Well, that's it. If you want more, your'na hafta review and ask for it.
Heh.
They continued on, Ali feeling strange, D examining his wounds from falling on the ground, Hihana flitting about, but never straying too far from Shawn, and Shawn all too oblivious to everything Hihana was doing. Ali thanked her stars that Shawn was so stubborn and pig-headed. Soon though, they came to another tiny village, even smaller than the last, and they stopped at the inn/bar. D and Hihana had to go up to the rooms because they weren't old enough looking to be in the bar, but Shawn and Ali stopped down there.

The smoke filled atmosphere caused Ali some concern, but Shawn figured the bar would be the best place of any to get some good info. Bits and pieces of conversations flooded in and out of the silence that rested between the two weary, young travelers. Shawn's eyes grazed upon Ali, who was watching a bar fight with some interest, and he marveled at her ability to somehow attract and avoid trouble at the same time. He himself had seen far too many bar fights, and been the starting or finishing point of them because of his height, but he didn't assume she had ever seen one.

The unmistakable click of high heels strode over to their table and leaned on it, the smell of cheap perfume filling his nostrils. Judging by the number of feet he saw near his leg there were three of them. A sigh escaped his lips as they started talking to him.

"Hey baby. How 'bout losing the giantess here and coming to have some real fun with some real women." Their voices were high-pitched and squeaky in their attempts to be seductive and it grated on his nerves. But one look at Ali told him that he wasn't going to have to do anything. Her green eyes were hot fire and her lush, full-lipped mouth was pulled into a tight line. Still, oblivious to Ali, they persisted demanding his attention. "C'mon, we can show you a real good time. All three of us if you want." They smiled spitefully, causing Ali's face to burn red. His trained eye caught the movement near her belt. He allowed a smile to spread across his lips. She had drawn her swords and waited for her cue. It came soon enough, when the skankiest one leaned over and ran her dirty fingers across Shawn's chin. Ali watched his jaw tighten and his eyes glare into space, and she had just watched a fight start for less than touching another woman's man. She rocketed to her feet, swords drawn and her voice rang out across the crowed barroom.

"You dare to touch what is mine, then you have no choice but to fight me for him." she challenged, waiting for a reaction from the other woman. Calmly, steadily, the other woman straightened herself, nodded to her disciples and took a small sword from the shortest one.

"I accept your challenge, but when you lay on the floor, beaten, and look up at me holding your man and his goods," her eyes flicked toward Shawn's personal area, and his eyes flew wide, "You'll know you were beaten by the best." Shawn and Ali's faces paled, but Ali did not back down. She raised her swords to her shoulders and crossed them, the signal for re-accepting a challenge, and glared at he opponent.

"No. When you lie on the floor, my swords at your throat, you will know you have met and had the privilege of being whipped by the best." All eyes in the room were on the two girls, and Shawn's was pretty sure he heard some betting going on. He also noticed that none of it was for Ali. 'Oh well.' he thought, 'It's their money.' His eyes returned to the fight at hand.

Ali whirled her swords professionally, as she had been taught to, and waited for the first strike. It came unwaveringly, causing Ali some to take some recoil, but she was ready for the next attack. She back-flipped off her swords, and nearly backed into a table, knocking a few drinks to the floor. She paused, weighted her opponent, and struck where she figured the other female would least be expecting it. Her guess was wrong, and she was deflected onto the floor.

"Care to give up now and let me have my fun?" the other queried. Ali hissed and flipped up in response. Now on her feet, she realized her mistake. She had underestimated the weight imbalance but now she had her bearings. Ali faked her right sword up, but drove her left sword toward the skanky girl's left flank. She didn't see it coming and took Ali's flat blade hard. Wind knocked out of her, she rolled about on the floor and Ali stepped over her. She drew her swords across the throat of the prostrate girl and growled low in her throat. "Now, I believe I said you would lie at my feet and know you have been beaten. Now you know." She grabbed a grinning Shawn by the arm and half dragged him from the bar, followed by the stares of all of the bar's populous. As they exited, the room exploded in applause and whistling.

"Haha, Shawn." Ali said sarcastically as they walked back to their three-bed room. Shawn's own thoughts wiped his silly grin off his face. If she had lost he would have had to go with the other girls as was honorable. He wondered if they had even known he was only 17. far from how he acted, he was as innocent as Ali. His thoughts returning to her, he realized they had just arrived at their room. Sprawled across the other two beds were Ali and D, each taking up a whole bed, and Ali and Shawn sighed loudly.

After they had their pajamas on, and were all ready for bed, they both stood looking at the empty bed, and then at each other. Ali shook her head slowly. The floor was cold tile; she couldn't make him sleep there, and there were no other sleeping surfaces. Again she looked at the bed, and resigned to the inevitable sleeping arrangements. She gestured at the left side of the bed and crawled under the other side.

Shawn crawled into the bed, resting on top of the covers while Ali lay underneath. His thoughts wandered to the fight and he shuddered again, but stifled his movements hoping to not wake Ali. Watching her before was like watching water flow and poetry being recited. She moved so gracefully, fluidly, like every step was a dance, converging into a creation of life; so divine was she, that energy flowed about her integrating into her person, causing a gathering of power all her own. He pondered that for a moment, then realized how silly he sounded. Once again his mind turned to the other girls and he stifled another shudder, but didn't catch it in time to stop all movement. Holding his breath, he waited to see if Ali had woken.

Ali's eyes fluttered a bit, as she waited to see if Shawn moved again.
Seeing as he didn't, she lay back and breathed a quiet sigh. What was she going to do about this? She knew she had feelings for Shawn, but she had no Idea what she was going to do about them. She knew she had to talk to Kahana