Chapter 3
The night was not half done when the party gathered in the courtyard, all but the sage Jiraiya arrayed for long and weary travel. A train of ten horses was led by Inari, for the old paladin would not be joining them upon their adventure to the Kingdom of Winds, and so there were only the four warsteeds of the younger knights, along with their more common mounts and that of the squire, and one further to be used for what baggage they could not arrange upon the others. The elder paladin looked upon them with pride, as a father and mentor, though such a part he had only truly played for the young Naruto, yet each of the others had known and loved the old man almost since they had first trod through the gates of the Order. Jiraiya was an unshakable pillar of the Holy Knights, and even the stoic paladin Kakashi quietly lamented that their meeting should be cut so short.
The knights were attired in the normal dress of an errant member of their Order, who, expecting some trouble upon his road, yet unsure of its time or source, was obliged to wear some armament, yet not the full plate of battle that would tire his steed. Ridding-grieves, lightly plated boots, thick leather gloves, and vambraces were all that guarded limb from blade, and each wore a hauberk of metal links which fell to the knee, split to the waist to permit freedom and a saddle, beneath which was a leather jerkin and linen tunic. Long cloaks of dark wool hung from their shoulders, with hoods to keep off the rain, and scarves to render gusting sands merely an annoyance and less a hazard. The squire wore only a thicker jerkin of hardened leather, not yet afforded a hauberk by his Order.
For the sake of their journey they had elected against the carrying of lances, preferring instead their own particular arms, and each a small quiver of javelins. The masked paladin's Raikiri spear was seven feet in length, formed of a blade two feet long, the polished steel shining and etched in symbols of blessing and enchantment, affixed to a shaft of white ash, in turn inlaid with silver and wrapped in dark green leather, bound in wire. Alike to this was Sasuke's Chidori, save only slightly lesser in length, and adorned in midnight blue rather than forest green. Looped to his saddle was Naruto's legendary Rasengan, the powerful mace handed down to him by his father. This was in adornment nearer a scepter than a weapon of war, with eight flanges affixed about its head, their waved edges fitted in a polished metal the color of pale gold, the remainder so etched with cursive and sapphire letters as to seem forged of the blue gem itself. Its hilt was bound by wire of the same nature as edged the flanges, and its pommel twisted into the likeness of a four-horned crown born up by the sea. Upon Sakura's own saddle was a great polehammer, in the likeness of the Lady Tsunade's, just as Sasuke's Chidori mirrored his Master's famed spear. The Okasho was less highly ornamented than the weapons of the other knights, deriving its splendor more from the terror of its great body than the awe of any attempted grace. Upon a shaft of dark cherry four feet in length, the mighty head - twice the size which could be wielded by a normal man, such was the strength of the lady knight - was affixed by six pins, and like the others it too was etched with symbols of holiness and power. Each also had fitted themselves with the sword of their chivalry. Inari, instead, carried a simple mace of ashwood and iron, not having yet earned his spurs.
To each traveler Jiraiya passed a small stone flask sealed by a cork. This was the legendary Oil of Mount Myoboku, by which man or beast might, by mere anointment alone, accomplish the art of sages, and draw strength from the very earth. Each accepted the gift with grace and thanks, and, inverting it once to wet the cork, unsealed it and lightly dabbed the potion upon the legs of their mounts, careful not to partake of the gift themselves. Only the common mounts and pack horse were thus strengthened, the warhorses being those especially blessed with the strength and knowledge of the Holy Spirit, such that they might bear their riders in times of duress such as those they now faced. Yet the party had chosen not to rely upon this blessed strength, and rode forth on the common mounts, believing it wiser to save their steeds as best they could for the coming conflict. Such foresight would serve them well.
Sealing the precious vials of potion then, the riders leapt into their saddles, ready to be off, save Naruto, with whom Jiraiya had lingered. Holding the young man by the shoulders, the sage locked their eyes, his own swirling with pride and worry. The gold-haired knight, rather, seemed to breath only confidence, and that sureness of purpose which has ever been the seed of legend.
"I will not ask that you walk in safety," Jiraiya said solemnly, "for that is not the destiny of men such as us, nor even our desire. Rather, walk in the light and protection of the Silver Sun, and of your own heart."
Naruto clasped his mentor and lord by the arm. "And you, Old Man, had best not do the same," he said, an impish smile dancing at the corners of his lips. "Slighted ladies ever find your heart a poor target. And I will not fall before I am Grand Master, faith!" With that he swung into the saddle, and with his fellow travelers saluted the elder paladin before turning their horses, and with a flurry of hooves they left the stable yard of Myoboku behind.
They did not break from their pace, a steady canter that devoured distance, even as the morning sun speared its rays through the tall trees and rushes of the marsh. They had pursued as best the could a Westerly course, though were limited in all endeavors by the direction of the road, the only means by which to guide a horse through the fens of Myoboku. Naruto, being familiar with the paths and ways of his home, nonetheless ground through clenched jaw cries of dismay at each turn which forced them from the straight and true. At last, after pushing their horses for many hours, they stopped for rest and water at a hospice that sat upon a crossroads.
The blue-eyed knight was last to dismount, sitting in the saddle with his gaze cast longingly and impatiently Westward. The ground had grown more solid as they had traveled, and the swamps had receded to low scrub-brush and tall grasses, which even now waved in a wind that brought a welcome chill to the belabored party. As they traveled, the open lands would give way, first to more cluttered forest, and then to wide and shadowed glades, formed by ancient trees of exceeding vastness. Naruto had not permitted time for the company to assign themselves a proper route, and resolved to address that matter before nightfall.
The knight by whom the hospice was ordinarily tended proved absent, likely upon some errand of chivalry, and Inari therefore took it upon himself to fetch water for the trough, which he was obliged to refill thrice before the horses were sated. Despite the impatience of the youngest knight, the party had made exceptional time, passing other such stations on their way, by virtue of the sacred oil and holy magics that fortified them.
Naruto paced as he waited for their mounts to replenish themselves upon the water and grasses, too frustrated by emotion to make any plan at the moment. Sasuke watched the other knight, recalling now the inhuman stamina endowed to his close friend, brought forth in such limitless measure as to shame even the mighty among their Order. The young man before him had slept the span of an hour (and this Sasuke reckoned over-graciously), the only reprieve from a long day upon the field with his lord, followed by a feast, a council, and finally a hard ride of half a night. The raven knight himself, though his journey to the sacred mountain had not been overly wearisome, had felt the temptations of slumber close about him after so long without it, and now drew upon the strength of his spirit for sustenance. Though his own reserves of power were counted worthy of praise by his fellows, even the raven could not muster within himself a match to Naruto's sheer endurance, and he began to worry for the lesser strengths of Sakura and little Inari. Therefore he approached his friend quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder to halt the impatient motion.
"Brother," he said softly, and the gold-haired knight paused and turned to him. Blue eyes were dark, and in their depths swirled the touch of desperation and subtle melancholy, at odds with the confidence and surety that had shone from them in the yard of Myoboku. This Sasuke saw in the barest of moments, for, in the next, the face of his friend was once more bright and careless. Unease stirred within the raven knight, for it had been long since Naruto had hidden his heart from him beneath such a mask, and longer still since the raven had found himself unable to look beyond it, such was the bond they shared. At once he fell into his own habit, his hand dropping back to his side, and his countenance adopting an image of detachment and only the mildest curiosity, his own mask, which he had worn since the tragedy of his childhood. "We are not all the sons of gods, Namikaze," he said coolly. "Curb your impatience for a time and look to your friends."
At this the two knights turned to their fellow travelers, and the plight of the young squire, especially, seemed to stir Naruto from his fixation upon the distant Gaara. Inari had sat himself upon a bench against the outer wall of the empty hospice, and upon which rested also Sakura and Kakashi, though they less wearily than he. The young boy, though tall and strong for his age, had not the full training and powers of a knight, and so their travel had taxed him already near to his limit. His heart and mind were at odds over this, the one compelling him to join his master upon the quest which they now endeavored, the other remonstrating, with all the authority of the limitations imposed by youth, against that very path, citing the boy burdensome, meritless, and other belittling qualities.
Naruto, as if witnessing, by some unknowable talent, the struggle within the boy, approached him quickly, but rather than the sobriety with which Sasuke thought it best to address the matter, cuffed the squire lightly upon the head and grinned at him. "Up!" he said loudly, and Inari rose at once, surprise chased out by joy and pride at the address of his mentor and Master, who looked down on him fondly, even as the young body compelled, by groaning protest, a return to its seat. "Walk with me," the knight commanded, and his squire followed dutifully, though his muscles shook from his exertions. The other knights observed this unusual exchange in silence, before turning to each other with signs of bemusement and curiosity. Naruto led his squire some distance apart, and, still not permitting the boy to sit, engaged him in conversation, though to the experienced knights it seemed (rightly) more an assessment of readiness to some task for which the boy was intended. Each of the three offered him a silent prayer of sympathy, knowing the predilections of his Master, and guessing he would not be granted the chance of a well-deserved rest, before they turned their thoughts once more to their own recuperation.
At length the two returned to the party, Inari bearing, in stance and countenance, the image of one who is at once elated and terrified by the same happening, and Naruto grinning broadly at his fellows. "Inari has decided to speak the morning blessings for us," he said at once, "his inexperience, faith, not offending any of us devout members of the Church?"
The others were in that moment awash with relief, both for the boy and for themselves, at the mention of the morning sacraments. It was not taken by any save the most devout of their Order that a knight should set aside times of piety every morning or evening, and the paladin Kakashi, whom none would allocate any great measure of piety, had not passed to his pupils any inclination towards such a religious treatment of their faith. Yet even such knights as were assembled there would not deny the fortifying grace of meditative scripture, long held a boon to any holy knight upon whom the weariness of toil weighed heavy, and indeed, after long centuries, proving more than a simple spiritual balm for the labors of that questing Order. A strong priest or knight, or one supported by strong fellows, might share the strength of others amongst themselves, a skill of surpassing worth when accompanied by such men as Naruto Namikaze. That such sermons were traditionally reserved to knights and priests, the convention after which Naruto had asked, was easily overlooked by the group.
The four knights and single squire arranged themselves and knelt in a circle, their arms on their knees, and their heads bowed in supplication. Inari had retrieved from his saddle pack a worn book of scripture, which he now held open to the desired page, though this was more a matter of comfort and security than of any great reliance upon the small tome.
"Heavenly Lord and Father," he began, "in the name of Your Prophet do we come to You, that we may do Your Will by our hands and our hearts. We ask that You look upon us now with Your favor, we, but Your humble instruments, that we may better act in accordance with Your Word."
His voice was low and clear, in that steady and solemn cadence which seems so inseparable from such things, and at once grew heavy with meaning and power. The first recitations were of submission, the subservience of the knights to their Prophet, and to God and His Purpose, and the binding of themselves to ideals of virtue and enlightenment. This then was followed by the body of the sacrament, in which were recited psalms and parables of unending strength and certitude in the face of overwhelming toil and temptation - prayers for such blessings upon themselves against the weariness of their journey. Here, also, Inari recited tales of brotherhood, unity, and camaraderie, binding the company not merely to their higher Purpose, but to each the one with the others. At the closing, he followed the tradition of his Master, saying praises and glorifying the Purpose of God, which the others found on the whole more inspiring than the condemnation of heathens, which was the convention of most Churchmen.
Though meditative recitations accomplished a subtle work by their own power, rousing the faithful through the miracle of their inspiration, nonetheless many knights endeavored to empower such rituals according to their own blessed strength, weaving their holy spirits in concert with the message of the scripture to accomplish more practical miracles. This all of the company had done, though Inari more clumsily than the others, a plight excused by his inexperience, and which the others easily accounted for. Therefore when they rose they found themselves renewed as if by a full night's rest, much to the astonishment of the squire, though less so amongst the others, familiar as they were with the inner fire that burned within their youngest knight. Yet only the paladin Kakashi guessed rightly, that his former pupil had fortified himself through the art of the sage, and being bound to the others, so passed that strength on to them.
"You spoke well, Inari," Sakura assured him with a fond touch, and the boy flushed at the praise, no less for the words than for the one who offered them. But he did not suppose that she might be patronizing, for he hadspoken well, though not entirely from memory, as some others could, and the accomplishment worked to allay his self-doubt. This had been Naruto's intention, though he had endeavored also to fortify his lagging companions in the same stroke. The others offered Inari their praise as well, each in their own fashion, and Naruto ruffled the boy's dark hair as he grinned.
"You speak a better sermon than my own Masters ever have!" he said, voicing his pride and encouragements in a volume perhaps overreaching that which was strictly warranted by the occasion. "The Old Witch could not do better herself, faith!" By this he referred to the Lady Tsunade, Grand Master in the Kingdom of Fire.
Sasuke alone offered the squire a small criticism which, though lightly broached, earned him a sharp strike to the shoulder from the indignant Naruto. This was in turn rewarded with a painful flick to the blonde's ear by the amused Sakura.
"Speak with thy tongue, not with thy hand, Brother," she admonished, skillfully overlooking her own hypocrisy on this occasion.
"Yes, Brother," Sasuke joined, flicking the other ear with each emphasis, "thy tongue, not thy hand."
Naruto raised his arms to his head to ward himself against the combined assault, for even as he would turn to defend from one, the other would slip behind him to continue the harassment. "Hatake!" the besieged knight complained, "a vassal should defend his lord!"
The paladin afforded a glance from the small book he had received from Jiraiya, lowering it with a sigh and saying mournfully, "Yes, Lord Namikaze." He waved away the assailants, who betrayed not the least measure of contrition, before returning to his amusements as his lord muttered a half-hearted thanks and lowered his hands. Kakashi flicked the man absently.
"Faith!" the knight cried, leaping away and rubbing at the offended target. "I am among devils disguised as friends! At least I know my squire is still true to me." He retreated to Inari, who only grinned, and flicked the man himself.
They rested only once more before Naruto relented to a final halt, the sun an hour past set and the moonlight shrouded by a gathering storm. As the train approached the hospice, its windows offering a welcome glow to weary mount and rider alike, the attendant knight emerged upon hearing the sound of the horses, and strained in the poor illumination to make out their identity. This failing, he relented to shout the accustomed greeting of his office.
"Hail, travelers! If thou cometh in weariness and peace, this humble knight offers thee aid and shelter in this meager hospice, in service to the Holy Order of the Silver Sun."
Upon hearing this voice Sakura and Naruto as one gave a cry of recognition and delight, and urging their mounts forward rushed to greet the attendant eagerly. Sakura was first to approach, and, dismounting carelessly, moved to embrace the man, even as Naruto followed.
"Lee!" she exclaimed, and the knight, caught in his astonishment for a moment, quickly returned the greeting.
"Beautiful Sakura," Lee said, kissing the corner of her mouth affectionately as they drew away, his round eyes wide with the shock of her arrival, welcome though it was. "And Naruto!" he turned to the other knight, and the two also embraced before holding themselves apart, to more properly judge the effects time had wrought on each.
Lee was still near to a half head taller than the golden-haired knight, though hardly broader. His black hair, as ever, was cut simply in the manner of Churchmen, and his brows were still so large as to nearly eclipse all of his other features, save his wide and very round eyes. These, as ever, shone with the light of his inner fire, and seemed always ready to burst into bouts of powerful emotion, the expression of which being the source of his fame and, among certain circles, infamy. Beneath the long grey robes of his office he wore the same close-fitted, forest green cottons that marked him a disciple of the legendary paladin, Lord Maito Gai. Taken in all, Naruto was compelled to observe his friend had changed hardly a whit, save in proportions of the body, and even in that his face was the same as it ever was.
This he mentioned to the attendant knight, who laughed.
"I will take that as high praise!" he said. "And you, young Naruto, the years have been kind to you as well, or I am blind," he noted with admiration. "We must test our limits against each other upon the field, before we part." At this Naruto seemed to falter, though Lee was distracted from the sudden change in his friend by the arrival of the remainder of their train. "And, by youth, there sit Lords Uchiha and Hatake! And who is this with you? Not little Inari, bane of all noble Masters throughout the kingdoms?"
The squire for a moment succeeded in casting off his surpassing weariness as he matched the knight's wide grin. "Master Lee! Do the fires of my youth burn too hotly for you?"
"Never!" Lee declared at once. The senior knight held strongly to the teachings of his own Master, which placed virtue in all youthful endeavors, even happy rebellion. Therefore the mischief Inari had inflicted upon his once-Master had ever been taken lightly by the knight, and Lee had quickly become one of the squire's favorite mentors.
The hospitalier greeted Sasuke and Kakashi more properly when they had dismounted, clasping the Uchiha's arm in a fierce hold, each nodding in silent respect to the other, and finally saluting the paladin in the manner of knights, which the masked man waved down.
"By your state and that of the horses, I would wager you had ridden a hundred miles!" Lee noted, gazing on them more closely.
"Wager twice again that sum, and you would hit truer the mark," Sasuke said to him, and the other night looked upon them all once more in astonishment.
"By youth, what miracle-" He shook himself, by which he seemed to recall the orders of his office. "Forgive me, you have expressed all the more reason that I should attend to my station. Enter the hospice and place yourselves at ease. I will look to your horses and, if you desire, what nourishments can be prepared at this hour." The party thanked him, and hardly had they come within the simple shelter then the weight of their journey seemed to crash upon them all, and they collapsed across the chamber each in their own manner.
Each hospice maintained by the Order followed a certain pattern in its construction and furnishings, which was thus: the door opened into a single room, a little over twenty feet square, which was furnished by rude wooden stools along the walls, a few chairs, a small table, and a couch, though having more in common with a bench, which seemed to have been made by hammering three chairs together and throwing over them a covering of sheepskin. Set within the left wall was what passed as an admirable kitchen in that day, a goodly-sized fireplace, which was shared by a spit, a grill, and a large black pot. Over this was a large shelf to hold the crockery, knives, and spoons, and in the near left corner of the room was a tall cupboard which served as pantry. In the far left corner was a downward flight of stairs, which ended in a door to a small cellar in which to store foodstuffs of a more delicate nature. The only other door stood in the far right corner, and led to the meager cell of the attending knight, which offered him privacy from the company of his guests and some measure of security for his possessions, most chiefly his armor and weaponry. From the walls hung clean and soft sheepskins that served as bedding, which, when needed, would simply be spread across the floor of the single room. While certainly humble, the hospices were well and sturdily built, the walls being thick and made of mortared brick, which was coated in white plaster. The floorboards were so old as to have been fully polished by former guests, and the roof was tall, sloped, and tiled, and there were no leaks or cracks by which to admit a draft, which was considered a very fine thing indeed by travelers of all classes. Though never to be mistaken for a well-appointed inn, the way-stations of the Holy Knights were, even so, much preferable to an evening spent upon hard earth beneath an often fickle sky.
Being well acquainted with the lay of things already, the knights and squire did not waste time looking about as they were struck with the weariness of their journey, moving instead to make themselves comfortable with as much haste and as little effort as could be managed. Sakura and Sasuke maintained sufficient dignity to fall together upon the sheepskin bench, while Kakashi took for himself a high-backed chair in which to stretch, and Inari sank upon a low stool, falling at once asleep upon the arm of the couch. Naruto lay sprawled upon the wooden floor, not even very much inclined to exert himself in the retrieval of proper bedding (though it likely would not have made him noticeably more comfortable, due to the presence of his chainmail). Such fatigue could be forgiven of the nearly tireless knight, for he had that day sustained the strength of four others, and this without the full rest warranted by the exertions of the day which had preceded.
Yet when Lee returned in short order (having merely led the horses to the small adjacent stable and unbridled them), all five travelers managed to stir themselves for the hope of a much-desired break to their fast, it being, after all, a trying task to eat upon the back of a cantering horse. The grey-clad knight at once removed from the cupboard pantry two loaves of dark bread and a wheel of soft cheese, which he laid out upon the small table to abate the immediate hunger of his guests, and then proceeded to coax the dying coals of the fire into something more suitable to the preparation of a meal. This was quickly done, and soon enough he had cobbled together a thick stew of barley, potato, carrot, mushroom, and generous servings of salted pork, which he left to simmer while he returned to the horses.
"Faith," Naruto groaned, bemoaning the scent of the rich stew that drifted from the fire, setting his mouth to watering as his stomach growled its own complaint. He took but small pleasure in seeing that the others shared his misery. Already they had devoured the bread and cheese, and the gold-haired knight was tempted sorely to help himself to the cupboard pantry, even knowing his appetite could not be sated by anything he might find there. Impatient, as was his wont, he paced to the fire to hover over the large pot, stirring its contents slowly with a long spoon, though Lee had set it aside so there was no danger of burning.
"Sit down, Dunce," Sasuke demanded as the younger knight leaned ever further over the simmering stew, his mood fouled by his own hunger. "If you get any closer to that pot, I'll have you join it over the fire!"
Naruto leapt back, unsure if his friend was irritable enough to do as he promised, even despite his weariness. It would not have been the first time Sasuke made good on such a threat, and the blonde would rather not risk the chance in his current state.
Lee returned once more, immediately setting about doing what he could to hasten the preparation of the meal. Sakura, in a valiant attempt to distract herself and her companions from their plight, asked the eccentric knight how he had come to be a hospitalier, having last taken a post as a Master of the University.
The older knight flushed as he answered. "It is my penance, truthfully," he admitted, though with the abashed smile of one who is not especially penitent.
"What could you have done that requires penance, faith?" Naruto demanded, voicing the same question the others had thought, astonished that a knight so strict with himself could have breached a Sacred Tenet.
"I..." Lee did not meet their eyes as he spoke, seeming to select his words with careful consideration. "I suffered certain...indiscretions...under the influence of strong drink." His audience blanched at this. Strong drink was not forbidden to knights, except in excess, but they had heard terrible tales concerning the temperament of their host, upon the unfortunate occasions in which he imbibed even a swallow of heady spirits.
Suddenly Naruto laughed. "Faith, how did you manage that?" he asked. Lee himself, and all the knights who knew him, were ever on guard against such a calamity, and would not have permitted the young man within a sword's length of an ale cup.
"A knight from the Kingdom of Water prepared a strange dish of melted cheeses," Lee explained, still somewhat embarrassed, "to which he had, according to the proper recipe, added spirits. Not knowing my weakness, he failed to mention the matter until...after."
The others shuddered, but Naruto, his hunger forgotten, could only continue to laugh.
Author's Note:
Hello again. Another week, another chapter (barely). I realize this is probably not the best place to break it off, and I certainly had hoped to push the story a little further (a lot further, actually), but it was either this or a late update. Though this is a good deal longer than my last two... You can leave a review about your preferences in that regard. That out of the way, some pertinent notes:
(1) I elected to use the Japanese names for the characters' weapons because of how closely the names are tied to the image and conception of each character. Also, Raikiri and Chidori sound far less romantic in their English translations.
(2) A 'target' is an archaic name for a type of shield. Therefore, when Naruto teases Jiraiya, he means that (a) the sage has poor luck with romance, (b) slighted woman tend to hit the sage's face rather than his chest, and (c) his excuses, flattery, and natural inclinations are a poor 'shield' against a woman's wrath. Sorry if the explanation killed the joke.
(3) I decided in this chapter that Naruto should have a verbal tick, like the original. For now, it is 'Faith', until someone can convince me to use something else. Lee, as you can see, also has his tick, though I think, so far, it is much less obnoxious than in the anime. Your approval or disapproval on this matter would interest me. Edit: I've gone back and edited in Naruto's 'faith' to Chapters 1 and 2, along with some other minor stylistic alterations.
(4) Sakura is the first to call hospice attendants 'hospitaliers'. This does not mean there is a specific Knightly Order of that name, despite the historical connotation; it is simply the name of that particular office within the Five Orders of the Silver Sun, assigned to knights who tend hospices.
(5) I can't cook. If you have a better idea of what should be going on around that fire, please describe it to me.