Firelight Outpost was still in its infancy, barely more than wooden walls held together with strong rope. A quaint little place that vaguely resembled Wavebreak in that there were no permanent housings set up. Only tents and small huts built from the vegetation.

Jasper had only just gotten done with his duties helping ome of the smiths with making braces for the walls. He was excited because tonight the some of the nearby flights were coming to the outpost by his father's invitation. There were to be a great number of attractions to be set up, from food stalls to games and everything in between. And the best part? He wouldn't have to be dragged around by his father.

That night, Jasper was joined by his good friend Atlas, a Kirin stallion of goldenrod scales and white mane. He was thinner than most, but no less able to pull his own weight or hold out in a fight. It was to be admitted that Atlas was also much more knowledgeable than Jasper, being steward to one of the scribes of the flight.

"Come on! We'll be late!" Atlas encouraged Jasper to hurry as surely by now there was an arena set up for fights.

"IIt won't matter." Jasper boasted. "I can beat anyone in the flight, or any of the other flights attending for that matter."

"You're just lucky that the Blooded aren't here to put your words where your mouth are." Atlas replied.

The two arrived to a small crowd gathered around a dirt ring. Jasper and Atlas had to squeeze in to get to a spot where they could see, just in time to watch a blue blur fly across the ring and land unceremoniously in the turf. On the other side, the one doing the throwing was a burly black stallion with tan mane and tail.

"He's beaten six so far." One of the bystanders said, filling Jasper and Atlas in on what they missed. Jasper watched as he gloated about his victory. He flexed his muscles and gave the crowd a bit of a laugh. And them he went off to the sideline. And that was when Jasper saw her. Again.

Jasper smacked his friend's chest in urgency, causing him to let out a grunt. "That's her!" He shouts, barely audible over the crowd and pointed in Nadia's direction. "That's the one I told you about!"

Atlas rubbed his chest and looked to where Jasper was pointing. "Her?" He asked. He let out a whistle. "Wow. Just as lovely as you described. Too bad that she has her eye on another."

Jasper deadpanned. "You had to remind me?" He watched as the victor from the last match approached Nadia and began speaking with her. She looked as though she didn't really want to be associated with him. She avoided eye contact, but never looked down. She wore one of those expressions that Jasper's mother wore when she was tired of hearing some kind of excuse from his father.

"No one coming to her aid it seems." Atlas noted.

"Do you think I should?" Jasper asked.

"Better you than some other one who thinks himself fit for her." Atlas replied, giving Jasper a bit of a push in Nadia's direction.

Jasper took the hint with stride and made his way around through the crowd to where Nadia and the other stallion were speaking.

"It was really nothing. He might have been a challenge for me, but he held himself to heavily on his front side." The stallion said.

"Oh I'm sure it must have been easy for you." Nadia said rather disinterested.

"There you are!" Jasper called. "Been looking all over for you! I believe the kebabs are about to run out, so we'll have to hurry if we want to get some." Jasper wrapped a leg around Nadia's shoulder and before she could even protest, led her away from the burly fighter.

As soon as they were out of sight around one of the tents, Nadia removed herself from Jasper's grasp. "I think that will be convincing enough." She said a bit crassly.

Jasper let out a nervous chuckle. "Apologies. You seemed uncomfortable, and I thought I would assist you."

Nadia seemed to let her guard down a bit. "Right. Thank you for that, ummm."

"You don't remember me?" Jasper said with a small grin on his face.

"I can't say that I do."

"Jasper? Of Frostscale?" He said. "We first met a couple of weeks ago. You were speaking with the leathersmith."

"Oh..."

"You rejected me quite rapidly."

"... OH!..." Nadia's eyes shot wide open at the remembrance of who Jasper was. "I am so sorry! I didn't realize!"

Jasper waved it off. "All is well. I simply wanted to do you a favor. Buuutt..."

Nadia looked curiously at Jasper. "But?"

"But I happened to notice the certain lack of 'another'." Jasper noted. "Surely the fortunate stallion did not leave a mare to travel all this way without him."

Nadia stared daggers at Jasper. "You assume that 'a mare' cannot take care of herself? That is a rather chauvinistic viewpoint, is it not?"

"W-Wait, that is not what I meant."

"Thank you for your assistance, Sir Jasper. Now if you will excuse me, I have a festival to enjoy." And with a flick of her tail, Nadia strutted away, not bothering to look back.

"Hold on! I didn't... Mean... It..." Aaaaand she was gone... Jasper frowned in anger. He was so furiously annoyed with himself right now. He went trudging back to Atlas in the crowd by the arena.

"How did it go?" Atlas asked with a hopeful grin.

"I think I am making progress." Jasper said. Next Chapter: A decision made Estimated time remaining: 20 Minutes