Chapter 5: An Uninvited Guest
It was full dark now, and with all the early evening tasks completed, the group had settled into a quieter mood. The conversation became sparse, as they each drifted off into their own thoughts, gazing at the fire.
It was in the midst of this quiet reverie that Auron's head suddenly came up straight, his eye narrowing to a sliver, as he rose to his feet, bringing his sword with him.
Positioning himself in front of Yuna, gazing intently into the trees beyond the firelight, he spoke in his soft bass... "Whomever is there, show yourself, now... I will not ask again."
The rest of the party shot to their feet, grabbing for their weapons, looking back and forth between Auron and the trees.
There was the barely audible sound of an exasperated sigh, and then a dark figure stepped out of the trees and into the edge of the firelight. No details of the person could be seen except the pale eyes, a prideful challenge shining in their icy depths.
Kimahri's animal instincts, coupled with his fierce loyalty too Yuna, allowed him no restraint. Snarling, he lunged at the figure in black, swinging his massive arm in a slow but deadly action... claws out, aiming for the head.
The object of his attack, in an almost languid movement, stepped back and to the side, as Kimahri's huge paw whistled inches from her face.
The giant beast was now completely open, and off-balance, his flank exposed. Her eyes shot Auron a pleading look, telling him without words that she did not wish to retaliate against the hulking Ronso.
"ENOUGH!" Auron boomed, the command in his voice making them all freeze in place, their heads turning to regard him in shocked surprise. His blade outstretched, the fire dancing across his coppered eye, he spoke in a lower, but no less menacing tone... "Hold! She means us no harm."
Kimahri studied Auron's face for a moment and then nodded, stepping away from the dark stranger and crossing his arms across his expansive chest.
That was good enough for the others and they all relaxed, staring expectantly at their uninvited guest.
Thinking it was the only way to gain their trust, she slowly reached up and removed the black cowl from her head, then untied the neck of her black jumpsuit... pulling it down and stepping backwards to free herself from its loose confines.
Tidus whistled softly in appreciation. "Hey! Knock it off!" Wakka admonished, elbowing Tidus silent.
Underneath her outer garment, she was clad in a form-fitting pair of pants that started midway across her hips, topped by a cropped sleeveless shirt of the same silvery material.
Back in Zanarkand, Tidus had been aquainted with female athletes, but he had never seen a woman so physically fit before. She was slim, but her arms and stomach were clearly defined by lean muscle.
Her face too, was arranged in angular planes. A slightly prominent, straight nose... high cheekbones... a clearly defined jawline... only her large, almond-shaped eyes serving to soften her face. Her hair was a deep auburn color, pulled back at the nape of her neck in a single long braid.
Tidus studied her, but he couldn't be certain of her age exactly. She was definetly older, but not as old as Auron. But then, that was a bad comparison anyway... Auron looked older than he really was. That made Tidus think of something his old man had said once, that he had never understood until this moment... "It ain't the years man, it's the mileage."
Rikku interrupted Tidus' thoughts as she bounced forward, tilting her head to one side, one finger on her cheek. "Wow! It really is a lady! Hey! What's your name?"
Smiling down at the diminutive girl, she extended her hands, palms up and answered with as much dignity as she could... "My name is Lisette, and I am a stranger traveling in this land."
"That much is certain." Lulu quipped cooly. "Shush Lu, let her talk, ya?" Wakka admonished, as Lulu shot him a withering glance.
"Please, come over by the fire, you must be cold... are you hungry?" Yuna offered graciously, bowing and extending her arm toward the camp.
Lisette returned the bow and replied... "Truth be told, I am both, thank you."
As Lisette ate hungrily, Yuna introduced the party in turn. Starting with herself, then Rikku, who had sat next to the older woman, studying her with the shameless curiousity of the young.
A silent nod of the head from Kimahri and Lulu. "Welcome, ya?" Came the clipped greeting from Wakka... "Uh, Hiya" From Tidus, nervously putting his arm up behind his head... and ending with Sir Auron.
"M'Lady" Auron intoned, inclining his head slightly towards her. Tidus' eyes widened. He had never seen Auron defer to anyone that way before. The guardian's greeting had revealed respect. Well... miracles do happen he thought, scratching the back of his head.
Yuna broke the awkward silence that followed with a rhetorical question... "You will stay with us tonight, won't you?"
Before Lisette could answer, Auron interrupted... "We are not a Travel Agency Yuna." He said coldly, "We have no time to entertain guests."
"You don't have to say it like that! You know?" Rikku piped, her face wrinkling in irritation.
"But, Sir Auron" Yuna protested, "There is no harm in letting her stay for this one night, is there?"
Auron sighed. "If you truly wish it."
Tidus grinned, thinking to himself not for the first time, that Yuna was the only one among them who could so easily sway the stubborn man. His code of honor as her guardian would not allow him to deny her.
And with that decided, Lulu spoke, in her trademark no-nonsense style, asking the questions they all had been thinking...
"Where are you from? And what are you doing here?"
It was full dark now, and with all the early evening tasks completed, the group had settled into a quieter mood. The conversation became sparse, as they each drifted off into their own thoughts, gazing at the fire.
It was in the midst of this quiet reverie that Auron's head suddenly came up straight, his eye narrowing to a sliver, as he rose to his feet, bringing his sword with him.
Positioning himself in front of Yuna, gazing intently into the trees beyond the firelight, he spoke in his soft bass... "Whomever is there, show yourself, now... I will not ask again."
The rest of the party shot to their feet, grabbing for their weapons, looking back and forth between Auron and the trees.
There was the barely audible sound of an exasperated sigh, and then a dark figure stepped out of the trees and into the edge of the firelight. No details of the person could be seen except the pale eyes, a prideful challenge shining in their icy depths.
Kimahri's animal instincts, coupled with his fierce loyalty too Yuna, allowed him no restraint. Snarling, he lunged at the figure in black, swinging his massive arm in a slow but deadly action... claws out, aiming for the head.
The object of his attack, in an almost languid movement, stepped back and to the side, as Kimahri's huge paw whistled inches from her face.
The giant beast was now completely open, and off-balance, his flank exposed. Her eyes shot Auron a pleading look, telling him without words that she did not wish to retaliate against the hulking Ronso.
"ENOUGH!" Auron boomed, the command in his voice making them all freeze in place, their heads turning to regard him in shocked surprise. His blade outstretched, the fire dancing across his coppered eye, he spoke in a lower, but no less menacing tone... "Hold! She means us no harm."
Kimahri studied Auron's face for a moment and then nodded, stepping away from the dark stranger and crossing his arms across his expansive chest.
That was good enough for the others and they all relaxed, staring expectantly at their uninvited guest.
Thinking it was the only way to gain their trust, she slowly reached up and removed the black cowl from her head, then untied the neck of her black jumpsuit... pulling it down and stepping backwards to free herself from its loose confines.
Tidus whistled softly in appreciation. "Hey! Knock it off!" Wakka admonished, elbowing Tidus silent.
Underneath her outer garment, she was clad in a form-fitting pair of pants that started midway across her hips, topped by a cropped sleeveless shirt of the same silvery material.
Back in Zanarkand, Tidus had been aquainted with female athletes, but he had never seen a woman so physically fit before. She was slim, but her arms and stomach were clearly defined by lean muscle.
Her face too, was arranged in angular planes. A slightly prominent, straight nose... high cheekbones... a clearly defined jawline... only her large, almond-shaped eyes serving to soften her face. Her hair was a deep auburn color, pulled back at the nape of her neck in a single long braid.
Tidus studied her, but he couldn't be certain of her age exactly. She was definetly older, but not as old as Auron. But then, that was a bad comparison anyway... Auron looked older than he really was. That made Tidus think of something his old man had said once, that he had never understood until this moment... "It ain't the years man, it's the mileage."
Rikku interrupted Tidus' thoughts as she bounced forward, tilting her head to one side, one finger on her cheek. "Wow! It really is a lady! Hey! What's your name?"
Smiling down at the diminutive girl, she extended her hands, palms up and answered with as much dignity as she could... "My name is Lisette, and I am a stranger traveling in this land."
"That much is certain." Lulu quipped cooly. "Shush Lu, let her talk, ya?" Wakka admonished, as Lulu shot him a withering glance.
"Please, come over by the fire, you must be cold... are you hungry?" Yuna offered graciously, bowing and extending her arm toward the camp.
Lisette returned the bow and replied... "Truth be told, I am both, thank you."
As Lisette ate hungrily, Yuna introduced the party in turn. Starting with herself, then Rikku, who had sat next to the older woman, studying her with the shameless curiousity of the young.
A silent nod of the head from Kimahri and Lulu. "Welcome, ya?" Came the clipped greeting from Wakka... "Uh, Hiya" From Tidus, nervously putting his arm up behind his head... and ending with Sir Auron.
"M'Lady" Auron intoned, inclining his head slightly towards her. Tidus' eyes widened. He had never seen Auron defer to anyone that way before. The guardian's greeting had revealed respect. Well... miracles do happen he thought, scratching the back of his head.
Yuna broke the awkward silence that followed with a rhetorical question... "You will stay with us tonight, won't you?"
Before Lisette could answer, Auron interrupted... "We are not a Travel Agency Yuna." He said coldly, "We have no time to entertain guests."
"You don't have to say it like that! You know?" Rikku piped, her face wrinkling in irritation.
"But, Sir Auron" Yuna protested, "There is no harm in letting her stay for this one night, is there?"
Auron sighed. "If you truly wish it."
Tidus grinned, thinking to himself not for the first time, that Yuna was the only one among them who could so easily sway the stubborn man. His code of honor as her guardian would not allow him to deny her.
And with that decided, Lulu spoke, in her trademark no-nonsense style, asking the questions they all had been thinking...
"Where are you from? And what are you doing here?"