Disclaimer: Standard Disclaimer – I don't own these hot bishies that I so enjoy manipulating.
This is a Shounen-Ai and AU fic (ie: there is gayness and it's set in some other time and place besides Shinjuuku Tokyo, 1988-present day)
Onto the story
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A Tale
By Sanada Mirako
Chapter 1
My tale begins on a day similar to this. It was almost unbearably hot and hazy, heat waves making everything shimmer under the midday sun like a mirage. It was during the first week of August; every flower and leaf was full to bursting with life as bees and butterflies flew around as if the day would never end – floating in the breeze, like little puffs of cotton.
I was but a youngster at the time, just turned 13, and walking around as if 20. I was the second son of the esteemed Duke Mouri; because of my birth order, my elder brother was constantly shut up in a room with a tutor, while I was free to roam the manor at will. I remember I often used to tease him about that, overbearing little tot that I was. I relished my freedom from studies, and at the same time, felt strangely imprisoned. There was a stone wall that surrounded our rather large house – I was told that it was to keep serfs out. Beyond the stone wall was the woods, peaceful and strangely magical to my innocent eyes. The forest seemed so alluring to me, most likely because it seemed so different from the open meadows I was used to. I could feel it pulling at me, willing me to enter and explore its shadowy expanses.
So one day, I did.
My nurse was in her chambers, fanning herself in an attempt to drive away the heat waves that rolled through the manor. My mother rarely paid attention to me, and my father was busy counting his enormous wealth. I dressed myself in my most frugal and unnoticeable clothes; a dark blue silk doublet, ebony hose, and black leather shoes, and hid behind a bush, waiting for the guards to round the corner. After they passed out of sight, I dashed across the open field, scrambled across the wall, and landed on the other side with a loud thump. I sat there for quite some time, expecting my nurse to appear in front of me, and drag me back by my ears, but no such thing happened. I began to smile, and within the minute I was rolling in the dirt, bubbling with peals of laughter. After a moment, my glee began to subside, and I started to explore the woods. It was so different from what I was used to! Whenever I rounded a corner, I would see a turkey run, or a rabbit. Once, peering from behind a tree, I saw a doe, who, catching my scent, flashed her white tail as she bounded off.
Time seemed to stop there. Everything seemed magical, the sun casting a golden glow around all it touched. Of course, that was when I met him, in that enchanted world where time never existed.
He was kneeling on the ground, feeding scraps of raw meat to wolf cubs, less than 4 weeks old. Wearing dark brown breeches, stained, torn and patched, and a homespun linen shirt which had seen many better days. I had believed that he was the son of a very poor noble. His hair was shiny; ebony-colored locks that tickled the base of his neck, untamed and wild. His skin was tanned, knees skinned, with scars and cuts lacing his arms and hands. His eyes, Lord Almighty, were large, and of the clearest blue. In my mind, I was sure that the Good Lord had taken sapphires when creating his eyes. When I saw him, I gasped in surprise. As if caught committing a major transgression, the boy stopped suddenly, before crying out loud, " You might as well come out now, I know you're here." Upon hearing his voice, I began to ponder; it had a bit of an uneducated accent to it...a delinquent, perhaps? I carefully stepped out of the bushes concealing me.
" Sorry, I didn't mean to spy on you. I was just taking a walk through these lovely woods and – are those real wolf cubs?" My manners had flown away from me; what a horrible first impression.
The boy stood up…his feet were bare!...and I realized that he was a full half a head taller than me. He eyed me from head to toe, nodded, and sat down again, continuing to feed the cubs, " Yeah, their ma was killed by 'em noble hunters. So I take care of 'em when I can." He chewed another scrap of meat before giving it to the cub, " It's to soften it. They're not even s'posed to be off their ma's milk now, but she's dead, so…" A flash of grief showed through his eyes…they could express feelings so poignantly. I sat down uninvited, captivated by this strange boy, and the tiny wolf cubs.
" This is my first time in the woods. It's so nice, isn't it? Everywhere you turn, there're animals…rabbits, and turkey and deer. I'm not used to it though, there's not much open space, is there? I mean, everything's so closed up here…" I realized I was babbling, and abruptly shut my mouth.
" First time in the woods, huh?" The other boy smiled, revealing that none of his teeth had rotted away. " D'ya want me to show you around? It's really not so closed up when you know where to go. Say, what's your name?"
" Cye. And yours?"
" I'm Ryo. Nice ta meet you." He got up, and leant me a hand, and his eyes lingered on my silk doublet. " Come on. You'll see what I mean in a minute."
Ryo showed me the secrets of the wood that day. How to run through the trees; To sit quietly in the middle of tall grasses, letting the butterflies land on you. He taught me the secrets of the wind; because of that, we were able to get within 3 yards of a small deer before it recognized us. Downwind, Ryo called it. Time passed so quickly, it seemed only an hour ago I had met Ryo, and already the sun was beginning to set. " Oh, fiddlesticks." I pouted at Ryo, who was at the top of a tree, " I've got to get home soon."
Ryo stopped his ascent, and looked to where I was, about 10 feet down, his grin disappearing. " Home?"
" Yes." I clarified, " Home. Supper." Ryo continued to look at me quizzically, before it dawned on him.
" Oh…home. Supper." Ryo formed the words carefully, as if he never said it.
" Yes," this was getting stranger by the minute, " or nurse will get vexed with me. She hates it when I eat my meat cold." Suddenly Ryo jumped from the tree, landing soundlessly in front of me.
" You're a rich kid, aren't you?" He looked from my silk doublet, to my leather boots. I returned his look quizzically. Rich kid…?," You know," Ryo clarified, " a noble's bra-…uh…child."
" I'm Duke Mouri's second son, Cye Mouri." I looked at his homespun articles of clothing, " Aren't you a noble's child? Mayhaps a lesser ranked one, youngest? That would explain the linen." Ryo blushed furiously at my last remark, and plucked at his frayed shirt, but his eyes were filled with honor, and pride that he seemed obligated to uphold.
" Not everyone's royalty, sir. I'm not a noble's kid. I'm a peasant orphan." Orphan…? Wasn't that when mother, father, and guardians were all dead…?
" Well, you do have a home, don't you? And supper?"
Ryo sighed in annoyance, and a bit of injured pride, " No, Cye. I'm an orphan. OR-PHAN. I don't have a home, and normally no supper either." He blushed furiously when he said this.
" Then what do you eat at night? Oh…" It began to dawn on me. He had no food at night, and most likely none in the morning either. It was the first time I was exposed to the less extravagant section of life. I impulsively hugged him, feeling his bones underneath his baggy shirt, " I'll grab some stuff for youn Then, tomorrow, I'll meet you where we first met, okay?"
Ryo smiled, genuine, with more thanks than words could have expressed.
That night, I asked for time with my father, planning to expose to him what was going on, and seeing what measures he would take to stop it. My father was an extremely reasonable man, after all. " Father?"
The Duke Mouri looked up from his book, " Oh, hello Cye," noticing my discomfort, he asked, " what ails you, son?"
" Father, did you know that there are orphans down there?"
He looked at me, confused, " Of course, Cye. There're lots of orphans down there. Serfs don't know how to take care of themselves, and often die of sickness, or injury. They're quite disgusting, greedy people."
I stared at my father, " They don't eat, father. They don't have a home."
" Yes, Cye. I know. Like I said, serfs are greedy people. Whenever something happens to them, they expect us, the nobles, to cater to their every whim. They expect us to feed and house them, the lazy brutes. Now go to bed, Cye."
I sighed, " Yes, Father."
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Konnichiwa, minna! I'm back! *dodges rotten vegetables*
Anyway, it's a fic I've been dreaming up for a while, R&R, kudasai! You don't know how warm and fuzzy it makes me feel. *big grin* Anywayz, for the forest, I couldn't quite capture it. Just picture Tuck Everlasting, with Lord of the Rings, and a bit of Naboo from Stars Wars: AOTC. That's kinda what I'm thinking. Leaning more to the Tuck Everlasting tho, fyi.
Ja, minna! And don't forget, review please! *points to the little button at the bottom of the screen, and smiles*
~Sanada Mirako~