A great place to run

Nicole listened with interest. "Well," She said to Stephen. "It wounds to me the Aikanaro doesn't like to run becaues he prefers to confront his problems." She turned back to Aike. "But, really, all you are doing is 'running away' from running. Didn't you just say that we should confront what's bothering us? This is my way of confronting it. Yes, I said I was running away from my problems. But I am also running towards something. A solution that I feel I can only discover through clarity of thought."

Not saying anything to either of them, Aike pockets his hands, tilts his head back slightly, moving his hair from his eyes, and watches Stephen closely, curiously.

Game, set, and match.

Nicole shook her head sadly." This isn't what I expected. I wanted us all to have fun out here. But if I go running, Aikanaro lags behind and then chooses to go back. If I stop to talk with Aikanaro, Stephen goes back to the school. It isn't fair..." She sat down by a tree in the snow, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, and hid her face. "Go ahead, go back to the school if you wish. It certainly isn't my intention to make you feel as if you must stay out here."

She looked up and glared at him. The tree he was leaning against suddenly lurched a foot to the left, leaving him off balance as it set up its roots in its new location. "What is it you wan't me to do then? Tell me, because I am sorely confused and i've never beeen very patient." She grumbled.

Trying to keep things relatively simple for now, Aike shrugs. "I never said I didn't want to come. I'm just trying to well... convince someone of something, and he's not cooperating." Aike nods tward the lone fire spirit.

Not my fault I'm stubborn. Wait... Yeah it is. Deal with it, kiddo.

He sighs. "Anyway, out here or in there, it doesn't matter to me. I just can't jog or run and keep a constant debate going. That, and well... I'd prefer I had no one overhear anything yet. Well, more than there has to be." He glances at Stephen and pauses. "Besides, I've seen the way you look around nervously. You're hiding something, too."

Nicole nodded at Aikanaro's comment. "He's right, you have been acting strangely since we got out here. Not that I'm implying that i know what normal behavior is for you, but you've been worried about something." She stood up and crossed her arms. "What is it, Stephen, that makes you fearful of theses woods?"