"Yes, I am his adjutant, Saithu," the man said kindly. "And yes, I am in charge while Jade-sama is away. I asked my superior if I could take you out of the mansion for a while. Would you like that? I can't imagine that your stay here has at all been pleasant. My own stay here is hardly pleasant in and of itself, despite Jade-sama being a decent person. He is simply too...self-humorous."

Ayame wasn't sure what to say. Either she was being tested, or he really did trust her. Being allowed out wasn't something most captors allowed their prisoner. Still she longed to get out and stretch her legs. Looking over at the man she couldn't help but admire his calm demeanor, he was different from Jade. Their personalities didn't seem to clash like her and Jade.

Ayame smiled sweetly for the first time in she'd forgotten how long. Even though Jade was just as kind his humor really was something only he seemed to understand.

"I would enjoy a walk very much." Ayame replied happily.

"Actually, I was going to offer you something a bit different as far as transportation," Saithu added. "Have you ever ridden a horse, Ayame-san?"

The man was glad to see Ayame smiling, any woman's smile pleased him, really. It was his opinion that they should be pleased at all times...for who didn't wish to see the beauty of a woman's happiness?

Ayame started to laugh; not at him, but as his question.

"O no I've never ridden a horse." She replied sarcastically as her laughter quickly died down. He didn't seem to have any hidden motive to his questions, which made her calm around him.

"I'm just fine with a horse, but I mist say I've never ridden in a women's kimono." She admitted.

Saithu frowned at the sarcasm, but said nothing about it. He hadn't thought it a foolish question at all...

"I see. Well, I think now would be a good time to learn. I daresay none of my clothes, or any of General Jade's clothes will suit you in size and style. As for your clothes, I don't personally know what was done with them. But if you'd like, we could pay a visit to the village and find you something that you like," he suggested.

Ayame found it stange he was so willing to please her. Still she wasn't one for taking hand outs or anything like that.

"No I'll learn to ride this way." Ayame told him as she walked over to him. Out of habit she looked him over. From his posture and really everything about him showed he was a general. And an honest one at that. It was rare to think of someone like him fighting a war.
"Well lead the way." She ordered him with a smile.

"You're quite the take-charge sort of woman, aren't you?" Saithu asked, amused by her order, but following it nonetheless. He headed before the woman, holding the spear in a more rigid stance that kept it clear of her.

"I would like to drop this off. Then we can get going," he said.

Ayame found herself treating him like a friend. All smiles and acting as if he wasn't just someone put in charge of Jade.

"Well I didn't think you'd carry it around all day." Ayame replied as she stopped when he did. She stayed close behind him as he walked trying to figure out why she was being so nice. Jade had been nice to her, but she fought with him to no end. And yet she didn't fight with Saithu; it just seemed odd to her.

Ayame had started to feel slightly bad about how she treated Jade, but what could she do now. Not only that she had every right to be man with Jade since he was the reason she was put her, but she knew that wasn't really the reason. Maybe they were too alike and that was why. With all of her thinking she'd forgotten about Saithu.

"All the same, I do carry it a great majority of the time. I do wish I could do what the General does," Saithu commented, unaware of Ayame's thoughts. "Rumor has it that he can utilize some sort of sorcery to make it appear and disappear at will. Whether that's true or not, I cannot say."

He continued to lead the way down the hall, though they were still a distance from their destination.

"Would you ride a horse of your own, Ayame-san?" he questioned out of the blue. "Or would you rather ride with me?"

Saithu had no ulterior motives to question this of the woman. He simply asked because it crossed his mind.

"I do just fine on my own thank you, but how do you know I won't ride away?" Ayame questioned him.

Still what he'd said caught her attention, and reminded her that Jade made her keep his secret. No matter if he was an enemy or not she couldn't tell another secret. She just smiled as if the thought of sorcery never once crossed her mind.
"I believe people over exaggerate many things. For all we know it could simply be a trick, hiding it somewhere or nothing at all. One never knows, but I do not believe in magic." Ayame told him as she followed him still. It was nice to just talk to someone who didn't seem to be hiding his motives in the web of polite conversation.

Saithu smiled softly.

"Forgive my presumptuousness, but I do not feel that I would have any trouble in catching you. At any rate, as far as magic and trickery, you may be right about that...but I do disagree with you on magic. 'Tis but my opinion, however."

They soon reached Saithu's quarters, at which point he slid the door open and invited Ayame in.

"If you'd like, you may enter while I drop off my spear. I must also tend to something else before I take you out."

Ayame stood firmly at the door. Even if she thought of herself as one of them, she knew such actions could cause rumors of all sorts. If her name became tarnished so would her fathers. The only reason she was even alone with Jade was because she was his prisoner.

"I'll wait." She replied to him meaning no disrespect. Ayame liked him after all. For a solider he was surprisingly innocent.

Or perhaps not so much innocent as chivalrous, for a Japanese man anyway.

He didn't seem at all put off by Ayame's answer, however. He very much expected it, and only smiled at the woman.

"Then please do excuse me," he told her, heading in. "I won't be long."

Ayame stood at the door peering inside quickly before she went back ot her spot. She was starting to wondering when Jade would return and what this man was planning. He was just so nice she'd begun to think something was wrong.

"So..what do you think of ..Jade. As a person I mean" She asked just to make conversation.

Saithu thought about that as he put his spear up on its wall mount, then shook his head a bit to get his bangs out of his face.

"The General is quite...eccentric, to be sure. But as a person, I would have to say he is quite courteous, and although he is accepting of his circumstances, he is not at all happy with them," the red-haired man replied. He knew how that sounded, but how would Ayame take it?

Ayame stood there listening to him. It seemed strange that he spoke somewhat highly of Jade, and she thought the worst of him.
"I'm not sure what to think of him..." She told him since it would be wrong to say what she was really thinking. That is was a sly, selfish, egotistical person to her. Although she had to admit she had some admiration for him just because he was a general.

"Well, don't make any judgments yet then," Saithu commented, emerging from his room with a fair bit less armor. He no longer wore his chestplate. In fact, the only armor on his person now was on his arms and shins.

"Now then, come with me and we shall be on our way."

"Well a friend would say that, but I wasn't brought here to be his friend." Ayame replied as she walked behind him. Her eyes again fixed to the floor watching his feet so she wouldn't fall or trip over him.

It was then she thought of using his kindness. Like most women who used their charm to get what they wanted. Only thing was Ayame wasn't sure how to do that, or if it would work. It would also make her look bad and she wouldn't dare disgrace her name. But this was her freedom she was talking about.
Looking up at him she started to wonder what she should do, and finally decided to try it.
"So..Saithu; what do you think of me?" she asked in a sweet tone. It was almost strange for her to speak in such a way.

Saithu raised an eyebrow at this shift in tone. He had been about to reply to her statement about friendship, but now he was a bit caught off his guard, so to speak.

"Is this important to you?" he asked.

Ayame knew it was strange of her to ask. So she acted as though it was just an innocent question.
"It is only a question seeing is how you are as open as I am with your opinions." She replied still careful to stay behind him. Really she'd started to truly wonder what people had started to think of her in all of this.

"Fair enough. Mm. You are a strange young woman...and an unfortunate one to be caught in circumstances such as these," he replied honestly. "I am not in the business of mistreating women, and dislike being put in such a position. It is not my wish to hurt any person that does not deserve to be hurt. I am a soldier to protect my fellow citizens, and to honor my family. So I have pity for you."

That wasn't exactly what Ayame wanted to hear. She knew her situation wasn't the best one right now.
"I hate pity." She mumbled under her breath trying to remain nice. Her only problem was she blurted things out at times.
"It wasn't exactly what I meant, but it will do." She smiled as she addressed him again. Ayame was so bad with trying to act cute. It just wasn' in her nature really.