Chapter 8

When they arrived in the village of wolf people they were waiting for their leader to return. Immediatly when the group arrived they rushed the unconcious girl to the healers tent.

"Marinaro! Could you help this girl" Rum asked a young wolf women emerged from a tent.

"Sure, you boy" she said in a stern voice and pointed at Van "You will stay with her and help me with her"

"Why me"? Van asked

"You seem to know her the best and I only like 1 other person in my wigwam when I work on someone" Marinaro explained as they opened the flaps to the tent. Van followed her and layed Hitomi down on the furs that covered floor. "Quick take off her shirt" she ordered. Van just starred at her for a moment (A.N she has a bra on K, I'm not sick!)

'How indecent' he sorrly thought as he complied. She undied the bandage he had wrapped around her and threw it aside. "Hold her down. She might fidgit" Marinaro told him and Van leaned over and pinned her body with his own. (A.N His hands grabbed hers and his legs pinned her to the floor. So he had his stomach right infront of her. There was space between their stomachs). The wolf woman pulled out a jar of some sort and took out a cloth and covered the top of the bottle with it and wetted it with the weird unknown liquid. To Van it smelled alot like violet. Marinaro place the cloth on Hitomi and steam started to come from the wound.

"What's happening" Van asked, struggaling to keep Hitomi pinned.

"Don't worry! This herb will help the wound heal in only a matter of days. It's also cleaning it" she told him, keeping the cloth to Hitomi's stomach, only when the steam stopped coming and Hitomi stopped moving did she remove it. "Well I suspect my job is done. You two can stay here tonight. But I'm warning you be carful with her" Marinaro got up and left them in the tent. When she left Van got off of her and layed next to her. Van only closed his eyes when he heard a moan escape her lips.

"Where am I" Hitomi asked, looking around confused

"Remember you were attacked by some crazed lunatic and were injured. Rum helped save you" Van expained.

"Oh... Van who's Rum"

"The wolfman you ran away from" He awnsered her. Hitomi looked down and realized she was only wearing her bra.

"VAN! Why did you take off my shirt" She yelled at him 'How dare he take off my shirt'!

"Relax Hitomi! The healer Marinaro had to see the wound"

"Oh I GUESS that's alright" She said and leaned over and grabbed her shirt and pulled it on "Thanks Van" Hitomi mumbeled realising how tired she was and fell back onto the fur and fell asleep. Soon Van joined her.

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"Dilandau! You faild to capture the girl. You know the conciquences for failure" Folken said in an oh-too-calm voice as he walked over to where Dilandau had bent over. "She escaped because of you and grew a stronger friendship with the dragon! Soon they will find each themselves seriouslly thinking about the emotion of love! And if by that time they awaken Escaflowne our futures are certain to hold death" He said in a low voice. He turned to face the screen that held the face of their leader.

"We must attack Fanellia at once" Dornkirk commanded "Dilandau take your dragonslayers and the Vione and attack in a days time"! he said then the image went blank. Dilandau stood up and left to prepare for the attack they would stage.

"The Fanellians wont know what hit them" the silver haird warrior said with a smile. "I'm going to get Van back" He vowed

"If it's reveng you want you can get it after youv captured him" Folken said

"Oh your just going to give me you little brother. you don't care about him" He taunted

"I'm a man how will help destroy his country" Folken said.

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By the time Hitomi woke up she felt an arm ontop of her stomach that was bandaged. She began to remember the previous nights events. Escapecially the wound.

"Hey Van are you awake"? Hitomi asked as she sat up

"Hum...So your up" Van awnsered opening his eyes.

"Yeah... But I'm not going back there! I'll never be a spoild princess who ends up getting bethrothed to some vain jerk" She told him sorrly, folding her arms over her chest like a stuborn child who coudn't get her way.

"Well you have a responsibility, eventually you will have to return Hitomi" Van told her

"Well It wont be for a long time! I'm my own person and I won't be perswaded"

"Fine Hitomi, I'm not going to argue with you, not now anyway" Van said and stood up "So where are you going to go anyway Hitomi"?

"Maybe Austuria and become a knight or to Sezario" She replied "Anywhere but Tenreo" Just as she was saying this Rum rushed in

"Van! Hurry there are's a Zaibach floating Fotress heading for Fanellia! And I don't think it's a friendly visit" He said gasping for breath as if he had been runnung

"What! Hitomi hurry and get up Zaibach is attacking Fanellia! I've got to get there" Van said running out of the tent. Hitomi sat up and followed him

"How long till they get there?" Hitomi asked

"About an hour. You'll never make it" Rum shook his head sadly when she had left.

"Van I'm comin with you" Hitomi shouted to Van as he was about to take off. Hitomi jumped on behind him and clung to his waist and they were off

"I thought you didn't want to go back there" Van asked as they thundered through the forest.

"Just shut up and watch the rode! I'm only coming because I'm one of your generals" 'thats not the only reason' she thought amd started to blush when she thought about the kiss they had shared and how safe she had felt in his arms.

From the corner of his eye, Van saw Hitomi blush and Van smiled.

'Wonder what's she thinking about'

For the next 45 minutes they raced to the city of Fanellia. Van staterd yalling as soon as they made it to the city.

"Hurry Zaibach is attacking! Take the women and children to the mountains! Hurry they'll be here soon!" Van yelled. A few people gasped but then got over the schock and started to search for their children and hurry to the mountains. Van and Hitomi made their way to the castle.

"Lord Van take Lady Hitomi to the shrine and if neccesary leave this place with Escacflowne" Balgues said as soon as they had entered the stabels

"Escaflowne"? Van asked, puzzeled why they would have to wake the sleeping dragon guymelof. "Hitomi follow me to the shrine" he said and ran towards the shrine to the legendary God of Protection.

It was a breathtaking sight. Hitomi looked all around the giant room to see a giant hunk of rock in the middle. Van stood under it a made a tiny slit in his hand

"I Van Fanel find myself blood pact to thee Escaflowne. Thow sleeping Dragon awake" Van called and the glass shattered to reveal Escaflowne. Once it had safelly landed on the ground in a kneeling position Van climbed upto the breastplate where the pink gem would go. Slowly he placed it in and the cockpit door shot open. Van climbed in and stood up and took out his sword. "Hitomi stay put" He ordered her

"No way Van"! She yelled back "I'm coming with you no matter what"

Then a invisable guymelof crashed through the wall and attacked Van.

"Where the hell is it" he asked outloud and began to fight the invisable force. He cut his way through the cloak and from then he could see all his moves.

Van came down for the finalblow but was stopped, another guymelof had joined and was blocking him. Van immediatly silced his cloak. He was luck that he was facing two unexperienced fighters. Then Van was about to finish the one that had first attacked him when the second was about to strike him Balgues jumped in.

"AAAHhhhhhh" Balgues grunted as he fought it iff with a giant sword "Leave lord Van No-" but he never fnished it, he had been killed. He limply fell to the ground. Van killed the two guymelofs with all the anger he had and then picked Hitomi up and went over to where Balgues layed and he fell to his knees.

"No Balgues"

"Lord Van someday return and re-build our native home me lord. Reunite the people of Fanellia" were his last words then he died.

"Noooooo" Van yelled.

"Why"? Hitomi mumbeled as she looked away to see the burning castle that surounded them. Zaibach guymelofs started to come from all sides, preparring to capture them. But before they could lay a hand on them, a bright beam of light came. Van and Hitomi floated away into the sky. Van lossened his grip he had on Hitomi and fely himself give way into unconciousness. Together they left the burning city of Fanellia.



Later that night Hitomi and Van landed in a dense forest.

"Van where are you"? Hitomi called. Unable to see Van. She stood up and brushed her clothes that had a few fallen leaves clung her pants.

Somewhere else (5minutes away, walking)

"Hitotmi come out" Van yelled, hoping the girl could hear him. He abonded his guymelof and went in search of her. Finally he came to where a girl stood, her back to him and she turned around to face him.

"VAN" She yelled jumping on him and hugging him feirclly.

"Hitomi it's alright. But where are we" He asked.

"Um I think the borders of Austuria" She replied "There SHOULD be a road somewhere then we can find a place for the night" Hitomi said and backed away from Van, or at least tried to. Van held his hand on her waist. Closer their faces met untill their lips were touching. Hitomi's mind became a mess and he kissed her, she let out a moan and put her arms over Van's neck and let the kiss deepen. A few moments later they parted because the need of air. "Um... We better get going. Where's Escaflowne"?

"Don't worry. It's hidden. Besides I'm the only one who can piolet it so it wouldn't do anyone any good" He replied, still in shock from the kiss.

"Oh well we better get going" Hitomi said and picked a direction. In the distance she couls see a road. "There's a road" she pointed. Once they made it to the road they began to walk untill they found a cottage.

Van walked up and knocked the door

"Hello" a young woman awnsered. She had long shiney blond hair and ice berg blue eyes "How may I help you" She asked looking Van up and down

'That's discusting! She's checking him out' even Hitomi had done that once but at least he hadn't noticed, or so she had thought (A.N he did notice).

"We're travelers looking for a place to stay tonight" Van replied, not saying that he was a king and Hitomi was a princess.

"Oh of course please come in, might I aske who are you and who IS she" the annoying girl asked pointing at Hitomi as of she was a bug.

"This is my companion Hitomi and my name is Van, what is yours"

"My name is Eramla, you can call me Eram" She blushed, trying to make her self cute and attractive.

"Well thank you Eram said 'God this woman is annoying! I can't wait to leave'

"Here come in you two must be starved! I'll set up some rooms for you" she said letting them come in "Go down the hall and into the dining room" she told him in a sweet and caring voice. When he had left Hitomi was about to follow when Eram put her hand out infront of Hitomi "You will not reuin my chances with him! I am way more attractive than you could ever be! So give up" she hissed

"He doesn't like sleeze" Hitomi fired back. Eram was taken back, most girls would have given up but she liked this game

"Oh well I like a challenge" Eram smiled. 'No chance in hell does that scrawny girl stand a chance with him' and lead Hitomi to where Van was. Meanwhile several thoughts were floating throught Hitomi's head as they ate dinner.

'Eram is right! No way could he ever fall in love with me! Eram is prettier than I am and it's true! But at least I'm nicer than she is' she sorrly thought, blocking out the conversation. Eram was flirting with Van. He seemed so out of it and she didn't even notice it. He just noded his head up and down, agreeing with what the hell she was blabbering on about.

"Well it's late and you should be getting tired! There are two rooms. One has two beds. Whitch one would you like Van" She pourred.

'OH my god! If Van doesn't realise she wants to sleep with him he's blind' Hitomi's mind screamed

'Think Fanel!' "Um no thank you. I'll stay in the same room as Hitomi. We woudn't want to inconvenience you in anyway". He repled. If all those years listening to council, he had learned never sound insulting when backing away. Eram looked shocked to see a man had resisted her charms.

"Oh then I'll show you and that girl what's her name to your room" She scoffed. Hitomi had enough with holding her tongue

"My name is Hitomi" She forcefully replied and stood up to look intimadating, it worked. They all got up and Eram led them to the room and lead them to the top floor.

"Well goodnight!" she said and blew Van a kiss and glared at Hitomi and closed the door.

"URGH! She is so annoying! She flited with you the entire time" Hitomi growled in frustration.

"And you care because..." Van inquired. 'Could she possibly care about me'?

"Well...um that is to say... I really care about you" Hitomi said and blushed, but blushed even more when she realized there was only one king sized bed. "Um Van there's only one bed. Looks like Eram had an idea including you, her, one night, one bed" Hitomi said

"URGH! Well might as well get some sleep. I'll take one side, you take the other"

"Sure" she responded and climbed into bed and closed her eyes. A few moments later she felt someone climb in on her other side.

Hours later Van was sound asleep, but Hitomi could not, no matter what positioned she tried. Finally she was about to go for a run, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and soon Hitomi found her own way to the realm of dreams.



I hope you readers didn't mind that last scene. I needed SOME excuse for Van to hate Eram, and still get Hitomi and Van together! By the way Eram was trying to have sex with Van. Her name is prononced Er-am. ANYONE please tell me you hate her! Don't Van and Hitomi make a great couple! I know some people like alternate pairing but I still love V/H! I would like to apologies for saying Pantome Escaflowne, it's Phantome Angel! She writes the AU V/H "THief of Hearts! It's one of my favorites!

Syanora! Arigatou!



Artamis Godess of the Hunt