Chapter 11: It Can Wait

Only a few hours passed after the end of the attack. The sounds of insects and nocturnal creatures wasted no time to fill the eerie silence once the danger passed. Eventually, even those nighttime prowlers retired as the sun peaked over the trees. Both Natsuki and Shizuru were told to retire to Natsuki's den, but they could hardly manage a few more hours of sleep.

They were restless despite the night's hardships and the rays of sunlight breaking into the cave did little to help them. Natsuki shuffled left and right on her bed as comfortably as possible with her leg brace on, mumbling incoherently. Shizuru lay perfectly still on her bedroll on the ground, staring at the ceiling, thinking. With all that happened she wondered if it was high time to send a progress letter back to Artai.

Suddenly, the younger woman sprang upright, "That's it. I can't sleep anymore. We need to get out of this cave."

"Ara, me neither." Shizuru yawned rather ungracefully. She tried to get up and grimaced, "Ouch…" Her body ached all over, as if she had ran across the border of Artai for the start of the summer festival. She might as well have.

"Hurts doesn't it?"

"Mhm," the knight nodded and took it slowly. She eventually made it to her feet and sat in the alcove of Natsuki's bed, "How are you feeling, Natsuki?"

"Better than before," she grinned a toothy grin, "I just wish my leg wasn't like this…" Natsuki looked down with a frown. She felt restricted with her leg mangled. Limping around with a cane would surely make her look pathetic in front of the others, but she wanted to take a walk into the village. Especially given the state of affairs after the attack, she wanted to see if anyone needed help, no matter how little.

"Your mother did say another day's rest you should be as good as new," Shizuru left her side to retrieve fresh bandages that Saeko gave her a few hours ago, "Let's get that changed so we get out of here."

Natsuki propped her leg on top a bundle of fabric and pulled back her pant leg. She crashed back onto the padding beneath her head, "Go ahead,"

The knight unraveled the old bandages to reveal the discolored flesh beneath. The injury seemed to make progress since the previous night, however. The gashes were not nearly as deep and the swelling around her broken ankle lessened. If she looked carefully, Shizuru felt like she could witness the wounds mending itself at its astonishing speed.

It was silent. Natsuki laid there across her bed, letting Shizuru do her work. She tried to ignore the cool, tickling sensation of Shizuru's hand holding up her foot; her other hand rubbing ointment on her wounds. Soon, the splints came out and the knight reworked the bandages around her leg, "Is that too tight?"

"No, that's perfect," Natsuki replied. She waited for Shizuru to tighten the final knot before lifting herself up, "Thanks, Shi—"

They both paused, the breath stolen from their lungs. As Natsuki propped herself on her elbows, Shizuru was just reaching over to grab the soiled bandages. Now, the knight's mind swam with incoherent thoughts. Natsuki flushed an all too familiar shade. The girl stared right at her, their noses barely an inch from touching.

"Uh… Shizuru, why—"

She moved in as smoothly and fluidly as water. The knight's hands reached up to cup Natsuki's face, pulling her in. Their lips touched. A moment of calm. A blissful wind.

The few moments that passed were interrupted when the wolf pulled back, confused and flustered, "W—What was that?" She whispered, holding a hand up to her lips.

Shizuru stared, baffled by Natsuki's question, "It… was a kiss?"

Oh… It was a kiss. The mechanisms in Shizuru's brain began to work again. She realized what she had done and she didn't know what was worse; the fact Natsuki was confused, or the fact she barely seemed bothered by what happened. Sure her face was beet red, but Natsuki's voice stayed calm and cool as ice. Shizuru wanted to run and never come back, but her legs froze her in place, forcing her to face the matter at hand. She lowered her head, "I apologize, Natsuki. I wasn't thinking…"

Instantly, Natsuki sat fully upright, inching forward as much as her leg permitted, "No, no! Don't apologize," she assured in an oddly soft tone, "I just didn't know… well, I had an idea, but I thought I was imagining it…" For a very long time now, Natsuki had her suspicions about Shizuru's attraction to her. The way she acted around her as time passed, the sound of her heart from a few feet away if she listened carefully; it was all there. The other night in the cave only confirmed her suspicions further.

A defeated sigh escaped Shizuru's lips and she couldn't help but smile, "Ara, that obvious?" she sat there, half-turned from Natsuki. Quite embarrassed, she held a hand in front of her mouth and muttered, "I don't suppose Natsuki could possibly feel the same…?"

The wolf looked down, "I don't know. It's… complicated. Or would be complicated," she said quietly, "A human and a wolf, the laws of this pack, I'm not sure it would end well,"

Although the answer was around what she expected, Shizuru's stomach still fell, "Is anything going to change after this?"

"You mean between us?" Shizuru nodded, "No, of course not. You're still my friend,"

"I'm relieved," the knight managed a smile, "I don't need to find a new cave to live in?"

"No new caves needed," Natsuki smirked as she threw her legs over the edge of the bedding. She reached for the crutch leaning against the wall and Shizuru retrieved it for her.

"Shall we get going?" The older woman wanted nothing more than to forget what just happened for the moment. Although it hurt slightly, she'd take their continued friendship over anything.

Natsuki grabbed onto the crutch and used it to lift herself up, "One thing first…"

"Hm?"

Shizuru's eyes widened and her world was thrown into panic and confusion once again as Natsuki stepped closer. The gorgeous woman's face neared hers until she thought they would share yet another kiss. With how warmly her breath tickled her lips, they may as well already have. What happened to complicated? Shizuru tensed and closed her eyes, brows furrowed nervously. She waited and waited but all she felt was a soft nose pressed lightly against her own. Peeking briefly, the knight saw Natsuki, with a broad smile and blissfully closed eyes, rubbing their noses together adorably.

Her heart practically leapt.

"This is how we kiss," the wolf chuckled and pressed her forehead against Shizuru's. The look she gave her borderlined innocence she hadn't seen in her before.

"I'm confused, Natsuki. What is going on?"

Natsuki looked away sadly, "I know I'm being confusing…" she tried to gather her words, but the wolf seemed as equally a mess as well. Instead she settled with saying, "Can we talk more about this later? I promise. We just need to get to seeing mother now."

"Y—Yes, of course," Shizuru said with an enthusiasm she hadn't possessed since they woke up. Although the thoughts of the morning would eat away at her all day, she tried to bear through it and take what good of it she could. She hurriedly gathered their weapons and bags around the room while Natsuki stepped outside to wait. An odd skip was in her steps, but Shizuru brushed it off as just a limp from her injuries.

Her mind raced. So much had happened in the past two days alone. The argument they had, the attack, and their night in the shelter. Ever since Natsuki recovered from her poisoning a few hours ago, the way she treated her differently. A pleasant different that she hoped would last. Helpless to what was around them the other night, Shizuru could not help but feel the same feeling return after such a brief respite. Only now, the helplessness came from the girl right outside the mouth of the cave.

The kiss started all this, but the affectionate nuzzle from the wolf made her a jumbled mess. So did those sad eyes after Natsuki acknowledged the confusion she just caused. Shizuru knew something between a shapeshifter and a human could not possibly amount to anything. Or could it? Has it happened before? Has anyone even tried? Did she like her or not?

So many mixed signals. So many unknowns. It was beginning to drive Shizuru crazy in the few moments she scanned the room for anything they may have forgotten for their day out.

Glancing over at the low stone table against the wall, the knight spotted the unfinished map of the forest she brought with her. Suddenly, it reminded her why she came here; peace. It was a task so easily forgotten when she had given her entire being to the ways of the people she currently resided with. She became so infatuated with this girl and her people. In the short time she spent with these people, Shizuru already desired to belong and desired to be with Natsuki. Her own responsibility to her own people was beginning to fade.

Ara, I feel like I'm losing my way here, Shizuru sighed and rubbed the back of her head, I came here to make peace, falling in love with one of the leader's daughter will only complicate things. She decided to leave the unfinished map behind where it belonged. They trusted her not to tell anyone where the village was located. Once peace was made, that could be a job for another.

Shizuru slung her naginata across her back and turned tail towards the exit. Natsuki waited outside long enough. The knight figured whatever thoughts she had towards her duty to Artai could wait a little longer. Everyone out there can wait.

A/N: Here's the update as promised! I'm sorry if it's shorter compared to the other chapters. I wanted to use this time to get used to writing this story again and remember everything I had planned from this point on. I hope you guys like it, I'll try to update again soon :)