Erza traveled over hills and mountains, following the trail shown on the map. Normally she would enjoy a horse back ride like this but in these circumstances, she could fell nothing but fear and anxiety. She was almost certain that anyone could tell that she was a woman with just one look. True she had hidden her most obvious traits like her long hair and breasts, but she had a very feminine looking face or at least she did according to Laxus. Then there was her voice, she could always try to make it sound deeper like a man's but would it be convincing?

"How am I going to do this?" She kept asking herself. "Everyone will know I'm a fake. They'll throw me in the dudgeon in two seconds flat, or worse they'll lop off my head!"

At some point she noticed that her horse was getting tired and thirsty, so she stopped by a river to rest and get some water. She sat under a shady tree and watched her horse drink, all the while wondering how she would be able to pull off being a lieutenant and convince anyone to help her in preventing another war. What she would she say? What words would get them to listen?

Suddenly her thought process was interrupted by the sound of a stick breaking under the weight of a foot. Erza was instantly on her feet, someone was nearby. There was no way to tell if they were friend or foe now so she readied her bow and arrow, and hid herself behind the tree, her ears listening carefully. She could hear more footsteps and they were coming closer. She drew back her arrow and watched for the source of the steps to come up.

But it actually came from behind. Before Erza had time to blink, a spear was fired and it knocked the bow and arrow right out of her hand. Next a leg was swept under her feet and she fell, pinned down from behind by the strongest pair of arms she had ever known.

"Who are you?" A man voice's hissed in her ear. "What do you want? Were you sent here by that scum Faust?"

Erza quickly adjusted her voice to sound deeper.

"Stay calm." She said in her man voice. "I don't mean you any harm and I don't know any Faust. My name is Erz-...Er...Ezra, I'm from the Tiānkōng Empire and I am a lieutenant in the emperor's army."

The man studied Erza's clothes and armor, it didn't match any of the traditional clothing or armor from where he came from so he thought this person could be telling the truth, however he still wanted to be careful.

"If you're from the Tiānkōng Empire then what are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to reach the Magnolia Nation. My country has decided to go to world war again but I'm sure we'll barely make it this time. So I'm trying to speak with the other countries and convince them to seek peace with each other to avoid another war."

"Why go to the Magnolia Nation to do that?"

"I was told there was someone there who could help arrange a reconciliation with the realms. I swear that is all I'm trying to do."

A few seconds passed, then the man got off of Erza and allowed her to stand back up. She turned around and faced her attacker. For a moment she was speechless, he certainly was handsome, with a well-built and attractive chest that had war paint and tribal symbols painted on. Then there were those green eyes of his. So intense and focused, serious. They sent a chill down her spine.

Jellal took a moment to look her over too. He thought that this soldier was rather thin for a young man in his position, and that his face lacked the lines he had often seen in men with battle experience. But the most unusual thing he noticed was the soldier's frame. He couldn't quite put his finger on it right now, but something about "Ezra's" body frame seemed completely different from all the men he had seen before.

"If you're speaking the truth then I apologize." He said. "I am Jellal, I'm a warrior from the Kiwanja Tribe."

"What..." Erza started, getting a hold of her mouth. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"A search for sanctuary for my brother and his friend. My family and people have been betrayed and threatened by a dangerous enemy. I was unable to fight back, the odds were against me, so I had no choice but to take the children and flee. Once I have found a safe place for them, I intend to return to my tribe and aid my father and allies."

"Children? You have children with you?"

"Yes. I told them to hide when I saw you. I didn't know if you would harm them or not." He looked in the left direction. "Romeo! Wendy! It's alright now, you can come out."

When she saw the frightened boy and girl come out from hiding in the bushes she almost melted right then and there. They were adorable. But she couldn't start fawning and cooing over them. She was pretending to be a man and men don't do that. At least no man she knew.

"Where are their parents?" Erza asked.

"Our mother died a long time ago and our father stayed behind so we'd have a chance to escape." Jellal said. "As for Wendy, she's an orphan. Lost both her parents."

"How terrible."

"Yeah." Romeo said. "Right now, my big brother is the only person we have left."

Wendy did not speak. She only held Romeo's hand and hid her face in his shoulder.

"Where are you taking them?" Erza asked.

"I don't know yet." Jellal said. "Every country in the world is an enemy to our tribe, they'd never give us shelter."

"The Magnolia Nation would. They're still on peaceful terms with all the other realms. Anyone is welcome there."

"Truly?"

"I swear. If you'd like, you can travel with me."

"Kind of you to offer but it's four of us and only one horse. I would hate to be burden to such a magnificent creature."

"One of us can ride the horse with the children and the other can walk. We'll trade every two hours."

"Very well."

For the rest of the day, the four of them traveled without saying one word. Erza would throw the children a smile every few hours, Romeo would smile back, but Wendy just looked down. She didn't mean to be rude but she didn't really feel talking to anyone apart from Romeo and Jellal yet. She couldn't help it, she had been traumatized by what her uncle and his henchmen had done to her. She wasn't sure who to trust, any stranger could mean her harm.

Finally about an hour before sundown, Jellal decided to break the long silence and ask Erza something that had been rattling around in his brain since he first met her.

"Are you sure you're a lieutenant?"

Erza looked at him suddenly.

"Why do you ask?" She replied, in that fake, male voice.

"Because anyone highly trained in military would have sensed that surprise attack I got you with. They also would have known a form of counter attack in order to escape. I took you down easily. Too easily."

For a moment, Erza started to panic. He was on to her. She needed a believable excuse and fast.

"I'm a different kind of lieutenant. Since we haven't gone to battle in years, the military has been comprised to aid in politics rather than war fare. I'm not trained in combat but I am in diplomacy and history."

"If that's the case then we cannot continue any further on this journey."

"What do you mean?"

"With all due respect Ezra, I have made it my main mission to protect these two children and I can't afford any distractions or burdens. In other words, I can't worry about keeping you safe too."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you need to know combat and how to defend yourself if you're going to travel with us."

"I can handle myself just fine."

"You won't last a day on your own. Our first meeting proves that."

"You don't even know me."

"I know that anything can happen when you're traveling a long distance, and I can tell just by the way you're standing that any bandit could knock you down, and crush your skull into the ground with a rock in just five seconds flat."

Erza did not like the tone he was using with her. He was arrogant, condescending, perhaps a little proud too. In a way he reminded her of the many soldiers and council members who had looked down on her and her mother for years. Calling them "charity cases". Once there was even a rumor that her mother was concubine of the emperor and that Erza was his bastard child. As if a poor woman and her child could not get high in rank without using their feminine wiles or something like that.

"There is solution to this though." Jellal proposed. "I was one of the best warriors in my tribe, I outmatched countless men who challenged me. I could teach you."

"Not interested."

"I'd seriously re-think that answer if I were you."

"If I said I could handle myself than I can."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrow skeptically. "Prove it then."

Took a step back.

"Try to pin me down." He challenged her.

"Excuse me?" She said.

"You heard me, try to pin me down. If you can take me then you should be able to take any potential threat that comes our way. If not, that leaves you with two options, let me teach you to fight or you can continue on you're own."

"You're serious?"

"I am. Care to try? Or are you afraid?"

Her? Afraid? Of him? Absolutely not. She feared war, she feared being executed and imprisoned for life, and she feared failing her mother and the emperor. But she would never fear an arrogant brute like him.

She fiercely got off the horse, standing tall and proud. As tall and proud as he was. She lunged forward but he moved too quickly and she missed. He once again knocked her over with a sweep kick and pinned her down from behind. She struggled, kicked, and squirmed to get out of his grip but his hold was like stone and his force was like a huge weight keep her down.

"So you can handle yourself, can you?" He smirked.

Jellal had a smug look on his face. One that Erza wanted to wipe off his face. Or rather punch off his face. Punch so hard that it would knock off that smug look and some of his teeth. But her temper cooled down, she realized that he had a point. She didn't know how to defend herself or know any form of combat, and as much as she would have preferred a peaceful route to any problem, one simply could not avoid fighting in order to protect oneself or others.

"Get off me!" She demanded.

"As you wish."

He stood up quickly and she followed suit.

"Alright, you win." She admitted. "I'll let you teach me."

"Wise decision. We'll start tomorrow morning at dawn. But as for tonight, we'll stop to make camp. You can't learn properly on an empty stomach and a tired mind."

Erza blew in frustration. She decided that dealing with this man was going to be harder than fighting a war and advocating for peace put together.