Shirahime-Syo
Blue Lorikeet
Chapter: 3
Second Movement: Minto Aizawa
Silver Tears
I am Minto Aizawa. I have a tale to tell, I may not be a very good storyteller though. However, this is how I stood only a few monthes ago. . .
I stood apart frommy mother. "I have to go kill him. He killed papa," I argued. I was ready to go, I had her father's sword, bow, and arrow and my mother's charms of protection. "Fine, daughter, you may go, but please, try to come home,because you are betrothed and also because you are the last of the mew mew. . ." and so saying,I smiled and left.
I trudged up the mountain snow and entered into the foggy woods. Chilling winds scrambled over me, making me shiver.I walked faster, to get the blood pumping. I soon came to a dreary clearing. There was a large rock on one end and a dark cave on another. The rest was surrounded by thick pine trees and snow. Small patches of moonlight found their way through, but, other than that, there was no light.
A growl came from behind me.I turned around to find the killer ofmy father. He was a large grey wolf with beady eyes. He growled again and turned around, as though to leave me. "Oh no you don't!"I shouted, no about to let him get away,and drew an arrow frommy quiver.I swiftly loaded the bow and let loose the arrow. Ilet it miss on purpose, the wolf at least deserved a fair chance. The wolf turned back as growlings came from all around me.
Dogs of gray and white and black came pouncing at me. Or, to be precise, the treated her like an obstacle in great need of moving. "Sisohpromatem!"I shouted, coveringmy head as I summersaulted backward.I glowedwitha great light, one thatI knew. The transformation light. Feathery blue wings and a lorikeet tail appeared.I jumped up on top of the rock and drewmy silversword.I heard movement behindme and turned around to find the large grey wolf behind me.
I screamed as two of the larger dogs toredeep gnashesinmy back.I turned around and fireda volley of arrows as the gray wolf jumped over me, he seemed to beat back a few of the vicious dogs, almost like he was protecting me.A brown and blackdogswiped atmy side.I jumped back, but took a hit.I clutchedmy side and doubled over with pain. "Aahhuuuuggh,"I cried and fell over, excruciating pain caused me to fall in a heap. Imoaned andmy world faded to shades of grey, then black.
I later woke up at the edge of darkness.I openedmy eyes and hazily looked around.I was in a cave of some sort and something warm was wrapped around me.Iranmy slim fingers through the fur. It was pleasantly warm and moved slightly atmy touch. Wait, moved?I sat up andmy head spun.I inspected myself, to check for damage.My wounds had been washed somehow and weren't bleeding at the moment.I looked formyknapsack soI could bandage them properly.I found it leaning against the cave wall.
I was almost done bindingmy wounds whenI looked back to whereIhad beensleeping. Something which resembled a large grey wolflaid there. It moved and the tail curled around its feet. Could it be that this was him? I wondered as Ifinished tying off the bandages.Ipulled upmy clothes, andas though sensingI was done, the wolf turned around and looked at me. There was no doubt. This was it who had slainmy father.My tail twitched andI slowly picked upmy bow.I threaded an arrow in the bow and aimed at the wolf.
I watched, expecting him to fight. Any reaction, any sign that he knew he was being threatened. I think he knew I would not kill him if he did not fight me.He laid his head down on his paws and watchedme silently. Wasn't he going to fight?Iwondered, and then silently commanded him to fight. Obviously, he did not hear my thoughts, or, if he did, he didn't show any sign of obeying htem.I slowly put downmy bow and sat down next to the wolf. The wolf watchedme with his little black eyes andI watched him. I dozed off and awoke to the nudging of the wolf. He pushedme toward the back of the cave.I glared at him, not wanting to move, I had become comfortable in my place. However, he persisted. "Do you want me to go over there?"I asked. The wolf sat down and seemed to nod.My eyebrows raised andI slowly walked back there. Something soft touched my hand and I groped around the darkness. I picked the thing up and brought it back to the lit part of the cave. It was a rabbit!
When I looked at the dog, he had brought in kindling and small branches for a fire.I smiled thinking that thiswolf was very intellegentandat once set to the task of building a fire. I fired upa small spark which lit up the kindling. I proceeded to feed it the thin sides of the branches, which easily caught. Soon a small, but adequate fire was going. Over the next hour and a half, I cooked the rabbit. Before I started cooking, Igave raw pieces to the dog, who ate them quickly. After, Igave him cooked pieces, but he wouldn't touch them.I shrugged and consumed them herself. The wolf seemed watchedme warily and did a strange motion, much like yawning. He then settled down and was asleep in minutes.
I stroked his soft fur and said to the sleeping wolf, "You know what I think? I think you saved me and that you mean to be my friend." The wolf opened one black eye and looked up at me. "But, if I am to stay with you, you need a name." The wolf seemed to sigh, as I often do when a troublesome task is assigned to me. "What do you think would be nice? Inuki?" The wolf growled and shook his head. "Okay, how about Toshino?" The wolf seemed to think about it, then he shook his head. "Then, how do you like Tasuku?" The wolf snuggled up to me and and closed his eyes. "I'll take that as I yes," I decided. The wolf slept on. I thought this to be a good idea, and I too, fell asleep.
Over the next fortnight or so, Tasuku and I played in the snow, I taught him to play hide and seek and to have a snowball fight. We even venture dout into the woods once or twice. He kept on bringing me food when he deemed I needed it and I would give him raw portions and sometimes the whole thing. But he wouldn't accept the whole thing. He would just turn up another rabbit and eat that.
One day, aswe were playing, snowflakes began to fall. The tiny ice crystals tickles my nose and Tasuku jumped around in them. "Come on, Tasuku, we shouted get inside." Tasuku shook his head. "Have I notwarned you about the snowflakes?" I asked him. He shook his head and whined as I took a few steps toward the cave. "It is said that when snowflakes fall the Snow Princess is crying. It means that something bad will happen soon, while it is snowing, so come on, we must get inside," I said once more. Tasuku went along with it, walking beside me.
The snowflakes thickened intoa snowstorm. I covered my eyes to shield them. It is something I long regret doing. For, at that moment, a whizzing arrow flew through the air and lodge itself near Tasuku's heart. The wolf fell over and a hunter came up. He was broad shouldered and heavily built. He wore travel garments and carred a sturdy bow along with many many arrows. He pulled the arrow out and blood rushed forth. "TASUKU!" I cried and threw myself on his form. My wolf opened his eyes one last time and nudged me lightly. He then fell tot he ground, lifeless. Blood stained the snow around his body, staining my outer garments and the hunter's boots.
"Why did you do that!" I demanded of him. "This wolf is a killer, he needed to be killed," The hunter replied coldly. "But he was my friend!" I shouted. The hunter raised his thick eyebrows. "Don't tell me you liked that thing," He said, surprised. "He wasn't even hurting anyone. And he hasn't for the last winter!" I shouted, defending the killer of my father. "I though he was attacking you," The hunter defended himself. I clutched my sword, hidden from the hunter's view. My blue feathers ruffled in the wind and I flapped them. The snowstorm lightened and the hunter saw my wings. He gasped. "Y- you are--" "Minto. Aizawa Minto. And you have just killed my friend," I said coldly, like the sea before a violent storm.
I rose amidst the chaos of my newly shattered life. "As I said, I thought he was attacking you. And he has killed many others," The hunter defended himself. "How do you know it was him?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady. "I have been tracking him. He fits the description everyone gives for the man murdering wolf," The hunter shifted uncomfortably. The anger welled up inside of me like a fountain. It overflowed and hatred filled my heart. "Not good enough!" Tears streaked down my cheeks as I shouted and drew my glowing silver sword. It glowed red with my anger, something it had never done before. I made one slice with the sword and the hunter, to bulky and shocked to move, was swiftly cut down. For the killer of my friend, who killed my father, the death shall be painful, but quick. Silver tears well on the blood red snow, staining it.
I dropped the sword, realizing what I had just done. The hunter's blood now stained the snow with the wolf's blood. I sank to my knees, unable to support myself anylonger. Silver tears streamed down my cheeks. Silver tears stained my clothes, staine dthe hunter's body, stained Tasuku's body. The only thing to do now was go back to the village. I truded through the snow and sleet, down the mountain. I waded through foot high snow and sought shelter beneath the trees and in the caves I found. When I finally made it down, I rushed to my mother's house. It was deserted . . . empty. There was no sign of her. I went inside. The house was in shambles. The tables were turned upside down, the drawers pulle dout and their contents littered upon the floor. I looked into my mother's room and found that the bed was broken in half, the mattress upside down with all the sheets and blankets scattered about the room. My hearted pounded and tears ran down my face. Silver ones ran down the bridge of my nose.
I flew out of the house and frantically searched the village calling my neighbors' names. No one answered. I knocked on the doors and when there was no sign of life I opened them. The houses were all ransacked, like my mother's. The only difference was that there were men. Men bleeding death out over the place, blood stained carpets, broken weapons. All the women and girls were missing. And this is where I am now. Amidst the remains of a broken village, home to a girl with no family. No relations. And a missing mother.