Disclaimer: According to Ebay, I own CCS. SUE THEM!
Author's Note(s): Okay, well. This is my warning to you guys. The beginning is very boring. It's full of boring preparations and introductions to some of the officers. I have five pages worth of them getting ready to leave the castle. I know, it sounds awful, but you have to meet everyone and get acquainted with the Elite and some of the other people.
Knowing how boring the beginning is, I made it really long. I wanted to include at least SOMETHING you guys would enjoy; something that was interesting to read. You guys better appreciate it because it sure is long.
For any of my multi-story reviewers, I'll have an update for Partners soon.
Elisa Ang- I think you reviewed to this one too, so HEY GIRL!
Azi- Where are you? I miss your honest reviews! Come back!
Oh, and as for the S+S scenes, I'm sorry. I'm not sure if I'll include another meeting with them before they make it to the pass. If I do, it won't be anything lovey dovey. Remember, right now, they're enemies. And they hate each other. This will be a lot slower than Falling Blossom, but trust me. The end result will be good.
****
She strode out into the courtyard, making her way slowly to the Elite's private stables. Yue and Keroberos followed her every step. She rounded the last corner and saw all the horses neatly saddled. Their riders were streaming in and out of the stables.
At first none of them noticed her. Two winged guardians and a limping girl cannot go unnoticed for long, however, and by the time they entered the stables, a large group of men had already surrounded her.
Fighting to keep her voice calm, she ordered them back to their own mounts and headed towards her own horses. She found her mounts waiting for her. They looked up when she got near. She owned five horses at the moment. Because she did so much traveling, the need for horses was great.
She looked over her two warhorses first. One was a stallion while the other was a gelding. Her eyes rested on her stallion, the pride of her stock.
He was white as a dove from nose to butt. His mane and tail were a light blond color. While many braided their horse's hair, she had refrained from it. She liked his hair to be free in the wind.
She smiled as she placed one hand on his neck and the other near his nose for him to inspect. He snorted into it, causing her to laugh and wipe it on him. He snorted again, showing his opinion for her action.
His name was Talos. [if any of you have read my story on fictionpress.net, this name should sound familiar]
She turned and looked at the gelding in the next stall. He was looking at her intently with jealousy clearly written in his features. Being a gelding, he would never take on the stallion, but jealousy was a strong emotion to deal with. Hurriedly, she stuck out a hand for the gelding to inspect. He lipped at it, tickling her hand and making her stifle a giggle.
Although the gelding was not the gorgeous white so many desired he held his own beauty-wise. He was a dark chestnut color, nearly black. His face had a white mark right above his eye. He had earned the name Chiros, or 'wise teacher' because of all he had taught her of battle. He had been her very first warhorse.
Three other horses were penned to the right of the gelding. She inspected these next, spending a few moments with each. The closest to Chiros was a gentle mare she had named Calla for her feminine beauty. She was white with brown spots strewn all over her body. A particularly large brown spot surrounded her eye. She petted the mare lightly, moving on. Calla was not made for heavy riding.
Adara was in the next stall. Sakura stuck her hand inside the stall, checking to see the mare's temper. Though she was kind enough most of the time, she could be very dangerous if you miscalculated her mood. She smiled as the mare gently lipped her hand. Sakura examined the beautiful mare from head to toe. She was a light chestnut color with white stocking feet. Her face had a white star on her forehead.
The last was another gelding. He was a dark black with white dappled throughout his body. He was the newest addition to her mounts. She had named him Aeolus, after the Greek ruler of wind. He earned his title because of his great speed. Though he was probably faster than Adara, she was not familiar enough with Aeolus to take him. She patted the gelding gentle on his head and pulled Adara from her stall.
Anticipating the need to hurry, she grabbed the brush and began working with Adara. The mare seemed to understand her lady was in a hurry and let herself be groomed without complaints. Sakura went uninterrupted for a few minutes until she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
She turned to find Lan, a stableboy, standing there. He motioned towards the two warhorses.
"Which will my lady be taking today?"
She looked over the two, inspecting them both. It was a hard choice but she finally motioned towards Talos. The stableboy bowed and started towards the stallion. Sakura stopped him with a quick yell.
Lan turned to face her, eyes widened in surprise.
"Let me take him out of the stall. He gets antsy when someone other than me deals with him," she said kindly.
A snort to her right made her turn. Keland stood there, eyeing her wearily. "Antsy? The stallion will eat grain out of your hand and bite it in the same motion."
Talos snorted as though he understood what Keland said.
Sakura ignored her friend and tied the stallion to a grooming post. She looked him straight in the eyes and spoke quietly. "I don't have time to groom both of you. Let Lan do his job." When the stallion averted his eyes mischievously, she waited. Once his eyes were focused on her again, she finished with a bribe. "If you're good, I'll give you an apple."
He stared at her for another minute before finally snorting. He pulled his head free and eyed the weary stableboy. Sakura motioned to him.
"He's all yours."
She returned to grooming the mare. Keland leaned against an empty stall, watching her.
"You chose your two moodiest horses, Sakura," he said lightly.
"I chose the two best suited for the job," she said seriously. Turning to give him a quick glance, she added lightly, "Besides. They're nice to me. It's you who gets bit so often."
Keland smirked, but didn't answer. Sakura continued to groom Adara, taking in the loud bustle of the stables. She loved the smell of horses and the feeling she got before she rode out.
'Even if it is dawn,' she added wryly.
She caught Keland eyeing her strangely. Sakura walked over to collect Adara's tack. He raced over and picked it up before she could.
"I'll do it," he said hurriedly.
Sakura sighed. "I'm fine, Keland. I can handle it myself."
He ignored her and placed the saddle on the mares back, completely forgetting the saddle blanket. Sakura wordlessly grabbed a blanket from the shelf. She had to fight a giggle when she saw the mare's expression. Sakura knew if the mare could speak she would call him an idiot.
Keland blushed lightly, coughing to hide it and lifted the saddle, allowing her to place the blanket underneath. He reached down to tie it and jumped back just in time to avoid the mare's bite.
Sakura placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, lightly pushing him away from the mare. She sent a sympathetic expression towards the mare and finished the job quickly. When she looked up, Keland was watching her just as nervously as ever.
Exasperated, she tried again to console him. "Keland, for goodness sake, I'm fine. So I was a little rough last night. It's not a big deal. It's not like I haven't been hurt before. And my magic helps me heal faster."
Seeing he was still unsure, she quickly added something she knew would make him feel better. "I promise, if I start to get too sick, I'll let you know."
He eyed her, knowing full well she would never actually admit to a problem if there were one. Finally, he sighed.
Lan's voice broke in. "My lady, the stallion is ready." The stallion was standing next to the boy, his coat gleaming from the cleaning. His back was bare: she would be riding Adara for now.
She turned and smiled, thanking the stableboy. She had become very familiar with the scrawny redhead over the years. She took Talos's reins and led him from the stable with Adara following.
Most of the Elite were assembled outside of the stable. The group of extra soldiers the king had sent with them was hovering nearby. They were standing in a group, talking lightly. She could hear the drowsiness in their voices. She checked the sky. It was not long after dawn, but they should be going now if they wished to make good time.
She scanned over the men, frowning. The most important face she had expected to see was not there. She motioned for Yue to join her. Speaking quietly, she asked, "Where is Master Panos?"
The guardian looked around for a minute before he stalked away, heading quickly for the castle. She sighed and went back inside the stable. She called forth a stableboy. Lan, who had been hovering nearby, answered her call.
"Milady?"
She quickly asked him if Panos had any horses in the stables. His expression went blank and he called another boy forward. The two talked quietly before Lan finally looked back at the Champion.
"I understand milord has a mare in the general stables. She isn't fresh, though."
Sakura cursed, wondering why Panos wasn't here. The mage knew he was needed this morning. He was normally very reliable. She walked to her own mounts and draped a lead rope across Aelous's neck, pulling him from his stall. She handed the pretty gelding to Lan.
"Will you please groom and saddle him for Master Panos? Use my extra saddle for the time being."
Lan bowed and set off to do as he was bid. Sakura sighed.
Master Panos specialized in earth magic. His arrival to court the night before had been late, but the king had decided he would go with the Elite and help them to close the valley.
Sakura had worked beside him a few times in the past and had always enjoyed it. He presented interesting conversation and was pleasant enough. He was a good fellow to discuss magic with.
She frowned, wondering again why he wasn't here.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to find Lanus, a soldier of the Elite, approaching her. She smiled. Lanus often served as her second-in- command because he had a cool head in battle. He had light blond hair and gorgeous dark blue eyes. His friendly nature made him one of the most popular in the Elite.
The two had become good friends after she had discovered his uncanny way of knowing what she was thinking. Though he had assured her he could not hear her thoughts, he was correct in guessing what was on her mind ninety percent on the time. This was no exception.
"You know, Master Panos might see his share of battle, but he isn't part of the Elite," he said kindly. Seeing she didn't understand what he meant, he explained. "The Elite are used to rising before dawn. Most people are not, milady."
She sighed. "I know that, but if we are to make it in time, we must hurry to leave. We're wasting too much time."
His voice stayed kind. "Use the time to double check your saddlebags, milady. Clean your swords or groom your horses. Surely you have something you can do that's more useful than worrying."
She smiled up at him and the two walked out the door. In the distance she saw two figures running towards them. One was a man who looked to be in his early forties. His hair was brown with little spots of gray on the side. Even from the distance she could tell he was tall.
The second was a winged creature whose face was blank. He carried a sword in one hand and had a overly stuffed saddlebag draped across his shoulder.
Seeing their approach, she turned to face her Elite. They were already starting towards their saddles. She sighed and raised her hand, capturing their attention.
"Mount up everyone. We ride as soon as Master Panos is here."
She noticed some of her men eyeing her wearily. She sighed, knowing this ride was not going to be fun. Her men worried about her. She shuddered to imagine all the looks that would follow her.
'They'll be afraid to let me stand on my own.'
She saw Lan approaching, rushing to hand Aeolus to her. She took the reins, thinking the stablehand again for a job well done. By the time she had the gelding near her own two horses, Master Panos was in front of her, his breathing heavy from all the running. Gasping for air, he tried to get his apologies out. She hushed him with a hand.
"It's okay, Master Panos."
He looked around quickly. "I meant to tell you this morning, milady. My mare isn't fresh. She needs rest. Is there another mare I might ride?"
She pushed Aeolus's reins into the man's hand. He took them, a smile appearing on his lips. He looked at her, his eyes filled with silent admiration.
"It's a gelding, not a mare, but he is well-mannered. He's no warhorse, but he's one of the swiftest creatures I've come across. He should be good for you," she said quickly.
She held out her hand, accepting the saddlebag from Yue. While Master Panos accepted his sword, Sakura attached the saddlebags. The man mounted hurriedly, recognizing the whole company was waiting on him.
Finished with Panos, she walked over and mounted Adara. About to hand Talos's lead rein to the handler, she called to Yue. He came quickly, Keroberos trailing behind him.
"Would you like to ride Talos, Yue? You can fly when Talos gets tired, or walk if you get stiff, but I hate to put this nasty horse with a handler and you might appreciate the ride," she said, ignoring Talos's snort.
Yue accepted the reins, nodding his consent. He mounted the great warhorse, ignoring Talos's attempt to bite him. Sakura hid a smile.
Keroberos soon changed into his fake form, settling his smaller shape in Sakura's lap.
Sakura breathed a big sigh of relief. They were finally ready to leave.
She raised her hand again and shouted.
"Let's go!"
****
They rode hard until the sun was high above their head. Sakura breathed in the musky horse smell mixed with the scent of the forest. She smiled as the breeze picked up a piece of her hair and moved it, letting the hair dance. Her emerald eyes sparkled.
"How are you holding up, milady Champion?" came a polite voice. She turned and found Eneas, another of her Elite pulling her mount next to her.
"I'm fine, Eneas. How are you? I see you haven't fallen off the horse yet," she said, gently taunting him.
His cheeks went light red. He was part of the Elite for his warrior skills. On his first day on the job they had discovered he wasn't a very good horsemen. She smiled, remembering he'd fallen for the horse's trick and left the girth without tying it tight enough. Within the hour, he had been dumped off.
"We can't all be natural horsemen like you, milady." She immediately recognized Lanus's voice. He had pulled up beside her.
Sakura smirked. "Just because the horses put up with me doesn't mean I'm any good with them."
Keland's voice interrupted them before Lanus could respond.
"Milady, the soldiers are starting to tire. Might we stop for the midday meal?"
Sakura sighed. She had been dreading his words. She knew her men were expecting to halt for the meal, but they had been slow to leave. She needed to make up for the time wasted.
She thought for a minute, trying to decide, when she caught Panos's expression. Although the mage rarely complained, he was not seasoned for harsh riding. She frowned and called for the halt.
****
She put the leftover half of the sandwich back in her saddlebags, not hungry enough to finish it. She heard Yue's footsteps behind her.
He pointed to a level spot nearby where no soldiers were. Sakura knew what he wanted. Sighing, she straightened her stiff muscles. Although she would never admit it, she was tired. Her muscles were hurting from the beating they had taken the night before.
Knowing the only way to decline the training would be to explain this, she accepted.
'I might as well protect my pride as long as I can.'
She went to grab her sword, but Yue stopped her.
"Hand-to-hand combat is more important right now, Sakura. You're excellent with the sword."
His compliment did not go unnoticed though she still fought to stifle her groan. With another of her big sighs, she let him lead her over to the spot.
The soldiers were eyeing her as she got into her fighting stance. She was a little nervous to be fighting in front of them. Gnawing on their sandwiches and drinking their water, they looked too much like a theater's anxious audience for her liking.
Yue made the first attack. He swung out with his right fist, aiming for her left cheek. She raised her hand in time to deflect the blow. Instead of swinging back, she waited for his next move. This seemed to puzzle him, but he tried again, this time aiming for the more solid stomach. She lowered her arm this time, deflecting the blow. She did not attempt to strike back.
The next time he tried to attack, he went for her left side. She recognized it and lowered her arm, grabbing his hand in a graceful motion. Using her hip and her knee, she launched him over her, realizing too late she was dealing with someone who had wings.
He pumped his wings in the air and flew forward, knocking Sakura to the ground. She rolled out of the way of his punch, waiting for him to land on the ground again. As soon as he did, she swiped a foot under him, knocking his leg from underneath him. She jumped up and waited for him to stand.
The two exchanged quick blows until Sakura felt herself being vaulted over his shoulder. She watched as the ground disappeared and the sky took its place. She quickly twisted in the air, wrenching free from his grasp, and landed somewhat on her feet.
"You can't even beat your own guardian. That's pathetic," said a voice, right next to her ear. She looked around, startled, to find no one nearby. The result was a punch to her side. She doubled over.
Seeing Yue ready himself for a kick, she rolled to her left, barely avoiding it. She crawled to her feet, immediately throwing herself into a jump to avoid Yue's second kick. She gasped through the pain in her side, wondering where the voice had come from.
"Your kingdom must be a weak country if you are the strongest," continued the voice.
This time she didn't waste time looking around and blocked Yue's kick. She recognized the voice. Feeling stupid, she spoke out loud, hoping he would hear her.
"What's pathetic is when someone sends their voice just to startle someone while they're in the middle of a fight. What's pathetic is when that someone can't even show their face," she heard her voice, surprised to hear it so heavy with anger. Quickly she forced herself to speak lightly, "Or is your eye too colorful to show?"
Whispers spread throughout the onlookers. Yue stopped, gazing at her hard. A figure suddenly appeared to his left.
Ignoring the guardian, Syaoran approached Sakura angrily. Sakura noted his eye was the same shade of purple as the rest of her body.
He stopped in front of Sakura, looking down at her with a glare fixed on his face. "What do you want, Sakura? Do you want to fight me again?" His gaze flicked down her body and his face smoothed into a smirk. "Why are you in such a hurry? Your bruises are still fresh."
She moved her leg before she could react. He doubled over, clutching his shin. She smiled sweetly when he looked up, his glare reappearing. With what sounded like a war cry, he charged forward. Sakura, anticipating this move, jumped into the air, twisting to watch him fall forward.
Syaoran collected himself angrily and turned to try again. Just as her feet were touching the ground, he grabbed her, pinning her down. She cursed, trying to kick out of his grasp. His hands were steady.
He moved his face closer to hers. "Do you really want to fight me, Sakura?"
She smiled at his carelessness. Using her right knee, she aimed slightly higher than before. She watched as his eyes went wide and his face paled.
A loud guffaw from the watching soldiers alerted her of the audience's opinion of the blow.
"That's just mean, milady!" shouted one of the Elite.
Smiling grimly, she pushed him off of her, slamming him into a nearby tree. He was still fighting to recover from the first blow. She landed two punches and swirled around for a kick. To her surprise, he was ready for her kick.
He caught her leg and pushed her backwards. She landed roughly on the ground and rolled to avoid him. She used her momentum to stand. Turning to face the approaching man, she threw out a bit of magic. It knocked him backwards and she launched herself forward, pushing him into the tree again.
She placed her hand on his windpipe before he could recover. Applying pressure, she waited until he relaxed. She could feel Yue's intent gaze on her back. While the soldiers might not understand who the man was, Yue did.
She leaned close to him. "Go away, Prince Syaoran. You do not belong in this country."
Her words brought a gasp from the soldiers. They now realized who she was fighting. Reaching for their weapons, she head them scramble to their feet. They hung back, waiting for their leader's order.
When he said something obnoxious, she applied more pressure, watching his face get red. She suspected little of it was due to the increased pressure. Most of the color was supplied by anger.
His hand flew out, grabbing her around the waist. She drew a quick breath, startled by the tingles it brought. He tried to pull her away from him, but she answered by increasing the pressure on his windpipe even more. She heard him make a strange sound with his throat before he finally released her waist.
"I want you to go away, Li. Return to your kingdom and that trash heap you call a palace. Your very breath litters our clean countryside."
Finally, she released him, keeping an eye firmly on him. He cursed and disappeared as he had before.
She smiled, giddy as she realized she had beaten him.
****
He watched from the seer's glass as her men swarmed around her, especially that lion guardian. He cursed as he rubbed the front of his neck. It was still sore from the pressure she had applied. He watched her emerald eyes as they danced with delight.
'Green is my favorite color,' he thought absently.
Behind him, Einar growled.
"I sent you to discover where they were going. Not to fight with the girl," he said, his voice dangerously low.
Prince Syaoran turned to Einar, his expression carefully blank. "We can watch them from here."
As though it had heard him, the seer's glass went blank. Prince Syaoran turned back quickly, demanding to know why it had gone blank. The seer, drawn back in fright, shrugged.
"Of course it's blank, Syaoran! They'll have spells now to protect them from being discovered. Use your head, damnit," Einar said angrily. He added ruefully, "For something other than collecting bruises."
He fingered the black eye he had received and another spot on his cheek. The second one was new. He growled, glaring at the man who was in charge of their realm's armies.
"Watch what you say, Einar."
The man eyed the prince wearily. The prince smirked.
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe what you said in your reports? You told us their king had boasted stealing the Li's Staff."
He was silent for a moment before answering. "It was the true, your highness."
Syaoran laughed. "Now I'm 'your highness'? I'm not a fool, Einar. While my mother may have complete faith in you, that's not the case with me. I know you hate the king and I know you want revenge on him. This war is just a little too perfect, don't you think?"
Einar bowed. "Your highness, you speak as though I committed treason." His voice was low and slightly timid.
The prince gestured carelessly with his hand. "I know what I think, Einar. I cannot prove it, so the war continues. All I am saying is you should watch what you say about me. If you convince me my time isn't well spent with the Champion, I might have to put it towards other things. Like checking your reports more carefully."
Einar bowed again, watching as the prince left the chamber.
His curses rang throughout the hall though no one was there to hear them.
****
Author's Note 2: I think this is the new record for my longest chapter. -smiles- I hope the second part was interesting enough for you. I added another Syaoran and Sakura scene, and if you look carefully, there's a small thing that suggests Sakura's attracted to him. That's all I could do for now, but trust me. This will be S+S.
Oh, and I'm really sorry, I haven't edited it yet. I know, because there are so many details, that I must have messed up a couple of things. I have to go right now or I'd look through it more carefully. Sorry!
Author's Note(s): Okay, well. This is my warning to you guys. The beginning is very boring. It's full of boring preparations and introductions to some of the officers. I have five pages worth of them getting ready to leave the castle. I know, it sounds awful, but you have to meet everyone and get acquainted with the Elite and some of the other people.
Knowing how boring the beginning is, I made it really long. I wanted to include at least SOMETHING you guys would enjoy; something that was interesting to read. You guys better appreciate it because it sure is long.
For any of my multi-story reviewers, I'll have an update for Partners soon.
Elisa Ang- I think you reviewed to this one too, so HEY GIRL!
Azi- Where are you? I miss your honest reviews! Come back!
Oh, and as for the S+S scenes, I'm sorry. I'm not sure if I'll include another meeting with them before they make it to the pass. If I do, it won't be anything lovey dovey. Remember, right now, they're enemies. And they hate each other. This will be a lot slower than Falling Blossom, but trust me. The end result will be good.
****
She strode out into the courtyard, making her way slowly to the Elite's private stables. Yue and Keroberos followed her every step. She rounded the last corner and saw all the horses neatly saddled. Their riders were streaming in and out of the stables.
At first none of them noticed her. Two winged guardians and a limping girl cannot go unnoticed for long, however, and by the time they entered the stables, a large group of men had already surrounded her.
Fighting to keep her voice calm, she ordered them back to their own mounts and headed towards her own horses. She found her mounts waiting for her. They looked up when she got near. She owned five horses at the moment. Because she did so much traveling, the need for horses was great.
She looked over her two warhorses first. One was a stallion while the other was a gelding. Her eyes rested on her stallion, the pride of her stock.
He was white as a dove from nose to butt. His mane and tail were a light blond color. While many braided their horse's hair, she had refrained from it. She liked his hair to be free in the wind.
She smiled as she placed one hand on his neck and the other near his nose for him to inspect. He snorted into it, causing her to laugh and wipe it on him. He snorted again, showing his opinion for her action.
His name was Talos. [if any of you have read my story on fictionpress.net, this name should sound familiar]
She turned and looked at the gelding in the next stall. He was looking at her intently with jealousy clearly written in his features. Being a gelding, he would never take on the stallion, but jealousy was a strong emotion to deal with. Hurriedly, she stuck out a hand for the gelding to inspect. He lipped at it, tickling her hand and making her stifle a giggle.
Although the gelding was not the gorgeous white so many desired he held his own beauty-wise. He was a dark chestnut color, nearly black. His face had a white mark right above his eye. He had earned the name Chiros, or 'wise teacher' because of all he had taught her of battle. He had been her very first warhorse.
Three other horses were penned to the right of the gelding. She inspected these next, spending a few moments with each. The closest to Chiros was a gentle mare she had named Calla for her feminine beauty. She was white with brown spots strewn all over her body. A particularly large brown spot surrounded her eye. She petted the mare lightly, moving on. Calla was not made for heavy riding.
Adara was in the next stall. Sakura stuck her hand inside the stall, checking to see the mare's temper. Though she was kind enough most of the time, she could be very dangerous if you miscalculated her mood. She smiled as the mare gently lipped her hand. Sakura examined the beautiful mare from head to toe. She was a light chestnut color with white stocking feet. Her face had a white star on her forehead.
The last was another gelding. He was a dark black with white dappled throughout his body. He was the newest addition to her mounts. She had named him Aeolus, after the Greek ruler of wind. He earned his title because of his great speed. Though he was probably faster than Adara, she was not familiar enough with Aeolus to take him. She patted the gelding gentle on his head and pulled Adara from her stall.
Anticipating the need to hurry, she grabbed the brush and began working with Adara. The mare seemed to understand her lady was in a hurry and let herself be groomed without complaints. Sakura went uninterrupted for a few minutes until she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
She turned to find Lan, a stableboy, standing there. He motioned towards the two warhorses.
"Which will my lady be taking today?"
She looked over the two, inspecting them both. It was a hard choice but she finally motioned towards Talos. The stableboy bowed and started towards the stallion. Sakura stopped him with a quick yell.
Lan turned to face her, eyes widened in surprise.
"Let me take him out of the stall. He gets antsy when someone other than me deals with him," she said kindly.
A snort to her right made her turn. Keland stood there, eyeing her wearily. "Antsy? The stallion will eat grain out of your hand and bite it in the same motion."
Talos snorted as though he understood what Keland said.
Sakura ignored her friend and tied the stallion to a grooming post. She looked him straight in the eyes and spoke quietly. "I don't have time to groom both of you. Let Lan do his job." When the stallion averted his eyes mischievously, she waited. Once his eyes were focused on her again, she finished with a bribe. "If you're good, I'll give you an apple."
He stared at her for another minute before finally snorting. He pulled his head free and eyed the weary stableboy. Sakura motioned to him.
"He's all yours."
She returned to grooming the mare. Keland leaned against an empty stall, watching her.
"You chose your two moodiest horses, Sakura," he said lightly.
"I chose the two best suited for the job," she said seriously. Turning to give him a quick glance, she added lightly, "Besides. They're nice to me. It's you who gets bit so often."
Keland smirked, but didn't answer. Sakura continued to groom Adara, taking in the loud bustle of the stables. She loved the smell of horses and the feeling she got before she rode out.
'Even if it is dawn,' she added wryly.
She caught Keland eyeing her strangely. Sakura walked over to collect Adara's tack. He raced over and picked it up before she could.
"I'll do it," he said hurriedly.
Sakura sighed. "I'm fine, Keland. I can handle it myself."
He ignored her and placed the saddle on the mares back, completely forgetting the saddle blanket. Sakura wordlessly grabbed a blanket from the shelf. She had to fight a giggle when she saw the mare's expression. Sakura knew if the mare could speak she would call him an idiot.
Keland blushed lightly, coughing to hide it and lifted the saddle, allowing her to place the blanket underneath. He reached down to tie it and jumped back just in time to avoid the mare's bite.
Sakura placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, lightly pushing him away from the mare. She sent a sympathetic expression towards the mare and finished the job quickly. When she looked up, Keland was watching her just as nervously as ever.
Exasperated, she tried again to console him. "Keland, for goodness sake, I'm fine. So I was a little rough last night. It's not a big deal. It's not like I haven't been hurt before. And my magic helps me heal faster."
Seeing he was still unsure, she quickly added something she knew would make him feel better. "I promise, if I start to get too sick, I'll let you know."
He eyed her, knowing full well she would never actually admit to a problem if there were one. Finally, he sighed.
Lan's voice broke in. "My lady, the stallion is ready." The stallion was standing next to the boy, his coat gleaming from the cleaning. His back was bare: she would be riding Adara for now.
She turned and smiled, thanking the stableboy. She had become very familiar with the scrawny redhead over the years. She took Talos's reins and led him from the stable with Adara following.
Most of the Elite were assembled outside of the stable. The group of extra soldiers the king had sent with them was hovering nearby. They were standing in a group, talking lightly. She could hear the drowsiness in their voices. She checked the sky. It was not long after dawn, but they should be going now if they wished to make good time.
She scanned over the men, frowning. The most important face she had expected to see was not there. She motioned for Yue to join her. Speaking quietly, she asked, "Where is Master Panos?"
The guardian looked around for a minute before he stalked away, heading quickly for the castle. She sighed and went back inside the stable. She called forth a stableboy. Lan, who had been hovering nearby, answered her call.
"Milady?"
She quickly asked him if Panos had any horses in the stables. His expression went blank and he called another boy forward. The two talked quietly before Lan finally looked back at the Champion.
"I understand milord has a mare in the general stables. She isn't fresh, though."
Sakura cursed, wondering why Panos wasn't here. The mage knew he was needed this morning. He was normally very reliable. She walked to her own mounts and draped a lead rope across Aelous's neck, pulling him from his stall. She handed the pretty gelding to Lan.
"Will you please groom and saddle him for Master Panos? Use my extra saddle for the time being."
Lan bowed and set off to do as he was bid. Sakura sighed.
Master Panos specialized in earth magic. His arrival to court the night before had been late, but the king had decided he would go with the Elite and help them to close the valley.
Sakura had worked beside him a few times in the past and had always enjoyed it. He presented interesting conversation and was pleasant enough. He was a good fellow to discuss magic with.
She frowned, wondering again why he wasn't here.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to find Lanus, a soldier of the Elite, approaching her. She smiled. Lanus often served as her second-in- command because he had a cool head in battle. He had light blond hair and gorgeous dark blue eyes. His friendly nature made him one of the most popular in the Elite.
The two had become good friends after she had discovered his uncanny way of knowing what she was thinking. Though he had assured her he could not hear her thoughts, he was correct in guessing what was on her mind ninety percent on the time. This was no exception.
"You know, Master Panos might see his share of battle, but he isn't part of the Elite," he said kindly. Seeing she didn't understand what he meant, he explained. "The Elite are used to rising before dawn. Most people are not, milady."
She sighed. "I know that, but if we are to make it in time, we must hurry to leave. We're wasting too much time."
His voice stayed kind. "Use the time to double check your saddlebags, milady. Clean your swords or groom your horses. Surely you have something you can do that's more useful than worrying."
She smiled up at him and the two walked out the door. In the distance she saw two figures running towards them. One was a man who looked to be in his early forties. His hair was brown with little spots of gray on the side. Even from the distance she could tell he was tall.
The second was a winged creature whose face was blank. He carried a sword in one hand and had a overly stuffed saddlebag draped across his shoulder.
Seeing their approach, she turned to face her Elite. They were already starting towards their saddles. She sighed and raised her hand, capturing their attention.
"Mount up everyone. We ride as soon as Master Panos is here."
She noticed some of her men eyeing her wearily. She sighed, knowing this ride was not going to be fun. Her men worried about her. She shuddered to imagine all the looks that would follow her.
'They'll be afraid to let me stand on my own.'
She saw Lan approaching, rushing to hand Aeolus to her. She took the reins, thinking the stablehand again for a job well done. By the time she had the gelding near her own two horses, Master Panos was in front of her, his breathing heavy from all the running. Gasping for air, he tried to get his apologies out. She hushed him with a hand.
"It's okay, Master Panos."
He looked around quickly. "I meant to tell you this morning, milady. My mare isn't fresh. She needs rest. Is there another mare I might ride?"
She pushed Aeolus's reins into the man's hand. He took them, a smile appearing on his lips. He looked at her, his eyes filled with silent admiration.
"It's a gelding, not a mare, but he is well-mannered. He's no warhorse, but he's one of the swiftest creatures I've come across. He should be good for you," she said quickly.
She held out her hand, accepting the saddlebag from Yue. While Master Panos accepted his sword, Sakura attached the saddlebags. The man mounted hurriedly, recognizing the whole company was waiting on him.
Finished with Panos, she walked over and mounted Adara. About to hand Talos's lead rein to the handler, she called to Yue. He came quickly, Keroberos trailing behind him.
"Would you like to ride Talos, Yue? You can fly when Talos gets tired, or walk if you get stiff, but I hate to put this nasty horse with a handler and you might appreciate the ride," she said, ignoring Talos's snort.
Yue accepted the reins, nodding his consent. He mounted the great warhorse, ignoring Talos's attempt to bite him. Sakura hid a smile.
Keroberos soon changed into his fake form, settling his smaller shape in Sakura's lap.
Sakura breathed a big sigh of relief. They were finally ready to leave.
She raised her hand again and shouted.
"Let's go!"
****
They rode hard until the sun was high above their head. Sakura breathed in the musky horse smell mixed with the scent of the forest. She smiled as the breeze picked up a piece of her hair and moved it, letting the hair dance. Her emerald eyes sparkled.
"How are you holding up, milady Champion?" came a polite voice. She turned and found Eneas, another of her Elite pulling her mount next to her.
"I'm fine, Eneas. How are you? I see you haven't fallen off the horse yet," she said, gently taunting him.
His cheeks went light red. He was part of the Elite for his warrior skills. On his first day on the job they had discovered he wasn't a very good horsemen. She smiled, remembering he'd fallen for the horse's trick and left the girth without tying it tight enough. Within the hour, he had been dumped off.
"We can't all be natural horsemen like you, milady." She immediately recognized Lanus's voice. He had pulled up beside her.
Sakura smirked. "Just because the horses put up with me doesn't mean I'm any good with them."
Keland's voice interrupted them before Lanus could respond.
"Milady, the soldiers are starting to tire. Might we stop for the midday meal?"
Sakura sighed. She had been dreading his words. She knew her men were expecting to halt for the meal, but they had been slow to leave. She needed to make up for the time wasted.
She thought for a minute, trying to decide, when she caught Panos's expression. Although the mage rarely complained, he was not seasoned for harsh riding. She frowned and called for the halt.
****
She put the leftover half of the sandwich back in her saddlebags, not hungry enough to finish it. She heard Yue's footsteps behind her.
He pointed to a level spot nearby where no soldiers were. Sakura knew what he wanted. Sighing, she straightened her stiff muscles. Although she would never admit it, she was tired. Her muscles were hurting from the beating they had taken the night before.
Knowing the only way to decline the training would be to explain this, she accepted.
'I might as well protect my pride as long as I can.'
She went to grab her sword, but Yue stopped her.
"Hand-to-hand combat is more important right now, Sakura. You're excellent with the sword."
His compliment did not go unnoticed though she still fought to stifle her groan. With another of her big sighs, she let him lead her over to the spot.
The soldiers were eyeing her as she got into her fighting stance. She was a little nervous to be fighting in front of them. Gnawing on their sandwiches and drinking their water, they looked too much like a theater's anxious audience for her liking.
Yue made the first attack. He swung out with his right fist, aiming for her left cheek. She raised her hand in time to deflect the blow. Instead of swinging back, she waited for his next move. This seemed to puzzle him, but he tried again, this time aiming for the more solid stomach. She lowered her arm this time, deflecting the blow. She did not attempt to strike back.
The next time he tried to attack, he went for her left side. She recognized it and lowered her arm, grabbing his hand in a graceful motion. Using her hip and her knee, she launched him over her, realizing too late she was dealing with someone who had wings.
He pumped his wings in the air and flew forward, knocking Sakura to the ground. She rolled out of the way of his punch, waiting for him to land on the ground again. As soon as he did, she swiped a foot under him, knocking his leg from underneath him. She jumped up and waited for him to stand.
The two exchanged quick blows until Sakura felt herself being vaulted over his shoulder. She watched as the ground disappeared and the sky took its place. She quickly twisted in the air, wrenching free from his grasp, and landed somewhat on her feet.
"You can't even beat your own guardian. That's pathetic," said a voice, right next to her ear. She looked around, startled, to find no one nearby. The result was a punch to her side. She doubled over.
Seeing Yue ready himself for a kick, she rolled to her left, barely avoiding it. She crawled to her feet, immediately throwing herself into a jump to avoid Yue's second kick. She gasped through the pain in her side, wondering where the voice had come from.
"Your kingdom must be a weak country if you are the strongest," continued the voice.
This time she didn't waste time looking around and blocked Yue's kick. She recognized the voice. Feeling stupid, she spoke out loud, hoping he would hear her.
"What's pathetic is when someone sends their voice just to startle someone while they're in the middle of a fight. What's pathetic is when that someone can't even show their face," she heard her voice, surprised to hear it so heavy with anger. Quickly she forced herself to speak lightly, "Or is your eye too colorful to show?"
Whispers spread throughout the onlookers. Yue stopped, gazing at her hard. A figure suddenly appeared to his left.
Ignoring the guardian, Syaoran approached Sakura angrily. Sakura noted his eye was the same shade of purple as the rest of her body.
He stopped in front of Sakura, looking down at her with a glare fixed on his face. "What do you want, Sakura? Do you want to fight me again?" His gaze flicked down her body and his face smoothed into a smirk. "Why are you in such a hurry? Your bruises are still fresh."
She moved her leg before she could react. He doubled over, clutching his shin. She smiled sweetly when he looked up, his glare reappearing. With what sounded like a war cry, he charged forward. Sakura, anticipating this move, jumped into the air, twisting to watch him fall forward.
Syaoran collected himself angrily and turned to try again. Just as her feet were touching the ground, he grabbed her, pinning her down. She cursed, trying to kick out of his grasp. His hands were steady.
He moved his face closer to hers. "Do you really want to fight me, Sakura?"
She smiled at his carelessness. Using her right knee, she aimed slightly higher than before. She watched as his eyes went wide and his face paled.
A loud guffaw from the watching soldiers alerted her of the audience's opinion of the blow.
"That's just mean, milady!" shouted one of the Elite.
Smiling grimly, she pushed him off of her, slamming him into a nearby tree. He was still fighting to recover from the first blow. She landed two punches and swirled around for a kick. To her surprise, he was ready for her kick.
He caught her leg and pushed her backwards. She landed roughly on the ground and rolled to avoid him. She used her momentum to stand. Turning to face the approaching man, she threw out a bit of magic. It knocked him backwards and she launched herself forward, pushing him into the tree again.
She placed her hand on his windpipe before he could recover. Applying pressure, she waited until he relaxed. She could feel Yue's intent gaze on her back. While the soldiers might not understand who the man was, Yue did.
She leaned close to him. "Go away, Prince Syaoran. You do not belong in this country."
Her words brought a gasp from the soldiers. They now realized who she was fighting. Reaching for their weapons, she head them scramble to their feet. They hung back, waiting for their leader's order.
When he said something obnoxious, she applied more pressure, watching his face get red. She suspected little of it was due to the increased pressure. Most of the color was supplied by anger.
His hand flew out, grabbing her around the waist. She drew a quick breath, startled by the tingles it brought. He tried to pull her away from him, but she answered by increasing the pressure on his windpipe even more. She heard him make a strange sound with his throat before he finally released her waist.
"I want you to go away, Li. Return to your kingdom and that trash heap you call a palace. Your very breath litters our clean countryside."
Finally, she released him, keeping an eye firmly on him. He cursed and disappeared as he had before.
She smiled, giddy as she realized she had beaten him.
****
He watched from the seer's glass as her men swarmed around her, especially that lion guardian. He cursed as he rubbed the front of his neck. It was still sore from the pressure she had applied. He watched her emerald eyes as they danced with delight.
'Green is my favorite color,' he thought absently.
Behind him, Einar growled.
"I sent you to discover where they were going. Not to fight with the girl," he said, his voice dangerously low.
Prince Syaoran turned to Einar, his expression carefully blank. "We can watch them from here."
As though it had heard him, the seer's glass went blank. Prince Syaoran turned back quickly, demanding to know why it had gone blank. The seer, drawn back in fright, shrugged.
"Of course it's blank, Syaoran! They'll have spells now to protect them from being discovered. Use your head, damnit," Einar said angrily. He added ruefully, "For something other than collecting bruises."
He fingered the black eye he had received and another spot on his cheek. The second one was new. He growled, glaring at the man who was in charge of their realm's armies.
"Watch what you say, Einar."
The man eyed the prince wearily. The prince smirked.
"Do you think I'm stupid enough to believe what you said in your reports? You told us their king had boasted stealing the Li's Staff."
He was silent for a moment before answering. "It was the true, your highness."
Syaoran laughed. "Now I'm 'your highness'? I'm not a fool, Einar. While my mother may have complete faith in you, that's not the case with me. I know you hate the king and I know you want revenge on him. This war is just a little too perfect, don't you think?"
Einar bowed. "Your highness, you speak as though I committed treason." His voice was low and slightly timid.
The prince gestured carelessly with his hand. "I know what I think, Einar. I cannot prove it, so the war continues. All I am saying is you should watch what you say about me. If you convince me my time isn't well spent with the Champion, I might have to put it towards other things. Like checking your reports more carefully."
Einar bowed again, watching as the prince left the chamber.
His curses rang throughout the hall though no one was there to hear them.
****
Author's Note 2: I think this is the new record for my longest chapter. -smiles- I hope the second part was interesting enough for you. I added another Syaoran and Sakura scene, and if you look carefully, there's a small thing that suggests Sakura's attracted to him. That's all I could do for now, but trust me. This will be S+S.
Oh, and I'm really sorry, I haven't edited it yet. I know, because there are so many details, that I must have messed up a couple of things. I have to go right now or I'd look through it more carefully. Sorry!