Chapter 6:

Rose followed me obediently. I led her towards the boundaries of the campus and into the surrounding woods. The Academy owned a lot of land, and not all of it had been used for educational purposes. We were in a remote part of Montana, and at times, it seemed as though the school was just barely holding back the wilderness.

WE walked quietly for a while, our feet crunching through the thick, unbroken snow. A few birds flitted by, singing their greetings to the rising sun. And at times like this, where the wilderness was all you could hear, was the best thing in the world. And I found myself relaxing as I led her further into the woods. Rose's crunching feet staggering was the only sound, other than nature, and her irregular stride told me that she was trying hard to keep up with my more normal and longer one.

Ahead was the old watch-post, its small dark shape came into view as we approached it. It was more of an old cabin, made out of logs. Yet overtime the logs had became worn and rotten in some places. The roof sagged a little.

"What is that?" Rose asked.

"Old watch-post." I said. "Guardians used to live ont eh edge of campus and keep watch for Strigoi."

"Why don't they anymore?"

"We don't have enough guardians to staff it. Besides, Moroi have warded campus with enough protective magic that most don't think its necessary to have actual people on guard." Provided no humans staked the wards.

I was about to turn her away from the sad looming building when I heard voices on the opposite side of the building.

Curious Rose and I rounded the corner of the building, coming up on a surprising scene. A small frozen pond lay there, and Christian and Lissa were ice skating on it. A woman that looked oddly familiar was with them, her back to us.

As the woman skated a wave of jet black hair followed her, and it was then that I realized that it was Tasha Ozera, as she skated to a graceful stop. Her hair arced around her.

I couldn't recall the last time I had seen Tasha, it had felt like ages. And seeing her now brought back good memories. And I tried my best to hide a smile that was curving at my lips.

Lissa grinned when she saw Rose standing next to me. "Rose!" Christian glanced over at Rose as she spoke, not too happy to see us. As if we ruined some romantic get away.

Lissa moved in awkward strides to the pond's edge. She obviously wasn't so adept at skating.

I could see Rose's body stiffen at my side. Her voice full of jealousy when she spoke. "Thanks for inviting me to the party."

"I figured you were busy." Lissa said. "And this is secret anyway. We aren't supposed to be here."

Christian skated up beside her, with Tasha in tow. "You brining party crashers, Dimka?" She asked looking at me for the first time.

Her eyes, that resembled Christians so much, as well as her hair, were the only things that made her and Christian distinguishable. And the purple scar on the left side of her face was exactly as I remembered it, purple and raised; and looked as if someone had bitten into it and ripped off her flesh. Which was exactly what happened.

I laughed at her old Russian nickname for me. Which only brought back wonderful, sweet, memories. "It's impossible to keep Rose away from places she shouldn't be. She always finds them eventually."

Tasha grinned and turned around, flipping her long hair over one shoulder. I could see Rose stiffen as she took in Tasha's scar. And I hoped that Tasha didn't notice Rose staring at her. I silently wished Rose would find respect and not stare. But Rose was Rose and there was no changing that.

Tasha was Christain's Aunt. When his parents had turned Strigoi, they'd come back for him, hoping to hide him away and turn him Strigoi when he was older. Tasha had fended them off, taking a nasty battle wound in return. She had saved Christain by providing enough distraction until the guardians showed up.

Tasha extended her gloved hand out to Rose. "Tasha Ozera," she said. "I've heard a lot about you, Rose."

I caught Rose glaring at Christian.  Tasha saw this and laughed. "Don't worry, it was all good."

"No it wasn't " Christian countered.

Tasha shook her head in exasperation. "Honestly, I don't know where he got such horrible social skills. He didn't learn them from me."

"What are you guys doing out here?" Rose asked.

"I wanted to spend some time with these two." A small frown wrinkled her forehead. "But I don't really like hanging around the school itself. They aren't always hospitable..."

Normally, school officials fell all over themselves whenever royals came to visit. But because Lucas and Moira had decided to turn Strigoi, the Moroi world hadn't been too kind whenever the Ozeras were around.

"Because...because of what happened..." Rose said.

Tasha shrugged it off. "That's the way it is." She rubbed her hands together and exhaled, her breath making a frosty cloud in the air. "But let's not stand out here, not when we can build a fire inside."

I led them all into the cabin, Rose was the last one to arrive inside. The cabin was bare, covered in layers of dust and dirt. It consisted of only one room. there was a narrow bed with no covers in the corner and a few shelves where food had once been stored. There was a fireplace, and after a few moments Tasha had lit the logs, and we had a blaze going that warmed the small area. The five of us sat down, huddling around its head, Tasha then produced a bag of marshmallows that we cooked over the flames.

Tasha always had a kind and loving heart, always caring about others and never for herself. She has been like that since the first time I met her.

As we feasted, Lisssa and Christain talked to each other in an easy, comfortable way the always had. And although I wanted to deny it, in the back of my mind I found myself wishing that Rose and I could do that. Where we could just sit down and talk and not worry about our complicated love life. But life wasn't that easy when you were a dhampir.

To get my mind off Rose I turned to Tasha, talking to her in the same familiar light way. She was always easy to talk to, and made me feel like an equal rather than someone lower than her. I relaxed minute by minute finding myself familiar with Tasha. She was the only one who made life seem easy, with that laid back air of hers. And in no time I found myself laughing and smiling more than I have in a long time.

We had been catching up with each other. Talking about our busy lives. After a while into our conversation Rose interrupted.

"So are you coming on the ski trip?"

Tasha nodded. Stiffening a yawn, she stretched herself out like a cat. " I haven't been skiing in age. No time. been saving all my vacation for this."

"Vacation?" Rose gave her a curious look. "Do you have... a job?"

"Sadly, yes." Tasha said, though I knew she wasn't sad about it at all. "I teach martial arts classes."

Rose stared at Tasha in astonishment. I knew why she had caught sudden interest in martial arts was because of what happened with Christians parents.

A lot of royals didn't work at all, and if they did, it was for some investment or other moneymaking business that furthered their family fortunes. And those who did work certainly didn’t' do a lot of martial arts or physically demanding jobs. Moroi had a lot of great attributes: exceptional senses--smell, sight, and hearing--and the power to work magic. But physically, they were tall and slender, often small-boned. They also got weak from being in sunlight. But those things weren't enough to prevent someone from becoming a fighter, but it did make it more challenging. Most Moroi had shielded away from the physical combat. Hiding in places like the Academy to depend on strong and trained dhampirs to protect them.

"What do you think, Rose?" Christain seemed highly amused. "Think you could take her?"

"Hard to say." Rose said.

Tasha gave Rose a crooked grin. "You're being modest. I've seen what you guys can do. This is just a hobby I picked up."

I chuckled. “Now you’re being modest. You could teach half the classes around here.”

“Not likely.” She said. “It’d be pretty embarrassing to be beaten up by a bunch of teenagers.”

“I don’t think that’d happen.” I said. “I seem to remember you doing some damage to Neil Szelsky.” I tried to lighten up her mood. I didn’t like it when she put herself down occasionally.

To my disappointment she rolled her eyes. “Throwing my drink in his face wasn’t actually damage—unless you consider the damage it did to his suit. And we all know how he is about his clothes.”

We both laughed at the private joke of when Neil overly obsessed when his clothes got wrinkled or weren’t hung correctly in his closet.

Rose broke our laughter with: “Did you start learning to fight before or after that happened to your face?”

I could feel shock rising up in my chest. I knew Rose had a lack of self-control every once in a while, but to have it in front of Tasha was embarrassing.

“Rose!” Lissa hissed, cutting off my attempts to scorn Rose for her rude comment.

But as I glanced back at Tasha I was surprised to se her not even upset. And as my eyes moved toward Christian I noticed the same expression had been placed upon his face as well. Tasha regarded Rose with a level, thoughtful look.

“After.” She said. She didn’t lower her gaze or look embarrassed, though I sensed sadness coursing through her. “How much do you know?”

Rose glanced a Christian. “The basics.”

She nodded. “I knew…I knew what Lucas and Moira had become, but that still didn’t prepare me. Mentally, physically, or emotionally. I think if I had to live through it again, I still wouldn’t be ready. But after that night, I looked at myself—figuratively—and realized how defenseless I was. I’d spent my whole life expecting guardians to protect me and take care of me.

”And that’s not to say the guardians aren’t capable. Like I said, you could probably take me in a fight. But they—Lucas and Moira—cut down our two guardians before we realized what had happened. I stalled them from taking Christian—but just barely. If the others hadn’t shown up, I’d be dead, and he’d—“ She stopped, frowned, and kept going. “I decided that I didn’t want to die that way, not without putting up a real fight and doing everything I could to protect myself and those I love. So I learned all sorts of self-defense. And after a while, I didn’t really, uh, fit in so well with high society around here. So I moved to Minneapolis and made a living from teaching others.”

She had moved there and integrated herself with humans, keeping away from other vampires. I had known what she meant by “all sorts of self-defense” although Rose didn’t. I didn’t doubt that Christian and Lissa knew. Tasha had been learning how to fight with fire, which was highly against the Moroi rules. Offensive magic was punishable by law. Yet if the roles had been reversed I too would have learned how to fight with not only my fists.

Silence fell. But only for a moment before Tasha’s light mood returned as she told us all funny stories. I knew a lot of people she has spoke of as well. Some of them I heard of, but most of them I went to school with or worked with. We were all in hysterics until Tasha looked at her watch.

“Where’s the best place a girl can go shopping around here?” She asked.

Lissa and Rose exchanged looks. “Missoula.” They said in unison.

Tasha sighed at this. “That’s a couple hours away, but if I leave soon, I can probably still get in some time before the stores close. I’m hopelessly behind in Christmas shopping.”

Rose groaned. “I’d kill to go shopping.”

“Me too.” Lissa chimed in.

“Maybe we could sneak along…” Rose gave me a hopeful look.

“No.” I said immediately. I wasn’t going to get in trouble for letting her go on some shopping spree. She gave a sigh.

Tasha Yawned again. “I’ll have to grab some coffee, so I don’t sleep on the drive in.”

“Can’t one of your guardians drive for you?”

She shook her head. “I don’t have any.”

“Don’t have any…” Rose frowned. “You don’t have any guardians?”

“Nope.”

Rose shot up. “But that’s not possible! You’re royal. You should have at least one. Two, really.”

Guardians were distributed among Moroi. Royals always got first pick, leaving the lower class Moroi, with one or no guardians at all.

“The Ozeras aren’t exactly first in line when guardians get assigned.” Said Christian bitterly. “Ever since… my parents died… there’s kind of been a shortage.”

I could see the grim set of Rose’s mouth, her hunched back and curling fists. Which were early warnings of a Rose-sudden-outburst. I braced myself. “But that’s not fair. They can’t punish you for what your parents did.”

“It’s not punishment Rose.” Tasha said. “It’s just… a rearranging of priorities.”

“They’re leaving you defenseless. You can’t go out there by yourself!”

“I’m not defenseless, Rose. I’ve told you that. And if I really wanted a guardian, I could make a nuisance of myself, but it’s a lot of hassle. I’m fine for now.”

And then it clicked. The problem—the reason—why I couldn’t forget Rose or my feelings for her was because I wasn’t trying hard enough. If I could actually try to date someone else, or even try to flirt with someone else, maybe… just maybe, I could forget Rose and find someone else.

I glanced over at Tasha. “Want me to go with you?”

“And keep you up all night?” Tasha shook her head, locking her blue gaze on mine. “I wouldn’t do that to you Dimka.”

“He doesn’t mind.” Rose said quickly and excitedly.

I was amused by how she had suddenly jumped in. I would have thought her to be jealous. If Rose continued to act this way around Tasha then I could definitely give my theory a try.

“I really don’t” I replied.

Tasha hesitated. “All right. But we should probably go soon.”

Our party dispersed shortly after that. The Moroi going one direction while Rose and I went the other. I had made plans with Tasha to meet up in a half an hour.

I needed to know what Rose truly thought of Tasha. I didn’t want to hurt her, I knew it had to be done, but as of right now I just couldn’t bring myself to.

“So what do you think of her?” I asked when we were alone.

“I like her. She’s cool.” She stopped, face thoughtful. “And I get what you mean about the marks.”

“Oh?”

Rose nodded. Watching her footing as we walked along the paths. They tended to sneak a patch of ice now and then. Even when shoveled and salted.

“She didn’t do what she did for glory. She did it because she had to. Just like… just like my mom did. The marks don’t matter. Molnijas or scars.”

“You’re a fast learner.” I said with approval.

“Why does she call you Dimka?”

I laughed softly. “It’s a nickname for Dimitri.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t sound anything like Dimitri. You should be called, I don’t know, Dimi or something.”

“That’s not how it works in Russain.” I said.

“Russian’s weird.”

“So is English.”

She gave me a sly look. “If you’d teach me to swear in Russian, I might have a new appreciation for it.”

“You swear too much already.”

“I just want to express myself.”

“Oh Roza…” I sighed. “You express yourself more than anyone else I know.”

She smiled as we walked on a bit without saying anything else.

We walked in silence for a few minutes longer before she said: “You know, there’s something funny about Tasha’s scars.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“The scars… they mess up her face.” She began slowly, as if to choose her words wisely. I was proud of her for trying. “I mean, it’s obvious she used to be really pretty. But even with the scars now… I don’t know. She’s pretty in a different way. It’s like… like they’re part of her. They complete her.”

I didn’t say anything, but gave her a sidelong glance. She returned it, and as our eyes met, I felt the briefest moment of the old attraction. I still wanted her, so badly that it hurt. I had never ever felt like this. She was the only girl to make my chest tighten, and my heart beat faster whenever I saw her. I put my guardian face back on, hoping to show her only pride and approval.

Trying to forget her was going to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life. And I knew, I would die a little everyday.

“You’re a fast learner, Roza.”

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Whew that took forever (: I hate Tasha so talking about how I love her and she's a kind loving person made me want to rip out my hair! lol anyways thanks for reading! comment and vote and all that good stuff!

<3 LittleDhampir18