Chapter Two
Sakura was about to fall asleep on her horse when Syaoran finally called out that they would set up camp nearby. It's about time, she thought, yawning. Though it was not exceptionally late, Sakura had risen earlier than normal that morning to prepare for the trip. The party dismounted in a small, rather secretive clearing as the last orange rays of sun vanished, leaving behind nothing but shadow. It was even darker in the clearing due to the exceptionally dense trees all around. For this reason, Syaoran's first order was for some of the squires to start a fire. Others began unpacking and preparing the evening meal of simple bread, dried meat, and water. Soon a bright fire crackled in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by all the men, eating rather sloppily, and Sakura, a bit farther back, nibbling quietly on a piece of bread. She was more tired than hungry, but she also felt uneasy. She tried to attribute her uneasiness to the fact that she was the only girl in a group of men on a dangerous journey through a dark, dense forest, but she knew, somehow, that it was something else. She felt strangely as if something were about to happen. Soon the men began to unpack blankets and lay down, so Sakura followed suit, distancing herself a bit, but not so far as to be unsafe, and was soon asleep.
Sakura opened her eyes and looked around. The view took her breath away. She was on the edge of a cliff, looking down into a beautiful green valley with a clear, sparkling river running through. Sunlight warmed her pleasantly. When she looked to her left, she saw Syaoran, now wearing a simple white tunic. She looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed the same way. She looked back at Syaoran, who was now looking back at her. She was shocked to see him smiling at her, his normally icy cold amber eyes now warm and full of happiness. Then, behind Syaoran, she saw someone else. A boy, about her age, with short midnight blue hair and eyes framed by round wire-rimmed glasses. Though he was a good distance away, she heard his voice as if he were whispering in her ear.
"Be prepared."
Sakura suddenly sat up straight. She was back in the clearing. "It was just a dream..." she murmured. Everyone but her had been awake and was eating breakfast and preparing to leave. Sakura tried to push the dream out of her mind as she washed her face, brushed her hair, and ate a breakfast of the same bread, meat, and water as the night before. But the dream still nagged at the back of her mind.
About ten minutes later, the party began traveling again. Sakura's mind wandered involuntarily back to her dream. Why would she have such a dream? What could it possibly mean? Why would Syaoran smile at her? Why were they wearing tunics? Where had they been? She had never seen such a place, save in the storybooks Tomoyo's kind mistress had given her. And who had the other boy been? What was she supposed to be prepared for?
These thoughts still ran through her mind when she felt suddenly strange. It was the strange feeling she had had the day before, and she suddenly realized she had felt the same way in her dream. She subconsciously reached for the key at her neck. It was again outside her shirt, not the way she had left it. A chill ran down her spine. Then all at once a bright light blinded her. She gasped, holding tight to the key. The key began to glow pink, mixing with the bright white light. Then she heard the voice again, the voice from her dream.
"The time has come. Be prepared. Use the key. With it you can unlock the staff, with which you will use the Clow Cards. You will find the cards soon. You will need them. Work with the other. Together, you will..."
The voice faded. "What?" Sakura whispered. "Together, we will what?" But there was no answer. The light intensified until Sakura had to squeeze her eyes shut against it. When she opened them, there were no horses, no knights, no squires. The forest was gone. She was instead in a meadow, a clear stream running a few feet away. She realized that she had nothing but the key and the plain burlap dress she was wearing. Then she saw at her feet a book. It was strange, with a picture of some kind of a lion on the cover. She picked it up, running her hand over the red leather. Suddenly, without her touching it, the latch on the book came undone. Puzzled, she opened the book. "Cards?" she murmured. She wondered what they were for. She began to look at them. The Windy, The Fly, The Shadow. She looked at the spine of the book. It read "The Clow". So they were Clow Cards, just like the voice had told her.
"What's going on?" a voice suddenly demanded. Sakura slammed the book shut and whirled around to see Syaoran standing there. She bowed. "I don't know," she whispered, looking at the ground.
When she dared to look up, Syaoran was pacing, frustrated, muttering to himself. After a moment, he faced Sakura. "There's no use staying here. Take a drink and let's leave. We'll head north." He pointed along the creek, across the meadow, towards mountains Sakura had not previously noticed. "If we follow the creek, we're sure to find a settlement eventually. Then we can hopefully find out where we are. Let's go."
Sakura knelt quickly by the stream, cupped her hands, and drank. The water was delicious. But Syaoran was already walking away, so she hurriedly stood back up and followed, but not before grabbing the Clow Book. The voice had told her it was important, and she had no reason to believe otherwise. She somehow knew that the boy whose voice she had heard had done this, somehow transported her and Syaoran to this place. He had given her these cards. But why, and how, she had not the slightest idea.
Author's notes: I know! Finally, I come out with chapter two. Hopefully I won't procrastinate so much anymore. I hope you like this chapter. Do you think I should include Kero in this fic? My original plan was to have Sakura and Syaoran the only ones traveling together. What do you think? And yes, that was a hint of S+S. But it'll be a while before that really comes into play. Syaoran still looks at Sakura as a slave. So, what do you think? Should I write a longer chapter next time? If I do, it will take more time for me to update my fic. Is that OK? Tell me your opinions. Feel free to e-mail me- I love getting e-mails! And let me know if you want me to e-mail you when I update. Thanks! Ja ne!
Sakura was about to fall asleep on her horse when Syaoran finally called out that they would set up camp nearby. It's about time, she thought, yawning. Though it was not exceptionally late, Sakura had risen earlier than normal that morning to prepare for the trip. The party dismounted in a small, rather secretive clearing as the last orange rays of sun vanished, leaving behind nothing but shadow. It was even darker in the clearing due to the exceptionally dense trees all around. For this reason, Syaoran's first order was for some of the squires to start a fire. Others began unpacking and preparing the evening meal of simple bread, dried meat, and water. Soon a bright fire crackled in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by all the men, eating rather sloppily, and Sakura, a bit farther back, nibbling quietly on a piece of bread. She was more tired than hungry, but she also felt uneasy. She tried to attribute her uneasiness to the fact that she was the only girl in a group of men on a dangerous journey through a dark, dense forest, but she knew, somehow, that it was something else. She felt strangely as if something were about to happen. Soon the men began to unpack blankets and lay down, so Sakura followed suit, distancing herself a bit, but not so far as to be unsafe, and was soon asleep.
Sakura opened her eyes and looked around. The view took her breath away. She was on the edge of a cliff, looking down into a beautiful green valley with a clear, sparkling river running through. Sunlight warmed her pleasantly. When she looked to her left, she saw Syaoran, now wearing a simple white tunic. She looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed the same way. She looked back at Syaoran, who was now looking back at her. She was shocked to see him smiling at her, his normally icy cold amber eyes now warm and full of happiness. Then, behind Syaoran, she saw someone else. A boy, about her age, with short midnight blue hair and eyes framed by round wire-rimmed glasses. Though he was a good distance away, she heard his voice as if he were whispering in her ear.
"Be prepared."
Sakura suddenly sat up straight. She was back in the clearing. "It was just a dream..." she murmured. Everyone but her had been awake and was eating breakfast and preparing to leave. Sakura tried to push the dream out of her mind as she washed her face, brushed her hair, and ate a breakfast of the same bread, meat, and water as the night before. But the dream still nagged at the back of her mind.
About ten minutes later, the party began traveling again. Sakura's mind wandered involuntarily back to her dream. Why would she have such a dream? What could it possibly mean? Why would Syaoran smile at her? Why were they wearing tunics? Where had they been? She had never seen such a place, save in the storybooks Tomoyo's kind mistress had given her. And who had the other boy been? What was she supposed to be prepared for?
These thoughts still ran through her mind when she felt suddenly strange. It was the strange feeling she had had the day before, and she suddenly realized she had felt the same way in her dream. She subconsciously reached for the key at her neck. It was again outside her shirt, not the way she had left it. A chill ran down her spine. Then all at once a bright light blinded her. She gasped, holding tight to the key. The key began to glow pink, mixing with the bright white light. Then she heard the voice again, the voice from her dream.
"The time has come. Be prepared. Use the key. With it you can unlock the staff, with which you will use the Clow Cards. You will find the cards soon. You will need them. Work with the other. Together, you will..."
The voice faded. "What?" Sakura whispered. "Together, we will what?" But there was no answer. The light intensified until Sakura had to squeeze her eyes shut against it. When she opened them, there were no horses, no knights, no squires. The forest was gone. She was instead in a meadow, a clear stream running a few feet away. She realized that she had nothing but the key and the plain burlap dress she was wearing. Then she saw at her feet a book. It was strange, with a picture of some kind of a lion on the cover. She picked it up, running her hand over the red leather. Suddenly, without her touching it, the latch on the book came undone. Puzzled, she opened the book. "Cards?" she murmured. She wondered what they were for. She began to look at them. The Windy, The Fly, The Shadow. She looked at the spine of the book. It read "The Clow". So they were Clow Cards, just like the voice had told her.
"What's going on?" a voice suddenly demanded. Sakura slammed the book shut and whirled around to see Syaoran standing there. She bowed. "I don't know," she whispered, looking at the ground.
When she dared to look up, Syaoran was pacing, frustrated, muttering to himself. After a moment, he faced Sakura. "There's no use staying here. Take a drink and let's leave. We'll head north." He pointed along the creek, across the meadow, towards mountains Sakura had not previously noticed. "If we follow the creek, we're sure to find a settlement eventually. Then we can hopefully find out where we are. Let's go."
Sakura knelt quickly by the stream, cupped her hands, and drank. The water was delicious. But Syaoran was already walking away, so she hurriedly stood back up and followed, but not before grabbing the Clow Book. The voice had told her it was important, and she had no reason to believe otherwise. She somehow knew that the boy whose voice she had heard had done this, somehow transported her and Syaoran to this place. He had given her these cards. But why, and how, she had not the slightest idea.
Author's notes: I know! Finally, I come out with chapter two. Hopefully I won't procrastinate so much anymore. I hope you like this chapter. Do you think I should include Kero in this fic? My original plan was to have Sakura and Syaoran the only ones traveling together. What do you think? And yes, that was a hint of S+S. But it'll be a while before that really comes into play. Syaoran still looks at Sakura as a slave. So, what do you think? Should I write a longer chapter next time? If I do, it will take more time for me to update my fic. Is that OK? Tell me your opinions. Feel free to e-mail me- I love getting e-mails! And let me know if you want me to e-mail you when I update. Thanks! Ja ne!