Dark Arrow

By Marie Darkholme

6. Illicit Passengers

Captain Motomiya sighed as he saw the proximity of the village. Sure they weren't already in the port, but he could already feel the soft ocean breeze. He had made, once again, the right decision in quickening the already fast paces both his men and him were taking. He would reach the centre of Oita's port before night fall and that way, it would be easier for him to discover if the lady had taken that path, which he was sure she had, but more important if she was still there, or if she had taken a boat to the other side. He feared the second possibility, knowing he had no jurisdiction over the other kingdom and she half protected by their laws. He could not cross the border, and neither could his royal guard or the neighbour kingdom could think of it as a threat to its independent.

Shaking his head, he tried to push those thoughts away. He was convicted that he would find the young runaway there and take her as fast as he could back to the palace. But if he didn't, and he had to consider that possibility, after all she had ran away underneath their noses, he had to get back to the palace and present his conclusions to the queen, and much probably prepared to be dismissed from his current position. But there was nothing he could do. In fact, a part of him wanted the lady to continue her search of whatever she was searching.

"Princess!" the blond called after the young girl who had incited the white female to go further and faster. She was in no mood to talk to that obnoxious king who thought of himself as the centre of the world. She didn't even understand why it was so important for her mother that her relationship with the blond worked. He had a kingdom, and she would have her mother's kingdom when she was older, so she couldn't understand the interest. Besides, she distrusted that her mother feared the neighbour king for reasons unknown to her, but whatever the facts were, she was not letting him get to her so easily. Not even to a chat.

She began to think about her beloved Latin teacher who was missing since the day before. A sigh escaped her lips as she thought it had been already two days that she had last seen him. And she hadn't seen her cousin, Lady Sora either. Suddenly the truth hit her. Neither her cousin nor her professor were in the castle since the day before and Hikari had been trying to avoid the question. She knew for sure her cousin would never runaway with Koushiro as lovers, but then, why wasn't she there? She needed to know but that wasn't the time. Hearing the king calling her name for the fourth time, she decided to stop so he would catch up with her. As she waited for him to arrive, she caressed the mane of her Snow Flake. Her long braid fell over to her chest as she turned to meet the king's ice blue eyes. She found him very attractive physically but as she looked to his eyes, they showed nothing but cold, they could even shill her breath. She just thought there was something wrong with him.

"My Princess, that was quite a ride you maid." Yamato replied as he caught up with the young woman. He once more admired her beauty. He could not believe there was any woman more beautiful than her. He just loved her hair and her figure well built and shaped just like a woman's should be. There was nothing in her that he would like to change, at least nothing physical. He found her annoying from times to times and too much independent for his taste, but he would take care of that when she was his to control. At least, she was surely easier to tame than that supposedly cousin of hers. He smirked at the thought. Sora was an amazing woman as well. He loved her body but not her personality. She was too wild, too strong and too intelligent. He hated her eyes. They were eyes of people who never give up, of a fighter. But within time, she would be tamed too. Unless, of course, something happened to her in her journey. Another smirk crossed his lips. But in case that she survived, she would be his as well. His father had taught him well. Maybe too well. He thought. If he wasn't so thirsty of power, maybe he would still be alive.

"You were the one who could not accompany my pace, Your Majesty." Princess Mimi replied looking away with a superior look. She did not fear him, even if her mother did. Yamato watched her. "Don't be so spoiled princess." He murmured to himself. "Call me Yamato." He replied. Mimi looked over to him and smiled happy with the denial of title calling. "Mimi." she said. "Shall we go now for our ride?" she continued, her defences against the man resting.

In the stables, the two lovers continued their argument about the truth that Hikari pleaded so much to know and that Takeru tried so hard to hid. He didn't think that was the moment. Not now and certainly not there but Hikari was just took tired of waiting. She wanted to know, she demanded to know. As she forced one more argument on him, a simple thought crossed her mind, the thought that she too was hiding something. Well, perhaps not properly hiding, but she wasn't telling him either.

She sighed finally defeated or perhaps she understood his reasons as she had her own. "I shall be going. I should meet with my mother." She replied. The blond sighed as well. "Do you really?" he distrusted. "Or are you mad at me and trying to avoid me?" he asked truthfully. But before he could jump into any conclusion of any kind, the girl threw herself on his arms, resting her lips over his in a passionate kiss. "I could never be mad at you, Takeru." She replied, her hands around his neck, feeling his hands over her waist. "Nothing in this world could change the way I feel about you." She replied. The blond smiled. "I love you too Hikari." He stated, sealing his love with another kiss, before the girl escaped of his arms. He still managed to grab her hand. "Do you really have to go?" he asked trying to push her into another kiss. She giggled. "Yes, I must go." She said looking to the ground. Then her face showed a smile. "But we can always meet at your room, tonight." Without waiting for a response, she took off, knowing he would be waiting for her that night.

Sora and Koushiro stopped at the motel near the stable where they had left the horses. Even for a cheap motel, it surely was a little better than their previous one. The auburn haired girl watched carefully her surroundings. It was a nice familiar place. There wasn't any common room in the entrance with any kind of men playing or drinking; just some small chairs where some people could sit for a while.

She directed herself to the counter where a blond, toothless, broken nosed man smiled widely showing his five or six teeth, all of them yellow and dirt. Sora backed a little as the man opened his mouth, turning her face in disgust from that hideous sight. He sure could use some teeth wash or at least a new breath. She thought as she carefully approached the man once more. Koushiro was a little back from her watching the sky through the window. It was getting darker again. That surely wasn't good for them. By his calculations it was more than certain a batch of water to the next day. He just hoped the trip would go well. They had enough problems already. Threatening that tavern man wasn't the most marvellous idea his friend had had. She had just made even more clear where they were and their destination. He knew the captain wasn't stupid. And he had a strange feeling about the trip. Something told him it wasn't going to be so fine.

He moved his weary eyes to Sora's slender figure that had already taken care of the rooms where they were supposed to stay till the next day. A sailor in the docks had informed them about the boat's departures and the next one was just the next day early at the first sun rays. So, they had to find some place to stay and as they crossed the stable and left the horses there, with a couple of tears in their eyes, especially Sora who praised the black stallion above all her belongings. Well, perhaps above almost all her belongings. There was something that she cared for more. He was sue she would rather die than to loose either her katana or her scarf. They were the most precious things she owned.

"So, did you found us a room?" he asked following her as she made her way through the long hall that directed to the rooms. On the end of the hall there were a glance of stairs that she climbed ease and quickly. "Yup!" she replied stopping in front of a wooden door with a small sign saying "number 13". "Number 13?!" he read. "Don't you know thirteen is bad luck?" he continued as she stuck the metal key on the door lock and opened the door. "Yeah, that's exactly why is cheaper." She replied. Koushiro smacked his forehead following her in. "You're always so worried about money." He said, kind of annoyed.

The room was big enough for them both to fit in along with the bags and it had two beds made on the floor separated by a small lamp, also on the floor. There was no furniture, just the two mattresses. The window kept the room with light but Koushiro doubted that they could see whatever it was at night with that small oil lamp. It was even smaller than their travel ones.

"Look at this place." He shouted. "We might as well sleep outside." He motioned furiously to the window. Sora, though, wasn't paying enough attention to him to argue whatever he was saying. She was arranging the bed she had chosen to sleep the night and positioning her bag over her side. She retrieved her bow carefully not to scratch it along with the arrows and put them over her bed, before she took a cloth and began cleaning the bow. "I mean…" the red haired man continued. "…you are a lady. An unusual lady but even so…" he stopped as he turned to face her and realised she wasn't listening to a word of what he was saying. "Are you even listening to me?" he yelled.

Angry and sick of Koushiro's complaining, even if knowing he was just trying to protect her from those subaltern disguised houses, she stood up, and leaving what she was doing, stormed out of the room, leaving an astonished, but yet annoyed Koushiro behind, that kept complaining about all the stuff he had been through and how ungrateful she was being. Sora though, even before exiting the room had already forgiven him. After all, he was right. It was her fault that he was in that mess. He could well loose his job at the palace for just being with her and his life was at stake too. Besides, she knew he would eventually come to his senses after he had rested for a while and thought about the reason she preferred cheap rooms. Even being the queen's niece and having noble blood didn't gave her right to a fortune. With her parents dead, her aunt had been through the years her own support. All the money she had wasn't from her aunt but money she had made working disguised here and there teaching kids how to read, working at the market selling clothes she had been given, more properly dresses that she thought to fancy for her. All the money she had saved was now worth for something. Something very important, the truth.

Walking around completely drown by her thoughts, she ended up in the docks again. The day had went by so quickly and it was already sunset. The blue sea was covered by a sea of flames in rich tones of crimson, but the clouds that had begun to cover the sky also reflected their dark blue over the sea.

She sat on a bench, watching the sunset and the ships around. They were greater than she had ever imagined. With huge masts confounding with the sky, detailed prows with the usual symbols, long decks, all in brown wood colour steadily hanging over the sea. Here and there she could see some smaller boats that bounced with the waves. She took a deep breath, inhaling deeply the sea breeze that waved her short auburn hair off her hood. She curled herself feeling a shill.

Over a boat, one of the greatest in the docks, but still the faster, with the sails closed and without flag, a brown haired man, by the name Yagami Taichi watched this beauty the winds had brought him. his chocolate brown eyes gazed upon the female that sat on the bench near the waters, capturing every detail of whom he thought to be the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. His hair was waving with the cold breeze, tied by the blue headband he used; his cloak covering his body almost completely except for a small space that opened the cloak due to his hands, which lied outside over the boat. He breathed softly. He feared to disturb her from whatever thoughts she had in her mind.

Unaware to him, her thoughts were homologue to his, as she thought of the strange man, that affirmed to be a corsair to whom she had saved the life and she heard calling him by the name Taichi. It was him, the main reason she had got out of the motel. The discussion was merely a secondary motive, hiding the truth behind her departure. And she continues search over the sea, made her travel to him, by the simple fact that he was a sea walker and she was only a traveller. She longed to see his eyes again and she found herself imagining how it would look like to be hold by his arms.

She rested her head on her hands as a sigh escaped her lips. The sea breeze she had been enjoying minutes before was beginning to transform into a cold wind that blew widely into her clothes, sending shills down her body. Standing up, she cast one last wish over the sea and turned, shielding her body from the wind with the cloak and covering her fiery hair with the hood.

Taichi watched her. Every movement she made watched with a thoughtful and perceptive look. He didn't knew that lady's name, but he didn't need to know it either. He would wait for their next encounter that he had vowed to sea that would happen. "We will see each other again." And as he saw her silhouette disappear into the night, he turned around and left the boat's deck.

Sora continued her way. Fortunately for her she had the greatest orientation sense she could think of having. It was very hard for her to get lost and within minutes she found herself walking in the path that she had taken earlier to the docks. She listened to the sounds of a normal busy village like that one. Especially at night and at that place. The motel both her and Koushiro were, was near the prostitution houses and bars. The sound of loud screams, the tinkle of the beer cups, the sound of the floor board under the feet of the men in the taverns and giggles on the corners hidden with secret words. For moments she wished she had stayed in the woods where she thought it was safer.

Then, between the noises, she heard something unusual: the sound of skulls. She was hearing them getting closer and closer. She could say they were nine or ten horses. She was confused. Who would be grouping riding at night into a place like that? Bandits?! Pirates?! Soldiers?! The simple thought made her run for hid. What if they found me? She thought hiding in between two of the buildings. It smelled to urine and garbage. It was making her nauseous but she kept still as she listened to the skulls coming closer and closer. Her heart was beating faster, she could feel it. And then, it seemed to stop as the riders stopped as well, covered in shadows, but not enough for her not to recognize the familiar faces. They were indeed ten soldiers with the well known symbol of her aunt's kingdom. She frowned. Ten men just to catch me? After taking a closer look, her surprise was even greater. Even the Captain is here. She was fully surprised that her aunt would spare so many guards on her search. One of two: or she was really worried or she really didn't want Sora to know the truth. For a split moment, a thought of conspiracy crossed her mind, immediately fading away. After all, what reasons could bring the Queen to kill simple persons like her parents?

She continued to watch as the soldiers remained there. Captain Motomiya suddenly disappeared from her sight, but she knew he hadn't seen her so she crawled between the shadows of the night and quickly reached the motel. Climbing the stairs quickly and silently, she knocked softly on the door. Koushiro opened the door, his face pale. At first she thought they had found them, but she sighed relieved as Koushiro pushed her into a crushing hug.

"I was so worried with you." He replied as they entered once more. The auburn haired quickly began to close the window with the dark curtains, even at night. The small lamp that illuminated the room could bring attention to them even in a motel, and attention was the last thing she wanted right now. The red haired man watched her confused. "What are you doing?" he asked curious. She pulled him to the centre of the small room and putting a finger over her lips, she motioned him to be quite. Acknowledging the situation should be serious, he waited for her to calm down, her blushed expressions turning to the usual rose tone.

"Captain Motomiya is here." She alerted him. Koushiro's face went pale all the sudden. "You mean he found us?" he managed to speak. "Yes." Was her reply, but her eyes showed the distance she was from his question. She was thinking of something. "We must change our plans." She told him, even though she was more thinking loud to herself. "Change?! We're not going to ship to the other side anymore?" he asked, confused by her conclusions. "No. I mean, theoretically no, but in fact we are." Her words sounded incoherent to the red haired that remained clueless about what she meant. "Explanation…" Sora suddenly woke up from her sailing in her mind and faced him. "Sorry." She apologized. "I was thinking at loud. I meant we mustn't be seen over the ship so they won't know where he headed too." She explained. Koushiro eyed her, a hint of incredibility on his face. "You mean, you want to snick into a ship and not being seen for a whole trip of about five days?!" he tried to reassure himself that she was joking.

"Yeah, that is it." She replied with a mischievous smile. "Do you know how dangerous that is?" he retorted terrified of a shipwreck and drown inside the low deck along with the cargo. "It is our only way. Besides, you don't have to come." She immediately said, hopping for a minute that he would say no, and that she wouldn't feel guilty for the danger within which she was taking him. But, Koushiro wasn't just about to give up. He wanted to protect her no matter what, and that included shipwrecks and drowning for her if it was needed. He would follow her as his leader to hell if she asked him to. That was normally the kind of effect she had on people. They were always ready to follow her without questioning.

The girl sat on her mattresses and yawned as she guarded her arrows and bow on her bag again, and prepared for a night of sleep. "We must wake up really early tomorrow. Go get some shut eye." She replied directed to Koushiro. Then she lied on the mattresses covering herself with her cloak, her sword right next to her and almost at the same time she fell on the mattresses she fell asleep. The red haired eyed her with a smile on his face, almost in a protective brotherly way. Then he too leaned over the improvised bed and felt his eyelids slowly closing until he finally fell asleep, katana under his pillow.

A little earlier, in the castle, Princess Mimi controlled her mood as she ate face to face with King Yamato. Her mother had invited him for the night as well, offering him the best room she had that just casually was just besides hers. Mimi thought he was perverted. She could see the way he looked at her and the way he was eyeing her maid, which she knew had eyes only to the blond stable boy. Thinking of him, Mimi realized how much a like Yamato and Takeru were physically. They were both blond and had pale skin, the same features. She eyed the King in front of her, comparing him mentally. She couldn't understand how she hadn't noticed the similarities between them before. The only difference was their personality and maybe his eyes. She could find so much warmness and love inside Takeru's eyes but within Yamato's she could only see a cold winter rain cloud that threatened to turn the sky into a thunder storm.

She picked her food with her fork. Could they be brothers? She didn't know where Takeru was from or anything about him at all. But if the King had a younger brother that would be known, right? She thought. Feeling the curiosity rise to her throat, and untying her tongue, she opened her mouth and asked him directly. "King Yamato, I was thinking here… could you possibly have a brother?"

There was a silence following the question. Her mother had stopped chewing her food along with the King. All the attentions were turned to her. Looking from her surprised mother to the King, she smiled waiting for the answer. But she didn't need to hear what he was about to say to know something about her question had disturbed them. And why would he be disturbed by such a simple question? She thought. Unless, of course, he has something to hid. Her reasoning amused her along with the conclusions she made over their reactions. Well, that was something odd. Why would her mother be so quite about it as well?

The King finally managed to finish chewing the meat on his mouth, gobbling dryly and clearing his throat as he looked unsure to the queen. Then, turning his attention to the curious princess, he seemed to wonder about his answer. "Well, I indeed had a brother." He replied to Mimi's satisfaction. "But he died long ago." That though didn't please her. Asking once she thought that it wouldn't be much of a problem to ask again. "What was his name?" Yamato looked straight into her eyes but before he could say anything, the queen cut his words short.

"Mimi, you do not have anything to do with King Ishida's personal issues. That is not behaviour for a soon to be queen." Queen Natsuko replied. Mimi glared at her mom, confused. "What did you said, mom?" she asked. Suddenly realising the weight of her words, the Queen eyed the King and they exchanged looks that Mimi didn't like not one bit. Yamato made a small nod and Natsuko took a deep breath. "You are going to get marry." She informed the woman. Mimi's mouth went wide open and she rose from her sit angry. "What?! With whom may I ask?" she quickly retorted. The Queen's eyes moved to the blond King that eyed the angry Princess with a triumphal smile. "With me." He replied quite simply and with a hint of proud and fun on his voice.

The princess could feel her tears threatening to fall. "You were promised to me by your mother from the day you were born." Yamato continued. "From the moment the midwife said it was a girl, you automatically were engaged to me only to be parted by death." A tear rolled down her face and she ran out the room leaving the two rulers to discuss whatever business they had. Natsuko's heart stopped for a while as she watched her daughter's face, knowing she had condemned her to be unhappy for her entire life, once again questioning her past and her faith.

In a darker place between the neighs and whinnies of the horses, curled in the straw lied two individuals, two teens. They rolled on the straw like two animals not carrying about their clothes or how messy their hair was getting. The blond man kissed the brown haired girl softly on the lips as he laid over her, his hands on both sides o her head. They were all smiles, cares and kisses. Life was beautiful when you're in love.

Hikari giggled feeling the man's lips on her neck. "Takeru!" she scolded him with a laugh pushing him aside. "I must go now." He made a sad puppy face. "I'm sure Princess Mimi would not need you to tuck her sheets." He joked and they both laughed of his little joke. "Yeah, but I must go and help her undress." She replied. "Then who's going to undress you?" Takeru continued playfully kissing her. The girl pushed him to the straw and stood shaking her skirts from the yellow threads and staring at the blond, his hair confused with the straw on the floor. "Certainly not you." She replied. Then bending slightly she kissed him on his lips and left, leaving the man sighing.

She was walking in a quick pace towards the princess's room. She knocked on the door but as no one answered, she entered to face Mimi over the bed, her hair in disarray, her face between her hands as she sobbed uncontrollably. She immediately ran to her side, pulling her skirts up so she would trip over them.

"Princess, what happened?" she asked as she took Mimi in her hands. The princess was unable to answer and just drowned herself in the young lady's skirts that soon became wet by her tears. "Oh, Hikari…is a disaster." She sobbed. "I'm going to get married." The lady was shocked. "What? How? Who?" she murmured, her sentences not more than words of questions she wanted to ask. "With Yamato. That obnoxious is my fiancée and mom never told me." She sobbed more strongly as her words came out. "My life is over. And Koushiro isn't even here to save me." She continued to drown her sorrow as Hikari caressed her hair in a calm way, trying to make her feel better. But she could understand how she was feeling. She too had been promised to marry someone. Her brother. Well, he wasn't exactly her brother, only by their parents marriage, and the snobby Duke Hida had arranged everything for her to marry his only son, Iori Hida. She liked the boy, but not in a loving way. And neither he liked her. She knew he had a secret love for one of the lady's on Ishida kingdom. Fortunately for her, her stepfather had called for a time, as his own son was against him.

It had been the duke who had put her as the princess maid, thinking that would bring him closer to the queen, what it didn't. Her mother had died long ago, when she was five years and she had been raised by a nanny. Remembering that also brought her other painful memories, but she immediately put them away, concentrating on encourage the princess, telling her it wasn't so bad. "At least he is cute." She replied. Mimi sobbed even harder. "Cute?! You say that because he looks like Takeru. I only think Koushiro is cute."

Hikari sighed. "I'm going to get you something to eat." She said. "I'm not angry." "Well is not food, is chocolate. I always feel better after eating chocolate." The girl replied and quickly left.

As she was walking towards the kitchen, her path illuminated by some torches spread in the corridors she heard voices coming from the queen's rooms. She couldn't distinguish who they belonged, but as she got clear, she acknowledged it was a man and a woman. Still, she could not make what they were saying. Drove by her curiosity, she continued down the hall, where the torches didn't burn. She found that odd, since the torches were usually lightened through the entire castle even if not all, some were. Other thing was that there were no guards on the queen's door. This only increased her curiosity and as she got closer, hid in the shadows, she began to hear the conversation, it was clearly the voice of queen Natsuko, and the other… it could not be. But it was indeed, King Yamato's voice. By the time, she immediately realised that if she was caught, it would be her doom. Hers and her friends suspicious were right. There was something going on in the castle.

"Please, do not do this to my daughter." Queen Natsuko voice pleaded. "It was our contract. Besides, she is beautiful and I want her." Yamato replied in and authoritarian voice. "Do not talk about my daughter that way." The queen scolded him, her voice rising all the sudden. Then she heard what it looked like a slap and then a thud. "Don't you dare raise your voice on me, Myuki. You are nothing but a slag. Do not forget that. My father made you, but I can't easily take you down." Yamato shouted. Now Hikari was really scared. Why did he call Queen Natsuko Myuki? There was definitely something wrong. She wanted to run away as fast as she could, but at the same time, she had an urge to listen more.

"What about the girl?" he continued. Girl, what girl? "Have your stupid captain found her yet?" there was a silence and then he spoke again. "I thought so. That little bitch is hard to deal with. Well, I've got it all planned." Hikari could hear him pacing around the room and then the steps became closer. "She won't escape this time, that samurai girl. This is your entire fault, from the very beginning. All because you couldn't do your job properly." There was a silence and Hikari then heard the sound of the handle. Her instincts talked louder. She looked around for a place to hide. There was none, but it was dark, dark enough for her to hide in the shadows.

"I'm going to sleep. Straight yourself, you sample of woman." Then he opened the door. Hikari's heart was beating so fast that she could swear he could hear it. Her breathing was fastening and she contained it for fear, only to breathe again when she stopped hearing Yamato's paces. Then, she stood from the shadows and run to the princess's room.

I hope this chapter has pleased you all.

Till next week...