"There is a girl in New York City, who calls herself the human trampoline. Sometimes when I'm falling, flying, tumbling in turmoil I say...'whoa...so this is what she means'" Paul Simon
Chapter Four
"So how far is it to the Sairou palace?" Toroki whined, once again readjusting his seat on the brown mare. It had been two hours and by this time his butt had fallen asleep, his legs had fallen asleep, and he was about to fall asleep. He could barely count the ten-minute break they had taken a half hour ago as much of a chance to rest, not that he needed a rest anyway. What he needed was a chance to use up all the energy that was building up in him like sodium under pressure.
Suzuno, still a novice when it came to horse riding, was the only one in earshot of him. Tatara and Subaru had ridden ahead, and though Suzuno could still see them as their horses plodded along the path, she couldn't hear what they were discussing. She lagged a few feet behind Toroki, her horse tossing his head occasionally as if annoyed by the slow, irregular pace they were taking. A part of her wanted to speed up to catch up with Tatara, but she was still too fearful of the powerful animal underneath her to ask it to go faster. This wasn't like a car, not that she had driven one of those either, this animal was unpredictable...it had a thinking, active mind, it wasn't a machine.
"I don't know..." she said finally, having to raise her voice and repeat herself to be heard over the clack of the horses hooves on gravel "I guess when we take another break we can ask them."
"Okay..." Toroki said uneasily, detaching one hand from the reins to pet the mare's soft white hair. The hair reminded him of Subaru's, the color and the feel of it, and he snickered evilly when he tugged on it a bit. Not to be mean to the horse, but it had become a way for him to hide his growing affection for Subaru, by playing pranks on her. "But it looks like it's going to rain again."
Suzuno's eyes followed the direction Toroki was pointing, up to the clouds. They were dark and swollen, pregnant with rain and ready to give birth at any second. Their looming presence gave Suzuno a sense of foreboding, and she shivered. As if on command, perhaps Toroki had jinxed them, a fat drop of rain plopped onto her nose. She sneezed.
"Oh my god! I'm a psychic!" Toroki exclaimed, inwardly blessing what the others might call a misfortune. Surely Subaru and Tatara wouldn't insist on riding in the rain, and they'd finally get a chance to stop. The only problem was, there wasn't an inn or a house in sight.
This is -not- going well, Tatara thought to himself, the rain shifting subtly but quickly from large drops to sharp stinging ones. Every time they had to stop it put his sister in that much more danger, he was sure, but he couldn't ask them to ride on in the rain, not only was that dangerous, but they were doing enough for him as it was.
His eyes trailed along the landscape, where could they stop? It was too far to the next town, even then he doubted he had enough money that would get them even one room, and it would be improper to sleep in the same bed with a woman without being married to her. Not too far away was a small shading of trees, they could stay there. Tatara looked over at Subaru and motioned to show her where they were headed, and then started off that way.
Suzuno was really beginning to loathe water; this would be the third time she was caught in it. For some people it was the symbol of life, of rejuvenation. For Suzuno it was just annoying. Well, at least the horse can get something to drink, she thought as she made her way across the fields to the trees Tatara was headed for. The ground was growing soft from the constant rainfall, and she could feel it pulling at the horse's hooves as it trotted. She began to wonder if the trees were really any protection from the rain at all, it would in a way be the -worst- place they could be if it turned into a thunderstorm.
The leaves were thick, and the branches draped forward to create a veil around the trees. Tatara used one hand to push the limp branches aside and step inside, after tying his horse to a nearby tree and hoisting the pack that carried a few vitals, including seeds, onto his back. The tree he stepped over appeared to be an ancient one; it was bloated and gigantic from years of primary and secondary growth. The air inside was moist, a bit humid, but he felt no water break through the roof of leaves. He smiled and turned back to wait for Subaru, Suzuno, and Toroki.
"Wow, it's like another world under here." Subaru remarked with a smile as she pushed aside the flimsy barricade of branches. She took a deep breath and looked around, in silent wonder. The scant amount of sunlight that hadn't been banished by the wandering clouds filtered in through the tiniest of breaks in the canopy of leaves, so pin sized streaks of light randomly hit the browning grass underneath them. She was distracted when she felt rain pelt the back of her dress and her hair, turning around she saw Toroki shaking out his wet hair and Suzuno stepping through the branches.
Tatara eased his body to the ground and leaned his back against the slightly rough trunk of the tree; he hadn't realized how tired he was until his mind was taken off his sister. His legs trembled and his head pounded, the day thus far must have been too much for him.
Noticing Tatara's pain and wanting to help, Subaru knelt down beside him and put the back of her hand to his forehead, which was warm to the touch. "Tatara...I think you might be coming down with a fever. I wouldn't be surprised, you might have caught a cold or something when you jumped into the lake." She sat down beside him and opened up the brown leather satchel she had brought with her. She reached in and tugged out a folded square of cloth, a spare blanket she had brought with her.
"This isn't much...but it should fight off the cold a bit." Unfolding the blanket, she wrapped it tightly around his shoulders, then smiled. "There"
All the while that same familiar jealousy was boiling within Suzuno. She tried to ignore it, knowing she was being childish and foolish, but it wouldn't go away...she couldn't command her emotions to let the incident blow over. Subaru was just too close, and now it looked like Tatara's affection for Subaru was growing as well. And why shouldn't it? Subaru was prettier, nicer, more mature and more useful than Suzuno. Tears stung her eyes as she continued her onslaught of self-degradation.
"What about me? Do I get a blanket?"
Toroki's voice, which had by now reached a near-whine, broke Suzuno out of her train of thought. Perhaps she was growing sick too, if she had been 100% well her brain might not have carried her along the path it was going now, but well...if it worked in the movies...
Not giving herself enough time to think or act embarrassed, Suzuno grabbed Toroki's shoulders and turned him to face her. In one swift moment she leaned in and planted her lips against his. Toroki's eyes widened in shock. Suzuno pulled back, her face redder then ever, feeling Tatara and Subaru's eyes on her and knowing she had caught their attention. Good, now maybe Tatara was jealous.
"I'm...sorry, priestess. But I don't like you like that."
Suzuno blinked, if it were possible for her to blush anymore, she would have, but then again...perhaps her face was just growing hot because of the tears that were once again burning her eyes. With a mumble which served as an 'excuse me', she turned and tore through the leaves, running out of their warm sanctuary and out into the cold stinging rain. Why had she done that? Tears of embarrassment slid down her cheeks as she ran toward her horse, hoping they wouldn't come after her, but more than that...wishing she could just go home. She had only been here one day and already it had turned into a nightmare.
She leaned against her horse and breathed its familiar scent as she choked on her sobs and buried her face in its mane. The rain was still going at it steadily and the sun was descending, night quickly approaching and enveloping the world in darkness.
"Priestess, are you...are you all right?"
Subaru, possibly the last person Suzuno wanted to see, well...other than Toroki. She turned around and rubbed her eyes free of tears, and nodded, keeping her gaze trained on the ground. "Hai...I'm fine..."
"I have to apologize for what Toroki said, he's a real baka yarou sometimes...you have to forgive him. Maybe he really -does- like you, he was just too shocked, or too embarrassed, to say it in front of us. Guys do that sometimes, sometimes they-"
"I don't care if Toroki likes me or not." Suzuno took a shaky breath, cutting Subaru off "That's not why I kissed him."
"Then why...?"
"Because...I like...Tatara." She had to force herself to say it, but she knew she couldn't possibly embarrass herself anymore than she had already managed to "I wanted to make him jealous because...I saw how close you two were."
"Me and -Tatara-?" Subaru blinked, genuinely shocked, before she shook her head and laughed softly "No, no, no...I have a boyfriend. I was just trying to help, that's all...I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea." It was a lie, of course, Subaru had no boyfriend and she probably never would if her overprotective father had his way, but Suzuno needn't know that, not if it made her feel better.
"You do?" Although it was dark out, Subaru thought she could see Suzuno brighten a bit "Oh wow, oh my god...why did I do that? Why was I so stupid?"
"It's called being young, priestess...don't expect boys to understand it. When girls are around your age they've got so many things happening to them, so many hormones wrecking havoc on their system that sometimes even they can't explain the things they do." She smiled warmly, and placed a hand on Suzuno's shoulder "Not to make me sound like an old bitty, I'm only seventeen, but I know exactly what you're going through."
Suzuno smiled back, a genuine one, before she lightly smacked herself in the forehead. "Ugh...do you think they're going to say anything about it?"
"I doubt it!" Subaru laughed, and began to lead Suzuno back to the patch of trees "Guys usually avoid what makes them uncomfortable, and Toroki in particular....he's probably already forgotten about it."
Chapter Four
"So how far is it to the Sairou palace?" Toroki whined, once again readjusting his seat on the brown mare. It had been two hours and by this time his butt had fallen asleep, his legs had fallen asleep, and he was about to fall asleep. He could barely count the ten-minute break they had taken a half hour ago as much of a chance to rest, not that he needed a rest anyway. What he needed was a chance to use up all the energy that was building up in him like sodium under pressure.
Suzuno, still a novice when it came to horse riding, was the only one in earshot of him. Tatara and Subaru had ridden ahead, and though Suzuno could still see them as their horses plodded along the path, she couldn't hear what they were discussing. She lagged a few feet behind Toroki, her horse tossing his head occasionally as if annoyed by the slow, irregular pace they were taking. A part of her wanted to speed up to catch up with Tatara, but she was still too fearful of the powerful animal underneath her to ask it to go faster. This wasn't like a car, not that she had driven one of those either, this animal was unpredictable...it had a thinking, active mind, it wasn't a machine.
"I don't know..." she said finally, having to raise her voice and repeat herself to be heard over the clack of the horses hooves on gravel "I guess when we take another break we can ask them."
"Okay..." Toroki said uneasily, detaching one hand from the reins to pet the mare's soft white hair. The hair reminded him of Subaru's, the color and the feel of it, and he snickered evilly when he tugged on it a bit. Not to be mean to the horse, but it had become a way for him to hide his growing affection for Subaru, by playing pranks on her. "But it looks like it's going to rain again."
Suzuno's eyes followed the direction Toroki was pointing, up to the clouds. They were dark and swollen, pregnant with rain and ready to give birth at any second. Their looming presence gave Suzuno a sense of foreboding, and she shivered. As if on command, perhaps Toroki had jinxed them, a fat drop of rain plopped onto her nose. She sneezed.
"Oh my god! I'm a psychic!" Toroki exclaimed, inwardly blessing what the others might call a misfortune. Surely Subaru and Tatara wouldn't insist on riding in the rain, and they'd finally get a chance to stop. The only problem was, there wasn't an inn or a house in sight.
This is -not- going well, Tatara thought to himself, the rain shifting subtly but quickly from large drops to sharp stinging ones. Every time they had to stop it put his sister in that much more danger, he was sure, but he couldn't ask them to ride on in the rain, not only was that dangerous, but they were doing enough for him as it was.
His eyes trailed along the landscape, where could they stop? It was too far to the next town, even then he doubted he had enough money that would get them even one room, and it would be improper to sleep in the same bed with a woman without being married to her. Not too far away was a small shading of trees, they could stay there. Tatara looked over at Subaru and motioned to show her where they were headed, and then started off that way.
Suzuno was really beginning to loathe water; this would be the third time she was caught in it. For some people it was the symbol of life, of rejuvenation. For Suzuno it was just annoying. Well, at least the horse can get something to drink, she thought as she made her way across the fields to the trees Tatara was headed for. The ground was growing soft from the constant rainfall, and she could feel it pulling at the horse's hooves as it trotted. She began to wonder if the trees were really any protection from the rain at all, it would in a way be the -worst- place they could be if it turned into a thunderstorm.
The leaves were thick, and the branches draped forward to create a veil around the trees. Tatara used one hand to push the limp branches aside and step inside, after tying his horse to a nearby tree and hoisting the pack that carried a few vitals, including seeds, onto his back. The tree he stepped over appeared to be an ancient one; it was bloated and gigantic from years of primary and secondary growth. The air inside was moist, a bit humid, but he felt no water break through the roof of leaves. He smiled and turned back to wait for Subaru, Suzuno, and Toroki.
"Wow, it's like another world under here." Subaru remarked with a smile as she pushed aside the flimsy barricade of branches. She took a deep breath and looked around, in silent wonder. The scant amount of sunlight that hadn't been banished by the wandering clouds filtered in through the tiniest of breaks in the canopy of leaves, so pin sized streaks of light randomly hit the browning grass underneath them. She was distracted when she felt rain pelt the back of her dress and her hair, turning around she saw Toroki shaking out his wet hair and Suzuno stepping through the branches.
Tatara eased his body to the ground and leaned his back against the slightly rough trunk of the tree; he hadn't realized how tired he was until his mind was taken off his sister. His legs trembled and his head pounded, the day thus far must have been too much for him.
Noticing Tatara's pain and wanting to help, Subaru knelt down beside him and put the back of her hand to his forehead, which was warm to the touch. "Tatara...I think you might be coming down with a fever. I wouldn't be surprised, you might have caught a cold or something when you jumped into the lake." She sat down beside him and opened up the brown leather satchel she had brought with her. She reached in and tugged out a folded square of cloth, a spare blanket she had brought with her.
"This isn't much...but it should fight off the cold a bit." Unfolding the blanket, she wrapped it tightly around his shoulders, then smiled. "There"
All the while that same familiar jealousy was boiling within Suzuno. She tried to ignore it, knowing she was being childish and foolish, but it wouldn't go away...she couldn't command her emotions to let the incident blow over. Subaru was just too close, and now it looked like Tatara's affection for Subaru was growing as well. And why shouldn't it? Subaru was prettier, nicer, more mature and more useful than Suzuno. Tears stung her eyes as she continued her onslaught of self-degradation.
"What about me? Do I get a blanket?"
Toroki's voice, which had by now reached a near-whine, broke Suzuno out of her train of thought. Perhaps she was growing sick too, if she had been 100% well her brain might not have carried her along the path it was going now, but well...if it worked in the movies...
Not giving herself enough time to think or act embarrassed, Suzuno grabbed Toroki's shoulders and turned him to face her. In one swift moment she leaned in and planted her lips against his. Toroki's eyes widened in shock. Suzuno pulled back, her face redder then ever, feeling Tatara and Subaru's eyes on her and knowing she had caught their attention. Good, now maybe Tatara was jealous.
"I'm...sorry, priestess. But I don't like you like that."
Suzuno blinked, if it were possible for her to blush anymore, she would have, but then again...perhaps her face was just growing hot because of the tears that were once again burning her eyes. With a mumble which served as an 'excuse me', she turned and tore through the leaves, running out of their warm sanctuary and out into the cold stinging rain. Why had she done that? Tears of embarrassment slid down her cheeks as she ran toward her horse, hoping they wouldn't come after her, but more than that...wishing she could just go home. She had only been here one day and already it had turned into a nightmare.
She leaned against her horse and breathed its familiar scent as she choked on her sobs and buried her face in its mane. The rain was still going at it steadily and the sun was descending, night quickly approaching and enveloping the world in darkness.
"Priestess, are you...are you all right?"
Subaru, possibly the last person Suzuno wanted to see, well...other than Toroki. She turned around and rubbed her eyes free of tears, and nodded, keeping her gaze trained on the ground. "Hai...I'm fine..."
"I have to apologize for what Toroki said, he's a real baka yarou sometimes...you have to forgive him. Maybe he really -does- like you, he was just too shocked, or too embarrassed, to say it in front of us. Guys do that sometimes, sometimes they-"
"I don't care if Toroki likes me or not." Suzuno took a shaky breath, cutting Subaru off "That's not why I kissed him."
"Then why...?"
"Because...I like...Tatara." She had to force herself to say it, but she knew she couldn't possibly embarrass herself anymore than she had already managed to "I wanted to make him jealous because...I saw how close you two were."
"Me and -Tatara-?" Subaru blinked, genuinely shocked, before she shook her head and laughed softly "No, no, no...I have a boyfriend. I was just trying to help, that's all...I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea." It was a lie, of course, Subaru had no boyfriend and she probably never would if her overprotective father had his way, but Suzuno needn't know that, not if it made her feel better.
"You do?" Although it was dark out, Subaru thought she could see Suzuno brighten a bit "Oh wow, oh my god...why did I do that? Why was I so stupid?"
"It's called being young, priestess...don't expect boys to understand it. When girls are around your age they've got so many things happening to them, so many hormones wrecking havoc on their system that sometimes even they can't explain the things they do." She smiled warmly, and placed a hand on Suzuno's shoulder "Not to make me sound like an old bitty, I'm only seventeen, but I know exactly what you're going through."
Suzuno smiled back, a genuine one, before she lightly smacked herself in the forehead. "Ugh...do you think they're going to say anything about it?"
"I doubt it!" Subaru laughed, and began to lead Suzuno back to the patch of trees "Guys usually avoid what makes them uncomfortable, and Toroki in particular....he's probably already forgotten about it."