The group reaches the one-third mark, defined by a large boulder.
Mitsukake and Chiriko immediately start out to gather firewood. Tasuki,
watching Chichiri scan for enemy presence, taps his tessen on his shoulder.
"When ye need fire, come 'n' see me." He walks over to gather the horses.
He counts them as he goes. 'Wait, we're missing one.' He thinks to himself.
He turns to count the seishi. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. "Hey!" He
yells "We'r' missin' two people!" Chichiri looks concerned. "Are you sure,
no da?" He calls back. "Pos'tive." Tasuki replies.
Nuriko urges the mare into a canter, not wanting to make her gallop through all the trees. The fading light is nearly gone, hidden behind the mountain peaks. Polaris clings tightly to Nuriko, frowning. Did the others realize they were missing? Would they reach the camp before all visibility was lost? Nuriko stops the mare. "We're going to have to stop here. It's too dark to go further, and the woods are much more dangerous further up." He feels Polaris nod, her head brushing his.
They dismount, Polaris first, then Nuriko. "Well, it's too dark to gather firewood." Polaris murmurs, taking the mare's reins. She can barely see around in the dark. She finds a sturdy tree branch and ties the reins to it. She removes the mare's saddle and takes her small pack. "What do you have in there?" Nuriko asks. "Some personal stuff." Polaris says, holding the bag tight against her chest. "Like what?" He asks. Polaris sticks her tongue out then draws a small pillow from the bag.
"Hey! Let me use that!" Nuriko reaches for it. Polaris turns away. "No, it's mine." Nuriko puts his hands on his hips. "I'm the beautiful one! I need to maintain it." Polaris sticks her tongue out again. Nuriko grabs one end of it and pulls. Polaris pulls, but Nuriko is stronger. He puts it on the ground, lays down with his head on it, and turns over. "Damn it!" Polaris growls. She squats down beside the already sleeping boy and glares at him.
He turns over in his sleep. She looks closely at his face. Damn it, he was just so cute. She finds she can't stay mad at him at all. Sighing, she sits against a tree nearby, only about two feet away from him and watches him. After about two hours, she begins to doze off. The sound of twigs snapping gets her attention. Her head jerks up to listen. A vicious growl causes the hair to rise on the back of her neck. It's then silent. Polaris tries to see in the darkness, but is very unsuccessful. After a few moments, there is an inhuman scream. The mare! There is the sound of ripping leather and another scream, but this one has a liquid quality. The attacker must've gone for the jugular.
Polaris inches over to Nuriko, still in a sitting position. She hears him breathing rhythmically. 'That idiot! How could he have slept through all that!' She thinks to herself infuriated. 'Leaving me to worry about everything!' She puts her back to his, though her head's on the ground. She can still hear the predator eating, so sleep doesn't visit Polaris. She ends up curling into a little ball, glaring at nothing in particular.
Soon, the morning hours come. Polaris feels Nuriko stir, then rise, stretching and yawning. Tiredly, she struggles to her feet. "Good morning." Nuriko chirps. "Did you sleep well?" He turns and withdraws from Polaris' malicious glare. Her eyes are puffy, bloodshot, and have dark circles underneath them. She shakes her fist at him. "DO I LOOK LIKE I SLEPT WELL?!?" She bellows. Nuriko draws back again. "I HAD TO LISTEN TO SOMETHING KILL AND EAT THAT MARE ALL NIGHT WHILE YOU JUST SLEPT!!!! SLEEP IS A GODDAMN LUXURY!"
Nuriko urges the mare into a canter, not wanting to make her gallop through all the trees. The fading light is nearly gone, hidden behind the mountain peaks. Polaris clings tightly to Nuriko, frowning. Did the others realize they were missing? Would they reach the camp before all visibility was lost? Nuriko stops the mare. "We're going to have to stop here. It's too dark to go further, and the woods are much more dangerous further up." He feels Polaris nod, her head brushing his.
They dismount, Polaris first, then Nuriko. "Well, it's too dark to gather firewood." Polaris murmurs, taking the mare's reins. She can barely see around in the dark. She finds a sturdy tree branch and ties the reins to it. She removes the mare's saddle and takes her small pack. "What do you have in there?" Nuriko asks. "Some personal stuff." Polaris says, holding the bag tight against her chest. "Like what?" He asks. Polaris sticks her tongue out then draws a small pillow from the bag.
"Hey! Let me use that!" Nuriko reaches for it. Polaris turns away. "No, it's mine." Nuriko puts his hands on his hips. "I'm the beautiful one! I need to maintain it." Polaris sticks her tongue out again. Nuriko grabs one end of it and pulls. Polaris pulls, but Nuriko is stronger. He puts it on the ground, lays down with his head on it, and turns over. "Damn it!" Polaris growls. She squats down beside the already sleeping boy and glares at him.
He turns over in his sleep. She looks closely at his face. Damn it, he was just so cute. She finds she can't stay mad at him at all. Sighing, she sits against a tree nearby, only about two feet away from him and watches him. After about two hours, she begins to doze off. The sound of twigs snapping gets her attention. Her head jerks up to listen. A vicious growl causes the hair to rise on the back of her neck. It's then silent. Polaris tries to see in the darkness, but is very unsuccessful. After a few moments, there is an inhuman scream. The mare! There is the sound of ripping leather and another scream, but this one has a liquid quality. The attacker must've gone for the jugular.
Polaris inches over to Nuriko, still in a sitting position. She hears him breathing rhythmically. 'That idiot! How could he have slept through all that!' She thinks to herself infuriated. 'Leaving me to worry about everything!' She puts her back to his, though her head's on the ground. She can still hear the predator eating, so sleep doesn't visit Polaris. She ends up curling into a little ball, glaring at nothing in particular.
Soon, the morning hours come. Polaris feels Nuriko stir, then rise, stretching and yawning. Tiredly, she struggles to her feet. "Good morning." Nuriko chirps. "Did you sleep well?" He turns and withdraws from Polaris' malicious glare. Her eyes are puffy, bloodshot, and have dark circles underneath them. She shakes her fist at him. "DO I LOOK LIKE I SLEPT WELL?!?" She bellows. Nuriko draws back again. "I HAD TO LISTEN TO SOMETHING KILL AND EAT THAT MARE ALL NIGHT WHILE YOU JUST SLEPT!!!! SLEEP IS A GODDAMN LUXURY!"