Silver snow.
Chapter one.
His ears twitched within the breeze, the flurries of snow that were whipped by the wind, caught the light tan on his face, his sapphire eyes glinting within the moonlight. He turned his head from one side to another, as if looking for something, or someone in the darkened area. The light from the moon, glimmered along the curves of each of the trees around him, the green of the leaves glinting silver.
His hair fell in a cascade along his shoulders, the silver catching the light, as he let the softest of sighs escape his lips. "Where the hell did that fox go?" he asked himself, shaking his head while he walked through the snow, his steps light, the sound of the crunching snow echoing around him.
After several moments, a silver fox bounded through the snow, yipping and barking as she approached the male ahead of her, highly excited. His lips curved into a smile, his hand reaching out and scratching the fox's ears while she tugged at the fabric of his robe, signalling for him to follow her.
"What is it Alandria?" he asked, tilting his head curiously, as he stood up, stretching out before following the barking fox, curious as to what had got her so excitable.
After a few moments, he found the fox digging and burrowing in a mound of snow, scrabbling around and yipping. As he approached, Alandria lifted her head, a hand visible in the snow, blood dripping along the white skin that was now visible. He blinked for a moment, surprised before he ran forwards, pushing Alandria beside him, and pulling piles of snow away with his hands from the body beneath the mound.
When he had pulled the snow back, his eyes widened, at the person that had been revealed. Her skin was soft, albeit cold to the touch, spattered with a spray of blood, seeping from a cut on her forehead. Her hair fell in her face, hiding most of it from view, the raven black a stark contrast against the white of the snow.
He slid his arms downwards, hooking them around her gently. He then stood up, the girl now held in his arms bridal style. He brushed a small amount of her hair from her face, surprised at how beautiful she was, the defined cheekbones curving softly as her pale lips ran along in a soft line along her face.
He blinked for a moment, before a ragged gasp for air caught his attention. The girl was alive! He shifted forwards, his feet moving swiftly against the ground, into a run, over the surface of the snow, ignoring the now biting cold. As he ran, the tall structure of his home came to view, the windows glittering against the moonlight.
He glanced around for a couple of moments, before he pushed the door open, Alandria running in behind him as he walked into the living room he had, laying her body on the couch. He looked at her face some more, almost entranced by how beautiful she looked. After a moment, he shook his head, getting his thoughts straight as he stood up, heading into the kitchen.
While he was gone, the girl on the sofa stirred, a gentle groan escaping the slender curve of her lips, a squeak of pain entering the air. She rose her hands, hugging them to her chest, her breaths coming in sharp and ragged gasps. The wound on her head was congealed, sticky with blood as she tried to regain her bearings.
"W…Where am I..?" she asked herself, glancing around at the living room, wondering where she was. The last she remembered, she was in the forest, when the snowstorm had started.
She lifted her head, as the man re-entered the room, a light smile taking to his lips. He watched her with the icy-blue of his eyes, his hands carrying a box of herbs and a flask of hot water. He sat down beside her on the couch, setting the box on the coffee table as he glanced towards her.
She looked back at him, shuffling back slightly, scared of the unknown surroundings she was in. He reached out towards her, his hand resting on her forearm, the touch somehow soothing her panic.
"It'll be alright, I found you in the forest unconscious," he said after a moment, his voice gentle, as he leant over the box and set to work, mixing various herbs with the water, the scent rising into the air while he turned to her.
She reluctantly took the cup of the mixture, sniffing it lightly, before his eyes widened with surprise. A pair of white ears were poking out from under the black hair on her head, her eyes a surprisingly stark shade of green. He glanced away, a light blush taking to his cheeks. She was a Kitsune! And not just a regular Kitsune, but a white one at that! Her head tilted up, the hair falling out of her face as she poured the contents of the cup down her throat, coughing with surprise at the taste of the mixture, her hands immediately wrapping around her chest and ribcage as she hacked out a series of coughs.
"Shush.. It'll be alright, I won't harm you," he said gently, taking the cup from her hands, setting it on the table, as he sat on the sofa beside her, "I'm Youko Kurama, last of the Kurama clan."
"I.. I'm Helena.." she replied, looking down slightly, "sadly.. I don't know my real last name.. I was just called 'Trinket.'"
"Trinket?" Youko tilted his head to the side, the silver hair falling in a light cascade along his shoulder, over the white cotton of his robes, the dazzling blue of his eyes meeting the green of hers, before she looked away from him, nodding. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
"It's a long story Youko-sama, you see, I have been travelling around for a while, well, since my adoptive parents died, trying to search for answers to my past. I was told I came from an ancient race, but they were all but wiped out nearly eighteen years ago, the same day I was born apparently…" she replied sadly, her gaze lowering, while she closed her eyes, bracing the pain from both her head and the bruises she was hiding from Youko, "then…"
She fell silent, shaking visibly, as Youko looked sadly at her, his arm wrapping warmly around her, careful not to jar her head against his body while he reached a hand upwards, holding a cloth in it, to clean the blood from her head. Helena winced at the touch, a quiet squeak passing through her lips. He wiped the blood gently from her face, careful not to cause her anymore pain while he held her in his arms, whispering soothing nonsense to her.
After a while, she calmed, her breathing slowing down as he kept his grip firm and strong around her, her head resting on his shoulder. To her, although he was a stranger, she felt safe for the first time in a long while. Youko trailed a hand through the soft raven of her hair, surprised to find it was just dye, as she snuggled into his warmth, her tail, which was hidden until that moment coiled up from under her bloodstained kimono and around herself as her breathing slowed further, til she fell asleep, in his arms.
A smile curved along his lips, his arms shifting her into his lap as he brushed her hair from her face, staring at the fair skinned girl he was holding in her arms. How long had it been since he'd held someone like this? Or even had contact with the outside world? He sighed silently, careful not to rouse her from her dreams. Easily it had to be around the same period of time Helena had said, around eighteen years. Wait… Did she say eighteen years? He blinked as he stared down at her, tilting his head to the side. She said her race had been killed off the same day she had been born… The very same day his clan had been wiped out in that attack. His breath held in his chest, as he trembled, this movement causing Helena to groan, while she woke from her sleep.
"Youko-sama… Is something wrong..?" she asked, looking up at him, the expression of being half awake still on her face giving her even more innocence than she possessed.
"You said your race was wiped out the same day you were born…" he said after a minute, "can you tell me your birthday?"
"Mhm," she nodded lightly, looking still upwards at him, "March eighth nineteen ninety. Why?"
"It's nothing.." Youko replied, looking away from her face, his train of thought going off on a tangent from what he was thinking, "I need to go check something, there's a guest room down the hall on the right, there's also some clean clothes in the closet when you want to get changed, I'll get Alandria to clean that for you later."
"Um, thank you Youko-sama.." Helena whispered, before she placed the softest of kisses against the curve of his cheek, his face turning dark red the moment her lips touched his skin.
"Y…You're welcome…" he stammered out after a moment, standing up with her in his arms, and setting her to her feet, as he released his grip, rushing himself out of the room and into his own which was located up the stairs.
After he shut the door, he pressed against it, releasing a sigh, half of relief, and half of unbidden desire that had been hidden for such a long time. Her race was wiped out eighteen years ago, the same date and time the entire clan was killed off… She said March eighth… He rushed over to his desk, burying his head into the drawers, before pulling out an old and dusty journal from the depths of it. His fingers reached over the clasp, pulling it open and flicking to a clearly bloodstained page, it yellowing with age as he sighed, tracing a finger along the blood smears, his eyes closing. I wonder if there's any record of any births that day down in the chapel, doubt that old man kept many, then again he was like an elephant, never did forget anything. He still remembers the time I blew that hole in the floor and that was a long time ago.
He set the diary down, before leaving the surroundings of his room, and walking downstairs, towards a spiralling staircase, the stone walls glistening in the light of several torches that were resting in brackets along the walls lines. His steps tapped softy along the stone, as he entered a large chamber, candles springing to life with each step he took into the room.
Eventually, he reached the front of the room, which had several lines of pews running up the sides of the room, the altar having an elaborate sarcophagus resting behind it, the candles scent rising as he murmured several inaudible words, the sarcophagus's door creaking open. Out stepped a robed man, his fox tail and ears having long since lost their fur, giving him the appearance of a half dead rat.
"So Youko, what have you woken my sleep for?" the man said in a rather disgruntled tone taking to his voice as he looked at the younger man.
"It's a long story, but I need to ask if there was a record of a white furred girl born on march eighth eighteen years ago," Youko replied, getting straight to the point.
"A white furred female," the man said to himself, tapping a finger against the waxy skin of his forehead as he thought, it taking a while, due to the man being a reanimated corpse, "you know I rarely oversaw the births, due to the whole 'no males allowed unless they're the father' rule. But, I remember the midwife being excited about a birth that day."
While Youko was talking to the old man, Helena had discovered the en-suite bathroom in her bedroom, and was pouring herself a bath, a towel wrapped loosely around her body, as she glanced up at herself in the mirror in the room. Pale and covered with blood, she looked different to the normal and happy girl she was before this adventure. She looked downwards, tears welling up in her eyes as she dropped the towel, sinking into the water, submerging her entire body in the water, it masking the tears as the water washed the blood, the water turning red as cuts and wounds revealed themselves on her body.
She winced at the feel of the hot water against her skin, her eyes closed tightly while she let a cry escape her lips, tears falling freely down her cheeks, her entire body shaking in the water as she used the sound of the tap running in the sink to mask the noise in case Youko happened to be outside the room.
Youko though was still talking to the priest, taking all the information in that the old man was giving him, "so you mean to tell me, she's the girl prophesised by that idiot who came in telling us we were doomed?" he asked, still sceptical of the information.
"I'm telling you boy, she's the white maiden, though, I will need to see her myself, to determine it," Old man river replied, sitting down on the edge of the pew the two were next to, "if she is, then she's the one destined to bring the Kurama clan back up to its former glory."
"How the hell can she do it? I'm the only one left."
"Was the only one left," the old man reminded him, raising a bony finger to the air, a cracked smile playing on his face, "you see, if she is indeed the white maiden, you two are destined to bring our clan back, with new vigour."
"I don't even know her, I can't go pulling her in and doing that.." Youko replied, his face turning red in embarrassment.
"Oh get over it, you're a fledgling in terms of the old clan, but are an elder in terms of the new one, get to know her, find her past out, what brought her here, and so on," came the reply, as the old man got up, "if you don't mind, I wish to go back to sleep."
Youko nodded, raising to his feet as the old man clambered back into his sarcophagus, it closing as the spell ended, causing him to de-animate. He sighed gently, thinking of what the old man told him. He couldn't tell her, not just yet anyway. He at least wanted to know the girl first, before even thinking about that. She was beautiful though, the way she smiled, the way she smelt, her skin had this scent of honey, sweet yet not completely, although it was marred by blood, and something else… Something he couldn't quite place. Was it a pheremone? No, it couldn't have been.
He shook his head, shaking any thoughts out as he knocked on the room, surprised to hear the tap running. His ears twitched, the hearing being acute, as he picked up the sound of her crying. He walked into the bedroom, knocking on the bathroom door, giving it three gentle but loud taps.
"Helena, is everything alright?" he called, not wanting to burst into the room unannounced.
Helena squeaked with surprise, splashing in the water, calling back out, her voice strained, "uh, yeah, its fine, I'm just getting rid of the blood and cleaning myself up."
"Something's wrong," he stated, leaning against the door, "you can talk to me, I'm not going to hurt you."
"I know.. It's just really difficult to talk about.. I'll talk to you in a moment," Helena replied, raising out of the bathtub and turning the sink's tap off, pulling the plug from the bathtub, wrapping a yukata around her body, the towel wrapped around her head, keeping her hair from her face as she emerged from the bathroom.
Youko sat on the bed, patting beside him as he looked up at her, concerned at the fact she had been crying. Helena sat beside him, and immediately bent over, her head buried into her hands as she broke down crying.
He looked at her sadly, before wrapping his arms tightly around her, rocking her in his embrace, nuzzling his nose against her head, careful of the nasty wound to her head.
"So, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft and soothing as Helena looked up at him, tears falling down her cheeks, the green of her eyes swimming with them as she pulled back from him.
"Trinket… Was my nickname as a prisoner and slave…" Helena replied through sobs, her entire body shaking as she curled up on the bed, Youko's gaze darkening with the passing moments, "I was searching for my family, shortly after I turned sixteen, my real family, hoping to find some remnant of my past, but some person found me, their face hidden behind bandages, and they took me, I thought they'd kill me… I wish they had…"
Youko looked at her, dumbfounded by what she was told, instantly recognising the description of the person, his throat rumbling with a growl, it being instantly stifled the moment Helena squeaked, scared of the sound.
"They took me to this man, a king I think, completely blind…" she continued, tears still falling, "he said I'd be used as revenge and had me locked up… He never told me who the revenge was on, or anything… He just…"
She fell silent, tears falling down her cheeks as she hugged her knees to herself. Youko didn't say a word as an overwhelming feeling of guilt washed over him, his arms engulfing the tiny form of the girl.
"Yomi…" eventually came from his lips, followed by an animal growl of anger, "he abused you didn't he? You weren't just a regular slave… were you?"
Helena shook her head, hiding her face from view, tears still falling down her cheeks. "He would request my presence in his quarters each night, and force himself upon me… Until about six months ago… He then released me without a word, telling me to go that I was no longer needed…"
Youko shuddered with anger, his arms tightening around her, his eyes taking a steely gaze to them, "why suddenly six months ago?"
"Because I fulfilled what he wanted… I was giving him exactly what he wished… The ultimate revenge and insult to the person he wanted to harm…"
"And that is?" Youko asked, looking curiously at the red and blotched face of Helena's.
"A baby…" Helena replied after several moments, her voice quiet, "the ultimate revenge…"
Youko froze up the moment she said a baby, his hands reaching around to her stomach, touching the flesh there, feeling a hard bump. His hands retreated, as he let go of her, looking at her.
"Helena… This is my fault… I'm sorry…" he rose to his feet from the bed, walking fast from the room, almost breaking into a run as he entered his room, falling against the door, tears stinging his eyes, "its my fault… I arranged for that failed assassination… He must have known who she was…"
Helena looked at the now open door, as she drew in a breath, and quickly got herself dressed, her footsteps carrying her to his room as she rapped on the door with her hand.
"Youko, let me in…" she replied, her voice soft, but firm as she knocked again, being greeted by a depressed looking Youko.
He stepped aside, letting her walk into the room, where she perched on the bed, looking up at him. "How was all of this your fault?" Helena asked softly.
"Yomi… Was trying to get revenge on me…" he replied, Helena's jaw dropping as he stated that fact, "I had him blinded… Though I was trying to get him killed… He was a liability to me when he was in my ring of bandits… Kept getting my men killed, so I tried to arrange for his death… You're one of my kind… We're the last two…"
Helena walked over to where Youko had curled up in the corner, kneeling beside him and placing a hand on his shoulder, stroking it gently.
"Listen to me," Helena whispered to his ear when he tried to shy away from her, "I don't place the blame onto you nor will I… You weren't to know that however many years later he'd find me and use me against you. Hell I didn't even know if there were any of my race left. This baby yes, was a product of forced circumstances, but nevertheless, is still an innocent child. I need to at least give it life, even if I don't take care of it."
Youko looked up at her, tears still swimming in her eyes, as she gave him a light smile.
"You don't blame me?" he asked, as he looked at the now obvious curve beneath the obi of the clean kimono she was wearing.
She shook her head gently, her hands placing against the bump, as she smiled, feeling the movements within herself, the gentle beating of the tiny heart as she looked at Youko softly.
"Why place blame on a person who had no clue I would ever exist?" Helena replied, her voice steady as she looked at him, "the child is a blessing I never thought I'd see… I never believed I would have one, even if it isn't under favourable circumstances."
Youko uncurled from the corner, his own hands placing against her stomach as she looked to him, her gaze locked to his gently. He felt the soft curve, gentle thuds being felt through her skin and flesh as he found himself smiling at the motions, before a pang of guilt and upset hit him. He pulled his hands back, only to find Helena's hands gripping his.
"I can't do this alone Youko-sama…" She whispered, gripping his hands.
"I don't think I can help you raise another guy's baby Helena," he replied sadly, looking at her.
"I'm not asking you to do that, I just need someone to help me through the next three months, then I'll decide what I do about the baby…"