A Wish of Snow
Chapter Five: "Run"
Summary: Sometimes the snow brings bitterness and cold; sometimes it brings love and warmth. For Hitomi, it brings both. Van/Hitomi Romance
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay! I didn't realize that it had already been a month, and then it took me time to write. I'm still interested in the story and I will finish it, I promise. I'm not a mean author that leaves her stories hanging for years or anything. No more delays, I hope it was worth the wait; please read and review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne.
"Was there any news of strange phenomenon? For example, a pillar of light?" he tried.
"Well, there was quite a bit to report, my King." He touched a finger to his chin in thought. "Now that I think about it, the messenger did say that there were strange lights in the sky a few nights ago. Your highness?"
The King's face was blank, his eyes were closed. Wendel reached out to touch him, but drew back when something shocked him. "What the-"
A pink pendant swung in Van's mind.
"King Van?" Wendel tried again.
His eyes snapped open. "I've got to tell Merle." Without another thought, Van raced towards the castle gates. "I hope she hasn't left yet."
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Dark hair flared around Van's face as he raced down the cool stone stairs. The day's fading light cast a glow on the beads of sweat rolling along his skin. His brows were knit tightly together in worry. Gulping down a breath of precious crisp air, Van turned and vaulted over the banister, falling freely to the grassy courtyard below. Landing with a flurry of tucks and rolls, Van resumed his run. Merle and her guard would be leaving from this area; they couldn't have gotten very far.
"Merle!" he called, slowing to a halt. No answer. His eyes frantically scanned the courtyard for any sign of life. It was quiet. Only the gentle rustling of the grass at his feet broke the complete calm of the moment. Van's heart beat out an erratic melody, pulsing with anxiety. Anxiety soon turned to anger and it welled up inside of him. Only the silence answered.
"Damn it!" Van's fist hit the ground of its own volition. How could he have missed her? He'd have to go for Hitomi by himself, he resolved.. Raising himself from the ground, he rubbed his injured fist absently. "I don't care about my duties, I have to go to Hitomi."
"Lord Van?"
Van paused, turning to face the source of the voice.
"What are you doing down here Lord Van? You should already be in your afternoon advising sessions with the counsel." It was then that Merle noticed the fire in Van's eyes. Something wasn't right. Van turned his gaze to the ground and messy bangs fell across his brow, further concealing any expressions that the young king may have been holding back.
"Oh God. It's Hitomi, isn't it?" Merle dashed forward and caught Van's hands in her own. "Please, Lord Van! It's something about Hitomi, tell me!" she pleaded.
"Merle-" he tried.
"Please," Merle gripped his wrists tighter, Van wouldn't look her in the eye. "What is the matter? Is Hitomi okay?"
"She's-" the gears in his mind pushed against the fogging emotions and finally surfaced. "Hitomi is in Zaibach, at the fortress. I had a vision."
"Lord Van." She slowly dropped his hands. "Are you sure?"
"It just felt so real, and-" he paused, "sad. I don't even know if she's okay, I just know that she's there. One of my men reported a pillar of light a few days ago. I'm sure it's her Merle."
She balled her fists at her sides. "Those bastards." She huffed. "I'm gonna claw them limb from limb when I find them."
"I have to go to her." Van seemed utterly ignorant of Merle's presence.
"But Lord Van-"
"I have to!" He suddenly shouted. "I have to find her! I have to protect-"
"You promised."
"Merle-"
Van lifted his head and was met by blazing azure eyes. He blinked hard. "I can't just stand around and do nothing!"
"I know."
"And she could be hurt or dying!"
"I know."
"I have to protect her!" he yelled. Reaching out, he stepped past Merle. "I know I promised, Merle, but I can't-"
Small hands fiercely clasped his arm. "You believe in me, don't you?" She asked softly.
He frowned, "Merle, I-"
"Do. You. Believe. In. Me?" she pressed.
"Yes."
"Then trust me." Merle relaxed her grip. "I will bring Hitomi back."
Van just stared.
"I promise."
"I'll hold you to that."
Merle forced a smile before walking away. After a few aching moments, her delicate ears caught something whispered to the winds.
"Thank you."
She smiled genuinely and whispered her reply. "I promise, Van, I'll bring her back safe. Just hold on." Quickening her pace, Merle sprinted back to her team. They'd be angry with her for holding up the mission, but it was well worth it. Now she knew that Hitomi really was here, on Gaea.
vvvvvvvvvv
Merle bounded gracefully towards the docks. "Lady Merle! There you are!" a soldier called.
"Yeah, I'm back, let's get moving!"
"B- bu- but Lady Merle-" the soldier stuttered, "W- we were wait- waiting for-"
Merle shifted her hands to her hips and leaned slightly into an imposing stance. "We were waiting for some information. Now we have it and we're going to leave."
"Wha?"
"Attention everyone!" Merle waved to the men loading the airship. "Gather up the rest of the supplies and report to the main deck. I have some information!"
Not wanting to face another rant from the bold cat girl, the men continued their duties. After several long minutes of foot tapping and yelling, the ship was loaded and Merle was eyeing her rag-tag group once again. "Okay everyone, we're heading to the Zaibach fortress."
"Huh?" the crew chorused.
"Why would we go there?"
"What's going on?"
"Is she serious?"
Merle flattened her ears. These guys were really annoying. "Who's in charge here?" She hollered, nearly screaming.
Crickets chirped.
"Excuse me?" Merle continued, fur bristling.
"If Lady merle says that's where we need to go, that is where we will go." Said Dryden smoothly. He winked.
Slowly, Merle's rage subsided and she let her fur settle back to a mere frazzled state.
"The King is counting on us. Get to work!"
The soldiers thought for a moment, turning to Dryden and then back to Merle. "Yes Lady Merle."
"Good." Merle smirked.
vvvvvvvvvv
"What do you think of this one, Lady Hitomi?" Amelie asked, draping a strip of deep violet cloth over her arm.
Hitomi wrinkled her nose, "That one's too bright, I like softer colors."
"Not me." She said. "I love bright shiny colors and warm fabrics."
"This one's pretty."
"Let me see." Amelie unceremoniously leaned her bold of cloth against the wall and scurried across the cluttered room to get a closer look.
Hitomi held the material in her hand and rubbed it gently. "Soft." She said.
"Yes, it's soft alright, but the color's so bland. You have so much to choose from!"
She was right. The old room was filled with more fabrics than Hitomi had ever seen in her life. Everything from the dark greens and blacks used for the troops uniforms to shiny satins. Briefly, she wondered how such an amazing collection had been amassed. Something colorful caught her eye. "What's that?"
"Oh, which one?" Amelie chirped.
Hitomi paused and approached the curious-looking bolt. It was red, crimson like rubies or fire, slightly shiny and smooth. It reminded her of something, though she couldn't quite remember what.
"I thought you didn't like bright fabrics. What was it you said about soft colors?"
"I don't know. I just like this one-"
"I've never been one for reds. Lord Thamos doesn't care for them." Amelie pouted, then grinned. She had an idea. "But it's really pretty for you, isn't it? If you like it so much, I can have the seamstress make a dress of it right away. There should be plenty of material."
Hitomi crumpled to her knees.
"Lady Hitomi?" the girl kneeled beside her, "Are you okay?"
"My head-" she rubbed her temples in an attempt to ease the pain. "It h- hurts-"
Thamos had warned her about these 'side effects.' Grimacing inwardly, Amelie forced a smile. "Just relax, you'll be all right, close your eyes and take deep breaths."
With a few rasped breaths, Hitomi managed to calm herself. Focusing on breathing in and out, the fuzziness in her head dissipated as though it were never there. She stood and felt her heartbeat fall into a regular rhythm.
"Feel better?" asked Amelie.
"I think so." What had caused that awful pain? It was like being crushed in a vice only in reverse. The only way Hitomi could describe it was to say it was like something in her brain wanted desperately to get out and didn't care if it had to explode her skull to do it.
"Now." Amelie cleared her throat loudly. "We may want to get you back to your room for a while. So, I'll have this," she held up the red fabric, "made into a lovely dress for you. Okay?"
She nodded.
"Good, now let's get you back." Amelie tucked the bolt of cloth under her arm and grabbed Hitomi's hand. "It's getting late anyway."
"Hmm?" Hitomi followed casually. "It is? How can you tell without any windows?"
"Once you're here long enough, you get a feel for when it's morning and night; especially when you are on a work schedule-"
Their footsteps echoed against the cold stone walls and Hitomi was drawn into their eerie melody. She closed her eyes to better absorb the sound, while Amelie continued to talk. It was only too easy to ignore the girl's idle chatter and concentrate on the subtle clicking and playful ring of the stones. The orchestra of reverberations played gently until she felt herself collide with something solid.
"Ah!" Hitomi jumped into awareness once again and pushed back against the object, or rather person, she realized, she'd bumped into.
"Lord Thamos!" Amelie babbled. "W-wh-a- what are you doing here? You don't normally wander the corridors alone."
"This is true, but I wanted to see how you two were getting along." He smiled broadly.
Amelie blushed. "Is there anything I can do for you, Lord Thamos?"
"Not at the moment, though I would like to speak with Hitomi alone if you don't mind."
The girl looked like she would melt at any moment. "Yes sir!" She quickly backed away.
"Hitomi?" Thamos held out an arm.
Regretting the loss of her quiet solidarity, Hitomi resigned herself to follow instructions for now. It wasn't like she was leaving anytime soon. "Okay."
"Very good. Today, I would like to show you something special." He grinned and led her down another passage.
Amelie stared at the retreating couple with a cheery grin. "I will see you later Lady Hitomi! Lord Thamos!" Once the pair was out of sight, however, she dropped the bolt of red fabric in a heap. "Who does she think she is? Getting so friendly with Lord Thamos!" She growled. "Just you wait. Lord Thamos is only using you, stupid girl." Yes, Hitomi was only a tool; Lord Thamos would be hers, very soon. "Ah, Lord Thamos." She sighed. Picking up the material, Amelie strolled down the hallway picturing her ideal wedding with Thamos as the groom.
vvvvvvvvvv
"Where are we going?" Hitomi asked.
Thamos gave her a smile. "Somewhere I think you'll like."
Silence dropped over them like a blanket as Hitomi was lead down winding corridors and up several sets of stairs. Suddenly, he stopped and opened a door. Hitomi sidled around to peek when a blanket was thrust into her arms.
"You'll need that."
"Huh?" she fumbled.
"Just trust me." He removed another blanket from what Hitomi now recognized as a closet and pulled it over his shoulders. "It's this way."
As they climbed another set of stairs the air felt colder. Thamos smiled when she wrapped herself tightly in the blanket; Hitomi ignored him. The stairs lead to a short hallway with a small wooden door at its end. Under the edge of the door, Hitomi could see something white.
Thamos gestured loosely towards the door. "Go ahead."
Gingerly, Hitomi twisted the handle and pulled. The door squeaked at its disrepair, but it moved with slight effort. She hugged herself against the cold air. "Snow." She breathed.
It was a balcony, just a half circle big enough for two people and about two stories up from the ground. But it was a nice balcony, nevertheless. The air was full of snowflakes, riding the wind and raining down in sheets. Hitomi stepped out into the snow, leaving a trail of ankle-deep footprints. It was cold and she couldn't see very far, but after being inside for a week without any sign of the sun, it warmed her heart.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Thamos asked.
"Yes, it is."
"It snows like this every year here." He continued. "I wanted to bring you here to talk."
"Huh?"
He stared at her and she blushed. "What I mean is, that we haven't had a lot of time to get to know one another. I just thought it would be good to talk."
"Talk, yeah." Hitomi shrugged. What was she supposed to do? This guy was actually trying to be nice. She decided to at least be civil. After all, maybe he wasn't so bad. "So what did you want to talk about?"
Thamos grinned. "How about you?"
"Me?" She blushed a little, flustered.
Thamos moved in, "Yes, you see Hitomi- I-"
"Well!" Hitomi interjected, turning redder by the moment, "We had snows like this in New York too. It would just drift down for days on end." She caught once of the flakes in her hand and shivered as it started to melt. "When that happened, classes would stop and we could go out and have snowball fights."
"Snowball fights?"
At least he wasn't looking at her with those pleading eyes anymore. Hitomi calmed herself. "You know, you make balls out of the snow, like this-" she bent down and grabbed a handful of snow, crunching it into a rough ball. "Then you-" she smirked.
"Then you what?"
"You throw it!"
Thamos made a move to dodge, but the unexpected projectile made contact with his forehead and crumbled, clustering in his thick black locks. "Oh." He brushed the snow from his reddening face and hair.
Hitomi giggled, then sidestepped as Thamos attempted a counterstrike. The ball hit the balcony rail, clearing it of its snowy robe. "You missed!" she teased.
"I think I may really be falling for you, Hitomi."
She gasped and stepped back. There was a flutter, then a blast of sound. Birds erupted from under the balcony, flapping their white wings and dropping a multitude of feathers. Hitomi stared at the retreating birds, their feathers blending into the snow. She felt her eyes begin to tear.
"Why am I crying?"
"Hitomi?" Thamos took a few cautious steps.
"I'm okay-" The headache was back with a vengeance. Visions of someone, a man, with white wings flew behind Hitomi's eyes. He was calling out to her, reaching for her; she struggled to breathe.
"Hitomi!" Thamos watched her shake and clench her teeth. She was fighting the control.
Her eyes snapped open. "Van." She whispered, letting herself lean back over the edge. Thamos' hands groped the empty air; Hitomi had already fallen too far.
"Damn it! Hitomi!"
She hit the snowdrift with a thud and the wind was knocked from her lungs. Just breathing was a chore, but somehow, Hitomi knew that she should run. "Run." She hissed. "Run to Van!" Standing up, still shaken from the fall, she ran for all she was worth. The blinding snow no longer mattered. The cold was piercing her lungs, but it didn't make a difference. She just ran.
vvvvvvvvvv
"Damn that girl and her-" Thamos huffed, "-strong will." Closing the door behind him, he paced down the hallway, brooding. When he reached the main barracks, he paused to consider his options. If he went after Hitomi, alone now, it would reflect badly on him both to Hitomi and to his men. If he sent men for her, she'd think she was being captured again. No need to evoke those bad memories. Hitomi would keep on running, probably until she exhausted herself. Not to mention, she would certainly hate him. Thamos sighed. He'd have to do this the hard way. "Gregor!" he called. "Someone have him report to me immediately. It is an emergency!"
The halls were soon a mass of soldiers, scattering to obey. Within moments, Gregor was racing down the hall towards him. He saluted. "Sir?"
"I have an urgent problem, Gregor."
He nodded, "Yes milord?"
"It is Lady Hitomi. She was frightened by some birds on the balcony and she fell."
He paled. "Is she okay sir?"
"That is exactly why we must hurry. I saw her land safely, but it is a blizzard out there and she had nothing more than a blanket. I want to make sure she returns to the fortress safe and sound." He bellowed.
"Yes sir!" Gregor saluted again. "I will take Rawn and go immediately."
Thamos was growing impatient. "No, Gregor. I will help you with this matter directly."
"Sir?"
"There is no time for this nonsense!" panic ebbed its way into his voice and he swallowed hard to regain control. "Let's go before she freezes to death!"
vvvvvvvvvv
A/N: Well things turned out a bit differently than I'd originally intended for this chapter anyhow…Hope you enjoyed. So now, Thamos is really trying to become trustworthy, or is he really genuine? Poor Hitomi just keeps ending up in the snow…Stay tuned! More soon.
