Nanashi felt awkward going out on a patrol with King Hayate, Prince Takashi, Hiei, Hikari, and their guard Aiko to look for the wolf pack, last spotted on the Eastern road leading to the village by the castle. Queen Minha and Izo stayed behind in the castle with Asa in case anything happened. Nanashi felt uncomfortable with the patrol starting within the hour the Great Hawk Spirit had allowed to her to reawaken, but she was glad to finally go after the wolf pack. Once the king heard it was an order from the Great Hawk Spirit, he was quick to take the command to heart. Hiei did not want to act until he could catch one and read their mind and interrogate them. Nanashi did not see the point, especially since now the Great Hawk Spirit told them to get rid of the whole lot of them immediately.
Hiei was in the lead of them, taking point. He was tracking, surprisingly focused. 'This way,' he said in each of their minds. He took off at a slow pace for himself, but brisk for everyone else, especially the prince. 'They're at the abandoned farmhouse one hundred yards away. Six of them. Keep one alive for questioning.'
Hiei lead the charge ahead, moving swiftly. Nanashi followed behind, struggling to keep pace with him, the wind dragon giving her a speed boost. She could hear King Hayate huffing not to far behind her. She half thought she heard Prince Takashi break the silence rule and swear far behind her.
When Nanashi broke into the clearing around the abandoned farmhouse, she saw Hiei had paused, Jagan Eye bright violet on his forehead. He was scowling slightly. 'They're hiding something...' he thought. 'They know we're here though. They are getting ready to come out.' As soon as she heard the word 'out' in her mind, six wolf demons came out the front door and across the dilapidated porch of the farmhouse, a mixed array of old looking swords in hand. King Hayate had caught up now. Hikari and Aiko not long after him. Prince Takashi must still be behind them.
'One each,' Nanashi thought to her wind dragon.
Hiei charged forward, sword out. Nanashi conjured up her ax via her wind dragon. She heard Aiko draw her own blade while King Hayate summoned up his own bow and arrow and Hikari her own slim sword made of her fire dragon. Hiei reached the first one, Nanashi the second one.
Nanashi hardly had the time to pay attention to anything else going on around her once she engaged in battle with her wolf demon. The beast was quite big, almost rivaling the king in stature. The breath coming out of his furry snout mouth was atrocious. It was all she could do not to gag. The sword in its hand had smears of rust along the inside. She met and parried it blow for blow. She finally managed to back against a tree and duck at the last minute, making her wolf demon opponent sink its sword in the trunk behind her. She side stepped after ducking, pivoting on the balls of her feet. Without hesitation, she launched herself at the wolf demon, hacking its head off.
She panted, drawing deep breaths. She looked around, seeing the other fighting still. Hiei held fast to his wounded opponent, pinning it to a tree. Even at the distance between them, she could tell his third eye was pulsing in effort to read its mind. She saw King Hayate, Hikari, and Aiko about ready to win their own matches as well. One person was struggling though. Prince Takashi was trying to have a bow and arrow versus sword fight. He did not look successful.
Nanashi ran towards him, ax ready to take out the prince's opponent. Half way there, Prince Takashi managed a lucky shot at close range. He shot the wolf demon through the eye and out the back of its skull. Then he turned with lightening speed, aimed, and fired right at her.
It all happened so fast, yet also in slow motion. She saw Prince Takashi's arrow flying towards her chest. Before she could even lift a foot to go in another direction, she felt something hard and short slam into her right side. She then felt the arrow rip through her, not her chest, but her right shoulder. She cried out, pain shooting up her shoulder. The next sensation that followed was crashing to the ground, left shoulder first, head second. The rest of her and whatever hit her landed not long after. She blinked, smarting at these new injuries. Stars and black spots danced across her vision. She groaned on the ground, trying to sit up, but still pinned down by what hit her.
"Nishi," she heard right next to her ear. Hiei. "Are you alright?" he asked, voice dripping with concern.
"You shot the angel!?" King Hayate's voice rolled over top of Hiei's.
She groaned, waving him away, trying to sit up. Neither hand agreed to cooperate once placed on the ground as pain shot through both shoulders when she tried to rise up. She rolled her upper body over instead, blinking painfully as light streamed into her eyes. Her right shoulder felt wet. Her left shoulder and the left side of her head pounded painfully. "Healer," she choked out. She did not want to move anymore.
"Stay with her," Hiei ordered. Nanashi was not sure who he said that to.
"You idiot boy!" King Hayate's voice rang out, making Nanashi's head ring even worse.
"Father's on it," Hikari said gently next to her. Nanashi blinked up at her, seeing three daughters swirling around her. "Your shoulder is bleeding pretty badly. Try to stay still." Nanashi felt a tight, pulling sensation around her right shoulder.
Prince Takashi cried out. "I didn't see her! And she was running at me." He cried out once more.
"What happened?" Nanashi asked, slurring.
"You didn't see her! Hard to miss since she looks nothing like a wolf demon!" The king was still raging.
Hikari explained, "Prince Takashi shot you. By accident in sound like. She paused, scowling in the direction of the king's voice. "Father knocked you out of the way. He's gone back to the castle, after a healer. Probably Izo. He's the swiftest."
"You could of killed her!" the king sounded even louder. "You would have killed her had Hiei not shoved her out of the way!"
Nanashi closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound that way somehow. She could hear the sounds of the prince whimpering. "Stop, your grace, or you'll kill him," Aiko insisted just as loudly.
Nanashi opened her eyes once more, looking over at where the voices were coming from. She saw a blurry image of Prince Takashi on the ground, Aiko being shoved away, and King Hayate looking murderous. She blinked, seeing the scene more clearly.
Nanashi tried to roll and get up, but the pain halted her. "Stop him," she panicked over at Hikari.
"He shot you," Hikari retorted darkly. "Why should I?"
"Hikari," she seethed.
Hikari clicked her teeth. "Fine," she grumbled. She rose up, walking into the scene in Nanashi's line of sight. "Back off," she told the king rudely. She had stood herself between the hulking king and the prince on the ground.
"This does not concern you," King Hayate told her.
Hikari stared him down ruefully. "Get up, dumbass," Hikari said, tugging on Prince Takashi's arm, pulling him up to his feet. He looked shaken up, hair tousled, and face pale. She held him firmly by the sleeve of his shirt, yanking him behind her. "Get you the fuck out of here before either of our fathers kills your ass," she grumbled. She pulled him into the woods after her.
Nanashi sighed, frustrated at the scene she saw. King Hayate looked red faced and furious. Aiko stepped back from him, looking over at Nanashi. King Hayate rounded on the nearest tree, hitting it until it was reduced to kindling. He shouted in a wordless rage.
Nanashi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Izo and Hiei make their way through the woods. Izo was quick to kneel down beside her. "Where are you injured?" he asked.
"She's bleeding. Can you not see that," Hiei griped at him.
Izo said took a steadying breath. "Where are you injured, Mother?"
"Shoulders," she answered. "And the side of my head," she added.
"Which side?" he asked.
"Left," she answered.
Izo moved his hands over to her head, healing there first. As he did so, he explained, "a concussion is a more perilous injury." He sounded a lot like Asa the way he said it. "Here, drink this," he told her, pulling a vial from his pocket. Even now, the sight of a vial full of something made her twinge. "It's herbal medicine in case of a infection from your injury."
Nanashi opened her mouth, allowing him to pour the vial into her mouth. As she was drinking it, she was trying not to gag on it. Izo took the vial away, stowing it back in his pocket. Nanashi felt better when he was finished with her. He moved to her right shoulder next.
"Where's the prince?" Hiei asked, looking annoyed himself.
"Leave him be," Nanashi said softly. Hiei turned to look at her, annoyed.
"He shot you," he hissed.
"He didn't mean to," she excused, half unsure how to explain it. She sat up, watching Izo unwrap the make shift bandage from her right shoulder. It was soaked with blood, but the wound underneath was completely healed at least. "He made a mistake, a stupid mistake, but he didn't intend for that to happen."
"Stupid idiot needs better training," Hiei grumbled, loud enough for King Hayate to hear. "Bringing a bow to a sword fight. Not being aware of his surroundings... He must have never been in a real fight because he's still alive."
Nanashi hummed only to show her agreement with his statements. "Go easy on him when he comes around."
"Why?" he hissed out.
She gave him a sharp gaze, warning him against the idea. She stood up, sighing. It was such a complicated problem. Prince Takashi made a mistake, but could have almost killed her. He would have to face some sort of consequences. He was also still bound by the one sided blood treaty to marry Hikari or no one. Nanashi felt a wave of pity roll over for him and the day he was certainly having.
Now injury free, she rolled over onto her hands and knees. She then rolled up to stand on her feet. She sighed. "He's under my protection now," she stated loud enough for the other four in the area to hear her. "So long as he is in Alaric anyway."
King Hayate looked none too pleased with her now. He stomped towards her. "You want to test that?" he asked her, standing much too close to her.
She refused to step back. "Like Izo tested the blood bond treaty?"
King Hayate growled at her. He stepped away, stalking off into the woods in the same direction Hikari and Prince Takashi had gone.