Chapter 4: For the Purpose Driven
"Auron! Where the hell have you been?" Tidus asked accusingly, hands on his hips, as Auron walked into camp. "I was... detained." The guardian stated, in a tone of voice that indicated there would be no further discussion on the subject. Tidus sighed and shook his head, looking down at his feet. He should've known better.
"Good morning Sir Auron." Yuna offered, smiling shyly at her famous guardian as he stooped to gather up his bedroll. "Mmm" came Auron's mumbled reply. Tidus and Yuna exchanged looks, as Tidus shrugged, then turned to continue breaking down the camp. They all knew it was a complete waste of time to try and engage Auron when he was in this sort of mood, the best (and safest) thing to do was to simply leave him be.
When they had finished breaking camp, Auron merely rumbled "We leave." And strode off along the forest path, heading north, on and on, closer to their ultimate destination.
Tidus' feet were killing him. Auron had been maintaining a blistering pace for the better part of the day, speaking to no one, his brow furrowed in thought. It was now late afternoon, and along with his tired feet, Tidus became aware of a deep rumbling coming from his stomach... he was starving. And if he was tired, how must Yuna feel? Her slender frame was not nearly as strong as her will. As if in answer to his question, Yuna, walking beside him, stumbled and nearly fell, her feet dragging, her head hung low... she was nearly exhausted.
"Auron" Tidus called ahead, as their enigmatic leader turned to glare at him over the top of his glasses, his eye glinting with exasperation. Then Auron's face abruptly changed, his stern look replaced with one of concern as he saw Yuna's obvious condition. He walked back to meet them, his large gloved hand gently coming to rest on Yuna's small shoulder. "Let us find a suitable camp for the night." Yuna looked up into her guardian's rugged face with a brave, but grateful smile, as one by one they all turned and followed Kimahri off the path and into the woods once again. The Ronso always instinctively knew where the best campsites were.
************
The lady in black scrambled over the top of a large boulder blocking her way, and fought to regain her previous pace, desperately trying to maintain her relative position to the group ahead of her on the trail.
The huge disadvantage of having to move through the forest rather than use the trail was beginning to take its toll. Her muscles screamed for rest, and her breathing was becoming more labored. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. There had been no time to stop for food or water, thanks to the Red Warrior (as she now thought of him) and the unholy pace he had been setting.
Just as she was beginning to think that her lungs were going to explode in her chest, she heard the sound of something large moving through the undergrowth up ahead. She froze for a moment, then threw herself behind a fallen tree, flattening herself against the ground, thinking that surely they would hear her rapid breathing. It sounded like thunder in her own ears.
"Kimahri know good place, this way." She heard the giant blue beast proclaim, along with the sound of the others following behind him, oddly quiet. They're probably tired too she thought grimly. She could have touched their minds to know for sure, but she was too damned weary at the moment to try.
Finally her breathing began to slow, and she lay there, listening to the sounds of the others moving farther off to the east. She could catch up to them easily now, she thought as she closed her eyes. She would just take a moment and rest here before moving on.
************
Tidus yawned and stretched, as he watched Wakka throw another huge log on the fire. Having eaten, he was content, leaning back against a rock.
He looked over towards Yuna, to see if she was doing any better. He had been worried about her, she seemed so tired. She sat staring into the fire, talking quietly with Lulu, swallowed in the vastness of Auron's robe. Auron had quietly wrapped it around her a little earlier, her sweet look of thanks actually making the old man smile, even though a smile from him never reached further up his face than his mouth.
If Tidus hadn't known Auron better, he would have sworn the guardian felt guilty about the way he had worn Yuna out with his stubborn refusal to slow down today.
Now the taskmaster in question sat off a little ways from the others, his sword resting across his knees, the muscles in his biceps flexing as he honed the blade, occassionally stopping to lift the edge to the light, squinting with his one good eye down the shaft, checking his progress. Tidus sighed. Didn't that guy ever give it a rest? Even in Zanarkand, he couldn't recall ever seeing Auron do anything that could be considered leisurely or fun. "Whatever" he thought, and turned to Wakka to talk Blitzball... a subject he never tired of.
************
She sat up abruptly from behind the log, shaking her head and blinking, looking around her.
What? She had fallen asleep? She started to rise to one knee and winced, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. How long? She looked up to the patches of sky visible through the tops of the trees. Ragged clouds, their edges burnished in purples and deep pinks scudded across her view, pushed by a chilling wind.
Dusk, it was dusk. She sighed heavily and rose slowly to her feet, bending at the waist to peer over the top of the deadfall. She could see the flicker of a campfire glowing through the trees up ahead. Cautiously, silently, she crept forward to the light.
Their campsite for the night was little more than an interruption in the trees, heavily sheltered by the surround, enabling her to get quite close. She lowered herself to the ground, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them, trying to supress the shivers that wanted to overtake her.
The sound of low conversation and the smell of food assailed her senses, and for the first time since leaving home... she felt a pang of loneliness.
"Auron! Where the hell have you been?" Tidus asked accusingly, hands on his hips, as Auron walked into camp. "I was... detained." The guardian stated, in a tone of voice that indicated there would be no further discussion on the subject. Tidus sighed and shook his head, looking down at his feet. He should've known better.
"Good morning Sir Auron." Yuna offered, smiling shyly at her famous guardian as he stooped to gather up his bedroll. "Mmm" came Auron's mumbled reply. Tidus and Yuna exchanged looks, as Tidus shrugged, then turned to continue breaking down the camp. They all knew it was a complete waste of time to try and engage Auron when he was in this sort of mood, the best (and safest) thing to do was to simply leave him be.
When they had finished breaking camp, Auron merely rumbled "We leave." And strode off along the forest path, heading north, on and on, closer to their ultimate destination.
Tidus' feet were killing him. Auron had been maintaining a blistering pace for the better part of the day, speaking to no one, his brow furrowed in thought. It was now late afternoon, and along with his tired feet, Tidus became aware of a deep rumbling coming from his stomach... he was starving. And if he was tired, how must Yuna feel? Her slender frame was not nearly as strong as her will. As if in answer to his question, Yuna, walking beside him, stumbled and nearly fell, her feet dragging, her head hung low... she was nearly exhausted.
"Auron" Tidus called ahead, as their enigmatic leader turned to glare at him over the top of his glasses, his eye glinting with exasperation. Then Auron's face abruptly changed, his stern look replaced with one of concern as he saw Yuna's obvious condition. He walked back to meet them, his large gloved hand gently coming to rest on Yuna's small shoulder. "Let us find a suitable camp for the night." Yuna looked up into her guardian's rugged face with a brave, but grateful smile, as one by one they all turned and followed Kimahri off the path and into the woods once again. The Ronso always instinctively knew where the best campsites were.
************
The lady in black scrambled over the top of a large boulder blocking her way, and fought to regain her previous pace, desperately trying to maintain her relative position to the group ahead of her on the trail.
The huge disadvantage of having to move through the forest rather than use the trail was beginning to take its toll. Her muscles screamed for rest, and her breathing was becoming more labored. She didn't know how much longer she could keep this up. There had been no time to stop for food or water, thanks to the Red Warrior (as she now thought of him) and the unholy pace he had been setting.
Just as she was beginning to think that her lungs were going to explode in her chest, she heard the sound of something large moving through the undergrowth up ahead. She froze for a moment, then threw herself behind a fallen tree, flattening herself against the ground, thinking that surely they would hear her rapid breathing. It sounded like thunder in her own ears.
"Kimahri know good place, this way." She heard the giant blue beast proclaim, along with the sound of the others following behind him, oddly quiet. They're probably tired too she thought grimly. She could have touched their minds to know for sure, but she was too damned weary at the moment to try.
Finally her breathing began to slow, and she lay there, listening to the sounds of the others moving farther off to the east. She could catch up to them easily now, she thought as she closed her eyes. She would just take a moment and rest here before moving on.
************
Tidus yawned and stretched, as he watched Wakka throw another huge log on the fire. Having eaten, he was content, leaning back against a rock.
He looked over towards Yuna, to see if she was doing any better. He had been worried about her, she seemed so tired. She sat staring into the fire, talking quietly with Lulu, swallowed in the vastness of Auron's robe. Auron had quietly wrapped it around her a little earlier, her sweet look of thanks actually making the old man smile, even though a smile from him never reached further up his face than his mouth.
If Tidus hadn't known Auron better, he would have sworn the guardian felt guilty about the way he had worn Yuna out with his stubborn refusal to slow down today.
Now the taskmaster in question sat off a little ways from the others, his sword resting across his knees, the muscles in his biceps flexing as he honed the blade, occassionally stopping to lift the edge to the light, squinting with his one good eye down the shaft, checking his progress. Tidus sighed. Didn't that guy ever give it a rest? Even in Zanarkand, he couldn't recall ever seeing Auron do anything that could be considered leisurely or fun. "Whatever" he thought, and turned to Wakka to talk Blitzball... a subject he never tired of.
************
She sat up abruptly from behind the log, shaking her head and blinking, looking around her.
What? She had fallen asleep? She started to rise to one knee and winced, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. How long? She looked up to the patches of sky visible through the tops of the trees. Ragged clouds, their edges burnished in purples and deep pinks scudded across her view, pushed by a chilling wind.
Dusk, it was dusk. She sighed heavily and rose slowly to her feet, bending at the waist to peer over the top of the deadfall. She could see the flicker of a campfire glowing through the trees up ahead. Cautiously, silently, she crept forward to the light.
Their campsite for the night was little more than an interruption in the trees, heavily sheltered by the surround, enabling her to get quite close. She lowered herself to the ground, bringing her knees up and wrapping her arms around them, trying to supress the shivers that wanted to overtake her.
The sound of low conversation and the smell of food assailed her senses, and for the first time since leaving home... she felt a pang of loneliness.