Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne. My writing is purely for the enjoyment of my readers and myself.
Legends of Gaea: Chapter 6
Merle frowned with disdain at the fried fish sitting on her plate. " Why is it only fish all the time?" She muttered, glaring at the fish laying on the plate with its mouth opened in a silent 'o'. " Every day the same thing! Fish for breakfast, fish for lunch, fish for supper, and everything else in between." She grumbled, resting her cheek on one paw.
Merle wrinkled her nose as she cut off the head and flung it without care into the bushes behind her. And she quickly cut the body into little bite-sized pieces, the aroma of fried fish filling the air. With a heavy sigh she grabbed a morsel of scaly flesh and frowned when her stomach growled
I wish Van were here. She thought to herself, popping the meat into her mouth and forcing it down with a gulp of water.
" Merle!" Someone yelled.
Merle turned around to see Meegan running up to her with a plate of fried fish in her paws. " Hi!" The wolf girl greeted cheerily.
Merle twitched her tail. " Hi." She muttered.
"Can I sit here?" Meegan asked, pointing to the spot beside her.
Merle shifted a little so that Meegan could join her on the log and the two ate in silence for several minutes, listening to the the river.
" Mmmm…." Meegan hummed contentedly as she finished her fish.
Merle grimaced and sighed again.
" What's wrong Merle?" Meegan asked, her soft fur blowing in the breeze.
Merle shrugged and stared at the remains of her fish. " I'm not really hungry." She muttered, almost in tears.
Meegan set her plate aside and scooted a little closer to the cat-girl. " Oh…why Merle dear, what's the matter?"
Merle felt the kind wolf-girl wrap an affectionate arm around her shoulders.
" I miss Va…Vaaaaaan" Merle sobbed and covered her face with her paws.
" Oh Merle…honey I'm sure Van will be back very soon. You'll see."
Meegan put Merle's plate on the log beside her so that the fish bits wouldn't fall on the ground.
" I mi…mi…miss him so much…" Merle cried.
Meegan nodded quietly and hugged her.
" Wha…what if…if he ne…never comes back?" Merle asked with wide, frightened eyes.
" Don't worry, Merle. King Van will be back." Meegan replied reassuringly and rubbed Merle's back comfortingly. Merle closed her eyes and wished as hard as she could for Meegan's words to come true.
Zire glanced at Folken who finally seemed to be awake and looked ahead to see Van chatting with Boaz. Zire yawned and looked behind him to see the rest of the group riding in relative silence. Even Mizook was quiet. That was a miracle.
Folken shifted uncomfortably, his clothes still a bit damp from his dip in the underground river the other day. Zire noticed the pale man shiver and after a moment decided to take off his cloak.
" Here Folken." He said handing his cloak to him. " Take this and put it on before you catch a cold."
Folken hesitated.
" I don't really need it." Zire explained. " I've got lots of fur as it is already."
" Thank you, Zire." Folken murmured, wrapping the cloak around his shoulders.
Zire nodded.
" Do you feel better now?"
Folken and Zire looked over to see Van staring at them, waiting for an answer.
" I'm fine Van. Just a little tired." Folken replied.
Van turned his attention ahead. " Do you think you'll be up to leaving tomorrow?" Van continued.
Folken blinked and wondered for a moment on Van's meaning. Then his eyes lit when he recalled the conversation they shared previous night.
" I don't see why not." He answered at length. Van nodded. Folken glanced at him and after a few moments decided to speak again.
" Will you take…is Merle her name?"
Van looked at him, genuinely surprised that he remembered Merle's name. He eyed Folken for a moment and nodded.
" Will you take Merle along on our trip to Austuria?" Folken continued.
Van nodded again.
The brothers rode on in silence. From somewhere behind them Mizook began yelling and the sound of laughing wolf-men reached their ears. Van glanced back to see them laughing at Mizook who's fur was caught on a low-hanging branch. Van shook his head, his lips curled into a small grin.
Folken glanced at him curiously.
" What?" Van asked defensively when he noticed Folken looking at him.
" I was just wondering." He replied quietly.
Van raised an eyebrow. " Wondering about…" He prompted.
" Merle." Folken answered.
Van frowned. " Don't you think she knows how to behave herself around people of nobility?" Van asked a bit more angrily than he had intended.
Folken shook his head and looked back at Van. " I didn't mean it like that." He answered calmly.
Van stared at him, waiting for an answer. " Then why are you asking me if I'll bring her along?"
" I wonder if she won't be bored with the conferences we will be attending. In fact, she most likely won't be allowed inside any of the conference halls."
Van frowned at that. " Why not?" He asked confused.
"From what I've experienced with high officials, they do not usually desire any extra ears inside the conferences. It's a way of ensuring that the wrong people won't attain any confidential information." Folken explained patiently.
Van listened quietly and glanced down at the mechanical hand Folken tried to keep hidden under the cloak. Van looked down at his own hands and lifted his right hand up, wiggling the fingers slowly. He tried to imagine what it would be like to not have his right arm anymore and shuddered at the thought.
When he finally looked back at Folken he was suddenly embarrassed to find his brother staring at him. Van put his hand back down immediately. Yet Folken showed no sign of anger. His eyes seemed to shine with tenderness.
Van gulpped, unsure of what he should say and at length decided to urge his horse ahead. Folken watched him silently before looking down at his metallic hand. He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at Van who chanced one more glance back at him before continuing on his way.
Merle stared at her reflection in the water and sighed. Where could Van be? She wondered. I wonder what he's doing right now.
Meegan had stayed with her for most of the afternoon and the two talked about many things. Merle was thankful for her kindness, but eventually the wolf-girl had to go back to her chores.
Merle sat at the river's edge alone, twitching her whiskers. There was nothing on Gaea that could compare to the quiet beauty of nature and all its creatures. A bird sang somewhere high above and the gentle breeze rustled the leaves high above her head. A squirrel was hunting for nuts and a bunny leapt into some bushes to her left.
Suddenly, Merle's ears perked up. That's funny…I thought…I thought I heard something. She mused.
From somewhere up stream, the sound of distant horse feet hitting the ground reached her ears. She stiffened and waited.
A horse whinnied.
Merle jumped and quietly hid herself behind some bushes. Who would be riding all this way into the forest? She wondered. Van and his group are coming back through the meadow…aren't they?
As Van and his group drew closer to the hidden village and began recognizing the landmarks, he urged his horse to go faster, pushing it into a gallop.
The ground rushed under his horse's sure footing, almost as if the horse knew the way back home and couldn't wait to arrive at its stable again.
The trees blurred and Van grinned, his heart racing with the excitement of the group's success. Now he could go on to the next step, gaining support for the rebuilding of Fanelia. And he would be able to see Merle again! The thought of her smiling face made him break into a smile of his own.
Maybe things will be better now… He thought hopefully. And as he rushed forward, his excitement spread like wildfire among the group members until soon everyone was rushing to get back home.
Merle gulped as the sound of rushing horses grew louder and stronger, slowly overpowering the sound of the river. She jumped out of her hiding place and ran back to the village to warn the others of their impending doom.
" WhooHoo!" Zire howled in excitement as the familiar smells of his village reached his nose. Zire's hoops and hollers were soon echoed by the other wolf-men in the group and Folken smiled despite himself as feelings of joy and hope engulfed him.
Van laughed and joined in on the howling, hope swelling in his heart.
From inside the village everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up in surprise. For a few seconds, no one moved, everyone listened. Then, the sound of howling and hooting could be heard. The pounding of horses' hooves thundered.
Lumu, one of the elders of the village, stepped closer, his eyebrows furrowed with concern.
" What is that? Is it an attack?" Meegan asked beside him.
Lumu shook his head and a smile slowly formed across his face. " No Meegan. Far from it!"
And with that, he took off running to the entrance of the village.
Merle rushed up to Meegan, deeply frightened. " What's happening?!" She cries out.
Meegan turned to her. " Merle, don't worry! Lumu says everything's alright."
" He did?" Merle asked in surprise.
Meegan looked back just in time to see Van rush out of the forest with the rest of his group close behind.
And suddenly, the whole village was a flurry of excitement.
" They're back! They're back! Lord Van is back!" Merle cried out joyfully as she grabs Meegan and danced around excitedly.
Van galloped right up to them and stopped his horse beside Merle. Hopping off quickly he scooped the cat-girl into his strong arms and whirled her around.
" VAN, Van, Van!" Merle shouted happily, licking his face and twitching her tail excitedly.
Meegan laughed and hurried to greet the others.
" We did it, Merle!" Van shouted excitedly. Merle smiled, and hugged him tightly. She hadn't seen him this happy in a long time.
" I knew you could do it, Van!" She said excitedly.
Van returned her embrace with a smile. " Where would I be without you." He said softly.
Folken watched his brother from a distance. He saw how Van searched for Merle before all others and how Van showed her so much affection. It was as if she were his sister.
Folken sighed. It was good to see Van smiling and laughing again. He thought he would never hear the sound of Van's laughter; a laughter that was contagious and had the power to warm his heart.
" Hey Folken! We did it!" Zire exclaimed, slapping the tall man on the back.
Folken smiled, a rare occurrence for anyone who knew him. " Yes. Yes we did." He agreed and returned the friendly gesture.
Zire smiled and then suddenly grew serious. " Hey, listen…I…um…I just want to thank you for saving our lives back there when we were trapped underground."
Folken shook his head. " Don't worry. We all made it out together."
Zire smiled and gave him a warm bear hug. Folken's eyes bulged for a moment, not ready for such a strong embrace. But after a moment he tried to return the gesture.
" You are now considered part of the family, Folken." Neftoo-Mish stated with an amused smile, watching Folken's flushed face slowly return to its normal, pale color.
Folken grinned. " Thank you, Neftoo-Mish… Zire...sincerely." They nodded to him with happy gins of their own.
That night the village threw a small party for the success of the mission. Van and Folken were encouraged to sit at the head of the table as the guests of honor. And as the dinner of fish and fresh fruits and vegetables was enjoyed, Folken continued to receive thanks and gifts from the wolf-men saved from an early death in the underground tunnel. Even their family members thanked him. Folken, unaccustomed to so much praise, blushed hotly. And Van watched his brother carefully, keeping his feelings guarded.
But finally, the festivities ended and everyone prepared for bed. Folken was more than ready and fell asleep very quickly, in contrast Van stayed up late into the night talking with Merle and Meegan. He shared with them, in a hushed tone, everything that happened to him and his group while they searched for dragon skin, Lome spider silk and blue roses.
" Oh! Did you find any blue roses?" Meegan asked.
Van shook his head. " No. I'm afraid not. But the goods we did find should be plenty for our first ventures into other kingdoms." He explained confidently.
Merle smiled at him and snuggled closer. " You're going to be a great king, Lord Van." She said softly, trying to hide a yawn.
Van smiled at her and gently rubbed her strawberry-colored hair.
Meegan stifled a yawn herself. " Well, I guess I better go. It's getting late and you two need to get up early to start preparing for your trip."
Van lifted the front flap of his tent for her and then tucked Merle snugly within the blankets on one side of his bed. He took off his boots and glanced up at the curtain separating him from Folken's side.
Quietly he tip-toed over to it, and listened quietly. A soft whimpering reached his ears and Van stiffened at the sound. Was his brother crying? Was he in pain? Van thought to check on him, but ultimately decided otherwise when things grew quiet again.
Wearily Van crawled into bed beside Merle's curled body. And with a heavy sigh he soon drifted off into a deep sleep.
The morning arrived too soon and Van became conscious of something warm and soft and…wet against his cheek. He moaned his displeasure and tried to swat it away, but when that didn't work he tried to roll over.
But that didn't work either and he realized that something was resting on his chest. Moaning again his eyes fluttered open.
Merle was staring him in the face and she bent down to lick his cheek again, her fine whiskers tickling his nose.
" …Merle?" He asked, finally recognizing the sound of her purring.
" Good Morning, Lord Van!" She greeted him cheerily. " Ready to get up and start packing?" She asked.
Van yawned and Merle lifted her paws off his chest when he moved to sit up. He yawned again and Merle grinned when she saw two little white protrusions form on his back as he stretched his arms out on either side. And her grin suddenly turned mischievous.
Quietly she brushed the tip of her tail against his bare back and caused him to jump with a gasp of surprise. Merle laughed as he turned to look at her with wide eyes.
" Merle!"
Merle fluttered her eyelashes at him innocently. " What?"
Van grinned and suddenly pounced, tickling her sides. Merle shrieked and began to howl with laughter. Van joined in and soon Merle turned the tables on him, twisting her cat-like body so that he ended up under her.
She smiled as her whiskers brushed up against his back and Van jumped again. This time he allowed her tickle him and soon they were both laughing so hard they rolled off the bed and onto the floor.
All the noise startled Folken out of his fitful sleep and he sat up straight hearing Van's shouts and Merle's shrieks.
In an instant he kicked off the wool blankets, snatched his sword, and flung back the heavy blanket that separated his side from Van's.
Van and Merle both gasped in surprise, frozen where they had fallen on the floor.
Folken blinked equally surprised at the sight before him.
Then, without warning, Merle burst into laughter again, tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. Van glanced at her and then realized how ridiculous Folken looked; barefoot, sea-blue hair disheveled with straw tangled in it, topless, and a large sword in his metal hand.
Van struggled to keep a straight face, his bottom lip quivering. Folken gasped in sudden embarrassment and realization. His cheeks blushed a deep, cherry-red. But at the same moment he remembered a night when he and Van had laughed at each other in the meadow so long ago.
The seconds ticked by and Folken's embarrassment finally won out when Van released a snicker. Folken quickly retreated to his side of the hut, relieved when the thick blanket fell back into place. But a smile formed upon his flushed face when he realized that Van had just shared his first smile with him. Even if it was only to laugh at his expense.
Van smiled and rose to his feet, grabbing his red tunic and strapping on his sword. Merle helped him put on his boots, even when he said he could do it himself, and soon he was outside preparing to travel to Austuria.
" Can I come this time Lord Van?" Merle asked hopefully and to her great elation Van nodded.
" Of course Merle! I wouldn't think about leaving you behind again." She glomped him and Van smiled.
" You know what?" She said finally releasing him.
" What?" Van asked.
" That Folken guy doesn't look so mean when he has straw in his hair."
Van looked at her curiously. " Do you think he looks mean?"
Merle nodded. " I don't feel comfortable talking to him. Do you?"
Van didn't answer her, his mind returning to the moment he had compared his hand to Folken's metallic one and looked up to find Folken staring at him so tenderly. " I…don't think he wants anyone to be afraid of him." He finally replied.
" I just don't know if I'd feel comfortable having to talk to him on our trips." Merle confessed quietly.
Van remained silent and Merle looked at him quietly for a few moments. " Don't worry Merle." He reassured her. " I'll be with you. So you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to."
Merle nodded, feeling better now that Van had offered his support.
As the early dawn turned the sky bright yellows, pinks, and oranges, a dove was sent to Austuria with a small note tied to one of its little feet. It would reach Austuria four hours before Van and his companions arrived.
Van, Folken, and Merle climbed aboard a large furry buffalo animal that Lumu provided for them. Zire and Meegan were sent along as aids for the royal Fanelian brothers and Merle. And they traveled for several hours until reaching a small village on the outskirts of the forest, right beside the border of Fanelia.
From there they crossed paths with traveling merchants who, upon recognizing Van as the young king who saved Gaea, gave him an old coach with four strong horses to aid in traveling. Van thanked them and soon he and his companions were traveling along the dirt roads that would lead them straight into the kingdom of Austuria.
Zire took care of the horses' reins, leading them through the streets. Inside the coach Van wrapped an arm around Merle as she drifted off to sleep against his shoulder. Meegan sat beside her and gazed out the window, enjoying the scenery.
Van stared out the window watching the scenery pass by, his mind already thinking ahead about the upcoming conferences. Folken drifted to sleep, lulled by the constant gentle rocking of the coach.
At length Van sighed and glanced at Merle. His eyes drifted to Folken who was fast asleep. Taking the rare opportunity to stare he studied his brother's face carefully and looked at the metal hand resting on Folken's knee. He hadn't meant for Folken to see him staring at it when they were coming back to the hidden village. It was simply that Van had never seen anything like it before. It fascinated him and frightened him at the same time. How could his brother live with such a strange contraption stuck on his body?
And he winced internally, knowing how close he came himself to losing his limbs. But unlike his unfortunate brother, there was someone nearby who rescued him. Hitomi. Van closed his eyes and remembered her face. He didn't want to forget her. Already he missed her terribly and he wondered if she missed him too.
As the coach continued down the dirt roads, he drifted in and out of consciousness finally allowing himself to catch a little sleep before reaching the castle and facing the challenges ahead.
" Your Majesty, I come with news from the king of Fanelia." A messenger stated, bowing before King Aston and his eldest, surviving daughter, princess Eries.
The grand throne room of marbled floors and pillars echoed the words just spoken and added to the grandeur of the king sitting proudly upon his throne of gold and fine rubies. The princess, dressed in a deep blue dress with satin skirts that puffed all around her like a cloud, nodded to the messenger who glanced up at her.
The long, silvery-blond strands of her hair seemed to glow about her face, giving her the appearance of a Geek goddess or an angel. It was said that Eries's beauty did not compare to that of her younger sister Millerna or even to her eldest sister, Marlene, who died several years ago. But as the messenger gazed at her, he didn't understand how a woman such as she could be considered plain or ugly. Her demeanor was that of a queen.
King Aston cleared his throat and the messenger suddenly realized that he had been staring at the princess for a moment too long. He glanced at the king, who raised an eyebrow.
" Well, come! Let's hear it." King Aston commanded.
The messenger nodded, looking away from the princess as he carefully unraveled the small note in his hand. " It says, ' I, Van Slanzer DeFanel, King of Fanelia humbly ask that I be granted an audience with King Aston of Austuria within four hours of this letter arriving. I have some business that cannot wait. And I ask pardon for the suddenness of this request.'"
King Aston sat back in his lthrone and glanced at Eries who looked back at him. " Well, let the king come. Eries, prepare rooms for our friends and be ready to greet them when they arrive. I will grant him an audience. After all, he is responsible for saving all of Gaea, is he not?" King Aston replied mirthfully and smiled when Eries nodded in agreement.
" Thank you. You may go."
The messenger bowed respectfully, taking one last glance at the princess before making his leave.
Eries stepped down and bowed before her father as well before heading off to warn the servants that visitors would soon be arriving.
Hmmm. What kind of business would interest the young king of Fanelia? Aston wondered, scratching his mustache contemplatively.
