I'm slow; I know…here's what you've been waiting for.

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

-Chapter 3- The long road-

As dawn rose on the horizon, through every lapse between the mountains tops, horses traveled at a trot pace, legs burning from the strenuous hours of speed during the night. Riders at a side-by-side rhythm looked as evenly tired, deep breaths, constant yawns and fatigue shutting the lids over their eyes. Either spoke a word, nor shared a glance; they stared blankly ahead at the long road before them. Soon though, one would have to speak, it was only a matter of time before they were to become a vulnerable prey to their own yearns for slumber.

Until the sunset into dusk, they would have to ride and not till the eve could they rest and relax their strained backs and rejuvenate their energy with a meal. As for the moment, nothing seemed capable of evading sleep. The Chinese knew how rough the first days would be, hell, he mused and how true his thoughts were. Only one thing was befitting to wake them, the winds of the last hours in the somber dark had kept them shivering quite enough but they needed something else as the warmth from above shone down on earth.

''Yuuri…''Rei began quietly, simply sufficient for the lad to hear it. ''Why do you hate Roussiya as much as my father did?''

There was a pause, a few minutes slipped by, very slowly, the hooves clacking against the patches of ice and ground too loud for comfort, almost a berating sound flattening his goal of an answer. The face asked remained blank, no contemplation or twitch on his visage only a blink set off the action of a sigh.

''It is not something that can simply be responded too, you would have to know the story… beyond one solid reply.''

''Then do tell.''

Yuuri looked across at Rei, an unsure hesitation in the gaze he took, put at ease by the offering smile that silently promised his lips would stay sealed. The redhead cleared his throat, even if still dithered to confess, knowing that the odds in success were stacked high against them and either may not survive.

''My father, Ivanov, Dimitriev was a counselor for his majesty. As we both know, Asia is being conquered and slaves are taken as prisoners for work. Well in the earlier days, they would even take the young women of our homes and make them serve in the castle.''

His grip tightened on the reins held within his fists. ''My mother was sixteen and taken away under the communistic way and became my fathers personal servant. As she wrote in her diary, it took but one night and one place to snatch away everything she held dear or could possibly call a life. After months, my father began to realize her illness and the swelling in her stomach.''

There was no emotion, no favoring or preference to either parent, yet there was still more to be told. ''He banished her for another woman, one of your kind and left her at seventeen, pregnant without home or money in the streets of Moscow.'' His loathe was now present, strong in voice. ''She struggled, my mother was tortured just to give birth and was finally taken in by some of the peasant women.-''

''-Anna, her name, is one of the only things I can remember of her. She kept writing in her journal though, until her death at barely twenty and the women raised me. By ten, I questioned where my father was and about a day or so after, I was running for my life.''

Rei wanted to ask, in his absorbed state in the tale 'why' but he knew it would soon be given meaning and justified by the sadness he could hear lacing the story.

''The eldest, Makita tried beseeching my father to care for his son but when the Emperor found out, he accused Dimitriev of bedding a foreigner since the last slave he had that was also dismissed and for his honor, we, the filth, the disgust were to be exterminated like we never existed.''

It sounded horrible and felt as bad having been said, the hurt resurfacing when it had been left behind, in the past where it belonged.

''I was given but a letter from my father in which he explained so before the good ladies were hung publicly for false prostitution and I was stowed away in road for St-Petersburg. He was informed of my name and when I was not found, the Lord confronted him and demanded to know my whereabouts. I still do not know if he did know but to make amends he died, murdered keeping my identity a secret.''

The quietness could not be helped, Rei could only feel a welling empathy that he fumbled to express, the syllables caught on his tongue slightly agape.

''Yuuri, I-''

''Don't. I do not want your pity. That is my past, I do not dwell, I live in the present and look forward to my future.''

''Understood.''

With that said and a nod as comprehension, the topic dropped and further speech never occurred, the brief sharing gone as fast as it came.

The day had been mild, weather calm without wind or snow all through the morning and past the afternoon. Not a single soul had followed the dirt paths between villages, the last town not seen since the sun had fully reigned supreme in the cloudless sky. No one had paid Yuuri any attention, in and out within a matter of minutes; they purchased fruits and drank to quench the parched feel in their throats before parting.

Many gawked at the foreigner and others deducted he was simply the assistant to the Russian they assumed was wealthy to afford such services. He did not feel intimidated under their scrutiny and focused observation; instead, he narrowed the onyx in his topaz rare gems and walked proudly, not behind but parallel, displaying subtle equivalence.

That had been then and now; the gallop of another beast was heard in the distance. Ahead of them, the steady velocity appeared and a sole trekker approached. In a hush whisper, still out of range, Rei murmured a request discretely amid them.

It was a man riding his steed, fully equipped with luggage tied down to the saddle, eyes locked on the man signaling him. He scanned the pair, atop the ebony mare, beneath a layer of fur; he distinguished an outsider, opposite to the native dressed in ivory with two perfect red bangs framing his pale face, only a few locks poking out from the outerwear.

Suspicion did not falter his kind smile as he slowed down to give his response to the asked for directions.

''Pryamo (straight ahead).'' He informed and pointed an outstretched arm behind him, back towards the direction he had came.

The strangers nodded and headed in their respective ways, either glancing back at the other until the crunching of the hooves dissipated into another silence. More hours passed, consumed by the looming distance gaining dominance over the sky when a loud bang startled them both.

''What was that?'' Rei jerked his head in every way, eyes scanning the road and forest, both covered in white.

''It sounded like a firearm.'' Yuuri stated, following the lead in observing the area.

Nothing was to be seen, only heard as another shot was fired, this time getting louder. The steeds began to feel uneasy, their nays anxious and trot almost fearful. Not much seemed to calm them, panic arising as two blurs of gray dashed by at incredible speed. Another horse ran by, a pair of men riding it, chasing whatever flew by as another round shot through the atmosphere.

A howl meant the men were hunters and their latest prey, a family of wolves. The horrendous yelp up ahead made them both wince as the small hill hid the atrocious kill from their sights. Only growling resonated through the trees with a wind, thick with the smell of fresh blood.

Rei sympathized dearly for the animals and as he looked up, in a bolt, Yuuri sped off after the huntsmen. The unfair predators were laughing when he arrived, at what he did not know until he saw their repulsive methods. A rusty trap had been set, the jaws of a bear ensnare were clamped around the paw of a yelping wolf. He jumped off his horse, ivory jacket swooping up behind him as he marched up to the men with an intense glare coursing through his marine orbs.

They were about to move in for the kill when his voice stopped them.

''How much does a fur coat go for on the market?''

''What's it to you?'' The taller sneered at him, his cracked lips pursing into a fine line of annoyance.

''Give me a price.''

''Nyet.(No)''

The smaller held securely onto the leather strap for his long barreled gun, a warning to the intruder as he gruffly answered when his partner refused too. ''Two thousand rubles.''

''Why so interested?'' His companion inquired, glancing over his shoulder at the beast still defenseless as malice flashed viciously with his rising anxiety.

Yuuri turned on his heels, marching back to their horses as Rei stayed silent, yet probing the situation with ocher orbs, a mix of curiosity brimming his long lashes that blinked against the wind picking up.

''If you let that wolf go free and return to wherever you came from, I'll pay you double the worth of its coat.''

They had not all day caught a single creature through the woods and the redhead knew this since nor had a carcass or layer of fur had been mounted on the saddle. Returning empty handed as tradesmen decreased their value and left them with nothing to sell to the high bourgeoisie. All this taken into consideration, they shared a glance and nodded respectively, hands out for the exchange. The money would surely make up for their bad day.

''Deal.''

The men gathered their things and rode off, not sparing any final glances, giddy from the golden coins their grubby, greedy hands toyed with. As soon as they were out of sight, Rei dismounted and walked towards Yuuri who was cautiously approaching the growling beast.

She bore her canine teeth, the intimidating tone rumbling in her throat as the tiny barks from her cubs sounding all around them. Each step carefully placed brought him bit by bit closer until he crouched down, just out of angry mouth's reach and watched her try and crawl away. Her menacing azure eyes had resembled his own in such an uncanny way that he shivered.

The mother's injuries were not deadly, only two razor sharp rusty teeth pierced through her paw but it was chained to the ground and running would only cause more pain. She knew this but kept trying desperately to free herself, crimson staining the immaculate snow. How horrific!

His hands reached out and gripped onto the rusty metal, trying to pull it apart. It took a minute or two as blood leaked from his new wounds until finally the corrosion snapped and the wolf was free. She had not snapped at him or mauled what seemed threatening to her but stared him down with a howl of recognition and limped off into her obscure haven.

Rei, now behind him, did not even have to ask why he displayed compassion, a true sign of weakness amongst his kind, all renown to robbery and thievery. His past made him a legend through whispered words from ear to ear. Yet, he portrayed a lighter shade of the grimly black past he survived.

''I felt for that beast as I feel for your cause. It is not right what our Emperor does to your kind. You are traded off as slaves as the wolves fur to some aristocrat both you and Takao. That is why I must help you conquer this leader.''

There was a smile as acceptance and a nod of thank and sincerity as they continued with their ride, their journey.

TBC-

There was small mention of communism and it probably will reoccur again. It is a dictatorship, for those who are not familiar with it of one individual that decides what to do with your life, most common in the employment category. Once I get into the full Empire stage, everything should fall into place.

Saddles were not invented in the time setting for this, I am unsure of the date of invention but it is at least a decade or two later. How about we ignore that little detail?

Now, does everyone understand better?

Yuuri's past, next chapter and new character.