Unveiled

~ Chapter 7 ~

Xander smirks at Naya. Looking at the knife then at Naya. His eyes both cautious and curious. "If you use your wrist and not your arm you will get the speed and strength you are lacking," he remarks. She looks him up and down. "Thank you" she says sarcasticly, trying not to show her gratitude.

Xander weights the knife in his hand and flicks his wrist. The knife embeds itself in the tree next to her. She does not flinch. Her uncle thought her to learn your opponents movements. Xander gave away what he was doing as soon as he weighed the knife and the palmed it.

"What are you doing out here all alone, princess?" "I was going to ask you the same question." Xander just stands there and nods his head slightly and that smirk from earlier returns. Over confident, immortal, bastard, Naya thinks.

Naya takes the knife out of the tree and puts it back in her belt under her cloak. "I was training," she says finally, "and you." "Just taking a stroll." "You call hunting a deer in the form of ghost leopard, taking a stroll." He doesn't answer her.

Naya starts following the hoofprints in the snow. "Where are you going?" he asks. "I am going to find my horse." she reply's. "Your horse? Who said Poncho is your horse?" he sounds a little tense. She stops and turns to him.

"Is he your horse, because I haven't seen you riding him the past week." Naya says and starts following the hoofprints again. "These woods are no place for a princess," he continues. "I'll take my chances." she says without looking back.

"What are you going to do if you find him? You don't know how to get to the castle," he says. "I am sure Poncho knows the way to the castle." "Putting your trust in a horse? You really are a princess."

Naya feels her magic rising inside her and suppresses it as hard as she can. She keeps following the hoofprints and can hear Xander approaching her from behind. She sighs and just keeps walking. The snow is cold and thick. Hopefully she can make it back before the sun sets.

~

"Where was your uncle today?" Xander asks. She spins around startled. "How did you know I trained with my uncle? He wasn't there today, because he was busy." "I have been watching you. You just never seemed to notice me," he says, "Though my ghost leopard form blends in well with the snow and the trees on the edge of the clearing."

"So you have been following me?" She sounds a little offended. "I have been keeping an eye on you since you have arrived. Although my father seems to let you into his kingdom and into his house, I do not trust you, your family, or anyone from a kingdom who executes anyone with magical abilities." She just nods, not seeming at all surprised at what he just said or just not paying attention.

For a long moment they walk in silence, Naya occasionally looks over her shoulder at Xander. He just looks back, curious of what is going through her mind. "What do you want to know? So you can stop staring at me like that," he says.

Naya looks at him again. Like she doesn't entirely know what to say. "I don't bite," he says. She raises a brow as if to say Really, you don't bite? Although your animal form is a ferocious ghost leopard and you have teeth like a vampire. She stops and looks at him a while longer and then says, "Your pretty self-conscience."

It feels like he has been hit by a brick. "Is that it?" he asks. "No," she replies and starts walking forward again, following Poncho's prints, "there has been three questions nagging at me all week." He nods. "One: I don't mean to offend you or anything, but what exactly are you? I have seen Fae, but I have never seen anything like you before. Second: Why a ghost leopard, can't you choose another form? And third: Are all you boys territorial, stuck up, self centred bastards?"

Xander snarls at the last question, but the girl doesn't seem to be afraid. Instead she just raises her brow again as if to say, That is exactly what I mean. He sights and says, "Firstly I am part Fae and part Gryphon." "Wait as in the mythological creature with a lions body, wings and an eagles head?" she interrupts him. "Yes," he says slowly, a little confused, "except Gryphons are mythical. They are real. My father is a Gryphon and my mother was Fae. Does that answer your first question?"

"Yes, except now it spurred another. How come you only have the wings of a Gryphon, but still the body of a Fae." He sights, not hiding that he is annoyed, "A curse was put on the Gryphons and Humans a long, long, long time ago. Though if you are a gryphon now, you are no longer seen as cursed but dangerous and most people are afraid of us. It would appear all, except for you. Can I move on the next answer?" She nods.

"Secondly I did not chose the ghost leopard form. I inherited it from my mother and I cannot choose another. As for last your last question, I do not believe that I can give a relevant answer." She nods again and stalks off.