Title: Truce Child
Author: DeityOfDeath
Archive: Yes please...
Pairings: Sarasa/Shuri

Category: Drama, romance
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Yes, especially if you haven't read volumes 5 and up.
Warnings: Sex, violence, Hetero, language, pregnancy.
Disclaimers: I never have nor will I ever own Basara or its chars. They are property of Viz and a few other major companies.

THANK YOU FOR READING AND REVIEWING:: Big Hugs to everyone::

Chapter 3: I Pray For You

"It's been a month and there have been no signs of him!"

Nagi sat on the carpeted floor of the meeting room inside the ship, his inner emotions deep and un-showing as he listened to ChaCha rant once again.

"Nachi and Hayato are searching the east and we have Hijiri and Asagi searching the West. If they turn up nothing then we go further south and they go north", said Ageha with little or no emotion in his voice.

"How can you both be so calm about this? He could have been captured by the Red King or worse the Black King!"

"Calm your self ChaCha. Do you think either of them would capture Tatara and not announce it to the whole world", asked Ageha.

ChaCha sighed and paced the room, "I just worry about the kid is all."

"We all do", said Raizo as he patted ChaCha on the shoulder.

"Sara! Don't overwork yourself! It's not good to overwork yourself in this heat."

Sarasa looked up from her place in the field where she stood hunched over turning the soil, "Yes, Marane!"

She swept the sweat from her brow and stood up shaking the dirt from her billowing skirt. She slid off the handkerchief from around her heat and ruffled her sheared black locks. Where once golden brown hair covered her head was now ear length hair that was now black. It had been hard for her to cut off her was again long locks, even harder this time because of the shorter than before length. She had done it and then she had bought some henna to dye it black so that she would be harder to recognize.

She had made her way north and it was here that she had met Marane. Marane was a mother of four healthy "boys" and a practicing Midwife. She happened upon the tired and unconscious form of Sarasa on her way home from the delivery and had her youngest son help carry her to her small farm.

Upon waking up and telling Marane an edited version of her life story Marane took it upon herself to take "Sara" in. Sarasa insisted on helping anyway she possible and so when it came time to start planting Sarasa was more than ready to help.

The tall older woman approached carrying a water jug and cup, he graying brown hair kept in a braided bun atop her head.

"Drink this. It isn't good to work in this hot weather and then not drink lots of water. You could over stress your body and cause the babe to die."

"Thank you, Marane."

"Any news from the father?"

Sarasa sighed and placed a hand on her already swelling stomach, "No, but since he moves around a lot I can hope that our paths cross. If there's a hot spring we're bound to meet there."

"That would explain why your always visiting that blasted place", said Marane with an exasperated laugh.

"So you two only had one night together and begat a child. It makes me wonder what the fates have in store for you both. It's a rare occurrence to conceive on first time. Many say the babe will be blessed if it was conceived on the first union."

Sarasa smiled and lightly rubbed her stomach, "I hope so. We could use the blessings."

"You conceived in May so the babe should be born around January. A new babe for a new year."

Sarasa blushed a bit and smiled as she drank from the offered water pitcher.

"Come Sara, we've got dinner to prepare. I'll let the boys finish the seeding."

Sarasa followed Marane to the house and rubbed her stomach as she wondered what the others were doing.

Shuri stood in his old palace surrounded by the guards that had not betrayed him. He looked through papers for any news of Tatara and saw that once again there was no mention of the rebel or his army. He ran a hand through his wild black hair and sighed.

He missed Sarasa. He missed her a lot. He thought back on the time that their two bodies had became one and he longed to repeat it not once but many times. He wanted her by his side. He wanted her to be his wife and to bear his children and he wanted her there when he made a new country. He had heard no news of her and worried constantly.

He sighed and stood and closed his eyes, allowing the memories of her lull him to sleep.

4 months later

"He's not in the East or the West. You've had Raizo and a few of his men search the South. Our last option is to go to the North", said ChaCha as she paced the room.

"Izumi is strong enough to endure the travel after the birth and so is Lady Senju so why not just float north and have a group meet us up there", asked an annoyed Asagi.

"It sounds like the best plan that we've come up with yet", said ChaCha.

"We've got to be careful. The Red King has been scouring the coasts and the land in search of something. I'm betting we're both looking for the same thing", said Raizo.

"It would make sense. Perhaps he is tired of waiting for Tatara to make his move. If they don't come to you, you go to them", said Old Kaku.

"Let's get a move on so we can find him first", said Asagi.

"Kaku, Hayato and Ageha; you take the land route. The rest of us will take the ship north and meet you at Murasaki beach", said ChaCha.

They each nodded and went to pack for their journey.

Once they were all packed they headed out in search of their missing leader.

To Be Continued...