Hullo. I'm sorry about the six month wait.

But here's the next chapter

P.S. General Nasuku is in my profile =DDD

And on with the story.

He cursed everyone.

He cursed Moichuri for denying him. He cursed Gshiro for interrupting them. He cursed the general for whatever trouble he had caused. And he cursed Kirkra for not being able to take care of it.

It just didn't seem that it could get much worse.

But it did.

Nata pressed on through the cold, his hair whipping about his face. The storm had finally passed, but the nearby mountains seemed to direct any wind in their direction, making it feel like another storm.

Nata turned and gazed upon the tall mountain slopes, ominous in the darkness, barely lit by the moon. Soon, they would pass through those mountains and near the Northern palace. It would be theirs shortly.

A soldier suddenly called out to him from the opening of a tent, his voice almost completely muffled by the wind. He motioned his general over with his hand frantically.

Nata frowned in question, but moved to the tent anyway, about to ask what was the matter. When he reached the tent though, the soldier quickly pulled open the flap and Nata saw the chaos inside. Several men rushed through the tent, carrying soiled cloths and bowls red with blood. The old medic, a bear demon, knelt over someone. Several crude lamps lit the tent with a dreary yellow light, throwing shadows over faces and giving the small space a very unwelcome feeling.

Nata felt his heart drop. Something was wrong. He instantly stepped inside. "What is this?" He asked softly.

Everyone in the tent stopped and it suddenly became very quiet. No one answered him. They seemed afraid.

But a weak voice called out to him, almost too quiet to hear. "Nata?"

There were very few who would address him so informally, and he knew this one better than any other. He rushed forward, pushing the medic out of the way as he knelt beside her, grabbing the hand that she held up for him. "I'm here, Kirkra."

In that moment, all loathing he had recently developed for her disappeared. It didn't matter then that she was Mugen's lover, or anyone else's. It didn't matter that she had a quick tongue and disobeyed him regularly. It didn't matter that sometimes she did the dumbest things.

It didn't matter.

She was alive. That was what mattered.

Her hair had been freed of its braids and was a mess about her head. He touched it gently with his fingers. Silk. He missed its touch so terribly. It must have shown in his eyes for she smiled softly at him, remembering the tenderness and playfulness they had once shown each other. His eyes remained on hers for another short moment, sharing memories, then they moved over her, taking in her injuries. Her uniform top was around her waist, still tucked into her pants, but off of her abdomen which was now wrapped in clean bandages. Her chest was exposed, which he couldn't blame the medic for; modesty was not something taken into account when seeing to a patient in such a serious condition. He shrugged off his coat and laid it over her, which she seemed grateful for.

His eyes returned to her face where a bandage was wrapped around her forehead and over one eye; blood had soaked through there. Her eye had been injured.

"What happened?" He asked, emotion hardening his voice as he looked over his shoulder at the medic, his hand squeezing Kirkra's.

The medic shook his head. He hadn't been told. He'd treated her without hesitation. The knowledge of how her wounds had come about had not been important enough for pause.

Nata turned to the nearest soldier. The demon lowered his eyes under his general's gaze, not wishing to answer. He feared his general's reaction. But after his general cleared his throat, the soldier replied very softly, his words slow, "Sir, the captive—the general—he attacked her."

"Nasuku?" Nata asked quickly, his voice growing louder, turning angry. "He did this?"

The soldier swallowed and nodded. "When she entered to see to him, he attacked her. We don't know what caused him to become so enraged, but by the time we arrived to help her, the damage had already been done." He bowed low, pressing his shaking hands into his hips to hide them. "I apologize, General, but we did all that we could." Nata's eyes remained fixed on the soldier for a moment longer, furious.

Then Nata turned back to Kirkra, his eyes softer, and leaned close to her, whispering that he would be back, squeezing her hand again. She closed her eyes and nodded. He stood and moved away so the medic could reclaim his spot by her side.

Nata's eyes found the soldier's once again, hard, angry. "Where is the bastard?"

It was his fault. This was all his fault.

The boy had tried to save his life. And now, the boy was dead.

Another fit of anger ran through his body, and he jerked forward hard, his wrists and shoulders burning from the robe that bound him against the support. The guards around him jumped at the sudden movement, knowing his anger and strength.

Nasuku cursed aloud.

It came out as an unintelligible growl.

Haku had risked everything to release him. He had thrown himself into the rebel army, exposing his identity and killing an officer and many soldiers to save the general he respected. And how had he been repaid?

Nasuku lowered his eyes and sighed, going limp against his restraints. Haku had tried to save his sorry ass and how had he repaid the kid? By dragging his feet through the forest, feeling sorry for himself. When the rebel soldiers had found him, he hadn't put up a fight or even let out a single protest. And now, the boy was dead.

How stupid he had been!

Another growl.

And what of Keema? Nasuku had heard no word of her. Had she been killed along with Haku? Was she a prisoner as well? Had they found out her identity? He worried for her. She had no training to be a spy, and hardly any training in combat at all. How was she getting by?

If something happened to Keema, Reeka would be—!

Reeka. His mate.

The recent events rushed his mind all at once for the hundredth time that night.

Damn her!

If she wanted the cat, then she could damn-well have him! Their bond was weak enough for Yugi to override. If that's what they wanted, then good for them! Hope the kids love 'im!

But he was done sulking and moping. Now, he was bitter, angry at himself and her.

His heart had been hardened. His energy pulsed.

Once, he had been feared among armies for his skill and his hard eyes during battle. But since mating the Lord's daughter, he'd been labeled soft, giving in to love, and now, he realized just how right that label was. His love for Reeka had softened him, relaxed him.

No longer.

He was the famous General Nasuku whose army struck fear into the strongest of armies.

And he was about to remind the world of that.

The tent flap was thrown open and before Nasuku could even raise his head to gaze at his new company, a fist found his gut and he slumped over, gasping for air.

"You bastard!" Nata shouted, bringing his elbow down on Nasuku's spine with such forced the western general was forced to his knees. A knee found his nose and his head was slammed back into the support, blood running down over his lips to the floor.

Nata took a step back, panting with anger. "Damn you!" He growled as he grabbed Nasuku's shirt and brought his face up to his. "You'll pay for what you've done."

Nasuku spat in his face, blood joining saliva in Nata's eye, causing the rebel general to move back to wipe it away. "Beating a bound man once again, Nata?" Nasuku chuckled darkly, leaning forward. "Why not cut me loose? Then we'll see who's going to pay!" Nasuku rushed forward, his binds creaking under the strain, the support let out a loud groan. He struggled against his restraints. He wanted blood.

Nata growled, hand going to his hip. His eyes flashed when he realized that his sword was locked away in his chest. His eyes landed on his soldier's hip. He extended his hand, "Give your sword here." He commanded. The young soldier did so without hesitation.

Nasuku let out a crazed laugh. "You are going to kill me?" He demanded then he chuckled darkly. "You coward."

Nata turned quickly to Nasuku, bringing the sword up. Their eyes locked as the weapon cut through the rope holding Nasuku against the support, both knowing what was coming. The binds slumped to the ground in a pile. The western general took a step forward, rolling his shoulders to loosen the muscles, his eyes still on Nata's, his face dark, a smile in place.

Throwing the sword aside, Nata widened his stance, hands out in front of him. He extended one out toward Nasuku, palm up and raised two fingers. With a quick flick upward of his wrist, he began the battle.

Nasuku launched himself at the rebel general and knocked him on his back. With his momentum, Nata flipped Nasuku over himself and out of the tent. Nata quickly jumped to his feet, following Nasuku into the open.

The western general was on his feet, waiting. Nata let out a yell as he ran forward, clawed hand raised. When the owl reached him, Nasuku dropped to the ground and slammed his heel into the front Nata's knee. There was a crack, and he crumpled to the ground, grabbing at his injured leg.

Pushing to his feet coolly, Nasuku moved to stand over Nata's pained face.

"You learned nothing in my service." He said slowly, then, hearing whispers, turned his head away to scan those soldiers standing around, unsure of what they should do. When they found his gaze on them, they took several steps back. One ran. "Great soldiers, Nata. Very brave men." Nasuku spat, crossing his arms and beginning to step away.

A clawed hand found his thigh and Nasuku cried out, grabbing the wrist. Blood began running down his leg into his boot. Nata pulled his hand down quickly, extending the deep cuts, determined to do damage. Nasuku flung his hand away, then stepped back, limping. He pressed a hand to his thigh, blood seeping between his fingers. This wasn't good.

"You're rusty, General." Nata said as he pushed himself to his feet, careful not to put any weight on his injured leg. He straightened as much as he could, hand on his hip, looking down on Nasuku's hunched form. "You've been gone a long time. Good to see that you are yourself again. I almost missed you." With his free hand, he brushed back the hair that had fallen over his shoulder in the fall. "But still, even after all of your big talk, you are the one nursing your wounds like a child."

Nasuku launched himself at the owl, taking him to ground, ignoring the pain in his leg. Nata cried out as Nasuku's larger form landed on his injured, perhaps broken, knee. The western general's hands found Nata's neck and pushed him hard to the ground, choking him. Nata lashed out desperately with his claws, catching Nasuku across the cheek and across his eye. Nasuku didn't flinch.

"Enough!"

A strong hand settled over Nasuku's shoulder and pulled him to his feet. Nata pushed himself up on an elbow to look at the man, then collapsed in the snow, taking deep breaths, relieved. "Thank you, Gshiro." He said, pressing the back of a hand to his forehead, panting.

Nasuku jerked his shoulder out of the demon's grip and took an unsteady step back to look at him. He wasn't a tall demon, but he was not by any means short. Lean muscles. He wore a black porcelain mask that covered his face from the nose up to his dark hairline. His dark green eyes watched Nasuku closely, not threatening, observing.

Nasuku recalled his last encounter with Keema. This was Gshiro, the kinder of the two brothers according to her. His skin was tan, and he resembled a cat of some type, just like she'd said.

As Nasuku looked him over, he realized something. He did hold a resemblance to Yugi. Keema had been right.

"General Nata, I will take care of the captive." Gshiro said, motioning over several soldiers and commanding them to help Nata back to the medic's tent to have his knee looked at.

Nata glared at Nasuku as his soldiers grabbed his shoulders and lifted him up. He hissed in pain, his eyes falling closed as his knee was moved. "Damn you, Nasuku." He growled. "You'll pay for this. You'll die for this!"

Nasuku watched him limp away, cursing with every step, shouting. "We'll see." The western general whispered under his breath as he awkwardly turned to Gshiro, trying to keep his weight on one leg. He wiped the blood from his brow as he glared at the spy. Before he could spit a comment, Gshiro spoke.

"Come, General, I'll see to your wounds." He turned on his heels and began to move back to the tent Nasuku was kept in, not offering any help. Nasuku glared at his back as he limped after him.

He was furious with himself. He'd finally been able to get at Nata and all he'd left him with were some bruises across his throat and a broken knee. Those injuries would not debilitate him for long. He would walk with a limp for a while, perhaps making him an easier target should the armies meet before it healed, but it was not as serious as Nasuku would have hoped.

When Nasuku finally made it to the entrance of his tent, Gshiro held the tent flap open for him to enter. He did not thank him as he passed, walking as proudly as he could, trying to disguise his limp. Gshiro followed him in.

"General Nasuku, I must ask you not start any more fights with my general." Gshiro said softly as he found the bandages Kirkra kept in the tent for when she saw to his wounds. He turned his back to Nasuku as he began unrolling a spool. "You must wait."

Nasuku frowned, crossing his arms. "What are you talking about?"

Gshiro looked at him over his shoulder. "Your army is coming, General." He replied, his voice low. "I've told them the way."

Nasuku's eyes widened and panic filled him. "Why?" His arms fell from their crossed position. "Why would you lead them here?" He demanded, taking a threatening step forward. "You bastard! You're leading them into a trap, aren't you?"

Gshiro's temper got the best of him, and he turned on the general. "I'm trying to help you!" He hissed, his voice still low to not be heard outside. "So I would suggest you hold your tongue."

The western general fell silent, examining the masked man before him. "Help me?" He asked slowly then rage took his face. "I'm here because of you!" He shouted. "I don't want anymore of your help."

Gshiro's dark eyes met Nasuku's, their energies clashing in the small tent. "Have it your way, Nasuku." The spy said, furious. He left the bandages and exited the tent, telling the guards outside to bind Nasuku to the support again. They quickly moved inside, and he heard Nasuku's angry shouts as he struggled.

With a sigh, Gshiro removed his dark mask and secured it to his hip. He ran a hand over his face, troubled as he made his way to exit the campsite.

"My Lord!" Someone called after him. He turned as a soldier approached him. "The general wishes to see you." He said quickly.

He frowned. What did he have to do with any of this? "What does he want?"

The soldier shifted on his feet and grinned. "Nasuku's execution."

Gshiro nodded and followed the soldier, cursing to himself. He'd known this would happen.

My father still had not arrived.

I continued to pace his study, arms behind my back, almost frantic now. It'd been many hours since we'd arrived, and still, my father had not returned to the palace.

With a sigh, I sat on a cushion around the long table. I buried my face in my arms, worry continuing to harass me.

I was alone now. Yugi had long before taken Kieko to bed and retired himself. He'd begged me to get some rest, but I'd told him that I could not. It was the truth. I could not sleep knowing my cover was blown and wondering how that would affect Nasuku.

The study doors were thrown up and a flustered looking soldier rushed in. "Lord Sesshomaru?" He asked, but when he found me there, he bowed. "My Lady, where is Lord Sesshomaru and Captain Rook?"

I stood, grateful that I no longer wore my uniform. "My father is not home at the moment," I replied, "and the captain is resting. I will retrieve him." The soldier nodded. "What's going on?" I finally asked as he bowed and thanked me.

The soldier straightened, his eyes excited. "We've found Nata's campsite. We're moving in to confront them tomorrow."

My heart did a skip. We'd found them.

"I'll wake the other officers."

We were going to rescue Nasuku.

"Go wait in the dining hall, I'll bring them there."

The soldier nodded and did as he was told.

The moment his footsteps faded, I ran from the study. I moved through the halls quickly, making my way to the spare rooms. I found the one Rook used and rushed in. I undressed frantically, throwing articles of clothing throughout the room. I pulled on my captain's uniform and snatched up my shoulder bag, tucking in my shirt as I left the room.

I first reached Yugi's room. I knocked then pulled my earrings from my pocket and began putting them in as I waited, hands shaking with excitement.

Yugi opened the door a moment later, his hair in a loose braid over his shoulder, his sleeping robe disheveled. "Reeka?" He whispered, his voice groggy. "What is it?" He leaned against the door frame for support as his eyes threatened to fall closed as he stood. "It's late."

Finishing my last earring, I reached out and patted both of his cheeks with my hands. "Well, wake up. We're leaving the palace."

His eyes instantly focused, sleep forgotten. "Why?" He asked quickly, standing tall. He was concerned. "What's going on?"

I smiled at him, a small laugh forming in my throat. "A soldier has arrived with news. They've found Nata's army!"

Yugi stared at me for a moment, shocked. "How?" He asked slowly.

I shook my head. "I don't know yet. We're all meeting in the dining hall." I said quickly, becoming annoyed with his questions. "Get dressed and bring your bag."

Turning, I continued down the hall to Hazari's room. I stopped suddenly when I spotted a blanket in the hall before his door. What?

I knelt and grabbed the blanket. It was Tarra's. My eyes widened.

"Hazari?" I asked quickly as I opened the door to his room, fearing what I would find.

Hazari was instantly in a sitting position on his bedroll, pulling Tarra protectively against his chest, the blanket falling to his waist. His eyes were furious for a quick moment, startled awake as his hand landed on the hilt of his sword behind him. Then he realized what was going on.

"Reeka?" He whispered, relaxing his grip on Tarra. He let out his breath with a short laugh. "You startled me with that uniform." When I continued to stare at him, shocked to silence, Hazari frowned. He released the still confused Tarra and stood, straightening his sleeping robe.

He moved to me. "Reeka."

"Hazari, it's one thing to accept her affection and return it." I whispered, my voice hard. "It's something very different when you take her to your room. Even if you did nothing, it could start rumors, and my brother would not be pleased to hear of this."

Hazari's eyebrows went up. "She came to me to protect her, Reeka. She was scared by the storm because it brought back memories of her abduction. Was I to turn her away?"

I frowned at him then my eyes moved to Tarra. She was upset that Hazari was in trouble. "I didn't mean to cause any harm." She said quickly. "Don't blame him, please. It's my fault."

My eyes met Hazari's again. "Even so, you shouldn't have shared a bed."

Hazari nodded. "It wasn't my intention to. I was by the door, but then-"

I sighed and held up my hand, silencing him. "It's alright, Hazari." I said, my voice calm. "No harm done." I smiled at him. "No one knows but me, and I won't tell a soul."

Realizing I was no longer angry, he smiled and nodded his head at me. "Now," he said as he moved back to help Tarra stand, "what has you throwing my door open this late?" Tarra protested as he lifted her to her feet, but he whispered something softly to her and she smiled and nodded.

When he turned back to me, leading Tarra to the door with a hand to the small of her back, I responded, "The army has found Nata's campsite. We're attacking tomorrow."

He instantly stopped and stared at me, eyes wide. "How?" I sighed. He was asking the same questions as Yugi.

"I'm not sure yet. We're meeting in the dining hall to discuss it." I handed Tarra her blanket. "Get dressed as quickly as possible and pack a shoulder bag. We're probably going to leave tonight."

Hazari nodded to me, and Tarra's face dropped when she realized he would be leaving her again. The poor girl.

I told Tarra goodnight and left to allow them privacy for the goodbyes.

As I approached the dining hall, a deep, monotone voice made its way into the hall from a small meeting room. Knowing the voice, I ran to the doors and threw them open. My father turned his head to me quickly, holding Mom against him. She had her eyes closed, relaxing into his chest. His armor rested against the table. He'd just arrived.

"Reeka." Father said and Mom opened her eyes to look at me, her eyes happy. She'd missed her mate. "You sent for me."

I nodded. "Father, something has happened." I paused, embarrassed. My identity leak had been my fault and it was a foolish mistake. Father would recognize that. I swallowed. "Father, Tarra stowed away in Hazari's bag and came with us to war. When we discovered her, we decided to bring her back to the palace, but on the way, she was captured by two rebel soldiers. In the rush of everything, I did not properly hide my identity when we rescued her. At least one of the soldiers knows who I am." His eyes did not change as he took in the information. I took a deep breath. "What should I do?"

Mom took a step away from my father to look at him, also awaiting a response. He did not speak for a moment, thinking. The room became very silent. Finally, he responded. "Do not concern yourself, Reeka. Keep your appearance as you are."

I frowned. "We're just to ignore it ever happened?"

My father nodded just slightly. "There are many factors. The information may not have reached Nata, and your army does not know."

I nodded, feeling more relieved now with my father's words. I bowed to him. "I bear other news too, Father. " A smile settled on my face. "They've found the exact location of Nata's campsite. We are confronting them tomorrow."

Mom clapped her hands together, her face bright. "That's wonderful, Reeka!" She came to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

I hugged her back and looked to my father. He'd turned to the window, looking out into the night. "Father?"

"Lord Sesshomaru."

I turned at the sound of Yugi's voice. He stood in the doorway, hand on the hilt of his sword. He did not wear a uniform, instead he wore a dark green shirt and black pants, his crest once again sewn into his shirt over his heart. His blond hair was pulled over one shoulder, bound loosely. A gold pendent hung from around his neck.

My father turned to him, acknowledging his presence. Yugi stepped into the room, his shoulders back, eyes serious. "I've a favor to ask, Lord Sesshomaru."

I frowned. This was a rare occurrence. Favors were not normally asked of my father.

My mom touched Yugi's arm gently, catching his attention. She smiled at him warmly. "Whatever you need, Lord Yugi." She told him, thinking it was a simple favor. He placed a hand over hers on his arm, smiling back.

"Thank you, my Lady." He moved his eyes back to my father. He was the one Yugi was asking the favor of, but he was polite to my mom. "Lord Sesshomaru, would you go to my palace in the North and help my guards there should Nata get away from us? If we fail to stop him at the pass tomorrow, he will lose us again and take the North."

Yugi stepped away from Mom, letting go of her arm. "I would ask you go with the army in my place so I could go to the North myself, but I could not reach the palace in the short time before a possible attack." He paused, examining my father's face. "I am also not as skilled for battle as you, Lord Sesshomaru, and the soldiers there would be in need of expert instruction."

There was a pause as my father pondered the idea. Yugi did not move, watching Father closely.

My father looked at Yugi. "I will go." He finally replied.

Yugi's face instantly lit up. "Thank you, Lord Sesshomaru." He bowed his head in thanks. Father nodded to him in reply.

Hazari stuck his head in the open doorway, having heard us. His uniform was on, his hair tied back, sword at his hip. "Lord Sesshomaru." He addressed my father with a slight bow. "It's good to see you."

My mom turned to Hazari and greeted him cheerfully, but the rest of us remained silent, our eyes on Hazari. He smelled heavily of Tarra. I wanted to laugh at my poor son. Without meaning to, he'd told everyone about his night.

Yugi cleared his throat to end the silence. "Well, Lord Sesshomaru, I do believe we should be leaving." He bowed slightly. "I thank you again for your help." He nodded to Mom, addressing her. "Lady Rin." She bobbed up and down, smiling.

Yugi turned to me and met my eyes before passing me, silently telling me to follow. Hazari caught it too and said goodbye to everyone as he exited. Once outside, I put a hand on Yugi's shoulder and turned him around to face me. I felt the fabric of his shirt then stepped back to look him over.

He gave me a weird look. "Is something the matter?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I've just never seen you in such clothes." I said as I touched the fabric at his wrist again. Like silk.

Hazari frowned. "But Yugi always wears clothes such as these whenever he visits."

"Whenever I met him, Hazari, he only wore common clothing." I replied. "Or a soldier's uniform."

Yugi smiled at me, his teeth white, and chuckled. "That was a long time ago, Reeka. A lot has changed since then." He crossed his arms. "As a lord, I have to dress respectively. At war, it does not matter, but speaking with another lord such as your father, I must dress like this." He chuckled again. "Not that I'm complaining. The fabric is very nice."

I stared at him for another moment. This man before me was not the same Yugi I'd known more than thirteen years ago. That young, naive prince had become a respected lord whom even my father seemed to enjoy the company of.

What did that mean?

Yugi touched my face gently with his fingertips. I met his concerned eyes. "Is there something on your mind?" He asked me, his dark eyes kind. Hazari excused himself when he realized what was going on and said he would meet us later in the dining hall.

I moved from Yugi's touch. "This is not the time, Yugi." I said as went to follow Hazari. "We should be leaving soon."

A hand around my upper arm stopped me. "A lot has happened recently, Reeka." He said softly, my back still to him. "It's good to take a break sometimes and talk to someone."

I glanced at him over my shoulder and relaxed in his hold. Realizing I wasn't going to leave, Yugi released my arm. I turned fully to him, examining his face. I remembered the first time I'd seen him, bruised and bloodied. He'd just been a boy then, a teenager. His face had since then filled in, matured, giving him a softer look. I couldn't help but admit he was handsome, very different from Nasuku's harder features.

With a warm smile, Yugi offered me his arm. I looked around us, uncomfortable. "I'm dressed as Rook. Someone could see." I whispered.

"Most in the palace know, and it will be amusing to the see the faces of those who don't." He replied, placing my arm through his and beginning to lead me away.

"What about Hazari and that soldier?" I asked, still protesting.

Yugi stopped and looked down at me. "We'll only be gone for a short while." He promised, smiling. "Come now."

He led me to my mother's garden. The storm from earlier in the night had passed, and now there was a thin sheet of white snow covering everything. Our boots crunched in the snow, the only sounds that could be heard.

I laughed softly when we came to Jengee. Large piles of snow surrounded his trunk. He'd always hated snow in his branches. Just as the memory surfaced, Jengee's branches began to quiver. I moved back quickly, dodging the falling snow, but Yugi was not so lucky.

He sputtered as the snow covered him. "Jengee!" He whispered sternly as he shook the snow from his shoulders.

Jengee's deep laugh reverberated in the ground as his face appeared on his trunk, a large grin in place on his wrinkled face. "I'm sorry, Lord Yugi. I didn't see you there!"

Yugi brushed the snow from the arms of his coat in mock anger. "Yeah, I'm sure." He said, humor evident in his voice. He straightened, smiling at the tree demon. "It's good to see you, Jengee. I'm sorry I didn't come by before. I didn't have the opportunity to visit before we left."

"That's alright, Friend." Jengee replied. He laughed deeply. "I've already taken my revenge."

I was slightly shocked by the familiarity between the two. The last time I'd seen them together, Jengee had interfered in a verbal fight between Nasuku and Yugi, using his branches to stop Yugi's retreat. The young prince had not been pleased with the tree demon's actions. It was odd now that they appeared to be such close friends.

As I watched him joke with the tree demon, I realized that Yugi had really improved his image in the Western palace. Now, even my brother, who had accused Yugi of attempting to rape me years seemed to like Yugi now.

Yugi pointed a finger at Jengee, giving him a weird look. "I knew you-!"

"Is that Reeka?" Jengee asked suddenly, his eyes falling on me.

A sigh left Yugi and then he laughed. "Yes, it is, but in uniform, her name is Rook. She's a captain in Lord Sesshomaru's army."

Jengee smiled. "Oh, I've heard of you, Rook." A branch brushed my ear, moving the gold hoops near the tip. "Quite the soldier."

I flushed at Jengee's praise and shook my head. "It was just instinct." I said quickly.

Jengee chuckled at me. "That's what they all say."

Before I could respond, a window overhead opened and Hazari stuck his head out, calling us inside. "We need to leave soon!" He called to us.

We both exchanged goodbyes with Jengee, promising to visit again, and went inside. Yugi changed into traveling clothes while I said goodbye to my daughter.

I shook Kieko gently, waking her from her dreams. She was barely conscious as I told her I was going back to the army. Nodding her head gently, she laid back down, her thumb in her mouth. I put my hand on her back as I kissed her cheek.

I promised her that Daddy would be with me the next time I returned to the palace. Her face broke out in a big smile as she began to drift back to sleep, saying 'Daddy' very softly to herself.

The sun began to rise. Morning had finally come and the campsite became a mess of running soldiers and baggage. The army was moving out.

"Come on!" Mushi shouted over the noise, encouraging his men. "We need to break down camp, now!" He ran to soldier struggling to lift a large bundle on his shoulder and came up underneath it, holding some of the weight on his own shoulder. They moved forward to the cart. "That's it." He said as they rolled it from their shoulders into the cart.

The soldier turned to look at Mushi and his eyes flashed with anger. He did not thank the Northern general as he walked past him to retrieve another bundle. Mushi frowned. "Is something the matter, soldier?" He asked, arms crossed as he watched his soldier dump another bundle into the cart.

"Oh, no, General." The soldier replied, his voice disrespectful as he passed him again. Then the soldier stopped suddenly and whipped back around, his eyes angry. He pointed an accusing finger at his general. "You don't deserve to wear that uniform, traitor."

Mushi's eyes widened. "What?" He asked, his voice soft.

The soldier turned quickly and stormed away. Mushi stood there, frowning at the soldier's back. What had that been about? He took a step forward to seize the man but a small voice came from behind him.

"General."

Mushi turned slowly to look at the younger demon who had spoken. The boy held out a rose. "You've been through a lot, General. Please accept this."

Mushi frowned at the demon. He recalled the boy's name. Erakee. He was an elemental like Saka, but instead of controlling wind, the boy controlled plants. Wonderful.

He took the rose, examining it. "Thank you, Erakee." He said slowly, not quite understanding what was going on. Glancing back down at the short demon, he asked, "But what do you mean?"

Erakee diverted his almost clear green eyes and replied, "I know your story."

"What story?" Mushi demanded quickly, annoyed. Everyone was acting weird. "Tell me what you are talking about!"

The boy shrank away, but Mushi didn't allow himself to feel guilty. He had to know what had his soldiers turned against him. Erakee ran a hand through his short hair nervously. "I was told of your childhood and your escape from Lord Karashima's palace."

Mushi froze. "Who did you hear it from?" He asked slowly, terror taking him. There were two versions to that story. The one that had really occurred and Lord Karashima's version.

Erakee bit his bottom lip and looked around, making sure no one was listening. "Karcen is telling everyone." He whispered meeting the general's eyes. "The whole camp knows the story, but don't worry, I don't believe what else he's saying."

Mushi's blood ran cold. "What else is he saying?" He asked slowly.

Erakee shifted under his gaze. "He says that you want revenge on Lord Yugi for what his father did to you." He replied, his eyes meeting Mushi's. "Karcen's father worked in the Northern palace when Lord Karashima ruled. He says his father saw you kill Lord Karashima's mate the night you escaped and that it was your first act of revenge." Erakee paused for a moment. "He also says he saw you in a rebel uniform the night you disappeared from camp. He thinks are the spy who wants to overthrow Lord Yugi and take the thrown."

Mushi felt a presence behind him, and he turned suddenly, feeling cornered.

His eyes found the wide ones of his lord. Then they narrowed.

"You really did kill my mother, didn't you, Mushi?"

Yeah, yeah. Rawr Rawr.

Anyway, in case everyone has forgotten Mushi's story:

His parents were involved in a kind of "drug ring" that ran under the direction of Yugi's father, Lord Karashima. When his parents came up murdered, Lord Karashima accused Yugi and had him tortured, demanding he admit his crime. He refused. Yugi's mother, knowing the truth, freed Mushi from his cell. When her betrayal was discovered that night, she was killed by Lord Karashima, but he claimed Mushi had done it as revenge. Yugi was told this story as a young boy, grieving for his mother, and the story stuck.

When Yugi first met Mushi and realized who he was, he accused Mushi of the murder of his own parents and of his mother, but when Mushi finally revealed his story to Nasuku, Reeka, and Yugi, the prince had believed him. He was convinced at that moment that his mother had been killed by his father for her betrayal.

Just a little refresher.

Oh, and a reader has written her own fanfiction to this fanfiction. Now, it's a YugiNasuku story, so you've been warned. Lol.

Http:/ www(.)fictionpress(.)com /s/2830403/1/That_Kind_of_Torture

Also, I have been writing many little short "deleted scenes" from the story and I really enjoy doing them, so I'm debating whether or not to start some kind of trade system like the one I have with the above mentioned reader. If you are interested, send me a message. (Or mention it in your review.)

Thank you!

PLEASE review.