Title: Learning to Love, Chapter 17, Two to Fly
Author: Tevrah
E-mail: NightAngel852@hotmail.com
A/N: Hello! I do believe that I've decided to change to Tevrah. I would like to thank everyone who has stayed with this story during all of the long, long updates. If you have any questions whatsoever, then please feel free to ask me and I'll either e-mail you with the answer, or answer in the next update! ^_^
Here's to all my reviewers for chapter 16:
Kenji- Thanks and I'm doing my best!
Van+Hitomi forever- Thanks so much! I'm flattered!
Kat-Tastrophe- Here's the next chapter! And I just wanted a change with my name, you know? Oh, and cute name! ^_^
Hitomi21- Thank you! I'm glad you like it!
Kool kat- Cute name! And 4 words: Thank you very much!
Sailor Centauri- Thanks! You rock!
Jess131346- Cool! Thanks and good luck with your fic! I never liked how they made Dilandau and Celena the same person, either!
Aeka-himme- Thank you! I like all of them!
Sakura Scout- Thanks! I'm so glad you like it!
Pcy-623- Cool name! Thanks for the review!
Angelic1090- Thanks and good luck!
White Lone Wolf of Dark Moon- Love the name! And thank you! I like fantastic!
@%@
The snow crunched beneath their feet as six weary travelers walked steadily on. The sun shone brightly in the white land as if it had not been in raging fury just hours before. The travelers had been traveling since half an hour before the sun rose in the sky. They had not rested. The snow rose to their knees, so the trek was long and hard. A big beast man with blue fir was in the front. He was a least six feet and eight inches tall. He walked with pride and confidence. He had a bag slung over his back filled with different colored grasses, from Yoh, which was black, to Tevui, the rarest, which was white as the snow from which it grew. Behind Ginoz, came a young man and woman. The man had hair as black as raven's fir and untamed. He stood at the height of exactly six foot. He was a king and walked like one, proud and cautious. Beside him, the woman had long sandy blonde hair that was in a loose braid flowing down her back. She was five foot nine inches tall and held her head erect. Their fingers were intertwined. Behind the two came another pair. They walked close together with their fingers brushing against the others'. The man had sandy blonde hair that was cut short, but had a lock of hair that would often get in his eyes. He was five foot twelve inches tall and was alert for anything that would happen upon the traveler's path. Beside him walked a cat woman. She had orange and tan fir that glistened in the bright sunlight. Her hair was a light pink that flowed freely down her back. She was five foot ten inches tall and walked with a purpose and determination. At the end of the string was a tall man that stood at six foot three inches tall and walked with surprising ease. His hand was close to his sword at all times. He had gray hair that went to his shoulder blades. Even though they were tired, still they trekked on, trying to reach their destination before they were caught in the cold and deadly night.
Ginoz held his hand up, signaling for everyone to stop moving. His wolf ears turned right then left. "This way," he said after a moment.
The group followed him. He went to a deeper part in the forest. Soon Ginoz parted some bushes and they saw a stream of fresh water. Everyone gladly went to the stream and gratefully drank the cool water.
"Where does this stream lead to?" Collin asked.
"It leads to a village that once thrived. It is now extinct. It was called By-tu. It means prosperity in my language," Ginoz answered him.
"What happened to it?" Merle asked curiously.
He looked at her. "Man wiped it out," was his reply.
"Are you prejudiced against man?" Hitomi asked softly.
"I offered you shelter, warmth, and food in your hour of need," he replied. "Do I seem prejudice?"
Hitomi smiled slightly. "Please," she said, "I meant no offense. I merely wondered because I sensed a deep sadness radiating from you when you spoke of the village."
"Yes," Ginoz said. "I knew the village well. I used to play there when I was a child. I was present when the men destroyed it."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Hitomi said. "But your memories shall always remain."
Ginoz looked at her. "You are different from most humans," he said. "You speak of compassion that you actually feel. Most humans wouldn't."
"Well," Hitomi countered, "most wolf-men wouldn't offer shelter to wandering humans, now would they?"
Ginoz's lips turned up a bit. "I suppose not." He leaned down to get a drink.
"How much farther to your village?" Van asked.
Ginoz looked out to the expanding distance ahead. "We should arrive in a few more hours. Before sunset, I believe. We have to continue going along this path, then we must cross the bridge to get to the cave that leads to the entrance of my village."
After the six had all had their fill of the crystal water, they once again started out on the mountain path. Over sticks, stones, and cracks they walked. "Lady Hitomi," Ginoz inquired suddenly.
"Yes?" Hitomi replied.
"May I ask how you came about wearing that pendant?" he asked, indicating to the pendant swinging around her neck.
Hitomi's hand subconsciously went to the silver stone. "My grandmother gave this to me for safe keeping I suppose you could say."
"Then I take it you know of its power?"
"Yes."
"And I also take it that you've used its power?"
"Actually," Hitomi replied hesitantly, "no."
Ginoz stopped in surprise. "No?"
"Well," Hitomi answered. "I'm capable of handling the power, I'm sure, when the time comes, but I want to be ready before I begin to. This was a god's power. I do not wish to use for anything that I don't have to."
Ginoz nodded thoughtfully and began to walk again. "You are very different. You hold back what you think you should, but are unsure of it yourself."
"I suppose you could say that," Hitomi answered. "Besides, if I couldn't handle the power of the stone, well--"
"You'd die," Collin input.
Everyone turned toward him while Hitomi looked toward the ground. "What was that?" Van asked.
"If there is any chance whatsoever that Hitomi isn't the correct person to keep the pendant, and she can't control it, then she'll die." He looked at Van. "I take it she didn't tell you this?"
"No," Hitomi answered quietly. "I didn't."
"Why not?" Van asked softly.
Hitomi sighed. "Everyone is so worried right now about what I have to do. You try to hide it, but the worry is still there. I don't want you to worry until you have a reason to."
"You don't call this a reason?" Merle asked incredulously.
"Look," Hitomi said. "I was handed the pendant. I was given the power of a fallen god. If there was any doubt, do you think that the reigning gods would have allowed such a transfer?"
"I suppose not," Merle answered.
"Then there's no reason to worry," Hitomi replied with a smile. "Though it warms my heart to know that you care that much."
"Hitomi," Merle replied. "You are the sister that I never had. You're Van's only love. We are going to care about you and worry about you no matter what. Live with it." She began to walk again.
Hitomi laughed. "I love you, too, Merle." Then she took Van's hand. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you."
He squeezed her hand. "It's all right. Just tell me next time, okay?"
Hitomi leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "Okay."
They all began to walk once more. After two more hours, Ginoz stopped. "Here is where we must walk shoulder to shoulder. The path becomes narrow. I will go first." He put the bag that had been around his back and placed it in his front. Then he leaned back against the mountain rock and began to slowly inch his way around. When he reached the other side he called, "Lady Merle, Lady Hitomi, come now!"
Merle pressed her back to the stone, and Hitomi followed suit. Shoulder to shoulder, they began to make their way around. Halfway around, Hitomi heard a noise. She stopped. Merle stopped as well and turned toward her. "What is it?" she asked.
"Shh," Hitomi said. "Something's not right." The noise happened again.
"What was that?" Merle asked quietly.
Suddenly the rock gave away and the two women began to fall.
@%@
Van, Collin, and Balgus all waited for the call to come over, but none came. Then they heard screams. "Hitomi! Merle!" They all shouted. Without thinking, Van tore off his shirt and took a running leap off the crevice.
"Van!" and "Lord Van!" were the shouts that followed him. The wind whipped past him as he made his descent. Just up ahead he could see Merle and Hitomi. Becoming very straight, he dove harder. Then he reached them.
"Van!" Merle and Hitomi shouted for him.
When he reached them, he wrapped one arm around each of their waists. Then he unfurled his pearly white wings. The wind caught them as Van began to beat them. Merle and Hitomi both wrapped their arms around his neck, holding on. He continued to fight his way against the wind as he began to strain. He tightened his hold on his sister and his wife as he fought for altitude. The gap of the crevice was just up ahead.
Just a little more...
'You can do it, Van,' he heard in his mind. 'I love you.'
With those words, he, Merle, and Hitomi exited the crevice. Then he began to fly higher. When he was high enough, he began to navigate his way easily. He caught sight of Ginoz up ahead. He flew toward him. Suddenly a draft came at him, throwing him off course. Still, he kept flying toward Ginoz. When he got close enough, he saw that the landing was going to be rough. So he turned to his back, and took the fall. When they skidded to a halt, Hitomi and Merle quickly got off of him.
"Van!" Hitomi cried.
He groaned. "I'm okay," he said.
"No you're not," Hitomi replied firmly and pushed him down when he tried to struggle up. "You're bleeding."
Van looked at her and grinned. "Then fix me."
Hitomi smiled in relief. "If I have to." She placed her hands on his chest and concentrated. Van suddenly reached up and grabbed her behind the neck, pulling her down to him. He kissed her. A pink hue surrounded them as Hitomi worked to heal him. After a moment, the hue died down and Van and Hitomi pulled away. Van placed Hitomi's forehead on his own.
"Thank you," he whispered to her.
"For healing you?" she asked.
"For helping me fly," he replied.
Hitomi smiled. "Anytime." She sat up and stretched out a hand to him. He accepted it and they rose.
"So, um," Merle said. "What are we going to do about Collin and Balgus?"
They all looked to the broken rock. Then Hitomi said, "I can do it."
"Do what?" Merle asked.
"I can reform the rock for them," she replied.
"So you've done it before?" Merle asked.
"Well," Hitomi said. "No. But I'm sure that I could do it if I concentrated."
"Isn't your energy drained from healing me?" Van asked.
"A little," Hitomi admitted. "But I think that I have enough to last."
"Just be careful," Van said.
She smiled at him. "I will." Then she turned back toward the crevice and closed her eyes. She concentrated on reformatting the rock and began to glow a purple hue. Van, Merle, Ginoz, and Collin and Balgus, from where they were standing, all gasped. In front of them stones began to move to make a solid bridge straight across. Stone after stone came together. Then it stopped and Hitomi smiled.
@%@
Collin couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hitomi was creating a stone bridge in front of him and Balgus.
'You can walk across now, little brother,' Hitomi said to him in his mind.
'Cute,' Collin growled back.
Hitomi laughed. He and Balgus began to slowly make their way across the stone bridge that hung in midair. When they had made it across, Hitomi released her hold and the stones fell to the bottom of the crevice below. They heard the pounding as they landed. Hitomi turned toward them with a tired smile. "I guess I can handle the power after all."
Van caught her as she fell. "I'm all right," she said to his worried face. "I'll just need to rest for a bit when we arrive at the village."
"Which will be quite soon," Ginoz put in. They all turned toward him. He stepped aside and motioned with his hand to a cave. "Right this way."
Against her weak protests, Van picked Hitomi up and carried her through.
"I thought we had to cross a bridge," Merle said.
"You, Lady Hitomi, and I did," Ginoz replied.
"Oh." She looked at him. "That was a bridge?"
Collin chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You have a lot to learn, beautiful."
Merle mumbled something under her breath, and Collin laughed.
After a few moments, the cave began to have noises in it. Then it opened up. Van looked up. They were inside the mountain. He looked back at Ginoz.
"Welcome to Welku."
Well, what did ya think? Please be kind and review! Thank once again to all who have stayed with me through this story and the long waits! Ciao!
Tevrah^_^
I have a question: Who of my reviewers likes Takari, Mimato, Taiora, and Kenlei? Thanks!