i don't own naruto.
an: yes, i know i'm the last person who should be posting a new story... but this plot idea wouldn't leave me alone. this fic will be roughly around 7 chapters in total. and because i'm actually setting deadlines for myself... the whole fic should be finished by february, at the latest.
enjoy. :D
warnings: yaoi, violence, some hints of s&m, character death.
Clandestine
Chapter I
- o -
"-My last suitor, honestly, he was disgusting. Twice your age and size, and he wanted six hundred gold pieces for my dowry. Is that not preposterous?"
"Mm." Neji agreed flatly, looking out into the distance. It was a lovely spring day, the air crisp and the sky a deep blue color. Songbirds warbled sweet tunes to each other from the branches of trees, creating a melodious soundtrack for the couple as they walked along the stone path.
"I mean, how could he even think that was acceptable? Why would he want so much gold? Surely my beauty is reason enough." Ino scoffed as she linked her arm with the Hyuuga's. "Not to mention the fact that he was hideous beyond all belief. He looked like some kind of demon."
"The grounds are beautiful." Neji commented offhandedly, not even trying to disguise the fact that he had been ignoring the girl for the last twenty minutes.
However, the grounds were indeed beautiful. If there was anything good that Neji could say about the Yamanaka family, it was their gardeners. Their castle was surrounded by a vast garden that contained nearly every flower known to man. There were bright splashes of color everywhere Neji looked. A large, elaborate stone fountain sat in the center of the garden. The sound of trickling water added to the peaceful, serene environment.
Ino turned her clear blue eyes one him. "Are you listening to me?"
"No." Neji replied honestly, watching a blue butterfly waft elegantly past his nose.
Ino scoffed, tossing her long, golden braid over her shoulder. "I did not think you were. You are lucky you are so handsome, Prince Neji. Otherwise, our marriage would be very unpleasant."
"Are you that certain we will be married?" The two of them neared the fountain. Neji gently guided her to the left of the grand structure, so that he was on the outside of the path.
"Of course." Ino said confidently. "You are attractive and your family isn't cheap. Why would I not marry you?"
"Because I do not love you." Neji told her neutrally, looking up at the fluffy white clouds in the sky.
Ino laughed. "As if that matters. All I have to do is tell daddy that I am madly in love with you. Daddy doesn't like seeing me upset, so he will then pressure King Hiashi to arrange a union between us right away. We will be wed and live in a grand castle and I will become Queen and bear you lots of children." She finished confidently, a determined look in her eyes.
"I see." Neji said.
Then he pushed her into the fountain.
- o -
"I am sorry that you must depart after just arriving here," Lord Yamanaka started, placing a heavy hand on Neji's shoulder. "But my daughter was quite adamant about seeing you go."
"It is no problem at all." Neji responded, trying his best to sound serious. "I was feeling particularly homesick, anyway."
"Please give your father my regards." Lord Yamanaka bowed shortly, and Neji did the same. The young Hyuuga was then helped up into the carriage by two of his personal guards. The doors were soundly shut and the driver whipped the reins, signaling for the horses to start moving.
And thus, Neji's visit to the Yamanaka Manor came to an abrupt end, only twenty-four hours after it had began. The manor was fairly close to the Hyuuga Palace, inasmuch as it only took around seven hours to get there by carriage. It was roughly around noontime, so, Neji figured that he would be home in time for dinner. Wonderful, he thought happily, eager to get as far away from Princess Ino as possible.
It wasn't that he disliked the girl, per say. Princess Ino was beautiful, and rich, and even though she was bossy and talked way too much, she still had the proper upbringing of a princess, and would make a fine wife and Queen (once she grew up a bit). However, she just didn't interest Neji. None of the girls he had been set up with did. They were all too soft, too sensitive, too delicate for his tastes. He didn't want that. He wanted someone who he could fight with, and someone who could give just as well as they got.
He wasn't interested in being the 'Noble Prince' that many girls had envisioned him to be. He had no desire to 'rescue' them from whatever unfairnesses they faced.
He had never met a Princess, let alone a girl, that he hadn't wanted to be just friends with. Ino was the seventh girl he had been sent to woo, and, like all of the others, the attempt failed. Sooner or later, Neji would have to tell his father that he was simply not interested in being married, and that he would just have to rule the kingdom alone, when the time came.
On the journey back, Neji slept for the first three hours, stretched out on one of the padded benches and forcing three of the guards to sit on the floor. After he woke up, the guards pulled down the fold-up table and they played cards for another two hours. When Neji became bored with the games, he pulled out a book from his luggage and engrossed himself in it.
The sun was slowly sinking in the sky when Neji caught his first glimpse of one the highest towers of the castle. The brunet signed in relief at the thought of being home and out of the lovely, but still cramped, carriage. He couldn't wait to see his family and the rest of his father's court again. Not that the guards weren't decent company- but sometimes they got on his nerves.
"Do you mind?" He asked crossly when the guard to his left attempted to read over his shoulder for the third time.
"Sorry." The guard, Kotetsu, said sheepishly.
Neji was about to start reading again when the carriage abruptly jolted to a halt. Neji looked up sharply, and his frown deepened when, after a few seconds, they failed to move forward. The guards looked at each confusedly.
Neji closed his book and handed it to Kotetsu. He got up and leaned over to the window behind the bench opposite of him, pushing the other three guards out of the way. He slid the window open and stuck his head out of it. "Why have we stopped?" He asked the old driver.
"The horses refuse to go any further." Onoki told him, turning around to address his prince properly. "I think they are… scared."
"Of what? We are nearly there; there is nothing to be afraid of." Neji responded with a frown.
Onoki shrugged, cracking his whip at the horses again and again. Although the horses whined, they didn't move an inch.
Neji pulled himself back inside of the carriage. He crossed over to the door and pulled up the latch, then pushed it open. He leaned out of it, looking towards the horses to see if he could spot what the disturbance was.
The only thing that seemed out of the ordinary was a thick fog that obscured most of the road ahead of them. There was an almost eerie stillness in the areas around him, something that Neji had never felt in any of the lands surrounding the castle. However, that alone shouldn't have had any bearing on the horses, who had been trained to travel through any weather. There had to have been something else.
"My Lord… maybe you shouldn't…"
Neji ignored the guard and hopped down from the carriage. His ivory eyes narrowed as he looked around. "There is nothing out here." He said aloud, running a hand through his hair. He turned around to look behind him.
Suddenly, the breath was knocked from his chest as he was tackled to the ground. His ivory eyes widened as he looked up into the muzzle of the largest, most ferocious wolf he had ever seen in his life.
My God…
He heard a shout as one of the guards attempt to rush toward the beast, but was pulled back by the others, for fear of scaring the animal and making it harm the Prince.
Neji tried to struggle, but the beast had him pinned down. The wolf snarled at him, heavy paws pressing into his shoulders. It reared back, razor sharp teeth look ten times as menacing up close, then lunged straight for the Hyuuga's throat. Helpless, Neji was unable to do anything but clench his eyes shut.
Sharp teeth clamped around the chain of the silver medallion Neji wore and pulled, ripping the jewelry out from under his clothes and right off of his neck.
Neji jerked back with a gasp, locking eyes with the large grey wolf that now had his medallion clenched tightly in its mouth. The beast growled savagely at him, yellow eyes narrowing. Drool slid out from between its clenched teeth and onto Neji's clothes.
All of a sudden, its grey ears perked up at some unheard sound. Quickly, as if it had forgotten all about Neji, the wolf leapt off of the prince and bounded off into the woods, Neji's medallion still clamped between it's teeth.
Neji remained prostrate on the ground, blinking up at the darkening sky. What just happened...?
"My lord! Are you alright?" Two of the guards leapt down from the carriage and lifted him back up. Neji yanked himself away from them as everything finally sunk in.
"We have to go after it!" He said frantically, lunging towards the direction the wolf had went in. The guards grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back towards the carriage.
"Prince Neji… we can't just chase after that wolf."
"You do not understand! I need that medallion!" Neji struggled, grasping at the place on his chest where it would have lain. "We have to get it back!"
"How? The animal is long gone, your highness. There is no way the horses will go after it." The second guard reasoned, slightly out of breath from trying to contain the fighting Hyuuga. "We have no nets and no traps. Capturing it would be impossible."
"But…" Neji's struggling slowed as he realized the truth in what the guard was saying. They weren't prepared to go after a large, possibly rabid wolf with only five minimally armed guards and a trio of horses who were apparently deeply afraid of said wolf. No matter how badly Neji wanted to retrieve his jewelry, doing so now would have been illogical.
The young prince stilled, his gaze becoming more and more melancholy as he stared into the woods. The medallion had been a gift to Neji from his mother. She had given it to him when he was about five years old, two years before she died. It was about the size of a compass, sterling silver with diamonds encrusted around the circumference. His initials were engraved in the middle. It was the only thing he had to remember her by, and therefor, it was his most prized possession.
"Hey…" Kotetsu had gotten out of the carriage as well, and was now placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We can send out some guards to look for it tomorrow, okay? But it will be night soon, and there is no way we can search for it in the dark."
"…Okay." Neji said softy, allowing Kotetsu to pull him back to the carriage.
- o -
"So," Hiashi sighed as soon as Neji reached the center of the throne room. "What happened this time?"
Neji stood in front of his father and stepmother, about halfway down the luxurious red carpet that stretched from the doors to the throne. The rest of the journey to the castle had passed without any sort of incident. Neji had spent the remainder of the journey pulling twigs out of his hair and brushing dirt off of his clothing. Hopefully, no one would notice that anything was amiss.
"She tripped into a fountain, and then blamed it on me." Neji said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Honestly, father, how can I be expected to marry a girl who is so clumsy she cannot even walk in her own gardens without stumbling?"
"I do not know, Neji." Hiashi said heavily, resting his hand on his chin. "I think that maybe you should-" He cut himself off with a deep, frame-wracking burst of coughs that seemed to come from the pit of his chest.
Neji stood motionless, waiting for his father to get over his coughing fit. These random attacks had been happening more and more frequently in the last year. A servant exited the room and returned three seconds later with a large brass cup filled with water. King Hiashi accepted it with some difficultly and drank heavily from it.
He wiped his mouth and turned back to his son when the coughs subsided. "The doctor came to see me after you left yesterday." He told his son hoarsely. "He says that I do not have much longer."
Neji took a step forward. Everyone in the castle knew that the king was becoming increasingly ill as the months went on, so this was no surprise to him. He loved his father dearly, but had resigned himself to the fact that his death was approaching long ago, as a good future ruler should. "Father…"
"That is why it is imperative that you find someone to marry." King Hiashi continued. "There are many people around here who will not hesitate to try and take your place on the throne."
"I understand, father. I will do my best to find a suitable wife." For the first time since he was a child, Neji actually felt bad about lying. He knew that when his father died, everyone would attempt to try and discredit his legitimacy to rule, and being an unmarried king would only make it easier for them to do so. Still, he could not seem to put aside his own feelings of dislike for the sake of his kingdom. "May I go change now?"
His father studied him briefly, then raised his hand to dismiss him. However, Queen Hitomiko stopped him.
"Neji," She spoke, observing him with a critical eye. "Come closer."
Neji instantly obeyed her command, walking down the long red carpet to the thrones, then up the three steps to stand in front of his stepmother.
Hitomiko was Hiashi's second wife, and the mother of Neji's two sisters, Hinata and Hanabi. When his father had first remarried, six months after Neji's mother died, Neji had often clashed with the new Queen. He had been reluctant to accept a new mother figure in his life, and she had been unwilling to devote her time to try to get to know him. However, as the years went by, their relationship became less antagonistic and had settled into a reluctant acquaintanceship, if only for the sake of Hiashi.
"Where is your medallion?" She asked softly.
Shit. Neji had been hoping that no one would notice. He should have factored in his stepmother's keen attention to detail. Although someone was bound to notice eventually, seeing as the young prince never went anywhere without it.
"It was stolen." Neji responded quietly, hoping that he could just leave it at that. Unfortunately, it seemed as if everything was going wrong today.
"Stolen?" Hiashi interjected. "You had five knights around you for the entire trip. How could it have possibly gotten stolen?"
"I am… not sure, father."
"Well then, would you care to explain how it happened?" King Hiashi said, leaning forward.
"If I may, your majesty." One of the guards stepped forward, bowing shortly. "It was the strangest thing I have ever seen. About two hundred meters away from the castle, the horses jolted to a halt. Onoki tried to make them go, but to no avail. Prince Neji then opened the carriage door to see what was going on."
Neji scowled. He knew he would never hear the end of it for putting himself in danger by opening the door.
The guard shot him an apologetic look, then continued.
"All of a sudden, a large grey wolf came out from beneath the carriage and tackled the prince to the ground. It tore his medallion right off of his neck, then took off into the woods."
Hiashi and Hitomiko exchanged a look. "Thank you, Izumo. You may go."
Izumo bowed, then turned around and walked toward the exit. Neji closed his eyes. As soon as the door to the throne room creaked shut, it started.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU OPEN THE DOOR IN THE FIRST PLACE? YOU ARE NEVER TO LEAVE THE CARRIAGE, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES-"
Neji stood still and listened to his father's tirade for a good twenty minutes. He knew that Hiashi cared deeply for him, but at times he really overdid it in terms of parenting. Neji was 19 years old, after all. He didn't deserve to be scolded like a child.
At last, Hiashi seemed to have yelled himself out. He took a deep breath and pushed his crown back up on his head. Hitomiko patted his back comfortingly, shooting Neji a glare.
"You know better than to make your father worry."
"I am sorry." Neji said as remorsefully as he could, his hands clasped together in front of him. "It was not my intention."
"Hmph. Fine." Hitomiko sniffed, eyeing him warily. "You are dismissed. And I should not even be telling you this, but there is a surprise for you waiting in the library."
Neji looked at her curiously. "What sort of surprise?"
Hitomiko just waved him off and went back to comforting his father. Neji frowned, but bowed shortly and exited the throne room.
- o -
After changing from his traveling clothes, Neji made his way over to the library, curious as to what his surprise was. He found it in the form of slumbering young man sprawled across a plush maroon settee, an open book resting on his face.
Neji leaned forward and picked up the book, then smiled in delight when he saw the face it had been obscuring.
"Shikamaru!"
Said male was jolted awake by the long-haired prince wrapping his arms tightly around his midsection. Shikamaru blinked sleepily before looking downward, a slow smile spreading across his lips as he spotted the glossy dark hair piled on his chest.
"Hello, Neji."
Shikamaru Nara was the son of Shikaku Nara, a nobleman who owned quite a bit of land throughout the country. Hiashi and Shikaku were very good friends, so the Nara family had spent quite a bit of time at the castle while Neji was growing up. The two boys were practically inseparable whenever the Nara family visited.
Seeing Shikamaru was enough to make Neji forget all about Princess Ino, or the wolf incident. The two embraced for a little while longer, before Neji pulled back, settling onto his knees on the carpet. "It is so good to see you, my friend. But how did you know I was going to be home this afternoon? I was not due back for another two days."
If anyone were to walk in now they would think it was odd that the Prince was on the ground, looking up at Shikamaru, instead of the other way around, as it was customary for a member of the royal family to always be above their subjects. However, Neji was so comfortable with the other male that it had been years since they had adhered to that rule.
Shikamaru gave him a pointed look as he sat up. "You think I do not know how Princess Ino is? To be honest, I am surprised you managed to last as long as you did."
Neji laughed good-naturedly, unable to keep his mirth from spreading to his face. Only now was he realizing how much he had missed his younger friend. As the son of a nobleman, Shikamaru did have to do a great deal of traveling. His father's land was spread out in a good number of kingdoms. If Neji had to guess, he would say that it had been at least eight months since he had last seen Shikamaru. Although they frequently kept in touch by writing letters, it wasn't the same thing as being right in front of each other.
"Why has your family come to visit? Is it business or pleasure?" The young prince asked, smiling up at the other male.
"A little bit of both, I would say." Shikamaru stretched, causing his plain black shirt to ride up. "I will tell you about it later."
Neji took a brief moment to appreciate how much the other boy had grown since the last time he saw him. The other male's shoulders were broader, his arms slightly more muscled, and it looked as if he had finally caught up to Neji in terms of height. His hair was still in his customary ponytail, however, and his face still held that look of perpetual boredom that was always present, although it was somewhat lessened now that he was in Neji's presence.
Neji crossed his arms. "I wish to know now. Tell me, please."
Shikamaru grinned at him. "Has no one ever taught you that princes do not beg?"
"Would you prefer I commanded you instead?" Neji countered, feeling his lips tug upwards. It felt good to banter with his friend again.
"I would prefer it if you would wait until dinner and find out with everyone else."
Neji frowned, sitting back on his heels. Seconds later, his face lit up as something occurred to him. "Wait! I know why you are here… you are of age to marry now, right?"
Something unreadable flashed across Shikamaru's face. The younger boy hesitated, then spoke. "Yes… that is part of the reason."
"And you wished to come to Konoha, so you can chose a bride! Is that it?"
Shikamaru looked off to the side. "Something like that." He said neutrally.
Neji smiled triumphantly. "I knew it! You are not the only genius around here, Shikamaru."
"I never claimed I was." Shikamaru responded. He got down from the settee he had been on and took a seat on the floor across from Neji. Deciding to change the subject, the Hyuuga reached over and picked up the book that had been resting on the other boy.
"Is this another one of your 'science' books?"
"Maybe."
"Hm." Neji flipped through the pages of the book. "Is there anything in here about wolves?"
"Why?"
His previous smile gone, Neji explained to the other boy what had happened on his journey back to the castle. "-The wolf lunged forward and grabbed my medallion with it's teeth. Then it just turned around and left." He finished. "The horses were fine after that. The guards helped me into the carriage and we went back to the castle… what?" He asked, noticing the concerned expression the other male had on his face. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Did it hurt you?" Shikamaru asked seriously, his dark eyes narrowing.
"No, I do not think so."
"Let me see." The Nara said sternly.
Neji blinked. "… all right."
He gathered up his hair and held it up and away from his neck. Shikamaru uncrossed his legs and kneeled in front of him. He placed two fingers under Neji's chin and tilted his head up, leaning in to study the other male's neck intently.
Neji's breath hitched when he felt the the other male's slightly calloused fingertips trace a line down the hollow of his throat and across his collarbone. He could feel the younger male's warm breath wafting across his neck, making it difficult for him to keep his gaze straight ahead.
Finally, appearing satisfied with Neji's appearance, Shikamaru sat back. The tension fizzled out quickly, as if it were never there in the first place. "Was the medallion inside or outside of your clothes?"
Neji let go of his hair, trying to remember. "It was… inside. I remember I tucked it under my surcoat because it got in the way of my reading."
"You do not think it is odd, that the wolf would automatically go after you? It could have attacked the driver, who was already outside of the carriage."
"Yes…" Now that Shikamaru mentioned it, it did seem strange. "Do you think that it was trained to target me, specifically?"
"Not just you. I am sure anyone who was carrying anything of value would have had the same experience." Shikamaru responded, looked troubled. "But I do not think this was a trained animal."
"Then what was it?"
Shikamaru took a deep breath. "I had thought that they were only rumors, but if it happened to you…"
"What rumors?"
"People have been reporting similar assaults in some of the neighboring kingdoms. They say that a thick fog will creep over the road, and their horses will refuse to go any further. Then the same thing that you experienced will happen. The wolf always seems to know who in the party has the most money or jewels. Peasants and farmers have not been targeted."
The Hyuuga frowned. That did make sense; he was the only one in their party who had been wearing anything of worth. "But I do not understand. There is no reason for an animal to want gold or jewels."
"It is not an animal." Shikamaru responded stonily. "It is a demon."
Neji stared at Shikamaru for a long second, then burst out laughing. "You can not be serious." He said through his chuckles. "A demon? Really?"
Shikamaru shrugged. "It is what I have heard. No one has ever seen his human form, but it is said that by day, he passes for an ordinary traveler."
Suddenly the whole thing seemed very ridiculous to Neji. He laughed harder, collapsing onto his back with his hand over his stomach. "That is just superstition, Shikamaru. Demons do not exist, and you of all people should know that, what with your constant talk about science."
"Still-"
Neji cut him off, still chuckling on the ground. "I was reading too much into it. It was probably just a runaway circus animal, who saw something shiny around my neck and decided to take it."
He sat up, wiping a tear from his eye. "Wolf demon, indeed. If he were, why did he not take my soul or something equally as ghastly?"
"How would I know the motives of a demon?" The younger male commented dryly, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I am not saying that I do believe they exist- I just think you should have been more careful."
Shikamaru stood up and dusted himself off. "I have to get dressed for dinner, and you should do the same. I will see you in a little while."
Neji watched the other male walk out of the library, the smile slowly fading from his face. Shikamaru seemed almost… upset with him. Perhaps I should not have laughed at him like that. He thought, picking himself off of the ground.
But honestly, the thought of being robbed by a wolf demon was completely preposterous. There had to have been a perfectly reasonable explanation for it. Being distracted by fairy tales was counter-productive, and took away from the truth. If people started believing that it was an actual demon instead of just a trained wolf, they would be too afraid to try and hunt it down, which meant that the robberies would continue.
Demons did not exist, and Neji was going to prove it.
By getting his medallion back.
- o -
Dinner was a festive affair, and Neji did his best to look as if he were enjoying it. He sat between his sisters, who were delighted to have him back so soon. He recounted the carriage incident to Hanabi, making it even more thrilling for her enjoyment, and then described Princess Ino's dress in great detail for Hinata, who greatly admired the other girl for some odd reason.
News had traveled quickly about Neji's attack. Neji heard several of the dinner guests mention the ordeal, shooting sympathetic glances towards the young prince. Neji rolled his eyes whenever he heard the word 'demon'.
There were plenty of other guests at the table in the Great Hall, as there were every night, but for some reason Neji felt Shikamaru's eyes on him for the duration of the meal. The third time he caught the other boy staring, he gave him an apologetic smile as penance for laughing at him earlier. Shikamaru returned it with a lazy grin of his own, before he was swept up into a conversation with one of his father's friends.
Eventually, the dinner plates were cleared away and desert was set on the table. King Hiashi cleared his throat as a servant rang a bell next to him to get everyone's attention. He stood up when everyone quieted down.
"As soon of you may already know, a member of the royal family was attacked and robbed on his way back to the castle this afternoon."
Neji groaned and sunk down in his seat. It is not that big a deal.
"Because of this, we will be increasing security in the areas surrounding the palace. Guards will be stationed both outside of the walls, as well as within the bailey. From now on, I encourage you to not travel when there is fog, or after nightfall. If travel during these times is absolutely necessary, I will assign three armed guards to go with you. Is this clear to everyone?"
The guests murmured their assent. King Hiashi nodded in approval. "Good. I now invite you to turn your attention to Shikamaru Nara. Young Nara, I believe that you had an announcement to make?"
Shikamaru briefly wiped his mouth with his napkin, before standing up and and bowing to the King. He then addressed the rest of the table. "I did. However, I think I will put off said announcement for one more day. I believe that the royal family has already had enough excitement for today."
Neji scowled. "You are doing this on purpose, aren't you?" He muttered under his breath.
The younger male continued. "I would, however, like to make a toast to the health of the King and his family. If you all would…"
Everyone seated at the table raised their glasses. Shikamaru grasped his on and held it up as well. "To the Hyuuga family. Long live the King and Queen!"
"Long live the King and Queen!" The group chorused, then took long swigs from their glasses.
After dinner, Shikamaru had invited him on a long walk around the castle, but Neji had declined, saying that he was too tired. He bid goodnight to everyone, then retired to his chambers.
He waited for a full four hours before he started to get ready for his journey, giving everyone in the castle ample time to fall asleep. When the castle was quiet, save for the soft jingling of chain mail as the guards went about their rounds, Neji pulled himself out of bed and began getting ready as silently as he could. He changed into a dark tunic, breeches, and boots. He tied his hair up into a high ponytail. As he dressed, he went over his plan to get his medallion back in his mind.
It would be fairly easy. All Neji had to do was find the wolf's den, and take his medallion back. He had spent enough time with visiting circus tamers to know that all animals could be subdued one way or another. He had stolen a large steak from the kitchens earlier, and was planning on using it to entice the beast into returning his item. And if that didn't work, he would simple kill it. had been hunting since he was a child, and he had taken down things much larger than wolves.
After changing, he grabbed a key hidden in the bottom drawer of his bedside table, then crouched down by the side of the bed. Reaching underneath it, he groped around for a little while before his fingers closed around the handle of a heavy trunk. With some effort, he carefully pulled it out front under his bed, then unlocked it with the key.
Inside the trunks was a variety of weapons. Everything from small daggers to axes to a large, gold encrusted sword that he had secretly commissioned from a blacksmith who lived in town. He tucked two daggers into each of his boots, then slid a medium sized axe and an iron crow bar into a slot on his belt.
He carefully exited his room, making sure to shut the door quietly behind him. Moving as silently as he could, he made his way down the corridor, took a left, and walked down another hallway before arriving at a staircase. He went down two flights of stairs, to the fourth floor, and then went down another hallway before he came to a darkened window nook that faced the back of the castle. He carefully pushed open the window, then tightly secured the rope ladder to the edge. He scurried down the rope quickly, jumped down the last six feet, the ducked and rolled into a bush just as two guards came around the corner of the castle.
Keeping low to the ground, he crept through the bushes around the perimeter of the castle until he got to the opposite side. He felt along the wall until he found one large stone, about the size of a carriage wheel, that jutted out slightly more than the others. Neji sat back with a slight smile, pulling the crowbar from his belt and using it to pry the stone away from the wall. After pulling it back far enough for him to slip through the hole, he stashed the crowbar into the bushes behind him and swiftly exited the bailey.
He stood up and stretched, finally allowing himself to inhale the clean, night air. This was not the first time Neji had snuck out- far from it, in fact. Noble life could be exceptionally boring, especially since he wasn't allowed outside the castle walls without at least two guards of his father's choosing. Technically, he could go wherever he wanted, but if he even so much as looked at a tavern or a smithy, his father would know, and scold him about as soon as Neji returned to the castle.
Neji kept his guard up and moved quickly, knowing that there was still a chance he could be caught. He kept to the side of the road, keeping his eye trained on the ground. He knew he would recognize the place where he had been attacked by the signs of the skirmish in an otherwise smooth dirt path.
Finally, he reached the spot where the theft happened. Looking around just to make sure, he struck two flint rocks together and lit a torch. There, on the ground, he spotted the paw prints of the animal who had attacked him. His eyes widened when he realized that the prints were almost as big as his own hand; he had known that the wolf was large, but it was hard judging exactly how big it was when it was on top of him.
Taking a deep breath, he set off into the forest. It was difficult maneuvering the trees and bushes while simultaneously trying to follow the tracks. The forest became darker and denser the further he went in.
At last, the prints stopped in front of the mouth of a large cave.
Neji swallowed hard. Complete darkness was the only thing that could be seen from the outside.
Maybe this was not such a good idea… his rational side told him. You still have time to go back. Just forget about this whole thing. Your safety is worth much more than a silly piece of jewelry.
No, Neji's more impulsive side argued back. No one has the right to steal your most prized possession from you, and especially not an animal.
Neji stiffened. Unfortunately, he had to go with his irrational side on this one. There was no way he was going back empty handed tonight, after he had come all this way.
Holding his torch up high, Neji bravely entered the dark, damp cavern. The darkness seemed to envelop him as he walked past the entrance.
At first, Neji didn't notice anything out of place, aside from a multitude of oddly shaped rocks against the walls. He could hear what was presumably the sound of water streaming deep into the interior of the natural structure. A drop of condensation fell from the ceiling and landed on his forehead. Annoyed, he looked up as he walked, wiping it from his face. His eyes could make out the thin, furry bodies of about a dozen bats hanging from the ceiling. He wrinkled his nose but still continued forward, lowering his torch as not to awake them.
However, what Neji saw when he looked back down nearly made him drop his torch.
He had found the wolf, alright. It was slumbering against the far wall, looking far bigger than Neji remembered, its large muzzle resting on its paws and its tail swishing lazily in the air. However, that wasn't what made Neji's heart stop in his chest. In lowering his torch, Neji discovered that there were at least thirteen other wolves, not as big in size as the first one but still equally vicious looking, completely surrounding him in the narrow cavern. His medallion was nowhere to be seen.
Neji inhaled sharply, forcing down a scream. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest as he took in the sight of the sleeping beasts that encircled him. He had never imagined that wolf would have been part of a pack. When he left the castle, he had his first theory set firmly in his mind- that the wolf was just a stray circus animal. Now, as he started at the slumbering beasts, he desperately wished that he had spent just a little more time thinking his plan through.
He forced himself not to panic. The animals hadn't noticed him yet, so he still had a chance of surviving. All he had to do was get back out of the cave before they woke up. He carefully took a step backward, then another.
On the third step, his foot landed in a gouge that was weathered into the floor of the cave. He stumbled backward, accidentally dropping the torch in the process.
Fourteen pairs of eyes immediately snapped open, then narrowed ferociously at the young prince in the middle of the cave. Neji froze, a choked noise of fear escaping from his throat. Oh, God…
The largest wolf got up first. The fallen torch created eerily shadows on the wall and made the wolf's eyes glow as it stalked towards him. Neji was paralyzed with fear and the other wolves slowly got up and did the same. Their growling echoed loudly throughout the cavern.
...Oh God…
Neji finally forced himself to move. Making a run for it would only give the wolves an excuse to chase after to him. A short glance behind him told him that the entrance was a few meters behind him. It was close, yet the wolf were closing in quickly. He edged backward as carefully as he could as they came closer, feeling his hope fade away with every step they took.
Neji… this is by far the most idiotic thing you have ever done. Was the only thought that managed to penetrate the fog of fear in his mind. The largest wolf was only three feet away from him by now. Neji could smell its foul breath, could recall how it felt to be underneath its large jaw. He remembered how relieved he had been when the wolf had ran away earlier. He prayed that he could only be so lucky now.
Two feet in and closing. The entrance had to be at least a full meter away, and most likely already blocked off by the beasts. Neji's whole body was trembling, his eyes wide as his death became more and more imminent by the second.
…Oh God Oh God Oh God…
Suddenly, he felt a warm body press up against his back. Neji's blood went cold as he heard a husky voice speak behind him.
"Easy, boys… we're in the presence of royalty."
Those were the last words he heard before everything went black.
