[SETTINGS: By a river. You use two of your characters, since I will be using two]

Adrien sighed, and patted the sobbing Rei on the shoulder. "Ah, Alas..." He said to himself, looking down at Rei. "It isn't that serious, is it Rei? You just need to give him a bath."

Rei sobbed more, hugging the cat, drenched in mud, as he just have had a lot of fun, playing in a puddle. "It's not that simple! Dakota is not supposed to play in puddles!" Rei yelled at Adrien, who backed off. Dakota meowed, looking up at Rei. "MEOW, Rei... Playing in puddles is fun. You can't MEOW deny me my fun!" "Oh yes I can!" Rei said, throwing glares at the cat.

Adrien then looked up, and his golden eyes looked nervously around. "Rei, draw your sword. I think we've got company." He said, as he grasped around the hilt of his silver sword, waving to his horse, Arwenamin, to leave, together with Rei's horse Dallas, as he readied himself.

"Come forth! Show yourself!"

Tanis stepped slowly from behind the tree. "I'm suprised that you were able to locate me. Hardly anyone has the senses for that anymore. Very well. I shall be blunt. I need a horse. Either one, but I would prefer the stallion. May I have it?"

Adrien chuckled at the first things Tanis said, then he stared for a moment as Tanis said he needed a horse. Of course, Adrien was quite relieved he did not prefer Arwenamin before Dallas, but still. Dallas was Rei's very dear friend. If Tanis would borrow him wouldn't really matter anyway, since he wouldn't be able to controll the horse, since it only listened to Rei.

"Tell me boy, why do you need a horse?"

"I am no boy. I am 21. You look no older than me. I am traveling to the great human city, to slay they're lord, my father. I am alive only because of his rape. Give me your horse."

"You are a boy to me. I can tell you I am far, far older than I look. Same with Rei here. And, you will not get any of our horses. These horses have been with us since thousand of years back, which may be hard for you to belive." Adrien said, and snorted.

"Did you not hear my statement? Give me the stallion. I do not wish for unneeded bloodshed. Give me that stallion."

Adrien chuckled, then shook his head. He went over to Dallas, and whispered something to him. Dallas then walked towards Tanis, and stopped a few feet in front of him.

"Feel free to try your luck. Don't expect to be able to controll that horse."

"Thank you for your kind offer. I suppose that you are expecting me to get onto the horse, only to be thrown off. I would think not." Tanis slowly got onto the horse. "What is it's name?" He said, using the Byakugan.

As Tanis mounted, he told the horse to go. It stayed, until Tanis whispered in Elvish for it to go.

"At least you know the language that he responds to. Elvish speakers are few and far between now," Adrien told him, "And his name is Dallas."

Dallas started to trot. Tanis's Byakugan located a tenketsu, and also was watching the inner coils for sign of movement in a throwing motion.

As the coils started arching, as for a toss, Tanis used the Jyuken on the tenketsu and said in Elvish, "Don't even try it."

Rei, who thought she had seen enough, got up, and said; "Tula sinome Dallas." As she said so, Dallas turned, and walked towards Rei. He stopped in front of her, and Rei turned to Tanis.

"Get off him. Now." She ordered, her eyes flaming.

Noticing this, Adrien quickly kicked in, and he patted Rei on the shoulder. "So, let's calm down a little?"

Tanis's eyes flared. "And your name is...? Or am I supposed to assume that you are a homeless beggar with no name? And anyways, your friendly companion, unlike you, is nice and allowed me to use this horse to ride to the city."

"Hmpf!" Rei snorted, as she stroke Dallas over the face with her right hand. "My name is Rei Idhrenion, knight of Fír Orod, if you would like to know!" She said, in a high tone, that was on the edge of yelling.

"Get off him NOW!" She now actually yelled, as she felt the anger was building inside her.

Adrien sighed, and backed off, feeling he could do nothing to stop it now.

"And what if I don't?" Tanis retorted, "What happens if I just ride off? But then I see whats going to happen, the horse wont move. It would rather die. I might as well go with the other one."

Tanis jumped off Dallas and onto Arwenamin.

Rei's eyes fired. "I told to get off!"

Tanis yelled back, "Again, what if I don't," he said, telling the horse to move. Arwenamin started to trot off, with Tanis.

As Tanis got on Arwenamin, Adrien's once so gentle face turned into one of fury. "Now, why did you go onto Arwenamin? Why?" He asked, his eyes flaming up. "To make me mad, is something few have ever done. But congratulations, you made it." Adrien said, as he took one step forward. "Arwenamin tula sinome." Then he turned his flaming gaze to Tanis. "Lle wethrine amin. Nadorhuan." He cursed, and drew his sword. "Come back here. I wish to fight you. To try to steal my dear friend, who has followed me since I was young, who is the reason that I am still alive, you will not get away with it unharmed." He said, with a cold voice, as he stepped towards Tanis.

"I'm sorry, I did not wish to anger you. I had no idea that this horse was so dear to you. But seeing as I am in great need of a horse, I needed one, and I did not realize that this was dear to you. As I said, I had wanted the stallion more, but the peice of trash told me to get off." Tanis said, his eyes showing what he wanted to do, "But I am also happy to fight, all of the useless banter was driving me mad. I am willing to abide by the Fighters Code."

"In case you have forgotten the code, or do not know it, it is as follows:
- At any time you may yield and go unharmed.
- If you do not yield you may be killed.
- Do not strike when they are down. If they stay down for over 10 minutes, you may strike. "

"If I win, I have decided that I will take the stallion. If you win, I will give you my bow. You may steal back what you have lost afterwards. Draw your blade."

Tanis unsheathed the Therana'al. "Just try and beat me," He said, his sword whistling through the air as he warmed up.

OOC: Brace yourself, because I wont let you win ^_^

BIC: Rei's eyebrows were twitching as she swing her silver rapier throught the air in front of her. She would do everything to stop Tanis from stealing her friend. Everything.

The flames in Adrien's eyes had cooled down, since this no longer circled around Arwenamin. Still, he had to help Rei out. He knew very well how much Dallas meant to her, even though he did not mean as much to her as Arwenamin did to himself. Adrien swung his sword, just to check if it was in it's old shape, then gave a grin. "Now, let's see if the swordmaster of Tel'Ranaemyn still has the swordplay in him." Adrien said, and chuckled slightly, as he started moving around, swinging his sword in different directions, and then it looked almost like he was dancing with the sword, as he started spinning and jumping.

Rei watched as Adrien 'danced' with his sword, and shrugged. Then she looked towards Tanis, and threw cold glares. She then snapped her fingers, and the white cat, Dakota, climbed up her leg, and up on her shoulder. It meowed quietly, then Rei stanced.

Adrien also stanced, and spoke; "Make the first move."

"Very well. But I should warn you; I am the swordsmaster of the Elfin West Tournament. Perhaps you have heard of me. I am Tanis."

Tanis sheathed his blade and leaped into the trees.

"That little coward!" Rei yelled.

Tanis sent a arrow(normal) whistling past Rei's head. "I said not to underestimate me!" He yelled, firing a crackling bolt of lightning for Rei, this time intending to hit.

Rei rose an eyebrow and took out her own silver bow, and sidestepped, dodging the bolt. Then she put an arrow to the string and fired. She repeated this, surprisingly quickly.

Adrien stood by and watched, getting himself ready.

Tanis, realizing that Rei had no idea as to where he was, silently crept along the tree branches. He fingered his bow, but then decided to throw a Bakuretsufuu Kunai. He walked down the tree, chakra letting him stick to the side, and threw the kunai with deadly precision towards Rei's back, right below the ribcage, but angled upward, so if a hit, it would inevitably hit the heart, killing the target.