Jasper could feel a faint blush on his face and turned away from Kate, not use to being complemented. As she continued, Jasper lowered his ears, and rested his chin on his knees with a sigh, images of what he had done under his old mistress' treatment coming back to him. When Kate started asking him questions he turned back to face her, trying to process everything and give her an answer. His fingers absently played with a few strands of grass as he tried to think of a way she could help him. He wanted to tell Kate that what she was doing was fine, she was being more than patient with him, treating him better than he thought he deserved, but he couldn't make the words come. As she asked more questions, Jasper tried to keep up, growing frustrated at himself for his inability to give an answer. At the mention of getting to keep up his fighting skills, Jasper felt himself perk up a little. This was something he was familiar with, something he knew how to do without training or orders. It wasn't for the best of reasons that he had learned how to fight, even fight fairly in some circumstances, but it was what he had been raised doing, among other things.<br/><br/>As Kate asked him if he could keep a secret, Jasper met her gaze as he listened. What she said about women not being able to wield a sword he already knew, so when she mentioned that she had been trained with one Jasper was surprised. To him, at least from the little he knew, Kate didn't seem like the type to fight, at least not with a sword. When she asked him to test her, calling it a trade, Jasper wasn't sure how to answer. If she asked him to do something he was obliged to do it, though it would seem she was trying to get him out of this way of thinking. When a few moments had passed Jasper tried to answer Kate.<br/><br/>"I...I would love to test your fighting skills." He admitted with a small smile and blush, meeting Kate's eyes before turning his gaze to the lake before them. When a few more seconds had gone by Jasper spoke quietly once more, his green cat eyes on the waterline.<br/><br/>"Kate...thank you."