would be like a cat falling from a branch and landing on it's back. In fact, Leigh isn't sure if she's ever seen Reza misstep even once in the time she's known him. "Rowan didn't do anything, did he?" She asks tentatively.

"No. I told you, I fell," Reza repeats, pale eyes meeting her green ones from beneath his hood. "That's all. Don't worry about it."

Leigh doesn't avert her gaze right away, and Reza mentally gives her a round of applause. That's the first time she hasn't been so timid about holding his gaze. "Okay." She says, closing the lid of her basket.

 After making certain the blood flow has stopped, Reza stuffs the dirty napkins into the pocket of his pants, trying to ignore his nagging insides. He finds himself tempted to ask what was packed for lunch, but a glare in the early morning light catches his quick eyes and re-directs his thoughts. The object starts far off, but takes a fraction of a second to get less than a foot away.

Reza withdraws a shuriken from his hip and deflects the flying blade, reminded of how the previous day had started out. In fact, he has grown to anticipate this greeting, now. Slowing his heart rate, Reza crouches down and extends his senses, feeling out every living thing within a hundred yard radius.

Leigh deflects a second weapon that is thrown at her, though the sharpened tip nearly grazes her arm. "Who is that?" She asks Reza, her voice a pitch higher than before. She has her shuriken in her grasp and has taken on a defensive position, copying Reza's movements.

There is only one other person on this road, somewhere to the right of them. The presence is familiar, and Reza lets out a snort as he stands back to his full height. "Caledon."

"What? Why would a mentor throw weapons at his students? We haven't started practice yet!"

Reza spares her a glance as he rolls his left sleeve down to cover the wound on his arm. "Think about it. Our enemies aren't going to voice when they are about to attack, are they?" He glances at the dirt by the fence, noticing a splatter of blood from when he landed. He casually scuffs dirt over it with his shoe, masking it from view. Caledon was bound to notice something like that, even if it was just a small drop.  He has quicker eyes than he likes to let on. 

Leigh thinks on this a moment, having missed Reza's last movement. "Yeah, but what if he hits someone?"

"There is no one else on this road. Besides, it is our job to ensure that such a thing doesn't happen. We're the guardians of these people, right?"

Leigh doesn't sound happy as Caledon slowly comes into view, hands in his pockets. "That's so dangerous! Can't he get fired for that, or something?"

Reza shakes his head slightly, fair face taking on a bored expression. "No, he is doing his job. He is supposed to train us, and that is what he is doing. He is just doing so when we aren't expecting it."

"Exactly," The Crow calls, having heard Reza, even from the distance. "This exercise helps keep you young Sparrows alert. So, expect such things from now on." He doesn't come to a stop in front of the Sparrows, but keeps walking past them.

The two share a look before following.

"Aren't we going to wait for Rowan?" Leigh asks, allowing Reza to take the basket from her burden.

Caledon doesn't turn his head as he bends to retrieve his shuriken. "Rowan is staying home today," Is his simple answer. "So, you and Reza will just be running a few drills today. Nothing new until he can come back tomorrow."

Reza catches one blue eye of the Crow in front of him and holds it, recalling the night before. Rowan did look exhausted and was well beaten, but Reza didn't think he looked bad enough to skip a day of their first week. He could have been wrong, though. If he remembers correctly, he noticed that Rowan's energy levels were insufficient, but he wrote it off as being tired from too much physical movement. Could Caledon already be teaching Rowan an attack that uses more than just physical hits to cripple an opponent? It has to be far too early into the game to be teaching any of them that. Surely Caledon wouldn't be so foolish.

"Oh... What happened?" Leigh asks, swiping at a stray piece of hair that blows into her face.

Caledon has his hands in the pockets of his vest and continues to stroll along idly. "He wasn't feeling well this morning, so his mother kept him home. He had a late one last night. Ah, and how are you this morning, Reza? You look like you've hardly slept at all." Caledon inquires nonchalantly, replacing the weapons into the pouch at his side. 

Reza shows no emotion and ignores the question, turning his face to the trees to his left.

"Hmmm... we should work on your people skills," The Crow comments with a chuckle. "So, Leigh, what's in that basket Reza has?"

"Oh, just some lunch that my mom packed us. It looks like there's going to be extra now, though."

Reza further ignores the mentor and extends his senses to the world around him. On the other side of the fence the town is coming to life, filling with market tenders and buyers. A cat knocks over a garbage can on the other end of the road, the way that Caledon just came, and a dog barks somewhere in the distance. No threats make themselves known at the moment, though he is still uneasy. Reza writes it off as being anxious from his earlier nightmare. 

The spot on his abdomen throbs sharply, but he tries to ignore it. The stabbing was just an illusion- it never actually happened, but his body seems to say otherwise. Reza wants to lift his shirt to look and see if it looks as bad as it feels, but doesn't want to risk the other's seeing. He reaches to feign a scratch at the spot, finding the skin to be painful, but smooth. It is almost like the flesh was bruised, but that couldn't be possible. He is relieved when his fingers come back stain-free. 

"That was very considerate of her. Be sure to thank your mother for us." Cale says.

Before he even moves, Reza is able to tell that the mentor is planning to leap onto the fence beside them, having caught the minor tensing of his leg muscles. Due to the early warning system that is Reza's eyes, he manages to match the Crow's movements and land atop the narrow posts just behind him. Even with the added weight of the picnic basket, Reza's feet land soundlessly.

Caledon tries to hide his surprise when he turns and sees the boy, and mentally scold himself that he should be used to things like that from Reza by now. Someone of his status should not be so easily startled by a fourteen year old boy.

"H- hey! Wait a second," Leigh exclaims, following their movements and hopping up onto the fence behind Reza. "You need to warn us before doing something like that! Not all of your students have Leofwin eyes, Cale."

Caledon looks at Reza for a second longer than normal, and as usual, the boy ignores him, turning his face away. "Even most of the Leofwin clan don't have eyes like Reza's." 

"What do you mean by that? Don't all of the Leofwin clan have the same visual abilities?" Leigh asks, furrowing her brow. 

Cale turns around and starts walking along the fence. "Everyone has different skills, even those within the same clan. For example, Reza's oldest brother was able to see right down into a person's thoughts so he could practically read their minds. Some would even say he could see to a man's very soul. To face him in a fight meant certain death, because he knew your moves before you even made them." 

Reza stiffens at the mention of Tarsis, and Leigh notices the change in him but doesn't say anything about it. She is a sharp enough girl to figure that something is strained about the relationship that he and Caledon have, and decides to keep the things she notices about Reza quiet from the others. Unless, for some reason, something is to happen where Reza cannot defend himself or is left otherwise incapable in a way that puts his team at risk, Leigh won't tell Rowan or Cale about what she suspects. 

Leigh lifts her eyes to Reza's back as they begin to follow their mentor along the fence. He drapes the picnic basket with one hand over his shoulder and has his free arm stuffed into the pocket of his pants. She notes that he is avoiding using the injured arm and seems to want to keep it a secret from anyone else. She wonders why, but doesn't dare ask him. If he wants her to know, she'll wait for him to tell her. If he doesn't, then it isn't her business. 

Reza turns his profile to her for a moment, as if knowing the mental decision she's made and nods just slightly. The movement is so minuscule, in fact, that Leigh would have written it off as a bounce in his step if Reza wasn't so smooth and cat-like on his feet. He turns to face forward again and quickens his pace to match Caledon's, until the group is running along the fence. 

Leigh's feet make slight tapping sounds as they make contact with the wood, but Reza and the mentor's steps are silent. She makes as mental note to ask Reza for advise on her noisy shoes later as she follows the other two out of the city and through the trees, towards their training ground. Leigh has found it a bit strange that they haven't run into any other Sparrows training with their mentors, but then again, she supposes that is the point. Until the examination to step up into a Crow position takes place, everyone wants to keep their new skills hidden. The other squads are most likely scattered throughout the forest to avoid running into one another. 

For the remainder of the day,  Reza is his usual cold, distant self and excels at the training. He eats up everything thrown at him with hunger, welcoming any and all distractions to keep Tarsis' horrible specter from resurfacing. He has to work a little harder than usual to keep it at bay, but ends up able to subdue it until he gets home. Leigh has kept an eye on him throughout their training, concerned for him as a team mate. Unlike Rowan, she doesn't feel the need to compete with Reza, and not because she feels that she isn't good enough to keep up. She is confidant in her own abilities and cares more about the squad's relationship as a whole, rather than who is stronger than who. 

Caledon has been unnervingly interested in Reza today, and now looks to him, blue gaze piercing. Reza stares back with a bored expression, reaching to wipe sweat from his brow. 

Cale looks on for a moment longer before raising his hand up in a salute to the two underlings before him. "I have something to take care of before the sun sets, so you two get off a little early. Go on home, I'll see you tomorrow at the usual spot, alright?" 

Leigh nods and stands from the ground, where she had been fixing her shoe. She watches their mentor disappear into the trees overhead before turning to Reza. He hadn't taken off yet, but instead is gazing after Caledon, but judging by how spacey his expression is, he wasn't really watching him leave.

"Hey, Reza?" Leigh asks, voice soft. 

He snaps to attention, turning to her slightly. "What?" 

She is pleased to hear some of the edge gone from his voice at the absence of the Crow and bends to retrieve her basket from the dust. "Will you walk home with me?" Even though Reza is her team mate, she still feels strange asking him. It isn't because he is a boy, she was raised around them and hasn't ever been flustered by one. Maybe it is because she doesn't want Reza to be angry or annoyed with her for asking.

Reza furrows his brow but takes the basket from his friend, carrying it for her. He launches himself into the treetops and waits until Leigh has landed beside him before answering. "Why?" 

Leigh follows him with ease, as he has slowed his steps to be at the same pace as her. "I wanted to talk to you. I feel like since we're on a team together, we should get to know each other, right? I don't know anything about you, other than what the rumors say."

"None of them are lies, if you want to know," Reza says without looking at her. He then decides to comment on her noisy feet, which have been annoying him throughout the day. "Focus your energy towards the pads of your feet, but don't keep it there. It will drag your foot down and create a heavier sound. Land on your toes, not the whole foot."

Leigh's eyes are slightly widened in surprise but take the instructions in stride. Rarely has she heard Reza speak so much in one sentence, and she doesn't want to ignore a single thing that he said. With the next leap to a branch, she tries landing how he said. The sound is much quieter now, and she can't help but smile. "Thank you, I was going to ask about that."

Reza doesn't smile as he continues to hop through the trees, moving easily despite the bulk of the picnic basket on his back. "It is Caledon's job to teach you, not mine. He should think of doing that every once in a while instead of allowing me to do it." He says, voice showing his annoyance.

"You're right, he isn't being a very good mentor. Are we sure that he trained all of your siblings?" Leigh asks tentatively, afraid to mention his family in case it is a tender topic.

"You won't offend me, Leigh. If you ask a question that I don't want to answer, I simply won't," He catches her nod from the corner of his eye and wonders briefly why Rowan doesn't think to simply ask, too. Instead of trying to outshine Reza, why doesn't he just ask for some tips? He must be too prideful for that.  "Caledon did mentor  my siblings, but for no more than a few months each. They all surpassed him and had to be given new teachers to learn under." 

"Wow," Leigh breathes. "They must have flew through the rankings." 

Reza shrugs one shoulder. "They did. By the end of their first year, all of them had rivaled their mentors in skill. Any other questions?" 

"Uh- yeah, sure." Leigh manages in her surprise, unable to mask her shortened breath. 

Reza notices her fatigue and stops on a wide branch, waiting for her to come up next to him. "We can walk from here." He offers, dropping to the ground before she can answer him. 

She follows, taking a moment to catch her breath before nodding to him to begin walking again. "Thanks... If I offend you, tell me and I'll shut up, okay?" 

Reza nods slightly as they walk through the trees at a leisurely pace. "Sure."

"What, um- what actually happened to your arm?" 

Reza doesn't miss a beat. "Before I answer anything else, promise me something." 

Leigh nods. "Yeah, sure. What is it?" 

Reza stops walking and turns to her, eyes glinting in the sun. "Rowan never hears about any of this. Got it?" It isn't a threat, really, but more of a command. For some reason, he doesn't want Rowan to know  too much about him. Why is that?

Leigh swallows and tucks some loose hair behind her ear. "Alright. I promise I won't tell him anything." She swears, knowing better than to go against Reza's wishes. She may be one of his squad mates, but she remembers the stories about what his brother did to his friends. 

Reza watches her for a moment longer before walking again. "I'm not going to hurt you, Leigh. Relax. I'm not him." He assures, unable to mask the hint of disdain in his voice.

Leigh lowers her head and plays with her shuriken pouch. "I'm sorry, I didn't-" She cuts off, not wanting to lie to him by saying that she wasn't afraid of that. "Hey, you can't read people's minds like Tarsis, can you?" 

Reza pauses for a moment at his brother's name, and Leigh makes a mental not not to voice it again. "No, I can't. I'm just good at deducing people." 

"Oh. That's like reading people, right?" 

"Yes, but it's more in depth than that. I can tell where someone works or how many siblings or children they have in one glance. You just have to be observant. It's helpful in finding out what someone's weaknesses are." 

Leigh's eyes widen a bit, impressed. "Woah. I think your eyes might have a big roll in it, too, Reza. Not just anyone could do that." 

The Leofwin shrugs in response, glancing up at the treetops. 

Leigh looks around and realizes that she's never been to this part of the forest before. She looks to the boy beside her and notes that Reza seems to know exactly where he is going. He doesn't miss a step as her leads them through the trees, eyes ahead. 

He turns his profile to her, as if catching on to what she was thinking. "We'll be back to town in five minutes. You live near the hospital, right?" 

She nods, dropping her hand from her weapon's pouch and stuffing it into her pockets. "So? What about your arm?" 

Reza turns back around to look ahead, readjusting the basket in in hand. "I had a bad dream." Is his simple response, and it seems as though that is all he will say about the topic. Leigh takes the hint and searches her brain for another question to ask. She doesn't have to use much of her imagination to figure out what he was having nightmares about. 

"Why are you doing this?" 

Reza half looks at her. "Joining the military?" She nods. Reza faces front again and leads her around a large patch of prickers. "To find my brother." 

Leigh doesn't answer for a while, allowing Reza to lead her around in silence. By the time she finds another question, they break out of the tree line and are met with a lowering sun. Reza wastes no time in directing their steps through the city gates and towards the only hospital. 

"To kill him?" Her voice is so soft that it mixes with the soft breeze that blows past them. She realizes how quiet she was and opens her mouth to repeat herself louder, but Reza speaks before she does. 

"I heard you," He is quiet for a very long time as they walk through the streets. "I will if I have to, but that isn't my goal. I need to ask him why." As he speaks, he rubs his abdomen, as if it pains him. 

"Ask him why?" Leigh repeats, though she isn't looking for an answer. She knows what he means. "Does your stomach hurt?" She asks from her observation.

Reza lowers his hand and stuffs it into his pocket. "Don't worry about it, it wasn't the food you brought. That was good." 

"What is it, then?" She presses. "Did I hit you too hard during practice?" 

Reza almost smiles. "No. It's just the place that he stabbed me in my dream." 

She doesn't have to ask who "he" is, and she lowers her gaze, feeling like she's trespassed on his privacy. So, she was right about one thing at least. The nightmare that Reza had was about Tarsis. That would explain the dark circles beneath his eyes and why he's been so distant today. "Reza... I'm sorry. That wasn't my business." 

He turns his face slightly. "Like I said, don't worry about it." 

There are so many more questions that Leigh wants to ask Reza, but they are nearing her home and she feels as though she has already intruded enough. "Is there anything you wan to know about me? We're almost there and all I've done is butt into your private life."

"I answered everything, didn't I?" That is his way of reminding her that he wasn't offended. "I already know a lot about you. Deduction, remember?" 

Leigh feels like an idiot and can't help the blush that creeps along her cheeks. "Oh, right." 

"You're not a very good waitress." Reza states casually.

Leigh can't help the offense she feels. It's true that her parents have taken her off of the waiting staff because of her accidentally neglecting customers, but she didn't think she was bad at her previous job. Now she is stuck in the kitchen washing dishes. "Sorry?" 

"Don't get mad," For some reason once he says this, Leigh feels the heat fade from her body, no longer worked up. "There. You can't focus on one thing for more than a moment and waiting tables takes constant attention, which you lack to give. You dwell on things, too. You've been worrying about me all day and it needs to stop. That could get us all killed when on a mission." 

Leigh crosses her arms and stops outside of her parent's cafe. They live on the upper story of the building above the shop, where Leigh had left her bedroom light on by accident this morning. "This is it. Don't people get angry at you for deducing them like that?"

Reza stop beside her and shrugs. "No, I don't say what I find out loud. Now you see why." 

Leigh lets out a sigh and takes her basket from him, then goes to take a step forward. She pauses and looks back at her squad mate. "Come meet my parents. They haven't seen any one from my squad yet, and you're already here." 

The restaurant is attracting customers for dinner, and the savory aroma of food wafts to Reza's nostrils, reminding him of his hunger. He had eaten only hours before, but his stomach already seems to think it is empty again. It looks crowded inside of the cafe, automatically making him tense. Reza never was good in crowds, especially when his physical looks are such a draw. One of two things usually happen when people realize he is from the Leofwin clan. Either someone tries to pick a fight with him, or people begin to whisper. Either way, both option comes with a lot of unwanted staring and attention, two things that Reza detests. Besides, who is to say that Leigh's parents will take to a Leofwin kindly? They may have issues with his clan or his father.

Reza reaches up to flip his hood over his raven tainted hair before replacing his hands into his jacket pockets. "I have to go. There are still some things I have to do." He isn't lying- the image of his dirty laundry bag reminds him of this. The public laundry facility is only open until eight, and though there is still plenty of time before then, he picks that as his excuse. 

Leigh tries not to look disappointed. "Oh, alright." 

Reza tries his best to give an encouraging expression. "Another time, okay?"

His squad mate smiles and nods, loose hair framing her face. "Sure. See you tomorrow." 

Reza lifts his hand in a wave before leaping onto the roof of the building across from the cafe. 

Leigh watches him until he disappears over the roof of a building, feet soundless against the shingles. With a sigh, she heads into the noisy restaurant and makes her way to the kitchen to help her parents. 

~

Author's Note

Thank you guys so much for reading! I'm glad you like it, even though the story is only half molded and unedited. Thanks for being forgiving and supportive :) Let me know what you think and give me your honest opinions! I appreciate all of you, even you ghost readers. 

Thanks!

-A.