Jay quickly processed what Matt had just said. "Well, since there on foot we can catch up with them if we hurry so that's good. But if someone is on Jake's back then they are injured." He shook his head. "Damn it all." He muttered. "Rukeia is the one missing. But she got away. Jake would never have left the castle if she was still in there. Come on, let's go. They quicker we catch up to them the quickly we can find Rukiea." He dug his heels into the horse, urging it to go faster.

Jake held Zane a little tighter and he grabbed Jay's horse's reigns. "Jay! Damn.. I finally caught up with you... I can't run anymore... We need to get to a safe place for Zane... And Rukiea was being a dumb girl and ran off without telling anybody where she was going. We just saw a broken windown and that's it.." He laid Zane on the horse and swung his body onto the horse. "Jay, I have a cave hide away in the forest,  Rukiea and I had it before we joined the vipers.."

Matt had others on the back of his horse and he looked at Jay. "So Jay, what are you going to do?" He looked at Jay. "You know that the guards will be sent out soon.."

Jake nodded and looked at Jay. "Since when did you become to learder like." He smiled and pointed in front of him. "Head due South. take a few turns along the way to just spread our scent if they get the dogs out... Just make sure you stay on the path of trees with a single low lying white leaf..." He dug his heels into Jay's horse and he held onto Zane with his hand. "Look, I don't know what happened in there. ALl I know is that Rukiea was in there.. The king and her started to fight when she stabbed Zane because of something that happened. But I took her sword, so she doesn't have any weapons at the moment.. After all that.. We didn't see her... We had to take Zane and run out of there before we died..." he sighed and looked around. In the pit of his stomach, his stomach hurt. He knew there was something wrong.

Matt followed Jake, holding onto the horse tightly. "Jay, once we get there, you know we won't have the time we want to even find Rukiea. Your being limited each minute thata p*censored*es by... We need to hurry so you can get Rukiea quickly. There wouldn't be much time anyways."

Jake looked at Jay. "If you do what I said and listen to the new kid, your porbably could get her to come back. She's probably in pain and in need of someone to just be there with her. I don't want her coming running to me crying and screaming for me to help her any more.. She cana't always hide behind people. Come on Jay.. You can't say maybe she'll come back. You know you can get her to come back." He looked at Jay and pulled the reigns. Stopping in front of a mountain. He got off and carried Zane, making his way through the trees and coming to a slender lesge. He balanced himself and sidled across and squeezed into a crack. The inside was very wide and huge. He laid Zane on a small couch. "Man, nothing's changed."

Matt followed Jake and was soon inside. "Jay, you should head to the field quickly.. Maybe the guard already got to her.. Her sword should still be on the horse... Jake had it earlier.." He sqeezed through the crack.

~~~~

Rukiea looked around, the field had grown back, but there was a deep sadness in her heart. There was something about the field that hurt when she saw it. She walked into the field, no trees were around the field. Nothing but rolling hills that led to the mountians. Her heart sank and she walked on. Her boots trudging and making marks in the dirt at first. She walked into the gr*censored* and then into the clover patches. She got down on her knees and layed down. She stared at the sky, wanting it to freeze. However, she got quite the opposite. A drop of rain landed on her cheek. She sighed and continued to stare at the clouds, already forgetting today's events. Wanting to forget she ever fell in love with a prince and a warrior. "Why can't I just leave?" She said softly. Her ruby eyes closing and she drifted off to sleep, never wanting to wake up. A small bit of blood staining the gras.s and blue roses around her.

Jay waited to leave until everyone was safely inside. He barely heard Sam wish him good luck while he slipped inside the cave. Yanking his horse around, he started off at a slow canter, trying to remember exactly where the meadow was. Finally remembering, he sped the horse up, wanting to reach Rukiea as soon as possible. Finally after a bit of riding, he finally approached the field.

Leita entered the cave and took little notice of its interior. Kneeling at Zane's side, she looked up at Jake. "Do you have any bandages around here? Or scraps of fabric? Something to press against his wound?"

Rukiea heard the sound of a horse coming and yet, she refused to move. Maybe they would think she was dead and would just let her be. She left no trail and she was hidden in the flowers, but she was still a little worried that someone might find her. She tried not to move and closed her eyes, hoping to just let this person go on by.

Jake nodded and walked toward the back of the cave and opened a small cabinet. He took out some bandages and some tape that would hold them all together. He walked back and handed what he had to Leita. "Do you need anything else?"

Jay dismounted, disappointed that he didn't see Rukiea. He knew there was a chance she was still here though, the gr*censored* was pretty tall. Do I shout her name or walk around? He decided on the first, it was less likely to scare her. "Rukiea," He called softly. "Rukiea, if you're here, could you sit up or something? We need to talk."

Leita shook her head. "Thanks but there isn't much that can be done right now until the bleeding slows down."

Ooc: Is the dagger still in him?

((yeah.. Sam said not to remove it cuz the blood would run faster. He had better chance of surviving with it in him. XD))

Rukiea slowly sat up at the command of Jay. She just wanted it all to end. She could kill herself, but then Jake would be left to handle his anger issues alone. If she ran away right now, Jay would just follow and Jake would be alone and worried. She kept her head turned away from Jay, not wanting to see the face that had rejected her out flat. She was still sad by that, but she knew Jay made his choice. She just wasn't it. Her eyes welled with tears and she looked at the floor, the roses fluttering lightly with the breeze that came through the open field. A few petals flew off and were carried by the wind, due west.

Jake nodded. "Right.. But what are we supposed to do til them? We can't just let him bleed out. He's lost a lot of blood already and if we don't do something right now, we own't be able to do anything if he is about to die on us.. I'm pretty sure he wants to say bye to Rukiea if he dies, even though I won't allow that to happen.. But tsill.. Is there any way we can slow the bleeding?"

Seeing her slowly sit up, Jay walked over to her. He hesitated to speak, knowing they needed to talk just not quite sure what to say. Sitting down with his back to her, Jay looked out at the field. "Hard to believe that this all grew back after that fight. Lucky the fire went out when it did, or else the fire would have spread even further." He wasn't sure were he was going with this. Hopefully she would at least talk to him.

She shook her head. "I honestly don't know. If he was wounded anywhere else, an arm or a leg. Something else I could do something to help but I don't know what to do for a stomach wound. I've never dealt with one before."

Rukiea nodded slowly, her back was to him, so of course he couldn't see her nod, but what was she supposed to say after all that happened. Maybe she should just cut off her tongue so she could only answer yes and no. Softly, she slowly whispered, "Yes.... it was.... pretty... before it happened.." She felt a tear slip from her eyes and land on her pant leg. She wiped her cheek slowly, not wanting Jay to hear her. She grabbed a rose and began to slowly pick the petals off. Hoping that she could settle this whole thing without haing to pick every petal off every rose in the field.

Jake looked at Leita. "Your kidding... Anyways.. If we don't hurry, my anger will ge tthe best of me and I might pull that thing out.." He bent down, next to Leita. He looked at the wound. "If Rukiea were here, she'd know what to do to stop the bleeding.. She was also so absorbed in those damn books.." Jake stood up quickly and ran to the back ot the cave, opening a door that led into a small room, full of books. He quickly searched for what he was looking for. He grabbed one and ran out. "Here@ Rukiea's always looking at this one." He handed the book to Leita.

Jay glanced over his shoulder. "So you are going to talk to me still. I'm glad." He scooted over the ground to face her. "I was a complete idiot, Rukiea and I'm extremely sorry and I want to show you that but whatever I do will never change the fact that I hurt you." He looked away from her to the horse. "I know we need to talk and I promise we will but right now isn't the time. The guards will be combing the forest looking for us and we are like sitting ducks right now." He stood up awkwardly, his injured leg feeling stiff. Reaching down, he offered his hand to Rukiea. "Please come with me. Please."

Leita began to flip through the pages. "Jake, why don't you show me where Rukiea keeps her herbs and whatnot for medicine then go outside and calm down a bit? Sam and I will do our best. You aren't going to do anyone any good right now when you're angry. Not only that but you are making me a bit nervous right now." She had found the page she was looking for and started to read it over.

Rukiea turned to face her body toward Jay. She slowly held up her hand and took his, want desperately to disappear at the moment. She stood and walked toward the horse, her empty sword sheath slapping against her thigh and the end dragged along the flowers, taking off petals every so often. She grabbed the reigns and swung herself onto the horse, sliding back to Jay could take the front. A few tears slipped from her eyes and she wiped them off, not caring if he saw anymore or not. She already knew what she had to do. She had to just reject them both. It would help them move on and help her to just move on again. It's been too long since she's really liked someone and she didn't wan to ruin a friendship or the whole Vipers because of this. She knew they had one thing to do: Get the King off the throne. "Jay.. Let's go.... I already know what you have to say.. Don't worry about me.. I know.. I have to.." She let a fea tears fall down her cheek and onto her lap. "Move on.. Your  the one who wants to destroy the King and I was supposed to only help.. Zane is a prince and I know he'll probably take the throne. I can't win.."

Jake looked at Leita and smiled. "Alright Alright. I'll stand outside away from here.." He grabbed her hand and walked quickly to the back, pulling her into a small closet, usually only able to fit one person, but they were both close. He turned on the light. "It goes back about a few meters. But every herb you could imagine is in there..."