Amber Eyes

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot!

Authoress Ramble: Eighty-eight reviews! ^_^ *dances* As always, IÕm so happy! Thank you for all of your support! I hope you enjoy this chapter. IÕm going for suspense! Everything is leading up to the daring, exciting rescue! =3

Oh, and to Eclipse - just pretend that the women and children freed ate Forest berries and were safe until they reached a village where they were helped and lived well from then on, or something like that. ^^;

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, UrbanCinderella, darkemerald22, Sakura-miaka, Tigerdrake, Mika, WezL, hana no tenshi (Eva), Princess Kinomoto, Blossom190, Kwaii Canadian, SweetyPie, twilight-star, SweetCherryBlossom, diablo, Laura, Raymisha, Blozzomz, ZetaBee, Pink Sakura, Kinomoto, Shima And Tempis, HikariWolfSky, Riconne, Cherry Blossom, Kawaii-CherryWolf (cute name!), Rae-Rae (another cute name!), dangerous-beans, ZetaBee, Cute_Leen, Zara and finally, Kitty Neko (IÕm a big fan of yours! =3 I am honoured that you like my story!)! Thank you again for your support!

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ÒTo the East?,Ó asked Sakura curiously. Meiling nodded, her ruby eyes reflecting the bright sunlight.

ÒI last saw the Kaeran Princess, Tomoyo, to the East,Ó she explained, ÒIn a Kaeran village the Lian soldiers called Neona.Ó

Sakura blinked, dumbfounded; why had she never heard of that village before? Her mind recalled a map of the Kaeran kingdom, a map that she had seen many, many times before, especially while in school. She could remember no village to the East named Neona.

Then, suddenly, Sakura remembered, and she smiled cheerfully.

ÒOhh,Ó she said knowingly, ÒYou must mean the village of Pheona!Ó

Meiling blinked in surprise, then frowned in annoyance at this. Syaoran saw his second cousinÕs reaction and laughed shortly, earning himself a warning glare from her.

Sakura laughed to herself, watching the two of them. It was obvious that they were good friends; they were able to joke with one another so easily.

ÒYes,Ó Meiling said, turning from glaring at an amused Syaoran to speak with Sakura, ÒThatÕs exactly what I meant.Ó

Sakura nodded. ÒYouÕre right, though. As far as I can remember, Pheona is to the East.Ó

ÒOf course IÕm right about that,Ó Meiling muttered, ÒI know in which direction the sunrises. I know that it was in the East!Ó

Syaoran heard her and chuckled, as did Sakura, who was smiling inside. Her heart seemed to warm when he laughed.

ÒAnyway,Ó Meiling said loudly, giving both of them glares, ÒWe should leave now. We have no time to waste.Ó

ÒYes,Ó Syaoran agreed, a serious frown returning to handsome face. ÒYouÕre right. IÕll assemble the men; Meiling, stay with Sakura. IÕll return in a few minutes, and then you can lead us to this Kaeran village, Pheona.Ó

Meiling nodded, and Syaoran nodded back quickly, glancing at Sakura before he left hurriedly. He returned shortly with the group of loyal Lian soldiers walking behind him.

He rejoined his second cousin and Sakura, who stood unsurely next to her, nervous around the brave and ever-confident Meiling.

ÒLead the way,Ó he said to her, Meiling, who nodded sharply in response.

ÒLetÕs go, then,Ó she said with a casual smirk, ÒItÕs this way.Ó

Meiling began to walk to the East, toward the Forest, and the group left their abandoned campsite, the cave empty and the embers of the fire still hot.

The group entered the Forest with Meiling, Syaoran and Sakura at the front of it, leading the men. Meiling led them through the Forest for several hours. At no point did they tread upon any sort of path; they walked through thick brush, stepping carefully over sharp rocks and jutting tree branches, all under the eyes of the cold sun. Sakura began to grow tired, her feet aching. Syaoran saw this, gazing upon her tenderly.

ÒMeiling,Ó he said with concern, ÒSakura is getting exhausted, and quite frankly, I am as well. Please slow down.Ó

Meiling looked back at the pair and raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed. ÒWe have no time to waste, remember? And besides . . . since when do you ever get tired?Ó

Syaoran shot Meiling a firm, authoritative look, and she inwardly sighed.

ÒFine,Ó she said, ÒIÕll slow down.Ó

ÒIs it much farther?,Ó Syaoran asked, watching Sakura pant out of the corner of his eye. ÒHow much more time will it take for us to get there?Ó

Meiling shook her head, tossing her long sable hair.

ÒWeÕre nearly there,Ó she said simply, ÒOnly about, oh, IÕd say . . . a good half an hour more. Not long at all.Ó

Syaoran nodded, and Meiling began to walk again, only slightly slower. A few minutes later, Sakura showed no sign of being any less pushed or exhausted. He frowned, worried for her.

Then, suddenly, a loving idea struck him. In one swift motion, he picked up Sakura with his strong arms, carrying her as he walked. She yelped in surprise, then smiled warmly at Syaoran, who smiled back.

A moment later, she laid her head against SyaoranÕs chest, slowly closing her eyes. She felt warm and peaceful; loved. He looked down at her and smiled; she wasnÕt heavy in the least.

Within just a few moments, lulled by the rhythm of SyaoranÕs steps, Sakura had fallen asleep. She had not gotten much sleep the night before at all. Careful not to awaken her, Syaoran continued to walk, his warm smile fading as they pressed onward but instantaneously reappearing whenever he looked down at the slumbering angel in his arms.

Meiling saw all of this. With a frown, she began to walk faster.

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Less than an hour later, the group reached the former village of Pheona. Syaoran stood calmly at MeilingÕs side, looking around. Startled by the sudden stop of the calming rhythm of SyaoranÕs steps, Sakura began to awaken, opening her eyes slowly. Wordlessly, he lowered her feet to the ground, allowing her to stand.

When Sakura caught sight of her surroundings, her sleepy eyes widened in shock.

All around them were burning homes, some already reduced to mere piles of black ashes. Dead bodies of men and women, even children, scattered the area. Sakura cringed and stepped back.

ÒYouÕre right,Ó Syaoran said quietly to Meiling, ÒThis is the right village. TheyÕve been here.Ó

Meiling nodded affirmingly, then frowned. ÒTrue,Ó she said, ÒBut I have no idea where they went from here.Ó

Syaoran frowned as well. ÒWeÕll have to take our chances. We have no choice but to continue to search for the Kaeran Princess, even if we have to do so blindly. For the sake of peace, we must find her.Ó

After recovering from the shock of seeing yet another destroyed village, Sakura began to think. The map of the Kaeran kingdom reappeared in her mind, and she began to ponder MeilingÕs question; where would the Lian soldiers have most likely gone from this point?

There was only one major city near Pheona. Sakura nodded to herself, affirming her theory; if they went anywhere less back to the Li kingdom, they would have gone there.

ÒNaetala,Ó Sakura spoke out loud. Syaoran and Meiling turned to her, surprised.

ÒWhatÕs that?,Ó Syaoran inquired. Sakura blushed shyly.

ÒItÕs our capital city,Ó she explained nervously, ÒIf the Lian soldiers were going anywhere, less back to the Li kingdom, they would have gone there. ItÕs the closest major city to here, Pheona, just half a dayÕs walk away.Ó

MeilingÕs eyes widened in surprise, and then, she smiled. Syaoran studied her in awe, impressed.

ÒWhat do you know?,Ó Meiling said casually to the boy standing next to her, ÒAmazingly, sheÕs actually useful! And here I thought she was only along for the . . .Ó

ÒMeiling,Ó Syaoran growled, irritated. Meiling laughed nervously.

ÒIt sounds like a good plan to me,Ó Syaoran said, looking to Meiling for support. She nodded hesitantly, reluctantly agreeing with Sakura.

ÒWeÕll go the Naetala, then,Ó Syaoran confirmed. He spoke to Sakura gently.

ÒDo you know where this city is?,Ó he asked. Sakura nodded.

ÒIÕve never traveled from Pheona to Naetala before,Ó she explained, ÒBut I remember from studying maps that itÕs directly North of here.Ó

ÒWeÕre relying on a peasant girlÕs memory?!,Ó said Meiling, clearly shocked. Syaoran rolled his eyes, turning to her.

ÒThis is her home, remember?,Ó he said. ÒWe can trust her to be correct.Ó

Meiling frowned, but said nothing more.

ÒWeÕll head to the North, then,Ó he said firmly. ÒWe leave immediately.Ó

Syaoran turned back to the group of loyal Lian soldiers, addressing them with authority and strength, with confidence.

ÒMen!,Ó he shouted, ÒWe will now go to the North, to a Kaeran city called Naetala. Follow me! Now, letÕs move out!Ó

The men, who had all been standing at attention, all nodded and bowed deeply simultaneously. Sakura blinked in awe, stunned at such unquestioning obedience and such obvious discipline.

ÒHeÕs a natural, ne?,Ó Meiling said quietly, with a playful smirk, to Sakura. She nodded slowly, still watching Syaoran in awe, impressed.

Syaoran reached into his bag and pulled out a compass. He found North and stepped forward in its direction, gesturing to Meiling and Sakura to follow him.

They approached him, standing at his sides, and followed him when he began to walk forward to the North, toward the Forest. The group of loyal Lian soldiers, of course, followed the three.

They traveled through the untamed Forest for several hours without much cheerful chatter. Sakura, now well-rested, walked on her own, soon becoming discouraged. The mood of everyone had darkened.

Sakura had not fully grasped the fact that they were marching into a battle. There would be fighting, and with it, there would be casualties; many of these soldiers would lose their lives.

They were walking straight into the heart of danger itself.

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It was just before twilight when they reached the city of Naetala. Under SyaoranÕs command, the group hid themselves in the Forest that surrounded the city, waiting for confirmation that the Kaeran princess was indeed there with her captors before attacking it.

Sakura noticed with a deep frown that few of the lights in the city were on. The city was dark. Worry filled her; this was not usually the case. Something was very wrong.

Syaoran had sent two of his men into the city to see if there was indeed a Lian military presence there. They would not appear suspicious, because they too were Lian soldiers. If the Kaeran Princess and her captors were indeed in Naetala, they would attack immediately, before the other Lian soldiers moved on to a new location. The group waited quietly and solemnly for the return of the two men, nervous and afraid. No one truly wished for a battle.

The two men returned in haste, reporting to Syaoran. Both approached him quickly, panting and bowing deeply.

ÒSir,Ó one said, raising his body, ÒThere is a large group of Lian soldiers occupying the city. They have burned and looted buildings, and have killed many civilians. They are finished here, and we assume that they are merely staying the night to rest. They are camped out in front of a large, white marble building in the center of the city.Ó

ÒDo we have enough men to take them out?,Ó Syaoran asked the man gravely. He nodded.

ÒIt would be a close battle, but yes, Sir, we do,Ó he said. ÒThey are poorly trained soldiers, commoners who were drafted.Ó

ÒThank you,Ó Syaoran said coldly. The two men bowed deeply, then raised themselves and hurried back into the group of loyal Lian soldiers, awaiting their orders.

He thought for a while on this, his eyes serious and cold.

Meiling stood confidently to the side of the group of loyal Lian soldiers, calmly awaiting his command, and Sakura stood next to her hesitantly, unsure of what to do.

Finally, Syaoran spoke.

ÒEveryone,Ó he began, locking his eyes with both MeilingÕs and SakuraÕs before scanning them across the group of loyal Lian soldiers, ÒWe will attack the captors of the Kaeran Princess. They are camped in the center of the city in front of a large, white marble building.Ó

Sakura blinked, surprised, at this. Why did that description sound so familiar?

ÒYou will engage them in battle,Ó Syaoran commanded his men, ÒAnd distract them as Meiling and I search the city for the Kaeran Princess. We will begin our search in their camp, where she is most likely being held.Ó

One of the two men from before, the two men who had been sent to investigate the city, stepped forward nervously. He bowed deeply, then spoke.

ÒSir,Ó he began, his voice trembling in fear, ÒWe have already searched their camp for the Princess disguised as one of them, err, ourselves, Sir. We found nothing, no sign of her.Ó He stepped back into the group nervously.

ÒWhat?!,Ó Syaoran growled. This complicated things. A thousand thoughts began to flood his mind, and he pushed them away, frustrated. It was too late to stop now.

ÒNo matter,Ó Syaoran said, irritated. ÒIn any case, you will fight while Meiling and I search the city for the Kaeran Princess. When we do find her, we will take her to a safe location and speak with her about a peace treaty.

ÒI will not come back for you,Ó he continued. ÒAfter the battle, you are free to go. Return to your homes and families, as I have promised you in exchange for your help and loyalty.Ó

The Lian soldiers nodded and shouted, ÒYes, Sir!,Ó in unison. Syaoran turned away from them and toward Meiling and Sakura, approaching them. Meiling was the first to speak.

ÒIf she isnÕt being held in their camp,Ó Meiling said worriedly, ÒThen where is she being held? Do you have any idea how long it would take to blindly search an entire city?Ó

Syaoran nodded, acknowledging her words. He was deeply lost in his thoughts, worried and frustrated. Where would she be being kept prisoner, if not in their camp?

Sakura concentrated, thinking hard as well. Where would Lian soldiers keep a Kaeran Princess prisoner?

The words Òlarge, white marble buildingÓ rang in her mind again, and then suddenly, it came to her. Yes, that had to be it!

ÒThe Naetala Palace Court Building!,Ó Sakura exclaimed out loud. Syaoran and Meiling both turned to her in surprise.

ÒThe what?,Ó said Meiling, clearly not amused. Sakura explained herself excitedly.

ÒThe Naetala Palace Court Building!,Ó she repeated, clearly excited about her idea. ÒThereÕs a Palace Court Building in every major city. TheyÕre the buildings where royalty stays when itÕs in town, and where really important trials are held, trials that the king judges. I heard once that in the beginning of the War, when the Wolves took over the city of Ryaeka, they first captured and held its Palace Court Building!
ÒItÕs always big and expensive-looking, so it looks important, and thatÕs why they always like to capture it first. ItÕs always located in the center of a city, because a cityÕs Palace Court Building is the heart of the city, and therefore itÕs always built . . . in the heart of the city! I thought of it when you mentioned it before . . . that big white marble building in the center of the city that the Lian soldiers have camped out in front of . . . thatÕs it! ThatÕs the Naetala Palace Court Building! And IÕm sure thatÕs where theyÕre keeping the Princess!,Ó Sakura exclaimed, suddenly out of breath.

Syaoran and Meiling stared at her, dumbfounded.

ÒIf youÕre sure,Ó said Syaoran. Sakura nodded animatedly, and Meiling rolled her eyes.

ÒItÕs confirmed, then,Ó Syaoran said seriously. ÒWeÕll begin by searching the Naetala Palace Court Building. Meiling and I will slip through the camp unnoticed somehow and then search for the Princess inside. Sakura, you will stay here. IÕll assign one of my most trusted men to be your bodyguard until I return. I would stay with you myself, only Meiling will need my help to get through the camp and into the building to rescue her, the Princess I mean . . .Ó

ÒNo!,Ó Sakura suddenly exclaimed. SyaoranÕs eyes widened in surprise.

ÒWhat?,Ó he said. Sakura blushed, embarrassed, but stood firm in her resolve.

ÒIÕm coming with you!,Ó she said. ÒI want peace just as badly as you all do, and I want to help fight for it, just like you all are! Let me help you!Ó

Syaoran eyed her nervously, very uncertain.

ÒPlease,Ó Sakura said pleadingly. Syaoran sighed.

ÒAlright, fine,Ó he said, sighing with a frown. ÒYou can come with us, Meiling and I, on our mission to sneak through the camp of the Lian soldiers, to enter the building and to find and rescue the Kaeran Princess.Ó

Sakura smiled. She was scared inside, very scared, but this was what she wanted. She wanted, and needed, to help; to be a soldier in the fight for peace.

ÒThank you,Ó she said gently. SyaoranÕs eyes remained serious and cold.

ÒIÕm only letting you come with us because that way I can better protect you, personally and on my own,Ó he said. Sakura nodded gratefully.

ÒWell, then,Ó said Meiling, who had been listening quietly. She drew her sword quickly and easily, smirking.

ÒLetÕs go rescue her already!Ó

Syaoran and Sakura both nodded quickly, turned toward one another at the same time to show each the worry and fear they both felt by gazing into one anotherÕs eyes.

Great danger was ahead of them.

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To be continued in the next chapter. Another plot-happy chapter. ^^ The next chapter is when something exciting happens, something that this chapter and the previous one have been leading up to! And after that apex, thereÕs another twist, and then another . . . and in a few chapters, IÕm planning some major fluff . . . =3 IÕm so happy that people like my story.

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.

Special thanks to Azi, who helped me with a new summary! =3

I hope you liked this chapter! ^_^

In the next chapter: Excitement! Or so I have planned. And also, we meet . . . well, you can guess that. =3