Chapter Six- When it comes to this...
I was hurt and captured, defiantly not a combination I liked. The chains I was bound with cut into me and made my wounds bleed anew. I was weak from the injuries and lack of rest. As I lay on the cold ground, the night thick around me, I couldn't help but think I had failed.
I had seen no sign of San since we had attacked. I hoped they hadn't captured her, but I feared they had.
My weapons were gone, my clothes little more than tattered rags. I wondered why I was not yet dead.
I heard a some quieted sounds outside the tent I was laid in just before the flap opened. I struggled to see my visitor, but every slight movement sent shooting pain throughout my body.
"Who's there?" I demanded. A heard a rough laughter, and the clanking of armor. It was one of the bastard samurai that I hated with a passion.
"Wouldn't you like to know. I brought you a roommate, at least until we head out tomorrow." he laughed. I closed my eyes and heard a thump beside me. I opened them again, expecting San to be lying unconscious there, but I was shocked. It was Ashitaka!
I bit back an outraged cry, willing the man to leave. I feared for a moment that my brother's corpse was all that lay beside me, but his chest raised and lowered rhythmically. The samurai left, cackling about something. But I couldn't take my eyes from my brother. He was alive and here.
I tried to stay awake until he woke, but fatigue overtook me. I couldn't bear the pain a moment longer and drifted to an unrestful sleep.
When I drifted awake, Ashitaka wasn't in my view. I panicked, thinking they had taken him away so soon. But I had just turned over. I managed to flip over and found myself staring into my brother's dark eyes.
"Ashitaka! You're alright!" I yelled, not thinking it had been four years since we'd seen each other. He looked at me puzzled.
"Do I know you?" he said with a strange look. I was hurt that he didn't recognize me.
"I am.." I trailed, not finding the right words anywhere in my mind.
"Are you from Iron Town?" he pressed. I looked up at him again, wishing it would come to him.
"You gave away my dagger..." I laughed. He looked confused, and then it hit him harder than a ton of iron.
"Keiya... oh my gods..." he breathed. His eyes held shock, but turned to a mixture of joy and sorrow. "What are you doing here?"
I smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Ashitaka. It's all my fault." I said, casting my eyes away.
"Gods, what do you mean?" he spoke.
"The demon mark... it was my fault and I never got a chance to apologize..." I cried.
"Keiya... you left the village and traveled all the way here to tell me that?" he exclaimed. I nodded.
"I couldn't stay... I wanted to see you again. And..." I trailed off. I couldn't say anymore.
"I am glad you came, but in the same breath I am upset you left." he scolded. "But I have to say that if I could hug you right now I would." he added. I smiled and glanced up at him. "How did you get captured? I was sure I heard a battle going on."
"San and the wolves... they led the attack. I tried to help, but I was already injured and fought poorly. I haven't seen San since." I managed.
"San! I hope she's alright." he worried. But suddenly he laughed a little. "I'm hoping she's alright when we're in a mess ourselves." he spoke, solemnly. "My own life is unimportant... but I cannot allow them to kill you as well." he told me.
"First of all, if you die I am too. Second, you have a woman who loves you to go back to! And third, I don't plan on letting them kill us." I told him confidently. I hoped I was right.
The flap on the tent opened and a man walked in. He was a samurai, like the others. He roughly undid my chains and motioned for someone behind him to come forward. The man was slight, his hair the color of night. He knelt beside me, as I struggled to sit up.
"Stay calm. I am a healer, and you are hurt." he told me. The samurai scowled, as if treating my wounds was a bad idea, then grabbed Ashitaka.
"No! Leave him!" I yelled. The man smiled evilly.
"I think not." he replied.
Another short chapter... oh well. I didn't want to put anymore into this chapter for "reasons"... hehe.
I was hurt and captured, defiantly not a combination I liked. The chains I was bound with cut into me and made my wounds bleed anew. I was weak from the injuries and lack of rest. As I lay on the cold ground, the night thick around me, I couldn't help but think I had failed.
I had seen no sign of San since we had attacked. I hoped they hadn't captured her, but I feared they had.
My weapons were gone, my clothes little more than tattered rags. I wondered why I was not yet dead.
I heard a some quieted sounds outside the tent I was laid in just before the flap opened. I struggled to see my visitor, but every slight movement sent shooting pain throughout my body.
"Who's there?" I demanded. A heard a rough laughter, and the clanking of armor. It was one of the bastard samurai that I hated with a passion.
"Wouldn't you like to know. I brought you a roommate, at least until we head out tomorrow." he laughed. I closed my eyes and heard a thump beside me. I opened them again, expecting San to be lying unconscious there, but I was shocked. It was Ashitaka!
I bit back an outraged cry, willing the man to leave. I feared for a moment that my brother's corpse was all that lay beside me, but his chest raised and lowered rhythmically. The samurai left, cackling about something. But I couldn't take my eyes from my brother. He was alive and here.
I tried to stay awake until he woke, but fatigue overtook me. I couldn't bear the pain a moment longer and drifted to an unrestful sleep.
When I drifted awake, Ashitaka wasn't in my view. I panicked, thinking they had taken him away so soon. But I had just turned over. I managed to flip over and found myself staring into my brother's dark eyes.
"Ashitaka! You're alright!" I yelled, not thinking it had been four years since we'd seen each other. He looked at me puzzled.
"Do I know you?" he said with a strange look. I was hurt that he didn't recognize me.
"I am.." I trailed, not finding the right words anywhere in my mind.
"Are you from Iron Town?" he pressed. I looked up at him again, wishing it would come to him.
"You gave away my dagger..." I laughed. He looked confused, and then it hit him harder than a ton of iron.
"Keiya... oh my gods..." he breathed. His eyes held shock, but turned to a mixture of joy and sorrow. "What are you doing here?"
I smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Ashitaka. It's all my fault." I said, casting my eyes away.
"Gods, what do you mean?" he spoke.
"The demon mark... it was my fault and I never got a chance to apologize..." I cried.
"Keiya... you left the village and traveled all the way here to tell me that?" he exclaimed. I nodded.
"I couldn't stay... I wanted to see you again. And..." I trailed off. I couldn't say anymore.
"I am glad you came, but in the same breath I am upset you left." he scolded. "But I have to say that if I could hug you right now I would." he added. I smiled and glanced up at him. "How did you get captured? I was sure I heard a battle going on."
"San and the wolves... they led the attack. I tried to help, but I was already injured and fought poorly. I haven't seen San since." I managed.
"San! I hope she's alright." he worried. But suddenly he laughed a little. "I'm hoping she's alright when we're in a mess ourselves." he spoke, solemnly. "My own life is unimportant... but I cannot allow them to kill you as well." he told me.
"First of all, if you die I am too. Second, you have a woman who loves you to go back to! And third, I don't plan on letting them kill us." I told him confidently. I hoped I was right.
The flap on the tent opened and a man walked in. He was a samurai, like the others. He roughly undid my chains and motioned for someone behind him to come forward. The man was slight, his hair the color of night. He knelt beside me, as I struggled to sit up.
"Stay calm. I am a healer, and you are hurt." he told me. The samurai scowled, as if treating my wounds was a bad idea, then grabbed Ashitaka.
"No! Leave him!" I yelled. The man smiled evilly.
"I think not." he replied.
Another short chapter... oh well. I didn't want to put anymore into this chapter for "reasons"... hehe.