Walking through the forest was easy and refreshing for Zen, despite the constant protests of his companions. Conveniently, there happened to be a vacant cottage where they decided to stay for the duration of his escape. He thanked his luck, before finally sitting down and relaxing.

When he awoke, it was late afternoon, and sunlight streamed from the windows, bathing the room with its warm glow. He blinked and sat up to see Mitsuhide looking out through said window, and heard soft footsteps nearby to confirm the presence of Kiki. Mitsuhide noticed his awakening, because he turned to Zen and sighed. "Imagine the trouble we'll be in when we return."

"I would rather not." Zen closed his eyes, trying his best to forget. However convenient his title was for him at times, it also created much work. Just the mere thought of it began to make his head spin. No doubt some people at the castle would take extra care to lecture him about not running away. Not that they ever worked. If they had, he wouldn't be here right now, he thought smugly.

He was shaken from his thoughts when the sound of a soft knocking rang through the house, causing him to stiffen in surprise. Automatically, his hand twitched toward his sword, and he saw Mitsuhide's eyes narrow in concentration. "Is anybody there?" A voice sounded through the wood of the door, soft and wondering. Zen froze, turning to Mitsuhide for confirmation. He thought he heard a sigh, but then the noise died away, leaving him to wonder whether it was merely his imagination.

At some point, Kiki must have entered the room too, because she stood near the opposite wall, alert. They said nothing for several long moments, and Zen's mind vaguely ran over the possibilities. He didn't think that someone would have found him so soon. He had even taken extra care to run further than normal, and it should have taken several days for the kingdom to even suspect this forest.

Most likely, it was just a traveler that happened to come across the small house deep in the woods, but he failed to think of any reason why they would be here. The voice was obviously female, which did nothing but puzzle him further. From the sounds of it, the girl was alone. What would she be doing here, so far in the dangerous wood?

It must have been at least 10 minutes before Mitsuhide finally broke the suffocating silence. "Zen. I don't want you to go outside tonight," he said, his voice low and cautious. There was a protective edge to it, and it was what silenced Zen's protests before they were spoken. He nodded in agreement, his expression still thoughtful. He slowly rose, careful not to make any unnecessary noise.

When he had found a room upstairs to sleep in, his eyelids closed and he vaguely wondered when he had become so tired. He didn't realize the passing of time until it was morning.

When he awoke, his groggy brain registered that it was morning. He stood up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He was bored, and looking out at the sunlight filled forest, he wanted nothing more than to go outside. He paused for a second, considering this. In the end, he deemed it a good idea. Why not personally investigate the cause of yesterday's incident?

When he got downstairs, Mitsuhide and Kiki were already in the kitchen. They looked up when he arrived, and Mitsuhide enthusiastically greeted him, the wariness of yesterday still vaguely lingering in his tone. "Zen! Morning!"

"Morning," he mumbled, giving a tiny yawn. Kiki nodded a greeting, and Zen's hand drifted to the sword at his side, tracing the lines of the royal crest. "I want to go outside, to see what happened."

"I would say no, but I have a feeling that I would just be wasting my breath." Mitsuhide sighed, before continuing. "So, instead, I'll say that I'm coming along too."

"And you were worried about wasting your breath on the word 'no'?" Zen smirked slightly, his tone teasing.

"Do you have any idea how cold-hearted you are?"

Zen stole a glance at Kiki, who nodded her consent. "I'm coming too," she said impassively. Zen nodded before heading out the door.

"So, what do we do if we're found?" He asked conversationally.

"Run for about a minute before people on horses catch up to us," Mitsuhide said simply, frowning when Zen prepared to jump over the wall. Both of them knew that theoretically, he would land safely. Zen climbed the small distance expertly, his hands deft with experience. Then, he jumped. He was about to turn his body when he caught the sunlight shining upon the figure of a girl.

He froze for a second, but that was enough to throw off his balance. He barely had time to register that he messed up before his foot slipped and he tumbled to the ground. The impact didn't injure him, but the side of the wall had nicked his arm when he had tried to stop his fall. It throbbed with pain, but he easily ignored it, his gaze drifting to the girl. She was awake by now, and she looked at him with alarm.

"ZEN!" Mitsuhide's loud shout of alarm pierced the air as he and Kiki arrived at their location. He turned to them, sighing. "Are you alright?! Did you hurt yourself?! Did you hit your head? Do you know my name?!" His voice was panicky, and Zen couldn't suppress the urge that rose to tease him.

"Yes, of course I'm alright. I just fell from a really high place and landed on the ground. And no. Who were you again?" He made sure to add a small bit of curiosity to his tone.

"Mitsuhide!" He looked panicked still as he reminded Zen of his name, and Kiki made a comment. Zen didn't hear it, instead turning to Shirayuki.

"So. What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Running away. From my home," she said simply, looking away. It was clear that she had no wish to elaborate. That was fine too, he thought. After all, I have no intention of elaborating either. Emotionlessly, he took his sheathed sword and poised it gently beneath the hood of her cloak, feeling a bit guilty when her eyes widened for a second in panic. He flipped her hood off, careful not to harm her. Then, he was met with an amazing sight. The girl's hair was scarlet red.

"You…have a strange hair color," he commented lightly, at a loss for words. She was pretty too, with her green eyes staring curiously at him.

"As I'm often told." The look of alarm was gone from her eyes, and he could tell that she was a very stubborn person. She repositioned her bag so that it was in front of her, and she opened it for him to see. "I'm a pharmacist, so I often carry around medicines. You hurt your arm, right?" Her statement caused Zen to blink for a second.

When he snapped back to his senses a split-second later, he had pointed the tip of his sheathed sword at her. "Sorry, but I don't trust strangers. What if that was poison? I'm not the gullible little boy in the forest." That seemingly nonchalant statement accompanied a flood of memories, and he was almost overwhelmed. Visions of his childhood, and being so easily tricked by someone he thought his friend. He blinked again, mentally telling himself to forget it.

The girl sighed, closing her eyes, and Zen thought that she was going to give up. Then, when she opened them again, he almost gasped at the defiance and resolution gleaming in them. She took his sword, and he was fully prepared to fend off an attack until she deliberately injured her arm with the sheath. He stared in confusion, trying to decide whether it was her aim or her mind that had problems.

It was neither, he discovered, when she expertly spread something across a bandage, which she placed on her arm. She smiled at him in confidence, her expression slightly smug. "I'm not the one to carry poisons with me."

He blinked, before he began to laugh, surprised. He decided that he didn't hate this girl. She was interesting, to say the least.


This entire chapter was in Zen's point of view! Once again, thank you to those that read it. Please review! I would love to know what you think of it so far.

-Lapis Moon