*******
Yosh, finally the chapter where kaede-kun will make his debut! Sori if it's a little later, I just can't make it sooner enough… so, read on & enjoy! *wide grin*
A/N words/sentence enclosed with "quotes" are spoken
Italics are thoughts or as emphasis
*******
Chapter 5: Untouched
On the 4th day, Hanamichi woke up, a little disoriented on his surroundings. Where am I? He suddenly turned around as he heard scratching at the other side of the room. The movement made the throbbing of his head worse. He tried to get out of bed, but only succeeded in falling down the floor. The noise made the creature came forward and licked his face. A fox? It was a large fox with pure white coat. Odd, I didn't feel threatened! The fox, then gave a long howl. No sooner then the door slammed open and in came a youth with long black hair and pale skin. It is the hair that caught the Hanamichi's attention, for he haven't seen anything as smooth and as dark before. It looks like the midnight sky! And then he gazed into blue pools, which seemed to drown him. The stranger stared at him without blinking. No emotion is shown in his face. He was about to ask the stranger something when the door opens again and in came a big fat old woman.
"You are right Kaede, this young Lord will wake up today, and so you have left Snow to guard him," the old woman smiled towards the stranger.
"Who are you? And where am I?" asked Hanamichi with a rasping voice.
"I am Anzaide and this is Rukawa Kaede. You are in Kaede's room recovering from the wounds you received on that Whipping Tree. Your friends have already recovered and they just went out hunting for dinner. They will be arriving anytime soon… how are you feeling?"
"My head hurts…" groans Hanamichi. Without a word, the youth named Kaede walks out the room. The fox followed him up to the doorway, and then decided to stay back and snuggle against Hanamichi.
"Hmmm… Strange… that fox seemed to have a soft spot on you! I haven't seen Snow as docile with others… Strange, indeed!" mumbles Anzaide almost to herself.
Being helped to bed, Hanamichi felt the staring eyes of the old woman. Couldn't strain his irritation, "Why are staring at me like that?" he asked.
He will come to you in shades like the sun.
If you touch him you will know the life that might or death that will…
"Your hair, it's red… like the sun…" replies the old woman as if remembering something a long time ago.
"So? I was born with this, what's the problem?"
"Problem? Nothing… nothing my Lord," hastily replied the old woman.
With that, she busily fussed about the recovering patient. Changing the wound dressing; applying scented oil on his body. With the combined aroma of oil and incense, plus the warm body of Snow beside him, Hanamichi again succumbed to sleep.
At suppertime, on his insistence, Hanamichi sits among them. The guntam were ecstatic of his recovery. They chatted amiably which draws the familiar laughter of their master.
Unknown to them is Rukawa watching in wonderment. He just couldn't place his impression of the redhead. Can he be the one? Even Snow had felt it… Since the recovery of the young lord, Rukawa always finds himself staring at him, trying to figure an answer. Often their gazes met but it was always the redhead who breaks contact. Can he have known something! Without speaking, he stood up and left the table. He took a glance back at Snow, who only laid its head on the redhead's lap, traitor, then he left the room…
"Anzaide, is Rukawa mute?" Asked Hanamichi, disturbed by the fact that the kitsune has been giving him that stare tonight.
"No, he's just not a talker… " Answered the old woman.
"Is he your child? And how long have you stayed here in the Forest Tierra?" curiously asked Hanamichi.
"How I wished he was my son!" With a faraway look, the old woman continued…
"16 years ago, I accompanied a woman about to give birth… It was nighttime then… I wasn't able to save the mother… But the child (a hurt look in her eyes)… the child was Kaede. I have to raise him myself as a mother would… And we have been living in this forest since then. I sometimes go outside to give medicines to the villagers..."
"Why not live in a village, where you can interact with people more often? I believe Rukawa won't be such a tight-lipped then…" Answered Hanamichi innocently.
"(smirks) The very reason why we lived in this forest, to avoid contact with people!"
"Eh?!"
"My Lord, this is the only place we belong. And the only place we shall be… Which brought me to the subject of why you are here?"
And so, Lord Hanamichi recounted the story behind their banishment from the kingdom. The conversation continued with the young lord disclosing of his frequent adventures, his relationship with the royal family and the people of the Kingdom, the touching loyalty of his guntam, and his constant quest for happiness. The last was punctuated with a sigh that made the old woman reach out and hold his hand. The gesture startled the lord, but he acknowledged it just the same.
Days passed and the young lord had fully recovered. He was on one of their daily exercise of sword fighting, this time with Yohei. The game is obviously gaining on the side of Lord Hanamichi, and without even sweating his brow he ended the bout with Sir Yohei panting for breath.
"Kah-kah… It's unfair! After the days you've been in bed, I thought you would have been out of shape! Nah, I shouldn't have bet on it… "
"Training with you guys will surely rust my talent! Hmmm… Maybe the kitsune can fight?" voiced Hanamichi while turning his eyes towards the reclining raven-haired guy with his fox.
Yohei, seeing the determination of his master, jogs to where Rukawa is. When he reached a hand to poke the guy, Snow suddenly growl. The sound startled Yohei and he crashed into the youth. Upon the sudden contact Rukawa bolts upright, his lips pressed tight and eyes mirroring horror. Yohei, on the other hand, his eyes large with disbelief, has alarm and terror written all over his face. He unconsciously began to shiver...
"What happened?" Hanamichi hurriedly went over his best friend.
"It's c-cold... I've n-never felt th-this cold b-before... Brrr....," says Yohei shakily. Anzaide, who came forth by the growl of Snow, understood what had transpired. It has happened!
"Do not worry. It was just the curse," says Anzaide, approaching the shivering Yohei. "Kaede, are you all right?" she turned to asked the still motionless Rukawa, who only nods his reply.
"Damn you woman, don't speak riddles to me!" Lord Hanamichi was obviously upset.
"I will answer whatever questions you will have after I take a look at Yohei... and Kaede," Anzaide looked into the redhead's eyes urging him to heed her words.
The old woman then went to her hut and collected herbs and oils. On her way to Yohei, she stopped before Rukawa and whispered some words. The youth stared long back at her and then slowly nods his head. Yohei, after been applied soothing oil soon stopped shivering, but his eyes still has that haunted look. Looking around the assembly before her, the guntam, Lord Hanamichi and Kaede, Anzaide commenced her tale…
"What you have just witnessed is the curse that was linked with Kaede's birth... I mean a prophecy was spoken to his mother when Kaede was still in her womb. She didn't even know that she was pregnant then.... Because of the prophecy, Death will surely flow, the then King Takehito Akagi ordered this woman banished, I went with her for she is my mistress.
"A child of the night will be borne
His touch might mean spring, but winter is certain
Summer might come, but fall is never far
Pleasure he might taste, but his pain is determined
Be therefore like the moon, hidden from daylight
Untouched by the sun, not touching. Forbidden."
"The first of the prophecy… Kaede's touch can bring slight shivers to deadly chills, depending on the person's resolve. But he is also not immune. In return, Kaede can feel the person's deepest pain. You cannot even begin to imagine how painful that is! There were little accidents before, that's why Kaede seldom accompanies me to the villages. They've accepted him as harmless, but accidents happen, you know. And then, they called him the Ice Prince."
"You said that was the first of the prophecy… do you mean there is more to it? Maybe there is a way to revert what was foretold!" Untouchable. Untouched. Hanamichi just couldn't imagine a life without human touch….
"Either way, my lord. Either way, death will surely flow… Anyway, that is all you need to know of the prophecy." Anzaide noticed the tender look the young lord gave to Kaede. Are you the one?
Silence… Rukawa, without a backward glance left the group.
"I really feel bad about Rukawa… I do not know what, but I know there is something we can do about it!"
Again, silence… With a determined look, the redhead withdrew from the crowd and went to the direction where Rukawa went…
tbc
~@~@~@~@~@~
Erm… again I've made another he a SHE here. I just though an old woman is most likely the best companion for our Kaede-kun here… SHE is no other than Anzai-sensei… again, gomen! And sori if the prophecy doesn't sound much like one…
Grrrr… I still haven't figured out how to make the succeeding chaps less angsty *pulls hair*… I feel bad when even one my SD boys die! Wahhhh!!!!
Oh I forgot, wadyatink of the story?..... R&R please... arigatou!