Dark Arrow
By Marie Darkholme
5. Strangers and Outlaws
After another two or more hours of riding, she didn't know exactly, since the sun had been blocked by the clouds that had been, during most of the day, just wondering around and began to cloud the sky, blocking the sun's view, Sora and her fellow horse, Thunder, along with the other two companions, Koushiro and Autumn Leaf just wanted a stop. The horses were obviously tired from all the galloping at strong speed. Not even Thunder could bare such rhythm and the young girl was beginning to feel the long hours of riding in her body as well. Her legs needed stretched, her back a rest and a hard floor. Nevertheless, the lady kept galloping, followed closely by the red haired man.
The trees were beginning to gradually disappear as the double reached the surroundings of Oita's port, giving place to the open fields, many of them cultivated, even though the proximity to the sea. Taking a deep breath, Sora could almost feel the sea breeze bringing the ocean's salty smell to her nose, to which she smiled. Further on, she began seeing small family houses here and there. Some sheep crossed their path guided by a little curly blond girl that smiled while running after the animals. The lady was impressed by the apparent happiness in which the poor child lived, having to wake up earlier and coming home very late, always alone in the fields with only the company of the animals. She probably couldn't even read. She sighed as she continued her path. There were so many girls in that position. Nevertheless she knew they weren't the worst. At least they had a family and a place to stay. Poor of the children who have to sleep in the streets of the dangerous villages.
Soon the fields were replaced by a very complex amount of wood houses with noisy people and busy streets. The two riders were watched by the people that eyed them with a mix of curiosity and distrust. It was always like that wherever there were strangers, especially with such garments and mounted. It was inevitable. Sora, though, trying not to get unwanted attention, drove her horse through the most desert streets where the smell of puke and urine was as abundant as the garbage and the familiar cats scratching over them. Disgusted, the lady incurred more velocity in her stallion and the port entered her view in brief seconds.
Climbing off the horse, she made her way towards the sea. Koushiro was alerted by her reaction and fearing she would throw herself into the waters he followed her running. The lady reached the end of the docks and bended trying to reach the water. Frightened, Koushiro jumped over her and managed to grab her feet, preventing her from, in her euphoria of falling into the waters.
"Are you crazy?" he yelled at her, pushing her as she cleaned her dusted face with the salty ocean waters. She didn't reply, and kept lying on the docks, with her eyes closed, feeling the ocean breeze move across the air, waving slightly her auburn hair. Koushiro sat besides her breathing heavily from the effort of pulling the lady up. "Don't be so mean. I was just trying to feel the waters." Sora replied, opening her eyes and turning to her side to face the red haired. "Sometimes you can be so childish, Lady Sora." Koushiro replied, trying to annoy her by calling her by her title, which in fact worked.
"You know more to me than to call me that." She replied rising immediately and walking towards her the black stallion. "To call you what?" he teased walking after her. "Childish or a lady?" he replied. Sora pretended not to have heard his words and continued to her horse. Climbing on, she messed her hair, so it would look more masculine and dirtied her face. "Maybe it should be better if I talked from now on." Koushiro said, climbing on his horse as he watched the woman's masking herself. "Why should you?" Sora replied in a hard deep tone, which made her sound like a young man. Koushiro eyed her approvingly. "Very good, very good." He stated clapping his hands softly. "I guess Jyou really taught you everything he knew." He continued. The lady eyed her confused. "What do you mean?" her friend laughed as he incited his horse to walk. "Didn't he tell you?" he asked knowing as a matter of fact he would never have told her. "No, what?" Koushiro stayed quite for a while, testing her patient. "What? Tell me." She demanded punching him on the shoulder. "Okay." Koushiro said rubbing his arm. The lady smirked.
"Once upon a time…" "Oh, c'mon Koushiro. Go straight to the point." "I was just trying to be fun. You always say I'm boring." He replied faking sadness. "That is because you are. Well, let me correct myself. Latin is boring, therefore a Latin professor is boring." She stated. He nodded understanding. "True. But going back to the point…"
Not far away from them, deep in the forest, still, the Captain was trying desperately to find his way through the maze woods that seemed to form death ends at every second. The map was obviously not actualized, showing ways that had been closed, and unmarking new ones. He made a memory note, to inform the queen about it. After all, Oita's port was one of the most important ports of the kingdom and needed to be well located on their maps for him, as the captain, be able to dispose his troops easily through the paths in case of an invasion of the neighbour kingdoms. Even though, they were at a peace clime, one never knows exactly what the other kings and queen are thinking and it is important to keep all, options on. Nevertheless, he did not suspect from any attack from any kingdom, especially their neighbours in the Ishida kingdom. Towards the other side of the ocean, though, he was more alert. He distrusted from the king of that land. He though of them as barbarian people who would do nothing but kill, but maybe it was just his mind wanting so badly to hurt those responsible by his sister's dead.
He had doubted his mission from the first second it had been assigned to him. but he couldn't do anything. Everyday he spent out of the castle's walls was a possible day of attack to the queen and as the captain he should not be there, looking for the queen's niece, which certainly had her reasons to leave the castle. Besides, and above all, the lady was free to go wherever she wished since she had already reached maturity according to the kingdom's laws and being a free woman she could have gone away if she wished. Nevertheless the queen had forbidden her. That was one of the strangest things. The other was perhaps the fact that Lord Jyou had been murdered at his own house a month ago. He could not understand who wouldn't want to murder the old man. He had no money, no properties. No one would benefit in his dead.
Pushing again the thoughts that had so many times crossed his mind away, Daisuke decided that he wasn't going anywhere with that old map and so decided to follow his instincts. He could feel the doubt on his men actions and looks. If he wasn't a decided and authoritarian leader, his men would soon question his actions and that wasn't good. He didn't want them to fear him of course, but trust was important and he wasn't transmitting much of it into them. He himself doubted his decisions and that for itself made the men distrusted.
In the castle, the young blond stable boy was preparing the horses for his Majesty King Yamato, that a servant had alerted him of the visit of the neighbour kingdom's ruler. He immediately took providences and grabbed a long cloak that he had on his small room near the stables and covered his blond hair with mud and dirt. Then, knowing the King should have his own horse, he began preparing Princess Mimi's white horse. It was a beautiful female with long mane and tail of the pure whitest you could see. At young age, the princess herself had chosen the female colt as her horse. He patted the animal in the back which caused a small whinny from its part, liking the attention that had so long being denied to it. Though Takeru walked all the horses several days a week, preventing them from getting too sedentary and sick because of it, the white horse knew this time it wasn't going to be rode by the young blond but by its owner.
He heard steps in the entrance, and putting the comb with which he was combing the horse's mane, he turned, his head down and his back slightly bend to see who it was. The man standing before him was unmistakable. His eyes of cold blue tone, icing his heart even without looking straight at them and his blond hair, now a little longer. Bending slightly with a hint of disgust spreading over his body, the younger blond went back to his duties after greeting with a small murmur the guest.
The King though, didn't seemed satisfy with this small courtesy and followed the younger stable boy towards the princess's horse that neighed noisily as the King tried to pat its back, rising on its back . Yamato backed off a little and smiled cynically a little taken back by the horse's actions. Takeru grinned inwardly as he continued combing the horse. He could feel the gaze of the other over him but he tried to ignore it as much as he could.
Yamato continued to stare at the younger with the strangest sensation that he knew him. He was tall for the normal, and though his hair was covered with dirt, he still could distinguish a dirty blond on his hair. If he could only see his eyes, maybe his doubts would disappear, but the stable boy kept his gaze on the horse, distant enough for him not being able to see his eyes. His face was also covered in mud and it was difficult to say if he had light or dark skin. He moved forward but again the horse began to neigh defensive to the stranger that invaded its space. That irritated the young King, who could swear the horse was obeying the orders of the stable boy.
"Have we met before?" he said, trying to gain the attention of the younger and at the same time make him look at him. Takeru though, didn't gave him that pleasure and kept staring at the horse's mane that he continued to comb, even though it was already as soft as the princess's hair.
"I don't think so." He replied in a dry tone. Yamato was about to protest when he was interrupted by someone entering the stables. It was a young brown haired girl. She looked at the stable boy and they seemed to change some looks, before she looked to the King and bowed respectfully, grabbing her skirts so they wouldn't touch more than they should the ground. Her head leaned forward slightly but with such graciosity. The King watched himself admiring the beauty of the girl. With a grin he moved towards her and took her hand. The Lady seemed a little frightened by that and that surely caused the stable boy to change his attention from the horse.
"My Lady!" he replied kissing her hand, feeling her soft skin over his lips. He was evaluating her looks, but Hikari immediately retrieved her hand directing to the stable boy. Ignoring the King's stares before her impertinent attitude of refusing him, she exchanged some looks with Takeru before speaking. "Is the Princess's horse ready?" she asked. Takeru nodded with his head always down. "Yes, my Lady." He replied, untying the horse from the wood cell where it was imprisoned and giving the reins to the Lady.
King Ishida was about to say something to regain the young's lady attention, when a cough made him turn towards the entrance of the stables, where Princess Mimi looked at him with a superior look, trying not to sound affected by the orders she had been given by her mother. Yamato immediately walked towards the Princess and politely bent and kissed her gloved hand. Mimi though continued with her superior look and looked over to Hikari. "Is my horse ready, Takashi?" she asked directing to Takeru. The young blond nodded as Hikari walked with the white horse behind her. She gave the reins to Mimi and murmured her good look to the ride. The princess smiled and climbed her horse. Caressing the mane of the female, she whispered her some words. "Now we go fast and safe, right, Snow Flake?" the horse neighed slightly like he was actually understanding its mistress' orders and when Mimi hit it softly with her heels, the horse began its march over the field, gaining an easy advance over the young King who was beginning to climb his horse.
As the two lovers were alone, Hikari threw herself over Takeru's arms, longing for his touch and attention. The blonde kissed her forehead as he stroked her hair affectionately. They sat over the clean straw spread over the stable and remained there in each other's arms just enjoying their moment together.
After a long period of silence, Hikari talked, her curiosity spreading her webs over her consciousness not being able to stop. She was dying to know if Takeru had met the King before. "Takeru?!" "Yes?" he replied drifting on his own thoughts, not really paying attention to her need of conversation or more to say, need of knowledge. "Do you know King Ishida?" she asked, turning her head to meet his eyes. He took a deep breath before replying, as he was pondering the answer, which made the brown haired girl distrusted of the veracity of his answer. "No." he replied. She took his head between her hands as he tried to purposely avoid her gaze and made him look right straight at her. "I don't believe you. Tell me the truth." She asked. There was another sigh, as Takeru tried to convince himself of the truth behind his lies. As he did not answer her for a while, Hikari got slightly disturbed by his attitude and rose in a way of protest, walking out the stables.
Takeru frightened by her sudden reaction followed her. He confronted her back that was turned to him. he hesitated as to touch her or not, but as a little sob was heard he immediately put his arms around her feeling bad for making her cry. "Don't cry Hikari." He pleaded shushing her in his arms as a small child. "How can we have a trust relationship if I don't even know who you are?" she replied, allowing her feelings to speak for themselves. Understanding her frustration and anger, Takeru pondered as he had made so many times in telling her his story, the story that had brought him where he was now. He desired to tell her, but in times like the current ones, the truth was sometimes dangerous to know. He knew that by not telling her was protecting her, but by doing it he was also hurting her, kind of revile their relationship. He did not want that, but still he couldn't find the right words or the feel the right time to tell her about his hidden past, that he had wished so many times to bury.
The red haired man watched as his friend's face went from astonished to surprise until she finally burst into laugh. "He really did that. I cannot believe it. Not Jyou-sama." She replied, contending her laugh with her hand. She was trying not to laugh too loud, in order to diminish the attentions that were already over them. She had been feeling them since they had arrived. But more than that, she had been having the strange sensation of being watched and chased. She had had that feeling over the night both her and Koushiro had spent in the forest, when in the middle of the night she began to hear some strange noises around their improvised camp. And since they had arrived to the busy population of Oita, she was constantly watching her back, feeling eyes over her and not the eyes of the villagers. With those she could easily handle, but that feeling of being chased, that was really messing her senses up.
She looked around once more. The people around them where the average you could see. Women with children buying food and clothes. Some merchants here and there trading products. She had been noticing for a while how they were mostly so unprepared. If she had wanted to, she could have robbed many of them, without they even noticing. Besides, it was unusual that a port's population, knowing perfectly how those are the first attack spots on every war, or even because of the corsairs and pirates that haunted the ocean and sometimes the coast as well, pilling and robbing, rapping and killing, was not armed. She had only saw about two or three men carrying weapons who could actually injure someone, but the others, besides small pocket knifes for eventual needs, wouldn't bother much an eventual attacker.
Looking around, she continued to search for flaws in the community of that port. The buildings, though, couldn't be much criticised as she had never saw such well built constructions since she had left the castle. Sure they were of wood and few more but for that, they seemed to have a stable structure and very resistant as well. It was while resting her eyes over one of the buildings, a support of a small tend outside with vegetables and fruit and stuff like that, that her eyes met a young man's dark brown eyes. They met for only a second, but for Sora it was like she had saw them a million times before, and in fact she had seen similar eyes. They were precisely like her friend's eyes, Hikari. But those, did not belong to her but to a man that was all clothed. She could barely see his face behind the hood that covered his head. Along with him, were another two men with similar clothing. Once their eyes met, she could not deviate her glare. His eyes were simply captivating. She followed his movements for a while, until the man seemed to look at her for one second time. Without even noticing, both were stopped in the street, eyeing each other from a three or four metre distance, with a barely fair amount of people between them. And even thought, their eye contact were partially broken from the passengers as they walked between them, for the two, there was that sensation that there wasn't anyone around.
At a certain moment, Koushiro acknowledge that his pall had stayed a little behind and fighting against the sea of people that threatened to push him to the other side, he managed to get to her side. They had left both Thunder and Autumn Leaf at a rent stable they had saw and found proper for such noble horses as the two of them were. In fact, Sora had given strict orders that both horses were not restrained, so they could go wherever they wished. The owner of course had charged a little more for that, since he would have to double the surveillance and other babbling directed to extract money from the incautious customers. Sora and Koushiro had both agreed until they felt the quantity the owner was trying to grab was a little too much for the service.
Reaching for her, he noticed her gaze towards something or someone on the other side, but as he looked he could not see anything but three figures sliding into a building that he recognized as a bar. As he was distracted watching the three hooded figures, he only had the time to see a fourth figure, that he recognized as Sora by the short auburn hair and the small part of the bow that she carried on her bag. He immediately followed her.
Sora swathe three men sitting on a table on a dark corner of the large bar. She searched for an empty table and seeing Koushiro coming in, she dragged him towards the table. The red haired followed her confused. Sora had found something odd in those strange individuals. The way they walked around and dressed made her suspicious about their intentions, but more than that, the main reason was the incomprehensible attraction that she was feeling towards the brown eyed man. Somehow she felt it was more than curiosity but pure attraction as they were two opposite poles that attracted each other mutually. She still couldn't see his face, but in her mind she was seeing exactly how he was.
The servant came after a few minutes and asked them what they wanted. Without even thinking, Sora asked for an a typical alcoholically drink of the zone. It was simply the strongest stuff around the place. Koushiro asked for a cup of whine and the servant didn't even blink and immediately went away to bring them moments after the two drinks. The red haired man tried uselessly to understand the reason they were there as he felt they had so much more important things to do. He limited himself to follow the crimson eyed gaze toward the strange trio on the dark corner of the bar. It was then that he began, even if not completely, the reason they had made a stop there. There was definitely something wrong about those men. He considered the possibilities. Thieves, murders, outcasts, escaped prisoners… who knew? They could be everything he could imagine.
Sora watched as the servant served the trio with a suspicious look on his grey blue eyes, raising his grey eyebrow as he put down the drinks on the men's table. Two of the men seemed not to like that look over the servants face but the brown eyed seemed little bothered about the gazes that were beginning to stop over him and his friends. He took a sip of his drink as Sora took a sip of her own and their eyes met once again. She could not looks other way, his eyes were just captivating, but seeing behind the looks, she could feel a great amount of sorrow, anger and sadness all mixed up. As if knowing she was reading his feelings, the man put down his drink and stood. At the same time, the other two raised as well. Maybe this sudden move scared the bar's customers and the owner as well, but what Sora had thought to be harmless men, drew tanto from their boots and circled the group. They were about six to three.
She wanted to react but a firm grip on her wrist prevented her from getting to her katana. Koushiro shook his head disapprovingly. "No." he replied. Sora released her wrist from his grip and looked straight into his eyes. "But that's not fair. They can't attack three men like that." She stated. Nevertheless Koushiro continued to support his position. "We should not get involved. You don't know who they are, thieves, murders, Sora." He whispered. But Sora was a stubborn girl and as one, she denied to accept the wise words of her friend. No they can't be. Not him. She thought to herself. She wished with all her straights that that was not possible, not true. The brown eyed man could not be a murder, maybe a thief but not a murder. Nevertheless she stayed quiet, her hand firmly holding her katana, just in case.
The six man moved towards the three with accusing fingers, affirmations and swords. "You pirate. Get out of our town." One of them with dark blue short hair said, motioning to the brown eyed man. The man looked at the blue haired and then to the rest of the customers that had rose and circled them. "We do not wish to cause any troubles." He said, but the attackers only laugh. "But, pirate, that's all you bring every time you come here." Another one replied, his tanto approaching dangerously the brown eyed throat. The other two companions seemed to watch motionless and let the one who seemed to be their leader to deal with the crises. In spite of that, they seemed also ready to back up for him in case it was needed.
Moving his finger across the sharp blade, the brown eyed pushed the tanto away from his throat. "Leave us alone and we will not cause troubles." He replied, his eyes scolding the other six men. "Enough talk, let's finish this pirate scum." The dark blue haired man replied. There were several yell of joy coming from other men. "Yeah, let's do it." "Let's send these pirates to the bottom of the ocean."
Sora watched carefully as the struggle turned from an oral fighting to pure blood action. The dark blue haired raised his tanto in the air and tried to hit the brown eyed in the air, attack which he avoided easily. His hood fell behind as he reached for his katana, revealing a dark brown messy hair, crossed in his forehead by a blue headband. Seeing his looks for the first time, Sora had to remember herself to breed. What is happening to me? Why am I feeling this way? she thought confused with the feelings of lust and passion mixed with the adrenaline of the upcoming fight.
"First of all…" the brown eyed replied as his blade confronted the small tanto emitting the so familiar metal sound. "We are not pirates." He stated. "We are corsairs." The blue haired man smiled showing his yellow teeth and one missing space on the bottom maxillary. The brown haired coughed a little. "Second, you need to wash your teeth." The brown haired swung his blade and hit the man with the handle on his face, making him immediately fall to the ground. The fight wasn't after all unfair for the three corsairs but to the six men that had started it. The other two had already defeated one each as well, and there were only three to three, that the corsairs weren't having much of a trouble to defeat. It was when the brown haired guy turned his back on her, that Sora had a strange feeling behind her. She stood like a lightning and with a backwards mortal jump she ended on the top of the counter, where the grey eyed servant had reached for a bow and was now aiming at the back of the brown haired guy.
"Huh, that is not nice." She replied to the man threatening him with her small knife that she had retrieved from her leg on his throat. Only then, the brown haired guy turned and acknowledged the danger he had been seconds before. He was surprised to find that someone had actually helped them. He finish his fight with the second man and hit a third on his way to the door, where his friends awaited for him. "Let's get out of here, Taichi." One of them replied motioning to the brown haired. Taichi made a final glance to the young man that had saved his life and waved him goodbye as he covered his head with the hood again, disappearing of Sora's sight. The young woman still eyed the door for a few seconds before realising the man was actually gone. She let out a sight, forgetting all about the fight and the bad position in which she had put herself and Koushiro.
A cough by the owner brought her back to reality. Koushiro remained immobile on his sit, his mouth wide open in shock. "Could you…?" the grey blue eyed man replied pushing away the knife on his jugular. The girl looked back at the man, and retrieving the knife back to its original place, she climbed off the counter with cat agility and faced him. "Why did you do that?" she yelled at the man. He backed a little frightened by the rage on her voice, more because she looked like a young powerful man. Nevertheless, he found something strange with that boy. "They are pirates." The man said in his defence. Sora's face reddened even more. "And that means you can kill them without they even threatening your live? They were drinking at your bar and you try to kill him on the back?" she shouted. The man backed a little more until he reached the wall. Not even being on the other side of the counter would protect him from that boy's fury. But for his surprise, Sora sighed and turning on her heels she exited the bar, followed by Koushiro that first threw some coins on the counter that he thought would pay for the drinks.
"What was that?" he asked his friend as he caught up with her, but her mind was far away from her body. He could see her face moving from one side to the other, like she was searching for something. "What are you doing?" he asked grabbing her by her shoulders. The girl looked at him and a small blush crossed her dirty features. Koushiro backed up frightened. "No, I can't believe it." He replied. "What are you thinking? Have you forgotten what you were doing here?" he replied shaking her. A sad smile appeared on her lips. "Yeah, you're right." She replied. Koushiro immediately regretted his actions. He had simply never saw Sora falling for a guy. He remembered when they were young. Sora was the tomboy lady. There wasn't anyone in the village around the castle that didn't know that. The guards appreciated her for her skills and when Jyou began to train her, many fell for her charm, beauty and kindness, but yet aggressive, wild and powerful. But he had never saw her look for a man as more than an adversary, when some dared to challenge her or as a friend. It was simple not in her nature, Koushiro had thought. He could even swear she had never been in love or kissed a guy. And now he was kind of forbidden her from falling in love. But he had his reasons. After all, the man was an outlaw, a stranger, a corsair, and they had more important things to do. He knew somehow she would have a deception with that man, but her sad smile just angst him. Nevertheless, she continued her way, hiding her feelings and thoughts from him as they headed to a place where they could buy a passage in a boat to the other side, where the answer of her quest lied.
Unaware to them, two individuals spied them from the corner of a building. They were both well built and wore long black hooded cloaks that covered them. "Should we take them down now?" the first one asked. "No, he said that we should wait until she meet the people she's searching and then we kill them all." The other replied. Their smirks were obvious and so was their thirst for blood, even if innocent. "Sweet. I hope they don't take too long. My blade his dry for too long."
Thanks to all people who reviewed my last chapter. Saphira you're from Portugal? Me too.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Sorry for the delate but right now it will be very difficult for me to update because of school. I'm studying harder this year, so I'll be studying more time and writing less, but I'll try to update every week.
So, how was it? did you liked Taichi's entrance? I hope so.
See ya next time.