Chapter 10: One of Us
A relieved sigh escaped the members of the search party entering the cave. Their uncensored, loud footsteps woke up Shizuru as they approached and she sluggishly propped herself up on one elbow. She winced slightly, feeling her muscles and bones ache all over, "Ara, Aoi, I was wondering when you would come." She managed to crack a small smile through the veil of sleep and fatigue. She sure felt glad their visitors in the cave weren't hostile or else she wouldn't have had the energy to fight back.
"Of course I would come. I couldn't just leave you," Aoi grinned, turned over her shoulder, and shouted, "I found them! Bring over some dry clothes! Are you two alright?" She returned her attention to Shizuru, bending over to check her for any injuries. A female party member rushed in with a bag of clean, dry clothes in which they handed to Shizuru.
"We're okay, but Natsuki… She's hurt." Shizuru did not mind the worried prodding from Aoi. She clutched the bundle of clothes close and looked down at Natsuki's mangled leg. Aoi's eyes followed its direction to observe her best friend's wounds, wondering if there was anything she could do to treat those wounds that Shizuru has not done yet. There wasn't. The knight placed a hand on Natsuki's shoulder—she felt warmer than the previous hour—and gently shook, "Natsuki? Natsuki wake up."
Grumbling at the first shake, it took a few more tries to awaken the girl. With a deeper grumble, Natsuki lifted her upper body with her elbows. She looked up at the two, eyes cloudy. Aoi felt a pit form in her stomach. Something was wrong at this point, "Aoi..!" Natsuki grinned weakly at the familiar sight of her friend. Her voice was rough and breathes nearly labored. The short moments of silence was filled in the soft sounds of Natsuki's chest rising and falling with strenuous effort. Shizuru, too, felt the sudden urgency Aoi had felt when she saw the symptoms.
They allowed no time for Natsuki to talk again. Aoi swiftly stepped in the two foot hole and took a set of clothes from Shizuru. The rough, borderline vicious, action caught Shizuru off guard and she instantly backed away from the wolves to give them space, "Get dressed Shizuru, we need to get her home quickly." Shizuru immediately pulled on the tunic and trousers, already feeling the clothes trap in some heat, "You know right?" Aoi glance at her and grumbled uncharacteristically.
"Know what…?" Natsuki mumbled, oblivious of her situation. Delirious.
Shizuru nodded, concerned at the obvious and rapid development of fever and infection Natsuki warned her about earlier, "It's what I feared…" She somehow felt responsible for it, being unable to treat it better earlier. She could have left the cave, found dry sticks to start a fire, and dry up their clothes and rags to clean Natsuki's wound. She could have tried something to help Natsuki more. Aoi sensed the knight's internal blame game and shook her head.
"You did your best with what you could use. Don't blame yourself for her condition." She then picked up a clothed and protesting Natsuki in her arms with great ease and left the cave. Struggling with one last tug at a leather boot, Shizuru grabbed her naginata and quickly followed after her, "Move out!" Aoi barked, voice riding closely to something inhuman.
A gigantic gray wolf bounded closer to Aoi, standing well over two feet of her height. He nodded in a silent exchange and she handed Natsuki over to him. Immediately after making sure he had a secure hold of her in his large arms, he took off ahead of them and into the direction of the village. Half of the party escorted him.
Shizuru couldn't take her eyes off the departing group, off Natsuki, until they merged into the shadows. As soon as she looked back at Aoi, the brunette was already shifted as well, pelt shining brilliantly in the moonlight. Aoi's concern and drive to protect someone akin to her family, however, drove her most primal instincts to the surface. She appeared wild and dangerous, but as she took the naginata from Shizuru's hands and picked up Shizuru, the movement was gentle and controlled. The knight braced herself for the disorienting speed they'd move, powerful legs pounding the earth beneath them, "Natsuki and Reito both are just a few of the people with fever…" Shizuru heard her friend mumble, "I hope Saeko and the others can save them all."
Aoi's speed left the rest of the party far behind her. Shizuru was not at all surprised when they caught up to the wolf carrying Natsuki back to the village. They were only a few miles out from the rim where Shizuru spotted sentries patrolling on all fours around the trees. Security was high and she needed no special powers to sense the tension around the village that instantly made her hackles raise. The knight hungered to jump out of Aoi's protective grip and go help.
Once side by side, they could hear the wolf murmuring to Natsuki, attempting to keep her awake. Shizuru could hardly see Natsuki's face from her angle and shouted over the ripple of wind past her ears, "How is Natsuki?"
"She's getting worse." He responded simply. Shizuru's heart sank, "Reito and the others however are stable after the Guide's treatment, and the same should go for her."
They neared the village and Aoi released Shizuru. Torchlights kept the paths illuminated. Looking around, the place was not nearly as crowded now. Hide tents by the large tree Gouu and Saeko lived in housed men and women in peculiar garbs healing the injured. Children and those not defending the village were far from the direction of the hoard, protected.
Shizuru approached the gray wolf holding Natsuki and relieved him so that he could join the guard post, taking Natsuki into her own arms. The girl was mumbling incoherently and Shizuru ignored the burning at her hands as well as her shoulder where Natsuki's head lay. Aoi didn't have to tell her that finding Saeko was the first priority. The knight thought of the first place to look and rushed over towards the large tree.
She dodged the warriors and hunters running back and forth from their posts and the tents, finally spotting Gouu at the tree's base. It felt as though he anticipated their arrival ever since he received word that both Natsuki and Shizuru were missing. But when he saw his daughter in Shizuru's arms his eyes widened. Shizuru squinted when he turned and opened… a door? At the base of the tree, the door opened into a hollowed portion of the tree and Gouu rushed her inside. Handcrafted lamps illuminated the inside to show padded bedding and an assortment of herbs and parchment paper that contained complex writings on the walls. Even Natsuki, hazy through her fever, looked up and about saying, "I forgot these types of trees are hollow inside… It's so cool…"
Gouu, without any warning, took Natsuki from the knight's arms and set her onto the padding. It was perhaps a parent's worst nightmare seeing their child in such a state, perhaps dying, "Come on pup, stay awake," He said lowly to her, resting a hand on her forehead. Very abruptly, he stood up and rushed past Shizuru, "Hold on, I'll get you mother!" In that moment Shizuru met eyes with him and, for the first time, she could understand their silent exchange—the understanding through the wolves' locked eyes she always observed. It was always something that made her doubt whether it was some silent language or a telepathic connection. Now she knew it was just purely feelings conveyed from one trusted person to the other, received, and understood from countless, countless interactions that bounded them. He nodded towards her with eyes that begged her, saying 'Please take care of my daughter' and Shizuru nodded back to say 'I will.'
The door slammed behind the knight and she set her naginata against the wall before kneeling beside Natsuki who sweated more than on a hot summer's day. A wash basin was only a few paces away, filled with fresh water. Shizuru reached over, knocking over a few small items in the process to grab the basin and wash cloths, "It's not much, but I'm going to try…" Shizuru said more to herself, wetting the cloth and tapping along Natsuki's exposed skin.
A small, weak chuckle. Natsuki looked up in one of her lucid moments, "Hey… you're trying at least." Her breaths were uneven, "It's not going to break the fever but it helps…"
Shizuru, despite the stress that made her blood pulse wildly, shot her a smile, which calmed Natsuki more than she knew, "I'm glad it does something." She left shortly to grab a few items, drawing a distressed, dog-like whine from the younger woman. Natsuki could not bear being away from another person right now. Very quickly, Shizuru grabbed what she needed—bandages, two flat pieces of wood, and ointment—and returned to Natsuki's side, "I'm here, Natsuki, don't worry. I'm just going to clean your wounds okay?"
"Okay…" Natsuki nodded and laid still. Shizuru took her mangled left leg and raised it just high enough to elevate it over a soft bedroll. This time, she made sure to cleanse Natsuki's wounds and make sure any trace of impurities was gone, using the ointment for infection. Eventually, she wrapped Natsuki's foot and leg and used the two flat pieces of wood to splint it. That way, she could at least prevent Natsuki from moving her foot.
As the knight secured the splints down, Saeko had rushed through the door, fumbling through a bag, "Natsuki!" the younger wolf seemed to smile weakly at her mother's sudden presence by her side, running her hand across her forehead. Saeko began murmuring something too low for Shizuru to understand, seeming to drone on in those whispers as she began to get to work, "Shizuru, keep her temperature down."
She wasted no time and grabbed the basin and cloth, setting herself at the other side of Natsuki. Saeko untied a small bundle from the bag at her shoulder, unfolding the covers to take out medicine that she proceeded to feed to Natsuki for the pain and fever. Natsuki willingly took the medicine, holding her mother's hands that held the cup of water that helped her swallow the mixture of herbs and ingredients. She swallowed perhaps a bit too fast and hacked and coughed a bit, "Not too fast, darling." Saeko whispered, allowing Natsuki to get situated before giving her a little more water.
After lowering the cup from her lips, Saeko ran the back of her hand across Natsuki's forehead, feeling the quelling heat, "How are you feeling?"
"A little better…" Natsuki managed to breath.
Saeko simply gave a smile and turned to Shizuru, "Thank you, for all your help, Shizuru. We truly owe you," She reached across and rested a hand on Shizuru's, the gesture catching the knight off guard, "I will take care of Natsuki. She's already starting to recover. Can you go outside and help the guard? We're not sure if the hoard has passed yet."
"Of course."
Natsuki caught Shizuru's hand as the knight rose from her spot. Shizuru looked down and her eyebrows rose, giving Natsuki her full attention, "Be careful, Shizuru…" Her face was flushed from fever, perhaps a little more, and her eyes were coated in worry. She knew Shizuru was capable of fending for herself. And there would be plenty of other men and women beside her to fight if the hoard returned. Still, she couldn't help it.
"Ara, I'll be extra careful. You just get better, Natsuki." Shizuru smiled back and gave Natsuki's hand a gentle squeeze before placing down the rag.
"I will," the younger woman nodded.
At the door, Shizuru picked up her weapon and spared a glance at the mother and daughter before leaving. Shizuru did not know what to expect when she stepped foot outside. The feeling when they stepped into the village earlier seemed to shift in the few minutes Shizuru was inside helping Saeko. The heavy air seemed to weigh down on her shoulders instantly—everything was silent. She looked to the right to see the healers still tending to the injured, either burned by blood or mauled by orphans. They worked as silently as they could, almost in fear of being heard by what lurked in the nearby woods. The other side, under the cover of moonlight, was bodies of warriors and hunters laid to rest, eyes closed, and hands folded over their stomachs with their weapons still in hand.
She felt a lump form in her throat when she saw them. No one was around to grieve them right now. For all she knew, they did not have anyone in their final moments but the healers and the other injured still fighting to live. Friends and family were probably tucked away in a safe shelter, unaware yet if their loved ones fighting to protect their home were still alive. Shizuru didn't recognize any of the faces and was suddenly grateful Natsuki was not among them.
Taking a deep breath, Shizuru continued forward to Kazuya and Aoi gathered by a standing torch. They turned around with the shadows of the fire flickering across their skins, "Shizuru!" Aoi ran up to her, "How is she?"
"Much better," Shizuru gave her a reassuring smile, "Natsuki is with her mother right now."
A relieved sigh escaped Aoi and she smiled herself, "That's good to hear…"
"Can you tell me what's happening?" Shizuru leaned against her naginata, a little weary, but otherwise fine. She just couldn't wait until all of it was over.
"The last I was told, the hoard hasn't passed. There are many people dealing with them from the front."
"They're also asking for help from my own people nearby," Kazuya added, "Us felines don't have the numbers that wolves do, but we have the strength to help."
"Ara, and what do we do?"
"Sit and wait," Aoi sighed, sitting down near the circle of other warriors resting around the torch with their weapons in their laps, "We are the last to defend home if the men and women in the front fail."
Seeing Kazuya also settle down in the grass, cross-legged, Shizuru followed suit, "I don't like to wait."
Aoi chuckled and leaned back on her hands, "Take the time to rest, Shizuru. You deserve it after today. I am sure they have it controlled up there."
They sat there and the time passed painfully slow. Only a few hours until dawn. Shizuru would get up several times to check on Natsuki and Saeko. The last time she checked, Natsuki was fast asleep, already recovering quickly under her mother's watchful eye. Saeko looked utterly exhausted from the sessions of healing and leaned her back against the bed, often switching with Gouu so she could check on the other healers. Like everyone else, she fought the urge to fall asleep. Some warriors relieved each other to rest, but she and Gouu, as Guides, had to stay awake until the storm had passed—to tend to any emergencies, and deal with the aftermath of the attack.
With Natsuki asleep, Shizuru decided to leave the family be until the danger had passed. So far, there was no news from the front telling them the situation has changed. She didn't know whether to take it as good news, but considering the fighters were holding out she figured it was. Eventually the waiting broke down the walls of her soldier discipline and Shizuru began giving into the entire day's fatigue. Aoi noticed and told her she would wake her up if anything changed.
Everyone around her seemed to understand, knowing well that Shizuru and Natsuki had been through enough. The fact her body seemed to keep moving surprised them. Having permission to rest and making no objections, Shizuru hugged her naginata close and leaned against it as she hung her head down and closed her eyes.
Although, not the most comfortable position to sleep, she learned as a trainee that anything could be a pillow if you were tired enough. She felt herself drift off, but her body remained aware of what was around her. Conversations between Aoi, Kazuya, and the other warriors passed through her like a dream—talk about her, gossip about the cats fighting on the frontlines, why there had been such massive attacks lately.
"You know, Kazuya, what are your people like?" Aoi queried, "We never see your people around."
A laugh. "You're right we do seem to keep to ourselves," the young man rubbed the back of his head with a cheery grin, "It's a very carefree clan, but we wouldn't dare challenge the ruling family. They have been in power for hundreds of years now."
The brunette gave a thoughtful hum, "Everyone is under one power? Sounds strict."
"It's true we don't live like a family with people chosen for guidance like the wolves. Cats are solitary but our clan is different types of felines that came together generations ago to unite into a stronger community. Instead of fending for ourselves and dying off."
"Do you know if your leaders are up there fighting? Right now?"
"Unlikely. At least for the two heads of the family. I am sure they're at our village defending it from attacks as well," Kazuya shook his head, "Although I imagine they have sent their children. Strong, those two are."
"Hm… I think I know who you're talking about," Aoi leaned forward, elbows on her knees, "I feel like Natsuki has made mention of one of them before…"
A howl sounded in the distance, "Shizuru wake up!" Aoi jumped and reached over to shake her. The sounds echoing in the distance made the warriors perk up and Shizuru jolted awake.
"Ara, what is it?" Shizuru almost forgot where she was and rubbed her eyes.
"Sounds like something has changed!"
They gathered to the feet, listening and watching as a hunter broke through the treeline with a blood-covered weapon. With a fist raised in the air and wide grin, he shouted, "The hoard pulled back! We won!" Shizuru could not believe her ears. It was over. The men and women on the frontlines did well and they didn't even have to lift a finger. All the others stationed around the village began to gather closer, their faces brightening, "It's over, our warriors and hunters are coming home!"
Cheers filled the once quiet home of the wolves. Through the whooping and hollering, Saeko and Gouu began to emerge, supporting a conscious Natsuki between them. Everyone seemed to calm down at once and stopped, listening intently, "Bring out everyone so we may begin to mourn the fallen when the others return," Gouu spoke with a somber tone, looking across every face he has known through the years. Some of the faces in the crowd were missing; either out on the frontlines or resting eternally with the rest, "You've all done well in this crisis, but don't forget we still have much to do."
Their faces became serious and they each nodded and dispersed. Leaders gathered with Gouu to ask what needed to be done in particular. Saeko left to return to the healers and help with the warriors still clinging onto life. This left Natsuki, leaning on a staff as a crutch, as she approached Shizuru. She seemed to smile the brightest Shizuru had seen all day, "Natsuki looks much better," Shizuru tilted her head, hooking her arm under Natsuki's as a support, "But should you really be out of bed?"
"Nonsense, I wanted to see you," Natsuki chuckled as they slowly walked back to the tree base. She obviously struggled to move with the makeshift cast and winced. Shizuru caught her as she leaned forward and their faces met for a moment. Natsuki found it hard to, but she managed to look away and rubbed the back of her head, "You did well, Shizuru. You are one of us now, you know?"
Blinking several times, a bit disappointed Natsuki's face had left hers, Shizuru suddenly relaxed and smiled, "I'm glad." Her grip around Natsuki's waist tightened slightly and Natsuki's arm around her shoulder seemed to do the same as they smiled and headed inside.