A/N: OMG people, I think I went insane. I have no idea what on earth I just typed. I closed my eyes and pounded senselessly on the keyboard. My head is about to roll of, too, so there. Um, I guess this is all I can clearly muster for the next chapter of this story. Hehehe. Don't let this chapter get to you too much, because I'm probably more lost than you… I just hope I've got the right way for this to fit into anything. I've got a couple ideas, but I'm open for suggestions on this story! Thanks and happy reading!

Tsukino Kaze

Chapter 11: Scary Rabbits and Native Americans?

A very great vision is needed and the man who has it must follow it as the eagle seeks the deepest blue of the sky.

Crazy Horse

Squall and Rinoa had endured three days of relentless travel. The commander wasted not a moment before setting off again when the saturated woodland had become traversable. Rinoa followed without word or complaint, seeking comfort within her own thoughts rather than voicing an opinion that would matter little regardless.

The girl's clothes were torn nearly to shreds. Her tunic was desperately holding on by its last threads, tempting her shoulders to the brisk forest air and teetering her dignity on a pinpoint. Her breeches offered little comfort as well, these being the most soaked out of the few garments she possessed. Squall, on the other hand, had managed to keep his clothes in fairly decent shape considering the circumstances. His whole outfit was completely intact and wielded maybe only a damp spot or two.

Rinoa couldn't tell which way they were going. Her downcast eyes frequently left her lost as her guide managed to take a gazillion turns every few moments. He traveled the brush-filled roads well, taking his sweet time to check trees, rocks, or ground condition. Rinoa trusted that he knew where he was going and apparently had traveled this impossible treasure-trail many times before.

The air held foreign scents, but nothing really unpleasant. At times, especially from early dusk to well after nightfall, Rinoa caught the aroma of herbs and spices, mixed within a broth of campfire smoke. The thought disturbed her to think that her and Squall were being followed. Though she was if fact a prisoner at the time, Rinoa found comfort when moving with the troops. The wooded areas she had been through weren't nearly as dense, and Irvine always had something uplifting or teasing to comment about. Squall offered none of this, sometimes even appearing to forget her presence altogether. But he had obviously ignored the odors in the air at night and Rinoa knew that he smelled them too, so his lack of worry or interest gave her at least a little solace.

The third evening of travel Squall led both of them to a small clearing under the wide branches of several pine trees. He wordlessly stopped, put down his gear, and began to shift and organize things around. Rinoa sighed, frustrated at his continuous silence. It seemed forever since she had held a conversation lasting over two or three short words. At the start, she had had them with herself, asking questions such as "Where are we going?" or "This is kinda neat, don't you think?" … all of which were promptly ignored. By this night she was well into giving up. She watched idly as the commander shuffled through his supplies, counting out the few rations that were left and refolding the clothes he had carried along, just as he did at every stop.

'Must have anxiety or something,' Rinoa had initially thought. But she learned to stop concerning herself with his thoughts or problems, seeing as how it wouldn't have made the least bit of difference anyway. Instead, she sat near to one of the monstrous trees to watch him and fiddle around with some twigs in the dirt.

"Want something to eat?" her daze was rudely disturbed and she looked up to the source of the words. She stared at Squall for a moment before nodding silently. He passed her a ridiculously small slab of dried meat. She knew their food supply had been running low since the last two meals. Her complaints were swallowed along with the minute ration that she had be getting sick of eating the past few days.

" Shouldn't we look for food or something?" Rinoa offered instead of her usual whine. "I mean, if you're all good at everything and such, don't you know how to hunt then?"

Squall remained quiet for a long, awkward moment before settling back onto the rough dirt. The sunlight was barely visible as it passed behind some imposing mountain far off into the distance. The oranges and pinks filtered through the trees, casting eerie shadows across the clearing, making Rinoa uneasy when Squall brought his eyes up to hers. They captured the warm colors of dusk, glinting the flaming orange when the usually blue irises moved and twitched just right. His appeared threatening, and whether he meant it or not, Rinoa still adverted her own eyes to the ground. "No," he stated simply.

Gathering her courage, Rinoa took a shot at some sort of communication. "'No' to which question?"

""We're almost there, so don't worry about it. Unless you're absolutely starving?" he paused, waiting for a reply. "Well, are you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. And I'm gagged by this jerky we eat every stinking day! How I long for something, anything, that tastes different!"

Squall simply snorted and fixed her with another piercing stare. "Eat the bark of that tree if you want something different. I can't guarantee how much more welcoming a flavor it will have over this," he motioned to the small pack he carried with the food inside.

The sun was quick with its descent, warming Rinoa's face for only a moment before disappearing altogether. She savored the last bit of heat then gathered up the thin blanket that was hers to sleep with around her. She looked over to Squall who was now facing the other way and taking deeper breaths, but she didn't bother to lie down just yet. Instead she waited…

And then it came. The exotic smell of spices and smoke filled her nostrils. She closed her eyes and took wider breaths, gathering the scent into her memory. It took her far away from this discomfort, bringing her into the welcoming warmth of a cozy hearth. Hot soup boiled over the cooking fire, its hearty broth a mixture of exquisite herbs and chunky vegetables. She could feel the spicy liquid burn her tongue, as she desired just a taste of its many flavors. She pictured herself taking spoonful after spoonful, filling her insides warm as the soup hit her stomach…

A sudden rustling of nearby bushes brought Rinoa out of her sweet reminiscence. She jumped only slightly, but her heart pounded a mile a minute. She looked over to Squall, barely able to see him in the black of the moonless night. Her hand timidly reached out to touch him; to feel his presence beside her. She half wanted him to be there, to know that she could wake him up if needed, but she wanted him to be gone; to be the one moving in the brush. Her fingertips brushed against the solid form of his shoulder, feeling his body rise and fall steadily.

Rinoa's breath relaxed only a moment, but tightened again when the crunching of dead leaves sounded through the clearing. She was suddenly aware of the presence, whatever it was, and she could feel its awareness of her. She felt dizzy with sudden fear and vomit rose in her throat as she scooted closer to Squall's sleeping form. How desperately she wanted to wake him; to just grip onto his jacket and launch him out into the wilderness at the thing like a human hand-grenade. Her cramping fingers were about to do just that when she sudden caught the realization of her own foolishness. What was she scared of? It was probably just a deer or rabbit… a huge, venomous, salivating, hungry, blood-sucking rabbit. No! No, just a deer, just the mesmerize they had released three days back.

Rinoa closed her eyes in tight resolve. 'Just a stupid animal!' she continued to scold herself. The pain of clenched muscles became almost unbearable and her arm was feeling heavy as it hovered over Squall, ready to smack him, pound his face into the ground, or yang his hair out if it meant waking him in time to save her from the savage rabbit. No, stop! No savage anything! Just something else, something…

There it was again!

The slight waving of branches behind her caught her off guard, sending her reeling to her feet. The cold air hit her bare shoulders as the thin blanket she wore slipped from her body onto the ground. She growled half out of frustration, half out of agony. Whatever was out there was causing more trouble than this was worth! If getting rid of it meant granting it her full attention, then so be it! Since when was she scared of things out in the open anyway?

Rinoa bent to her knees and scrambled for any sort of free branches or stones. Her hand grasped a rock the size of her fist as she readied herself for battle. She turned her head in Squall's direction and whispered, "Be right back." The comment was more of trying to convince herself than to the still body sprawled on the ground. With firm resolve, she marched off in the direction the creature had last been heard in.

A good ten minutes later, Rinoa had come to the decision that lack of rest and food was what really drove her out into pitch-black wilderness with nothing but a useless rock. If she even found what she was following, what was she going to do? Throw the rock blindly ahead in hopes it hit in a vital pressure point and immediately kill it? 'No Rinoa, lets just provoke it. Besides, it's gone now…' she turned to make her way back with hopes that she could pick her way to the clearing without getting lost.

But again the noise rustled close behind her.

Rinoa jumped nearly ten feet into the air. She whipped her body around and held the rock above her head in the most menacing way she could muster. But just as the other times, nothing was there. Still, Rinoa was keenly aware of the figure that must loom just beyond her line of vision. "What do you want?" she shouted, trying her hardest to keep her voice steady and powerful.

No reply.

"Stop it!" she shouted again, but failed to keep the fear out of her shaking tone. "Stupid rabbit!" She launched the rock as far and hard ahead of her, listening as it crashed into the branches and leaves. Her body froze as every nerve stopped to detect any sort of other movements to follow. It was so unlike herself to be afraid and stuck in this kind of paranoia.

Her legs wobbled as Rinoa prepared to break into a running escape, but a familiar scent hit her full throttle. It was the smell of brewing spices, poisoning her mind as she tried to stay focused. It was heavier than Rinoa had every smelled it. It made her light-headed and a bit nauseous. Her eyes watered and refused to make any use out of themselves. What little she could see was blurred into a pandemonium of pleasurable odors and careless oblivion. When she felt strong enough to move her legs, Rinoa took a step closer to the heady scent rather than back to the clearing where Squall still ignorantly lay.

Rinoa stumbled after the aroma, strangely knowing exactly what she was getting herself into, but unable to contain her actions. The fragrance pulled both at her curiosity and stark memories of a forgotten home. Her mind floated away just as it had when she first detected this air, taking her back to the comfortable village life she once knew. The brush she pushed through no longer stung her skin when branches caught, but she instead could only see and feel the wide trail well traveled by traders and merchants. Her warm, inviting home settled just over the hill, waiting with her mother for Rinoa's return.

Her pace picked up until she was at a slow lope. The trail seemed to stretch on, but she could smell the outdoor cooking getting stronger and stronger, invoking her feet to move swiftly over the dirt. Her sharp eyes caught something contrasting on the trail a she flew past. She skidded to a stop and walked back to the spot where small, bright lavender-colored flowers pushed up through the fresh dirt. 'Spring is going to be good this year,' her thoughts wandered as she delicately traced the newly opened petals on the blossom. She plucked a single leaf off the stem, excited to show her mother when she returned.

"Hey!"

Rinoa knew the voice before she seemingly even heard it. Selphie! It felt like forever since she had seen her great friend. Rinoa stood and looked out ahead to the silhouetted figure of Selphie standing at the village's edge, waving up to her. It seemed so long! With a sudden jerk, Rinoa was running full throttle down the hill toward a life she never knew she loved so much.

"Selphie!" she called waving her arms as she came closer and closer. The spicy aroma swirled around her as she leaped down the hill. "Selphie!" she wanted to just scoop her friend into her arms. Why did it feel a century since she had last seen her? Everything was so distant…

Rinoa slowed as she neared the village and her companion. Something was off; a part of the girl not five yards away felt warped. The houses behind her twisted and bent in the wind like trees on a gusty day. "Selphie?" Rinoa couldn't depict the details the girl's face. "What's happening?" the musky fragrance only helped to turn her stomach upside down. Selphie looked up to Rinoa's frightened brown eyes. She opened her mouth, but only a fumbled mixture of foreign words came out. The language was quick and blurred, harsh on the accents but otherwise just a mesh of words.

Everything began to fade…

Rinoa found herself back in the forest her and Squall had been traveling in. She gasped sharply as her knees buckled and she became sick on the foliage around her. The village, her friend, everything but that pungent odor, had dispersed to nothing. She looked up to find herself at the edge of another clearing; this one leading down a steep hill into what she could tell was a wide meadow or plain. Just before the horizon an orange light glittered from the blaze of an angry fire. Shadowy figures stood or sat around it in arranged, symmetrical positions. Just before Rinoa stood a tall man, though it was hard to make his features clear. With the starlight now visible, she could detect trees and other objects around her, but this man held on to his shadow just as if he was still hidden within the dense trees.

He simply stood straight and tall, waiting for the girl to look at him. When she did he could see firm resolution behind her frightened eyes. He smiled, but doubted she could see anyway. He spoke a few words, but they appeared unheeded by her. Either she couldn't understand or she was just tired and still slightly drugged. Indeed she had followed him through the greater part of the night, but the strength was not natural. If rest was to be hers, then she would follow.

Rinoa watched with nervous tension as the man spoke more slurred words to her. She hoped her blank expression would give him the idea. If the choice was hers, then she would have already bolted back into the safe haven of the forest darkness. The man motioned with his hand to follow him, flicking his fingers at her and pointing to the camp in the distance. When she did not react, he came up to her and gently grabbed her arm, tugging lightly.

The touch on her flesh sent Rinoa's spirit into a frenzy. Her body flew with a speed she had not known she possessed as she was back, deep within the forest again. She ran and ran. Her breath was chocked with fear and exhaustion. Her legs and arms were tinted red from the many tiny cuts she had gotten running through the brush without consciousness.

It seemed forever that she ran without stop or second thought. The pace never slowed until she felt her lungs would burst from her chest. Her legs carried her only a matter of steps after that before they gave out beneath her as would a lame horse. The fall was hard, thrusting her into stickers and stones alike. She stayed there long moments, listening for the sound of bushes moving, but she heard nothing. Slowly, everything fell away and Rinoa went into a much-needed sleep.

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It was only in the matter of hours before Rinoa woke again, but the sun was already beginning to rise. Her body felt numb and deprived of everything that seemed essential. Her eyes opened groggily, searching for anything that made some sort of sense. When she heard steps through the dead leaves, all the memories from hours before came rushing back. She tried to jump to her feet, but strong hands held onto her shoulders to prevent her escape. Her limbs lashed out as she shrieked in terror.

"Calm the hell down!" Squall yelled right at her. The girl chocked a sudden sob and covered her face with her hands. Squall noticed how filthy and bloody her exposed flesh was. "Where were you?" his voice was still harsh. Rinoa drew one hand down to her mouth, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't see him clearly, but she was almost glad to see his familiar scowl. In fact she welcomed it with utmost mirth. She took his jacket into a vice grip and buried her face into the rough material.

Squall's frown deepened and tolerated only a moment of her relief before prying her off of him, but her grip remained strong. He furrowed his brows and looked into her tear-stained face. "What happened?" he tried to contain his frustration and give an impression of concern.

Rinoa shook her head and swallowed hard. "I'm n-not sure. Last night there was s-something in the bushes, so I thought I should go see what it was," her words stumbled over themselves. She took note of Squall's raised brow and skeptical look. "So I followed it until something… I'm not sure what… but I smelled these spices and I followed that until I didn't even know where I was going anymore…" she hesitated and only continued when Squall nodded his head in encouragement. He slowly tried to remove her hands as she talked, but she only seemed to inch closer the deeper her story got, "I was home again! Going down the old beaten trade path when I saw Selphie! I ran and ran until I got to the bottom of the hill but it wasn't her it was really this tall and scary guy who tried to talk to me but I don't know what he was saying he was like a demon or something because he spelled like those spices that I smelled the last few days and in my dreams! And he tried to get me to go to this awful camp with all these other scary people just like him but I fled when he tried to take me with him so I ran until I think me leg got stuck and I just fell and went unconscious or something!" she became frantic and tears formed in her eyes again. "I thought I was going to die!" She studied Squall's face for any signs of concern or understanding, but he just blinked slowly and grumbled beneath his breath. "Don't you even care?" Rinoa shook his jacket.

"Of course I care! But not about what you're going through," Squall rubbed his index finger and thumb to the inner corners of both eyes. "Those 'demons' or whatever you thought they were, are what we're looking for." Rinoa's expression emptied and her face went pale. "They're native here, use natural sources for medicines and such. We're looking for them to point us in the right direction and use one of their boats. Knowing you, though, they're probably all scared off now."

"…What?" was all Rinoa could manage.

"Which way did you run from?"

"There," Rinoa finally released his jacket and pointed over his shoulder into a thicket of bushes that were broken and bent from her passing. "You mean to tell me that we're going back there? After that guy tried to kill me?"

"Yes… and no, he didn't try to kill you. He probably would have offered his homage, but your genius screwed you out of that one."

"You know them, don't you?"

Squall turned and began pushing his way through the foliage where Rinoa had pointed. "You could say that. Are you coming with me or waiting for another escort?" He caught her snort as she timidly ran to catch up.

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It was about midday before Rinoa and Squall reached the clearing. Rinoa recognized where they were standing and gestured to a small band of people milling about on the horizon. "But the guy was right here," she said.

Both jumped visibly when a voice spoke from behind them. It was the man from the previous night. The girl remembered the odd language of swirled words, but Squall seemed to comprehend what the man was saying. To Rinoa astonishment, Squall replied in the same language, though choppy and slightly uneven. The man grinned broadly, his sharp white teeth glistening as bright as his eyes.

"Is this the guy you followed last night?" Squall turned to Rinoa. She nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure. "He says you run like a headless chicken," the corners of Squall's lips twitched.

"Thanks, tell him I'm surprised he knows what a chicken is…"

Squall turned back to the tall man, said a few words and both started to laugh knowingly. Rinoa fumed inside, but wasn't about to confront this man on it. He was very much taller than her and stood at least four inches above Squall. He wore only a skirt-like hide that came right above his knees. His skin was dark and copper. His long hair was pulled into a high ponytail and decorated with a bound knot of beads and feathers. He had sharp features, very much like Squall's, but his eyes were softer and by far friendlier. When he smiled it was smug and brazen, inviting a blithe duel of wits. His dark eyes were bright and observant, shining mischievously when he looked to Rinoa. She frowned under his teasing gaze.

"C'mon, we're going to make camp with them for a night," Squall motioned to the people in the distance.

"Fine, but is Sneaking Bear going to lead us, or wait for the next unknowing victims?"

"No, he will show us the way. It has been a while since I've visited these people, but they have their ways of knowing who comes into their forest."

"Ermm…." Rinoa uncomfortably followed the two men who now were fully immersed in conversation.

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The smell of spices and herbs was strong when they reached the band of slowly moving men. They were all tall and dark like the one Rinoa had already seen, but they seemed less imposing or socially aggressive. They eyed her more than they did Squall when they reached their proximities. Some whispered to another, while others shifted nervously. The man leading Squall and Rinoa spoke a few ugly words to the group and they turned back to their task at hand. Squall looked back to Rinoa and said, "Women aren't usually present during the transition ritual, but they finished last night and aren't too worried about what you may witness."

"Oh…"

"And this is Mingan," Squall nodded in the direction of their guide. Mingan looked over to her with a taunting grin. He addressed all the men and pointed to Rinoa, stating clearly for everyone to hear her name, "Keegsquaw!" There was a short pause before all the men chortled in response.

"What?"

"Keegsquaw."

"What's that mean?"

"To them, it's your name."

"Wait, what? What about you?"
"I've already been named since the last time I was here."

"What was it?"

"Megedagik," Squall grumbled, tired of her questioning. Rinoa caught the message and decided it better to leave the subject alone. She trudged slowly along behind everyone as they made their way across the meadow and into a coastal forest.

The second day of travel with the tribe was less tense as she became more familiar with the group members. There were about ten altogether and each was as curious about her as she was nervous about them. They all came up to her at least once during the travel and tried at a conversation. Others shared scraps of fresher meat or small sweet-tasting vegetables, watching for her pleasant smile as she bit into the forgotten texture. One of the men actually came to her and began explaining something pertaining to the ritual, showing her the contents of the leather sack he held just like all the others had tied to their waistbands. Rinoa saw nothing much of interest in them, except she was hit with the now-gagging stench of herbs when he first opened the bag. Mingan had given this man a disapproving look, but didn't say anything to him. Rinoa didn't quite understand the whole situation, but she did understand the need to respect and cooperate with these people at all costs. If it meant a warm bed and normal food, she might have even killed some people.

It was evening when the group came in site of a small, native village. Huts were arranged systematically, though some were larger and more ornate. It was one of these that Rinoa and Squall were led to. Inside, the domed walls appeared to rise far higher than what they were on the outside. The floor was nothing but swept dirt and there were little objects besides a blanket or basket here and there. People, men and women alike, milled in and out of this building, setting up mats or carrying the occasional water pot. Each smiled politely to Squall but gave Rinoa a questioning glance. Rinoa was kind enough to smile back, but she adverted her eyes from most of the rude stares.

Mingan spoke little words since the second day until now. He turned to Squall and offered him a clay cup of water, which the commander took gratefully. The same was offered to his white-woman follower with the same response. He then left hastily, biting words to the women filling pitchers in the back. They quickly rose and followed Mingan out the doorway with one last glance at Rinoa.

"What's all this about?" asked Rinoa.

"Quiet," Squall snapped at her. In the doorway stood a woman in her middle years. She wore only the same skirt-like cloth as did the men, but possessed many ornaments around her neck and in her long, braided hair. She approached the two with a look of authority, yet gentleness.

"Megedagik," she smiled and inclined her head toward Squall. He did not reply until she gave Rinoa a questioning look. "Keegsquaw," he said helpfully.

"Keegsquaw!" she laughed and touched Rinoa on the shoulder with a weathered palm. "I'm glad to see you again Megedagik, for it has been too long to say. Tell me, where is it you run to now?"

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AHAHAHA! Do you feel the insanity! If you don't, go get some help. Here's a few translations:

Mingan: grey wolf

Keegsquaw: woman who is virgin

Megedagik: one who kills much