Amber Eyes

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot!

Authoress Ramble: Ahh! Over twenty reviews! The world must be ending! ^_^ Thank you so much! IÕm very flattered by all of the reviews that IÕve received so far. You are all very sweet, helpful and encouraging! I have the next two to three chapters planned out already, and let me just say that the plot is going to get even more complicated!

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!: Thank you so much for reviewing! Much love to 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), DL@;~, Ongaku, SulliMike23, kawaiitenshisakura, Cherry and UrbanCinderella. Thank you again for your support!

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Sakura ran her hands up and down her arms quickly, shivering. Her dress had no sleeves, as it was Spring, and in Himemi, the weather had become stably warm. It seemed to her that over the last seven days the group of prisoners and the Wolves that had captured them had walked out of Spring and straight into the dead of Winter. The trees had become bearer and less green the farther they had walked, and the temperature had sharply dropped. Sakura continued to shiver, her teeth chattering; she wished that she had something, anything, to keep her warm. An image of a steaming cup of hot cocoa filled her mind, and she sighed sadly. She was lucky if she received cold water and hard, scale bread every couple of days.

Sakura sighed sadly again, this time for a different reason. The last time she had seen Syaoran was seven nights ago, and she missed her only friend terribly. At night, when she laid awake, unable to sleep because of the cold and the hard stone floor she was trying to fall asleep upon, she would fantasize about being held in his warm arms, being touched so tenderly once again. Sakura smiled at the thought, still shivering. It warmed her body only a little bit, but sparked a fire in her heart.

ÔI hope I see him soon,Õ Sakura thought sadly. She missed him greatly and would give anything for another moment like the once they had seven nights ago, when they had held each other in one anotherÕs arms.

ÔOr hugged each other, rather,Õ Sakura sarcastically reminded herself. Every time she thought of her friend Syaoran, she seemed to get carried away. Sakura smiled shyly, bowing her head down slightly and blushing. He didnÕt make her feel the way a friend did.

Sakura walked forward numbly, struggling to keep up with the group. Her body was stiff and cold, sore from all the walking she had been forced to do, and she felt a bit like a member of the living dead. Her feet were doing no better than they had been doing a week ago, for new cuts were created and old cuts reopened each new day without fail. The bloodstained, tattered dark green bandages still reminded her of the one she missed so terribly. After glancing down at the makeshift bandages on her feet and smiling despite the pain, Sakura continued to shiver while entertaining warm thoughts about seeing Syaoran once again.

Then, suddenly, the group slowed down and abruptly stopped. The Wolves ahead of them had stopped marching forward, and had drawn their swords, daggers and other weapons. A lone figure stood in the middle of the road, blocking their path.

Sakura was far away and mixed into a crowd of prisoners, but she tried her best to get a good look at the mysterious man. He was wearing a red and black tunic, and appeared to be pale and very thin. Sakura looked closer, and then gasped.

It was not a man at all. The lone figure in the road was a woman, standing defiantly in the center of the WolvesÕ path with her thin, long legs spread wide in a confident stance. Her sword had been drawn, and it glinted in the sunlight, its handle a shiny silver. The wind blew her long, long straight black hair to the side, making her appear to be some sort of beautiful war goddess.

Then, suddenly, Sakura remembered.

ÔThe strange girl!,Õ thought Sakura, stunned. She fit the description perfectly. Sakura struggled to get another good look at her, fighting with the chaotic crowd of prisoners. ÔWhat is she planning to do all by herself?,Õ Sakura questioned mentally.

ÒExcuse me, gentlemen!,Ó the strange girl suddenly shouted out with a smile, raising her sword carelessly, ÒMight you be able to tell me where I could find the Prince of the Li Kingdom?Ó.

Sakura gasped. What was a Prince of the Li kingdom doing in Kaera, and in such an isolated part, too? And what did a girl like her want with him? Was she some kind of great Kaeran soldier, seeking revenge for her kingdom? Or was she perhaps his ally?

The Wolves had begun to talk amongst themselves, but were silenced when one Wolf stepped forward from the group of them. He was dressed differently than the others, clothed in a long, deep green cloak that fell just a little bit above his ankles. The silver outline of a Wolf was sewn elegantly and skillfully onto the back of it. His hood was down, and though Sakura was far away, she could tell that he had messy brown hair. He continued to walk forward, stopping in front of the strange girl.

Sakura watched him intently, stunned. Was he the Prince of the Li Kingdom? A Prince had been traveling with them all of this time, acting just like a normal Wolf? Why hadnÕt she noticed him before?

ÒItÕs been awhile, Meiling,Ó Sakura heard the Prince say.

ÔSo her name is Meiling,Õ thought Sakura, watching silently, stunned and somewhat amazed by the situation that was playing out before her very eyes.

The strange girl, that is, Meiling, smiled widely at this.

ÒYouÕre right, it has, my darling,Ó she said with a grin. She then suddenly ran forward and threw her arms around the Lian Prince, embracing him. He stood there stiffly, not embracing her in return. Sakura watched all of his with interest, taking in every detail.

Meiling pulled away, her smile fading. ÒA lot has happened that you need to know about,Ó Sakura heard her say, her voice grave, ÒAnd I need your help. LetÕs go . . . Ó

The pair continued to converse, and Sakura could no longer hear them. She was amazed that a Prince had been traveling with them all this time so quietly. Then, Sakura suddenly thought of Syaoran. How did he know of a girl that was the friend of a Lian Prince? Her eyes widened in confusion; Syaoran was no ordinary Kaeran peasant, it seemed.

Then, suddenly, Meiling shouted out a command to the Wolves.

ÒThereÕs a clearing with a creek nearby and a large cave in the mountainside up ahead,Ó she said, gesturing toward the road, ÒLetÕs move out.Ó

The Prince at her side nodded to the soldiers, and they all began to walk forward, following the Prince and the girl called Meiling. Soon, the group of prisoners too began to walk, talking in hushed, surprised voices amongst themselves. Sakura shook her head, amazed. A Prince traveling with murderers and prisoners; it didnÕt seem right.

And who was this girl, truly? SakuraÕs mind ached to know. How did she know a Prince, and who was she to keep such company? She didnÕt appear to be royalty herself. Sakura shook her head again, beginning to feel overwhelmed by everything that she did not yet know.

ÔOh well,Õ thought Sakura, ÔIt doesnÕt really concern me, anyway.Õ With that, her thoughts were calmed and silenced.

The group soon reached the place that Meiling had described, and began to set up camp. The group of prisoners was allowed a drink at the creek, an opportunity that Sakura welcomed with open arms. While the Wolves built a fire outside in the clearing, the group of prisoners was driven into the cave wordlessly, for all of them were, by now, used to the nightly routine. They were given a pile of hard, scale bread, which some of the women split up evenly amongst the group. Sakura took and ate her small portion eagerly, weak from hunger and exhaustion. Night soon fell, moonlight replacing sunlight.

Sakura curled up against the wall, her head on top of her legs, her eyes sliding closed. She was sore, exhausted and weak, very tired to say the least, and she needed her sleep. She said a prayer for her father and brother, as she did every night, ending with a prayer for SyaoranÕs safety and finally for her own. She fell asleep quietly and without much thought or emotion, her body ruling her. The last image in her mind was one of SyaoranÕs gentle, warm smile, a smile created only for her.
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A strong hand shook SakuraÕs shoulder gently, the sudden warmth startling her as much as the motion. Tiredly, she opened her eyes and smiled. She was looking into the deep amber eyes of Syaoran once again. Her heart sighed with happiness; meeting him always seemed to bring her peace.

ÒHey,Ó Syaoran whispered with unusual tenderness. Sakura blinked, trying to banish her sleepiness.

ÒHello, Syaoran,Ó she whispered in return. Though he was no longer touching her, Sakura could feel the warmth of his body reach hers. ÒI missed you very much,Ó she said in a melancholy tone.

ÒI couldnÕt slip away unnoticed,Ó said Syaoran seriously, ÒAnd IÕm sorry for that.Ó

ÒItÕs not your fault,Ó Sakura whispered, so pleased to see him that she would have accepted any excuse. Suddenly, Syaoran smiled, and Sakura blinked once again, startled.

ÒDid you know that you smile when you sleep?,Ó Syaoran said warmly. Sakura blushed at this and smiled back shyly, quickly shaking her head back and forth.

ÒWell, you do,Ó said Syaoran confidently, ÒItÕs very, ahh.Ó He paused, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

ÒItÕs, ahh, well,Ó he stuttered, ÒItÕs cute.Ó

Sakura laughed quietly, and Syaoran glared at her teasingly; his smile returned.

ÒWere you dreaming about something nice?,Ó he asked, ÒThe gods know we all need to.Ó

Sakura frowned slightly at the second part of his statement before answering. ÒI did have a dream, actually,Ó she said.

Syaoran, who had knelt down in front of Sakura, quirked an eyebrow as though somewhat interested. ÒTell me about it,Ó he commanded gently.

ÒWell,Ó Sakura began hesitantly, ÒI donÕt remember much of it. It wasnÕt happy, it was just . . . strange. There was this girl, a girl with long dark hair with waves . . . it was very pretty . . .Ó

ÒDo you know her, this girl?,Ó Syaoran interrupted. Sakura shook her head.

ÒNo,Ó she replied, ÒI have no idea who she is. She might not be anyone, just a dream girl or a symbol, I donÕt know.

ÒAnyway,Ó Sakura continued, ÒThis girl, wearing a long, flowing white dress, was running through the forests screaming, and Wolves with swords were chasing her.Ó

Syaoran frowned deeply. ÒI guess it wasnÕt nice, then,Ó he said grimly. Sakura shook her head sadly, then wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly trembling.

ÒYouÕre shivering!,Ó Syaoran exclaimed, ÒWhy didnÕt you tell me that you were cold?Ó

Sakura blushed a little, unsure of what to say. ÒWhat would you have done?,Ò she asked sarcastically, ÒCommanded the Goddess to change the weather just for me?Ó

ÒIf She would have listened,Ó said Syaoran with a grin. Sakura held back a laugh.

ÒWeÕre nearing the Li kingdom,Ó Syaoran said, his smirk quickly fading into a serious frown, ÒItÕs very cold there now. ThatÕs why the temperature has been dropping so dramatically.Ó

ÒOh,Ó Sakura said sadly. The thought of nearing the Li kingdom made a shiver of fear run down her spine. She frowned, and silence fell between them until Syaoran finally spoke.

ÒYouÕre still shivering,Ó Syaoran whispered. His eyes suddenly deepened, locked with hers, and Sakura held her breath in her throat, struggling to say, ÔItÕs okay, IÕll be fine,Õ but somehow too afraid to speak, lest she ruin the moment.

Syaoran then reached out, placing both of his warm hands on SakuraÕs bare arms and rubbing up and down slowly, gently. Sakura blushed deeply and bowed her head in embarrassment, then slowly raised it again, still blushing, to meet SyaoranÕs eyes. She bit her lower lip nervously.

ÒIs this better?,Ó Syaoran whispered, and Sakura nodded quickly, her blush deepening. Their lips were less than six inches apart, and SakuraÕs heart was suddenly beating faster. Still, tense silence fell between them, neither one making a move.

Syaoran continued to warm SakuraÕs arms for a minute until suddenly, he thought of something.

ÒWait here,Ó Syaoran whispered suddenly. Sakura blinked in surprise.

ÒWhat?,Ó she asked, surprised and disappointed. Syaoran smiled teasingly at her.

ÒWhat?,Ó he said, ÒWant me to stay that badly?Ó. SakuraÕs blush deepened, and SyaoranÕs smile became more genuine, his eyes warm and his gaze on her tender.

ÒI just want to go get something to give to you,Ó he explained calmly, ÒSomething thatÕll keep you warm, even when IÕm not here to help.Ó

Sakura smiled a little at this, but was secretly disappointed. SyaoranÕs touch had already warmed her greatly, in more ways than one.

ÒAlright,Ó she whispered. Syaoran continued to smile at her.

ÒJust wait here,Ó he said, ÒIÕll be back very soon.Ó

Sakura nodded. ÒI wonÕt go anywhere,Ó she said with a slight laugh. She had nowhere to go.

ÒGood,Ó said Syaoran. With a final grin he retreated into the darkness. Sakura watched as his silhouette slipped out of the dark cave and into the pale moonlight, cunningly slipping past the guards.

Sakura sighed happily. She had seen her amber-eyed true wolf, he had touched her in an affectionate way and best of all, it was not yet over! He was coming back to her. She smiled warmly.

Sakura saw a man enter the cave, and her heart skipped a beat- Syaoran was back already! Her smiled deepened, and she waited happily as he approached her.

Sakura suddenly frowned. There was not one, but rather two silhouettes. Sakura blinked, stunned and confused; had Syaoran brought a companion of his?

Then the two silhouettes stepped into the moonlight, and Sakura gasped, terrified. Neither was Syaoran. Standing front of her were two gruff Wolves, daggers drawn.

She was about to scream when one of the Wolves clasped his hand roughly over SakuraÕs mouth and quickly raised his dagger, pressing it into her throat. He smirked cruelly.

ÒThis one, then?,Ó he said to the other Wolf in Lian. The other Wolf replied with a twisted smile.

ÒSheÕll do just fine,Ó he said, stepping forward. ÒSheÕs a very pretty little thing, isnÕt she? Young and sweet . . . innocent . . .Ó

Sakura was too afraid to struggle, the blade cold and sharp against her throat. She attempted to scream, to call Syaoran back to her, but she failed; the WolfÕs hand muffled her panicked cries.

The second Wolf leaned toward her, placing a rough, calloused hand on her knee and sliding it up her thigh, slipping it under her dress as he did so. SakuraÕs eyes widened in shock and fear, her mind in panic, continuing to scream and continuing to be silent, unable to struggle or run away.

Tears fell from her eyes, wide with fear as the WolfÕs hand slid further and further up her thigh. Panicked, she gave into her fear, her mind going into shock. There was no way she could save herself, and Syaoran . . . when he returned, would it be too late? And how could he take on two armed Wolves, if he chose to protect her?

Sakura quickly began to lose all hope, her muffled screams becoming desperate prayers.

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To be continued in the next chapter. A cliffhanger! *dum dum dum* I love writing cliffhangers.

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.

By the way, if anyone could think up a catchy summary for this story, IÕd greatly appreciate it! I think the one I have is kind of lame and unattracting.

In the next chapter: I canÕt say much about what happens next without giving too much away, but letÕs just say that in the next few chapters the plot will take an interesting turn!