Chapter 2: Meeting the Lord

It took Sae a moment to register what her brother said in low tones. Once it registered in her head, she dropped the long white cloth as if it burned her skin. "What!?" she exclaimed, before slapping a hand over her mouth and shooting her gaze towards the sleeping soldiers.

When they didn't even stir, she blew out a slow, painful breath.

"Shit Sae, do you want to get us killed?" Youhei snapped, shooting her a murderous look.

Feeling her cheeks grow warm from embarrassment, Sae pulled herself together before kneeling down and gingerly picking up the linen strip from the ground. "Why do I have to do this?" she muttered grumpily, no less angry about doing what her brother told her to do than before.

"I'll explain it to you in a minute, just hurry up," Youhei replied, his back to her once more with his arms crossed across his chest.

Sae quickly maneuvered a way to wrap it around her chest tightly; the result leaving her chest to appear flat. Task done, she donned the large brown top over her body and pulled the bottoms over her legs and tied it securely around her narrow waist. "Alright I'm done," she announced, stuffing the end of her shirt into her pants.

Youhei turned around and surveyed her. His dark eyes, so much like hers, ran critically over her form. "We still need something," he mumbled, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

Running a nervous hand over her stomach to smooth out the wrinkles, Sae looked down at herself, only to have her long raven hair fall over her face. Blowing out a frustrated breath, she tucked a silky strand behind her ear, wishing she had a ribbon to tie it back

"That's it!" Youhei softly declared, reaching in his back pocket and pulling out a small brownish bundle. He snapped it in the air twice, airing out the dust that gathered around the rim and held it up towards his sister. "Pull your hair back and twist it into a bun."

"Why-"

"Just do it, Sae," He cut her off, looking down at her with warning.

Making a small scoffing sound, Sae nonetheless pulled back her hair and twisted it into a loose bun. Youhei automatically shoved the brown bundle onto her head. As he made adjustments, Sae touched the top of her head with curiosity and realized the dirty thing had been a hat.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" she asked inquiringly, looking directly into his face while he pulled the hat farther down over her face to shield her eyes.

"I stole it," was his simple reply.

"You stole it?" Sae couldn't help but feel the bubbling rise of anger. "Your stealing is what got us into this in the first place."

"Shut up, Sae," he said, irritation evident in his voice. "It's over and done with, so let it be. I'm sorry I got you into this mess but I'm trying my best to make it up to you and protect you. So will you just be quiet for one damn minute and let me fix this thing?"

Grudgingly, Sae pursed her lips tightly and tried to hold still as her brother stuffed all her remaining hair into the hat. It took only a few seconds to finally finish the task.

When done, Youhei stepped back and gave her another surveying glance. "There is still something missing …" his voice trailed off, eyebrows knitting together. Then he glanced down at the ground and smirked. "I know." He bent down and grabbed a handful of dirt, when he straightened he lifted it towards her face.

Sae acted quickly and dashed under his arm to get away. "What are you doing?" she hissed, once she was safely a few feet away.

"Come back here," he commanded, voice laced with annoyance … and a hint of amusement. "Your face is still too feminine. Some dirt might cover it enough to hide some of your features. That way, no one will look too closely at your face."

Sighing with dread, Sae walked slowly back to her brother. It took just a couple strides to finally come to stand in front of him, the handful of dirt looking bigger and bigger with every step. She shut her eyes tightly and lifted her face for him to apply the brown piece of earth. She flinched when she first felt the cold mucky feeling hitting her cheek.

"There," his satisfaction rung clearly. "Now no one will be able to tell you're a girl."

Sae cracked her eye opened then the other one and slowly lifted her fingers to touch her face. Not only did it feel disgusting, but the dirt had mixed with her sweat and had consequently smeared over her skin to look as if she had been rolling around in mud.

At the sight of her grimacing face, Youhei sighed and started to dust off some of it from her cheeks and forehead. "Alright maybe I over did it," he admitted ruefully, ignoring her irritated glare. "We'll just take off all the dirt and leave some smudges around your cheeks and nose. That way you won't feel so dirty but there will be enough to hide your face, alright?"

Eyes still narrow slits, Sae nodded and began wiping her hands over her face.

"Okay come," Youhei urged, grabbing her elbow and pulling her back towards the tree. "We have to tie ourselves back up before the general wakes up."

"How are you going to explain me –the girl –disappearing and me –the boy –appearing?" Sae asked, putting her hands together and allowing Youhei to tie her wrist together; even when a large part of her was screaming to run. But she knew that he was right, the soldiers would catch them before they could get far. And the punishments would be much more severe than what they had experienced so far.

"I won't," Youhei said, putting his wrist to together and allowing her to also tie them. It was a little difficult, however, since her own wrists were tied; but she somehow managed to wrap the rope around and tie a knot. "We'll just leave an empty space big enough to look as if a person had been there between us. And when they ask us what happened to you –the girl –we'll just say we have no idea because we were sleeping. As for you –the boy –the soldiers haven't really paid much attention to the exact appearance of all the villagers and won't know the difference if another boy was added to the group."

"Alright Youhei," Sae finally said slowly, having doubts about the plan but knowing full well it was their only chance. "I hope you're right."

They slipped back into the ropes wrapped around the tree, binding all village people together and made sure to leave a gap between their bodies. The sun was slowly rising over the horizon, lighting the woods with its warm glow. And as the remaining evidence of night drifted from the sky, Sae prayed to the heavens that Youhei's plan worked.

For both their sakes.

"I hate you," Sae muttered feelingly, dragging her feet along the dirt road; her dark eyes flashing heatedly towards her brother.

"How was I supposed to know the general would keep looking for you?' Youhei mumbled back, his feet dragging alongside his sister's. He did appear slightly sheepish despite his question.

"Oh I don't know," Sae retorted sarcastically. "Maybe by the way he had said if any of us try to escape he wouldn't give up tracking us down until he found us and beat us to death?"

Youhei ignored his sister and stared darkly at the back of the general's beefy head. "The man's an idiot. Plus, my planned worked ultimately. So I don't know what you're complaining about."

"With consequences," Sae shot back, looking down meaningfully at his chained feet.

The back of his neck growing warm, Youhei looked at his sister's angry face then down at her chained feet. A look of regret crossed his features. "I'm sorry you got chained as well, Sae," he apologized sincerely, guilt eating at his insides. "I didn't know he was going to punish us for someone escaping, even though that someone was supposedly you."

Sighing, Sae gazed ahead and could only see the general's head from a distance. But even from far away, she could tell his back was still rigid with fury. Earlier, when he had discovered 'her' gone he had exploded into a thunderous rant and instantly sent out a search troop to find the missing prisoner. As Youhei had predicted.

But what he hadn't counted on was the rage in which the general had taken the escape. After a few hours of searching only to come up empty handed, he had finally called off the search. His admission had not gone well for Youhei and the younger boy (Sae). For having witnessed the disappearance and failing to alert the soldiers, both boys had been sentences to a sound beating.

Sae's stomach still felt bruised and battered at the harsh blows the soldiers planted there. She was somewhat glad that Youhei's disguise seemed to be working but she also resented the harsh treatment every male in this group had to endure. Not only because now she was going to receive equal treatment, but also because Youhei had put his earlier beatings way too lightly.

"Look on the bright side," Youhei's voice broke into her thoughts. "Now we can speak freely and we won't be yelled at anymore."

"Only because they can't hear us anymore," Sae commented dryly. "We're all the way in the back of the line."

"Better back here than in the front with the soldiers."

Sae shrugged, unable to argue with that but still not willing to agree with anything Youhei said. Her ankles felt raw and burned fiercely, the metal chains rubbing against her skin agonizingly. Not only were her wrists and bare feet bleeding but so were her ankles, the only place she had thought safe from injury.

"Will you two shut up back there!" one of the villagers yelled, craning his neck to give them an irked look.

"What's your problem?" Youhei demanded, his face growing annoyed.

"You two have been talking nonstop for the past hour and truth be told I'm getting sick and tired of hearing you two bicker and complain," the nettled villager spat, his eyes going back and forth between Sae and Youhei.

Some other villagers murmured in agreement, while others craned their necks to look back at the two in curiosity. There was one particular guy, one who looked about Youhei and Sae's age, with light brown hair and striking gray eyes, that gave Sae's dirty appearance a once over before smirking at Youhei. "Kind of a dirty little squirt, isn't he?"

"Hey-!" Sae started to protest, her cheeks growing warm.

But Youhei cut her off, nodding at the smirking young villager a few feet in front of them, "Very. Can't get him out of the dirt, this one."

Sae glared menacingly at Youhei.

The gray eyed villager chuckled and nodded towards the glaring Sae. "Little brother?"

Youhei nodded solemnly, "Unfortunately."

Sae snorted, in agreement.

The villager chuckled more deeply, "I have one just like that back home."

"Really?" Youhei's eyebrow's shot up. "Too bad."

A grin spreading across the villager's face, he nodded, "That's what he tells me. My name's Touya, by the way."

"Youhei," her brother replied, then indicated towards Sae, "And this is my younger brother, Sa- Satoru."

Touya nodded. "Nice to meet you Youhei," he looked at Sae. "Satoru."

Sae grunted, still a bit irritated at his earlier remark about being dirty, despite knowing she probably looked as filthy as a dog.

Chuckling, Touya looked back at Youhei. "You're the one who stole weapons from one of the tenants, right?"

Sae stumbled.

Youhei reflexively tried to help her gain her footing. "Are you alright, Sa- Satoru?"

"Sorry," Sae muttered, once she was steady on her own two feet. "Stupid rock."

Knowing full well that she was lying, Youhei let it go and turned back towards Touya coolly. "Yes. My brother and I got caught, however."

Touya's eyes narrowed. "I thought it was you and your sister?"

Youhei didn't even bat an eye. "No, it was my brother and I. Sometimes they mistake Satoru for a girl since he's so small," He lied smoothly, never losing eye contact with the suspicious villager.

Touya opened his mouth-

"ALL HALT, MEN!" came the bellowing voice of the general, "WE HAVE ARRIVED!"

Stiffening, Sae snapped her head up to see the Western Lord's castle come into view.

She, Youhei, and apparently Touya had been so preoccupied with the conversation that none of them realized that they had just walked into the clear, wide opening that was the lord's lair. Though lair wasn't quite the word to describe the grand building standing proudly in the middle of the wide clearing. It was a magnificent castle that looked as if it had been plucked right out of a fairy tale.

"Whoa," Sae heard Youhei breathe and couldn't help but agree whole heartily.

Many of the villagers also seemed in full agreement. They were looking around in awe at the beautiful scenery. Sae knew that many envisioned the Western Lord's castle to be a much more cold and eerie place than what they saw in front of them. From the chilling stories they heard about the heartless and cruel lord, many expected to see a home that matched his reputation.

"LINE THEM ALL UP, MEN!

Sae jumped at the yell. She stopped gawking to see the soldier scurry to do as commanded. It wasn't long till she was shoved next to her brother, along with the other villagers, into a straight line.

She looked around wide-eyed at the now grim looking soldiers. They didn't look drunk or belligerent any longer. In fact, they almost looked … like real soldiers. Each man was lined up, as they were, behind every villager in two lines of solemn faces.

"THE LORD HAS ARRIVED!" the general yelled again, his stiff posture never faltering as he announced the arrival of the Western Lord. "KNEEL TO YOUR LORD!"

Instantly, Sae felt a hand slap her in the back of the head before she was shoved down onto her knees. Youhei got the same treatment for he was kneeling down beside her a moment later. Every villager followed soon after. Either from example or by force.

Sae heard the general greet the lord with deep respect followed by the lord's deep monotone. She badly wanted to get up but knew if she did that she'd be beaten and punished for daring to do so. Her knees ached and shook weakly under her weight. She was beginning to fear that they'd give out before they were asked to stand again when -to her relief- the general yelled out another command.

"RISE!"

Sae was yanked up roughly by the arm. The gesture hurt, since her arm felt as if they'd almost been pulled out of its socket. So with a small gesture of defiance, she abruptly jerked her arm away from the soldier and stood stiffly next to her brother.

"Stop that Sae," came Youhei's low warning from the corner of his mouth.

Sae swallowed back her retort and merely waited for the lord to make it past them. The general and the lord walked slowly down the line of villagers, stopping every so often for the lord to ask a question or comment on a specific villager.

It seemed eternity, yet not long enough, when the Lord of the Western Lands came to stand in front of her and her brother. The beat of her heart thumped so rapidly in her chest that she feared everyone could clearly hear it. Her palms grew sweaty and it took everything she had not to nervously fidget with them. She kept her eyes staring directly into the ground, her nerves feeling skittish.

"Are these the boys you were speaking of?" the lord spoke in an emotionless tone.

"Yes, my lord," replied the general promptly.

"You boy, what is your name?" the lord asked coldly.

Swallowing hard, Sae raised her head slowly and came face to face with cold, emotionless golden eyes.

*Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Rumiko Takahashi. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. Any violence, perceived abuse, or negative behavior should not be taken literally. The plot is for entertainment purposes only. This author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material.