|
"You slept
well?"
Nephrite asked this question with his back turned, attending to his
stallion. It was thrown so casually, but Makoto knew an opening for
a verbal attack when she heard one.
She replied just as innocently. "I would've, you know. But I kept
hearing you snore, and well..." She deliberately trailed off, giving
Nephrite a sardonic, half-smile.
He snorted at that. He was acutely aware that he never snored in sleep,
and last night was no different; he knew it, and he knew she knew it
as well. It was just another barb meant to annoy
him. "Nicely put, but not good enough," he replied. "I'll
have you know, I--"
"Oh, you don't?" she interrupted, referring to his supposed
snoring, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Then she gave out a small
laugh, shaking her head all the while. "Oh, then it must be all
those non-sensical talk of yours, last night." She shrugged. "It
was just as annoying, after all."
To her disbelief, Nephrite laughed, indicating she was far from irritating
him. In fact, it was downright infuriating that he was amused, as much
as she was the one who was beginning to get irritated. And the last
thing she needed was for him to be aware of it.
But before she could think of another scathing remark, he responded
swiftly. "Of course, you could be right. It might've been snoring,
although I never did that before," he said, facing her with an
unreadable expression as he locked gazes with her. "Some say snoring
is due to hazardous environment," he grinned suddenly before adding,
"I was with you, after all. Wasn't I?"
He didn't even bother with the usual roundabout, sarcastic way. He responded
directly this time and with that, he turned and walked away, before
Makoto could reply with anything else.
But she was glad he walked away, because the displeasure she was masking
earlier with much difficulty was revealed, and had her cursing under
her breath. Her fists were clenched tightly; it was all she could do
to keep herself from picking up her boot and hurling it at him with
deadly accuracy...
Hell, she didn't even know how she came to be like this. For one thing,
sarcasm was seldom her style. But whenever she exchanged insults with
that particular bastard, it all came so fluidly, out and gone from her
mouth, without any forethought. She couldn't remember the last time
she had been so...childish. It was all his fault. Well, she did start
the hostile remarks last night, but it was only because she couldn't
believe whom she ended up with...
Minako shook her
head slowly, an amused smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. She
had seen the way the two clashed with each other, and it was fascinating
to watch Makoto reveal a
side of her which she was almost sure no one had ever seen let alone
know of its existence, before. When Mako-chan was angered, a verbal
argument--not to mention one which strictly involved sarcasm, malice,
and the worst kind of insults imagineable--was seldom heard of. She
knew that Makoto usually wasted no time in being direct and straight
to the point; she was all for honesty and frankness, and never hesitated
to show this belief. Most of the time, however, she chose to show her
displeasure openly with disapproving glares and such, as issued warnings;
physical contact, which could more or less result to violence, if ever
her threats or warnings were to go unheeded. She was usually a quiet
person, after all, but she could speak her mind about issues, comments
and remarks alike which she thought disturbing. She watched as Makoto
turned her back, scowling then muttering something under her breath
all the while. Makoto was still frowning, but with much less heat, as
she moved over to the magnificent stallion Nephrite was attending to
earlier. Ah, the perfect distraction. Makoto knew prime horseflesh when
she
saw one. And even though Minako knew little of horses, she knew the
stallion must be of high-breed quality, with the way her friend's anger
visually dissolved into thin air as she observed the
horse more closely. She watched as Makoto leaned closer, her hand gently
rubbing the animal's nose, and she was crooning, whispering softly to
the horse.
"What are you staring at?"
The whispered inquiry effectively broke through Minako's reverie, making
her glance over her shoulder to know whom it came from. She smiled brightly
as her eyes fell upon the exceptionally handsome, silver-haired general.
"Oh, it's you, Kunzite. Good morning. I trust you slept well?"
He nodded, then returned the smile, albeit briefly, and Minako wondered
if he was like that all the time. Smiling shortly, only for brief moments,
as if it pained him to do so. His smiles didn't even
reach his eyes. And she has yet to hear him laugh...
She moved over beside him. "Ami-chan has already analyzed the data
available, and the fastest route to the mountains is Tokyo itself, even
if it does seem strange." She shifted her gaze back to him. "We
might have to spend some time there to restock the supplies, but I think
that wouldn't be too much of a problem."
"Ah, were these planned beforehand?"
"Yes, actually. Ami recorded the information you gave us last night,
and both of us went to work."
"I am deeply impressed, m'lady."
"We need all the time we can get, that's all. And I thought I told
you to call me Minako, General Kunzite."
"So you did. I forgot, and I apologize." He gave her a sideways
glance, before adding, "You and your friends are very much different
from the ladies of royalty we are accustomed to, Minako."
She grinned cheekily at his remark, and decided to question him about
it. "Oh? And in what ways, if you don't mind me asking?"
"To tell you the truth, we were expecting more of the haughty and
highly-pampered type..." He paused for a moment, before adding
thoughtfully, "Like the usual kind of royalty." Kunzite chuckled
lightly, and glanced at Minako. "At least on this side of the galaxy,
that is."
Minako threw her head back, and laughed quite heartily. "I could
take no offense in that, of course. And I wouldn't call you a spoiled
young king, either." She brightened, and noted the hint of humor,
particularly the chuckle which sounded genuine, coming from Kunzite.
"Well, what did you expect? We knew we were to camp more often
than not, and travel from one village to another, so we brought along
the most practical and serviceable clothes available."
"I could see that. But I am also quite certain that practicality
rarely comes in when dealing with women of nobility, sometimes even
for the men. Most of the time, they even tug their maids and servants
along."
"Truly?" Minako laughed. She knew it to be quite true, actually,
but she found it rather amusing nonetheless.
"They have their own escorts as well, although I have no real qualms
about that. It's much more logical, after all, rather than being unprotected
when their lives and their possessions were in danger from assasins
and bandits."
At this somewhat abrupt turn in the conversation, Minako stiffened slightly,
and it was fortunate that Kunzite did not notice. He was a clever one,
she had to allow. She forced a smile, and replied, "We had our
guards, Kunzite. It was just that we sent them home, for they were needed
there much more, and your camp was only a short distance away, anyway.
And without the escorts, we would sure look less inconspicuous."
Kunzite looked at her straight in the eyes, as if he was trying to discern
the truth for himself, and his expression was grim. Minako almost lost
herself in his gaze, for he was looking at her so intently, his silver-gray
eyes probing silently...
Ridiculous. She shouldn't be uncomfortable. It was a little white lie.
She gazed back, just as intently, searching his face for any signs that
would indicate he knew of her falsehood. Nothing. His expression was
inscrutable.
But he spoke again in a matter-of-fact way, his gaze still intense,
and his voice soft. "Minako, you and your companions were wearing
breast plates, leathered suits and plated boots. All of your were even
armed with daggers. I saw one sheathed in your belt."
He was being especially inquisitive, but he had the right to be. And
Minako knew it would come to this. So she replied, quite nochalantly,
"I hardly see anything strange--"
"I didn't say it was so."
Minako went on, as if she hadn't been interrupted, "--about being
armed and well-protected with armor. Couldn't we be counted for defending
ourselves in the least?"
Not if they really could.
"Of course," he said, conceding at one point. "But what
about the muddied appearance, the bruises and your sprained ankle?"
"Really, Kunzite," she replied, letting out a small laugh,
relieved that she could finally tell some truth. "You sound as
if you are doubting us...and for what reason? Well anyway, that was
clumsiness on my part. I lost my balance while we were walking along
a muddy swamp, and the others had to drag me up."
She could've sworn there was a hint of genuine concern in his voice,
which was farily interesting for a man of his stoical nature, when he
asked, "Your ankle...does it still hurt?"
"No, not really. It feels much better now," she admitted truthfully,
slightly flushing at the reminder of his assistance last night. "I--I
must thank you again for your help."
"No need. I was glad to be of some assistance." He glanced
briefly at his back, to where the rest of his men were preparing for
their departure. "You must excuse me, Minako. It seems we have
to organize everything first before we set out to Tokyo."
"Of course."
Minako stared at his back, her face still suffused with heat. She remembered
how he attended to her ankle last night. He had offered to flex the
strained muscles himself, and she barely had time to voice out her protests
when she suddenly became aware of the warmth in his palms, gently rubbing,
relaxing. She tried her best to be comfortable around him, but damn
if he wasn't the stoic one. Actually, all of the generals seemed to
possess the same jaded nature, save for Zoicite, who was a handsome,
charming sweetheart, and did his best to make the women feel more at
ease with everything else around them.
Well, she could try. There would be enough time for her to adjust, since
Kunzite would be her personal bodyguard from now on. And besides, it
was not as if he knew that he made her uncomfortable at times. It was
just natural after all, even if he did happen to be aware of the fact,
since they barely knew each other.
But damn him, being devilishly handsome was not helping matters out.
And did he have to look at her so intensely every time?
Even then, she was content to be under his personal care. It was very
strange indeed, but she never felt so much safer when she slept with
him in his own tent last night. As for her friends...
Ami had no objections regarding her arrangements with General Zoicite.
Rei had nothing to say about being with General Jadeite; she wasn't
happy with the arrangements even before she met the generals, period.
And Makoto...well, she was incredelous...and couldn't be more disgruntled,
despite her words: 'It doesn't really matter to me', which of course,
were spoken before she even got acquainted with Nephrite, the general
who became her companion for the rest of the evening.
* * * * * * * * * *
Last evening went well enough.
She was still uneasy with Jadeite, though. And why not? It wasn't as
if she was making any effort for it to be otherwise. She had spoken
no more than two words to him in passing. Not even when they shared
the same bedspace.
Rei had just finished braiding her hair. Sometimes it was quite a task,
for her soft, raven mane was quite long, flowing past her waist, reaching
just below her knees. Having it so long was impractical, but she didn't
really care. It had been that way since she was a young one, and she
had no wish to change at least that one simple thing of her childhood.
Somehow, it always gave her a pleasant sense of belonging...
She stood up from her position, and smoothed her clothes. She wondered
if she would be riding with Jadeite to New Tokyo.
Of course she would.
They hadn't brought along horses themselves. She will have to ride with
him. It wasn't that she disliked his company, but it just might be an
awkward situation, having him closer than before. To hell with him.
She shrugged, and tossed her braid over her shoulder.
She could deal without having simple chitchat.
"Are you prepared to go, or do you need help with anything?"
Speak of the devil; it was Jadeite. He had come in to check on her again.
Rei turned around to face him, and shook her head. "No, thank you,"
she answered. "I've already taken care of my belongings. I'll follow
you outside shortly. "Her eyes followed him as he strode out of
the tent, giving her a curt nod before doing so.
She thought him exceptionally handsome, that General Jadeite. She couldn't
help but notice it. Women must be making fools of themselves constantly
when he was around, fawning all over his feet. It was strange, but the
moment she laid eyes on him, a vision of an angel came to mind...
He had thick, golden locks which looked soft, and sun-kissed. It was
short, and cropped, which made him different from the rest of his fellow
generals. And his eyes were of a beautiful, cerulean shade. Whenever
Rei chanced a glance at them, she was reminded of peaceful skies.
He looked very much like the golden, blue-eyed archangel of fairytales
and myth. He was also well-built, she mused. So he would probably look
good in a Grecian tunic, with a long and heavy broadsword in hand.
Rei shook her head, and almost laughed at herself aloud. Demons, not
angels, were probably playing havoc on her mind right now. It was no
time for dallying. Quickly, she tied her boots, shouldered her light
baggage, and headed outside.
The weather was good, and the other soldiers were already busy packing
and securing all equipment. Her eyes searched for her friends. She spotted
Minako by herself, sitting and staring quietly into space. She seemed
to be thinking of something. Or someone.
Makoto was with a fellow, another soldier, perhaps, and she was looking
over some sheets of paper. She was also smiling, nodding once in a while,
listening in evident eagerness. At least she had someone else to keep
her company. General Nephrite was not with her, which was not at all
surprising, since she made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with
him last night. It was apparent that the two of them had gotten to know
each other's 'bad sides' last eve.
Then she found Ami. She seemed to be the most comfortable with the arrangements.
She was involved in deep conversation with the General Zoicite, and
both seemed oblivious to everything else around them. At this, Rei sighed.
She doubted if she could ever be used to Jadeite's presence like that.
It was her duty to be with him, and nothing else mattered. Her getting
used to him might just come eventually, but it wasn't necessary.
Rei glanced back at Minako, and saw that the rest of the generals had
approached her. She noticed that Ami and Zoicite also stood up, and
began walking to the same direction. Even Makoto and her companion ended
their discussion and headed towards the generals. She looked around
and saw that everything was set. They were departing for Tokyo.
He saw her approaching.
Jadeite thought her a very attractive young woman. She braided her hair,
but he caught a glimpse of it flowing freely down her back before she
went to sleep. It was long, shiny, and was the color of ebony. He wondered
how the silken strands would feel against his touch. He almost
gave in to the urge reach out touch it last night, while she was sleeping,
her back turned to him. But he did not...of course.
He also couldn't help but notice her eyes. The deep shade of violet
looked fascinatingly fiery, magnificent, and striking. He barely knew
her, but looking into her eyes made him think she was a woman full of
pride and spirit. He also noticed this from the way she held or presented
herself and the way she talked.
Rei. Her name suited her quite well.
"Rei-chan,"
Ami called out.
"Hmm?" Rei looked questioningly at her friend as she approached
her.
"Here, take this." Ami handed her a strip of cloth made of
thick, cotton material. At Rei's puzzled look, she lowered her voice
and explained, "We can't be sure, but something just might happen.
Tie it around your forehead, and if General Jadeite or anyone else asks
you what it is for, tell them it's to keep the sweat from your eyes
or face."
Rei immediately understood what Ami meant for her to do. "But Ami-chan,"
she started, her voice soft, yet loud enough for her friend to hear.
"This won't hide the glow completely..."
Ami nodded. "I know, but it's better than nothing. And I'm sure
it will cover some of it. You can also try brushing some of your hair
over your forehead."
"You've given the others some of this cloth already?"
"I've given one to Minako. Here," she said, thrusting another
strip into Rei's open palm. "Give one to Mako-chan."
When Ami walked away, Rei headed towards Makoto. She wrapped the strip
of cloth to cover her forehead, and secured it tightly with a double
knot at the back of her head as she walked along. Mako-chan was with
General Nephrite, and it looked as if they were arguing about something.
Rei caught a few of their exchanges as she neared the both of them.
"...and besides, it would be churlish of me--"
"Hah! As if you've been otherwise!"
"You're an exception, you bastard, and you don't know me well enough
to come up with your own judgments about me. As I was saying, I've already
accepted Miyamoto-san's offer of his mare. So you needn't trouble your
stallion with my extra weight, Nephrite!"
Rei watched amusedly as the two argued for a few more minutes, before
Makoto finally walked away. The girl was scowling, and shaking her head.
Rei wiped off the amused grin on her lips and called out to her friend.
"Mako-chan!"
Makoto saw Rei and smiled, the disgruntled expression immediately vanished.
"Hey, Rei-chan!"
"Listen," Rei started, her voice low, as she pulled Makoto
to a less crowded area. She handed Makoto the strip of cloth. "Tie
this around your head." She then explained everything carefully
to Makoto, who nodded her head in understanding.
"Arigato, Rei-chan." She wound the cloth around to cover her
forehead, just as Rei told her to. "Say, I hope everything went
well with you and General Jadeite," she frowned, before adding
"much better than my being with Nephrite, I hope."
Rei's lips curled into a rueful smile as she replied, "Not really.
I barely talk to the man."
Makoto looked at her with understanding in her eyes. "Well, I'm
sure it would work out." Grimacing, she said, "But it's got
to be better than 'my' situation, right? That's a start. Don't worry
about it."
Rei was about to say, 'What's there to worry about?', but refrained
from doing so. Instead, she asked, "You're not riding with general
Nephrite?"
Makoto nodded, grinning widely. "I see you've heard our little
talk. Well, the soldier who helped with Minako's ankle, Miyamoto Kenji,
offered to let me ride on his horse."
"And you've accepted, or so I've heard." She almost sighed.
She wished she could also have her own horse, so she wouldn't have to
ride with Jadeite. But they didn't brought any, and she knew there was
none to spare, especially since she was acquainted with none of the
soldiers. She asked Makoto, "You've already befriended him then?"
"He 'befriended' me, fortunately, or I would be suffering a whole
ride to Tokyo with that intolerable general. I believe Miyamoto-san's
an approachable kind of person, easy to talk to, very friendly. He even
showed me a couple of his sketches, and I have to say he's certainly
talented. You should see them, Rei-chan. I've already told him about
you."
"You did?"
"Yes, I told him you have an appreciation for such art."
"I'll go and take a look once we're acquainted then."
Makoto smiled, and then sighed. "Well, we better get going. Let's
just hope nothing goes wrong on the way..."
* * * * * * * * * *
"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
Jadeite blurted out the inquiry without forethought. It had been a while
since they had left the camp, and the girl hadn't even spoken once.
He didn't think she looked like the timid nor self-concious type of
person, and so curiosity prompted him to ask the question.
The question took her by surprise. Since he made no attempt of being
involved with simple conversation with her since the moment they left
camp, Rei assumed he really had no intention of such, and probably had
better things to think of.
"Why do you
ask?" she heard herself counter his question with one of her own.
"You haven't spoken much since we left. Actually, you haven't spoken
at all."
"I suppose I have been unsually quiet." She smiled in spite
of herself, strangely pleased by his observation. But since she had
her back towards him, he couldn't have known it. So she answered his
question falsely, and in a casual manner, "And no, of course not."
Well, what good would it do if she answered otherwise? He probably would've
laughed. Or worse, he probably would've made her even more uncomfortable
without having any knowledge of it.
He honestly didn't know what to make of her reply. But he decided on
an ingenuous approach to ease his inquisitive mood. "You don't
look like the silent type of person, so I figured the problem must be
me."
There was a hint of amusement in his voice, and any possible feeling
of guilt must've vanished as Rei took note of it.
"There is the fact that I barely know you," she admitted.
"The road to Tokyo is a long way. We should take advantage of the
time, then."
"Perhaps." She paused for a moment before asking, "Are
we still far from Tokyo?"
"Very far." There was another moment of silence before he
remembered something and decided to question her again. "About
yesterday," he began casually, before continuing, "Did you
reach the camp unescorted?"
He felt her back stiffen slightly, and wondered if she would reply just
as brief and evasive as she did yesterday, when she said they had no
need for escorts.
"We did have escorts," she answered carefully, mindful of
the talk she had with Minako and Ami last night regarding their 'supposed
situation', or their small pretense. She continued with a controlled
voice, "But we sent them home when we neared the camp. They were
much needed there anyway, and I..had some misunderstanding with one
of them." She deliberately added the latter explanation, as she
hastily continued, "I don't wish to delve on that disturbing matter
anymore, if you don't mind."
He effectively remained silent, even when he was now more curious than
before. He assumed that the impression she gave him yesterday about
not having guards were provoked by her wishes of 'not delving on the
disturbing matter'. That was a perfectly logical explanation.
He heard her sigh, before saying, "This is a bit exhausting."
"Yes, I...suppose it is," he replied, a little uncertain whether
she was referring to their traveling or to his impertinent questioning.
He felt her shift from her position, and rested her head, albeit
awkwardly, against his chest. Well, that was a start. He almost heaved
a sigh himself.
It was going to be an undoubtedly long trip.
| 