Chapter Twelve: Apprehension

They started pounding on each other, rolling on the ground and almost knocking over the half-full cauldron, shouting ridiculous insults at each other.

"I'm trying to save your life, you pig!"

"I don't need to be saved, you big chicken!"

"Yes you do!"

"No I don't!"

Haru couldn't take it anymore. She scrambled out of her hiding spot, and waved her green arms frantically. "Please don't hurt Muta!" she cried out. "I'll leave if I need to, but don't hurt him!"

Toto looked over at her, and his mouth dropped open, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Muta sighed. "Haru, we fight all the time like this. You shouldn't have come out."

She shook her head stubbornly, tears falling down her face again. "I can't stay if it means you have to beat up your best friend. I'll go away."

"No!" Muta scrambled to his feet, and embraced the girl again. "Please, stay. You won't have a chance if you go out there all alone."

Toto kept staring at the green girl, his mouth still hanging open.

Muta looked behind him, and smiled grimly. "You see whose daughter she is, don't you?"

The raven-haired archer nodded numbly. "The resemblance is unmistakable." He slammed one fist into the solid floor as he got back to his feet. "He's organizing a hunt for his own daughter?!"

"I'm not that shocked," Muta growled, setting the girl on his bed before kissing her brow gently. "After all, he sold her to the circus, didn't he?"

"He didn't sell me," Haru said quietly, looking at her little green feet. "If you're talking about my father, he gave Mr. Hatachi a huge bag of gold to take me away, and keep me out of sight when we're in this area, because he doesn't want anyone to know about me."

Toto stared at her in amazement, as did Muta, but then the archer walked over to grab her hands. She jerked uncomfortably, but Toto didn't notice.

"Did you use magic to maim the fifteen men?" he asked sternly.

She cocked her head at him. "Magic?"

xxXxx

"Are you any good?" Haru asked him, her interest peaked. Baron blinked at her, a little confused. She sighed.

"When you aren't struck dumb, can you fight well?" she asked, a trace of irritation present in her tone.

He blinked, and willed some moisture to return to his mouth. "I haven't lost a battle in five years, if that's what you mean."

She smiled a bit, but he knew it wasn't her true smile. "That's wonderful. What is the price you want for your services?"

"P-price?" he asked as Muta came up behind his daughter, his gaze a little disapproving for the newbie as he placed one meaty hand on his daughter's slim shoulder.

"He had a friend that he wanted you to locate for him, isn't that right, Baron?"

The young teacher's eyes widened a bit, since the request was now useless, but Haru laughed a little.

"I can do that, my lord."

"Eh?" Muta asked her as Baron struggled to think of a plan.

"A baron is a lower-ranking lord, Father. Lune told me that, when I visited him the first time. Is that your name or your rank, Baron?"

He gulped a bit. "It's actually a pet name a good friend of mine gave me a few years ago, and I'm quite fond of it."

Haru tilted her head a bit, and smiled that same guarded smile. It almost hurt him, to see her smile like that.

Like it wasn't safe to show her true smile.

"I see… it suits you. Well, in order for me to locate your friend, I'll need you to bring his or her face to your mind. Try to remember as many details as you can about this friend."

'Remember…' He suddenly came upon an idea, and jumped on it. He called another face to his mind, one entirely different than the one he had originally wanted. He made sure to put in as many details as he could remember. She had eyes the color of purest sapphires, and her hair, although as dark as his was now, had a bluish sheen to it. Her face was calm, and pale.

It was a face of comfort.

Haru tapped his forehead twice with one finger, her eyes turning white. Her eyes narrowed a bit in concentration. "She's lovely," the scarred witch commented, withdrawing her green hand. "Is she your sweetheart?"

"Oh no," Baron laughed. "She's my cousin, practically my sister. She disappeared some years ago, and my travels led me here. If you could find her, I would be most grateful."

She smiled a bit, and bowed politely before walking away. "We'll see after I take a nap. That flight was exhausting."

"But you enjoyed every moment of it," her best friend said in an accusatory manner, making the green woman laugh as she entered the castle.

"Of course. Nothing can compare with flying."

After the sturdy door closed behind her, Muta turned to his young teacher, his gaze disapproving as those blue eyes continued to gaze at the witch's exit point.

"I thought I said not to stare at Haru," he scolded roughly. "That always puts her on guard."

Baron knocked himself once on the chest, to help him focus. "My apologies. I guess I was caught off-guard after all."

Toto scoffed a bit. "What were you expecting? Something besides a green witch?"

"Not precisely," Baron said, wondering how he could possibly explain his strange behavior, when he was usually calmer than anyone. He smiled a bit, and headed back for the training field. "I guess I was just expecting someone a little older, to have such an impressive reputation."

Muta had to laugh at that. "She was practically born with a big reputation. But please don't stare at her like that again, Baron. She hates that, as you could see for yourself."

Baron had to sharply restrain himself from reaching up to tip his hat, since he hadn't worn it once since his trip by tornado. "I'll be certain to restrain myself in the future."

Muta watched him return to the field, something nagging at him. 'I thought he said he was looking for a friend.'