Still I Cherish What You Gave to Me Chapter 1, a claymore fanfic

~*~Corrections v4~*~

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Chapter. 1 Hell Have No Mercy As a Claymore Scorned

Yours eyes opened for the first time in what seemed like ages. The ground around me was painted in the blood of humans. Smoke mixed with the smell of iron permeated the air. I had broken the Cardinal rule, vowing that a warrior would never take the life of a human. Something inside me snapped when I saw what that vile creature had done to you. They got what they deserved, preying on your defenselessness and for killing the people of this town. I took justice into my own hands even though it was wrong, even though I might die for it. I just don't know what I would do if you weren't...

Teresa?

here...

Teresa? Teresa?...

..."Teresa?"

Clare and Teresa were seen walking along a snow covered trail in search of the next village. Teresa's recent abandonment of the organization shifted her main focus on life. She was to live out her new existence with Clare. The information regarding her betrayal had already spread through the higher ups in the Organization and they would waste little effort in dispatching her own comrades to hunt her down like a condemned animal.

This morbid thought would often reappear but fade when Teresa focused her thoughts on Clare. The feelings she had for the girl seemed to grow with each passing day. A bird was seen ruffling its feather on a near branch to keep warm. Clare smiled happily as she walked hand to hand with her protector down a lightly packed snow trail.

"Teresa, how long is it going to take until we get to the next village?"

Clare's feet were tired from the long days walk and needed rest. Teresa was partially human and could walk for days on end but as for Clare, being fully human had it's set backs.

"Oh? What happened to that boundless energy you had when followed me up the steep mountainous terrain for a full day and night?"

Teresa remembered the time deep in the forest when the girl had followed her. On instinct she thought Clare was a bandit since her body wasn't giving off a yoki signature. The events after the confrontation from the bandits left a stunned and silently crying Clare, hugging her idol. Endlessly killing monsters one after another had made her heart grow cold and merciless. It was expected of her kind to adopt this emotionless state, especially ones with high ranked status. For the first time, her heart began to beat with new life as she unconsciously longed for someone to love her, to separate this constant loneliness, to make her feel human again. This girl's tears poured sympathy into her and melted an eternity of winter.

"I was following you closely so I wouldn't lose you. If I lost you I might have been done for or worse if the ban–"

Clare stopped herself half way before the last word in her sentence could be uttered. Saying it often brought back painful memories of the night where Teresa broke the cardinal rule to save her. The warrior looked down at Clare with concern and knew exactly what she was thinking.

I wish I could of spared you from going through those events Clare. It's a shame they've put a blemish on our precious memories.

"Well now that I'm here nothing will happen to you."

Teresa gave Clare a reassuring nod and squeezed her hand gently as they kept walking down the long and narrow road. The girl's thoughts were quickly replaced with ones of gratitude and adoration.

"Your strong, kind and beautiful. I want to be just like you someday Teresa."

The girl said thoughtfully looking off into the distance. Normally Teresa would have ignored such kind words directed towards her. A claymore, a warrior half human and half monster to be considered beautiful? Let alone kind? Surely she would have thought the girl was daft with her old attitude but to hear those innocent words now was truly flattering. Outwardly Teresa gave a slight chuckle in response to her companions choice of words.

"Hmm...we'll see about that."

Teresa caught sight of a forest and meadow up ahead and smelled the odor of sulfurous gas traveling its way along the air currents. The smell made her nose wrinkle slightly and brought the thought of death or decaying.

What is this smell? Its smells like rotten eggs. Oh wait, could it be? Out here?

"There must be a geyser near by."

Clare looked up at Teresa and then looked off into the distance again to see what she was talking about.

"Where? I don't see anything? And what is a geyser?"

Clare was confused at this new term and eagerly wanted to know what it meant. Teresa was intrigued at the girl's thirst for knowledge had told her directly.

"A geyser is a spring that spouts out jets of heated water and steam. If one is lucky a natural hot spring could be found around the vicinity of a geyser. That's only if the water is not boiling hot though."

The warrior didn't want to get Clare's hopes up if they did manage find one but deem it uninhabitable.

"Really?! I've heard about those being around certain parts of Miata but have never been in one before."

Clare suddenly became excited at the thought of there being a hot spring not too far in the distance. She found a whole new spring in her step as she briskly walked down the trail wanting to find the hidden hot spring.

"Don't go jumping in right away. Your skin might fall off from third degree burns."

Teresa caught up to the girl and pinched her side as a warning. Her actions elicited a squeal from Clare.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Clare pouted as she looked at Teresa questionably. Before the blond teasingly answered back.

"You were starting to leave me in your dust!"

Clare puffed her cheeks and looked away with feigned annoyance which made Teresa admitted a few more chuckles. As the two walked past the meadow, they neared the entrance of the dense, frosty forest. There was so much snow that the branches of the pine trees sagged from the pure weight. Thoughts played in Clare's mind knowing that both of them would be nude in the hot springs as the warm water would caress their tired bodies. She had never seen a grown woman in the nude before except for her mother and was wondering what Teresa looked like without her tight bodysuit.

She had a glimpse of her cleavage and that eye-sore of a scar. Since it was still daylight it would be more visible versus it being viewed in complete darkness.

What did she look like below the chest? Her stomach, her legs? Did she have other painful scars like that one?

The warrior could sense unease stir through the young girl and looked down at her with concern.

I wonder what Clare is thinking about now?

Teresa sighed to herself as they kept on walking. The two figures entered the forest, the shade from the trees caused the temperature to drop. A harsh gush of cold wind blew past their bodies and was enough to cause a shiver to run through Clare's.

"Brrr..."

Clouds of steam where seen off in the distance. "Hey, that looks like the hot spring!"

Clare shouted letting go of Teresa's hand as she start to run towards the spring.

"Whoa, wait up!"

Teresa ran to catch up with Clare expending little effort and stopped as she saw a natural looking rock formation. The tops were covered in snow and surrounded a pool of steaming water. She bent down on one knee and took off her white leather glove. Dipping her hand into the spring Teresa tested its internal temperature.

"The temperature appears to be safe for bathing."

Teresa looked at Clare and gave her a wink as the girl couldn't help but smile in return with a light blush tinting her small cheek.

"I guess we could camp out here next to the hot spring seeing that there's a spot over there with no snow."

Clare looked around to see were the snow less area was. She squinted her eyes but still couldn't find it.

"All I see is snow."

Clare said in a failed attempt to figure out what Teresa was talking about.

"Oh? I think you need to look a bit harder Clare."

Teresa said with amusement and walked about eight feet away from Clare.

"You see it's right here."

Teresa marked an X in the snow and in the blink of an eye cleared the area with quick flashing movements of her blade. A huge snow-less circle was now presented. The girl looked wide eyed in amazement. She could barely see Teresa arms move and in a matter of seconds she completely cleared the blanketed area.

"Wow."

Was all Clare could say as she stepped inside the snow-less circle. She sat down the materials that were carried in the travel bag.

"Yeah this little trick comes in handy during the snowy seasons. Clare, you wait here for a bit so I can get some firewood."

Clare gave a quick nod putting her trust in Teresa and waited for her as she went off to search for firewood. Clare riffled inside the travel bag and took out a rolled up bamboo place mat and uncoiled it across the snow-less area. She remembered how generous the towns people were during their stay at the last village. The bamboo place mat was practically given to them for free.

She also remembered the outfit Teresa picked out for her and how she really didn't think anything of it when Teresa left her that one time. The girl was now glad that she chose to hang on to them. They've kept her plenty warm during these cold days of winter. Sitting on the place mat, Clare rubbed her hands together pretending there was a fire in front of her as she warmed her hands.

The blond walked about the snow covered forest collecting twigs and branches in dry areas where the snow had not touched them. Off in the distance she saw a deer scraping against the frosty covered ground for scrapes of uneaten vegetation while keeping an eye out for predators.

"This is your unlucky day deer-san."

Teresa eyed the deer with close concentration and in one swift movement pulled out her sword and threw it at her unsuspecting prey. Noticing movement out of the corner of its eye, the deer raised it's head a split second to late. Blood spurted out of the deer's decapitated neck, as it fell sideways to the ground. Having a full bundle of various twigs and branches in her left arm, the warrior approached the deer carcass.

"Your usefulness shall not go to waste."

Teresa took parts from the deer she could carry as she made her way back to the hot spring. She was not oblivious to the fact that a hungry yoma had already set it's eyes on Clare. However, it started closing in to where the girl was located.

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Saliva was dripping from it's mouth as the yoma stared at Clare who was sitting patiently for Teresa's

return. It's body was completely covered in snow and all that could be seen were it's beastly yellow, eyes.

"What a stupid Claymore, I already thought she would have sensed me out by now but I guess my camouflage worked out for the best."

All of a sudden Clare heard a loud snap from behind her as she looked around to see where the sound had come from.

"Teresa? Is that you?"

Clare called out for Teresa again but there was no answer. Suddenly a cold shiver went down her spine as the feeling of fear started to creep in her mind.

Maybe I'm hearing things. It could be just a wild animal walking through the forest.

Another loud snap was heard and this time a figure walked out from behind the trees and appeared along the trail a few feet from Clare. At first she thought it was a lone traveler peddling by and just happened to walk this way. That was to until she caught a glimpse of the stranger's face.

"Teresa! You came back! But why don't you have any firewood with you?"

Clare was confused as to why Teresa didn't bring anything back with her. She could of sworn Teresa said herself that she was going to go collect firewood.

"Oh, well I couldn't find any dear. I was hoping you could come and help me find some."

Smart little runt. I wonder if she found me out.

The yoma had disguised it's voice very well and was good enough to even fool Clare until it came close enough to were she could see it was not carrying a sword.

"Where is your sword Teresa? I could of sworn you had it with you when you left this area."

The yoma stopped dead in it's tracks when Clare caught on to it's fake disguise.

Shit, that was too quick!

Clare didn't even move a muscle and knew this fraud was not who they really appeared to be. Even though the hair and the face were a perfect match to Teresa's appearance, a warrior would never leave their sword behind.

"Your not as naïve as you appear to be little girl, I must congratulate you on that. But your Claymore friend seems to have taken a leave of absence giving me the perfect opportunity to eat your sweet juicy guts!"

The yoma's eyes changed color from silver to demonic yellow as it's sharp fangs protruded from it's jowls. The imposters face was now hideously distorted as it's nails started to grow to sharp points along with the extension of the legs and arms. A loud gritty growl was emitted from the creature as it stared menacingly at Clare ready to strike.

Backing up, the little girl placed her hands in the snow behind her body. It was horribly cold, so cold that it would numb a person's nerve endings if kept there too long. That's what Clare's body started to feel like as she stared at those eyes of pure evil. Many a nights she was tormented by a cruel yoma. Even when she closed her eyes she could still see it staring at her with twisted delight while it mercilessly scraped it's claws across her back. Oddly, her old scars started to itch again from the memories.

Maybe it will just kill me and skip over the torturing part.

The girl hopelessly thought, gripping handfuls of painfully frigid snow. That wasn't until a bundle of twigs and branches came crashing down to the earth. Following it, the heavy thud of a deer leg right next to where Clare was sitting. Shocked at first Clare didn't understand where these objects had come from until she looked up at the white covered tree tops.

A blur was seen darting from tree to tree until it disappeared, Clare's attention then went back to the threatening yoma. Teresa was positioned behind the creature as her eyes glowed a bright yellow.

"How dare you try to impersonate me, you pathetic creature! I knew you were somewhere around this vicinity but I didn't think you would have the balls to actually approach us!"

Teresa was infuriated that this yoma would try to fool Clare by impersonating her own image. It was not only outrageous but insulating that Teresa Of The Faint Smile be mocked like this. Teresa said one final sentence to the yoma before it could utter a single word of mercy.

"You were as good as dead when you choose to target Clare."

In one quick movement Teresa decapitated the creature as it fell to it's knees. The carcass bleed out staining the snow purple. The warrior was still perturbed at the yoma even though it was dead and wanted it out of her sight. She kicked the yoma's head into the forest like a quarterback would with a football then disposed of the body by swinging it into the outer edges of the forest. The body snapped a few branches on impact.

"I hate getting my boots dirty!"

Teresa grimaced at her metal boots as she tried to clean the blood off them. All Clare could do was stare at the fuming Teresa as she gave out a loud cry. The little girl ran towards the woman and hugged her sides tightly.

"Teresa!"

The brown-haired girl sobbed quietly still clinging to her heroine. She then felt a hand stroke the top of her head in a gentle motion. It was comforting and relaxing, Teresa seemed to have calmed Clare's frightened state and ease her trembling body.

"I told you I wasn't going to let anything happen to you Clare."

Her words were true and did not hold deception. After Clare had got a hold of herself, she looked up at Teresa with watery eyes and a happy smile. Teresa cupped Clare's right cheek and caressed it gently wiping away the tears she had shed.

"Really Clare, your such a crybaby."

End of chp. 1 the next chp. will be labeled Hot Springs.

Edit: This story used to be called Innocent Words but was later revised and is now called Still I Cherish What You Gave to Me. A rather fitting title don't you think?