*Flashback from last chapter*
The boy sighed and shook his head as Sakura's breathing became even and she fell asleep. He smiled at her sleeping figure and fed the fire that was heating her medicine. He knew that she would never make it on her own, and it looked like he had made it to her just in time.
*End of flashback*
Difficult Journey
Sakura awoke with a scream, but after glancing around, all the trees were in their proper place; it was a dream, that's all it had been. She sighed and gently placed her burning head back down on the "pillow", which was a rolled up blanket. Her fast breathing returned to normal and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If only she had Tomoyo beside her. "T-tomoyo?" She murmured. She felt a hand her forehead, and drew in a quick breath as it was replaced by something icy cold. She shivered and brought the blankets up to her chin.
"Are you OK?" asked a familiar voice.
Sakura couldn't place the voice, but she wasn't afraid. She assumed that it was Tomoyo and mumbled a "Hai." before falling asleep again. She woke up hours later feeling less feverish and her mind was back to normal, though still a little cloudy. "N-nani?" Sakura asked, sitting up slowly, "Wh- where.?" She groaned and put a hand on her head. Someone gently pushed her down into a laying position and she was again looking at the boy with dark hair and eyes. "Ah," she jumped a little, but recovered and looked closer at him. She lifted herself on her elbow a bit. "You-you're the. the servant boy!" She decided. He folded his arms over his chest and frowned.
"Yep, and lay down." She lowered herself to the ground again and rested on her pillow. Syaoran scanned her face, "I don't know what you were thinking by coming here alone and completely unprepared."
Syaoran went on talking, but Sakura didn't hear. She looked around, she was in the same place that she had fallen asleep in first. It was a small area almost clear of trees with moss-covered vines strung across the few trees and stones that were scattered like feathers across the ground. She was caught, enchanted by the beauty and fairylikeness of the place. She looked down and was tempted to touch a small whisp of moss lying near, but as she reached forward, she heard an angry tone coming from in front of her.
"Huh?" She looked up to Syaoran who was glaring deeply at her.
"I was TALKING to you, and I thought you were listening!" he said angrily, looking away. Sakura said nothing but looked, surprised, at his face. No one had used such a tone with her before; it was frightening. "And I thought I told you to lay down!" He finished the sentence with a huff. Sakura dropped quickly to the ground once more, surprised because she hadn't even noticed she had sat up.
Syaoran looked at her seriously and sat down in front of her. "The king and queen have sent almost all of their soldiers to pursue you." Syaoran said, "Many of the servants are being held prisoners for being suspected as aiding in your 'escape'. Why don't you just go back?" Sakura looked down and her head sunk deeper into her pillow.
"I can't," Sakura whispered, fixing her eyes on a single blade of grass. Suddenly she looked up at Syaoran with fear in her eyes and evident in her voice, "Y-you didn't bring the soldiers here, did you?!"
Syaoran made his frown deeper and shook his head, "But they will find us soon if we don't either go back or run away. You have to make your decision."
Sakura thought. She looked up and took a deep breath. "I-I want to try and make it to Naanji-Yen," she said, her voice as sure as she could make it.
Syaoran nodded. "We will start in the morning. You should be better then, but now, eat." He gestured towards a bowl of something. "I brought along our more necessary provisions. We should be fine for week or so; we can then stock up at a near town or village."
She picked up the bowl and a spoon that Syaoran handed to her and took a bite. She made a face. "Tomorrow," she said, "I cook."
~ ~ ~
"Come ON!" Syaoran said, slinging the sack over his shoulder and pacing impatiently. Sakura was scrambling around, gathering her things into a bag, holding up her skirts as not to trip, and being very fussy. Syaoran gave a long, exasperated sigh. Sakura finally picked up her bag in both arms and walked to him. She passed him and began walking in front of him. Syaoran fell in step behind her and glared at the back of her head.
Syaoran and Sakura walked in silence for a long while until Sakura finally spoke. "So, how did you find me?" she asked, "And why did you follow?"
Syaoran looked uneasily at the ground. He was now leading, using his sword to cut down branches and such wildlife at times. He searched the ground for an answer, but soon found that he was on his own. He finally decided after a minute or so to say nothing, but the words tumbled out when Sakura asked her question a second time. "I. . . you. . . ugh. . . I just didn't think that you'd make it very far. . . you know. . . you've never been alone in your life. I found the path you took easily and found you asleep in the little clearing. Looked like I came just in time." He fumbled with a branch for a moment, using it as an excuse to stop explaining. When he was done, though, Sakura said nothing and he could tell that she was waiting for him to say more.
Syaoran decided to change the subject completely. "Want to rest for a minute and eat a bit?" he asked pausing to turn and look at her. She was bent over, untangling the bottom of her skirt from a prickly vine. He bent down and yanked it free, blushing as he stood. Sakura blushed a little too and nodded. Syaoran sat down and beckoned her to do the same. Once she was sitting across from him, he began pulling some fruit from his bag. While he was doing so, he explained a few more things to her. "All the soldiers are looking for you. If we are going to get away, we're going to have to quicken our pace. They are on horses, we are on foot. The only advantage we have is a small head start." He handed an apple to her, which she bit into hungrily. "Are you up to it?" he didn't wait for an answer, but continued talking, "If the soldiers catch up to us, we're basically trapped. Unless we really get moving, we don't have a chance at getting away. They don't know where we are going, though, and that's also an advantage. But, the soldiers on horses have speed, and the ones who are on foot have dogs." He took a moment to take a bite. "If they catch us, I'm pretty much left for the gallows, but you'll just go back to your life."
Sakura looked up. "Why do you say that?" she asked.
"What?" Syaoran asked, puzzled, "What else would you do, besides going back to your life?"
"No," Sakura looked down, "What they'll do to you."
Syaoran looked surprised. Why did she care? "They'll not let me get off with aiding in your escape. I'd pay the ultimate punishment. If not the gallows, worse, maybe torture."
"You seem awfully calm about it." Sakura said, a hint of anger in her voice. "Aren't you worried?"
Syaoran looked around him. Trees, trees, green, grass, bushes. . . he sighed. There wasn't much to live for anyway. He answered her indirectly, "I wouldn't mind if we got caught."
Sakura threw the rest of her apple off into the bushes and stood. She didn't look at him as she started walking. "Unless we want to get caught," she said, her voice revealing no emotion, "We'd better get going." Syaoran nodded, even though she wasn't looking at him, and headed off after her, slinging the bag hurriedly over his shoulder again, leaving his apple behind where he had been sitting.
~ ~ ~
It was getting dark and Sakura stopped. "I have to get some sleep," she said, yawning, "Let's stop here." Syaoran shrugged and kneeled down and began taking blankets out of his bag.
"You can only sleep for a few hours. I brought a lantern so that we can travel at night. We need to get as far away from your father's soldiers as we can." Sakura nodded and situated herself with a few blankets on the ground. Syaoran stood and leaned against a tree. He closed his eyes and let the night sounds lull him to half-consciousness. He was jerked awake as his shoulder slipped from the trunk of the tree he had been leaning on and he began falling over. He caught himself before he hit the ground with his hands and sat down rather shaken and felt for his sword on his back. He gasped and sat up and checked again, but all that he felt was an empty sheath.
He found his lantern and lit it with a match. He checked to make sure that the princess was still sleeping in her proper place and then set off following unfamiliar tracks that he had a feeling would lead him to his sword. He followed the tracks for what seemed to him about fifteen minutes before he found it laying beneath a pile of sticks and bramble. He sighed in relief and put it into its sheath. He started back, following the tracks from which he came.
Syaoran came to an abrupt stop. The tracks of the animal blended with the tracks of many horse hoof prints. His breath was gone and he kneeled down and examined them. Determining by the blurriness of them, they were moving fast, and these were not wild. Not only were horses in no way native to these lands, but he could tell by the tracks that they were wearing horseshoes. He breathed again, but in short, fast gasps. He began running, following them, with only the safety of Sakura in his mind.
Syaoran was looking down at the tracks and therefore tripped on a low-to- the-ground branch. He bashed his head on a rock as he flew head first into the ground and groaned as he tried to sit up. Succeeding, he put his hand to the side of his head and felt warm blood trickling down. His head was spinning and he fell after every one of several attempts to stand. Finally, he sat down and leaned up against a tree, his eyes closed. He had not brought his things with him and therefore had nothing to stop the bleeding. He felt himself beginning to fall asleep and quickly shook off his weariness knowing that to sleep now might mean to sleep forever.
Syaoran tried to stand again, this time gripping a strong branch before he fell to the ground. He held himself up and, after steadying himself a bit, stumbled off again after the hoof prints.
He walked about five minutes before finding himself on all fours on the ground, panting. He sat again and pressed a hand against the wound that allowed already much of his blood escape. He pulled himself to his feet again, pressing himself to go on. Finally he made out a warm glow only fifteen or twenty yards away and staggered closer. His breath caught, though, when he saw by the light of his lantern and the fire ahead many soldiers, fifteen at the least, gathered around a sleeping figure in a dress. The king's soldiers had found them after all.
Syaoran began walking again, he tried to get to the group, but fell. Dizzy and exhausted as he was, he was unable to get up again. He glimpsed the firelight and the soldiers and a blurry figure of Sakura once more before closing his eyes and losing all consciousness.
Author's Corner:
Thanks for the reviews! I think I'll keep going. After a writer's block, I finally got some ideas and got the next chapter.
Thanks to IwillmarryJustinTimberlake, I like cherries!
Thanks to Lugia-mew for reviewing, thanks for wanting me to update!
Thanks to madi-moon, I'm really glad you liked it, thanks for adding such a nice comment!
Ja Ne until next chapter!
The boy sighed and shook his head as Sakura's breathing became even and she fell asleep. He smiled at her sleeping figure and fed the fire that was heating her medicine. He knew that she would never make it on her own, and it looked like he had made it to her just in time.
*End of flashback*
Difficult Journey
Sakura awoke with a scream, but after glancing around, all the trees were in their proper place; it was a dream, that's all it had been. She sighed and gently placed her burning head back down on the "pillow", which was a rolled up blanket. Her fast breathing returned to normal and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If only she had Tomoyo beside her. "T-tomoyo?" She murmured. She felt a hand her forehead, and drew in a quick breath as it was replaced by something icy cold. She shivered and brought the blankets up to her chin.
"Are you OK?" asked a familiar voice.
Sakura couldn't place the voice, but she wasn't afraid. She assumed that it was Tomoyo and mumbled a "Hai." before falling asleep again. She woke up hours later feeling less feverish and her mind was back to normal, though still a little cloudy. "N-nani?" Sakura asked, sitting up slowly, "Wh- where.?" She groaned and put a hand on her head. Someone gently pushed her down into a laying position and she was again looking at the boy with dark hair and eyes. "Ah," she jumped a little, but recovered and looked closer at him. She lifted herself on her elbow a bit. "You-you're the. the servant boy!" She decided. He folded his arms over his chest and frowned.
"Yep, and lay down." She lowered herself to the ground again and rested on her pillow. Syaoran scanned her face, "I don't know what you were thinking by coming here alone and completely unprepared."
Syaoran went on talking, but Sakura didn't hear. She looked around, she was in the same place that she had fallen asleep in first. It was a small area almost clear of trees with moss-covered vines strung across the few trees and stones that were scattered like feathers across the ground. She was caught, enchanted by the beauty and fairylikeness of the place. She looked down and was tempted to touch a small whisp of moss lying near, but as she reached forward, she heard an angry tone coming from in front of her.
"Huh?" She looked up to Syaoran who was glaring deeply at her.
"I was TALKING to you, and I thought you were listening!" he said angrily, looking away. Sakura said nothing but looked, surprised, at his face. No one had used such a tone with her before; it was frightening. "And I thought I told you to lay down!" He finished the sentence with a huff. Sakura dropped quickly to the ground once more, surprised because she hadn't even noticed she had sat up.
Syaoran looked at her seriously and sat down in front of her. "The king and queen have sent almost all of their soldiers to pursue you." Syaoran said, "Many of the servants are being held prisoners for being suspected as aiding in your 'escape'. Why don't you just go back?" Sakura looked down and her head sunk deeper into her pillow.
"I can't," Sakura whispered, fixing her eyes on a single blade of grass. Suddenly she looked up at Syaoran with fear in her eyes and evident in her voice, "Y-you didn't bring the soldiers here, did you?!"
Syaoran made his frown deeper and shook his head, "But they will find us soon if we don't either go back or run away. You have to make your decision."
Sakura thought. She looked up and took a deep breath. "I-I want to try and make it to Naanji-Yen," she said, her voice as sure as she could make it.
Syaoran nodded. "We will start in the morning. You should be better then, but now, eat." He gestured towards a bowl of something. "I brought along our more necessary provisions. We should be fine for week or so; we can then stock up at a near town or village."
She picked up the bowl and a spoon that Syaoran handed to her and took a bite. She made a face. "Tomorrow," she said, "I cook."
~ ~ ~
"Come ON!" Syaoran said, slinging the sack over his shoulder and pacing impatiently. Sakura was scrambling around, gathering her things into a bag, holding up her skirts as not to trip, and being very fussy. Syaoran gave a long, exasperated sigh. Sakura finally picked up her bag in both arms and walked to him. She passed him and began walking in front of him. Syaoran fell in step behind her and glared at the back of her head.
Syaoran and Sakura walked in silence for a long while until Sakura finally spoke. "So, how did you find me?" she asked, "And why did you follow?"
Syaoran looked uneasily at the ground. He was now leading, using his sword to cut down branches and such wildlife at times. He searched the ground for an answer, but soon found that he was on his own. He finally decided after a minute or so to say nothing, but the words tumbled out when Sakura asked her question a second time. "I. . . you. . . ugh. . . I just didn't think that you'd make it very far. . . you know. . . you've never been alone in your life. I found the path you took easily and found you asleep in the little clearing. Looked like I came just in time." He fumbled with a branch for a moment, using it as an excuse to stop explaining. When he was done, though, Sakura said nothing and he could tell that she was waiting for him to say more.
Syaoran decided to change the subject completely. "Want to rest for a minute and eat a bit?" he asked pausing to turn and look at her. She was bent over, untangling the bottom of her skirt from a prickly vine. He bent down and yanked it free, blushing as he stood. Sakura blushed a little too and nodded. Syaoran sat down and beckoned her to do the same. Once she was sitting across from him, he began pulling some fruit from his bag. While he was doing so, he explained a few more things to her. "All the soldiers are looking for you. If we are going to get away, we're going to have to quicken our pace. They are on horses, we are on foot. The only advantage we have is a small head start." He handed an apple to her, which she bit into hungrily. "Are you up to it?" he didn't wait for an answer, but continued talking, "If the soldiers catch up to us, we're basically trapped. Unless we really get moving, we don't have a chance at getting away. They don't know where we are going, though, and that's also an advantage. But, the soldiers on horses have speed, and the ones who are on foot have dogs." He took a moment to take a bite. "If they catch us, I'm pretty much left for the gallows, but you'll just go back to your life."
Sakura looked up. "Why do you say that?" she asked.
"What?" Syaoran asked, puzzled, "What else would you do, besides going back to your life?"
"No," Sakura looked down, "What they'll do to you."
Syaoran looked surprised. Why did she care? "They'll not let me get off with aiding in your escape. I'd pay the ultimate punishment. If not the gallows, worse, maybe torture."
"You seem awfully calm about it." Sakura said, a hint of anger in her voice. "Aren't you worried?"
Syaoran looked around him. Trees, trees, green, grass, bushes. . . he sighed. There wasn't much to live for anyway. He answered her indirectly, "I wouldn't mind if we got caught."
Sakura threw the rest of her apple off into the bushes and stood. She didn't look at him as she started walking. "Unless we want to get caught," she said, her voice revealing no emotion, "We'd better get going." Syaoran nodded, even though she wasn't looking at him, and headed off after her, slinging the bag hurriedly over his shoulder again, leaving his apple behind where he had been sitting.
~ ~ ~
It was getting dark and Sakura stopped. "I have to get some sleep," she said, yawning, "Let's stop here." Syaoran shrugged and kneeled down and began taking blankets out of his bag.
"You can only sleep for a few hours. I brought a lantern so that we can travel at night. We need to get as far away from your father's soldiers as we can." Sakura nodded and situated herself with a few blankets on the ground. Syaoran stood and leaned against a tree. He closed his eyes and let the night sounds lull him to half-consciousness. He was jerked awake as his shoulder slipped from the trunk of the tree he had been leaning on and he began falling over. He caught himself before he hit the ground with his hands and sat down rather shaken and felt for his sword on his back. He gasped and sat up and checked again, but all that he felt was an empty sheath.
He found his lantern and lit it with a match. He checked to make sure that the princess was still sleeping in her proper place and then set off following unfamiliar tracks that he had a feeling would lead him to his sword. He followed the tracks for what seemed to him about fifteen minutes before he found it laying beneath a pile of sticks and bramble. He sighed in relief and put it into its sheath. He started back, following the tracks from which he came.
Syaoran came to an abrupt stop. The tracks of the animal blended with the tracks of many horse hoof prints. His breath was gone and he kneeled down and examined them. Determining by the blurriness of them, they were moving fast, and these were not wild. Not only were horses in no way native to these lands, but he could tell by the tracks that they were wearing horseshoes. He breathed again, but in short, fast gasps. He began running, following them, with only the safety of Sakura in his mind.
Syaoran was looking down at the tracks and therefore tripped on a low-to- the-ground branch. He bashed his head on a rock as he flew head first into the ground and groaned as he tried to sit up. Succeeding, he put his hand to the side of his head and felt warm blood trickling down. His head was spinning and he fell after every one of several attempts to stand. Finally, he sat down and leaned up against a tree, his eyes closed. He had not brought his things with him and therefore had nothing to stop the bleeding. He felt himself beginning to fall asleep and quickly shook off his weariness knowing that to sleep now might mean to sleep forever.
Syaoran tried to stand again, this time gripping a strong branch before he fell to the ground. He held himself up and, after steadying himself a bit, stumbled off again after the hoof prints.
He walked about five minutes before finding himself on all fours on the ground, panting. He sat again and pressed a hand against the wound that allowed already much of his blood escape. He pulled himself to his feet again, pressing himself to go on. Finally he made out a warm glow only fifteen or twenty yards away and staggered closer. His breath caught, though, when he saw by the light of his lantern and the fire ahead many soldiers, fifteen at the least, gathered around a sleeping figure in a dress. The king's soldiers had found them after all.
Syaoran began walking again, he tried to get to the group, but fell. Dizzy and exhausted as he was, he was unable to get up again. He glimpsed the firelight and the soldiers and a blurry figure of Sakura once more before closing his eyes and losing all consciousness.
Author's Corner:
Thanks for the reviews! I think I'll keep going. After a writer's block, I finally got some ideas and got the next chapter.
Thanks to IwillmarryJustinTimberlake, I like cherries!
Thanks to Lugia-mew for reviewing, thanks for wanting me to update!
Thanks to madi-moon, I'm really glad you liked it, thanks for adding such a nice comment!
Ja Ne until next chapter!