Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura- that much is obvious.
Summary: It is the story about a girl called Sakura who falls in love with a boy who saves her life (Syaoran). Unknown to her, Syaoran has a secret! By daylight he is the cold, handsome boy Syaoran, but by nightfall, immersed in the enchantment of moonlight he becomes the mysterious white wolf of the forest. Will Sakura learn of Syaoran's secret before all hope is lost?
Author's note: Thanks for everyone who's given me a review- I love 'em so keep 'em coming!
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Wolf of the Snow
Chapter 2:
The last of the night's dying ember's flickered dimly in the fireplace of the Kinomoto kitchen, it's once bright orange glow and elusive shadows now bleached to non- existence in the pale morning light.
Three figures sat around the kitchen's sole table that morning, sharing breakfast in each other's company in the usual fashion, though talking more animatedly than most other mornings of its kind.
Sakura could no longer bear the bombardment of her father and older brother's enquiries of her late return home the previous night and had commenced breakfast that day with a full recount of the events that had taken place. She watched the facial expressions of her family gradually change as she spoke of her experiences; from concern at the mention of her encounter with the wolves in the Dark Forest, to surprise and interest at her rescue by the mysterious traveller- boy, Syaoran. When at last Sakura had made mention of her sighting of the White Wolf, her father, Fugitaka simply chuckled and muttered something about "Fairy tale nonsense" into his newspaper.
Her brother Touya however, continued to munch on a piece of toast before replying in a most bored, casual manner, "Well that's not good."
"What is?" Sakura asked as she began to pour milk over her cereal.
"Seeing the White Wolf," Touya answered, now borrowing the financial section from his father's newspaper and flipping it open. "Everyone knows it's a bad omen- you'll have bad luck wherever you go for the rest of your life!"
The carton of milk came down onto the table with a dull thud.
"Shut up Touya! I will not!"
Touya looked up at his sister with a smirk. He continued on with the same bored droll between mouthfuls of toast.
"It's a pity about Dad's occupation and all- being an apiarist means you have to work with BEE'S all day long- imagine the stings you'll get working with them today- you'll have boils the size of walnuts in no time!"
"Shut up Touya!!"
"With pus…"
"TOUYA!!!!!"
Having become well acquainted with the routine of his children's petty squabbles, Fugitaka cheerfully took his daughter's hand into his own and gave it a reassuring pat.
"Don't mind your brother Sakura, he just likes to tease you." He said, laughing gently.
"Yeah, don't I know it." grumbled Sakura as she rose from the table and strode huffily over to the kitchen sink to fetch the rag. She had spilled a considerable amount of milk on the table.
Thus began a fairly average morning for the Kinomoto family.
After breakfast, Fugitaka and his children dressed in warm clothing and headed out into the crisp winter air, up the patchy, snow- covered slope to the Apiary at the top of the hill.
Fugitaka made a quiet living by running a modest bee- keep near the Kinomoto household.
The Apiary was a special place for Fugitaka Kinomoto. Initially, it had belonged to his father; Sakura and Touya's grandfather, but after he had passed- away, Fugitaka had come to inherit it. For Fugitaka's children, the Apiary had always been a cheerful place where they had once played as little ones and tasted blissful spoonfuls of sweet honey everyday. Now that Sakura and Touya were older however, they were content to help their father in his daily work; moving among rows of humming cabinets each day, collecting chunks of honey comb and tending to the bees.
That morning as her father and brother were collecting honey comb along the cabinets at the far end of the Apiary, Sakura knelt down beside Tomoyo; her childhood best- friend who also worked at the Kinomoto's Apiary. With her male relatives out of ear –shot, Sakura told Tomoyo (in a more intimate fashion) about the events that had transpired the previous night; of the handsome boy, Syaoran, and of the White Wolf outside her window.
Tomoyo's bright, amethyst- coloured eyes widened with interest behind the protective gauze that covered her head and shoulders.
"Really? You saw the White Wolf? From the folk lore?" she asked as she gently tore a piece of dripping honey- comb from the cabinet wall and dropped it into the glass jar in her gloved hand, "Are you sure it wasn't just a weird shape in the snow that looked like a wolf? Or maybe it was an arctic fox…"
Sakura thought for a moment, momentarily withdrawing her hands from the humming cabinet to readjust her gauze hat.
"Well, I know it was an animal, but I didn't get such a good look at it, it was dark after all, and it disappeared really quickly…but…"
Sakura's eyes widened. She was suddenly very worried. "You don't really think it's a bad omen, do you Tomoyo?!"
Tomoyo giggled knowingly at her friend's naivety. Sakura could be adorably innocent sometimes…
"Well…you probably won't get boils…with pus!" Tomoyo chuckled. Just then, she became serious, "But Sakura, you didn't feel scared when you saw it did you?"
Sakura rescued a bee slowly crystallizing in honey down the bottom of the cabinet before she looked up into her friend's concerned face.
"Well…no", Sakura mused, now staring pensively up at the ceiling, "In fact, it felt kinda the opposite…I mean you'd think after that attack with the wolves I'd be really scared if I saw another one, right? Well, it didn't feel that way with the White one…it was like, it knew me…or I knew it. Strange, but…"
A fleeting vision of amber eyes flashing in the gloom of the Dark Forest played briefly across her memory.
"It was almost as though we'd met before…" Sakura murmured, more to herself, than to anyone else.
Tomoyo stared silently at her best- friend for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she tossed her silky dark hair and laughed warmly, "Sakura, I think you've just been listening to too many of your brother's ghost stories!"
Sakura laughed as well. Maybe the idea was just a little bit strange.
"Yeah, maybe you're right." She said with a grin.
By the late morning, Sakura and Tomoyo had filled several dozen jars of honey and it was when they were resting outside the Apiary, grateful for the fresh air, that Fugitaka approached them with a favour to ask. Sakura and Tomoyo were to travel into Aurana that day and deliver twenty- five jars of honey to the Miyako's general store as he and Touya would be too busy building new cabinets to make the delivery themselves.
Being rather fond of Mr and Mrs Miyako; a kind old couple with whom the Kinomotos had always had pleasant trade, Sakura and Tomoyo happily obliged. Within a half hour they had loaded the pony- drawn wagon with the boxes of jar- honey and begun their steady journey toward Aurana.
Sakura smiled contently to herself as their pony clopped rhythmically forward, shimmering ice crystals on the road flecking into the frosty air like star dust against the blanketed, white countryside. As it was approaching midday, the sun shone warm and bright, and Sakura hardly felt she needed the fur- lined cloak she was wearing. It was so warm in fact, that much of the ice covering the road had thawed and they would be fortunate enough to take the High- pass into Aurana. Fortunate thought Sakura with a guilty sense of irony.
Although a great part of her hoped she would never have to set foot inside the Dark Forest ever again, a tiny part of her, just a tiny part, hoped that she would…if only to catch a glimpse of that boy again…
The journey into Aurana took more than an hour though it seemed to pass quickly for Sakura with Tomoyo as cheerful company. Before too long it seemed, their tiny wagon was pulling into the vast silver gates guarding the city and making its way through its bustling, lively streets, headed for the Miyako General Store.
Mr Miyako greeted the girls cheerfully as their wagon pulled in front of the tiny supermarket. A moment later Mrs Miyako joined her husband on the sidewalk and she exchanged warm hugs with each of the girls while Mr Miyako began to unload boxes of honey from the tray of the wagon. Once the entire contents of the tray had been emptied, Mr Miyako invited the girls inside for a cup of green tea, both of whom accepted with enthusiastic gratefulness.
Tomoyo and Sakura sipped contently at their tea, allowing the warmth to somewhat permeate into their chilled, travelled bones.
It was as Mr Miyako was complaining about increased taxes and plummeting economies in the north of Phu'taaka and such, that Sakura realised she had forgotten to bring the price list inside. She smiled apologetically to the Miyakos and promptly offered to fetch it from the wagon so that they could discuss pending issues of business.
Sakura threw the shop door open and dashed back outside.
Being in such a hurried state as she crossed the pavement in a run toward the wagon, Sakura realised too late that she was headed for a rather violent collision with another person, hurrying in the opposite direction. Hot polka dots burst before Sakura's eyes as she toppled backwards, clutching her head in pain. The other person had likewise, been knocked off their feet. He cursed momentarily.
"Oh I- I'm so sorry!" Sakura cried as she shakily stood up and tried to focus her temporarily blurred vision. She mentally berated herself. How could she be so stupid just running out of the shop like that without looking? Now she had crippled some poor stranger who was just minding their own business! Just when her day was going so well…
"Watch where you're going you idiot!" yelled the blurry figure as he picked himself up from the floor and massaged his knees for any bruising.
"I- I…really didn't mean to…I'm so sorry, did I hurt you?!" Sakura stammered. She was starting to wish she'd never woken up that morning.
At that moment, Sakura's vision sharpened.
The person she had knocked over was a rather handsome boy with messy brown hair that fell in bangs down his forehead and deep, amber- coloured eyes.
Sakura's eyes widened with recognition.
"Sy- Syaoran?!"
Syaoran stopped rubbing his knees and looked- up. He was not in the least prepared for what he saw before him that moment.
"S- Sakura!...Wh…what are you doing here?!" He cried in surprise
Sakura instantly felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
"I- I um, we, that is my friend Tomoyo and I, were doing trade for my father…um!"
Sakura felt like slapping herself. Why was she being so tongue- tied around him?! And she was starting to have that butterfly fluttering at the pit of her stomach again, just as she had thinking about him before…
Syaoran meanwhile, was having a similar dilemma. Sakura, that silly, clumsy…but stunningly beautiful girl again! With those bright turquoise eyes, the kind, gentle tone with which she had spoken to him the previous night…he hadn't felt kindness like that in a long time…
The two stood in the street for what seemed like the most painful of awkward silences; both blushing uncontrollably, when Tomoyo suddenly stuck her head out of the store door.
"Sakura, what's taking so long? Did you find the list?"
Just then Tomoyo spot a boy whom she'd never seen before, standing next to Sakura. He looked extremely red and perplexed.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Tomoyo smiled apologetically. "I didn't realise you had company!"
She was just about to duck back into the store when Sakura hurriedly called out to her.
"No, wait, don't go Tomoyo!" She was quietly relieved for the interruption. "There's someone I want you to meet!"
Tomoyo came out of the store door, smiling politely as Sakura gestured to her.
"This is Tomoyo, my best friend," Sakura told Syaoran, "And Tomoyo this is Syaoran" she told Tomoyo, placing special emphasis on his name.
Tomoyo blinked for moment. She looked from Sakura to the boy and finally back to Sakura again. "Syao…," Tomoyo's eyes widened as realisation finally dawned upon her. "O-oh Syaoran! Yes, Sakura's told me all about you! Thankyou for saving her life!"
If it were possible, Syaoran turned a brighter shade of red.
"It was nothing." He muttered, staring down at the ground.
Tomoyo giggled. So this was the boy to whom her best- friend had taken a fancy…
"Well, I'm going back inside, they'll be wondering where I've disappeared to!" Tomoyo laughed melodically.
Just before she turned to go back inside the shop, she leant in close to Sakura and whispered, though deliberately loud enough, "You're right, Sakura, he's totally dreamy!"
"Tomoyo!!!" Sakura cried, overwhelmed with embarrassment as her best friend skipped back inside the store, laughing somewhat harder.
Once again, awkward silence fell between the pair as they stood on the street, with neither one of them daring to look at the other.
Finally, Sakura managed a small nervous smile.
"Um…thankyou again…for yesterday," she said shyly
Without looking up from the floor, Syaoran nodded quietly. "Like I said…it was nothing."
Sakura tried to laugh but it became a choke. She cleared her throat nervously.
"I…still want to repay you…for what you've done," Sakura began.
Syaoran looked up at her with surprise. "That's really not necessary."
"No, it is," Sakura insisted "I'm not sure how…but I imagine one day I'll be able to do something for you in return…but for now, I just want to say thankyou…"
Suddenly, Sakura's eyes brightened. What a brilliant idea! She thought.
"Syaoran…?" Sakura asked. She could feel the tips of her ears burning again. Her heart was racing with a new sense of excitement. "Would you perhaps…join me for lunch?"
This was not at all what Syaoran was expecting. He'd never been invited to anything by anyone! And he immediately felt inclined to refuse, purely out of suspicion.
"Why?" Syaoran asked with a note of distrust.
Sakura simply grinned. "I want to be your friend."
Syaoran tried again in vain to say that he didn't need to be repaid, though it seemed the harder he tried, the more determined and insistent Sakura became.
Finally, Syaoran agreed on the condition that they didn't go anywhere too expensive.
Sakura clapped her hands together excitedly and told Syaoran to wait for her while she told Tomoyo and the Miyakos of her plans.
A moment later, Sakura came back out of the store, cheerfully ready to go to lunch. She told Syaoran that Tomoyo would wait for her near the Aurana gates in the afternoon after lunch so that they could ride home together.
Sakura and Syaoran walked side by side through the streets of Aurana; silent figures amid the mass of people pouring through the streets in cheerful racket. Vendors called out to passers by; waving hot sticks of bread, or flowers, their stall shelves glittering with semi- precious jewels and other coloured trinkets. Live music blared and sumptuous wafts of hot cooking foods drifted through the crowded streets from restaurants, beckoning strangers inside from the cold.
Sakura and Syaoran continued to meander along the bustling streets until they found a relatively quiet stretch of road near the edge of town. They stepped into a charming little tavern called 'Usyagi's Udon' (with a picture of a flying rabbit holding a bowl of Japanese noodles painted on the glass window) and sat down in a booth beside the roaring fireplace.
Before too long, the manager of the restaurant; a burly man with a bald head and a black bristly moustache appeared at their table and handed them the menus. Just as he was about to take their drink orders he looked at Syaoran.
His face turned a dark shade of purple and his eyes bulged with recognition and disgust.
"What are you doing here?" The manager growled
"Pardon?" Syaoran asked, raising an eyebrow in honest bewilderment.
Sakura looked up from the menu at Syaoran, then at the purple- faced manager.
"We don't let filth like you in this place!" The manager spat, his pointer- finger waggling menacingly in Syaoran's face.
"What did you just call me?" Syaoran rose swiftly from the table, his knuckles turned white on balled fists and a nerve twitching at his temple.
By now Sakura was very confused. She didn't have the foggiest idea what was taking place, but one thing for sure, she didn't like the way that manager was talking to Syaoran…
The purple- faced manager grinned at Syaoran with nasty satisfaction. "You're a dirty, rotten thief and we don't let…"
"HEY!!"
Both the manager and Syaoran whisked their heads around in astonishment.
It was Sakura.
She too had now risen from the table. And she was furious.
"This boy is not a thief! He's my friend!" Sakura yelled, causing several heads in the restaurant to turn in their direction.
"And as for me," Sakura continued, glaring angrily at the stunned manager, "I am a paying customer! So if you don't want me to call your boss out here and tell him how you treat his customers I suggest you get back to work!"
Having been effectively shut up, the manager forced a smile, bowed and retreated shakily to the kitchen.
Syaoran meanwhile stared dumbfounded at Sakura, who continued to fume angrily into the flames of the fireplace.
Sakura, that gentle, innocent little girl that couldn't defend herself in the forest the previous night…he could hardly imagine her to be this gutsy. He was thoroughly impressed!
The rest of lunch time passed relatively pleasantly for Sakura and Syaoran at 'Usyagi's Udon'. They received no more trouble from the manager (who seemed too embarrassed at having been talked down by a sixteen year old girl in front of all the other customers, to show his greasy, bald head for the rest of that afternoon).
Syaoran sat in silent admiration of his new friend as she chattered animatedly about her family's Apiary, her father and brother, and Tomoyo's friendship. She was so incredibly beautiful, thought Syaoran with an inward grin, as Sakura gave a humorous anecdote about the time Touya had fallen over on his head when he was twelve and thought he was a turkey for a week. And she was especially beautiful with the firelight flickering in her turquoise eyes…
"Syaoran?" Sakura asked with a warm smile. She touched his hand gently and sent a warm electrifying jolt of hormones through his body. He snapped back to attention in an instant.
Sakura saw this reaction and stifled a laugh. "I said, what do you do?"
Syaoran wrinkled his brow uncertainly, "What do I do?"
"U-huh. I just thought I'd talked so much about myself today that you should talk a bit about yourself now." Sakura said, smiling even more cheerfully. "So…do you and your family live here in Aurana?"
Syaoran's face dropped. He turned sadly to look at the fire. The logs crackled softly, hot, red sparks spitting from their red, molten cores.
"I have no family…" He said softly, watching the flames dance and flicker. "They…all died a long, long time ago."
Sakura made a soft, tiny gasp into her hand.
"I…I'm so sorry, Syaoran…I didn't know," she whispered as her eyes became liquid- moist, her heart breaking with sorrow for him. "You…live all alone?"
Syaoran nodded, still engrossed by the sight of flames licking the wood in the fireplace.
At that moment, Sakura could no longer control her emotions and warm tears fell freely down her cheeks. Poor Syaoran thought Sakura sadly. To have his whole family leave the world…and he was still so young…
Syaoran finally looked away from the fireplace and when he saw that Sakura was crying he smiled a small, grateful smile and brushed the tears tenderly from her soaked face.
"I don't want you to be sad for me," He whispered kindly.
Sakura saw the compassion and strength in the depths of his amber eyes and was comforted greatly. She gave him a small, reassuring smile.
By late afternoon, the sun had become a quivering orange ball sinking into the western hills under the dimming yellow sky.
Sakura and Syaoran walked quietly back to the silver gates of Aurana where they found Tomoyo sitting on the wagon waiting for them.
Just then, Sakura told Syaoran that she had something else for him- a gift to give.
Syaoran watched in silent puzzlement as she ran over to the wagon and disappeared around the back of it.
Moments later, she returned with a jar.
"Here." Sakura said as she handed him the glass jar, secured at the lid with a simple straw ribbon.
"Kinomoto Products Ltd?" Syaoran read from the label of the jar.
"It's honey from my father's apiary," Sakura replied "I know it's not much…I mean, it's not nearly repayment for saving my life…I'm still gonna make it up to you properly one day…"
"Thankyou" Syaoran said. He gave one of his rare, warm smiles and Sakura blushed, getting the butterfly feeling in her stomach again.
At that moment, Syaoran's ears went crimson as well. Very shyly, he asked, "W- would I be able to see you again, Sakura?"
She smiled widely, "Of course!"
She took a pen from her cloak pocket and scribbled something happily onto the label of Syaoran's honey- jar. When he blinked uncertainly she laughed.
"This is my address in Jas'mynn," she explained, pointing to the text she had written on the label, "and this is when I want you to come by!"
Syaoran peered more closely at the label. "Next week? What's happening next week?"
"You'll see!" Sakura giggled. She then turned on heel and ran back to Tomoyo and the wagon.
Syaoran watched as the wagon rattled away into the distance, headed back for Jas'mynn.
Presently, Syaoran opened the jar Sakura had given him and inhaled the sweet aroma of the thick, golden honey.
Yet another act of kindness from this girl, thought Syaoran. And the fact that she hadn't judged him back at the restaurant when he was accused of being a thief …she was completely trusting. A truly remarkable person…
By now, the wagon had become a faint speck on the glowing horizon and as it finally disappeared from sight, Syaoran sighed contently.
"Sakura…" he whispered.
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DM: Wooo! Writing takes a lot out of you- I'm buggered!
But I'm excited about the next chapter- aren't you?
What exactly has Sakura got planned for Syaoran?…and IS she any closer to learning his mysterious secret?
REVIEW if you want to find out! ^-^