Sho lived up to his name. Hinata was smiling ear to ear as they raced along fields and worn down trails. He had only ridden a horse once before, and then it had been a grumpy mountain pony. Sho, however, was fast and smooth, gliding along the ground like wind. Hinata was flying, and he loved it.

Kenma rode beside him, his expression bored. Behind them, Suga and Kuroo rode side by side. Kuroo was grinning, glancing around every so often to keep track of those around them. Suga's expression was hard to read; he seemed to be deep in thought.

The wagons trailed behind them as the free riders went ahead. Kenma had explained as they urged their horses into a canter. "Oikawa wants free riders to go ahead to make sure the way is clear to help protect the wagons." Most of Daichi's squadron stayed back with the wagons to reinforce their defences.

After a while of hard riding, Hinata saw Iwaizumi raise his hand in the air. Around him, riders slowed their horses to a trot and Bokuto moved to ride close to Oikawa, talking quickly with his hands. He had dropped the reins as he talked, but his horse seemed used to this behaviour and kept its pace.

Hinata had only looked back at the remains of the town once as they rode away. The burnt and blackened structures that remained were fragile and unstable, the rest was ash. It had become a dark ghost town, inhabited by only swirls of ash swept up by the wind. It hurt to look at his home, now destroyed and beaten into submission by Oikawa and his soldiers.

In the back of his mind, Hinata was still trying to work out how to get he and Suga out of their predicament. He didn't know what they wanted Suga for, or why he had been brought along and not killed, but he didn't imagine the reasons would be pleasant. So he kept an eye out for opportunities for escape while maintaining a pleasant conversation with Kenma.

"Who's that?" he asked, watching as a small man with spiky hair rode to Oikawa's side, nodded briskly, and raced in the opposite direction, his horses hooves thundering as he rode toward's the wagons now far behind them.

"Nishinoya, or just Noya if you prefer. He's our messenger, especially between the lead group and the wagons. He also works with Bokuto to do scouting missions," Kenma replied, watching Nishinoya's progress with mild interest.

"Gwahh! He's so fast! It's so cool!" Hinata exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Don't let him hear you saying that," Kuroo said with a grin. "It'll go straight to his head."

Hinata quizzed Kenma about their group. He learned that Oikawa wasn't actually the man in charge, but was taking orders from someone else that had stayed back in their main base. Neither Kenma nor Kuroo would tell Hinata his name. He also learned that they had tracked Suga down, as their leader desperately wanted a seer among his ranks.

"You mean he wants to own a seer," Suga said derisively, looking down at the ground. Kuroo set his mouth in a hard line, nodding but looking very displeased. Kenma sighed but didn't say anything.

Hinata was confused. Suga was the only seer he had met in his entire life, but everyone had treated him with respect and courtesy. It had never seemed like anyone looked down on Suga for his abilities, or thought less of him. He voiced his confusion and earned a sad smile from Suga.

"I was very lucky in our town, Hinata. They didn't fear my abilities, and so they treated me like an equal and were kind. Very few people actually think that way. Seers are feared, and so are prizes to be won once they are broken." Suga's face was darkening quickly. Hinata recognized the look and realized they were quickly treading into Suga's past.

"Suga-san..." he began, but stopped himself when he noticed Suga was no longer listening to him, too deep in his own memories.

They remained silent for several minutes. Hinata would often look back to check on Suga, only to see him staring down, eyes unfocused and jaw set firmly. Kenma and Kuroo looked solemn, their faces mirroring how Hinata was feeling. More questions plagued his mind, but he knew better than to ask them.

Hinata wasn't sure how much time had passed, but Iwaizumi once again caught his attention by raising his hand high into the air. All around him, horses and their riders came to a stop and people began dismounting. In small groups, riders led their horses to a small nearby pond to give them water and a rest.

After their horses were cared for, Hinata pulled Kenma aside to ask his most burning question. "Kenma, if your leader was so set on Suga-san, why am I here too? Why bring me along?"

Kenma's face remained blank. "I don't know. Oikawa must have thought you were important."

The finality of his tone told Hinata that the conversation was closed, and Kenma wouldn't give him more information on the subject, so he let it drop.

Kuroo was chatting quietly with Suga, having pulled him back out of his thoughts. Hinata was a little annoyed he hadn't been the one to do so, since he had known Suga the longest. Kenma seemed to understand his thoughts.

"As a magician, Kuroo has also been subjected to some terrible discrimination too. They seem to have a bond through that and can support each other. I wouldn't take it personally," Kenma said thoughtfully.

Hinata hadn't even thought about that. He was only just starting to realize how privileged and how sheltered he had been growing up in a kind and accepting town. The idea that the two men before him were hated and feared by the majority of the population was so foreign to him, he couldn't wrap his head around it.

As he and Kenma made their way back to Kuroo and Suga, Kuroo was tackled from behind.

"Bro! What the hell, man?" Kuroo exclaimed, reaching back to toss his attacker off of him, dropping to a knee and throwing him to the ground. Bokuto grinned up at him from his place on the ground, laughing.

Kuroo extended a hand down to Bokuto and pulled him to his feet, also grinning. "What's the plan, Bo?" Kuroo asked.

"Oiks says we're heading home. As the crow flies, it'd be a few days maybe, so we're about two months out," Bokuto replied, looking excited. "It'll be great to go home!"

Then he caught sight of Suga and Hinata, who had moved to hover at Suga's elbow. His expression fell. "But I guess that means you guys will be taken away."

Whatever had been about to come out of Hinata's mouth died on his tongue. Just over two months until... what? He had no idea what would happen after they reached their destination.

"What will happen to us?" Suga asked, straightening his posture and hiding Hinata behind his body even more.

Kuroo answered that one. "You'll be taken to our leader. From there..." Kuroo trailed off, leaving everyone to fill in the blank. Hinata shivered.

"And Hinata?" Suga asked. "What will happen to him?"

Kuroo shrugged. "Oikawa deemed him important enough to keep alive. If our leader agrees, then he'll be used wherever his strengths see fit. If not, he'll be killed."

The silence that followed was telling of Kuroo, Kenma, and Bokuto's thoughts on the matter, and that none of them were happy with the likely outcome. Hinata was starting to think the three of them actually liked the two captives.

Bokuto easily broke the tension moments later. "Ooh! Sawamura's squadron is here, let's go say hi!" he said, sounding very excited. He grabbed Suga's arm and tugged him along, Hinata trailing after. Kuroo sent a weary smile and an eye roll after them.

"Who's Sawamura?" Hinata asked as they walked, Suga having wrestled his arm back from Bokuto's grasp.

"He's the captain of the soldiers and is in charge of our defence. If Kenma was the one doing introductions, he would've introduced him as Daichi," Bokuto explained.

As they approached the newcomers, Suga's eyes narrowed and his face set into a grimace. Hinata recalled that morning, when Suga had pointedly ignored the captain.

Hinata also set his face into a hard expression.

Daichi was essentially the same height as Suga, but was built much heavier. He had a broad chest and shoulders, big arms and legs, and wore a war-weary expression on his face. His uniform was all black with heavy black boots, a sword strapped to his hip and a bow and quiver of arrows across his back.

"Sawamura!" Bokuto exclaimed, extending his arms outward and grinning. Daichi looked up from some papers another man was holding and acknowledged Bokuto with a nod before turning back to the papers.

"Thanks, Ennoshita, if you could relay those to Oikawa I'd really appreciate it," Daichi said to the man, who nodded and took his leave.

"How are things going, big boss man?" Bokuto asked, still grinning. Daichi sighed and ran a hand through his close-cropped hair.

"Long night, Bo, long night." It was only then that he seemed to catch sight of Suga and Hinata, trailing behind Bokuto. His expression shifted immediately, eyes widening and looking startled. Hinata wasn't sure if that was because of the death glare Suga was pinning Daichi with or because of the menacing aura emanating from him. Likely both.

"Sawamura, these are the guys we picked up last night, Sugawara and Hinata," Bokuto said quickly.

"You're the-" Before Daichi could finish his sentence, Suga pounced, expression murderous. He landed one punch across Daichi's mouth before Daichi grabbed Suga's other fist, trying to hold him in place. Suga kicked out, spinning in motions Hinata hadn't ever seen the man do before. Suga could fight.

Daichi was still an army captain, though, and soon spun Suga around to press Suga's back against his chest, gripping his wrists in his hands and subduing him. Hinata moved to help Suga, but was grabbed from behind and held in place.

Bokuto rushed forward to pull Suga away from Daichi, gripping Suga's arms behind his back. Suga wasn't done yet, though.

"You killed them." There was no hesitation in his voice, only anger and hatred. "You slaughtered my town. And for what?"

Bokuto wrestled Suga away, leaving a shocked Daichi and a terrified Hinata behind. He had never heard Suga talk like that to anyone, ever. Suga was always diplomatic when it came to conflict, but this was something else entirely. This Suga was downright murderous.

"Are you alright, Sawamura-san?" the man restraining Hinata asked.

Daichi spat blood onto the grass. "Fine, I'm fine," Daichi replied, still looking at the space Suga and Bokuto had occupied not long before.

Hinata was roughly pushed away from the man, and he turned to see Kageyama standing there, looking down at him. "Go back to Kuroo-san, and don't let anyone catch you away from him ever again."

Hinata stared him down for a moment. He couldn't be any older than Hinata, but he carried himself like an adult. Hinata quickly came to the conclusion that this guy was an asshole. Hinata mustered up his most menacing look for Kageyama before he stalked back in the direction they had come from.

Kenma was kneeling beside Suga when he returned, prodding gently at Suga's ribs.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Kuroo was saying, watching as Suga's face contorted with pain. "What were you thinking?"

Suga didn't reply, but helped Kenma lift his shirt to inspect his side further.

"Suga-san?" Hinata asked, his voice a little timid. Suga looked up at him and his face instantly softened.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry-" Suga hissed through his teeth as Kenma readjusted the bandages encircling his torso. "I didn't mean to scare you."

His Suga was back, nurturing and kind, but Hinata wasn't satisfied. Suga was babying him, like he had when Hinata had first arrived in his care, and Hinata definitely did not need to be babied.

"I'm not a child, Suga-san," Hinata said, crossing his arms.

Suga looked surprised for a moment before smiling gently. "No, you're not. Sorry, Hinata."

Hinata crouched down beside Kenma to inspect Suga's injuries. "You put up a fight when they first came to the house, didn't you?"

Suga laughed. "Nothing gets by you. I did, after the one guy punched you in the face I fought tooth and nail to get us out of there, but Iwaizumi was a lot stronger than me, and Bokuto and Kuroo a lot bigger."

"We didn't do that, though!" Bokuto said, nodding towards Suga's ribs. "Iwaizumi accidentally threw him against the table and did some damage."

"Who punched me, then?" Hinata asked.

"A guy we call Mad-Dog, you haven't seen him since, but he's Oikawa's first line of defence. He left before you came to last night," Kuroo replied.

Kenma stood up then, clicking his tongue and looking annoyed. "I shouldn't have let you ride. The only thing for your ribs is rest, and you can't get that through riding. Now that you've fought with Daichi, they're even worse. I'll go talk to Oikawa about putting you in a wagon."

He was gone in an instant, leaving Suga on the ground looking frustrated.

"I feel like an invalid," Suga muttered. "I can self-diagnose..."

"While you're here, you're under Kenma's care, though I'm sure he'd love to learn from you," Kuroo said, grinning. "There's some things you can only learn through experience and time."

Kenma returned a few minutes later, looking even more annoyed. "He's making you ride until we camp tonight, as a punishment for trying to fight Daichi. He doesn't care about what will happen if we don't let your ribs heal, dammit."

"Oikawa seems like a very smart man," Suga said, grimacing as he stood up. "I have a feeling he knows exactly what he's doing."

When they mounted their horses again, Hinata watched as Suga made sure to sit tall and proud, his gaze fixed directly on Oikawa. Oikawa spared them one glance, his mouth curving up into a smile when he met Suga's eyes, but otherwise ignored them.

They rode until late into the afternoon, until their campsite was declared and people started preparing for the night. Hinata hung back from helping, well aware of Kageyama's threat and sticking close to Kuroo. He watched with interest as fires were built and lit, water retrieved, and horses cared for, and then when the wagons arrived he watched the tents go up and food cooked.

Kuroo and Hinata set up a tent by themselves, the rest of the soldiers steering clear of the magician and seer that sat nearby, being tended to by Kenma. Hinata helped move Suga into the tent, so he could start his rest immediately. A soldier named Yamaguchi brought them food, only speaking to Kenma before leaving the tent as quickly as possible.

Kuroo brought Hinata with him when he left the tent to get orders. Hinata's eyes widened as they approached a simple looking tent. Kuroo pushed the flap aside and made his way in, holding it open for Hinata behind him.

He hadn't expected Oikawa to be living in such modesty. Hinata hadn't heard much about higher-ups in the military, but he did know most preferred a lavish and comfortable lifestyle. However, Oikawa's tent looked very much the same as his own, just with maps and papers littering the floor and several people inside.

"Kuroo!" Oikawa greeted them from his place on the floor, where he sat with his right leg extended before him and the other folded. Then, "And Chibi-chan?"

Kuroo rolled his eyes and sat down between Bokuto and Daichi. Hinata sent Daichi a glare as he sat down behind Kuroo. "Kageyama's orders. He's supposed to follow me everywhere I go, apparently."

"That's not what I-" Kageyama began, stepping forward from the corner he was standing in, but Oikawa shushed him.

"I don't care who he's with as long as he's not alone and wandering around the camp. So, to business."

Bokuto and Daichi gave reports on their position and the state of the soldiers and the caravan, both topics leading to very little discussion. Then Oikawa turned to Kuroo.

"How is our seer? He's rather refreshing, don't you think?" Oikawa asked. "He's been sassing me all day, even with bruised ribs!"

"Bruised ribs?" Daichi asked, looking concerned.

"Hmm? Oh, bruised or broken, Kenma's not sure. Iwa-chan did it accidentally when we apprehended them last night," Oikawa explained. "You're a real brute, Iwa-chan."

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes.

"And he's been riding a horse?" Daichi asked, alarm in his voice.

Kuroo sent him a look. "Sugawara really needs to go in a wagon tomorrow, the swelling is even worse tonight after his fight with Sawamura. Kenma is getting worried."

Oikawa pursed his lips. "Fine, but you and Kenma still have to ride with Chibi-chan. We'll put Mr. Refreshing in one of the semi-free wagons. Sawamura and his squadron can make sure he doesn't escape."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Bokuto asked. "I mean, Sugawara did try to fight Sawamura."

"It'll be an opportunity for you to show him who's boss, Sawamura. Besides," Oikawa's expression darkened, and he nearly spat the next words. "Our darling leader wants him broken by the time we get there."

Hinata's eyes widened at the implications of that. They were supposed to break Suga's spirit even before they reached their destination?

But he was taken aback by the response from the group. Oikawa looked angry, to say the least, as if the words he had just said were the opposite of what he wanted. Maybe they were, Hinata thought. Iwaizumi gripped the fabric of his pants tightly, jaw locked in a grimace. Kuroo sighed and looked down to the ground, frowning, while Bokuto ran a hand through his hair. Kageyama didn't say anything, but his posture stiffened. Daichi's face hardened, looking grim, but he nodded stiffly.

No one said anything against it, though.

After a minute of silence, Oikawa fixed his gaze on Hinata. "And you, Chibi-chan, what are we going to do with you?"

All eyes turned to him.

"I don't know," Hinata said quietly, "though you must have something in mind if I've made it this far."

Oikawa grinned. "You're a special one, Chibi-chan, even if you don't know it yet."

Kuroo and Hinata stood up to leave not long after, but Hinata paused before they exited the tent.

"You won't break Suga-san," Hinata said, feeling brave. "He's stronger than that."

They left the tent then. The sky dark and the camp slowing down, only pairs of soldiers patrolled the border of the camp, and it was silent other than the occasional noise from a horse.

Suga was asleep when they returned; Kenma had given him something to help him sleep after he realized Suga hadn't slept at all the previous night. Hinata stretched out beside his mentor while Kenma and Kuroo settled down just outside the tent, speaking quietly to each other.

When Hinata put out the lantern inside the tent, he could see them silhouetted against the fabric. Kuroo was comforting Kenma, his arm around Kenma's shoulders while he curled into Kuroo's side. Hinata heard Kuroo whisper "We'll be okay, they'll be okay, I'll keep you safe," before Hinata drifted off into sleep and away from their conversation.


Notes: Thank you so much for all of the love you've been giving this story! It really makes my day to see people enjoying it and it inspires me to write more!

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