Hey guys! As promised (though it was more of a suggestion than a promise) here is a chapter from Archer's point of view! I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it... It was actually so much fun!!

By the way... I know it's a little weird... Archer is a little weird when you get to see inside his mind... 

Archer's P.O.V

"Shit." I gasped as Isaak crumpled to the ground. Sometimes I forget how much Saga's magic affects the minds of the people he targets.

"He's fine." Saga's ever calm voice assured me. I felt his hand on my shoulder and realised I was about to rush over to the fallen boy. "He is tired, he needs more rest. So do you." The last part he added quietly, before moving over to Isaak. 

I nodded, relaxing slightly. I know Saga would never admit it, but he cared for Isaak. My eyes followed the older immortal as he approached Isaak, and gently caressed his cheeks, and checked his heart to ensure the beat was a steady pace. Saga was softer then he would let on. Kinder, warmer.

I would never say this aloud, but I felt that Isaak was safe with Saga. Saga had deeply respected Isaak's parents and sworn an oath of protection. He had stayed with Isaak on Earth for the seventeen years that Isaak had been there. He knew him better than any of us, than anyone. And he loved him as he would love a brother.

No matter how frustrating and irritating Saga was, no matter how unbreakable his mask was, I trusted him.

Wolf was shivering next to me. I glanced at her; or him, as she pretended to be. She glanced over to me and I gave her a comforting smile, knowing she was scared. Her eyes were glazed though; her mind wasn't in the present.

Ever since she had to appear as a man to get a stable job as a young bartender, she had never really been in the present. She had been claimed too pretty a girl to work a proper job, declared that her body was only useful in bed. She had come to me for help disguising her true identity. At the time I did not know her, but now, I considered her a friend and ally.

"Willow," I called, using her real name, "he's okay."

She nodded, still lost in her mind. I reached over to gently squeeze her arm, ignoring my body aching with fatigue, stomach still aching from Mekhi's sword, and she finally looked up. "How are you feeling?" I asked her, using the soft tone I only had for those I considered a true friend. "You fought hard yesterday."

Her eyes skittered from me to Isaak. "I'm okay." She murmured.

I knew she wasn't, but I let it slide this time. "Okay." I turned to approach Saga; he had moved Isaak to a more comfortable position and placed my cloak over him again. "I'm always here." I told her quietly.

"Hello." Saga's bright brown eyes watched mine with a curious expression. I knew it was the face that hid his true feelings; curiosity was easy for him to wear, as he always was.

"I wish you would tell me what you know."

"I know too much."

I took a breath at his response. His need for direct questions continued to frustrate me, especially as I knew that he knew all too well what my question meant. I considered whether I should bother asking him further, or leave it be. I rubbed my aching forehead, grimacing. 

He knew about Mekhi. He had always known. All this time that the Sahaan had entrusted Mekhi to care for Ash, he had been working for the King Colm. 

It was only in the past few weeks I began suspecting Mekhi. His strange remarks whenever the okirima or Colm was mentioned, his desire to head north towards the enemy's boarders, his reluctance to look for Saga. Everything pointed to it yet I had refused to believe it.

I had acted stupid, naïve, ignorant, like a young child; yet I was hundreds of years old. I had too much pride that my trust was always well placed, that I was too careful for anyone to fool me. I had acted cold and harsh to Mekhi, though I had trusted him. I had been too reluctant to realise that he was, in fact, leading Ash into the hands of the King.

I had been foolish, arrogant, and too trusting. It won't happen again.

"You are deep in your mind..." Saga observed, drawing me away from my thoughts. He studied my face. "You are angry. At yourself?"

I pang of frustration and pain, both physical and mental, caused me to scowl at him. "You knew about him, yet you let me stupidly fall into his trap. How could you?"

Saga sighed, having heard this already, but I continued anyway.

"I know you care for Ash, perhaps not as much as Isaak, but you do. You knew Ash's parents too. Fuck, Saga, you know how powerful he is! You know what Colm can do with Ash under his control. Aren't you the slightest bit worried, if not for Ash himself, but for this country? For the people?" The strain in my voice betrayed me as I tried to hide my tiredness and injuries, my drained chorren and strength. 

Saga remained silent.

Good. I hope he is ashamed of himself. He fucking should be.

"It's not like Colm's going to play nice, Saga! And it's not like he's gonna let you go on your merry way either! He knows that he can use Ash against you. You know he can use Ash against you. Fuck! If you had just grown the fuck up and helped us-"

Saga leapt up, eyes flashing for a brief second with raw emotion. "Raphael." He growled.

I recoiled like I'd been hit, barely able to balance myself in my state. My real name. I hadn't heard it spoken aloud for so many years. My jaw tightened at the memories which came flooding back at the sound of it, the throb in my head strengthening.

"For someone who can't even handle his own name..." Saga spat. "You can't tell me to grow up."

I'd never seen Saga actually show his anger before. He never shows his true feelings and emotions. He may speak differently at times; but his eyes, his face he always kept a mask of curiosity, composure and slight idiocy, never once had I seen him let it fall.

For a long moment, we stared at each other, my gaze of shock and his of fury.

Suddenly he swore and rubbed his face, muttering to himself. When he looked up again, his mask was there, and he sighed. "Archer, dear, dear Archer..." He started. He grinned, returning back to his normal self, or the self he pretended to be. "Do not forget my dear, I know many things. I see what has, is and will happen. I know what and who I must tell, and it is very, very rare for me to be mistaken. I may not have the pure blood of those who can see, but I see enough. Do not doubt me, dear." He paused. "And please, I think I am too old to be told to grow up."

I did not look away from him. I couldn't. The emotion he had just shown me was so rare, and it brought a strange warmth with it. I knew he could feel, of course, but never once had I seen it so raw, so real. I studied his brown eyes, searching for that emotion again, but only he could break his mask.

A brow above his eye rose. "Do you want to ask me a question?"

"No. No, I..." I stuttered, unsure, questioning myself. "Nothing."

"It's something." Saga stepped towards me.

"In all these years... how long has it been?" I asked, more myself than him. "More than half my life I have known you Saga." I told him, not knowing what I meant. Nothing changed in his eyes, but the curiosity deepened.

He nodded. "Yes?"

"You've never told me your age."

His head tilted to one side. "I am you elder."

"I know that..."

He took another step closer. "My age matters?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you asked. I want to know what you mean."

I didn't even known what I meant. The thought had just occurred to me. He knew my age, yet I did not know his. The thought of someone knowing something about me which I did not know about them made me uncomfortable. 

I wasn't sure if I didn't want to, or didn't know how to explain this, so I mentioned something else. "How long were you in that cave you spoke of?"

Saga took a moment to answer. "Oh... that metaphor. I was not actually in a cave for years and years." He tilted his head. "Actually, I have inhabited a cave." He shrugged. "But that was a different matter."

"I remember when we first met." I said to Saga, sitting down, barely able to hide a grateful sigh at the rest the ground gave me, glancing at Isaak's sleeping form. Saga sat next to me, close, but not close enough that we were touching. "You were so distant. And cold. I thought you hadn't any heart."

"I thought you still think that."

"No. I saw it after a while. When you were with children, when people were suffering unnecessarily, when people's family died... I saw your warmth then. Not in your face... or you words... but your actions." I glanced at him. "Actions speak the loudest." 

He nodded slowly. "The first time you saw me, I was in my cave. I didn't want to come out, I didn't want to go outside ever again." His curious eyes glazed in memory. "It was dark, cool and safe in there. Hidden. Quiet. But so, so still." 

This soft Saga intrigued me. His words were still slightly quizzical, but clear enough I could understand him. "What changed?"

"Someone I met stumbled into my cave, unaware. I was like a wolf at first - protective, I wanted them to get out, it was my safe place - my territory. But then I was a moth, attracted to their warmth." He sighed, looking at the trees around us. "They didn't even realise it, but they drew me out of my cave. And now, I don't want to go back."

"They? Who was it?" I wanted to know. 

Saga flashed me a smile. "You don't know."

I furrowed my brow, his statement puzzling me with it's obviousness. But I didn't question further. I closed my eyes, begging my pain away, wishing it was easier for me to regain my chorren. Mekhi's wound to my stomach had drained me significantly, I had almost died those days ago. 

I took a breath, lingering in the cool sensation of it. I could only hope, wish, that my trust in Saga was well placed. He's the only one I have left; the only one that I don't need to protect; the only one who could protect me. 

Big chapter I know! I didn't want to split this up, so yep... here's a big chapter for you guys! It's about twice the normal size!

I know this story is a little slow paced at the moment but I thought the break was needed - both for me, you guys and everyone in the story! Jeez, they REALLY need a rest... 

Love you!! 

Babyy mwa mwa