A Fire Burning

In the peaceful early morning Yukina returned to the castle with a secretive smile and slight bounce to her step. The flower still remained around her finger but she was concerned for how long it would last. Suddenly her arms were grabbed forcefully and she was being led none too gently deeper into her home, toward the dinning hall. No matter how much she questioned or pleaded the two men leading her did not respond. One was burly and as tall as a mountain the other was of medium height and as slim as a whip. It was hard to believe that they were actually brothers. She had seen them haunting the castle as members of the guard.

"Yukina, I'm glad you're safe." The prince stood walking toward her in a fluid motion. He directed an angry look to the guards who still held her arms.

"Highness, we spotted the Princess Yukina leaving Sherwood Forest."

His posture became rigid; he looked back at his sister, "Sherwood?" He asked.

"Yes, I was captured by bandits it was frightening!"

"She speaks lies." The thinner brother hissed.

"Thank you, I can handle this from here, leave us." the prince growled. Though she claimed to have been kidnapped, she looked none the worse for wear. The two guards released her, bowed low, and practically slithered out the door.

The silence that came into the room after they left nearly killed Yukina.

"You have always been good, how could you do this?" He gripped his hands and began to pace, looking at the walls, the table with all it's softly glowing silver, and how his red eyes could just be seen reflecting off a pitcher. "It makes sense . . . how they always just happen to be there when anything of value is being transported or how they always manage to escape right when I think I have him-" He jerked back to face her, "It's all because of you!"

"Hiei it's not-"

"Here I am slaving away trying to find a way to capture Youko Kurama and you've been helping him the entire time! You must have had a good laugh behind my back."

"No!" She cried, "Hiei listen to me please!"

"How can I?" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Do you realize what you have done?" She shook her head about to object when he continued. "You have betrayed me in the worst possible way."

"I was only doing what I thought was right! You have led this country to ruin, your people despise you!" She gasped covering her mouth with both hands.

He snapped. "Get out of my sight! Stay in your room until dinner, I will have figured out what to do with you by then."

"Hiei-"

"Go!" He roared. She fled to her chamber, not wishing to anger him any further or to show him her tears.


The forest shimmered in an almost surreal way in the subdued evening light. Shuichi softly stepped upon fallen leaves, keeping his ears perked for any sounds coming from the surrounding brush. He calmed his breathing after jogging for a long time. He had to move quite some distance away from the camp where all of his men lived in order to find good grounds for game. He was dressed in a faded gray shirt and brown pants,with a long green hooded cape. He wore the hood down with his long red hair pulled into a tight ponytail, it would not due to have his hair fall into his eyes nor give off any different smells; deer relied heavily on their sense of smell to detect any danger. At last he found a deer path cutting through the grass and even other deep tracks in the mud, fresh ones too. He studied the direction of the markings then he determined which way the wind was coming from, making sure that his prey would not be downwind. Walking more slowly, he carefully maneuvered away from the trail, while still keeping it in his line of vision. He wound around trees until he encountered his first victim. It was a young doe that had her nose in the grass unaware that she was being watched. He brought up his bow and pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back. Keeping an eye on her at all times he nocked his arrow, pulling the bowstring taut near his right ear. He paused for only a hairsbreadth before releasing the string and launching the arrow into flight. He heard the faint whistle, and the doe did as well at the same time, she raised her head in alarm turning toward the noise her ears pressed forward, but it was too late the arrow hit her just behind her shoulder stunning her and causing her to fall to the side. She snorted and kicked her hind legs vainly before becoming still. Shuichi walked up next to her and looked down into her dark unseeing eye.

"Your death will help many lives please know I took no pleasure from killing you." He knelt and slung her body across his shoulders, carrying his burden alone.

His lookouts signaled his return long before he entered their campsite, still they liked to act surprised when he entered the central fire's light.

"Look what the cat dragged in." Touya noted dryly, sitting on an old log. His green eyes appeared to be in permanent slits and his blue and green hair stuck out at an angle over his forehead and into sharp points, almost as a warning for people to keep their distance. How a loner like that could be a friend of Jin's and be a member of the group of outlaws, Shuichi could not even fathom. Jin leapt up from his own seat to help carry the deer and to begin skinning it, he was not a very patient person when it came to food.

"Ah she's a beauty she is." He cooed while pulling a dagger from the side of his belt. Shuichi left him to his work, and plodded off to his own tent. He sat down on a pile of blankets with a sigh. He slipped off the leather chord he had used to tie his hair back and let his hair fall down his back. Sifting his fingers through and finding several knots, he wondered if he should bathe in the river or wait until after they had all eaten. Soon enough he heard the familiar excited voices of hungry men, and smelt the meat that was sizzling and spitting over the fire.

He stood and pulled the flap of his tent back, ducking out and going back to the fire. Most of the men were already there, salivating over the meal that was just about ready. That was when the lookouts warned them of an intruder. Kurama followed a young boy with bright blond hair and blue eyes, he pointed out the loud person who was bumbling around the forest, not even trying to mask their presence. Kurama clapped the boy on the shoulder with a smile; it was no one to worry about,just the drunk lady, also known as Yusuke's mother.

He jumped down from the perch he had been hiding in ,up on a tree branch and landed with ease near the woman.

"Yusuke is that you?" She slurred holding a hand above her eyes as if to shield against sunlight when the sun was long gone.

"No Atsuko san it's Kurama." He answered. "What brings you to Sherwood?"

"Kurama can you get my son out here?" She shook her long brown hair out of her eyes, "I've got a thing or two to say to him."

"You really shouldn't be wandering around the forest at this hour, here come with me to camp."

"Oh I have news for you too young man." She smiled broadly and stumbled into his side. He took her hand and placed it around his arm,supporting her gently as would befit a lady, because she could hardly walk straight on her own.

They came into the camp with her cackling madly and Kurama trying not to be bothered by her behavior. However, Yusuke paled at the sight of his mother in the camp.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" He asked looking from her hazy eyes to the large bottle she still held in one hand.

"Yusuke!" She called, pulling away from Kurama and stepping toward her son. "You didn't come home, where's my money huh?" She hiccuped.

"Mom, I'll bring you some later all right?" He rumbled.

"I don't believe you." She poked him in the chest. "What am I supposed to live off of?"

"There wouldn't be a problem if you didn't waste your money on booze!"

"Ungrateful brat!"

"Mom don't start that up here."

"Fine I don't want to talk to you anymore anyway, Kurama?" She spun around dangerously close to the fire. He held her arm to steady her again.

"Yes?"

"I heard along the grapevine that the Prince is going to hold a tournament." She narrowed her eyes like a cat with puffy cheeks and everything, "and it's not just any tournament either, it's an archery contest where the winner gets a kiss from the lovely Maid Yukina and becomes the Prince's new right-hand man, and even gets a real golden arrow that's worth- more than Yusuke's life anyway."

"Mom!"

"A kiss from Yukina!" Kuwabara sang.

"Prince's right-hand man." Youko Kurama repeated.

Kuwabara looked at Kurama with puppy dog eyes, he wanted to enter that contest very much. The other men stared at their leader with concern. Yusuke was the first to question him,

"Kurama what are you thinking?" He questioned in a threatening voice.

"Just think of the money." The redhead chuckled.

"Don't let your mind be clouded by riches, you would allow yourself to become some sort of lapdog just for that?" He stormed his brown eyes gaining fury.

"Calm down Yusuke, haven't you ever heard the phrase: keep your friends close but your enemies closer?"

"No, I won't allow it,that man is a demon." He glared his fingers itching to hit something. Surprisingly it was his mother who stopped him, stepping in at the right moment.

"Yusuke, it's a good idea, why go for one measly little arrow when you could have the royal treasury?" She sighed dreamily and sat down heavily on the ground. She pulled on Kurama's pant leg to get his attention like a toddler, and he crouched next to her to hear what she had to say. She leaned closer and whispered into his ear so no one else could overhear, "Don't worry I won't tell anyone what you're really after. You be careful not to let these guys know, especially not Yusuke, he'd probably kill you." Then she passed out.

"Mom!" Yusuke groaned, picking her up and carrying her to his own tent, mortification clearly written across his face.

Kurama watched her being carried away, his green eyes wide frozen in shock.


Yukina sat on her bed, angrily picking at a loose thread on her coverlet. How could Hiei be so cruel? There was no way that she could not be present at the tournament, not when her kiss was a prize and not when the event was supposed to be a joyous celebration. It was a festival where the wealthy and the common could join together for one day simply to enjoy the competition. She pulled out the thread and wound it around her thumb biting her lower lip. Would Kuwabara come? If he knew what the winner received . . . he would most assuredly arrive, and then Hiei's plan would be put into action. Of course Kuwabara was not the man Hiei truly wanted, but he was under the impression that Kurama was smitten with her and she did not try to convince him otherwise. What did it matter? Either way something terrible would happen, she could feel it.


The next morning, Kuwabara woke with a splash of water to the face. He yelped and struck out at the air.

"Shuichi?" He queried.

"Not so loud Kuwa, you're the only one besides Yukina who knows my real name."

"Right, right sorry." He rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes and frowned at him, "So why the hell are you waking me up so early? It's not my turn to take watch."

"I know. You still want to win a kiss right?" Kurama smiled down at his friend who was still snugly wrapped in his blanket.

"Yeah."

"Then get up, get dressed, and meet me at the waterfall."

"B-but what's going on?"

"I'll tell you later just hurry up while there's still daylight." Kuwabara snorted at that, the birds had only just begun welcoming the sun damn Kurama.

When he found Kurama standing on the grass by the stream and aiming his arrows at different trees seemingly miles away, he gulped.

"Welcome to Kurama's school of archery." he beamed.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter was a bit like a transition one. There is still a lot to come such as the tournament and the discovery of Kurama's one weakness.

Review if you think Kuwabara would make a kickass boyfriend! ;)