Note: Weee! Right now I'm typing on mah laptop ^v^. I really dun like doing this 'cause I make a million typos and I have to transfer it to the big computer so I can upload it and yadda yadda. I have no mouse for this thang, so I have to use this tiny lil' button between the G and H keys and it's friggin' annoying! ARGH! But it's all chou. Yuna scares me. Vurra muchly. Woo! She… turned the lights off and on!

Chapter 6- A Peculiar Wind

"Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I;

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by."

-Christina Rossetti

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It was night when Black once again caught scent of the forest. This forest was neither crowded nor ancient, but in between. He gave a sigh and corrected their course. If they kept walking in their previous direction, they'd steadily pass the forest by. For they were now cresting a hill, and he wanted to be sure they were going to make it.

Shaker's life hung with that hope.

Quina seemed oblivious to their lack of rest. It merely plodded on, silent. Black could tell Eiko was tired, but she bravely kept up the pace. He wanted to help, but he could do nothing as long as he was pulling Shaker along. He turned… the guard hadn't moved. Still sleeping.

"We're… coming to the top of it." Eiko said.

Silently they came to the top of the hill, and Black stifled a gasp. Right below them, a only a short distance from the hill base, the forest stood. Black hadn't realized it was so close… The trees formed a loose dome, and inside he could see patches of open ground, as well as trails. Worn, but still a bit rough. The dusty smell of feathers mixed with chocobo permeated the air. The trio exchanged glances before continuing.

Going down the hill was a tricky business: Black had to make sure that Shaker's stretcher didn't get too much slack on the line and hit him, lest he injure the guard. But he also didn't want to go too fast, for Shaker might fall off the stretcher. He settled on a steady, zigzagged course.

As they neared the outskirts, a sudden sound from above startled them. A mog hopped through the treetops, stopping to stare at them for a moment.

Eiko's face lit up. "Hi!" she called, waving. The moogle only hesitated a bit before turning around.

"Kupo?"

"I'm Eiko. We really need your help… our friend's hurt!" Eiko clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.

The moogle hopped back and sank to the ground. "Kupo! That doesn't look good…" he turned around. "C'mon." he fluttered off through the forest. Eiko followed with a newfound gusto; Quina plodded along at his normal pace. Black trotted at a distance, carefully avoiding sudden rises and the like. Soon he could only follow the path, for Eiko and Quina were too far ahead.

Suddenly an enormous yellow bird burst from the vegetation beside him, cocking its head in curiosity. "Kweh?" it inquired gently.

"Olris, sir chocobo." Black grinned. The show of his teeth seemed not to put the chocobo at much ease, so he shut his mouth.

The chocobo blinked and crouched down, peering at Shaker. Shaker's breath ruffled his feathers, and the chocobo made a ^v^ face. "Kweehh!" it stood still. Black watched it for a minute before walking on. The chocobo followed.

Soon he came to a clearing, here mog, Eiko, and Quina were waiting. Eiko waved, then grinned as she saw the chocobo following. The moogle was digging through what appeared to be a burrow, looking for something.

Eiko helped Black out of the harness, and he went to sit by Quina. The Qu cocked its head slightly.

"Shaker going to be okay?"

"I believe so. I really wouldn't like him to be crippled, though."

"I see worse. All healed with White magic or potions."

Black flipped his tail and looked a bit anxious. "I don't think so. That leonæ is Pterrian-born. Until it used your potions to heal itself, it was untouched by your magic. The wounds it inflicted on Shaker were of a Pterrian-born, so your magic might not be as effective. It may take more time to heal."

Quina sighed. "This all so confusing…"

"I know." Black took a more relaxed position, even though his nerves were a little on edge.

"Here it is!" The moogle came from its burrow holding a vial of golden liquid. It smelled strongly, but not unpleasantly.

"An Max Ether!" Eiko took it. "White Magic is more thorough than potions." Eiko explained to Black. "Where did you get this Max Ether?"

"Well, when me and Choco got a little restless at the Chocobo's Paradise, we decided to do some freestyle mining down at Gargan Roo, kupo. We turned up a few fossils, and this! Right now we're using the rest of our free time to check up on the forest. You caught us just in time, kupo. We were about to leave in a few days."

Black sighed with relief and let his wings fall to his sides with a dry sound. Choco 'kwehed'.

"Choco likes you, kupo. He thinks you're like a river, cat guy. Calm on the surface, but quick and complex underneath."

Black grinned. "That happens to be part of my name. Black River. You may call me Black."

"Kupo! Let's heal your friend."

Eiko popped the lid of the vial open, and the fluid slowly drained into a shimmering, brass cloud. Eiko stepped into it and began breathing it in. The vapor went surprisingly fast. Black figured she was absorbing it in some other, unseen way. Maybe though her summoner horn. Without further hesitation she turned to Shaker.

"Curaga!"

A light unlike any other filled the glade. Black narrowed his eyes, and his pupils narrowed dramatically to save his vision. The light was one color, yet all the colors. It shone iridescently and gave off sparkles, tendrils of burned energy-energy used to make magic. It was beautiful.

The most beautiful thing Black had ever seen. In a sense. The light was gentle, maternal, it shone down upon the mortals with a light that seemed to say, 'feel my presence, my children. Maybe it was saying that. It was different than the wild, vengeful light of fire and fire spells, or the sadistic fury of lightening, or the strangeness of water.

It was beautiful. An enigma within an enigma, a riddle never to be solved. Black was sorry when it faded, revealing Shaker. His leg was still badly wounded, but he looked a lot better.

"Cura!"

Another, less drastic light shone, but in the calm and the stillness of the glade, it was still lovely.

Eiko went on healing until her MP was used. She stared in disbelief a Shaker's still-bleeding leg. It wa no longer fatal, but it was clearly broken and not fit for Shaker to travel with.

Eiko looked up. "What…?"

Black went over and quietly began to explain. Quina looked to the moogle.

"What we do? We no leave now."

"You can spend the night, kupo. But I can't cook dinner for you, or provide beds…"

"I take care of yum-yums. We figure out what we do for beds."

-----

"But why, then, did all of our potions heal that leonæ?"

"I attacked it, and did a lot of the damage to its wing. Even though I'm Pterrian-born, I've used magic here as well as items. Shake healed my two nights ago."

Eiko sighed. "What are we going to do?"

"Sleep. We can't do Shaker any good if we're too tired to go on."

Eiko nodded once and looked for a place to sleep. Quina was bringing in assorted mushrooms, berries, and nuts.

"I make dinner!"

At the mention of food, Eiko decided she wasn't sleepy anymore. With a grin she turned around and walked over to the campfire. Black decided to go for a walk.

He trotted through the wild forest, enjoying the myriad of sounds, scents and feeling. The ground was spongy here, not as wet as the Qu Marsh, but not as dry as the plains around it. Loam was the main texture here, and as he began to move faster small, fluffy clumps of it began turning up underfoot.

A damp, old smell lingered here. Flowers of uncountable variety also perfumed the air. Leaves, rodents, birds, moss, water, feathers. The smell overall had a docile undertone, with many herbivorous beasts' scents ruling over all. It was comforting to the weak and hunted.

Overall, birdsong was the melody here. Chirrups and warbles, whistles clicks. He'd never head a bird click before! Perhaps it was the clacking of many tiny beaks. Inscents whirred, unseen, in the forest. Squirrels cracking nuts. He also heard the sounds of the leaves, whispering and rustling in the breeze.

A breeze? In the forest? He turned his head. The wind seemed to pick up speed, and it ruffled his fur.

"Talsolia…"

He stood still. His Shiran name! Th wind swirled and circled, making the leaves dance and the trees sway, the grass rippled and the birds hushed.

"Your guide is with you…"

The Mistress's voice? No… someone else. Someone more familiar.

"I'm surprised at you, not recognizing me! The nerve… I'll guide your guide, how's that sound?"

A speaking wind with attitude? "Rokon!"

"Righto. You'll know who your guide is. Go back to camp, you have a way now."

Black took no time in turning. The wind blew with him, racing him, challenging him to the campsite. With an energy renewed Black sprinted along, ears laid back, tail curved in a J, rigid with concentration.

He burst into camp, starling Choco and making Eiko and Quina look up. The moogle was nowhere in sight,

The wind rushed forward, lancing through the clearing and curling, kicking up fallen leaves into a vague shape. A vulpine shape. It rushed back, dissipating toward the middle of the clearing.

"Black?" Eiko was staring at the leaves, which were now settling.

"My guide. In a manner of speaking…" Black looked to her and she settled considerably, trusting him. Quina went back to roasting a fish on a pike, and Choco ruffled his feathers and sat down.

Shaker groaned and raised himself up. "W-wha?"

Eiko, Black, and Quina nearly ran into each other as they ran to his side.

"Hey! You're awake, Shake!"

"You okay?"

"I'm glad you're up." Black sat down. "We had to carry you here."

Shaker leaned on his arms and winced as his leg twisted. "Where am I?"

As if to answer, Choco trotted up and curled his neck over the top of Shaker's head. Shaker's breath ruffled his feathers. Choco 'kwehed' happily. Shaker grinned. For the first tme since Black met him, he looked happy.

"Ch-ch-chocobo forest?"

They all laughed.

-----

In the morning Black awoke first, being an early riser. Shaker had gone to sleep early. He was pooped, to put it lightly. They all had a dinner and slept deeply and unconcerned for the first time in two days.

As Black stretched his legs, the moogle approached him. "Me and Choco talked last night. He thinks he should help you get to the Grotto. He can carry Shaker there."

Black looked at the moogle for a moment, before performing an elaborate bow. "My Urrdu is with you. You don't know how much you've helped us. Maybe even saved his life." He looked to Shaker.

I've fixed breakfast. Or, I've gathered it. We don't have many visitors!" the moogle cheerfully darted off to fetch breakfast.

Eiko awoke next, followed closely by the Qu. A they ate their breakfast in contented silence, Shaker awoke.

"Any left for m-me?"

"Yup." Eiko handed him his 'plate', which was actually a broad leaf fitted in an abandoned bird's nest..

"Th-that leonæ thing w-was mean." He said, chewing. "It beat me up p-pretty b-bad."

"We had to carry you here on a stretcher." Eiko said. "You're laying on I right now. We tried healing your leg, but-"

"The leonæ w-was of Perrian descent, so gain m-magic isn't f-f-f-… fully effective." He finished.

Eiko just stared.

"I had a d-dream… and someone told me th-these things. She said she would… guide me, so I c-could guide you."

Black nodded, "Rokon, out own little sassy wind. She's here to help us."

Shaker looked at Black and smiled. I guess he trusts me, the Intruder from Another World mused.

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Note: I took a walk around the wold to ease mah troubled mind… Heh. I'm listening to mah radio, typing on mah laptop, and it's 2:27 in the morning. Mebbe I need to get some sleep. Mebbe not. Anyway, that's Chapter 7. A bit short, I think. Peh. It's dark in here. At least the elves won't get me ^.^