Next chapter is on the 30th of August.
The old man who had followed him in says his name again, pleading despite the door's slow creak on its hinge. He turns to Kyle, desperation lining his face even further.
"Ah- please make these people don't go outside tonight!" He asks the doctor, quickly following the taller man. Kyle frowns at him and doesn't respond except to stare at the door for a moment, walk over and close it firmly.
"Sorry about that." He says, not looking at any of us. The door clicks shut.
"That was the mayor and Grosum-san. He owns most of the land in this village."
Syaoran frowns, looking down in his teacup.
"I'm sorry- we came at a bad time, didn't we? We heard the legends about this town in one of the cities south of here. We thought it would be interesting to write about..." He trails off, real guilt helping his fish for information.
Kyle takes the bait.
"I thought it was only a tale too. There are so many like it. I didn't believe children could actually be going missing, especially in a small town like this, but we searched everywhere. We haven't found any yet. There have been twenty so far who have gone missing- almost every night another child disappears." The doctor says, frowning as he stares into the fireplace, almost at me. I think of the small girl who got tugged inside and my heart squeezes in pain.
"That many?" Sakura mumbles, hand in front of her mouth and eyes averted to the floor.
Kurogane is quiet too, curled inwards a little in his new coat.
"It explains why they threatened us as soon as they saw us." He grumbles, hands on his hips an odd placeholder for whatever motion he wants to be making right now.
"That's why- if there's anything you know which could help- I don't care how small it is but please tell me. We just want to find the children before it's too late." The doctor's voice is soft even as he begs us.
We are silent for a moment, each of us knowing that we know nothing about the children at all.
Syaoran looks to Kurogane and Fai, hoping they'll say something and I stare into the fire, trying to avoid the expectance of something I can't give and trying avoid thinking about lost children with pale skin. There's a choking sickness that rises in my throat.
"You can stay here as long as you need- just please help us find the children!" The doctor begs again. I put the teacup down on the saucer and hold it, ignoring the slight clatter of my shaking.
Syaoran looks uncomfortable but Fai smiles gently.
"We'll do whatever we can." The blonde promises.
Kyle serves a stew which Sakura almost falls asleep into. Syaoran carries her upstairs, taking Mokona with her upon Kyle's reminder.
"Ah- yes- sorry!" The boy says, allowing the doctor to drop the small creature onto Sakura's chest, "I almost forgot. Thank you." Syaoran sputters awkwardly.
"Don't worry about it- she's clearly very tired." He says warmly, waving them off, "Any of the rooms upstairs will do- mine is locked so don't worry about taking it accidentally."
"Thank you!" Syaoran repeats, bowing a little with the princess still in his arms and blushing.
We finish the rest of the meal in near silence.
I hope that Kyle takes it for tiredness, which it partly is from. I can't help but watch the clock on the mantelpiece, listening to the slow tick as it passes through numbers I don't recognise.
"Would you like some tea before bed?" The doctor asks as he collects in plates and bowls.
"That sounds good!" Fai smiles just as warmly as the doctor as he agrees for all of us.
"Would you like some help?" Syaoran asks, fretting as the doctor tries to fit everyone's dishes in his arms without spilling any left over liquids or getting them on himself.
"Thank you but I will be okay." The doctor says, smiling at the boy who sits back fully in his seat.
"Ah- I'm glad." The boy says, flushing a little.
We watch him leave, the door closing behind him for a moment before he comes back once more to take in the second lot of plates. The door closes more firmly and we're quiet for a moment more.
Fai breaks it, voice soft in the big room.
"That was quick thinking out there with all those people." He murmurs, smiling.
Syaoran settles down a little further at the praise, redness in his cheeks fading.
"My dad and I had to say that a lot when we were travelling." There's a warmth in his expression.
Fai hums, smile fading a little.
"The situation here is difficult whether or not it has something to do with the myth or their princess." He says, as of nothing, his eyes staring at the fogged up window.
We are quiet again.
Kurogane shifts and I hear the soft clatter of plates in water and the crack of logs in the fireplace.
"It's not really our problem though, is it?" The man asks in a way that seems more statement than question. The words don't really feel genuine, a false suggestion. They still pull at me uncomfortably.
"But would you really leave here without doing what you could?" Fai asks, voice gentle but the judgement clear. His eyes focus on the slightly taller man's face, blue as a cloudless winter sky.
Kurogane says nothing in response, looking away and making a 'tch' sound.
We are silent until the doctor, Kyle, returns with more tea.
The fire is dying down by this point but the tea is more than warm enough that it doesn't matter.
Fai's question hangs in the air and with the long day of travelling and the warmth running through us I can't find it in me to try to make conversation.
Thankfully Kyle seems to see this. He tells us about how when he'd first came to this village, a replacement for the ailing doctor who'd previously looked after them he'd only been treating things like seasonal illnesses, injuries, check in on babies and make medicines. His brow steadily furrows, gaze turning to his teacup as he starts to talk about his work now.
"I've had to step in to help a few parents who are really struggling with the loss of their children and the children's friends. It's not really what I trained for but they need some kind of help, someone to talk to to understand what they're going through. It's meant I've had even less time to myself than I did before but it's worth it if I can bring even a little comfort to the people here."
His eyes wander to the flames, mere crackling now.
If there was quiet before it feels even heavier now.
"That's very good of you." I venture. Fai says the same thing, starting only a second after, and we share a slight smile of surprise.
Kyle sighs, gaze going to the foggy glass which shows only a blurring darkness now.
"I suppose. Someone has to do it though and I'm glad to do it really."
Then he smiles, putting his teacup down lightly after draining it.
"Ah- I guess you must all want to rest though! It must have been a long day for all of you and the road up here isn't very exciting at this time of year. Feel free to take any of the unlocked rooms and don't worry about the mess- I'll deal with that." His smile is warm and eyes gentle behind his glasses.
"Thank you for your hospitality." The mage says, bowing only slightly.
"It's more than okay." Kyle says, "We must be kind to strangers in times like these."
I end up sleeping in the same room which Sakura and Mokona are already settled into and the boys into another two.
It's even quieter in this small room than it was in the hall.
There is a wide window which also looks out into darkness and the faint blurring of snow behind it. I see myself in the glass with the candle I hold, blending into the darkness. The light flickers over the gentle curves of the princess's face, still so young, and the small creature sleeping peacefully in her arms, mumbling slightly.
There are two beds, one on either side of the door, and two nightstands. I pull the thick curtains closed, hoping to trap some of the heat still lingering in the room and put the candle down on the table next to the unclaimed bed.
I sit down and unlace my boots with relief, tucking them slightly underneath the bed. They thud dully against something hollow and I decide that I don't want to figure out what that is right now.
There's a faint musky smell as I put my head down on the pillow and shuffle around until I can get comfortable. The blankets are thick and not as rough as the ones we'd used last night. I smile, unable to stop myself, as I think of the thin blankets we'd used in the summer when I was a child. There's a similar comfort here, in the warmth and heaviness over the ache from riding all day.
I wake in near darkness, a shard of light coming through the edge of the window where the curtain doesn't cover spearing the wall to my right. It's far colder than when I went to sleep. I can tell that much even through the blankets.
The candle, forgotten, has congealed on the plate at the bottom of the candle-stick, wick an ashy-smudge in the last part stuck to the top of the holder.
Sakura is still in the other bed, fast asleep and rolled over onto her front. I presume that Mokona must have left at some point in the night or is still squashed beneath the princess. Her limbs have spidered out of the blanket.
Reluctantly, I sit, blankets huddled around my shoulders, and shove my feet back into my boots, regretting the loss of heat but knowing that they'll warm up again soon.
I rise, move close to the wall, and peel back the curtains slightly, careful not to let much more light into the room though it leaves me blinking at the almost unbroken layer of snow laying over everything. The morning is still quite dark and the snow fades into odd shapes which must be the village.
The chill air rolls over my face and I'm very glad that I closed them last night, dropping back the corner gently. It thuds softly, swinging a little from its pole and against the wall. I shiver, a delayed reaction to the cold.
The rest of the room is cast into darkness and I wait, my breathing, Sakura's breathing and the slightest creaks of the house beyond that. Eventually my eyes readjust and I can make out the hazy shape of the bed.
I sit down again, reluctant to leave after the hostility last night, at a loss for what to do.
I pull the blankets closer around my shoulders. They let out a slight huff at the motion. I don't want to leave their comfort.
The darkness reveals itself to me and eventually I can watch the princess' hidden form rise and fall softly. Her hair is bunched up below it as if she'd pulled the covers over her ears at some time in the night.
Part of me yearns to stand up and go across to her, just to check that she's still asleep and still okay.
I disregard it, knowing that it's not my place.
Still I watch for a long while, allowing myself that at the least.
My head nods several times and I lie down, feet hanging off the bed, deciding that perhaps trying to sleep would be the best even if I don't expect I'll get it.
I wake again, hearing noise in the hallway.
The light from behind the curtains is stronger now and I shuffle out of bed, sighing as I shrug the blankets from me.
The princess wakes too when I open the curtains, blinking at the light and groaning a little as she sits up.
"Morning, Eliza-chan." She says softly and then confusedly looks down at the moving lump in the pile of blankets around her. Her brows furrow in confusion before Mokona emerges, gasping, from the cocoon.
I can't help but smile.
"Morning, Sakura-chan, Mokona-chan." I copy.
Sakura is blushing, apologising to the small creature for squashing them in the night.
Mokona complains lightheartedly but forgives the girl after some teasing.
"Morning, Eliza-chan, Sakura-chan!" They sing happily.
Sakura frowns suddenly, brow creasing as she looks down for a moment and then up again, a vague concern on her face.
"Ah, I just remembered. I have to talk to the doctor." She mumbles, shifting the covers and slipping on her shoes carefully. Mokona hops over to me and I catch them after a confused moment. They are heavy on my shoulder but radiate warmth.
Sakura straightens out her dress a little and I follow suit.
"Ready." The princess says to herself and opens the door.
"Ah!" There's a brief quiet, "Morning, Sakura-chan, Eli-chan, Mokona-chan." Fai says, smiling from just outside an open doorway.
"Good morning, your highness, Eliza-san, Mokona-san," Syaoran bows low beside the magician. Kurogane doesn't bother with more than a nod.
I close the door behind us as we join them.
"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Fai asks, tilting his head and frowning just a little.
She nods slowly.
"Yeah- I'm okay. It's just that I saw something last night in the snow." The princess starts.
"What did you see?" Syaoran asks, almost reaching for the girl, eyebrows furrowing in concern.
Before she can reply there's a shout and sobbing from outside.
"My child!"
Despite the walls in the way there is no mistaking the words.
I feel my stomach drop and my mouth go dry. I swallow futilely.
"I can't find her!"
Sakura's face drops, as does Syaoran's. Fai manages to keep his mostly neutral though it takes on a grim undertone.
"What did you see last night, Sakura-chan?" He asks again, hushed, bending down slightly to her level.
The princess brings her hands to her face.
"I- I thought I saw the golden haired princess." She murmurs, the panic in her eyes growing.
My heart feels stuck in my throat. The front door slams and the coat stand hobbles momentarily. The fireplace seems like an afterthought despite its cracking.
"I'll go and make some tea." I tell them, avoiding the eyes which try to meet mine.
My boots land heavily and I can feel the solidity of the world around me despite how thin and surreal I feel. The world echoes and I cling to the railing and walk to the door to the kitchen.
The room is small, island to my right, heavy stove to my right.
It's hot already and I don't touch it. A red glow comes from the draw on the side. There's already an old kettle on the flat stovetop, water bubbling inside of it.
I go to put my hand around the handle and flinch away, barely thinking and feeling frustration at it. There is a thick glove on the side, no fingers, I put it on and take the kettle off.
It's heavy but I move it to the other counter, a stab of stone which is far cooler to the touch as I lean against it.
There is already a bundle of thin leaves and some kind of spice in the bottom of the teapot. I fill it, hot water hissing as it touches the cool surface and sloshing onto the side a little.
The smell is comforting despite its unfamiliarity.
"Ah!" The door opens and I manage to pull the corners of my lips into something resembling a smile.
"Just- give me a second?" I ask, the pause feeling too long and too short simultaneously.
"You heard I'm guessing?" A soft voice says.
It's not who I'm expecting and I blink stupidly at the doctor.
"Ah. Yes." I say abruptly, very much wanting to be alone.