Amber Eyes

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot!

Authoress Ramble: 13 reviews! IÕm so lucky! *feels special* I feel very special and talented, so arigatou once again. *bows* This is the fourth chapter already, and my story is still new! I donÕt usually write this fast. In fact, usually IÕm downright lazy when it comes to fanfiction. I guess I just love writing this story. =3

Note: If the Òs,Õs and ,s are not quotes and commas, go to View ------ Character Set in Internet Explorer and change it to Western (Mac)! Or change the character set some other way to fix it, itÕs possible!

Shouts To People Who Reviewed!: Hugs to everyone who reviewed! That means youÕre being hugged right now, Azi, Amanda Panda, Eclipse, Little Wolf LOVER, Shorty, Draco, CardCaptorHikariWolfy, Kimi-chan and ÒREALLY LIKE UR FICÓ (you didnÕt leave a name for me, cutie pie o.o). Thank you again for your support! You truly do motivate me to write fast.

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Sakura laid her head tiredly down between knees, her arms wrapped around her sore legs. It had been three days since she had last seen Syaoran. She had asked nearly everyone in the group of prisoners if they had seen a young Kaeran man with chocolate-brown hair and amber eyes, and still, no one had. She was beginning to think that Syaoran was a ghost, some kind of strange angel that came down from the Heavens at night to comfort her as she struggled to get through each day. Maybe she had been dreaming him all this time ...

She missed her only friend. The last three days had been slow torture. Each day, the group of prisoners was forced to walk most of the day, from dawn to dusk, taking only short rests around noon when the Wolves would pull out food, sticks of dried meat and wild vegetables, and eat it in front of them.

Even such simple food had become precious to the prisoners, who received very little. When they did receive food, it was hard, stale bread that the Wolves had rejected. Still, everyone was grateful for it. A slice of stone-hard bread had become as sweet as a slice of warm chocolate cheesecake in Sakura's mind, and she craved it nearly every moment, almost always hungry. Her stomach contracted every once in awhile with sharp, abrupt stabs of pain. She had not eaten in two days. The only thing she'd had since two days ago was a few handfuls of cold water from a creek that the Wolves had allowed them to drink from.

The prisoners stayed in caves during the night, while the Wolves slept. Sakura and the rest of the prisoners were in such a cave now, and everyone except for Sakura had fallen asleep on the cold, hard stone floor.

Sakura leaned her head back against the cave wall. She felt light-headed and weak, and if there had been any food in her stomach, she was sure that she would be vomiting it up. Her entire body ached, her legs sore from the constant walking; her feet, still clumsily bandaged in strips of ripped dark green fabric that had become dirty, stiff and black with dried blood, throbbed in pain, covered in blisters, the cuts bleeding a little, some new and fresh, some reopened from all the walking.

She wasn't sure how many more days she could last. Closing her eyes slowly, Sakura said a prayer for her brother and father, crying silently.

'Please come to see me tonight, Syaoran,' her mind whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks as she fell slowly asleep.
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"Sakura," said a rich, deep and yet still boyish voice, "Sakura . . ."

The hand on her shoulder shook her body gently. Sakura moaned quietly as her eyes fluttered open. She was looking into a pair of warm amber eyes.

"Syaoran!," Sakura whispered happily. A sleepy smile spread across her face, and her green eyes, which had become dark with sadness, suddenly brightened. She wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Syaoran, his face dark in the shadows of the cave and once again lit only by the moonlight, smile a little back.

"I'm glad to see that you can still smile," said Syaoran solemnly, sitting down next to her. He eyed her feet gravely, the makeshift bandages stiff and black with dried blood.

"I'm alright," said Sakura simply, speaking the truth despite the aches of her body and the stabs of hunger she had been feeling all day, "It could be much worse."

Syaoran nodded. "I brought you more food," he said. "It isn't much, but it's all I could manage ."

Sakura smiled weakly as he rummaged through his small bag, pulling out a thick slice of the familiar hard bread. He passed it to Sakura, their fingertips brushing together for a moment, and she took it gratefully.

"Thank you so much," Sakura said warmly, breaking off a piece and putting it into her mouth, letting her saliva soften it. Syaoran nodded, and that time, she was sure, he smiled at her, if only for a moment.

Sakura chewed slowly, then swallowed. "I missed you," she said sadly. Syaoran stared at her, then turned away to face the wall.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. He sounded regretful, but also cold. Sakura tilted her head to the side, watching him and feeling slightly guilty.

"No," she said pleadingly, "I meant that . . . I'm glad that you're here with me now."

Syaoran nodded, then met her gaze. "I have something else for you," he said.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "More food?", she said, confused.

"No," said Syaoran coldly, then reached back inside his sack. He pulled out a silver object that reflected the pale moonlight.

"Here," he said, handing it to her. Sakura gasped. It was an expensive-looking silver dagger, its silver handle and case engraved with the images of noble, strong Wolves with piercing silver eyes.

"Did you steal this from the Wolves too?," she asked stunned. Syaoran said nothing for a moment, then spoke.

"I want you to be able to defend yourself," he said seriously, his voice unwavering. "Don't be afraid to use it if someone is trying to hurt you."

Sakura looked at the beautiful dagger, shocked. She couldn't imagine herself stabbing anyone with a dagger, and yet agreed with Syaoran in that there could arise a situation when she would have no choice in the matter, lest she lose her life.

"Thank you," she said quietly, still stunned and unsure of what to say. Syaoran's face suddenly darkened with sadness.

"There's something else," he said. Sakura turned to him in surprise.

"What is it?," she asked, the look in his now dark, clouded amber eyes scaring her.

"This dagger . . . ," Syaoran began quietly, trailing off. He looked unsure of what to say, bowing his head down slightly. Finally, he lifted his eyes to meet hers, then continued.

"If you see a girl with very long black hair, as in, to her legs, someone who looks like they don't belong here, in Kaera," he said, "Then show this to her."

Sakura gasped again. He knew about the 'strange girl' that the Lian soldier had been talking about? How could he, and why would he?

"Why?," Sakura said finally. Syaoran sensed her uncertainty and began to disguise the sadness and emotion in his voice.

"It's from the Li kingdom," he said, "Only members of the royal family would carry a dagger like this. I got it from ... a Lian soldier, who stole it himself no doubt."

"If you show this to her, she won't hurt you," Syaoran continued calmly, "She'll think you're a friend of the Li kingdom."

Sakura nodded. His plan made sense, and yet there was a huge gap in it- how did he know about the girl that the Wolves were searching so violently for? Who was she?

"Do you know who the girl is?," asked Sakura suddenly. Syaoran's eyes widened, surprised. How did she know about her?

"Do you know who she is, this girl with long black hair?,Ó Sakura asked again.

Syaoran said nothing, turning away from her to stare at the wall. He appeared to be lost in thought.

"It doesn't matter," said Syaoran finally, coldly. Sakura's heart sank; she had wanted to know. It seemed very important, a vital clue to discovering the key to this amber-eyed boy's heart.

Sakura decided to drop the subject, for the severity in Syaoran's voice warned her that to continue interrogating him on the subject would only drive him away from her.

"Just show it to her, if you see her," Syaoran said seriously, interrupting Sakura's thoughts. She nodded stiffly.

"I will," she said firmly, though in her mind she was very confused and doubtful. Syaoran seemed satisfied with this.

"Good," he said gravely. The look in his eyes was cold and lost, but a moment later, he turned from staring at the opposite wall to look at Sakura, his eyes softening.

"I wish that I could always be able to protect you myself," he said quietly, "Sakura."

Sakura was taken aback, feeling herself being drawn into Syaoran's gaze, meeting his amber eyes with her own. Silence, meaningful silence, fell between the two.

Syaoran's eyes were sad, and so, Sakura tried to comfort him. "I'll be alright," she said reassuringly.

Syaoran nodded. "I'll make sure of it," he said firmly.

Sakura's heart suddenly felt warm, and she smiled. "Thank you, Syaoran," she said, smiling at him warmly, her eyes deep and welcoming.

Syaoran nodded, not looking away. Suddenly, he smiled back.

Sakura felt as though her heart was about to burst. He was ten times more beautiful when he smiled than when he did not, and this was the first time she had ever seen him do so openly. It warmed her heart and made her suddenly feel weightless once more.

Silence fell between them once again, neither one quite sure what to say. Finally, Sakura broke the silence, though without speaking.

She raised her arms and leaned forward, reaching out and hugging Syaoran by wrapping her arms around his neck. Syaoran's body stiffed in response, then relaxed.

A moment later, Sakura felt strong arms wrap around her waist. She smiled into Syaoran's shoulder, and though she could not see it, Syaoran was smiling as well.

"Good night, Sakura," he whispered. Sakura smiled, breathing in the warm scent of him. She suddenly wished that she could stay in his embrace for a long, long time.

"Good night," she whispered back, sad that the moment was slowly ending. She tightened her hold on Syaoran, then slowly let go, as did he.

"I'll see you soon," Syaoran said. Sakura smiled warmly at him, then nodded.

Syaoran was about to stand when Sakura suddenly cried out.

"Syaoran!," she said suddenly. He stopped getting up, looking at her in surprise.

"Stay with me," she blurted out, then felt a blush spread across her face. What was she saying?

"You always leave," she continued pleadingly, despite herself. "Couldn't you stay?"

Syaoran's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Yes," he said finally, quietly. He smiled.

Sakura smiled in return. She leaned over to Syaoran, placing her head gently down on his chest and closing her eyes. She felt his hand on her head, slowly stroking her hair. She smiled, truly happy for the first time since her father and little brother's death.

"Good night," she whispered happily. Syaoran smiled.

"Good night, Sakura," he whispered back, still stroking Sakura's soft red hair.

The gesture comforted Sakura, his voice tender and soothing, calming her grieving soul and bringing her peace, warmth and contentment. Sakura felt love his touch.

Sakura fell asleep happy that night, warm and weightless in Syaoran's arms.

Hours later Sakura sleepily awoke, sunlight pouring in through the mouth of the cave. She was lying on the stone floor, and as she sat up, looking quickly around her, she saw that Syaoran was nowhere to be found. She frowned, but then, remembering last night, she smiled. He truly was her friend.

'I only wish I knew who this strange girl was,' thought Sakura worriedly. Though Syaoran had made her feel happy last night, she felt sad that he kept such secrets from her, worried that they could lead to misfortune for him. She prayed that this strange girl was not their enemy, and that she would hurt neither herself nor Syaoran, and that if she was not their enemy, that she would not be captured by the Wolves and hurt herself.

Despite her worry, Sakura smiled. She couldn't wait until she saw Syaoran again; somehow, she knew for sure that she would.

Sakura noticed just then that she was still clutching the silver Lian dagger in her hand. Its beautiful silver curves and engravings shone in the sunlight. Everyone else in cave was still asleep, and cautiously, she slipped it into a pocket in her dress, concealing it from the eye and keeping it in a place where she could easily and quickly pull it out if she had to.

The silver Wolf dagger was a symbol of a mystery that Sakura intended to learn about, a mystery that Syaoran seemed to be caught up in. Sakura frowned. She prayed again that this 'strange girl' would not harm him.

Sakura felt an ache in her heart at the thought of Syaoran being hurt, an ache that turned into a sweet warmth as an image of his handsome, smiling face, his hair somehow adorably disheveled and his deep amber eyes as beautiful as ever, filled her mind.

Sakura smiled again. There were a thousand things that she did not yet know about the mysterious Syaoran, however, she intended to find them all out, and to stand by his side as a loving friend until she did so.

Her heart warm and renewed, Sakura resolved to face the day with courage, looking forward to the next time she would meet with her kind, noble, amber- eyed true wolf.
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To be continued in the next chapter. I was going for a little bit more romance in this chapter, and also some foreshadowing. How did I do?

If you liked it, or better yet, have ideas, then please leave a review! I love reviews! Reviews = writer faster! =^^= IÕll even thank you personally because I love reviews so much! Hehe.

In the next chapter: more is revealed about the Ôstrange girlÕ and SyaoranÕs relationship with her, and things begin to get interesting ...