Disclaimer: I don't own CCS
A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews! Ermz.. someone asked me why was Sakura so smart… Well… I guess that although they don't go to school, but as you know, Sakura and Tomoyo grew up in the inn, so they learn bits of this and bits of that by interacting with the customers. (Especially for Tomoyo, she has a much broader range of knowledge than Sakura (who stays in the kitchen most of the time), as she often engage in conversations with the guests.) All kinds of people pass by the inn after all! Of course, Sonomi also has a part in their upbringing and education. Well, I hope that answer your question…
Now back to the story! As the ancient saying goes… one would only realize the true importance (or the true un-importance) of something after they have lost it…
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A week later, Tomoyo was out in the hills at the back of the inn, trying to find some fresh herbs to sell to the medicine shop in town for some extra money. Hmm… this looks like the herb that they want… dark green leaves with parallel veins, pale yellow flowers… and grows to a height of about half a metre… Bending down to get a closer look at the plant, Tomoyo suddenly realized that there were a few dark red spots on it. I don't remember that the herb is supposed have weird red spots on its leaves?
Turning her head, Tomoyo suddenly realized that the nearby plants are all spotted with the same reddish spots, forming a trail. The cold fingers of dread suddenly grasped her heart as Tomoyo gained sudden recognition of the dark, red substance. Blood… Tomoyo hurriedly rushed forward, following the trail, the sense of dread thickening as she neared the source of it all.
Finally, after much stumbling on her feet and a few cuts from the sharp knee height grass, Tomoyo reached a motionless body, lying in a field of flowers, colouring the pale pink and white flowers around him a bloody-red.
Trembling slightly at the sight before her, Tomoyo approached the body from its back and knelt down beside him. There're so many wounds on him… and his hand… it looks like its fractured… and the blood loss… oh my gosh…She put her shaky fingers to his neck to feel his pulse, her heart thumping loudly in her ears, fearing for the worst.
He's still alive…
Tomoyo let out a shaky breathe that she didn't realize that she was holding. Standing up, she walked to the other side of the man, hoping to see who the man was. Finally kneeling down by his face, covered by his bangs, Tomoyo gently brushed her finger lightly to remove the hair from the man's face.
No… It can't be…
E-Eriol…
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Someone's touching me… Soft…
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There's a light flowery scent…
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Water… I need water…
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Ehh… my head hurts…
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Where am I… too bright… I can't see…
Finally forcing open his eyelids which feel like dead weight to him, Eriol made out a blurry image of his surroundings. My glasses… He did not know where he was, but he knew that he was at least safe. Something about the light flowery scent lingering in the air somewhat calmed him to the foreign surroundings.
Pushing his weight onto one side, Eriol tried to stand up, only to feel an excruciating pain shot up in his left arm.
"Argh…" he groaned as he fell back onto the bed.
By this time, a hand pushed the door of his room lightly open. And a woman stepped in carrying a tray.
"You're awake!" she exclaimed. However as she saw his attempt to push himself up she hurriedly dropped the tray at the table to help him up without exerting any force on his arm. "Don't exert your arm, it's just barely recovered."
As the woman came closer, Eriol finally made out her features, his eyes widening in surprise. "S-Sonomi-san!"
"Ah… Eriol-san, I see that you recognize me. You've being asleep for 3 whole days now." Sonomi inquired.
"I can't believe that you saved me… again…" Eriol said, shaking his head in defeat. "Thank you, I own you my life."
"Oh no! Don't thank me so fast. It is not me who saved you, but my daughter. You should have seen her, refusing to leave your bedside except to prepare the medicine. It is only a few hours ago that I finally got her to go rest for awhile." Sonomi said, thinking back to three days ago when Tomoyo brought back an unconscious man dripping in blood.
"Mum! Mum! Help me out here!" Sonomi heard while preparing lunch in the kitchens. Worrying that her daughter is injured in any way, she quickly put down her work at hand and rushed outside the inn. To her horror, she saw Tomoyo's clothes stained with blood.
"Oh my god… Tomoyo, what happened?" Sonomi worriedly rushed over to check her daughter for the source of her injuries.
"N-No… Not me… Him!" Tomoyo tried to explain while pointing to a man propped up on a nearby tree.
Following her fingers with her gaze, Sonomi found a man, obviously already fainted from the loss of blood, covered in wounds all over his body. Upon closer inspection, she gasped at the face of the man.
Frowning at her train of thoughts, Sonomi asked a question that she had on her mind ever since that day, "W-What happened to you?"
Eriol looked into Sonomi's determined eyes, after contemplating for awhile, he said in a serious tone, "I do not wish to startle you by this, but I was ambushed on my way back to town by assassins. And I'm afraid that they are still looking for me at this point of time. Although I would love to repay your kindness in nursing me for the past few days, but I cannot stay."
"I see, but you are in no condition to travel back like this…"
"There is no time. I do not wish to put any of you in danger because of me. I must get back to the Li mansion as quickly as possible."
"I-"
"Please… take this as a last request from me. And I will pay you back for the trouble that I've caused this few days."
"I'm sorry, but I cannot oblige. You may not even to make it back to town in your condition now."
"……" I cannot stay…but it's no good arguing here either… I'm sorry, but I have to leave…
"I see… I will rest for another few days then." Eriol finally said after a long pause. However, in his mind, he had already decided on leaving. If I can't leave openly, then the least I could do is to leave quietly. Sorry… but this is something I must do…
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Finally awakening from her slumber, Tomoyo awoke with a startle in the middle of the night. S-Something is wrong…
A deep sense of foreboding ran deep in her veins. Rushing out of the room, she put on her slippers and ran over to the room Eriol is currently residing in. Opening the door, Tomoyo felt a sudden wave of dejectedness looking at the empty room and few lone silver ingots lying on the table.
He left… without even saying farewell…
Holding the ingots in her hand, Tomoyo blushed as she thought back to the well-mannered and handsome young man who had first arrived to the inn in the heavy downpour, and the delicate care she gave him in the last few days.
Taking a basin of water, Tomoyo started cleaning his wounds. The sight was gruesome as much of his previously smooth skin was now marred by cuts here and there. There is a extremely deep wound on his left arm.
"The doctor will not be here in at least an hour's time," Tomoyo thought, "The least I could do now is to clean his wounds to prevent any infection."
Soaking the towel in her hand with warm water, Tomoyo started to dap it at the clotted blood on his body.
"Please, be well."
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A/N: Sorry that this is a really short chapter… I thought that I wanted to upload this by Christmas… but it seems that I'm a bit late here… Oh well… nvm…
But I still wanna wish everyone a
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
