Chapter Two

Ciel burst through the door and a soft bell above chimed, announcing his arrival. He hurried up a small flight of stairs to his room, carefully stashed away his folder of music, and was back down in the shop before the bell's ringing had ceased. The teen found Tanaka in the back room, heating water for that day's tea.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized, grabbing a white apron and tying it around his neck. "I got held up by Viscount on my way home."

"Ho ho ho. Viscount's attempts to snag your attention are starting to occur more frequently, Ciel. He definitely has his eye on you."

"Oh, he just wants me to work at that stupid bar."

"You're almost sixteen, so I suppose people expect you to begin an apprenticeship soon. I'm just surprised that Viscount is the only one vying for your attention."

"That's probably because no one wants to compete against that player."

The old man chuckled. "I suppose you're right. I think I just heard the bell ring. Time for work!"

Ciel ventured out into the shop to see one of their usual customers, a tall lanky man with short cropped hair. "Ah, Ciel!" he smiled.

"Good morning Mr. Dagger." Ciel welcomed politely. "Would you like a seat or did you want a box of tea?"

"I believe I'll stay for a while," the light-haired man said, sitting himself down at the window. "And I think I'll have one of today's specials as well. What are they?"

"Peach and apricot."

"Peach please."

Ciel passed the next few hours taking orders and serving the customers their shop managed to reel in. Occasionally, the teen gave Tanaka a hand in the back when the shop was empty. In the middle of the afternoon, Tanaka called Ciel to the back.

"Is something wrong Tanaka?"

"Don't worry Ciel, everything's fine. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be leaving the shop to you for a few days while I'm gone."

"You're leaving?"

"Just to Charlotte for business."

"Business?"

"Yeah. A friend of mine told me about a new kind of tea, so I want to check it out for myself." Tanaka grabbed his coat and tossed it over his shoulders.

"Be careful!" Ciel called as his guardian started on the road leading north towards Charlotte. As soon as Ciel closed the door, Tanaka doubled back to go through the town on the east side, opposite from the tea shop. On his way to the southern edge of town, the old man passed the Shaking Hands bar.

Inside, Viscount was plotting to get Ciel to work at the bar. He glanced out to see Ciel's guardian, Tanaka, leaving town alone. "I wonder where he's going." Tanaka rarely left the shop, using his health as an excuse, so him leaving without Ciel seemed nearly improbable. "Who'd have though that that old man would ever leave that boy alone. Wait. Ciel's in the shop. Alone. At last! I can finally carry out my plan and make Ciel mine!"

Outside, Tanaka was already at the bridge that separated the town from the forest. "Forgive me, Ciel, for deceiving you. I only hope I can return to tell you the truth." The trees along the road stretched on for miles, almost like a tall fence, keeping the people out of the forest and keeping the creatures in. Tanaka kept an eye out for the telltale boulder that sat between the main road and a back road. When he didn't see it for a few miles, the man thought that perhaps he had missed it. But then he saw it up on the left.

Tanaka quickened his pace, but when he arrived at the big rock, he didn't see the back road. Where it should have began, a tall pine tree had fallen over, and now leaned against another tree, its branches creating a long curtain. The man ducked under the branches and found the road concealed behind the tree. "Was this your doing?" he asked no one in particular and continued on his way.

The back road was harder to travel on than the main road because it was overgrown with weeds, branches, and rocks from disuse. Tanaka guessed that it hadn't been used since that fateful night fifteen years before. He was slowed down greatly by the debris wouldn't give up. He couldn't, for Ciel's sake.

xXxXxXx

Ciel said farewell to the last customer and locked the door for the night. After making sure that the back door was also locked, the boy ascended to his room. He got on his hands and knees to pull out a ragged wooden box. Despite its haggard appearance, it held Ciel's greatest treasure. He opened it and pulled out his violin. Unlike its container, the instrument was of the highest quality. The wood didn't have a single splinter and the bow didn't show any signs of age, which was surprising since Ciel played it often. Holding his violin and bow with one hand, Ciel spread out his sheet music on his bed with the other. Then, he placed the bow in position and began to play.

He drew the bow across the strings slowly at first, and with great care. The notes seemed mournful in the air. Then, suddenly they sped up into a brisk pace before slowing down. For the remainder of the song, the teen played the piece, with all of its sudden dynamic changes. At times his arm was a blur, others, it barely moved. Ciel closed his eyes, he knew the music so well, and swayed to the beat. It was when he played his violin that he felt truly happy, with the notes surrounding him in a warm, musical blanket.

The sun set and night fell, but the boy played long after his arm started to burn. Even though he could no longer see or remember the notes to play them, Ciel played on, this time, to his own melody.

xXxXxXx

Tanaka pulled his foot out from under the root it had become stuck in. Looking up, he saw his destination, a gigantic manor. In the almost completely inky blackness, the man could see the colossal trees that flanked it. They rose up from the ground, kind of like dark wings. Tanaka, exhausted from the long trip, sat himself down next to a tree and leaned against it. As much as he didn't want to spend the night out in the forest, the alternative was going into that mansion weak and hungry.

He chose to rough it in the forest.

"Young master, that which belongs to you will be yours once again." With that, the old man's body slumped into an uneasy slumber as the remaining light disappeared to be replaced by treacherous darkness.