So it's been a while.
Life comes at you fast. Are you in good hands? (Don't sue me, All-State).
- - - - -
God, how he hated butterfly wings.
Shinta stared at the spot where Maya had been moments before, then lifted a hand to his mouth as though trying to confirm that what had just happened wasn't in his imagination. He could feel Dias tugging sharply on the back of his shirt, hear vague murmurs and whispers, and the song come to a slow stop.
"Come on man, let's get out of here." Dias hissed sharply at his friend, finally succeeding in wrenching Shinta from where he stood. In a daze, the lord knight followed Dias through the crowd of muttering people, past the tables laden with drinks, to the door and out into the cool night. What had just happened?
"Shinta, what the fuck was that?" Dias asked harshly.
"Hmm… what?" Shinta replied, his voice vague. He carefully avoided his friend's gaze, instead looking up to the cloudless sky. "I think it's going to rain, we should get back to Reprion."
"You kissed Maya!" Dias continued, sounding, in Shinta's opinion, much too harassed. "Little Maya!"
"I don't know if you noticed, Dias," Shinta quipped, still not meeting the whitesmith's eyes. "But she's not exactly 'Little Maya' anymore."
"She'll always be Little Maya." Dias muttered, crossing his arms and leaning back against the tavern they had just vacated. Shinta observed him in amusement, then followed suit.
"You're cute when you pout."
"Shut the hell up, I don't swing that way." Dias snapped playfully, then leaned his head back and sighed. "What're you gonna do?"
"What can I do?"
"I mean about Azzie. You know she's gonna be hearin' about this."
With a frown, Shinta looked down at his feet. There was a very good chance that Dias was right; it was odd how quickly rumors and the like seemed to be swapped in Britoniah. "You two ain't right for each other anyway." Dias said dismissively, pulling a cigarette case from the back pocket of his jeans. He removed one, stuck it between his lips, and lit it before shrugging. "But I'm sure you already knew that."
"Next time I want advice about relationships, I'll be sure to submit inquiries to the thirty year old bachelor," Shinta laughed, moving away from the tavern wall and stepping into the cobbled street. "Besides, it was just a kiss."
"I ain't talking about you and Maya, idiot," Dias exhaled a cloud of smoke, following Shinta into the road, and heading in the direction of Reprion. "One-track mind, much?"
"Like you should talk," Shinta retorted. The pair walked in silence until they reached where the street smoothed from stone into dirt, leading out into the fields of Geffen. He kicked at the dirt idly, then sighed. "Give me a smoke, would you?"
"Sure thing, mate," Dias replied, tossing the case over. Shinta caught it, mimicking his friend, and taking a long drag. "And you've been smoking since…?"
"Since I realized I couldn't drink my stress away." the lord knight shrugged. They lapsed into silence again, as the two of them so often did. It wasn't always a necessity to speak, and Shinta had always enjoyed the silence anyway.
As the two got nearer to the castle, Shinta tossed the half-finished cigarette to the ground and put it out with his heel, steeling himself for … what? There wasn't likely to be anything waiting for him other than Azriel's embrace. That, and Yoru.
Shit.
"Do you know where exactly Saikyou set up camp?" Shinta asked casually, his eyes on the horizon, where Reprion was a looming mass of towers and flickering lights. He knew Azriel was probably reading by their window, waiting for the two of them to get home from their night of play, no idea that anything was amiss. The high priestess trusted him indefinitely, and knowing that made Shinta's calm resolve break a little. Azriel had difficulty trusting anyone, and his complete disregard of that made him feel slightly ill.
"Mm, dunno, somewhere 'round there." Dias replied, motioning toward the river that cut through Britoniah. "Least, I think so…"
With a nod, Shinta started toward where Dias had indicated. "I'll meet you back at Rep later, then. Tell Az I'll be a while, will you?" Shinta said over his shoulder, not bothering to see whether or not Dias was going to confirm. Shinta knew his friend well enough to know that Dias would cover for him, at least to an extent. However, he also knew that Dias wouldn't stand for anyone in the guild being hurt, especially not by their leader.
And God, would he have some explaining to do in the morning.
Until then… he thought absently, climbing the steep hill to where an array of tents were set up. Firelight was still casting dancing shadows on the terrain, against the tents, and over a handful of people evidently preparing for bed. The lord knight squinted; he could make out Yoru standing, talking to someone that looked almost identical to him. Must be Maya, Shinta mused, cautiously taking a step closer. The last thing he wanted to do, at least at the moment, was alarm a traveling band of assassins. He had a feeling that it might not end well.
Yoru broke off mid-sentence as Shinta approached; he glanced at his counter-part, pointedly clearing his throat. "You have a visitor." he said softly, indicating Shinta with a jerk of his head.
"I know," Maya replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Get some rest, okay?" she added, giving Yoru a quick hug.
"Mm." was all he replied, giving Maya's hair a soft pat, before disappearing into a tent.
The small assassin cross turned to face Shinta. Her face was obscured by flickering shadows, making it impossible for the lord knight to know what she was thinking. Wordlessly, she held out her hand.
"I can't stay long." Shinta said, not making a move to take Maya's outstretched hand. She merely looked at him, motionless, then dropped her hand.
"Then what do you want?" Maya replied, her voice low, emotionless.
"You've changed a lot." Shinta murmured, feeling foolish. That much was obvious – who wouldn't have changed in such a long span of time? His mind darting around for something to say, he added "How are you?"
"Quite well, thank you," Maya answered briskly, with a faint shrug. "And yourself?"
"Well, I…" Shinta faltered. When was the last time he was this off-balance? And how in the world had one tiny woman managed to throw him this far off? "I'm pretty good, myself. It's been a while."
Idiot, he chided himself. You sound like a royal idiot. However, if Maya's thoughts were similar, there was no way to know. She merely nodded once in agreement, the only movement she had made since she had withdrawn her hand. "It's not as if we have much time to stand around and chit-chat," Maya said suddenly, drawing herself up and lifting her chin to gaze directly at her former guild leader. "Don't become distracted from the point. We came here for your aid, not for a social gathering."
"Come on, Maya, for old time's sake." Shinta answered, surprised at her abrupt, business-like manner. He watched the firelight flicker in her shadowed eyes, eyes that seemed to be staring straight through him as though she were addressing a stranger, and not a friend. Shinta offered a weak smile, but Maya did not return it.
"The situation is dire," Maya shrugged, ignoring Shinta's soft plea. Instead, she turned away from him, walking to the water's edge. "Did you not understand what Yoru said?"
"I understood fine, but…" Shinta faltered again, staring at Maya's slender form. It was as though the brief glimpse from before hadn't really happened, as though the Maya he knew had never really existed.
"How did you get a Valkyrie helm?"
"From a thief child on her deathbed," Yoru answered calmly, no trace of emotion in his voice. "It was the only part of her past that she wished to keep."
The conversation flashed back through Shinta's mind as he surveyed Maya. A gentle breeze ruffled her copper hair, her pale skin oddly luminous in the bright light of the moon. A fine web of scars criss-crossed over her shoulder, down the back of her arm, ending just below her elbow, and disappeared into her shirt-sleeve. "Cut the bullshit, Maya," Shinta sighed, closing the distance between them, and putting a hand over her scarred shoulder. He felt her shoulder jerk forward, as though she had been burned by his touch, but she didn't move away. "You came back here for more than that."
"I don't know what you mean." Maya replied evenly.
"You know damn well what I mean," Shinta snapped in frustration, his hand dropping. "What's gotten into you?"
"With all due respect, Sir, this isn't personal."
"Then why did you come here, why did you pick - ?"
"I would think that would be obvious," Yoru's cold voice cut across Shinta's, low and menacing. Immediately, Maya moved to his side, fitting her hand into his. "What have you come here for? You have a woman; there is no need to heckle this one."
"I'm not heckling anyone," Shinta growled, raking a hand through his hair, and turning away from the two of them. "And what does Azriel have to do with anything? I'm not trying to get Maya in bed; I just want a little recognition. She was like a sister to me, or did she not fill you in on that?"
"Of course she did," Yoru answered lazily, moving to stand in front of Maya, as though to shield her from the lord knight. "I know everything she knows, I feel what she feels. There are no secrets," he continued smoothly, his eyes never wavering from Shinta's face. "It is as Maya said; we came to you for aid in our goal. While it may be true that there is a past between the two of you, that's all it is – a past."
"So you're using me."
"If you want to look at it that way."
"You came to me because you knew I couldn't refuse."
"Perhaps."
"God damnit," Shinta said savagely, glancing between the two assassins. They remained emotionless as they gazed at him, their expressions the same, their eyes also identical, and yet so different. "Well played, Yoru. Good game."
"This isn't a game," Maya said finally, her eyes ablaze. "All that remains is whether or not we have your cooperation."
"You know damned well you do."
"Then we'll continue this in the morning," Yoru said easily. He glanced to the side at his counterpart, who nodded in agreement to whatever unspoken statement was between them. "Until then, I suggest you get some rest." he smiled a twisted half-smile, almost as though it were meant to be a mockery.
"Yeah," Shinta muttered, looking away from the pair, feeling his temper seem to deflate as quickly as it had reached breaking point. "I'll do that."
"Very good." Yoru nodded, his smile widening. He gave Shinta a half bow that Shinta didn't return. Instead, he watched as the assassin cross began to walk back to the camp, pulling along what seemed to be a complete stranger in his wake.
- - - - -
Well, I certainly hope that was as enjoyable to read as it was to type. Seems I'm a little rusty, but hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things. Leave a review? I'd greatly appreciate it.
