Chapter 9: Poison
In the silence with faces lightly flushed pink, they could not help but try to avoid eye contact. Natsuki was in a better spot while Shizuru's face was just inches away from being able to nestle into Natsuki's shoulder. Her breath tickled the skin there and Natsuki blushed a darker shade and continued to keep quiet. She stared ahead at the wall of dirt from their little hole and let out a quiet breath. Shizuru, being as close as she was, had nowhere to look but towards Natsuki's shoulder. Or lower.
She pushed back the slight urge to let her eyes fall a bit lower from Natsuki's shoulder, quickly chastising herself in her mind. Shizuru forced her eyes to fixate themselves to where the strands of drying blue hair rested in a clumpy mess around the wolf's neck.
Still… she really was warm, like resting next to a fireplace in the middle of a cold winter day. Comfortable. Secure. Shizuru wanted to get closer, but following her better judgement she stayed frozen in place. It was best to avoid freaking out the girl who seemed immensely fidgety and embarrassed already. Still, seeing Natsuki like this is rather cute. The way Natsuki's eyes had soften, her canine softly biting down on her lip.
But was it really that normal for her to be this warm? She never noticed her temperature before. Not once. It was almost as though Natsuki had somewhat of a low fever. Shizuru shifted her body upwards so that their faces met and rested the back of her hand on the wolf's forehead.
For a moment Shizuru wasn't concentrating on Natsuki's temperature, but her gradually reddening face, her eyes—just her. Shizuru outwardly looked as though she was spacing out. Internally she was panicking, What am I doing? Oh gods she's just beautiful, what is wrong with me?
Shizuru in all honesty knew there was absolutely nothing wrong with her. It was not an issue of sexuality. She knew of her attraction to females since her early teen years. She was old enough, experienced enough, and had the sense enough to know when she found herself fancying another woman. Being a knight, one that travelled often no less, her romances were often fickle—coming and going like the phases of the moon.
This isn't—can't be right… Anyone else would have been fine. I think I may actually like this girl…. Shizuru, knowing herself, could only wonder if it was just that—a fickle fancy—or an actual crush. And one that may last. She could not tell just yet, but Shizuru did indeed feel her general fascination of the girl and her kind was evolving to more than just that. And while she still had an interest in her people, Natsuki had shifted to the center of the knight's attention.
Natsuki put a hand over Shizuru's, snapping her out of her internal ramblings, "I'm not sick, Shizuru," She gently lowered the knight's hand from her forehead. She placed it resting on the space between them.
"When can I tell then?" Shizuru asked, looking down at her hand.
"We don't get sick often. Your hand would have been red and burning. Painfully." Natsuki said simply. Shizuru remained silent, thinking it made sense. The wolves' bodies seemed to be several degrees warmer. A temperature higher than that felt extremely difficult to deal with no matter what creature you were. Natsuki hesitated for a moment, "It is a good thing you worry at least. It is indeed something to be very concerned about."
A pit formed in Shizuru's stomach and she had to ask, "Ara, what do you mean, Natsuki?"
"Orphan blood is dangerous to us if a good amount gets in contact with our blood. Getting it on our skin is fine, you know it just burns. Ingesting it is fine, too, but it makes us nauseous…" Natsuki's expression contorted for a moment in disgust. Shizuru could imagine it was safe since the shifters used their claws and teeth—their fur opposed to skin protected them from the burning effects of the blood. But the sudden notice of the orphans' toxicity to the shifters was alarming. "I don't know it as well as the healers may, but it destroys us from the inside. Fever is the first sign," Natsuki explained. Her face was grave, giving Shizuru the implication that she was in danger of getting the fever at any point in the future—or even now.
The possibility terrified her. Through her studies at the castle over the years and Natsuki's description, Shizuru felt the blood of orphans acted as a sort of hemotoxin to the shape shifters, destroying their blood and tissue. For humans it simply burned and the knight knew blood-to-blood contact had no adverse effects other than just that—burning. Shizuru raised herself on her elbows at the possible danger to Natsuki's own life, "What else?"
Averting her gaze, Natsuki continued, "Then delusions, seizures… rabidity, then death." She finished her sentence in a whisper, "We're natural enemies. And this is what they've adapted to fight us."
"Is there no way to fight it once the fever develops?"
"Some can sweat out the fever depending on the amount of… poison." Natsuki answered, "But if it's too strong or went on too long a healer is the only chance one has. It's too late once you become rabid."
"What happens then?"
"If they don't die soon afterwards, the Guides take matters in their hands," the wolf was visibly uncomfortable, but more dissatisfied at the horror slowly growing on Shizuru's countenance. Already too far into the subject, she had to continue and finish up, "They execute them…"
The responsibility the Guides had to the lives of their pack members, their family and friends, was too great. To even be responsible for the decision of their own end when they had no choice—Shizuru could not do it. In Saeko and Gouu's long lifespan they may have had to take the life of a person who had fallen to fever several times. The very idea of Natsuki's own parents taking the life of their child, should she fall to such a condition, was not something the knight could stomach. Not a responsibility she wanted with her own soldiers. "That is… terrible…." was all she could utter.
"It is a terrible responsibility, but I think it's a necessary one." Natsuki shifted slightly, feeling her arm fall asleep, "I feel completely fine right now. But I won't let a fever kill me now or ever. I would fight it until I conquer it." Her voice was confident rather than weak. It assured the knight immensely despite the severity of the poison. No matter what would happen in the next few hours, days, months, or years, Natsuki's vitality wouldn't fail her.
Shizuru was beginning to feel exhausted from the day, but managed to crack a small smile, "Good. Natsuki isn't allowed to die for another few hundred years."
A chuckle. The small sparkle that glinted in the emerald eyes that looked up at her made the knight's chest hammer a little harder, "Same goes to you, Shizuru."
"Ara, I'll certainly try my best in the hundred years I have."
Indeed it was a slightly depressing thought to Natsuki that humans lived significantly shorter lives than her own kind. However she just accepted it as just the way the gods had it made. She wanted to stray from the depressing topic of poison, fever, and death. The little laughter and smiles earlier helped draw her mind from her wounds, but the wolf couldn't find any words to continue. They stayed silent for some time, both in their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Natsuki began, "Shizuru?"
"Yes, Natsuki?"
"Thank you for saving me." Natsuki's eyes met her again this time, soft and sincere, "Not once but twice."
"You do not need to thank me, Natsuki." Shizuru told her. She then thought back to the incident between them earlier when the attack just started. By this time the matter hardly bothered her, given the more important problems at hand. Still, she had to ask, "Does Natsuki really think I'm that weak?"
Natsuki sighed, knowing this would come up eventually. She shook her head, "Of course not. I didn't mean to make it sound that way, I—"she paused, "I'm sorry, Shizuru." It took obvious effort for her to apologize, but Shizuru could tell she meant it. Natsuki said once again, "I'm sorry. You are not weak and you do not need to prove yourself. You have done much of it today…. I just didn't want you getting hurt on my watch. Now I'm the one hurt and the reason we're stuck here…."
So Natsuki was concerned for me, that's why. Shizuru instantly felt peace return to her. The wolf flinched slightly when Shizuru poked her on the forehead. She seemed afraid for just a moment, but still looked up at Shizuru with somewhat of a curious gaze. Shizuru just showed a smile at the face and the fact she had her full attention. All of it. "Don't worry about it, Natsuki. It's okay and we will be okay."
Natsuki returned a small smile now that she knew Shizuru didn't hold a grudge over the earlier dispute. "Okay then." Natsuki gave a slight nod to accompany her smile, "So I know this area… and how to get out. We can leave by morning if we aren't found by then…"
She already had a map formed in her mind and all the possible routes in case of any obstructions. Natsuki trailed off at the sound of Shizuru hushing her before she continued on, "It sounds like a good plan. Just be quiet and rest for now, Natsuki." Shizuru whispered, her honey-coated voice soothing the girl. "Close your eyes and rest."
Her voice is like a spell… I feel so relaxed, Natsuki was beginning to feel the weight of fatigue brought about by the day and her injuries. It was getting hard to stay awake and Shizuru's voice brought warmth to her chest and security to her consciousness. She could drop her guard. She could rest. Natuski found herself wondering why she was feeling so willing to submit to the knight's request. Since entering the cave she had been more docile than normal, so much more attentive to Shizuru's words and actions than normal. Through fluttering eyelids, Natsuki told her, "You get some rest, too."
"I will, Natsuki."
Just like that, Natsuki's eyes closed and she immediately drifted off to sleep. Although she assured her she would rest, Shizuru's body refused to. The girl's tranquil sleeping face was enough to bring peace to the knight, but not enough to soothe an instinct. A very primitive one. It told her to stay awake, listen to the sounds outside, and protect the slumbering girl next to her. A slight breeze entered the cave and brushed over the hole they laid in. Shizuru shivered and inched just a little closer to the warmth of the girl beside her.
"Be careful over there, that area is slippery!" Aoi shouted from across the ridge descending down into the small gorge. She controlled her feet's movement and the position of her upper body as she slid down the rock face. Her feet were half-shifted to those of her beast form for its paw pads and claws' better traction. She stopped at one flat area to spot the next person coming down the ridge after her, "We don't need any more injured as it is." She said more to herself than the rest of the search party. Returning to the village earlier, there were numerous casualties—more injured than dead—and the possibility of Natsuki and Shizuru being among them ate at her insides. Reito was not in good condition when they returned, but Aoi took peace in knowing he was currently in the treatment of a healer.
The moon hung in the sky still full and high, lighting the way through the darkness and illuminating places that would otherwise be missed. Once gathered, Aoi and the other leaders began the descent deeper into the gorge, carefully, carefully until they reached flat ground. The rain had dissipated, leaving nothing but a humid air weighing down on their lungs and sticking to their skin.
The group split among the area and began their search. Some more focused on the search itself, some on the surroundings and guarding the party. No one present could see or sense the presence of orphans in the vicinity—hardly surprising since the main horde retreated so suddenly. They took no chances and kept silent, only occasionally shouting Shizuru and Natsuki's names.
The party worked their way along the river and approached the area of the cave. Aoi felt an instinctive tug at her mind. She had a feeling they were close. She knew it. Peering upwards at the top of the small gorge she could deduce their location to where they previously fought, and where the pair fell down. There were no obvious signs Aoi could see other than their location. Any blood and scent were washed away hours ago.
Looking about, her attention was drawn to a young man who entered the hunting cave and searched inside. She felt hopeful as he entered, but immediately frowned as he came out just a few moments later shaking his head.
"Let me look," Aoi sent him away and entered the cave. Light barely penetrated inside, but her vision was keen enough to grant her sight through the darkness.
She felt her friends much closer than before and pressed forward, cautious in case of any unforeseen danger—which, at this point, she should have felt. Finally, taking one last step, the young brunette spotted Shizuru's head poking out of a small hole. The knight had succumbed to fatigue momentarily and fell asleep for a few seconds. In that moment she took no notice of the first man who entered the cave and missed their well camouflaged hole. Aoi's face lit up and she ran forward, dropping to her knees at the edge, "Shizuru! Natsuki!" Very groggily, Shizuru sat up, covering her torso with her arms at the touch of the chilly air. She scarcely had time to react when Aoi threw her arms around her in a tight hug. Pulling back with her hands on either side of Shizuru's arms, Aoi shouted over her shoulder, "Bring over some dry clothes! I found them!"