*Disclaimer: Takeru, Hikari, Daisuke, and Taichi don't belong to me. And just to be safe, Digimon doesn't belong to me. If it did, there would have been a different ending written. The story Nicholas Pipe doesn't belong to me either. T_T So don't sue! .
By the Seashore
By: RaspberryGirl
"No!" Hikari screamed, but it was too late. A hand grabbed her from behind pulling her out of the way, just as the net was cast over Takeru, trapping him. She struggled to break free from the soldier who held her, but it was no use. "No," she whispered.
Men appeared behind the trees and some of them even jumped down from the branches of the oak. Cautiously, as if Takeru possessed demon powers, they made their way to him.
"Well done," Luorke said loudly, striding towards Hikari. Brennan followed. "Well done." To the girl's surprise and disgust, he clapped her on the back as a father would to a son. "The way you fooled him, it was incredible!"
Hikari realized what he was doing immediately. Leave it to Luorke to rub everything in. "Get away from me," Hikari said savagely, staggering back. She turned to Takeru.
The merboy looked extremely confused, but most of all—hurt. And of course, there was a certain sense of betrayal in his expression.
"Takeru, it-it's not what it seems—" Hikari started, but he only turned his face away. Hikari was taken aback. The way he'd looked at her, she felt as if he had slapped her. Remorse welled up in the pit of her stomach.
"We're going to be rich!" Luorke's voice cut through Hikari's wounded conscience. "Rich! I can almost feel it!"
Brennan shot Luorke a dry look.
"I'll be as wealthy as a lord!" Luorke continued. "I finally get what I deserve! No more fishing, no more housework, no more living in that despicable cottage"
Brennan let out a disgusted sound. He stepped away from Luorke and examined Takeru. "You are the merman?"
Takeru remained silent, looking at the ground.
"He is! He is!" Luorke said impatiently. "You can dump him in water and see! I swear by my life! I swear!"
Not that your life is worth much, Hikari thought maliciously.
But Brennan seemed satisfied with the answer. "Take him away," he ordered his men, gesturing to Takeru. "We have what we came for. We shall leave at once."
The soldiers obeyed. A few of them went into the wood and returned shortly with a cart hitched to a horse. Two men lifted Takeru—net and all—and set him onto the cart. The manner in which they did it gave Hikari the impression that they were lifting a sack of flour. One soldier jumped into the driver's seat and flicked the horse's reins, setting it into a trot.
As most of the men departed from the grove, Hikari sank to the ground on her knees. What had she done?
"What about the girl?" Luorke called. He was the only one left standing in the grove. Then he amended, "The witch."
"Leave her," Brennan ordered. "She's done what we asked her to do."
Luorke shrugged and hurried up to catch up with the captain.
Hikari remained on her knees, staring after them. She probably couldn't have moved if her life depended upon it. Her limbs felt strangely weak and her heart pounded with almost unbearable force against her chest. "Takeru" Tears began to form in her eyes and they spilled down her cheeks when she blinked. Thoughts, memories, flew at her like knives. The way he'd looked at her after the scheme had been revealed was very different from any way he'd looked at her before. And when she had called to him, he did not respond. And when the soldiers had picked him up, he did not struggle.
He had simply let them take him.
It frightened Hikari.
She thought back to the moment before everything had been revealed. At that time, she'd felt something for Takeru that she'd never felt before. Or perhaps she had just never noticed the feeling. A strange, overpowering emotion that confused Hikari. She had felt so safe with him there, like she always did during their meetings before their friendship had been forced to an end. She was sure she never felt these feelings around Daisuke, or towards any of the other young men who liked her.
Heart pounding faster, Hikari got up with some effort. Brennan and his men had left a clear trail through the wood, since some of the trees and bushes had been hacked away in order for the horse and cart to pass.
They had headed back towards Kent.
But what did that matter? What did she expect to do? Pitch herself against twenty armed, experienced soldiers in a hopeless rescue attempt?
She'd get herself killed for sure. And what help would that be to Takeru?
* * *
Hikari entered the cottage silently, not even bothering to announce her entrance. Her mother was sitting in an armchair, quietly sewing together a new pillowcase. She looked up at her daughter when she came back. Since Hikari didn't offer to say anything, Mrs. Yagami asked the question, "Is it done?"
"Yes," Hikari said bitterly.
Her mother let out a sigh. Whether it was from joy, or relief, or because Takeru would be leaving the town forever, Hikari did not know. But nevertheless, she got angry. "How could you?"
"How could I what?" Mrs. Yagami asked with strange calmness.
"How can you be glad Takeru's gone?" Hikari wasn't entirely sure that was what her mother felt, but she went on with the accusation anyway.
"What reason do I have to be glad, and what reason do I have not to be glad?" her mother asked.
You have reason to be glad because he knew me and I knew him, and you, Father, and Taichi hated him for it, Hikari said silently. Instead, she blurted, "You're glad he's gone because you and the rest of the town hated him for no reason, but II lo—" she stopped short, horrified at what she'd almost said.
But did she really love Takeru? Was that the feeling she had experienced earlier? Perhaps she had always loved him, even from the start. She had just never known it, never dared admit it. And the lies, the rumors she'd heard from the townsfolk, their fear of him, helped buried the feeling deeper in the past three years.
"What were you going to say?" Mrs. Yagami demanded. She had stopped sewing.
"Nothing," Hikari said quickly.
Mrs. Yagami gave Hikari a narrowed-eyed look, but then resumed stitching.
Hikari considered doing some chores to keep her mind off her jumbled thoughts, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. All she could think of was Takeru. He hadn't put up a fight, but was she going to follow his example? Was she going to let Brennan and Luorke take him to the King like some carnival prize?
"Well?" Mrs. Yagami demanded. "What are you standing there for? You know I hate idleness."
Hikari was about to reply when shouts and yells drifted in from the window. She turned. The words "look" and "merboy" were heard most often and Hikari's heart leapt. Luorke and Brennan hadn't left yet. Maybe she had a chance to save Takeru.
"Hikari, where are you going?" Mrs. Yagami cried as Hikari rushed to the door. "You're not to leave this house! Hikari! Hikari!" But it was too late. Hikari had already sped into the street. She followed the sound of the voices and ran after them.
Hikari turned a corner and stopped dead. At least one third of the town was gathered around a large iron cage set atop the cart she had seen earlier not too far ahead. Most of the people were women and children, since most of the men were out at sea. Hikari gasped in horror when she realized that Takeru was in the cage.
Luorke was standing on the cart, along with Brennan. Soldiers were posted all around the cart to keep the townsfolk from rushing too near. "Gather 'round and listen well!" Luorke was shouting. "Gather 'round and listen well!"
Brennan only stared moodily into empty space, his arms crossed, an unhappy expression on his face.
"Gather 'round and listen well!" Luorke encouraged again. "Today, this cursed creature has been caught! The distinguished Captain Brennan and myself will see to it that he makes his way into the private collection of the King and never trouble this town with his evil again!"
With these last words from Luorke, Brennan snapped. With lightning speed, he whirled around and grabbed Luorke by the collar of his shirt. "Enough!" The captain hissed. "I'm tired of your games! The plan was that we leave immediately after we capture the merman, not show him off like we were at some—"
"But the King said we could show him off," Luorke whined.
"Yes, the King did say that. But in the capital, you filthy coward, not here," said Brennan. His voice was low, dangerous. "Not while he looks human, not in this town, not so near the sea. What if he escapes—"
"He certainly will not!" Luorke insisted. "Not while in that cage of iron. Creatures of fey are powerless against iron." He looked smug.
"He's a creature of the sea, he may be affected differently by it," said Brennan.
"But—"
"No more excuses!" the captain cried, exasperated. "We leave now! I don't care what you have to say. And if you do say one more word, I'll have my men bind and gag you the entire journey to Ramona."
Seeing that Brennan was serious, Luorke shut up immediately. The captain gave a signal to the guards and they began to push back the excited townsfolk.
"No!" Hikari cried. She ran forward towards them.
Luorke saw her at once. "The witch, it's the witch!" he shrieked. "Stop her! Don't let her come near!"
"Takeru!" Hikari cried. She had managed to get close to the cart and reached out a hand to him, but two guards held her back. "Takeru!"
The merboy had been leaning against one side of the cage, his head bowed. But at the sound of Hikari's voice, he raised his head, searching for her in the crowd. When his gaze found her, he seemed to stare through her. Hikari could read nothing in his dull eyes and blank expression. He simply looked at her as someone that was there, not someone that mattered to him.
"Takeru!" Hikari cried again.
He continued to look at her blankly.
"Takeru" Hikari almost started to cry.
"Hurry, hurry," Luorke was telling the soldiers nervously. "Get moving!"
One soldier climbed into the cart's driver's seat and urged the horse into a rapid trot.
"No!" Hikari screamed and pushed with all her might against the two soldiers that held her back. "Let go of me!"
"Hikari, leave it," a voice said beside her. A new pair of arms held her and the two soldiers ran to catch up with the cart which was heading out of the town.
Hikari squirmed, but the arms held her fast. Somehow, Hikari managed to whip around. "Daisuke!"
"Hikari," Daisuke said solemnly, "just let him go. I think it's the best for this town. The best for everybody. Andit's not like he mattered anyway"
Anger and pain burned in Hikari's eyes. Something that Luorke had said to her surfaced in her mind.
If it hadn't been for Daisuke
Pieces began falling into place like a jigsaw puzzle. "You!" Hikari shrieked. "It was you!" Without realizing what she was doing, she raised a hand and slapped Daisuke hard across the face.
Surprised, Daisuke released her and staggered back.
"How could you betray him? How could you lie to me?"
Daisuke only stared at her. Gingerly, he touched the spot where she had slapped him. "I"
"That night in the alley," Hikari continued in a trembling voice, "you were angry with him because I paid him attention. So you went to Luorke, who meant ill for Takeru from the start, and the two of you cooked up this little plan, didn't you?"
"Hikari, I only did it for you," Daisuke said desperately. "Everything I do is for you. You know that!"
"Don't you dare say that!" Hikari snapped. She was sure people were looking at them by this time, but she didn't care. "You betrayed him!"
"I didn't!" Daisuke protested. "He never belonged in this town to begin with! He didn't deserve your attention. He was bad luck!"
"You betrayed him," Hikari repeated, as if she hadn't heard any of his words. "And I hate you for it."
But didn't you just betray Takeru as well? her inner voice asked.
No! Hikari shut her conscience out, shut out all the murmuring around her. Most of all, she shut out the pained expression on Daisuke's face.
"Hikari," he begged, "please."
She only stared at him, expressionless, then whirled around and fled.
* * *
Hikari sat on her bed, her fingers running over Takeru's conch shell. After the outburst with Daisuke, she had run home and shut herself in her room. Her mother did not come in and try to soothe her. Her father and brother had returned a short while ago, but they didn't try to comfort her either. But what comfort could her family have offered? What she wanted most in the world right now was for Takeru to be back in Kent, safe and sound, but surely, her family did not wish that.
"Hikari?" Mrs. Yagami took a few steps into the room quietly. "Are you hungry? You've been here all afternoon, dear. Do you want to come out and—"
"No." The answer was flat and final.
There was a moment of silence. Then, "I know you're upset about the merboy, but you can't shut yourself in here forever." Mrs. Yagami's voice sounded tearful.
"Yes, I can."
"Hikari, my sweet, my precious, you're being unreasonable. If you don't eat something soon, you'll starve!"
Hikari knew she was being unreasonable, but she didn't care. She didn't care if she died from lack of food. She felt she deserved it. In the few hours she'd been alone, she'd had time to look back on the past. She had realized that Takeru had always been kind and gentle to her, even when she'd scorned him. And now, this was how she repaid him.
"Hikari, can't you just forget about the merboy?" Mrs. Yagami pleaded.
Hikari didn't know what to say. Finally, "Don't talk about him."
"Oh, of—of course, dear. I know—"
"But that's the point!" Hikari yelled. "You don't know! Mother, you weren't there! You didn't see how horrible everything was!" Hikari started to sob.
"I'm so sorry, Hikari," Mrs. Yagami said quietly.
"I want to be alone, Mother," Hikari said softly. "So I can think. Please don't bother me. Please ask Father and Taichi not to bother me."
"All right." Mrs. Yagami cast her daughter one more worried look before leaving the room.
As soon as she left, Hikari set the conch shell back in its place, then climbed under the covers and shut her eyes. She didn't even bother to change her clothes. And, although she wanted sleep very badly, it did not come to her. She lay awake, staring into nothing. She relived the events of the day again in her mind and finally decided that she was not about to let Takeru go so easily.
If he had not put up a fight, then she would.
Hikari decided follow after Brennan and Luorke as soon as possible. The two had said they'd been given permission to show off Takeru. In Ramona, it seemed. The capital wasn't far away, but it'd take a day or so to get there. Hikari would have to leave early tomorrow morning if she didn't want to be too late. Very early. Her father and brother usually woke up just before the sun rose. She would need to get up early enough to give her enough time to gather all her journey materials and leave Kent before any of the fishermen awoke. All she needed to worry about now was the night watch, but she was sure they could easily be thwarted. Deciding that she needed as much energy as she could get for the journey ahead, Hikari shut her eyes once more and finally drifted off into troubled sleep.
* * *
Hikari sat up with a start. What time was it? Had she overslept? She strained her ears for sounds coming from the kitchen.
Nothing.
She looked out her window and realized that it was still dark outside. It was hard to tell exactly what time it was, but Hikari got up and began preparing for her journey.
First, she fetched what little money she had from her wooden coffer. It was her life's savings, and there wasn't much, but Hikari estimated that it'd give her two nights stay at an inn. That would come in handy. Besides, she could never take her family's money.
Next, she took a piece of cloth and tied the corners of it together, making a kind of sack. She filled it with a loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese, then grabbed a waterskin and filled it with water.
Slinging both the sack and the waterskin over her shoulder, Hikari grabbed a cloak and was just about to step out the door when guilt caught up with her. She had always been an obedient child, and she was not used to sneaking out of her cottage like some thief.
With a bit of hesitation, Hikari ran back to her room as quietly as possible and fetched her favorite hair clip. It was a trinket her grandfather had given her when she was younger. It was very beautiful, made of real pearl; and in daylight it shone with a multitude of colors. Hikari placed a gentle kiss on the clip while mentally passing her love for her family onto it. Carefully, she set it on the dining table. She hoped her family would understand her message, and wouldn't go after her. With a final look around the cottage, Hikari ran out into the night.
Her first problem came to her immediately as she hurried down the street.
Transportation.
Hikari cursed herself for not thinking of it earlier. She needed a horseA picture of the Motomiyas' bay mare flashed into her mind.
No, she chided herself. I couldn't possibly
But she'd have to.
Putting on the gray cloak and creeping along the shadows, Hikari made her way to the Motomiya cottage. There was no light coming from within the house, just as she'd hoped. But then again, why would the candles be lit at this hour?
Still moving cautiously, Hikari made her way to the stables. The two horses grunted at her approach immediately, but she put a finger to her lips.
"Shh," Hikari told them in a soothing voice. "Don't be afraid. Remember me?" Slowly, indicating that she meant them no harm, she strode towards the mare.
The horse gave a low whinny of recognition.
"That's a good girl." Hikari stroked the horse's mane. "Do you mind if I borrow you for a while?"
The horse pawed at the ground and the girl started to saddle the mare. When she was done, she began leading the horse out of the stable quietly, but the stallion gave a cry of protest.
"No, no," Hikari said quickly, freezing in her steps, and hoping that nobody had heard. "It's all right. I'll bring her back. Right now, you be a good horse and remain silent, all right?" Hoping her plead worked, Hikari tugged at the mare's reins again. They made it safely onto the street.
And to make herself feel better, she swore that if something happened to this mare, she would work every single day of her life until she had earned enough money to buy Mr. Motomiya a new horse.
Now that her first problem was solved, Hikari didn't know whether to walk and keep the horse and herself in the shadows until they reached the edge of town, or to just mount the steed right now and make a break for it. She decided the first idea sounded better. Even though it was the slower way, she was less likely to get discovered.
Getting out of town was no trouble, to Hikari's relief. She simply walked the mare until they reached the dirt road that led to and from Kent. She hadn't run into the town watchman at all. She guessed that he had probably drifted off to sleep or something of the like. Still, it made her uneasy that she had been able to ride away from Kent so easily. An obstacle, however small it may have been, might have settled her conscience.
Hikari turned to the road, forcing herself to put all her worries and doubts behind her. She would catch up with Luorke and Brennan, wait until the soldiers were off guard, free Takeru, and run back to Kent with the merboy.
It was a simple plan.
But a million things could go wrong.
Stop it, Hikari told herself. Instead, she concentrated on mounting the mare. It was something she was rather unused to doing, having only been on horseback two or three times in her life. When she was finally able to get into a comfortable position, she set the horse off into a gallop towards Ramona.
* * *
Around the time that the fishermen of Kent awoke, Hikari came to the fork in the road. There were two signs, pointing in opposite directions. There were also words chipped into the rough wood, indicating the names of the places that they led to, no doubt, but they were of no help to Hikari. She could not read.
When she got a closer look at the sign on the right, she recognized a "r" and an "a" as the first two letters in the name. A couple of years ago, Mr. Yagami had taught Hikari to write and recognize the letters in her first name. Hikari looked at the other sign and didn't even try to find letters she knew. It was an extremely long name and seemed too complicated to even pronounce.
And besides, what she could make of the first sign fit "Ramona" well enough.
A black blot caught her eye and Hikari realized that there was a symbol drawn at the bottom right of the sign. It was a crown.
Deciding that going right would definitely lead her to the capital, Hikari and the mare resumed their journey.
As she continued to travel, Hikari began to take in her surroundings more. She was on a dusty, well-worn road that seemingly stretched on forever before her. The path was on a raised area of the ground so that the road sloped down on both sides into a dense forest. It wasn't like the small wood near the shore at all. The trees of this forest seemed tall and foreboding, stretching so high that they seemed to touch the sky. The trunks were five times the waist size of an average man and the limbs were like skeleton arms.
Hikari shivered. She'd hate to travel in this forest at night.
With a sudden start, the girl sat up for she felt herself slowly slipping off the saddle. She had been looking for evidence of a camp, so she had been sitting in the saddle rather loosely. After getting back into a good position, Hikari continued looking. Brennan was not the kind of soldier who worked his men tirelessly. Most likely, he would have let the soldiers have a brief rest.
Come on, Hikari urged. There's got to be a trace of you somewhere...
Yet, as Hikari rode later into the day, there was still no sign of Brennan and Luorke. There were no hacked off tree branches, no footprints or hoof prints, no grooves made by the cart's wheels going off the side of the road. No trace that they had stopped to rest at all. Perhaps Hikari had just missed the clues; she was going at an amazing rate, but could it be that Brennan had pushed his men straight on until they reached Ramona? Perhaps there had been some deadline that Hikari didn't know about.
That seemed the most likely answer.
She just hoped that the captain hadn't gone so fast that by the time Hikari got to Ramona, they'd already taken Takeru to the King.
* * *
It was around late afternoon when Hikari arrived in the capital city. A wave of scents hit her at once; she could smell the choking perfumes of the nobles, the stench of the common folk, the reek of the animals, the odors of the marketplace. Besides that, there were also the loud noises. People talking, vendors calling out to passersby, children screaming and laughing, the rattle of carts, the sound of hooves, the jingle of bells.
Hikari covered her ears and shut her eyes. Everything just hit her too quickly. The place was too dirty, too crowded; it wasn't like anything she'd expected. People had talked of how fair and grand and impressive Ramona was; how everyone dressed in gold and silk and paraded down the streets, thinking of nothing but parties and festivals and merry making. They had said that the streets were paved with gold, the buildings and cathedrals made from silver bricks, and adorned with precious jewels. Ramona was a place of wonder, they had said, where beggars and vagabonds did not exist and everyone was rich and content.
Hikari could not help but suppress a snort. To her, Ramona was like Kent, only bigger, louder, more crowded, and dirtier. The churches were impressive and the architecture was beautiful, but the streets were certainly not paved with gold. On the contrary, it was paved with a nice layer of filth from the many feet who trampled upon it. And there were beggars, young and old, sitting on the streets or just wandering around asking for money. There were also thieves too, Hikari noticed, and she pulled her cloak tighter about her, trying to hide her sack, hoping that she wouldn't attract attention. Hikari was glad that she had left in the clothes from the other day, which were now rumpled and wrinkled. She was also glad that she had not tied her money pouch around her waist. Her short hair was disheveled and perhaps she was a little pale, having eaten no breakfast and only a tiny bit of lunch. She had barely stopped at all on her journey, for fear of the forest and Takeru's safety.
The bay mare panted laboriously beside Hikari. "You poor thing," Hikari murmured pitifully. "I'm sorry if I pushed you too hard." It would be best to get the horse to a decent stable first before wandering around in search of Brennan and Luorke.
After a while, Hikari settled on a place called the Sky Lark Inn. The girl was worried; she didn't have that much money to spend, but she didn't want to go to a low class inn filled with cutthroats and thieves either. The Sky Lark Inn had a cheery name and from the outside, it didn't look too shabby or too fancy. Hikari just hoped the fee wasn't too much.
" 'scuse me, miss," said a voice.
Hikari jumped. A young boy was standing in front of her. "Y-yes?" She hoped he wasn't a street urchin begging for money.
"Would ye like me to take care 'o that horse for ye, miss?"
Take care of her horse? Of course, he must be one of the stable boys of this inn. Hikari could have slapped herself for her stupidity. "Oh yes, of course, thank you," she said in a rush. She handed the boy the mare's reins and he led the horse around the corner of the inn. Hikari followed.
When the boy had gotten the mare into a clean stable, he faced Hikari. "Ye can pay inside," he said.
When Hikari entered the Sky Lark, it seemed that she had chosen wisely for most of the inhabitants looked like travelers and not the cutthroats and thieves Hikari had feared.
Hikari went to the counter to her left and drummed her fingers impatiently.
The innkeeper soon appeared out of a backroom. She was a large, rosy woman who looked extremely bossy. "How may I help you, miss?" she asked.
"I want a room, please," Hikari said, deciding that while she was here, she might as well get a room in case her quest lasted more than a day.
"For how long?"
"A dayI suppose."
"One silver piece," said the innkeeper.
"A silver piece?"
"Yes. The fee includes a stable for your horse—if you have one—breakfast and dinner, and a room. Plus water and a wooden basin if you have a fancy to wash yourself. Tell me"—the innkeeper raised an eyebrow—"that this is not a good deal?"
Hikari flushed. The innkeeper obviously knew she was inexperienced, that she had never been in place as large and confusing as Ramona by herself before. "A silver piece, of course," Hikari murmured. She reached into her sack, withdrew her money pouch and handed the coin to the innkeeper.
After a moment, the innkeeper said, "All right, come with me." With a quick bustle of skirts, the innkeeper came around the counter and down a long dark corridor. After about two turns, she stopped at a door. From her dress pocket, she fished out an iron ring strung full of keys. After sorting through a few, the innkeeper found the key she wanted and unlocked the door. "Have a nice stay, miss," she said before leaving.
Hikari entered the room and was pleased to find that it was quite nice. There was a small bed, a wooden table, and two chairs. A widow was also set high in the opposite wall, barred by metal bars. This was necessary, of course, to keep thieves out.
Deciding that it was safe to leave her things here, but wanting to take precautions anyway, Hikari put her cloak under the covers of the bed and her cloth sack under the pillow. The money pouch, she did not want to leave, so she stuffed it down her bodice, finding no other suitable place to put it. The waterskin she kept with her, in case she got thirsty while wandering around city.
Now it was time to find Takeru.
Hikari stopped at the innkeeper's counter on her way out. "Excuse me," she said.
The innkeeper appeared after a few minutes, "What do you need, miss?"
"Are there any festivals today?" Hikari asked, knowing her question sounded foolish.
The innkeeper snorted. "Festivals? You mean activities?"
Hikari nodded.
The innkeeper snorted again. Louder. "Just look around outside, miss. I think that'll answer your question."
"No, no" Hikari said impatiently. "I was wondering if there have been news about something strange? About a squarely built man with red hair and a tall, handsome man with brown hair having apeculiar attraction?"
"Are you looking for people, miss?" the innkeeper asked, staring her.
"Well"
"There are always activities and shows in Ramona," the innkeeper said, not letting Hikari finish. "Especially during this time of the year, before winter sets in. And also because it's going to be the Queen's birthday soon, in another couple of days or so. People have been flocking here for the past week, preparing for the festivities." The innkeeper looked at Hikari. "Is this the information you wanted?"
"ErI'm afraid not," Hikari said apologetically.
"Most of the activities are being held at Alexia Square," the innkeeper said. "Just go out the door and turn to your right, and walk straight down the street. You can't miss it. I might warn you that the booths will be closing soon, at sundown."
Hikari thanked the innkeeper before leaving the Sky Lark Inn. The girl didn't exactly know where to look for Luorke and Brennan, but based on the information she had, she decided that this "Alexia Square" was a good place to start.
The innkeeper's directions were accurate for Hikari found herself at the Square quickly. Alexia Square seemed to be the city common, crowded with a series of booths and vendors preparing for the upcoming festivities.
As Hikari wandered around the Square, she saw dancers who twirled to the music of strange instruments and puppet shows being held in mini "theaters" for children. People called out to her to purchase furs, silks, capes, jewelry, small trinkets, perfumes, flowers, fruits, pies, sweets, everything imaginable. Hikari thought about her remaining money. One silver piece, five copper, and two tin. She hurried away quickly, afraid that the tempting booths would overpower her.
A pretty, dark-haired gypsy dancer entertained nearby with a tambourine. Hikari noticed that most of the audience consisted of young men.
In the other direction, a stage play was going on. It looked like a scene from a masquerade for the actors all wore extravagant costumes and facemasks.
And then, she heard Luorke.
"Gather 'round, gather 'round!" he shouted in his booming voice.
Hikari searched frantically in the crowd, and was finally able to locate him. Luorke was standing on a stage beside a huge glass tank covered in a white spread. The tank was as tall as two grown men, and as long and as wide as a woman was tall. As Hikari pushed her way through the gathering throng in front of the tank, she could see Brennan standing at the bottom of the podium, arms crossed and expressionless. His men were circled all around the tank and the podium, their swords in hand.
"The King has granted a special treat!" Luorke continued. "We have a strange and rare creature here that I'm sure most of you have only heard about in legends, for your viewing pleasure!"
Hikari was at the front of the crowd now. She hoped Luorke and Brennan didn't catch sight of her and recognize her.
Luorke made extravagant motions with his hands before finally grabbing the white spread and flinging it off with a fantastic whoosh.
Hikari gasped and she heard the crowd gasp with her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Brennan twitch before he quickly masked his discomfort and resumed his indifferent expression.
Luorke, on the other hand, was grinning nastily and treating this as if it were some fair in which he was showing off a prized cow.
Hikari turned her attention to the tank again. In the bottom left corner sat Takeru. His face was bowed, but Hikari could see that he was extremely pale. His eyes were closed and he did not move. His fish tail stretched the length of the tank and seemed a bit too long for it. The last bits of his tail were coiled up like a snake and his fin rested against the glass.
People began whispering at once and some pointed excitedly at Takeru. The man standing beside Hikari turned to his companion and said, "It's a merman!"
The companion nodded and said, "A real live merman!"
Somebody jostled Hikari and she realized that more and more people were flocking over. The other stands and stalls were beginning to close down for the night and this was the only one that was still open.
"Yes, folks," Luorke was saying smugly at the crowd's awed faces, "it's a real live merman that Captain Brennan and I caught single-handedly by ourselves."
Liar, Hikari thought. She noticed that he did not give credit to Brennan's men or herself. Not that she wanted it. And it seemed as if Brennan didn't want it either, for he turned his face away from Luorke, looking cross.
"Sadly," Luorke continued, "this special attraction is only here for this one day. After today, it will become the property of His Majesty the King, and he shall present it to Her Majesty, the Queen for her upcoming birthday. So get in line, pay a silver piece and you will be granted to have a closer look at the merman. Remember, folks, this is the only chance you'll get to see this strange creature. And it may as well be the only chance you'll catch a glimpse of one of the Mer Folk in your entire life."
The wealthier of the crowd had already taken out their purses and began handing silver pieces to Luorke who had gotten down from his podium. The red haired man turned to Brennan. "Make sure they don't break the glass," he said in a superior tone.
Brennan gave no sign of having heard, but he motioned to his men and they positioned themselves even closer to the tank. A few of them held up the white spread once more in front of the glass case, so that only the people who'd paid would get to go behind the cloth and see the merman face to face.
People who had paid began flocking to the tank and trying to touch the glass while soldiers desperately tried to make them form a line. A little girl who'd slipped past the guards tapped against the glass. "Why isn't he moving?" she asked.
Hikari stiffened. Yes, why wasn't Takeru moving?
Luorke plastered a fake smile on his face. "The merman is just tired from the journey," he said. "Now please, little girl, step away from the tank."
The girl didn't have to because her mother appeared and gathered the little girl in her arms, making shushing noises.
Hikari stayed the entire time that Luorke had Takeru out for show, straining to catch a brief glimpse of him behind the white curtain. The girl was worried; the merboy looked so pale and he never once opened his eyes, or moved either. However, she had seen his fin flip up in the water and then settle back, but that was probably due to the water.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, Luorke decided to close the show. It took a long time because he made a grand speech about how sorry he was and about how viewing Takeru was worth the money paid. Getting impatient, Brennan gave a signal, and a cart came rambling through the crowd, cutting short Luorke's speech. The cart was filled with barrels. The soldiers began emptying the water in the tank immediately. Brennan helped with the work too. People, realizing that they were closing, began drifting away and soon there was barely anyone left. Hikari darted behind an empty booth and kept on watching Luorke and Brennan, hoping there would be an opportunity to free Takeru.
But there wasn't.
When all the water was gone, Luorke and Brennan looked around to make sure that no one was watching them. Thankfully, the square was almost empty, and it was already dark.
Quickly, Luorke thrust a ladder down into the tank. "Hurry up, you idiot," the red-haired man hissed. It seemed Luorke's words had no effect because Takeru got up slowly, weakly, and clambered up the ladder. On the last wrung, he stumbled and fell over the side of the tank and landed with a thud on the podium.
Hikari winced.
"Clumsy fool," Luorke said angrily. He yanked Takeru up by the hair and dragged the boy from the stage. "We'd better get back," Luorke said to Brennan. "I want a good supper and a good night's rest."
Brennan didn't answer. Instead he said to the driver of the barrel cart, "Take care of all this stuff for me, would you? I don't care what you do with the water, and I don't care what you do with the tank. Take it to a smithy and have it melted down, if you like. You may also keep the cart." Brennan gave the man a gold piece. "This is for your trouble."
"Th-thank you, sir," the man said, unable to believe his good luck.
Obviously, the equipment hadn't come out of Brennan's pocket. And if it did, he was a very generous man.
"Let's get going," Luorke grunted, and began heading down a street.
Hikari was about to follow them, to see which inn they were staying at, but then she retreated back. Brennan's men seemed cautious and wary; some of them cast suspicious looks over their shoulders now and then. Hikari didn't blame them. She didn't want to know what would happen if they lost the King's precious "prize."
When Hikari finally decided it was safe enough to follow them, it was too late. She ran after the men, going down the street she'd seen them take, but there was no sign of them. She had lost them. In vain, she hurried up and down the street, looking for a trace of them. A flash of gold from Takeru's hair, maybe, or red from Luorke's. Or perhaps a shine of silver from the chain mail the soldiers worebut Hikari saw none of that.
Downcast, she headed back to the Sky Lark Inn. She was in the midst of a new plan as she stepped through the door, swearing to herself that she'd go to the King's palace to save Takeru if she had to, when she caught sight of Brennan and Luorke.
For a moment Hikari stood there, frozen with surprise. Then, quickly, she ducked behind a serving maid that was chatting with the another girl.
Hikari couldn't believe her good luck. Slowly, casually, trying not to catch attention, Hikari strode over to an empty table near Brennan and Luorke's.
She made it safely to her table without anyone saying, "Hey, look! It's that girl from the fishing town!" On her way over, Hikari had noticed that only Brennan, two of his soldiers, Luorke, and Takeru were at the table. The rest of the soldiers had probably been granted some free time. And at least one of them had to have been sent to the King's castle to give him news of his captured prize.
Hikari sat down stiffly, feeling nervous. She wished that her hair were longer, so that she wouldn't be so recognizable. Her heart ached when she glimpsed Takeru. He was sitting, huddled in a wretched cloak, his face as pale as ever. His face was expressionless, and his eyes held a faraway look, but he might as well have been listening to Luorke and Brennan's conversation as alert as any of them. It was hard to tell what Takeru was thinking when he got his blank expressions.
Hikari signaled one of the serving maids over. Sitting there at the table with no drink and no food might attract attention.
The girl came over and glanced at Hikari in surprise. They were about the same age and it was obvious that the serving girl did not see many young women about without chaperones. Thankfully, the maid asked no questions. Instead, she said, "May I do something for you, miss?"
"Yes, I would like some dinner," Hikari said.
"Alright. What would you like?" The serving girl then began to give a number of dishes, but Hikari did not listen. Instead, her ears strained to hear what Luorke and the others were saying. Although she could not make out the words very well, she knew vaguely that they were talking about the money they had made that afternoon.
"—and porridge," the serving girl finished. "What would you like me to bring you?"
"Porridge, please," said Hikari, that being the only thing she heard.
The serving girl looked surprise. "Just porridge?"
"Uhyes."
The serving girl hurried away with Hikari's order. Once the girl was gone, Hikari tuned back on the men's conversation.
"Damn you, Brennan," Luorke was saying, "Why didn't you let us stay out longer?" His voice was thick and slurred, which meant that he was probably drunk. "We could have made more money."
"You've made more money this one afternoon than you would have made in a whole month back in that fishing town," Brennan said. "You should be happy."
"Even so"
"Even so what?" Brennan snapped. "The merman does not belong to you. It belongs to the King. You should be grateful—very grateful, I must say—that he has even granted you this absurd show. Oh yes, and I forgot to remind you: don't expect the King to pay you anything. He says that the money you made today is enough."
"We could have stayed out longer," Luorke insisted with a loud hiccup. It was a wonder that he was not distressed at Brennan's last words. "Or we could do the show again tomorrow. Today was a bad time—"
"Tomorrow, we must get the merman to the King," Brennan said. "Or it'll be our heads. We don't have time for another show. And even if we did, he—" the captain jerked his head at Takeru—"might faint in the middle of it."
There was a silence and they had all turned to look at Takeru. Hikari knew that Brennan was right. Takeru didn't look well at all.
"He looks like he's got some illness," Brennan said. "I wonder if it's contagious? We wouldn't want a plague—"
"What disease?" Luorke said. "The boy's just not used to being out of the sea for so long, that's all. All we have to do is stick him in a tub of water and he'll be fine."
"Perhaps we should take him to rest?" one of the soldiers inquired. "We wouldn't want him looking like that for the King tomorrow."
"Good idea," Brennan said in an approving voice. "You two can take him out."
There was a shuffle of feet and chairs as the two soldiers got up. Hikari dared a glance over her shoulder and she saw the two guards, each holding onto one of Takeru's arms, heading towards a side door. The girl was just about to get up and follow when the serving girl returned.
"Here's your porridge, miss," the serving girl said cheerfully. "Enjoy."
Hikari sat back down, her heart pounding. Had she attracted any attention? Luorke probably hadn't noticed, being in his drunken state, but BrennanHikari stirred the porridge nervously. It smelled delicious; Hikari had hardly eaten all day. Slowly, she ate a spoonful, the taste of nuts and raisins bursting in her mouth. After a few more spoonfuls, Hikari got up and left, not daring to even look in Luorke and Brennan's direction.
The girl followed the way the two soldiers had taken and found herself in the stable area. The soldiers were not far away; she heard their voices. Hikari crept around the corner, and up to the first stable, which was empty. She peeked over the side. The two soldiers were positioned at the last stable, where Takeru was probably being kept.
Two soldiers. That wasn't so bad. It was at least better than nineteen, not counting Luorke and Brennan. Somehow, she had to distract themHikari caught sight of a broom. She reached for it, wanting a weapon to defend herself, just in case. As she pulled the broom away, she managed to upset a whole stack of tools that had been lying beside it.
Blast this darkness, Hikari thought. I hope they didn't hear.
Which was, of course, a very foolish thought.
The evening air had been silent except the chirping of the crickets. There was a dull hum of noise coming from the inn, but that was not enough to muffle the sound of the crashing tools.
"Who's there?" one of the soldiers called. Since Hikari could hear the words fairly clearly, it must have meant that he had already started forward in her direction.
Hikari crept back around jutting corner of the inn, pressing herself flat against the wall.
"Who's there?" the soldier called again. He sounded even closer.
Hikari tensed, her hands grasping the broom handle.
"Show yourself." The soldier had passed the corner. He was just a few steps ahead of Hikari, with his back turned to her. Seizing her chance, Hikari took a step and swung the broom hard. At the very last moment, the soldier turned and saw her, but it was too late to draw his sword. With a surprised cry, the broom handle connected with his head and he toppled.
"Ron? Ron!" his companion called. "Was that you? Are you all right?" There was the sound of running feet.
Hikari discarded broom—which now had a broken handle—grabbed the fallen soldier's sword, ran past the side door, around another corner, and to the front of the Sky Lark Inn. But she didn't stop there, for she knew that after the remaining soldier saw his fallen companion, he would follow her. But as she made her way around the building back to the other end of the stables, she saw that the soldier had not followed her after all. He was standing over Takeru's stable, looking irritated. Immediately, Hikari realized why. She heard loud moaning sounds coming from the stable.
"What do you need, boy?" the soldier asked. "What is wrong with you?"
Takeru only continued groaning.
"Look, I don't have time right now to—"
More groans. These ones sounded genuinely painful.
This was Hikari's chance. Perhaps Takeru had heard the other soldier cry out and figured this was his chance for escape. And even if that wasn't the case, he was distracting the guard for her quite nicely. The soldier was also positioned at an angle, so that his back was slightly turned to her, which was to her advantage.
Quietly, Hikari took the soldier's sword from its scabbard and put it on the ground. She didn't know how to use it so what good would it be to her? As quietly as possible, Hikari crept up to the soldier, hoping she wouldn't accidentally kill him.
Swiftly, she raised the scabbard
"What the—" The soldier started to turn around. He must have sensed or caught sight of Hikari's shadow falling over him. But the girl did not slow down and swung the scabbard as hard as she could. It made a sickening smack against the soldier's head. The guard fell unconscious to the ground.
For a moment Hikari leaned against the scabbard, gasping for breath, unable to believe what she had just done. Then she threw aside the scabbard and peered inside the stable.
Takeru was there, lying on the hay, the cloak covering him. His eyes were closed but he didn't open them as Hikari approached.
Her heart pounding, Hikari knelt beside the boy, touching his shoulder gently. "Takeru." Her voice trembled.
Takeru opened his eyes. "You came for me." His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Yes," Hikari said. She felt a sudden, childish, urge to cry. "Yes. Of course. I couldn't just leave you to them"
"You shouldn't have."
"I—what?" What did he mean? Hikari felt her eyes sting, but she pushed back her pain ferociously. Takeru was angry with her—hated her, perhaps—but why wouldn't he be, after what she had done to him? Right now, all she wanted to do was throw her arms around him and tell him that she loved him, but that was ridiculous, given the situation. So instead, she said, "Takeru, please. I know what I did was wrong, but I wasn't exactly given a choice. Please listen to me."
"I'm listening."
"I knocked out two of the guards, which will buy us enough time to get away, I hope. But we had better get going, in case one of the other soldiers, or perhaps even Brennan, decides to check you on. Can you stand?"
Takeru didn't answer and Hikari took that as a "no." Feeling conscious, Hikari took Takeru's left arm and draped it around her neck. Her right arm supported his back. With a final heave, she managed to get him on his feet.
The two made their way slowly to the mare's stable. Takeru leaned heavily upon the girl and Hikari was aware of the waterskin hitting against her leg every step of the way.
When they got to the mare, Hikari gently slid out from Takeru's arm and began to saddle the horse. "We could take one of the soldiers' horses for you to ride," Hikari said. She glanced at him. "But I don't think that's a good idea, considering" Hikari wondered what they had done to him to make him so weak like this. He had been perfectly well about a day ago, and now...
"I don't know how to ride a horse," said Takeru.
Hikari was about to reply when a voice interrupted them.
"Mark! Ron! Are you there?" There was the sound of someone stumbling, a muffled thud and a grunt. Then, "Ron? Is that you? Get up, you lazy good-for-nothing lug! You're not supposed to be sleeping on the job."
The voice was heavy and sounded more slurred than before, but it was unmistakable. Hikari's blood began to run cold.
It was Luorke.
Author's Note: Sorry, but some parts of this chapter were rather forced. I hope it wasn't too obvious. Hmm, another cliffhanger. I'm getting rather fond of them, don't you think?