Battles we've Fought
By Degone-Gin
Chapter 4:
Kimahri lightly padded up the stairs to stand beside his Summoner. With not a sound or word he placed his arm in front of Yuna, blocking her from entering. The blue Ronso's ears moved, and with a low growl he reached to the Lance he carried on his back. The rest, used to the quiet man-beast, took this to be a warning and more weapons sprouted in people's hands.
"What is it, Kimahri?" asked Yuna.
"No Singing."
Auron nodded, fighting the urge to slap himself on the forehead. If this were a functioning Temple of a Fayth, the trapped spirit within would be singing. Even if this was a lost temple, it was not active, or never was used for a Fayth. The red warrior walked to stand on Yuna's other side. He glanced across the small woman and into Kimahri's eyes, with a barely noticeable nod; the Blue Ronso dropped his arm. Releasing the young summoner to enter the dark interior. Rikku and Lulu waited on opposite sides of the door and Wakka moved to stand behind them, facing the jungle they had come from. With confident steps, Yuna walked into the first chamber of the Temple.
As the brunette entered the large circular room, all the torches evenly spaced on the curving walls lit. The flame was a strange blue color, as if someone was performing a Dance of Sending, the room smelled musty with age and lack of ventilation. No plants had managed to breach the thick walls of this main chamber. In the center stood a lone female figure. In the strange light of the temple she looked as if she was a shade, pale face and hands were framed in a white and green patterned dress. She was quite familiar to the party, for Belgemine had constantly challenged Yuna through out the pilgrimage so far. With a soft smile the older woman motioned the group in.
"No need to be defensive, young summoner. You are not yet ready for the test I need to give you."
"What do you mean?" asked the young summoner. "You've always challenged me before."
"You have not gathered all the Aeons to you. There are still some missing. You must search for them." The older woman smiled kindly at Yuna. "You have proven yourself to us, Lady Yuna. Without a peer to be seen yet by the Fayth."
"Careful, my lady." Stated the flat baritone of her legendary protector behind her. "This one is not as she seems."
"I think I see that, Sir Auron."
Belgemine held her smile as the short discussion occurred. With a negligent wave of her hand she stepped forward. "When you have found all the protecting spirits and have been judged by all the Fayth, seek me here and I will test you for the last and other than the Final Summoning, the most powerful of Aeons."
"Where is the Fayth that resided here, woman?" Demanded the red- coated warrior, his right hand firmly on his large blade.
"Lost."
"And if we find it?"
"Found."
Tidus could not help but take a small moment of glee watching the normally cool and enigmatic Auron struggle with his temper over the answers he was receiving. He fought strongly the temptation to remind the older man of the repercussions of Karma and the "golden rule". Instead he covered his rather inappropriate grin with his free left hand.
Auron sighed, strangling the woman only in his imagination. He nodded once to the apparition before them and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and motioned Wakka to take his place to the right of the summoner. He did not wait for a reply and in a flurry of red cotton, left.
"Do you have any further need of me?" asked the woman in green.
Yuna shook her head, "No, lady Belgemine. I will look for you when I have been judged completely." With a short bowing prayer to Yevon, the young summoner retreated, entourage in tow. Tidus motioned to the now left- hand side path as they exited the temple. As the last guardian left the strangely lit circular chamber, the metal doors slammed shut with a ringing finality. Rikku, nervous enough as it was, jumped and squeaked. Lulu took a second to pat the shaking Al-Bhed on the shoulder, calming the young girl.
"Yuna, if you wait, I can find us a good lot of potions and elixirs for the road ahead." The blitzballer showed Yuna a large bag with plenty of items hidden within. "I snagged this stuff on my first run through the coarse! And there's plenty more where these came from."
"By all means, Tidus. Continue." She smiled at the young man and patted his cheek. "You have the rest of today." Yuna walked to where the rest of the guardians had gathered. She looked at the sea of faces and smiled. "We have the rest of the day to explore at our leisure. Rikku, feel free to look around. Wakka, Kimahri, and Sir Auron, can you set up a camp here for us? Lulu, please provide us some magical help as needed."
Auron watched with a hidden grin, Yuna was finally coming to her own, taking charge of her motley crew of guardians and grasping the reigns of this pilgrimage. He helped out the others with the camp as he entertained the faint hope that they might just yet find a way for her to survive this. He was in the midst of erecting a spit for the cooking fire when he felt a light touch on his back. With a jerk he turned around, he found duel colored eyes looking back at him.
"What may I do for you, my lady?" He asked, bowing in his crouched position so as not to disturb his fragile construction.
"I wish to talk with you, Sir Auron. In private if at all possible." Yuna replied.
The legendary guardian nodded his assent and took a second to reinforce the spit. He watched as she walked back to the beginning of the bridge and turned to wait for him. Auron stood and wiped his hands on his kimono. With an absent gesture of his right hand across his shoulder and a pat against the hilt that rested there waiting he walked to meet with the young brunette. As he neared she walked out over the large valley, unconcerned about the obvious lack of repair to the bridge that held them. Auron was much more careful, placing his feet squarely in the middle of each board and resting his right hand on the rope to that side.
Moments passed in quiet concentration for the older man as Yuna led him to the other side of the valley. They both breathed a little easier as they stepped off the swinging platform and onto solid ground again. Yuna took a second to scan the area and then moved to a side with plenty of grass. She plopped down on the soft green natural carpet unceremoniously. Auron watched with a raised eyebrow and patted his tokkuri out of habit. He settled down across from her, and waited.
Yuna reached for the small paper crane hidden in her obi. "This was found near our fire last night, after you had left. Is it yours?" She produced the faded and yellowed origami and with a careful hand held it out to Auron.
Auron started; with a frown he brushed a hand against the front of his red kimono, as if feeling a pocket. "I believe so. May I look at it?" he asked with a decidedly unhappy tone.
Yuna nodded and gingerly placed the obviously old paper in Auron's waiting hand. She watched as he gently moved the flattened bird from side to side, looking intently at it. "It's from my father, isn't it?"
Auron nodded absently, only half paying attention to the girl before him. He closed his one good eye against the flood of memory and images the little crane managed to carry to his mind. He saw the first time he met Lord Braska, on the high bridge from Bevelle, his hopes of advancement in the Warrior-Monks destroyed by a bad situation. He felt the rejection, the loneliness, and the stark terror of the unknown that he felt that day so long ago. The red-robed swordsman seemed to hunch in on himself, becoming smaller, as if he was in great pain.
Yuna worried he may be hiding yet another wound from her or that he may be suffering from a relapse of that terrible fever. She reached across the space between them and rested a hand on his unarmored right shoulder. Auron gasped at the contact and a shudder went flying through the older man. Lost in his memory, he felt the hand touching him and saw a young Braska resting a comforting hand on a then complete stranger in need. The past played before his closed eye and he remembered Braska's open concern, the long talk, and the almost instant feeling of camaraderie.
Just as he was about to shake off the dusty memory, the father of Yuna spoke in his ear, "Look at her and let me see her with your eyes, Auron." The warrior-monk felt a second shiver course through his strong frame, he was feeling very cold, as if a wind from the peak of Mt. Gagazet flowed through him.
A sense of irony passed over him and he irreverently thought back to his personal haunt. :: Don't you mean, "eye". :: A small grin rose to the slack face of the man.
The soft voice crooned to him again. "Please, friend. I only have a short window of time here. You are close enough that I can use you." The cold turned to a freezing chill and gooseflesh rose on the bare left arm of the conflicted man.
Yuna watched with concern shading to worry. It had been a few tense moments since she had given Auron the little paper crane. He seemed to be lost in some sort of daze, the crane clutched in his gloved right hand as if it was going to fly away. He was acting as if he was cold, shivering and showing the raised bumps of goose pimples on his exposed flesh. As she gathered the courage to ask him if he was okay, his one eye opened slowly.
Auron released his body to the control of his trusted lord summoner as he thought, :: You win, Braska. But don't do anything I wouldn't do. You'll likely scare her to death and I'll have to explain. ::
"Sir Auron?" Yuna asked a multitude of questions with that simple inquiry.
Auron's gloved hand dropped the crane on the grass before her and slowly reached up to his face. Fumbling fingers removed glasses and collar. Yuna watched with confusion and worry etched on her face.
"Yes." Hissed the warrior-monk.
Yuna was getting scared, the face before her was … different. There was less pain, not as lined and now full of expression. She wondered what was happening before her, and felt in her soul it was not right. "Sir Auron?" She asked again, "Are you alright?"
"Never better. Just sit there a spell while I look at you a moment." Somehow Auron's voice was different, not a deep, as if the man was trying to speak in a higher than normal vocal range. Yuna was rapidly edging toward completely creeped out. It took quite a bit of will to just sit and wait for the bizarre episode to stop, or for her to wake up.
Auron's one eye looked her over, almost lovingly, the softened expression on his reveled face not helping. Yuna closed her eyes and swallowed her fear, with complete trust in the man before her she sat and waited.
Braska, moving the dead flesh of his former guardian, looked upon his daughter with love and pride. She was much older now, becoming a woman in poise as well as demeanor. He grinned; the proud father could not help himself, and rested a gloved hand on her shoulder.
Yuna's eyes flew open as the cold as ice hand was placed on her shoulder, mimicking the gesture she had done previously. Her attention was split between the stark open grin on Auron's face and the bone chilling cold of his hand. :: Was he SUPPOSED to be this cold?:: She wondered. She decided to put a stop to this; it was if the old man was making some sort of pass at her.
"Sir Auron, would you kindly remove your hand from my shoulder?" She stated, "You're making me very nervous and uncomfortable." She stared at the man before her.
Braska could feel Auron rising to the fore again. The time was very short, but worth the pain his spirit will feel in the Farplane. He released his hold on the warrior-monks body with a whispered "Thank you." He could smell the soft scent of the red flowers as he closed his vision and returned to the small hut, Auron's hut in the Farplane.
"For what?" asked Yuna.
Auron gasped, flinging his hand from the young summoner's shoulder as if she burned him. Warmth and the harsh light of the Sun flooded the swordsman's entire consciousness. He grasped his own shoulders, crossing his bear left arm with his covered right.
"Sir Auron?"
"I'm so sorry for any inappropriate behavior, my lady summoner." The old man stated with a shaking voice.
Yuna felt her temper rise, this was insane, or mister legendary guardian was. In either case, she was going to get to the bottom of it. Hands planted on her hips she leaned forward to cross that imaginary boarder between them.
"I really think I need an explanation." She started staring at the bowed head of the man before her. "In fact, I don't think I'm going to let you get away with out at least telling me what is going on."
"Would that I could, my lady."
"Oh no, I think that you can, guardian." She continued to grill holes into the top of his bowed skull, if she couldn't get the answers by asking, it might do to just drill them out.
Auron sighed, Yuna had found the one way to make him talk. By reminding him that he was still a servant, a protector and not the one in charge of a pilgrimage. She had, with that simple title firmly placed the burden of explanation on he shoulders, a steel command wrapped in fine velvet. With a grunt he forced his hands to stop clenching his upper arms and took a moment to adjust his appearance, buying precious thinking time.
"I have a connection with your father, Braska and his other guardian, Jecht." Auron gave her the bare truth; he was no longer able to find a way to be mysterious to her. It felt at once liberating, yet also unmanning. "Through that… connection… we can share experiences." He reached down and carefully picked up the wilted paper crane.
"Sir Auron, my father died giving Spira it's last ten years of peace. You can't have a connection with him, he's in the Farplane." Yuna's tone was like one she would use with Wakka when he was being overly stubborn.
The red robed warrior chuckled, a cynical smile on his face. "Now you think me simple? Or perhaps mad?" he asked as he reverently placed the origami out of sight in his kimono. With practiced ease he replaced his collar and sunglasses, hiding the scared, yet handsome face once more. Yuna noted that the smile carried to his eyebrow, the one above the good eye hovering high above its usual resting place.
"No, just," She paused to get the correct word, "haunted by the past. It must have been hard for you these last ten years, alone and missing your close friends. It's something that I don't relish, the thought that I will leave so many good people when this is over."
"Haunted." Auron whispered the word to himself and looked thoughtful. "It's as good as any other way to describe it. I'm able to feel what they are feeling sometimes; near a temple is when it's worse. This one has the strongest effect on me yet. Suffice to say, for a moment there, Braska wanted to look at you. Bad enough to," He made a scooping gesture with his right hand, "push me out of my own head for a second."
Yuna looked at Auron with a very disbelieving expression on her face. With a sigh she reached up and checked his fore head with the back of her hand, obviously looking for a much less spiritual reason for the drastic change. Auron caught her wrist and moved her hand away. With a grimace he placed it back in her lap and patted it kindly.
"My lady, no matter what happens, or what ever strange things may occur, rest assured that you are safe with me. I am not losing my mind or sanity." He sighed deeply, "I'm just getting tired, and our journey is nearing the end." His one eye looked past her and into the distance, "Soon, I will be able to rest." He turned his russet gaze back to the present and waited.
Yuna turned her gaze from the enigmatic and strange man before her, she looked inward instead. She searched her thoughts for any feelings of distrust or foreboding. She found none, taking that as a sign to drop the subject. With an absent nod to the legendary guardian, the summoner rose and turned back to the bridge. Auron watched her go without another word, silently he saluted to the spirits that rode with him on this last pilgrimage. The warrior-monk drank deeply of the sake in his tokkuri and grimaced once again at the total lack of taste, or effect.
Strange how things get twisted and mucked with in your head at work. This little episode was cooked up as I struggled to get through today. Hope you like it.
As always, Read and review… I like feedback.
By Degone-Gin
Chapter 4:
Kimahri lightly padded up the stairs to stand beside his Summoner. With not a sound or word he placed his arm in front of Yuna, blocking her from entering. The blue Ronso's ears moved, and with a low growl he reached to the Lance he carried on his back. The rest, used to the quiet man-beast, took this to be a warning and more weapons sprouted in people's hands.
"What is it, Kimahri?" asked Yuna.
"No Singing."
Auron nodded, fighting the urge to slap himself on the forehead. If this were a functioning Temple of a Fayth, the trapped spirit within would be singing. Even if this was a lost temple, it was not active, or never was used for a Fayth. The red warrior walked to stand on Yuna's other side. He glanced across the small woman and into Kimahri's eyes, with a barely noticeable nod; the Blue Ronso dropped his arm. Releasing the young summoner to enter the dark interior. Rikku and Lulu waited on opposite sides of the door and Wakka moved to stand behind them, facing the jungle they had come from. With confident steps, Yuna walked into the first chamber of the Temple.
As the brunette entered the large circular room, all the torches evenly spaced on the curving walls lit. The flame was a strange blue color, as if someone was performing a Dance of Sending, the room smelled musty with age and lack of ventilation. No plants had managed to breach the thick walls of this main chamber. In the center stood a lone female figure. In the strange light of the temple she looked as if she was a shade, pale face and hands were framed in a white and green patterned dress. She was quite familiar to the party, for Belgemine had constantly challenged Yuna through out the pilgrimage so far. With a soft smile the older woman motioned the group in.
"No need to be defensive, young summoner. You are not yet ready for the test I need to give you."
"What do you mean?" asked the young summoner. "You've always challenged me before."
"You have not gathered all the Aeons to you. There are still some missing. You must search for them." The older woman smiled kindly at Yuna. "You have proven yourself to us, Lady Yuna. Without a peer to be seen yet by the Fayth."
"Careful, my lady." Stated the flat baritone of her legendary protector behind her. "This one is not as she seems."
"I think I see that, Sir Auron."
Belgemine held her smile as the short discussion occurred. With a negligent wave of her hand she stepped forward. "When you have found all the protecting spirits and have been judged by all the Fayth, seek me here and I will test you for the last and other than the Final Summoning, the most powerful of Aeons."
"Where is the Fayth that resided here, woman?" Demanded the red- coated warrior, his right hand firmly on his large blade.
"Lost."
"And if we find it?"
"Found."
Tidus could not help but take a small moment of glee watching the normally cool and enigmatic Auron struggle with his temper over the answers he was receiving. He fought strongly the temptation to remind the older man of the repercussions of Karma and the "golden rule". Instead he covered his rather inappropriate grin with his free left hand.
Auron sighed, strangling the woman only in his imagination. He nodded once to the apparition before them and turned to leave. He stopped at the door and motioned Wakka to take his place to the right of the summoner. He did not wait for a reply and in a flurry of red cotton, left.
"Do you have any further need of me?" asked the woman in green.
Yuna shook her head, "No, lady Belgemine. I will look for you when I have been judged completely." With a short bowing prayer to Yevon, the young summoner retreated, entourage in tow. Tidus motioned to the now left- hand side path as they exited the temple. As the last guardian left the strangely lit circular chamber, the metal doors slammed shut with a ringing finality. Rikku, nervous enough as it was, jumped and squeaked. Lulu took a second to pat the shaking Al-Bhed on the shoulder, calming the young girl.
"Yuna, if you wait, I can find us a good lot of potions and elixirs for the road ahead." The blitzballer showed Yuna a large bag with plenty of items hidden within. "I snagged this stuff on my first run through the coarse! And there's plenty more where these came from."
"By all means, Tidus. Continue." She smiled at the young man and patted his cheek. "You have the rest of today." Yuna walked to where the rest of the guardians had gathered. She looked at the sea of faces and smiled. "We have the rest of the day to explore at our leisure. Rikku, feel free to look around. Wakka, Kimahri, and Sir Auron, can you set up a camp here for us? Lulu, please provide us some magical help as needed."
Auron watched with a hidden grin, Yuna was finally coming to her own, taking charge of her motley crew of guardians and grasping the reigns of this pilgrimage. He helped out the others with the camp as he entertained the faint hope that they might just yet find a way for her to survive this. He was in the midst of erecting a spit for the cooking fire when he felt a light touch on his back. With a jerk he turned around, he found duel colored eyes looking back at him.
"What may I do for you, my lady?" He asked, bowing in his crouched position so as not to disturb his fragile construction.
"I wish to talk with you, Sir Auron. In private if at all possible." Yuna replied.
The legendary guardian nodded his assent and took a second to reinforce the spit. He watched as she walked back to the beginning of the bridge and turned to wait for him. Auron stood and wiped his hands on his kimono. With an absent gesture of his right hand across his shoulder and a pat against the hilt that rested there waiting he walked to meet with the young brunette. As he neared she walked out over the large valley, unconcerned about the obvious lack of repair to the bridge that held them. Auron was much more careful, placing his feet squarely in the middle of each board and resting his right hand on the rope to that side.
Moments passed in quiet concentration for the older man as Yuna led him to the other side of the valley. They both breathed a little easier as they stepped off the swinging platform and onto solid ground again. Yuna took a second to scan the area and then moved to a side with plenty of grass. She plopped down on the soft green natural carpet unceremoniously. Auron watched with a raised eyebrow and patted his tokkuri out of habit. He settled down across from her, and waited.
Yuna reached for the small paper crane hidden in her obi. "This was found near our fire last night, after you had left. Is it yours?" She produced the faded and yellowed origami and with a careful hand held it out to Auron.
Auron started; with a frown he brushed a hand against the front of his red kimono, as if feeling a pocket. "I believe so. May I look at it?" he asked with a decidedly unhappy tone.
Yuna nodded and gingerly placed the obviously old paper in Auron's waiting hand. She watched as he gently moved the flattened bird from side to side, looking intently at it. "It's from my father, isn't it?"
Auron nodded absently, only half paying attention to the girl before him. He closed his one good eye against the flood of memory and images the little crane managed to carry to his mind. He saw the first time he met Lord Braska, on the high bridge from Bevelle, his hopes of advancement in the Warrior-Monks destroyed by a bad situation. He felt the rejection, the loneliness, and the stark terror of the unknown that he felt that day so long ago. The red-robed swordsman seemed to hunch in on himself, becoming smaller, as if he was in great pain.
Yuna worried he may be hiding yet another wound from her or that he may be suffering from a relapse of that terrible fever. She reached across the space between them and rested a hand on his unarmored right shoulder. Auron gasped at the contact and a shudder went flying through the older man. Lost in his memory, he felt the hand touching him and saw a young Braska resting a comforting hand on a then complete stranger in need. The past played before his closed eye and he remembered Braska's open concern, the long talk, and the almost instant feeling of camaraderie.
Just as he was about to shake off the dusty memory, the father of Yuna spoke in his ear, "Look at her and let me see her with your eyes, Auron." The warrior-monk felt a second shiver course through his strong frame, he was feeling very cold, as if a wind from the peak of Mt. Gagazet flowed through him.
A sense of irony passed over him and he irreverently thought back to his personal haunt. :: Don't you mean, "eye". :: A small grin rose to the slack face of the man.
The soft voice crooned to him again. "Please, friend. I only have a short window of time here. You are close enough that I can use you." The cold turned to a freezing chill and gooseflesh rose on the bare left arm of the conflicted man.
Yuna watched with concern shading to worry. It had been a few tense moments since she had given Auron the little paper crane. He seemed to be lost in some sort of daze, the crane clutched in his gloved right hand as if it was going to fly away. He was acting as if he was cold, shivering and showing the raised bumps of goose pimples on his exposed flesh. As she gathered the courage to ask him if he was okay, his one eye opened slowly.
Auron released his body to the control of his trusted lord summoner as he thought, :: You win, Braska. But don't do anything I wouldn't do. You'll likely scare her to death and I'll have to explain. ::
"Sir Auron?" Yuna asked a multitude of questions with that simple inquiry.
Auron's gloved hand dropped the crane on the grass before her and slowly reached up to his face. Fumbling fingers removed glasses and collar. Yuna watched with confusion and worry etched on her face.
"Yes." Hissed the warrior-monk.
Yuna was getting scared, the face before her was … different. There was less pain, not as lined and now full of expression. She wondered what was happening before her, and felt in her soul it was not right. "Sir Auron?" She asked again, "Are you alright?"
"Never better. Just sit there a spell while I look at you a moment." Somehow Auron's voice was different, not a deep, as if the man was trying to speak in a higher than normal vocal range. Yuna was rapidly edging toward completely creeped out. It took quite a bit of will to just sit and wait for the bizarre episode to stop, or for her to wake up.
Auron's one eye looked her over, almost lovingly, the softened expression on his reveled face not helping. Yuna closed her eyes and swallowed her fear, with complete trust in the man before her she sat and waited.
Braska, moving the dead flesh of his former guardian, looked upon his daughter with love and pride. She was much older now, becoming a woman in poise as well as demeanor. He grinned; the proud father could not help himself, and rested a gloved hand on her shoulder.
Yuna's eyes flew open as the cold as ice hand was placed on her shoulder, mimicking the gesture she had done previously. Her attention was split between the stark open grin on Auron's face and the bone chilling cold of his hand. :: Was he SUPPOSED to be this cold?:: She wondered. She decided to put a stop to this; it was if the old man was making some sort of pass at her.
"Sir Auron, would you kindly remove your hand from my shoulder?" She stated, "You're making me very nervous and uncomfortable." She stared at the man before her.
Braska could feel Auron rising to the fore again. The time was very short, but worth the pain his spirit will feel in the Farplane. He released his hold on the warrior-monks body with a whispered "Thank you." He could smell the soft scent of the red flowers as he closed his vision and returned to the small hut, Auron's hut in the Farplane.
"For what?" asked Yuna.
Auron gasped, flinging his hand from the young summoner's shoulder as if she burned him. Warmth and the harsh light of the Sun flooded the swordsman's entire consciousness. He grasped his own shoulders, crossing his bear left arm with his covered right.
"Sir Auron?"
"I'm so sorry for any inappropriate behavior, my lady summoner." The old man stated with a shaking voice.
Yuna felt her temper rise, this was insane, or mister legendary guardian was. In either case, she was going to get to the bottom of it. Hands planted on her hips she leaned forward to cross that imaginary boarder between them.
"I really think I need an explanation." She started staring at the bowed head of the man before her. "In fact, I don't think I'm going to let you get away with out at least telling me what is going on."
"Would that I could, my lady."
"Oh no, I think that you can, guardian." She continued to grill holes into the top of his bowed skull, if she couldn't get the answers by asking, it might do to just drill them out.
Auron sighed, Yuna had found the one way to make him talk. By reminding him that he was still a servant, a protector and not the one in charge of a pilgrimage. She had, with that simple title firmly placed the burden of explanation on he shoulders, a steel command wrapped in fine velvet. With a grunt he forced his hands to stop clenching his upper arms and took a moment to adjust his appearance, buying precious thinking time.
"I have a connection with your father, Braska and his other guardian, Jecht." Auron gave her the bare truth; he was no longer able to find a way to be mysterious to her. It felt at once liberating, yet also unmanning. "Through that… connection… we can share experiences." He reached down and carefully picked up the wilted paper crane.
"Sir Auron, my father died giving Spira it's last ten years of peace. You can't have a connection with him, he's in the Farplane." Yuna's tone was like one she would use with Wakka when he was being overly stubborn.
The red robed warrior chuckled, a cynical smile on his face. "Now you think me simple? Or perhaps mad?" he asked as he reverently placed the origami out of sight in his kimono. With practiced ease he replaced his collar and sunglasses, hiding the scared, yet handsome face once more. Yuna noted that the smile carried to his eyebrow, the one above the good eye hovering high above its usual resting place.
"No, just," She paused to get the correct word, "haunted by the past. It must have been hard for you these last ten years, alone and missing your close friends. It's something that I don't relish, the thought that I will leave so many good people when this is over."
"Haunted." Auron whispered the word to himself and looked thoughtful. "It's as good as any other way to describe it. I'm able to feel what they are feeling sometimes; near a temple is when it's worse. This one has the strongest effect on me yet. Suffice to say, for a moment there, Braska wanted to look at you. Bad enough to," He made a scooping gesture with his right hand, "push me out of my own head for a second."
Yuna looked at Auron with a very disbelieving expression on her face. With a sigh she reached up and checked his fore head with the back of her hand, obviously looking for a much less spiritual reason for the drastic change. Auron caught her wrist and moved her hand away. With a grimace he placed it back in her lap and patted it kindly.
"My lady, no matter what happens, or what ever strange things may occur, rest assured that you are safe with me. I am not losing my mind or sanity." He sighed deeply, "I'm just getting tired, and our journey is nearing the end." His one eye looked past her and into the distance, "Soon, I will be able to rest." He turned his russet gaze back to the present and waited.
Yuna turned her gaze from the enigmatic and strange man before her, she looked inward instead. She searched her thoughts for any feelings of distrust or foreboding. She found none, taking that as a sign to drop the subject. With an absent nod to the legendary guardian, the summoner rose and turned back to the bridge. Auron watched her go without another word, silently he saluted to the spirits that rode with him on this last pilgrimage. The warrior-monk drank deeply of the sake in his tokkuri and grimaced once again at the total lack of taste, or effect.
Strange how things get twisted and mucked with in your head at work. This little episode was cooked up as I struggled to get through today. Hope you like it.
As always, Read and review… I like feedback.