Umi: Hi everyone! How are all of you doing? Good I hope! Well, this is Chapter 4: Plots!
Fuu: In this chapter you'll find out what Sakura will do about the problems (Irwain, Star Light, and Eriol!)
Umi: ¬_¬ Thank you Fuu-chan...
Fuu: ^_^ No problem Umi-san!
Umi: Anyway...on with the story!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 3: Plots
The Blossom, The Wolf, and A Weasel
By Ryuuzaki Umi
Sakura sat alone in her chambers as her father had ordered, and as he had also ordered, did her best to think things over. But she knew he wouldn't have been pleased at the course her thoughts were taking.
I have only two choices, and I-I don't like either one!
She could agree to marry Eriol. But if she did, she'd be putting herself, her father, and her land in peril.
Yet Eriol was hardly a patient man or a forgiving one. If Sakura refused to marry him, he would be furious. Furious enough, perhaps, to decide that, weak as Irwain was right now, he needn't bother with any flimsy excuse of marriage. Far easier to soothe injured pride with an invasion.
We could never hold him off, not in the state the land is in. Sakura shivered. She had never actually seen warfare, the gods be thanked, but she'd overheard enough tales from her father's warriors when they hadn't realized she was listening. It was far too easy to imagine Irwain under siege, its people dying slowly of hunger or more swiftly by the sword or spear, or, maybe worse, being carried off as hopeless slaves.
But what can we do without a strong enough army? Cast spells?
If only they could! But the only charms the gentle court druids knew were healing spells. Only truly powerful magic far beyond their skill would save Irwain.
Magic such as Star Light--No, stop that! We don't have Star Light!
But without warning her mind was filled yet again with that dream of rain, of green and fertile lands...
Star Light, indeed.
The box belonged to the wizard Clow, and everyone knew how mighty Clow had been. But what good was that knowledge now? Sakura sighed, pacing once again, moving restlessly from this side of the room to the other. What Irwain needed right now was a hero, some larger-than-life hero out of a bard's tale, the sort of fearless fellow who'd ride boldly into the sorcerer's stronghold, conquer the Dar Druid, and carry off Star Light in triumph.
What nonsense. There weren't any such heroes in the real world. Beside, she thought with a touch of wry humor, if everything her father had told her was true, no one outside of the royal family line was allowed to know about Star Light anyhow!
Father, I love you dearly, but--but why do you have to be so gentle?
King Fujitaka had been as bold as his father Ashitaka when he'd been young, so Tomoyo told Sakura, but he had ruled a peaceful land so long all the boldness had faded. Not that it mattered, Sakura reluctantly admitted: even if he was the boldest man who ever lived, a king could hardly up and abandon his throne to go off on a quest that might be the death of him!
That left only one person who both knew about Star Light and was free to go hunting it.
The princess stiffened. "Me?"
Oh no, that was ridiculous. She shouldn't even consider it. Sakura hastily resumed her restless pacing, trying to force the thought out of her mind, arguing fiercely with herself. She was a princess, not a-a hero! Maybe she could handle a dagger well enough, and she certainly could use a sling as skillfully as any rabbit-hunting boy, but she wasn't a trained warrior, she didn't know how to manage a sword or spear. This was truly ridiculous, and—and—
And, ridiculous though it might be, terrifying though it certainly was, the idea refused to leave. Recovering Star Light really did seem to be the only alternative, the only choice with even the slightest chance of bringing happiness.
Star Light, and the jester-girl of life-giving rain…Sakura sank in her bed. For a long, long while, she sat stock still with sock. And somewhere in the quiet hours that passed it came to her that she'd accept what must be done.
Aye, and done quickly! Oh gods, yes, to wait till even tomorrow would mean facing her father and the ambassador, and agreeing to be able to get away. No, if she was going to leave at all, it would have to be tonight.
I-I can't…
But even while some of her thoughts were fluttering about panic, the rest of her mind had already started planning what must be done:
She would take her warmest, most closely woven cloak, of course—an outfit plain enough to be the despair of fastidious (UmiN: haha big word! Fuu-chan) Tomoyo, maybe, but a good, unremarkable gray and brown, perfect for forest wear. A change of clothing wouldn't add too much weight to her pack and was definitely necessary; she could hardly wear the same outfit all the time, not if she didn't want to come down with some unpleasant skin disease! Combine the clothes with her sturdiest, most comfortable boots, and she should be able to hike for days. Ha, yes, and in that outfit, even if she ran into her father's people in the forest, they'd never recognize her as a princess!
Food. What about food? Ah! She'd add to the pack whatever would keep without spoiling, and depend on her skill with a sling to bring down rabbits and other small game. Mm, she'd better add a packet of healing herbs as well, just in case. There should be clear streams enough to provide water.
Yes, yes, provisions were all well and good, but which way should she do to find Star Light? There was a vast amount of forest beyond Irwain's walls! But her father had hinted that Rhegeth's dun, his fortress, lay somewhere to the west . . .. Vague directions. But the season was spring, the time when the first traders came walking the roads. Surely she would run into some of them. Anyone who depended on wide amounts of travel for his livelihood would almost certainly know of that fortress, if only as a place to avoid!
So be it. West she would go, and then…only the gods knew what would happen.
~*At night in her room*~
Sakura mused that getting ready for bed that night, all the while pretending nothing at all was wrong, was surely one of the most difficult things she had ever done. Somehow managed to keep smiling and nodding and say almost nothing at all as her ladies fussed over her. Somehow managed not to confess everything to Tomoyo as the woman brushed her hair for her, crooning peacefully. As Sakura snuggled in bed, pretending she was too sleepy for speech, Tomoyo whispered, "Sleep well, cherry blossom. All will be well, you'll see."
The woman blew out the candles and left.
Suddenly very much alone, Sakura gasped out before she could stop herself, "Oh, wait!"
"What's that, my dear?"
"Uh…n-nothing. Good night Tomoyo."
~*Later on*~
There wasn't the slightest danger of falling asleep. Wide-awake, wide-eyed, Sakura felt as though she would never need sleep again, waiting out the seemingly endless hours. After an eternity had crawled by, she knew it must at last be past the middle of the night. Trying not to make a sound, the girl slipped out of bed, heart racing, fumbling for her clothes in the dark and feeling helplessly clumsy. Her boot! Where was her other boot? And the clasp for her cloak was never going to close…
But at last Sakura was dressed, her pack slung over her back, and she tiptoed down through the meeting hall, ducking into shadow whenever a weary guard trudged by. She glanced wearily out into the earthen courtyard. One more guard was walking out there.
"Go on!" Sakura urged him softly. "Go away!"
There, now, he was finally moving away…the faint flicker of his torch was fading, fading…now!
Sakura darted out and into the building housing the royal kitchens. The kitchen help were asleep in here, snoring gently, and she moved with exaggerated care, gathering provisions into her pack.
She was done. There were no excuses for lingering. Taking a deep breath, the princess stepped back out into the night.
She hadn't had a chance to really notice it before, but it was cold out here, cold and dark! Shivering, Sakura pulled her cloak tightly about herself, grateful for it's warmth, and then started forward, wishing she could somehow steal a horse out of the stables.
Impossible. Someone would be sure to see or hear her. Besides, horses need grain if they were going to travel a distance, and there was a limit to what she could carry! At any rate, Sakura told herself, she could probably work her way through the tangle of forest more easily on foot.
Getting out of Irwain was almost alarmingly easy. Both guards at the palisade's double gate had fallen asleep at their posts. For a moment Sakura stood over their huddled forms, hearing them snore, and burned with anger. How dare they sleep on duty? She would—
She would do nothing. She wasn't foolish enough to awake them. Instead, praying there wouldn't be any alarming creaks, the princess pulled one heavy wooden gate open just enough to let her squeeze through, then pushed at its stubborn weight till she had it closed again.
She turned. The forest stood before her, a great, silent black mass in the darkness. For one long, terrified moment, staring at that chill, alien vastness, Sakura couldn't move at all.
"Irwain, for you," she murmured at last, and started forward into the night.
Umi: Ta-da! Here's chapter 4: Plots! Hope you like it! Well, I guess I'll see ya next time! Next up is Chapter 5: Forest Dwellers! You'll get to meet Ryu, the sly outlaw.