Savaged Soul Soothed Capture

Chapter 2

Neko

AN: All right – that took a bit longer than expected. Sorry for the delay I was a wee bit wrapped up in work and the like. I know, I know… excuses, excuses right?

Disclaimer: Me no own. You no sue.

The solid leg whipped above her head, narrowly missing by mere hairs. Dropping to the ground on instinct, her leg swung out and caught the assailant by the back of his knees, almost dropping him completely to the ground. She jumped up quickly, then, seeing a moment of weakness in her opponent. Bringing her own leg up and around, aiming for his head, she nearly cursed as his pitiful block turned out to be a trap and he had her by the leg.

She nearly catches herself though nearly would hardly be enough when he jerked her leg towards him… causing her to fall flat on her back before him. All the air from her lungs is knocked out and she can only glare up at him as he grins down at her triumphantly. "Nice try, Chi."

"Shut up, Brick," Chi-chi snaps and jerks her leg from him. He always did that whenever he had her at a disadvantage… and as far as he was ever concerned, he won. And he'd of course hear no word in edgewise. In a fluid motion she's back on her feet. Her once confined, raven hair cascades over her shoulders and down her back and she lets out an aggravated sigh. "And you just had to break another set, didn't you?"

"Not my fault you wear your chopsticks in your hair when sparring, Chi," he argued, running a hand through his own raven hair.

Before Chi-chi could retaliate, a hushed voice called out to them, "Chi! Brick! Dad's coming." This news earned a groan from both siblings, Chi-chi more-so as she hated being spoken to as though she wasn't there. Having taken on quite a resemblance of her mother, it seemed easier for her father to overlook her existence.

Within moments, their father rounded the corner. Chi-chi was finishing the dust-off on her elder brother when she finally took notice of his presence. She looked up to him, along with her brothers, as he entered the clearing. He seemed tired and cared little for comments, even from his sons. "Chi-chi is to be sent off for training to become a woman worthy of her ranks. Duk'hahven. Brick, you will escort her and two other girls to this training ground. You're the eldest and most skilled in combat. You leave the day after 'morrow."

Chi-chi was stunned into silence, and she suddenly felt all eyes belonging to her brothers upon her. "Why?" She demanded after a moment, startling her brothers. Her face folded into a frown beneath the dirt on her face.

Her father glanced down at her slowly, and for a moment there was an uncomfortable silence as his fury drove into her for talking out of turn. "Obviously you are in dire need of such training. How do you expect to find a husband in your current state?"

"No," she responded lowly, her voice seething with fury. For a moment she forgot her ever present desire to please him, to be noticed and loved by him. "I won't go. You can't just pass me off to a stranger like that. It's…"

"Silence," her father growled lowly, though Chi-chi could almost hear the echo through the woods. "You're going. No arguing. It's been decided. You've two days." Without hearing another word, he turned and stalked off into the forest. No bird so much as dared to speak until well after he was gone.

Chi-chi felt her stomach turn and smolder, then swung around and sent her foot through a fallen tree, splintering the dry wood.