First Encounter

Renji looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow. What were they talking about, forgetting something? When Tamero explained, Renji lost the skeptical look, and it was replaced with a grin. "Sounds great." Though he was curious as to who'd thought of it. Kana had brought it up this time, but it sounded like they'd discussed it before. He took a step forward, putting his hand out palm down. "Our squad's gonna be the best. Come chuunin exams, we're gonna wipe the floor with everyone else," he said with a grin.

Kana chuckled a little when Renji so readily agreed to it, putting her hand over his. "Alright! Squad Eight's gonna be great," she said, giggling lightly at her own little rhyme. She glanced to Tamero and motioned him over.

Tamero smiled. "You got that right," he stated as he went over. "Together we stand, divided we fall, Shinobi forever until the day we fall." He was glad that they'd all been put on the same squad. There would be no one better than them. It would be them against the world. He could see it now. His purple eyes glowed with happiness. "Man, I've never been so excited for anything in my entire life." This would be the greatest experience of his entire life. No ranking up to Chuunin or Jonin would ever change that. This was where his story begin and that was worth a thousand memories.

Renji grinned at Tamero's rhyme. It was brilliant. Taking his hand from the pile, he gave his new teammates a smile. "I can't wait to tell my brother. I'll see you guys tomorrow," he said, starting off with a wave.

Kana looked to Renji as he said he had to tell his brother. That's when it hit her. She had to go find her picture. Her leg was killing her, but that could wait. "I'll see you tomorrow," she called back, then looked to Tamero. "You too," and then she started away like she was going to the village. When she was sure she was out of sight, she started towards the path she'd been running on the night before. While she knew that her escort would be around soon enough, she planned on keeping low and out of his sight. She didn't care how long it took, she was going to find her picture. Though after walking the trail for a few minutes, she had to stop and lean against a tree, panting lightly. Flinching, Kana looked down at her leg. It was nice that the hospital treated ninja for free, but she couldn't afford medicine outside of that. In her case it was either food or medicine. Closing her eyes, Kana leaned her head back on the tree. It hadn't been all that windy last night, but then again, she didn't really remember where she'd dropped the picture to begin with. "I'll find you soon..." she mumbled quietly, opening her eyes and pushing herself off the tree, starting off at a slow pace. It would be so much easier if she could run the path. It would take forever for her to even circuit it once at this rate.

Felix had taken care of the obstacle course and had gone to take down the tap in the forest. When he came out, he saw Kana disappear into the other side from yesterday. He had a feeling she was looking for something she'd dropped yesterday. Walking towards the forest, he followed after her. "Kianshi, didn't I say you were dismissed," he asked. His silver eyes glowing in the fading light. "Training will commence tomorrow, there's no point in you running this trail, especially with your leg that injured." He knew she wasn't running the trail, but he wanted to see what she'd say.

Kana froze when she heard her sensei's voice, swallowing. Turning to look at him, the blond girl took a moment before responding to him. "Why were you following me?" she asked cautiously. Of course she didn't realize that he'd been taking the tape down. She'd been too preoccupied thinking about finding her picture.

Felix lifted the blue tap. "I wasn't following you. I was taking this tape down. It's hazardous to the environment if not careful," he said. "When I came out I saw you go into the forest. Did your adviser forget to pick you up," he asked. "If so, I'll walk you home so the Kage doesn't have a heart attack about you disobeying orders," he told her. Felix put the tap back into his pocket. "Come on before it gets too late. Besides, you should really tend to your leg. The team was severely hindered because of it," he told her. "And then Tamero's injury meant Renji had to take most of the weight for the both of you. It's a miracle all three of your survive the two hours."

Kana looked at the blue tape as he lifted it, then back to him. "He probably doesn't have a clue where I am. And I don't care. I don't need a babysitter," she told him as she started walking the path again. "I lost something yesterday while we were training," she lied. "It must have fell out of my pocket, and I have to find it," she told him simply. She then shot him a glare when he said it was a miracle they survived. "Just how many kids have died in your training, that you expected us to not survive!" she said angrily, turning towards him as she stopped walking. This was just stupid, did this guy put kids through training that could kill them when they were fresh out of the Academy? Why!

"Statistics don't matter, you survived, that's enough," he told her. "Some answers you don't want to know the answer to, but tomorrow should help put an end to some of your unspoken questions....or repeated questions for that matter." There was a momentary pause and then he spoke again. "By the way, you said you lost something, would that something be a picture?" He asked. His blue gaze meeting her brown one. "I found one yesterday when I was running the laps. I figured it belonged to either you or Zakura since there was a girl in the picture. I figured I'd ask you first since I figured you'd show up any way," he said with a shrug.

"Tch," Kana looked off to the side when he said statistics don't matter. "They do too." Her gaze shot back to him when he asked if it was a picture. "Y-yeah, you have it??" Suddenly her eyes were a bit wide. If he was screwing with her...well, he couldn't be, right? How many people could correctly guess it was a picture she'd lost? She paused when he said that he found it while he was running laps. She wasn't sure if she should call him out on it or not. She'd be exposing herself too then. But he was lying. How could she trust him if he lied to her? It didn't really register in her mind that the same question applied to her. "You couldn't have found it while you were doing the laps," she told him lightly. "Because I actually dropped it before I left the gates last night," she told him, swallowing lightly. This guy scared her. Should she really have admitted to lying? To him of all people? Why hadn't she just asked for it back?

"No, they don't. If you believe in statistics, you might as well become one. If there is a statistic that states 85% of kunochi back down after their first D-Ranked mission, do you think you'd be standing here after the hell I've put you through," he asked. He then went into his pocket and pulled out her picture, handing it to her. "So you lied to me, just like I lied to you. That's not a good way to start things off with your sensei, or you student in my case." Felix shrugged. "The truth is, I often run this trail before you all get here in the mornings, so it wasn't hard to find it. I still knew you'd show up, not so much for the picture, but for the training. The point is, you have your picture back now, so go home and get some rest."

Kana gave a small pout when he said that she might as well become a statistic if she believed in them. "I think I'd be part of that 15%," she told him. She didn't care about being kind to him. She still didn't like him, sensei or not. When he pulled out her picture, she quickly took it holding it against herself for a moment. She didn't want to thank him, but this was something special to her. "Thank you..." she said quietly. When he mentioned how she'd lied to him, she nearly shrank. She looked to the side when he said he knew she'd show up. "It's not like I had a choice this time around," she muttered. She glanced up at him when he told her to go home and rest. Still holding her picture to herself, she nodded and started back towards the village. She had to go to the hospital first, so unfortunately, rest would have to wait. And since she'd be training tomorrow, it looked like food would have to wait. Medicine was more important for the time being.

"No problem," Felix answered. "Oh and by the way, that 15% are the ones that die during the Chuunin Exams." He gave a small smirk as he watched her. Tomorrow would be a better day than this. The silver haired shinobi started for home, remember the conversation he'd had with Izua the day before. It had been a rather unpleasant one, but he knew that it had happened for a reason. But do they really have to put me with the brats? He thought to himself with a grin. It slowly faded though, as he made the journey home.


The Day Before

"Felix, want to explain why your student ran away?"

Felix gave a sigh as Izua questioned him. "Not really," he stated with a frown. "But if you insist on knowing, then I guess I have no choice but to explain."

Izua crossed his arms over his chest. "You're right, so get explaining."

Felix leaned against the wall. "I've been neglecting her training. The kid is a brat as I stated before. If she doesn't learn to be a team player, then why bother putting her on my squad? It's a waste of my time training someone who doesn't give a damn about being on a team. She just wants to be trained."

Izua sighed. "Felix, that girl wants the best. You're the best. You should be honored. Not everyone would put up with your crap, but she has." Izua's grey eyes looked at the other ninja. "Give her a chance."

Felix wasn't in the mood for this. He'd woken up out of his sleep to retrieve that brat. Now he was being lectured on how he should be giving her a chance. "I'll give her chance when she actually deserves one." Felix turned his gaze away towards the door. "Her very actions prove she doesn't deserve to be on this team. Her attitude is proof as well. She wanted to run away because she couldn't have her way. Clearly she doesn't want to be on my team like she claims she does."

"Eight years ago you came back to this village after you'd wiped out half a town. I wasn't even sure if you were going to be able to handle continuing as a ninja. You'd said it yourself. You said you'd never had to do such a thing in your life. You said that you wouldn't be able to look at yourself in the mirror because you'd done that mission. You'd killed good people, innocent people, for the sake of a mission because you were ordered to do just that. You said you were nothing more than a machine. If that girl goes anywhere else, she'll do just that. She'll become a machine. She'll do anything to prove herself. You're one of the few people that will set limits for her. To keep her from becoming something you hate being yourself."

Felix didn't even object. Eight years ago. He swore he had more skeletons in the closet than anyone. The last thing he wanted was for children to become like him. They weren't part of Root. They shouldn't be like him, emotionless, heartless, a killer, a machine. "Alright," he said. "I'll do it." Felix had bowed his head. The memory was clear as day. He'd been told to find a rogue ninja of the Crested. The guy was a puppet master, and humans were his puppets. Felix had killed in what felt like cold blood. Women and children were in the mix. It only reminded him of how much of a monster he was.

"Felix..."

"No," the silver haired shinobi interrupted. "Don't...I don't need for you to apologize. It's a waste of breath." Felix turned away. "She'll get her training." He left out the door and started for his own house instead of Serenity's. I train them so they'll know their limits. I'm a barrier. The guide to keep them from becoming machines, heartless, lifeless machines. Felix opened the door to his house. It was empty and cold. He headed straight for the shower, letting the water run over him as he repeatedly punched the wall until his knuckles bled.

Kana went to the hospital and was there for a good two hours before she was seen, mostly because there were older ninja there from their missions, and Kana didn't push the issue. She was there until most everyone was gone. And then, without her protest, it took a mere twenty minutes to get all the shards out of her leg, and the back of her leg restitched and each injury bandaged. Once more she'd been offered crutches, which she promptly rejected. Before going home, she stopped at one of the only drug stores open to pick up some medicine she'd had prescribed thanks to the nurse that had taken care of her.

Having actually been able to sleep a few hours without pain that night, Kana woke up in a relatively good mood. Until she realized she would have to wait until a time between lunch and dinner to eat anything. If she had anything more, she wouldn't have enough for the rest of the week. Sighing, Kana made her way to the training grounds. At least she wouldn't be too much of a hindrance this time, since she'd had medicine, and couldn't really feel the pain in her leg, even though she was still limping lightly.


Renji came to the clearing, arriving a little bit after Kana, realizing she was the only one there. "That guy makes you get up to take you here this early?" he asked, sounding a bit concerned. That changed when Kana grinned though.

"No. I avoided him altogether," she told him with a chuckle.

(Kana is a terrible person)

Tamero joined the group with his arm all nice and bandaged. His mother had freaked out about how unorthodox their sensei was. She'd even asked who he was, so she could report him to the Kage. It was no wonder the guy hadn't given them his name. "Morning guys," he said with a wave of his good arm. When he was close enough, he gave a sigh. "I hope training today won't be as crazy as yesterday," he commented. "My mom nearly had a heart attack when she saw my arm. I think she would have got Sensei fired had I know his name," he said with a grin.

Felix showed up about ten minutes after Tamero. In his arms was a small box. "I apologize for my lateness, I had to stop by the store, but I'm sure all of you will be glad to have breakfast this morning," he said. "As I talk to you about yesterday's obstacle course and the future training to commence," he said as he opened the box. Inside were several rice balls. "Take as many as you wish," he said. There were at least fifteen in there. The remains would probably just go home with him or end up in the trash. He didn't know why he bought so many to begin with.

(Nooo, she just doesn't like having an escort.)

Kana gave Tamero a wave when he showed up. "Maybe that's why he didn't give us his name," she laughed lightly.

Renji nodded in agreeance. "When I told my brother about him, he said he was surprised I hadn't quit the first day. He said that he knew about sensei, that he was one of the best teachers in the Crested," he said with a grin, turning to look when the subject of their conversation showed up. "Good morning sensei," he said, going to stand by Kana and Tamero.

"Mornin' sensei." Kana blinked curiously at the boxes in their teacher's arms, looking up at him when he said something about breakfast. Almost immediately her eyes lit up. Okay, forget anything bad she'd said about him before, their sensei was awesome! "Thanks sensei!" she said when he told them to take as many as they wanted. Since rice balls really weren't that filling, Kana took two. To start. It's not like she didn't have enough money to eat normally, but when she needed to buy something expensive like medicine, she had to watch her spending afterwards.

Renji blinked at Kana's sudden eagerness. "Thank you," he also said, taking two as well. He didn't really need anymore than two, he'd already had a small meal before coming. He was pretty curious about today's training, but he knew that their sensei would start talking after they all had their food, so he didn't say anything. Instead, he started quietly on one of his rice balls.

(I love Kana's reaction.)

Tamero smirked when Renji spoke of his brother. The two must be close. Tamero had an older sister and younger sister, but he wasn't really close to them. The purple eyed boy shrugged and looked to their sensei as the guy showed up. He was kind of late. Tamero didn't really care though, because the guy was treating them to breakfast. "Good morning and thank you," he said as he took two as well.

Felix nodded and closed the box. "You three can take a seat, I've got a lot of talking to do," he told them. Tamero didn't object to the offer, he was sure they wouldn't be getting this kind of treatment very often. Felix searched his pockets and handed each of them two 3x5 index cards. One had writing on it, while the other was blank. "These cards will be the foundation of your ninja careers," he told them. Look at the one with writing," he told them. The card read:

Felix's Way of the Shinobi

1. "A shinobi who has no Shinobi Way has no purpose."
   
2. "A shinobi must never show emotion."
   
3. "A shinobi must never question their commander."
   
4. "A shinobi must always put the mission first."
   
5. "A shinobi who does not have the will to kill does not have the will to live."
   
6. "A shinobi must always prepare for the unexpected."
   
7. "A shinobi shall not fear death, they shall welcome it."
   
8. "A shinobi who betrays his comrades has no right to call himself a ninja."
   
9. "A shinobi who weeps for the fallen should join the fallen."
   
10. "A shinobi is not above their teammates, for without their team, they are nothing."
    

"This card defines my Way of the Shinobi," he told them. "The blank card, will be what defines you Way of the Shinobi Way. As we go through the months or years until you become Chuunin, you will fill these cards out through experiences and trials. For now, you're going to follow my rules." He looked to each of them. "As I stated before, I do everything for a reason. If you don't like it, go home. Through my training you will become the best as long as you listen to what I have to say. Now, to make sure you understand each and every rule."

Felix placed the box on the ground. He didn't fill like holding it, and if the kids wanted more, he didn't want them getting up or him having to bend down. "Rule #1, A shinobi who has no Shinobi Way has no purpose. Your Shinobi way is what you think makes a good ninja. It is your beliefs and yours alone. It's what you stand for as a person and as a Shinobi. Some ninja just go by the villages Way, but others maker their own, while incorporating the villages way into their way. Rule #2, A shinobi must never show emotion. That's a general rule for all shinobi ways. Number twenty five for most. I prefer to use only ten. By withholding your emotions, you become indifferent to what happens around you. It means no tears, no whining, and no complaining." Felix looked directly at Kana when he said no whining.

"Rule #3, a shinobi must never question their commander. Another general rule for most shinobi, however, mine is a bit different. It means that if I say do something, you do it, no questions asked. If there is a situation where I tell you to abandoned everything in order to save you life at the cost of my own, you'd better drop everything and leave. If you question the way I teach, then you're questioning your commander. This also goes for the Squad Captain, which I have yet to chose. If they tell you to do something, I suggest you do it." Felix paused. "Rule #4, a shinobi must always put the mission first. This rule goes above everything. We as shinobi get paid to complete missions. It also helps strengthen bonds with other villages. If you chose to go back for a comrade at the cost of a mission, you'd be safer not showing back up for training. Rule #5, A shinobi who does not have the will to kill does not have the will to live. If you can't finish the job, then don't bother becoming a ninja. There are people out there who are more than willing to take your life without losing any sleep. Younger ninja are weak, easy prey. If you're not ready to kill to avoid being killed, you're going to get killed. A wounded ninja is not a dead ninja." Felix paused. "Any questions, suggestions, comments, or concerns?" He asked. He'd be getting to the second half, but not at the moment.

Kana sat down when their sensei said it was okay, chewing off pieces of her rice ball every few moments. She was more than half way done with the first one already. She listened quietly as he listed his rules, looking at the card every now and then. When he asked if they had any questions or anything, Kana looked up at him, her first rice ball gone. "Your first name is Felix?"

Renji glanced to Kana at her question. He'd finished his rice ball too, but Kana was already halfway through with her second one. Looking down to his card, Renji smiled. He hadn't noticed their teachers first name was on it, and it made him chuckle a little that Kana had actually asked. Though he was curious about something, he decided to wait to ask until their teacher had gone through all the rules.

Tamero was eating his rice ball when Felix suddenly handed them index cards. That was odd. The purple eyed boy quickly read over it. He gave a quick glance to Felix when he finished. This was their sensei's shinobi way? This guy was....Tamero couldn't think of a word, but it was somewhere along the lines of unpleasant. As Felix continued to speak, Tamero found it a little less easy to chew and swallow. Put the mission first, he could see that, but not going back for a comrade because the mission was first priority. Tamero cringed at the thought of being injured and left to die. Tamero wondered if Felix had made these rules up just last night. They did sort of reflect on the team. And yesterday, Renji didn't seem intent on killing that one lady, so was Rule #5 directed at his black haired teammate. When Felix asked if there were any questions or concerns, Tamero wasn't sure what to say. However, he did look at Kana when she asked a question. It was kind of funny.

Felix looked at Kana when she asked her question. Smart Ass. "Yes it is," he said. "Anything else," he asked. His blue eyes looking at the group. "As in questions related to what I've just told the three of you." Felix didn't seem annoyed by Kana's question, but it was clearly obvious that his first name was Felix. Why would he put someone else name on the card?

Kana merely grinned lightly at his response. At least they knew something about him. Maybe she could find out his last name from that bit alone. A guy with silver hair, who was a sensei, and his first name is Felix. That should be more than enough to go on. After all, how many people had silver hair? Kana was sure this was the only guy in the village she'd seen with it. She shook her head when he asked if they had anymore questions.

Renji gave another glance towards Kana, then looked back to their sensei at his question. "Nopes," he said lightly. At least the day wasn't starting off sour. He didn't mind learning about their teacher's ninja way, though a few of the rules were a bit harsh...Even so, he was willing to try and follow them in order to stay on the team. Though that thing about leaving a comrade behind in order to complete a mission wasn't something that was gonna go in his Shinobi Way.

(Oh Renji, you are adorable as well)

Tamero shook his head no. Felix shrugged and continued. "Moving on then. Rule #6 is a simple shinobi rule as well. A shinobi must always prepare for the unexpected. Basically just bring enough weapons to stay alive. And even when you run out, you'd better be willing to fight to live. Yesterday is a clear example of this rule. I gave you limited weapons and jutsu yesterday. In a fight, you will eventually run out of chakra and weapons, which means you have to use basic survival instincts. Yes, there was a method to the madness." Felix gave a light grin. "Rule #7, a shinobi shall not fear death, they shall welcome it. We as ninja step into the path of death, just for taking up this occupation. There are people out there who hate us for being who we are. People that would much rather have a world without shinobi, but those people are cowards. We Shinobi have heart, we are brave. We face Death and taunt him. If you're afraid to die, then you're in the wrong place."

Felix wondered what were going through their minds. Few people knew he was immortal in the village, so most of his rules were based on experiences. The reason he hadn't edited the rules, was to show these children the extent of how some people think, and keep them from walking that path. They were to follow their own paths to become the ninja they wanted to be. His path had led him to misery and destruction, but it had also made him a great ninja. He just hoped they would make the right decisions in the long run. "Rule #8, a shinobi who betrays his comrades has no right to call himself a ninja. If you betray your comrades, I pray that they give you death instead of pity. To betray your comrade is to go against everything I will teach you. Leaving them behind to finish the mission is a different story. Leaving them behind to die when it's clear you can finish the mission with them is betrayal. If you set your partner up for failure, you're betraying them. Don't be a traitor, it's not worth destroying a life time bond." Felix didn't take lightly to traitors.

"Rule #9, A shinobi who weeps for the fallen should join the fallen. The dead have served their time on earth, let them rest in peace. If they died KIAs, then they have lived a good life. It is those that live that we should focus on," he said. Felix had learned this a while back. He used to find himself locking himself indoors as he lay in bed miserable because he constantly found himself missing Meridian. Even now, he had to remind himself that she was gone. "Finally, Rule #10, a shinobi is not above their teammates, for without their team, they are nothing." Again, he looked at Kana. "When you begin as a ninja, you're placed on a three man squad for a reason. Even when you're a Chuunin or Jonin or ANBU you still work in a squad. Your team helps you stay alive. You are as strong as your weakest member. No one is above anyone on a squad, no matter how skilled you are. You work as a single unit to stay alive and get things done." Felix crossed his arms over his chest. "Is there any questions, suggestions, concerns, things of that sort?" He asked. His blue gaze looking over his squad.

The only concern Renji had about the rules had been the leaving a comrade behind thing. He'd read the rules ahead, and had seen the part about not betraying comrades either. He didn't understand how it worked. At least, not until Felix explained it. But he still didn't understand completely. Waiting until their sensei finished, Renji spoke up. "What if your comrade isn't dead, but really badly injured, or out cold, but you wouldn't be able to finish the mission if you went back? We...we're still supposed to leave them, even if the enemy would kill them?" He didn't like the idea of that. It wasn't right. In his book, leaving your partner behind at any point is betrayal.

Kana nearly looked down when their sensei said that shinobi didn't fear death, but managed to keep a straight face, eating what was left of the onigiri. She didn't like thinking about that portion of the job. If there was anything that truly scared the blond girl, it was death. Sure she wanted to see her parents again, but not like that. Kana nearly flinched when Felix looked at her while he spoke of number ten, but she couldn't bring herself to tear her gaze away. She'd also noticed the way he'd looked at her when he'd mentioned no whining. Hey, she hadn't whined yet! If anything, she'd whined the least!

Felix looked at Renji and nodded. "Yes. The best you can do is hide them somewhere safe. But we do not stop the mission. If necessary, leave behind someone to help them. You're capable of carrying out the rest of the mission alone, then do it. But, from what I've witnessed from yesterday, none of you know much about being a medical ninja, which is fine, because I'll have someone teach you the basics. Like patching up a person and stopping the bleeding." Felix looked at the group. "Anything else you'd like to ask?"

Tamero shook his head no. He didn't like Felix's rules, but he wasn't going to say anything about. He'd keep quiet for now. Just because their sensei said these were his rules, didn't mean he had to follow them. The guy did say they should have their own Way of the Ninja. Tamero smiled to himself.

Renji looked down when he said yes. He understood, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He looked at Kana at her question, which made him smile a little. She was looking to get on their teacher's bad side, wasn't she?

"When are we gonna learn your full name?" Okay, so there was a good amount of things about his 'rules' that she didn't like. A really really, good amount. But that didn't have to be her ninja way. She could work with others on missions without arguing, at least hopefully. She would at least try.

Felix looked at Kana. She was starting to push it. He was being kind to them since yesterday he'd put them through hell. Now she was just trying to piss him off. "When I feel like telling you," he responded as he searched his pockets and then handed them each a pencil. "Today, you will look back on yesterday's training and today's lecture and write down one thing you want to be part of your ninja way," he said. "By the way, I'd advise you keep these index cards on you. If you lose them, I will not give you a new one. These are important, you'll see why later on in the year," he told them. "Now, get to writing."

Tamero was sure there Sensei was going to strangle Kana one of these days. A tiny smile crossing his face, he picked up the pencil. Something he wanted to be part of his ninja way. Tamero was big on teamwork, so he knew exactly what to write. Rule #1: A shinobi should shrive to keep a strong bond with his squad mates. He smiled and looked up at their sensei.

Kana cracked a smile when their sensei said when he felt like telling them. She'd really only asked to be a pain. Taking the pencil, she looked down at her blank card, tapping the pencil a few times. What should she write? It took her a few moments before she finally wrote something down. Rule #1: A shinobi will never give up, no matter how dire the situation. She paused a moment before deciding with a nod that she liked what she had written.

Renji gave a small grin at their sensei's response, taking the pencil. For the longest time he couldn't think of anything. He was aware of Kana and Tamero having stopped writing already, and that made him a bit nervous. Should it have been easy to come up with a rule? Then why was it so hard for him to think of something? Their sensei had told them to reflect on the day before. What had he done the day before? They'd gotten away from the first creature they'd come across, by planning their way to the wall, helping Kana along as they did. Kana had gone up first, then Tamero, then Renji. Tamero had gotten injured, but they managed to get to the other side. That's when it hit him. Rule #1: A shinobi must put aside all fears for the sake of completing a mission. He wasn't sure if that was actually a good rule to have, but he'd learned that the hard way the day before. They'd wasted a lot of time up on that wall.