She was eating cookies... She was short, well at least if you measured her in human terms she was, other people easily towering over her and she was not beautiful although she was cute in a sweet, almost innocent way.

All of this dark eyes noticed in a instant, as the purple-haired elf-like man observed the tiny mage that the Sanctuary of Ilmiya had sent.

Kori had sent him to pick her up – the ex-angel voicing the request something along the lines of he could make himself useful for once and pick up the dratted mage that was costing their mutual employer so much.

Kirith had actually had an ulterior motive for going, although he had faked bad grace – no point in letting the fallen angel know that he wasn’t as lazy and stupid as the other man thought after all… What Kori didn’t know wouldn’t kill him and baiting the taller lavender-haired man was always so satis…

Kirith broke the train of thought as the woman looked up, a friendly smile flitting across her face as she caught sight of him.

“Hi” her voice was soft, but clear. “Would you like a cookie?”

Kirith smirked, his eyes taking in the staff laid casually at her side as he jumped down lightly from the wall from which he’d been observing her and walked over to were she was sitting.

“And do you offer all strangers cookies.”

The woman laughed, the feathered head wings that Kirith realised were actually a part of her and not a head dress as he’d first thought fluttering gently in the light breeze. “Only the hungry looking ones – I’m Kaze by the way” grey eyes looked curiously at him asking a silent question.

“Kirith.” So the old man did name her after her heritage… He wondered how much she knew, wondered if the old human had told her the truth, wondered…

A cookie thrust under his nose interrupted his train of thought and when he looked at Kaze her grey eyes looked amused.

“You never did answer me you know.”

Kirith snagged the cookie and sat beside her – height-wise the pair of them weren’t that much different, Kirith had an excuse for being short though… He was tall for a sprite.

Tilting his head to the side he offered Kaze a lazy smirk “You know you weren’t quite what I was expecting when my employers told me they were hiring a mage.”

Grey eyes blinked at him confused from behind the lens of the cute-framed spectacles that perched on Kaze’s slightly pointed nose. “Excuse..” She started and then frowned her nose wrinkling up slightly. “Oh you’re Lord Byron’s man” she gave Kirith an amused look “You’re not what I was expecting either – you don’t really strike me as a trained soldier.”

“Soldier?” Kirith mock-huffed “I’m no soldier” he bit into the cookie, his eyes widening slightly as the taste hit him – it really was delicious! “Why, I couldn’t afford the pay cut… Not with my lavish lifestyle!”

Kaze laughed as she took in Kirith’s travel-stained armour that had been patched in a couple of places, “Don’t you mean more you don’t want to be at some lordling’s beck and call?” She grinned, “Especially as everyone knows the reason private get paid more than ordinary mercs is precisely to put up with whatever stupid request the lordling comes up with.”

Kirith blinked, Kaze was sharper than she looked. Then he smirked again “Riches aren’t measured in jewels in gold” he said loftily. “Riches are..”

Kaze laughed again “Of course, although maybe someone should try telling my guild that” she offered Kirith another cookie which he took. “I think the Sanctuary’s prices are the third highest right now.”

Kirith bit into the second cookie, "Shouldn't that mean you should be rich then."

Kaze rolled her eyes slightly "Theoretically yes, in practise though the fees are so high because most of my fee goes into guild fees" she said dryly. She paused as she saw the surprise on Kirith's face "What?! You didn't honestly believe that the guild got so rich by giving money to simple mages like me did you?" She paused as she bit into a cookie herself before adding "Not even I am that naive."

<centre>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</center>

Kirith frowned slightly as he remembered the first time he'd ever met Kaze, she had definately not been what he'd expected even with him knowing what she did not - that she was the illegitimate daughter of one of the ladies of the Air court.

He watched as one of his fellow companions poked at the fire, keeping as far away from the flickering flames as he could - air and fire did not mix and flames even a spark could be deadly to one such as him.

He found himself thinking back to Kaze again, different though they were they had strangely enough (at least to him) become friends, although more in a sort of brother-sister way than anything else. Though he disagreed with the fact that as Kaze put it 'he needed a keeper'.

Just because I'm a little light-fingered... It doesn't mean I need a keeper, even if it has mean that kaze's had to get me out of trouble more than once. It was a coincidence though, just unlucky...

Ok so there had been more than one of such coincidences on many occassions - it did not mean he needed a keeper.. And the fact that Kori agreed with Kaze did not count either - the ex-angel was a grouch anyway.. 'Sides everyone knows that he's no fun!

Kirith turned his attention to the woods where they were camped. It had been a while since he'd seen her, a while since as Kaze put it 'he'd strolled into her life to cause havok'.

He smirked slightly, maybe when this job was done he could ah look her up... After all he could always steal her cookie supply while he was there.