Note: Okay, I expected more people to review... what ever happened to those people who enjoyed reading my story? Oh well, at least I got some people. gasp! What happened to Seifer? Wanna know? Huh? Wanna know? Well, here it is!!!!!
Chapter 9 - Tears of content
Determined eyes opened, revealing a flash of green pupils blinking as if awaken from a dream. Hoping to find himself up in heaven with his Queen as his angel, he glanced around him. A pair of emerald eyes stared back at him, almost startling him from his thoughts. Like lightning, he stood up from his laying position and grabbed the young man's coat collar, a train of memory of what had happened beamed back in his mind. He remembered being hit at the back of his head so hard that he fell unconscious on the floor.
"What happened?!" he spoke, panic almost looming in his voice. Seifer expected he had died and gone to heaven, or hell, wherever God wished him to be, yet, as he looked around some more, he could only see trees all around him, with darkness adding to the eerie theme surrounding the background.
The same emerald eyes jumped back in surprise, startled at the blond for suddenly running after him, grasping at his tunic collar. He was unable to speak, for it was hard to speak as the blond gripped at his collar much too tightly. He gasped in for breath, breathing from his nose instead of his mouth and started to turn blue in the face.
Realizing what he was doing, Seifer released his grip from the young boy and stepped back, waiting patiently for him to take a deep breath before speaking. Once he had done so, the young soldier looked at him and frowned. "Sir, we found you collapsed on the floor. It was a good thing Orion saw you on the ground before the man could slit your throat with your blade."
"Orion?" Seifer asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. It was not his duty, however to remember all the names of his soldiers, in fact, he did not wish to. Yet, to what the young man said, he wished nothing but to thank this Orion fellow and know him better. After all, he did save his life. "Where is he?"
The brown haired young boy looked down, afraid to face him and deliver a very striking revelation to where Orion had gone. Seifer knew exactly then what had happened to him.
The blond frowned. "I see," he spoke softly. "State your name and rank," he ordered.
The young soldier immediately straightened up from his slouched position and saluted his Captain with trembling hands. Seifer can still see the sadness in his emerald eyes and he could not help but feel remorse. Him and that Orion fellow must have been very close.
"Sir, I am Riley Kon second class soldier," he answered, keeping his eyes straight forward, afraid to look into the eyes of his Captain. He has always heard the Captain to be awfully strict amongst his soldiers and ordered his men to always be strong and not let tears interrupt with their fighting.
Seifer examined Riley for a moment. He was equally the same height as he, yet with the difference in stature and poised, and maybe even age. The young soldier was made mostly of skin and bones and he stood tall enough for his legs were long and dreadfully skinny. However, despite the flaw, he admired Riley. He could tell he was trying to hold tears for what had happened to Orion. The young lad held the brightest green he has ever seen on anyone and his skin were painted with a ghostly pale colour, rather than the soft peach. His hair was sandy brown with highlights of blond, light enough to show. And for the blond knight's guess, he was no more than at least fifteen years old. "What is your relation with Orion, Riley?" he asked. Although he never really wanted to pry in an individual's personal life, it was important to him at that moment.
Riley looked up from his train of thought, desperately choking back tears that threatened to fall. In spite the force of driving away the pain in his eyes, Seifer could tell the sandy haired boy suffered for his friend or any other relation he can think of. "He was my brother, sir, a few years ahead than I," he explained. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably and took a deep breath. "He was some twenty or so and his celebration of turning the first of twenty, was to be taken tomorrow."
Seifer looked down shamefully. "I am sorry to hear of that." He lifted his head back up and forced a stern look on his face. He slapped the boy's back like a brother slaps his brother as a sign of respect and forced his lips into a smile. "Your brother will be rewarded for being so honourable and courageous by sacrificing his own life just to save mine. I will be forever in his debt."
"Sir, Orion fought a great fight to keep you alive. As if the earth had shaken him on his feet and forced him to push you aside so the blade struck him instead of you," a voice spoke in the darkness. Seifer looked around and found a shorter man, a few years more than Riley himself. The blond Knight can only guess that he was some twenty as well, much like Orion, the fellow who pulled him out of Death's grasp.
"And you are?" Seifer asked, turning around to face him.
The older man cleared his throat, stepping in beside Riley and straightened up. "I am Hanse Mortimer, first class, sir," the man replied. Seifer examined him for a while as well, noting his age and height. Hanse was no closer to his age, yet at least two years older than him. He was five foot ten and unlike the skinny Riley standing beside him, Hanse had broad shoulders and strong arms.
Seifer nodded, realizing the truth in his voice. He took his eyes off the two men and glanced around him. Trees and more trees added to the darkness surrounding them. However, despite the blackness that overcame his sight, he could still see figures of some of his men; some lying down on the ground with injuries on their legs and some were standing uncomfortably. Seifer regarded them equally and counted to have only five men present. "How many of you are left?" he asked, just to make sure whether his senses were true.
Hanse was the first to answer. Riley stood silent, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. The older man glanced to his young friend and then at his captain. "There are seven of us, sir," he answered.
Seifer furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He glanced once more around the men present near him. "You lie to me, Hanse? I see only five, including both of you."
"Sir, we are here," a weak voice commenced behind the shadows of two injured men sprawled on the ground. Two figures revealed their faces from the shadows and stepped closer to the blond knight. One's leg had been injured badly, with a dirty cloth tied around the shin of a young man no more than thirteen. His fair hair that once bloomed in the light was soaked in thin layers of blood inflicted upon him from the back of his head. The other was still standing firm, yet rather awkwardly, for Seifer noticed the other had lost his large toe. The blond Knight could tell that the large toe-less man was the eldest out of all of them, for the wrinkles around his eyes were seen. He introduced himself as Lorlith Albatoss, first class, while the one with the injured leg, with a tired murmur, named himself Sharn Kaiser, a second class soldier. With the introductions finished, Seifer made his way towards the three injured men, with more severe wounds than the others. One had lost his leg, one lost his arm and the other lost his eyesight. It will do no good for them any longer. If they were to escape from this forest prison, they will have to do without them. Yet, as Seifer watched on, he felt remorse for the trio. For them to be rested, he will have to order for the rest of his men to stay and help aid the injured with their pain. Time will have to tell how long they will live.
"Tonight we will stay," Seifer spoke, kneeling down beside the man with no leg, who introduced himself Paris Artnin. The blond knight tear apart of his cloak and wrapped it around the man's leg gently. The man, in guessing, was almost twenty himself and had bright blue eyes. Seifer could see the fear in his eyes as he winced in pain while he wrapped the cloak around the wound. After doing so, he stood up once again and ordered three of his men to bring the three injured men in a nearby tree and commanded for the youngest, which was Sharn Kaiser to make fire in the middle of the gathering. Sharn obeyed and went to fetch wood closest to them for the fire. He returned soon, with large stacks of wood gathered in his arms and laid them down silently, so as not to bring any attention to their enemy looking for them. Thus, his fire making began with little speech.
After the fire has been made and the three injured men taken care of, all eight men gathered around the blazing inferno and sat silently for a moment, until the eldest of the eight, spoke with desperation. "Shall we move on, sir through the trees and return quickly to the castle?" he asked, watching the dancing flames in front of him.
Seifer glanced towards Lorlith and shook his head. "The risks are too high to act upon it, Albatoss." He was not too keen on speaking with his men by their first names. For him, it had no manners in calling them by their given name. "This forest may be large enough for us to get lost and do not you forget, we must bring back three injured men with us. Our enemy is close and they search without any hesitation and will not be reluctant to kill us to prevent us from reporting what we have seen tonight. They will hunt us until I am found and until they are certain they have reigned victory over this battle."
Lorlith said nothing after that. He fell silent, understanding the words of his captain and threw a small pebble towards the fire for his amusement.
The night was soon taken into silence after a short conversation and it kept that way until all men, but one, closed their eyes for a deep slumber. Tonight's battle brought weariness to the seven soldiers left alive and thus, Seifer's conclusion confirmed their deep sleep. The blond captain leaned against the base of the tree and pulled from his trousers, a piece of blank papyrus paper. In his other pocket of his trousers, he reclaimed his writing pen and began to write to his beloved back in Balbadia castle:
Dear Beloved of mine,
I have been weary. I felt alone without you here to console me with my aches. The battle had won for the Estharians and there are eight of us left to fend for the freedom of Balbadia. We are lost somewhere in the large Mist Forest and we must stay put for the predators are desperately hunting for their pray. I miss you terribly, my beloved. I wish to see you soon and please do not be frightened of my absence there. I am alive and well and I assure you, I will soon return to be in your arms once again. I do not know how long we will stay until we move on back to the castle, but I will make certain it will not be too long of a wait for you.
Yours always,
Your dear Knight
Sighing a content feeling, Seifer folded the paper twice in his hands and twice in his anxiety and returned the pen back in his pocket. The paper remained in the palm of his hands as he stared at it with a thought of knowing he had written lies in the paper. He was not certain when he will return and he knew he could not promise her such a thing. The risks, as he mentioned before, were much too high to take.
"Sir?" a small, yet confident voice bloomed in the air. Seifer noticed Riley walking towards him and stood beside the Knight. Riley glanced at the paper on Seifer's hands and then into the man's eyes. "May I deliver this for you?" he asked.
Seifer could only stare at him.
With the blonde's uncertainty, Riley's confidence eventually faltered, replacing that of the same shy boy that Seifer knew the moment he met him. The boy merely shrugged, offering a kind smile towards him. "If you wish that is," he spoke. "I would gladly take the letter and deliver it in person to the woman you love."
"Why do you suspect that this letter is to a woman?" Seifer asked, with a hint of irritation in his voice. How dare the young lad see into his writing! He must have seen the words written on the letter, that is why he is offering such an occupation.
Oblivious to the anger in Seifer's voice, Riley shrugged once more. He nodded his head to the letter. "With such a long letter as that, I see you have so many words spoken. If it not be a woman, who's letter are you declaring your love to?"
Seifer stood up quickly and stared into the young man's eyes. "Dare you look into my letter, boy?!" he hissed, with a whispered anger. "Do you have powers I do not know about that you can read my mind?" His suspicion grew fairly fast towards the boy.
Riley stood back and shook his head. "N-no sir," he stammered. "I do not dare look into your letters. How can I? I have not been anywhere near your trousers and I could not bear to do such a thing! I only saw the tears in your eyes and I know you have no other loved one to write to but to a woman you love!"
The blond knight's face softened and sagged his shoulders, feeling shameful of his behaviour just now. He had no reason to be angry towards the boy. He was right, after all, that he had no one else to write to, but to a woman. Were his tears really the reason the young boy could see whom he was writing to? He did not remember bringing tears from his eyes. Eventually, Seifer lifted up his bare finger to his eyes to see any indication of tears and was surprised to find a drop of water coming from the corner, dropping silently into his fingers. He had not noticed his feelings had finally shown, most of which the feelings of sadness and loneliness.
"You are right," he spoke softly, leaning back down on the tree. He lifted up a hand where his letter was gripped and handed it to Riley. "Take this letter, if you are brave enough and deliver this to the Queen's handmaiden," he ordered, hoping the young boy would not question why the letter should be handed to the Queen's handmaiden.
To Seifer's relief, Riley took the letter and left without a word or a glance of wonder why and ran out into the forest. Seifer hopes to see Riley soon as he watched him disappear behind the bushes of the Galipagos trees.
*****************
The King waited impatiently for the news of the battle that took place hours ago. He was in even more impatience, when a soldier with blood around his cloak appeared before him. He was, at last, his age and presented himself before the King. Irvine immediately stood, his heart beating in anticipation.
"What is news, Clorin?" he asked, addressing the soldier as if he was younger than him, despite the age being the same, and stepped down from his throne, waiting for the young man to answer.
Clorin sighed, feeling solemn for the men lost in battle. He said nothing and shook his head in shame.
"I say, speak, Clorin!" Irvine commanded, his voice growing more impatient than ever and looked into his eyes.
The young man took a deep breath, before finally speaking. "Terrible news, sir," he said. "Many of the men in battle lost their lives, especially the most honoured of them all." He produced a gray cloak from his pocket with blood soaked in it and handed it immediately to the King. "Sir Seifer.... He was a great man and I could not believe my eyes when I saw his armor near the hills. It made me confirm he died with honour, sir."
Irvine took it from his hands and frowned. The gray cloak flashed the same hawk emblem as the blond Knight's, with blood dripping from it. The King said nothing and looked into the eyes of the young man. He waved his hand towards Clorin and dismissed him quickly for him to be alone.
Without un-noticed, the Queen sat silently behind the throne where her husband could not see her, her heart beating with so much sorrow and pain. She watched as Irvine sat down on the throne in silent. Quistis gripped tightly on the curtain and made her way silently to her quarters, dropping her body down on the bed where her cries were heard in the distance. How in the most everything that was sinned could have her beloved knight die in the battle? "You promised!" she whimpered. "You promised to come back to me! Why are you not here?!"
**********
Morning soon came over the hills of Balbadia. Hearts full of sorrow woke up, still feeling the content on their faces as tears fell from their eyes. The King fell silent after hearing of the horrible news. He did not want to believe that his only friend had gone to heaven and he did not want to believe that Sir Seifer was not strong enough to prevent his death. His servants began to worry and attempted to tell the Queen of it, but were not able to, since the Queen was on the verge of silence as well.
The Queen laid on her bed, still feeling tired of knowing that the love of her life was no longer standing by her side and comfort her whenever needed. Selphie, despite the sadness for her own loved one, hid her disappointment of herself and began to grow concern towards her long time friend. She knew the Queen will always have the dark clouds looming over her head no matter how hard she tried to comfort her. She knew everything about the Queen's affair with the handsome knight and chose to keep herself quiet. The fact that she was too worried about losing Zell, that she felt unconcerned for her only friend in the world.
Once the sun beamed through her window, Selphie knocked on her friend's door quietly and stepped inside, regarding the Queen sitting near the window and watching the clear sky up above. "Your Majesty?" she called, stepping closer to her friend.
She did not answer.
Selphie took another step until she was near and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Your Majesty, is there a cloud looming over your head?"
The Queen looked up and smiled, wiping the tears away from her eyes. She shook her head, revealing the mask on her face, a way to hide her discomfort. "I am quite all right," she replied. "Do not worry too much about me. I feel more concern for you. How is the prisoner?"
The handmaiden shook her head. "This is no time for me, your highness. The concern should be on you. I have been too selfish to notice your anxiety and I am not a friend for ignoring it." Selphie sat down beside her. "I feel I should ask what bothers you so. I know that your beloved Knight has been confirmed dead, but I do not believe this is so."
Quistis looked at her with interest. "How do you mean?" Hope was seen in her eyes.
Selphie smiled. "If he loves you so, he would have found a way to make himself alive. Love is a strong feeling and it can never be broken by death." She felt her heart beat, knowing that her words alone, were marked with her own heartache for her loved one. She for the sake of others, but never for herself always spoke her words.
Upon hearing the words, Quistis leaned over and embraced her friend. She has been selfish as well. She can see Selphie's sadness. The young soldier trapped within the cell had one day left until death and Quistis had been too blind to see. "I have been selfish as well, Selphie, to notice your own anxiety. I say we are both selfish." More tears fell from her eyes and fell on Selphie's shaking shoulder.
Selphie nodded, tears falling from her own eyes and streaking down to the taller woman's shoulders. "Yes," she spoke, her voice shaking in fear. "I believe we have been both selfish."
**********
"I worry for him," one servant spoke, watching their good King sitting on dining room in silence. He stood by the entrance and examined Irvine quietly. He regarded the un-touched food and the pain-stricken face endured upon him, knowing that the King had so much in his mind to keep his focus on the task at hand.
"Aye and it seems he has heard the news of my lady and Sir Seifer," another one said. They stared at each other and said nothing.
Irvine sat on the table, using his fork to stab a pea and lifted up near his mouth. He stared at it, thinking of his good friend and how he had died. He shook his thoughts away from that grotesque idea and brought his attention on the food. However, food was not in his mind. He seemed unaware of the eyes watching him in wonder of that his thoughts were as his mind felt busy at the moment towards his close friend. He was a strong man. How can he have died so quickly in battle? He asked himself that many times and yet no answer came to him. He leaned back on his chair and sighed. The King suddenly lost his appetite.
**********
They have traveled many miles. The three injured men had to be left behind while one, while the rest of the three, minus Riley, who was still absent to deliver the letter, decided to look for a way out. Seifer, in the most obvious sense, led the way, using his Hyperion to cut through the bushes in the way. It was sometimes useless to cut them, since more bushes appeared in front of him and sometimes it led them somewhere else. He told the youngest to leave a trace behind so there will be no chance for them to lose their way. Sharn left large rocks for the path back, while Seifer continued on as the rest followed him. Every turn they took, it always led them back to their originally spot at where they had started. Seifer was on the verge of surrendering, when he heard footsteps nearby. He paused and listened some more. Before he had a chance to stop him, Lorlith, in desperation, ran ahead of him and towards the footsteps heard.
"Hey! Here we are! We're your friends!" Lorlith screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Lorlith, wait!" Seifer yelled after him. He tried to trip him with his Hyperion, but it was too late. He heard some screaming of a dozen men. Seifer ran to where Lorlith had gone, while telling Sharn to stay behind and found himself in an open field. Lorlith was sprawled on the ground, one hand blocking his face from two Estharian soldiers holding their swords in the air, ready to strike the man with them. Seifer paused nearby, still hidden behind the bushes and watched in horror as Lorlith was struck on the throat by one of the men with the swords, killing him instantly. Seifer turned around and ran back to where Sharn stayed.
"We must retreat immediately," he whispered to him. The same footsteps under the grass moved and he can hear them coming closer. Sharn, trying to be brave, turned and fled, followed by his captain. In panic, he turned many corners, confusing him and Seifer even more. He stopped the young lad immediately, looking at him and giving him a questioning gaze. "The tracks. Follow them! Where are they?"
Sharn looked around and found no sign of the large rocks left by him.
More footsteps were heard. Sharn and Seifer stared at each other. The blond, in complete calm, placed a hand on Sharn's shoulder to calm him down. The young lad, though has been expose in battle, did not do well in calming himself down. Sharn panicked nervously and could no longer contain himself Tears were on his eyes and he looked for Seifer in comfort, the only one who would ever do such a thing at that point. Seifer looked at him, pushing him down on the ground. "I want you to stay where you are, all right?" he whispered to him. The bushes rustled as Seifer cautiously kneeled down beside the thirteen year old. The same footsteps were coming closer and just when his hopes died; the footsteps passed them and were heard heading another direction. The blond knight stood up slowly and craned his neck more to see three pairs of heads running away from them. His eyes suddenly glowed in shock as the three were heading to the direction where their camp was, especially towards the injured men they left behind. Seifer looked back down at the young boy. "You stay here, Sharn," he ordered. He turned and began to walk away, when Sharn's small voice stopped him.
"Where are you, Sir Seifer? You will come back for me?" His eyes glittered towards him and Seifer had no choice but to calm him. He kneeled down beside the boy and nodded.
"Of course I will return for you, but you must stay here. If any of them come, hide quickly somewhere. I will return quickly for I must bring our injured friends to safety."
Sharn nodded. He watched as Seifer turned and ran cautiously away from him and deeper into the bushes.
Seifer arrived soon back at camp. Luckily, he was able to find the tracks Sharn left behind so it was easy for him to return. He walked carefully towards the path and into a small area where trees were abundant and listened to any footsteps coming his way. When none could be heard, he walked even closer to their campsite and noticed silence in the air. To his fear, as he neared, the three injured men were already killed by the hands of the Estharian soldiers. Suddenly, aware of someone coming at him, he turned around quickly and noticed a man charging at him, with his sword brandished high above his head. More men surrounded him and, with his feet ready to move, ran pass the two men quickly and back into the bushes. In his guess, six more men were after him. He had to get back quickly to Sharn and bring him to safety. Yet, as he continued on his journey for survival, he had lost his way. Sharn was nowhere to be found.
"Sharn!" he called. "Sharn answer me!"
A small voice answered in the distance. "I am here, Sir!"
Seifer followed his voice, continuing his way up into the bushes and finally found him kneeling beside ahead of him. When he noticed the knight coming his way, Sharn stood up, ready to take any orders he gave him. Seifer ran quickly, grabbed his hand and ran as fast as his feet could take them, unknown to them of their destination ahead.
GoodGurl: OOOOHHHH action! I like it! I like it!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it too!!!!!!!!! See you on the next chapter!!!!!!!! Hm... I wonder what Seifer gotten himself into? Poor Lorlith! Oh well, he was being stupid, j/k! Anyway, poor Quistis! She doesn't know that Seifer is still alive and trying to find a way to survive. Poor Irvine too! Whatever happened to Zell? Well, find out soon! Oh no! He has one more day until he has to die, right? See you on the next chapter then if you wanna find out!!!!!!!!
Chapter 9 - Tears of content
Determined eyes opened, revealing a flash of green pupils blinking as if awaken from a dream. Hoping to find himself up in heaven with his Queen as his angel, he glanced around him. A pair of emerald eyes stared back at him, almost startling him from his thoughts. Like lightning, he stood up from his laying position and grabbed the young man's coat collar, a train of memory of what had happened beamed back in his mind. He remembered being hit at the back of his head so hard that he fell unconscious on the floor.
"What happened?!" he spoke, panic almost looming in his voice. Seifer expected he had died and gone to heaven, or hell, wherever God wished him to be, yet, as he looked around some more, he could only see trees all around him, with darkness adding to the eerie theme surrounding the background.
The same emerald eyes jumped back in surprise, startled at the blond for suddenly running after him, grasping at his tunic collar. He was unable to speak, for it was hard to speak as the blond gripped at his collar much too tightly. He gasped in for breath, breathing from his nose instead of his mouth and started to turn blue in the face.
Realizing what he was doing, Seifer released his grip from the young boy and stepped back, waiting patiently for him to take a deep breath before speaking. Once he had done so, the young soldier looked at him and frowned. "Sir, we found you collapsed on the floor. It was a good thing Orion saw you on the ground before the man could slit your throat with your blade."
"Orion?" Seifer asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. It was not his duty, however to remember all the names of his soldiers, in fact, he did not wish to. Yet, to what the young man said, he wished nothing but to thank this Orion fellow and know him better. After all, he did save his life. "Where is he?"
The brown haired young boy looked down, afraid to face him and deliver a very striking revelation to where Orion had gone. Seifer knew exactly then what had happened to him.
The blond frowned. "I see," he spoke softly. "State your name and rank," he ordered.
The young soldier immediately straightened up from his slouched position and saluted his Captain with trembling hands. Seifer can still see the sadness in his emerald eyes and he could not help but feel remorse. Him and that Orion fellow must have been very close.
"Sir, I am Riley Kon second class soldier," he answered, keeping his eyes straight forward, afraid to look into the eyes of his Captain. He has always heard the Captain to be awfully strict amongst his soldiers and ordered his men to always be strong and not let tears interrupt with their fighting.
Seifer examined Riley for a moment. He was equally the same height as he, yet with the difference in stature and poised, and maybe even age. The young soldier was made mostly of skin and bones and he stood tall enough for his legs were long and dreadfully skinny. However, despite the flaw, he admired Riley. He could tell he was trying to hold tears for what had happened to Orion. The young lad held the brightest green he has ever seen on anyone and his skin were painted with a ghostly pale colour, rather than the soft peach. His hair was sandy brown with highlights of blond, light enough to show. And for the blond knight's guess, he was no more than at least fifteen years old. "What is your relation with Orion, Riley?" he asked. Although he never really wanted to pry in an individual's personal life, it was important to him at that moment.
Riley looked up from his train of thought, desperately choking back tears that threatened to fall. In spite the force of driving away the pain in his eyes, Seifer could tell the sandy haired boy suffered for his friend or any other relation he can think of. "He was my brother, sir, a few years ahead than I," he explained. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably and took a deep breath. "He was some twenty or so and his celebration of turning the first of twenty, was to be taken tomorrow."
Seifer looked down shamefully. "I am sorry to hear of that." He lifted his head back up and forced a stern look on his face. He slapped the boy's back like a brother slaps his brother as a sign of respect and forced his lips into a smile. "Your brother will be rewarded for being so honourable and courageous by sacrificing his own life just to save mine. I will be forever in his debt."
"Sir, Orion fought a great fight to keep you alive. As if the earth had shaken him on his feet and forced him to push you aside so the blade struck him instead of you," a voice spoke in the darkness. Seifer looked around and found a shorter man, a few years more than Riley himself. The blond Knight can only guess that he was some twenty as well, much like Orion, the fellow who pulled him out of Death's grasp.
"And you are?" Seifer asked, turning around to face him.
The older man cleared his throat, stepping in beside Riley and straightened up. "I am Hanse Mortimer, first class, sir," the man replied. Seifer examined him for a while as well, noting his age and height. Hanse was no closer to his age, yet at least two years older than him. He was five foot ten and unlike the skinny Riley standing beside him, Hanse had broad shoulders and strong arms.
Seifer nodded, realizing the truth in his voice. He took his eyes off the two men and glanced around him. Trees and more trees added to the darkness surrounding them. However, despite the blackness that overcame his sight, he could still see figures of some of his men; some lying down on the ground with injuries on their legs and some were standing uncomfortably. Seifer regarded them equally and counted to have only five men present. "How many of you are left?" he asked, just to make sure whether his senses were true.
Hanse was the first to answer. Riley stood silent, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. The older man glanced to his young friend and then at his captain. "There are seven of us, sir," he answered.
Seifer furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He glanced once more around the men present near him. "You lie to me, Hanse? I see only five, including both of you."
"Sir, we are here," a weak voice commenced behind the shadows of two injured men sprawled on the ground. Two figures revealed their faces from the shadows and stepped closer to the blond knight. One's leg had been injured badly, with a dirty cloth tied around the shin of a young man no more than thirteen. His fair hair that once bloomed in the light was soaked in thin layers of blood inflicted upon him from the back of his head. The other was still standing firm, yet rather awkwardly, for Seifer noticed the other had lost his large toe. The blond Knight could tell that the large toe-less man was the eldest out of all of them, for the wrinkles around his eyes were seen. He introduced himself as Lorlith Albatoss, first class, while the one with the injured leg, with a tired murmur, named himself Sharn Kaiser, a second class soldier. With the introductions finished, Seifer made his way towards the three injured men, with more severe wounds than the others. One had lost his leg, one lost his arm and the other lost his eyesight. It will do no good for them any longer. If they were to escape from this forest prison, they will have to do without them. Yet, as Seifer watched on, he felt remorse for the trio. For them to be rested, he will have to order for the rest of his men to stay and help aid the injured with their pain. Time will have to tell how long they will live.
"Tonight we will stay," Seifer spoke, kneeling down beside the man with no leg, who introduced himself Paris Artnin. The blond knight tear apart of his cloak and wrapped it around the man's leg gently. The man, in guessing, was almost twenty himself and had bright blue eyes. Seifer could see the fear in his eyes as he winced in pain while he wrapped the cloak around the wound. After doing so, he stood up once again and ordered three of his men to bring the three injured men in a nearby tree and commanded for the youngest, which was Sharn Kaiser to make fire in the middle of the gathering. Sharn obeyed and went to fetch wood closest to them for the fire. He returned soon, with large stacks of wood gathered in his arms and laid them down silently, so as not to bring any attention to their enemy looking for them. Thus, his fire making began with little speech.
After the fire has been made and the three injured men taken care of, all eight men gathered around the blazing inferno and sat silently for a moment, until the eldest of the eight, spoke with desperation. "Shall we move on, sir through the trees and return quickly to the castle?" he asked, watching the dancing flames in front of him.
Seifer glanced towards Lorlith and shook his head. "The risks are too high to act upon it, Albatoss." He was not too keen on speaking with his men by their first names. For him, it had no manners in calling them by their given name. "This forest may be large enough for us to get lost and do not you forget, we must bring back three injured men with us. Our enemy is close and they search without any hesitation and will not be reluctant to kill us to prevent us from reporting what we have seen tonight. They will hunt us until I am found and until they are certain they have reigned victory over this battle."
Lorlith said nothing after that. He fell silent, understanding the words of his captain and threw a small pebble towards the fire for his amusement.
The night was soon taken into silence after a short conversation and it kept that way until all men, but one, closed their eyes for a deep slumber. Tonight's battle brought weariness to the seven soldiers left alive and thus, Seifer's conclusion confirmed their deep sleep. The blond captain leaned against the base of the tree and pulled from his trousers, a piece of blank papyrus paper. In his other pocket of his trousers, he reclaimed his writing pen and began to write to his beloved back in Balbadia castle:
Dear Beloved of mine,
I have been weary. I felt alone without you here to console me with my aches. The battle had won for the Estharians and there are eight of us left to fend for the freedom of Balbadia. We are lost somewhere in the large Mist Forest and we must stay put for the predators are desperately hunting for their pray. I miss you terribly, my beloved. I wish to see you soon and please do not be frightened of my absence there. I am alive and well and I assure you, I will soon return to be in your arms once again. I do not know how long we will stay until we move on back to the castle, but I will make certain it will not be too long of a wait for you.
Yours always,
Your dear Knight
Sighing a content feeling, Seifer folded the paper twice in his hands and twice in his anxiety and returned the pen back in his pocket. The paper remained in the palm of his hands as he stared at it with a thought of knowing he had written lies in the paper. He was not certain when he will return and he knew he could not promise her such a thing. The risks, as he mentioned before, were much too high to take.
"Sir?" a small, yet confident voice bloomed in the air. Seifer noticed Riley walking towards him and stood beside the Knight. Riley glanced at the paper on Seifer's hands and then into the man's eyes. "May I deliver this for you?" he asked.
Seifer could only stare at him.
With the blonde's uncertainty, Riley's confidence eventually faltered, replacing that of the same shy boy that Seifer knew the moment he met him. The boy merely shrugged, offering a kind smile towards him. "If you wish that is," he spoke. "I would gladly take the letter and deliver it in person to the woman you love."
"Why do you suspect that this letter is to a woman?" Seifer asked, with a hint of irritation in his voice. How dare the young lad see into his writing! He must have seen the words written on the letter, that is why he is offering such an occupation.
Oblivious to the anger in Seifer's voice, Riley shrugged once more. He nodded his head to the letter. "With such a long letter as that, I see you have so many words spoken. If it not be a woman, who's letter are you declaring your love to?"
Seifer stood up quickly and stared into the young man's eyes. "Dare you look into my letter, boy?!" he hissed, with a whispered anger. "Do you have powers I do not know about that you can read my mind?" His suspicion grew fairly fast towards the boy.
Riley stood back and shook his head. "N-no sir," he stammered. "I do not dare look into your letters. How can I? I have not been anywhere near your trousers and I could not bear to do such a thing! I only saw the tears in your eyes and I know you have no other loved one to write to but to a woman you love!"
The blond knight's face softened and sagged his shoulders, feeling shameful of his behaviour just now. He had no reason to be angry towards the boy. He was right, after all, that he had no one else to write to, but to a woman. Were his tears really the reason the young boy could see whom he was writing to? He did not remember bringing tears from his eyes. Eventually, Seifer lifted up his bare finger to his eyes to see any indication of tears and was surprised to find a drop of water coming from the corner, dropping silently into his fingers. He had not noticed his feelings had finally shown, most of which the feelings of sadness and loneliness.
"You are right," he spoke softly, leaning back down on the tree. He lifted up a hand where his letter was gripped and handed it to Riley. "Take this letter, if you are brave enough and deliver this to the Queen's handmaiden," he ordered, hoping the young boy would not question why the letter should be handed to the Queen's handmaiden.
To Seifer's relief, Riley took the letter and left without a word or a glance of wonder why and ran out into the forest. Seifer hopes to see Riley soon as he watched him disappear behind the bushes of the Galipagos trees.
*****************
The King waited impatiently for the news of the battle that took place hours ago. He was in even more impatience, when a soldier with blood around his cloak appeared before him. He was, at last, his age and presented himself before the King. Irvine immediately stood, his heart beating in anticipation.
"What is news, Clorin?" he asked, addressing the soldier as if he was younger than him, despite the age being the same, and stepped down from his throne, waiting for the young man to answer.
Clorin sighed, feeling solemn for the men lost in battle. He said nothing and shook his head in shame.
"I say, speak, Clorin!" Irvine commanded, his voice growing more impatient than ever and looked into his eyes.
The young man took a deep breath, before finally speaking. "Terrible news, sir," he said. "Many of the men in battle lost their lives, especially the most honoured of them all." He produced a gray cloak from his pocket with blood soaked in it and handed it immediately to the King. "Sir Seifer.... He was a great man and I could not believe my eyes when I saw his armor near the hills. It made me confirm he died with honour, sir."
Irvine took it from his hands and frowned. The gray cloak flashed the same hawk emblem as the blond Knight's, with blood dripping from it. The King said nothing and looked into the eyes of the young man. He waved his hand towards Clorin and dismissed him quickly for him to be alone.
Without un-noticed, the Queen sat silently behind the throne where her husband could not see her, her heart beating with so much sorrow and pain. She watched as Irvine sat down on the throne in silent. Quistis gripped tightly on the curtain and made her way silently to her quarters, dropping her body down on the bed where her cries were heard in the distance. How in the most everything that was sinned could have her beloved knight die in the battle? "You promised!" she whimpered. "You promised to come back to me! Why are you not here?!"
**********
Morning soon came over the hills of Balbadia. Hearts full of sorrow woke up, still feeling the content on their faces as tears fell from their eyes. The King fell silent after hearing of the horrible news. He did not want to believe that his only friend had gone to heaven and he did not want to believe that Sir Seifer was not strong enough to prevent his death. His servants began to worry and attempted to tell the Queen of it, but were not able to, since the Queen was on the verge of silence as well.
The Queen laid on her bed, still feeling tired of knowing that the love of her life was no longer standing by her side and comfort her whenever needed. Selphie, despite the sadness for her own loved one, hid her disappointment of herself and began to grow concern towards her long time friend. She knew the Queen will always have the dark clouds looming over her head no matter how hard she tried to comfort her. She knew everything about the Queen's affair with the handsome knight and chose to keep herself quiet. The fact that she was too worried about losing Zell, that she felt unconcerned for her only friend in the world.
Once the sun beamed through her window, Selphie knocked on her friend's door quietly and stepped inside, regarding the Queen sitting near the window and watching the clear sky up above. "Your Majesty?" she called, stepping closer to her friend.
She did not answer.
Selphie took another step until she was near and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Your Majesty, is there a cloud looming over your head?"
The Queen looked up and smiled, wiping the tears away from her eyes. She shook her head, revealing the mask on her face, a way to hide her discomfort. "I am quite all right," she replied. "Do not worry too much about me. I feel more concern for you. How is the prisoner?"
The handmaiden shook her head. "This is no time for me, your highness. The concern should be on you. I have been too selfish to notice your anxiety and I am not a friend for ignoring it." Selphie sat down beside her. "I feel I should ask what bothers you so. I know that your beloved Knight has been confirmed dead, but I do not believe this is so."
Quistis looked at her with interest. "How do you mean?" Hope was seen in her eyes.
Selphie smiled. "If he loves you so, he would have found a way to make himself alive. Love is a strong feeling and it can never be broken by death." She felt her heart beat, knowing that her words alone, were marked with her own heartache for her loved one. She for the sake of others, but never for herself always spoke her words.
Upon hearing the words, Quistis leaned over and embraced her friend. She has been selfish as well. She can see Selphie's sadness. The young soldier trapped within the cell had one day left until death and Quistis had been too blind to see. "I have been selfish as well, Selphie, to notice your own anxiety. I say we are both selfish." More tears fell from her eyes and fell on Selphie's shaking shoulder.
Selphie nodded, tears falling from her own eyes and streaking down to the taller woman's shoulders. "Yes," she spoke, her voice shaking in fear. "I believe we have been both selfish."
**********
"I worry for him," one servant spoke, watching their good King sitting on dining room in silence. He stood by the entrance and examined Irvine quietly. He regarded the un-touched food and the pain-stricken face endured upon him, knowing that the King had so much in his mind to keep his focus on the task at hand.
"Aye and it seems he has heard the news of my lady and Sir Seifer," another one said. They stared at each other and said nothing.
Irvine sat on the table, using his fork to stab a pea and lifted up near his mouth. He stared at it, thinking of his good friend and how he had died. He shook his thoughts away from that grotesque idea and brought his attention on the food. However, food was not in his mind. He seemed unaware of the eyes watching him in wonder of that his thoughts were as his mind felt busy at the moment towards his close friend. He was a strong man. How can he have died so quickly in battle? He asked himself that many times and yet no answer came to him. He leaned back on his chair and sighed. The King suddenly lost his appetite.
**********
They have traveled many miles. The three injured men had to be left behind while one, while the rest of the three, minus Riley, who was still absent to deliver the letter, decided to look for a way out. Seifer, in the most obvious sense, led the way, using his Hyperion to cut through the bushes in the way. It was sometimes useless to cut them, since more bushes appeared in front of him and sometimes it led them somewhere else. He told the youngest to leave a trace behind so there will be no chance for them to lose their way. Sharn left large rocks for the path back, while Seifer continued on as the rest followed him. Every turn they took, it always led them back to their originally spot at where they had started. Seifer was on the verge of surrendering, when he heard footsteps nearby. He paused and listened some more. Before he had a chance to stop him, Lorlith, in desperation, ran ahead of him and towards the footsteps heard.
"Hey! Here we are! We're your friends!" Lorlith screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Lorlith, wait!" Seifer yelled after him. He tried to trip him with his Hyperion, but it was too late. He heard some screaming of a dozen men. Seifer ran to where Lorlith had gone, while telling Sharn to stay behind and found himself in an open field. Lorlith was sprawled on the ground, one hand blocking his face from two Estharian soldiers holding their swords in the air, ready to strike the man with them. Seifer paused nearby, still hidden behind the bushes and watched in horror as Lorlith was struck on the throat by one of the men with the swords, killing him instantly. Seifer turned around and ran back to where Sharn stayed.
"We must retreat immediately," he whispered to him. The same footsteps under the grass moved and he can hear them coming closer. Sharn, trying to be brave, turned and fled, followed by his captain. In panic, he turned many corners, confusing him and Seifer even more. He stopped the young lad immediately, looking at him and giving him a questioning gaze. "The tracks. Follow them! Where are they?"
Sharn looked around and found no sign of the large rocks left by him.
More footsteps were heard. Sharn and Seifer stared at each other. The blond, in complete calm, placed a hand on Sharn's shoulder to calm him down. The young lad, though has been expose in battle, did not do well in calming himself down. Sharn panicked nervously and could no longer contain himself Tears were on his eyes and he looked for Seifer in comfort, the only one who would ever do such a thing at that point. Seifer looked at him, pushing him down on the ground. "I want you to stay where you are, all right?" he whispered to him. The bushes rustled as Seifer cautiously kneeled down beside the thirteen year old. The same footsteps were coming closer and just when his hopes died; the footsteps passed them and were heard heading another direction. The blond knight stood up slowly and craned his neck more to see three pairs of heads running away from them. His eyes suddenly glowed in shock as the three were heading to the direction where their camp was, especially towards the injured men they left behind. Seifer looked back down at the young boy. "You stay here, Sharn," he ordered. He turned and began to walk away, when Sharn's small voice stopped him.
"Where are you, Sir Seifer? You will come back for me?" His eyes glittered towards him and Seifer had no choice but to calm him. He kneeled down beside the boy and nodded.
"Of course I will return for you, but you must stay here. If any of them come, hide quickly somewhere. I will return quickly for I must bring our injured friends to safety."
Sharn nodded. He watched as Seifer turned and ran cautiously away from him and deeper into the bushes.
Seifer arrived soon back at camp. Luckily, he was able to find the tracks Sharn left behind so it was easy for him to return. He walked carefully towards the path and into a small area where trees were abundant and listened to any footsteps coming his way. When none could be heard, he walked even closer to their campsite and noticed silence in the air. To his fear, as he neared, the three injured men were already killed by the hands of the Estharian soldiers. Suddenly, aware of someone coming at him, he turned around quickly and noticed a man charging at him, with his sword brandished high above his head. More men surrounded him and, with his feet ready to move, ran pass the two men quickly and back into the bushes. In his guess, six more men were after him. He had to get back quickly to Sharn and bring him to safety. Yet, as he continued on his journey for survival, he had lost his way. Sharn was nowhere to be found.
"Sharn!" he called. "Sharn answer me!"
A small voice answered in the distance. "I am here, Sir!"
Seifer followed his voice, continuing his way up into the bushes and finally found him kneeling beside ahead of him. When he noticed the knight coming his way, Sharn stood up, ready to take any orders he gave him. Seifer ran quickly, grabbed his hand and ran as fast as his feet could take them, unknown to them of their destination ahead.
GoodGurl: OOOOHHHH action! I like it! I like it!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it too!!!!!!!!! See you on the next chapter!!!!!!!! Hm... I wonder what Seifer gotten himself into? Poor Lorlith! Oh well, he was being stupid, j/k! Anyway, poor Quistis! She doesn't know that Seifer is still alive and trying to find a way to survive. Poor Irvine too! Whatever happened to Zell? Well, find out soon! Oh no! He has one more day until he has to die, right? See you on the next chapter then if you wanna find out!!!!!!!!