Chapter Five: Shiroishi

"So which are ya sweet on, 'cuz yer starin' at both like a starved dog," Kousa inquired as Tokaki sat before him holding some food.

"You really don't want this do you?"

"You can' starve me."

"Can't I?" Tokaki asked and looked none too pleased.

The five of them had spent the whole day travelling and now were in camp as the sun began to set. Tatara, Suzuno and Subaru sat around the fire as Tokaki came over to feed Kousa who was now tied to a tree. Byakko was curled up in his crossed legs.

Tokaki took a bite out of the meat meant for Kousa.

"Doulin! He's eatin' my food!"

Subaru sighed. "You're such a rat Tokaki." She grumbled at him annoyed.

"I am not," Tokaki turned his head to protest and Kousa leaned forward and bit out of the meat. "Mongrel!" Tokaki yelled and let go of the food, Kousa picked it up in his bound hands and began eating.

"Like I care..."

"Meow..."

"No Byakko, we probably shouldn't kill him in his sleep."

Tokaki turned back to Kousa, his eyes alive with hatred. Tatara looked on uncertain of weather he should say something.

"Watch your mouth bandit..." Tokaki hissed and then went to sit beside Tatara.

"I'm not a bandit..." Kousa whispered to himself.

Kousa tensed then. He thought he heard a noise coming from in the woods, and he wasn't the only one. Suddenly the camp went silent at Tokaki shushing them mid-sentence. They strained their ears to hear if someone unwanted was in the woods.

"Just my luck," Kousa thought to himself. "We're being ambushed and I don't have a weapon. And if some bandit doesn't kill me, I still have jail to look forward to." Despite his worries though, Kousa made no attempt to free himself from his bonds.

Suddenly a cloak figure walked into the light and instantly Tokaki and Tatara were on their feet headed for him. Suzuno gave a cry of alarm, but before the violence began, the cloaked figure threw back his hood and held his hands up in a motion of peace.

"I mean no harm!" He yelled, just before Tokaki could land his blow.

The two seishi backed off, but remained ready to strike him at any moment.

"What do you want?" Tokaki asked almost violently.

"I saw your fire, I merely wanted to see who was here?"

"Are you travelling?" Subaru asked, walking forward with a smile.

The man smiled back at her, his face showing a kind warmth. "Yes." He answered. Subaru walked past the two men. "My name is Yi Doulin, this is Hahm and Tsounie," she said, turning to Tokaki and Tatara. "That's Suzuno by the fire," Suzuno gave a little wave and a smile. "And that's Kousa, um... sitting by the horses."

Kousa looked the man over once and turned away with a 'feh'.

"And you are?" Tokaki suddenly asked, not liking the idea of this man knowing their names when they didn't even know if he was evil or not.

"My name is Shiroishi."

"Shiroishi?" Tatara asked. "That doesn't sound like a real name."

"It is the name I have given myself." They looked the man over. He was tall with light blue eyes and black hair. His figure was slim and fit, and he looked to be only around 17. The cloak he wore was white. The boy didn't seem to be a threat at all.

Tokaki finally relaxed. "You can join us if you want, for the warmth."

"Oh fine! Let the perfect stranger by the fire! Keep me all the way out here."

"Only so I don't have to stare at your disagreeable face!" Tokaki snapped at him.

"You'll have to ignore Hahm, he's a bit of a nuisance really. Good company is so hard to find," Subaru said with a wink and took Shiroishi by the arm, taking him towards the fire.

Tokaki glowered at the motion, feeling a strange protectiveness over Subaru. He muttered a few inaudible comments and then went to sit down with the rest of them.

"Where are you travelling?" Suzuno asked, wanting to learn more about this stranger.

"Well if you must know."

"Oh I must, I must," Suzuno said with a smile.

Shiroishi smiled back. "I'm heading South, to the capital."

"Really? Any particular reason?" Tatara asked.

"Family," Shiroishi answered, giving him an almost cold answer. "And where are you travelling?"

"The capital," Tatara replied shortly.

"Uh, do you travel much?" Suzuno asked, trying to break the tension.

"No," Shiroishi gently answered. "This is the first time I've travelled."

"Me too." The two smiled at each other, both feeling that they could trust the other.

--

The night waned on and the travellers spoke for awhile of unimportant matters, neither giving away their purposes or past. The three Seishi and Miko finally went to sleep, Tatara staying close to Suzuno, while Tokaki inched towards Subaru.

Shiroishi stayed awake, watching the fire burn, and Kousa stayed awake keeping an eye on Shiroishi. He did not trust him.

When Shiroishi was sure the others were awake he suddenly looked up at Kousa with a sharp glance. Kousa felt the hair's on the back of his neck stand on end. There was something about this man that all the others had missed. He looked young, and yet seemed so old at the same time. There was wisdom there... this man knew something that perhaps he shouldn't.

"You don't have family in the capital... do you?" Kousa asked, unable to stand Shiroishi's glance any longer.

Shiroishi said nothing, and instead stood up and walked over to Kousa, taking a seat beside him, his eyes never leaving the pick-pocket.

"I do not."

Kousa almost smiled in victory.

"But you... you have deceived them far greater than I have."

Kousa's smile faded away. "What are ya talkin' about?" Byakko's ears went back, as is she were listening to their conversation.

"You could get out of the bonds at any time... couldn't you?"

There was something in Shiroishi's eyes that told Kousa that he couldn't lie to him, because he already knew everything about him, and the thought frightened him.

"Yeah..." Kousa finally answered.

Shiroishi leaned in, accusation set in his eyes.

"You're trying to stop them from summoning Byakko, Northlander."

Kousa's eyes were open wide in shock. "What are ya talki'g about? I don' care if they succeed or not," Kousa was almost yelling.

"Your secret will not remain one. They will see your true colours. Then what will you do? Kill the girl? Stop the ceremony?"

"You have no idea what yer talkin' about," Kousa practically spat at him, inching closer to him. "I suggest, ya leave this place."

"And leave them alone with you? I don't think so."

Kousa lunged at him, his hand's no longer bound. Shiroishi hadn't even seen it be done. Suddenly Kousa was on him, throttling him, but Shiroishi was too strong for him, he kicked Kousa in the stomach and sent him flying. Byakko was awake then, hissing at Shiroishi.

The other's were waking and Kousa tried to get back onto his feet and fight Shiroishi, but he was suddenly tackled from behind. Shouts erupted around him and Kousa realised that they were under attack.

"Bandits!" Tokaki hissed and quickly had his sword out. He wasted no time, and began fighting them as fast as they came. But there were far too many of them. Tokaki couldn't figure out where they had come from.

Suzuno woke up confused, she could hear fighting and some grunts, but wasn't too sure what was going on. Suddenly she was pulled to her feet by Tatara. He looked into her eyes for a mere second.

"Bandits, stay close."

Bandits, and dozens of them, all around, but although they came in waves they weren't trying to kill any of them, even Suzuno saw that and suddenly she feared that they were after her. These were the Northlanders.

Suzuno scanned the crowd for Kousa, but she couldn't find him. Had he led them here? Was he actually a bandit? Suzuno wanted to be sad, she had almost trusted Kousa, but there was no time to think.

Trees and plants suddenly came to life, picking up the bandits and throwing them to the ground unconscious. Tokaki teleported himself from bandit to bandit, taking them by surprise, taking their life without even thinking and moving to the next and the next. There was just no end to the bandits.

Subaru seemed able to handle herself, blocking blows easily enough. Suzuno wanted to help her, but knew that if she left Tatara that she'd be completely vulnerable, so she stayed by his side terrified.

Then Subaru was thrown to the ground, her head hitting a rock. Suzuno called out her name, and Tatara turned his attention over to her. He began concentrating the trees there to protect her and Suzuno started running towards her, wanting to help her.

"Suzuno! Wait!" Tatara called, he lost his concentration on the plants and went after her, but it was too late.

A man suddenly grabbed Suzuno and held a sword to her neck.

"Stop! Or she dies!"

Tatara stopped dead in his tracks and almost immediately afterwards so did Tokaki, both staring at Suzuno in fear.

Despite the fear she was suddenly thrown into, Suzuno also felt annoyance. This was the second time that she was being held hostage, and she hated it all the more.

"You bandit scum! You followed Tyamine here, didn't you?! He led you right to us! I'll kill him!" Tokaki began yelling, surveying the young and dirty faces around him.

Tatara ignored him, looking around at the bandits as well, noticing for the first time just how young there were, all were probably in their teens. He couldn't understand what a band of teens could possibly want with the Miko.

"What are you blabbering about?" A woman's voice suddenly came from the woods and a woman with long brown hair held back by a braid, and a bandana on her head, stepped through the crowed from Suzuno's right side. She had deep blue eyes and wore bandit clothing like all the rest. "Who in the world is Tyamine?"

Behind her there was a young teenager with short blond hair and fierce grey eyes. She held a spear and looked as if she was waiting for one of them to make a move, so that she could attack them.

"If you're not here for Tyamine? Then what do you want!?!" Tokaki yelled at them, trying desperately to ignore how beautiful the woman was. Suddenly his mind flashed to Shiroishi. Were they here for him? He looked around the crowd, he couldn't see him anywhere, but there struggling in the arms of two bandits was the now badly bleeding Kousa.

"Well I thought that one was obvious," she walked towards Suzuno and lifted her chin. "My name is Chi, these are my bandits... and I wanted to meet your dear Byakko no Miko," she turned back to Tatara and Tokaki. "And her precious seishi."

She turned to leave. "Tie them up."

"I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Tokaki screamed after her, but everything was in vain.

They had been captured.

(Oh my God! It's been so long! So way back when I promised a chapter a week, but then I lost faith in my story and gave up, but I recently regained interest and here is the fifth chapter! I had a lot of problems with this chapter, writing for Suzuno was a big one. I hate to say it, but damn she's boring. Tatara too. I like writing Tokaki, Subaru and Kousa the best, but hopefully that will change down the road. I love all of the characters so far, and all the ones to write, but it's very hard to give equal parts to all these different characters. The best course is probably to separate them... Hum... I should consider that. So expect a lot of fighting here on in, and perhaps a lot of heart break. I'm not exactly a happy writer, and listening to The Return of the King soundtrack is making me think up more sad scenes. So was my cliffhanger obvious enough for you? The Byakko people are captured, Kousa is being accused of being an enemy and Shiroishi who is uncertain to begin with had suddenly disappeared. Oh when will the madness end!?! Chapter eight I think. :) Some info on Shiroishi: his name used to by Aoishi, but I though Shiroishi sounded cooler, though Aoishi still sounds cool... It's all good, but I had to pick one. Can't tell you any more, of else I'd be spoiling you! By the by, sorry about Kousa's accent, I kinda gave up on it. It took me so long to write this chapter - April, May, June, July, September, October, November, December and now it's January - that I couldn't be bothered to fix it or even to edit this chapter. I need to write while things are still fresh in my mind, and then I can go back and fix things. Probably not that great for you readers, but look at it this way: There's no other way I could possibly write this story. I am not a linear person!)

Reviews:

Abby-normal: My new favourite word is now 'nifteriffic'.

Fukai Tsumi: Thanks! I'll try not to be... though it's hard...

Azn-saphirestar: Thanks so much for the review!

Hydra-Star: Yeah, I love them Gembu folk as well... but there something about Byakko that just makes me wanna write.