Author's Comment: Hi Everyone! I am trying to update this story more often… Summer School is already starting but I will try to continually update the story.
Thanks for reading!
Rormic and Sakura began to walk in an easternly direction in silence. A billion and one questions seemed to fly through Sakura's head. She seemed to be in a constant state of confusion – she always had more questions than answers – the confusion frustrated her to no end when she was in her own world but in a place where nothing was familiar, the confusion seemed to be the one thing that she knew.
Sakura walked with sure steps even though she did not feel any absurdity; unlike Rormic. Rormic walked with confidence because he was confidant. Rormic seemed like he was sure of what he was doing because he lived in the now and; therefore, never had to consider any consequences – that was the Elk Clan way. Rormic was the planner in the herd because he looked to the future and saw that he needed to leave the herd and join the Warrior-Who-Sees-With-Eyes-Unclouded-By-Hate. Sakura could understand Rormic's need to leave because she was the outcast in her family as well.
Still, the two of them walked onward in silence. Sakura began to get nervous when she looked at the blank scenery. If the Warrior were out here, he would have a camp full of soldiers and weapons. Something was wrong…. Sakura's eyes shifted back and forth. Rormic noticed her nervousness and put his hand on her arm to calm her.
"Don't worry," he said. "The Wolf-Girl lives out here so there has to be something."
Sakura took some comfort from his sure voice but the comfort was short-lived:
Two large wolves stepped out into the open a few yards in front of Sakura and Rormic.
"You were not to leave the cave without us!" The wolf with the deeper voice hissed at the two of them while they were still several meters away from the two wolves.
"We were waiting for HOURS," began Rormic but at the same time Sakura said, "We didn't mean any harm!"
"Your intentions and your impatience do not matter!" The other wolf yelled as if the two of them were far away when the truth was that they were quite close now. Still, the wolf continued, "The Wolf Clan gave you a chance to be more than travelers but your actions have proved that you are nothing more than nuisances. Get back to the cave before I really lose my temper and crunch your head off!"
Sakura was visibly shaken by the wolf's threat – she believed every word of it. Rormic, on the other hand, felt nothing but rage; no fear or sadness or even disappointment coursed through him. "It's not our fault that no one came. We left the cave to help the Warrior-Who-Sees-With-Eyes-Unclouded."
"I said get back to the cave, Filthy Human," yelled one of the large wolves.
"You can't punish us for trying to help! We didn't do anything wrong," Rormic was ready to continue arguing his point when Sakura griped his arm.
"Rormic, please stop arguing. Let's just go back." Sakura saw every muscle in the two wolves' large bodies tense as Rormic spoke. She knew that the two members of the Wolf Clan were close to losing their patients and Rormic's arguing was only making it worse. She wanted all the arguing to stop before someone got hurt. Rormic seemed to accept this fact grudgingly with an exasperated sigh and a bent head.
Sakura's pleas seemed to work. The two wolves began to relax and their muscles loosened. Rormic turned towards the cave with Sakura by his side holding his hand. She squeezed it reassuringly.
"We just have to show them we can be patient and trust worthy. We will get to see him," she told Rormic in a soft voice.
"I have been patient… It is not my fault that they cannot trust anyone… I just want to help…"
"I know," Sakura soothed, "and they will know soon enough too. You heard the Wolf-Girl say that we could see him."
"I ruined our chance by talking you into leaving the cave." Rormic's voice cracked with tears as he spoke. He feels guilty, Sakura realized.
"Leaving the cave may have set us back a little but they cannot make us wait long. They trusted us before and they will trust us again."
Rormic nodded and his tears ceased but Rormic's walk was no longer confidant. His every move was stiff. Sakura felt useless. There was nothing she could do to help him. Silence followed them through the path. No birds sang and none of the leaves rustled in the trees above. There was nothing to distract the two of them from their familiar.
The cave was in sight and looked as boring as it had all these weeks. The walls were thick, closed off and looked more like prison than Sakura had remembered. She continued to walk forward but Rormic quickly reached out his hand and gripped her arm.
"There is someone in the cave," Rormic whispered into her ear. "It isn't big enough to be one of the wolves…"
"Could it be the Wolf-Girl?" Sakura asked with a small quiver in her voice.
"I don't know… I think that I would recognize her…but the size is close to the same." Rormic spoke quietly and slowly as if he were afraid that someone would tell him he was wrong if he spoke too loudly or too quickly.
"The only way to know who is in there is to walk in and see." Sakura tried to speak with confidence but the end of her sentence came out in a squeak. Rormic looked equally afraid with sharp glints in his eyes but he nodded his head anyway. He took a step in front of Sakura and motioned her behind him with his hands.
She opened her mouth as if she were about to protest but Rormic quickly put his finger to his mouth to signal her quiet. "I'll protect you," he mouthed to her. "You are safe with me." He reached behind him for Sakura's hand. Sakura quickly reached out to grip his. Rormic squeezed her small hand and smiled with a confidence Sakura knew that he did not feel. Still, Sakura felt herself warm with his fake confidence and moved forward to stand a step behind him.
Rormic walked up the steep step-like structures to the cave with a slow, quiet grace. On the last step, Rormic stopped and motioned for Sakura to kneel down. Her knees touched the floor and Rormic crouched down next to her and leaned close to her ear.
"I am going to sneak into the cave to get a closer look," he explained in a breathy whisper. "I want you to stay here. It is easier for one person to sneak in than for two to try it."
Sakura automatically shook her head no but Rormic returned her scrutinizing gaze and shrugged his shoulders. Without words, Sakura knew that he was asking her, "What else can we do? Do you have a better plan?"
Sakura looked down feeling guilty and a little selfish. It seemed like only a second later she looked up and saw that Rormic was already traveling silently towards the cave. Sakura slunk further into the wall, trying to turn as invisible as she could and not give Rormic away. She could not see the Rormic, the intruder or the inside of the cave but she prayed that Rormic was safe.
Her heart stopped when she heard Rormic's voice gasp in surprise.
"Hungh!" Romoric seemed to grunt in pain. Sakura ran forward without planning; thinking only of Rormic in a panic.
She was shocked when she charged into the cave…