Snow White
AN: I do not own Card Captor Sakura or Snow White
Chapter 3
I slowly awoke from my dazed sleep. My mind was foggy and my vision blurred and it took me a long time to adjust my senses to my surroundings. Outside I could hear the rain beating down on the old church roof and I wondered if it would collapse any moment.
"Tomoyo!" My body shot up straight and I struggled to my feet. I glanced at the closed door and the small room I found myself in. My fingers barely touched the handle. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around my waist and lifted me unceremoniously away from the door.
My fingers stretched for the handle as I tried to free my weak body from the strong hold. "Calm down love." The pirate's voice filled my senses. "You're friend is safe. She's playing cards with the boys."
"She cheats." I have no idea why I said that, but I did and it earned me rich laughter from the pirate. He pulled me down to the ground and continued to hold me as I sat between his legs with my back against his chest. He rested his head against mine and I could hear him silently breathing.
"How's the shoulder?"
"Better." I was confused. Why was he being nice to me? Shouldn't he be binding my hands and feet and send ransom notes to my employer? To Tomoyo's father? Not that I am complaining, but this behaviour was inexplicable and down right disturbing. "What do you want?"
"Nothing you're going to give to me willingly any time soon, love."
Somehow I was not very comfortable with that answer. "Who are you?" I could feel him grin and I turned slightly to see his face.
Dark eyes held a hidden golden glow and dark brows seemed to intensify the look. His skin was sun touched and his dark hair sun bleached. Wavy earthy locks came down to broad shoulders and he wore a red bandanna around his head. Strange bead designs hung at one side of his face each finished with a gold or silver coin.
I found my hand raising to his hair and I took the two strings of beads in my hand. "I've never seen coins like these."
"No?"
"No. What's this writing?"
"Greek. It's supposedly from the lost city of Atlantis."
"Yeah right, and I have Aztec gold."
"That would be the crew of the Black Pearl, love."
"And from what ship might you be?"
"I, love, am from the Rhapsody. Captain Xiao-lang Li, at your service." He grinned at me and I found myself scolding him in my mind for his confidence, which frankly put, irritated the living heck out of me.
"Oh. And what is the Captain of a pirate ship doing miles inland in an abandoned church with two women he rather should get rid of at the first opportune moment?"
"That's a very long question. But the real question is: Should a lady such as yourself be minding what a scoundrel such as myself be doing miles inland in and abandoned church with two women I'd rather should get rid of at the first opportune moment?"
"So you admit that you are a scoundrel?"
"Aye. Scoundrel is as scoundrel does young miss. But, there are a many different forms of scoundrels walking about. I am but one."
"Indeed. And I suppose along with your short comings you are really a good man at heart?"
"Aye."
"I've met many men in my life Mr Li and I've never trusted one of them. You on the other hand is someone I hardly find trusting at all. Maybe it's that extraordinary scar on your face or just the way you… shall we say your behaviour towards me… I don't know. All I know is, I want you gone and the sooner the better."
He leaned back against the wall with a lazy grin playing on his handsome face, a grin I did not like. Groaning I got to my hands and knees and started to crawl away. I was tired, I was aching, my mind was racing with the past day's events and I was not in the mood for stupid pirates and their stupid games.
"Bloody pirate."
"A bit rich coming from you, wouldn't you say love?" Confused I turned and sat down to look at the man. That stupid grin was still on his face and I resisted the urge to wipe it off for him. What did he know?
"Just what is it that you want from me Mr Li?"
"Sakura! Oh, my gosh! I thought I heard your voice. You are up!" The door burst open and I could hear the girl bouncing in. I turned to smile at the girl and she swooped down and gave me a rather painful hug. "You simply will not believe…" She paused in her sentence and stared at the pirate still sitting against the wall with that arrogant grin on his face. "Do you mind?"
"Not at all love." She crinkled her nose at him.
"She means get lost." I snapped at him. Grinning he got to his feet rather slowly and lazily made his way to the door. "Bloody pirate."
"I'm not the one with the torn shoulder, now am I love?" He walked out and I only resisted the urge to throw something at his head only because I had nothing to throw at him. Sighing I turned my attention back to the girl. "They didn't do anything to you, did they?"
"Who? Them? No, a bunch of sweet hearts really. And lousy at cards, look at what I won." She pulled out a handful of silver coins from her pockets and two large silver hoop earrings. "One for you…" She put the ring in my ear and the other in her own "and one for me." I smiled at the girl. "I apologise for dragging you into this mess. It is me Juliana wants, not you."
"Loud of rubbish. She had her knife in for us both from the moment she laid eyes on us. Don't think she approves of a pirate girl protecting her stepdaughter and to make matters even worse we are related."
"I suppose that is a rather large thorn in her side. Do you think father would mind terribly if we turn her into sleeping beauty, let her sleep for a hundred years and let some fool awake her?"
"Only in fairy tales Snow White."
"I'm starting to think that we are trapped in a fairy tale. Witches, pirates and handsome lords… it is all so exciting."
"I missed the 'handsome lords' part."
I watched with a detached interest as the girl played cards with five pirates and one young lord I now know as Eriol Hiiragizawa. She jumped up and down in delight when she won the round and pocketed her earnings. "Hey lass, ye cheated, ye did."
"So did you. The only difference is, I am good at it."
"Wha' do they teach ye gals in those fancy schools?"
"This has got nothing to do with school Yamazaki."
"It come form always getting involved in fights in town with the local boys or young lords." I glanced at her and she gave me a knowing grin.
"Exactly, here I will show you." She sat back down to teach the men the art of cheating. Who would have thought? A young proper lady teaching grown pirates, the scum of the seas, to cheat. The irony in it was simply too much for anyone to handle.
I watched the young lord's eyes follow her lips as they moved in explanation. His sky blue eyes were deep and they carefully took note of everything the girl said and did. His midnight hair was messy and hinted at a hair cut long lost since his days at sea and the stubble on his face told me of a slight neglect from his part. Maybe due to the cold.
I could see he was a tropical man. His skin was sun touched and a beep bronze colour, his hands constantly pocketed to keep them warm and his boots seemed thicker than you would expect for a man from these parts.
He was just one of the many noble men from the tropics sent to sea to learn more about life before they could return to their homes and take over as the lords of the houses. The only difference is, this young noble was sent to a pirate ship instead of a naval or merchant ship.
My heart jumped. Will he be the pirate to sweep her of her warm booted feet and carry her down to his ship only to set sail for a luxurious house looking out over the ocean? What will happen to me if that day comes? I bit my lip. I've never thought of it. I've never thought of the day she would be a woman, young in love and married.
Somehow I've always seen her as this little girl I have to protect from the world, from the things I've seen as a child. And now…
My eyes turned to the rainy woods out side and I watched a raven hopping about in the wet tree branches. It tilted its head at me. Dark eyes blinked at me before it hopped on. "Hair as dark as the raven's wing." I breathed the wish.
AN: Hey! Okay, noting much happens. I suppose that every story needs at least one boring chapter, since the next one is exciting and the one after that is weird and disturbing and the one after that I still have to write. Ha-ha!
What's with this Li character? Don't know about you guys, but I get the sneaky feeling he is hiding something and I'm the one writing the story! And if he is hiding something, what has it got to do with Sakura? Will Tomoyo marry Eriol and move to the tropics? What will happen to Sakura?
More and more questions!
Thank you for the reviews!
Tella
Randomness: Nelson Mandela was the first black South African president in 1994. He is almost 90 years old and a great supporter against child abuse and poverty and initiated the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. His eldest and only living son died earlier this year of AIDS and Mr Mandela made a plea to the world to help prevent the spread of the virus. (My mom met him once and said he is a wonderful and very lovable old man.)