Femelle Guerrier
By: EmpathicReader
To Swan, for being the absent-minded genius of a friend.
A/N: Believe it or not, the belief of women with big bottoms can bear a lot of babies is still popular amongst some the older generations of Chinese. Still… ENJOY!
Cagalli was not having the best days of her life. But then again since when had her days been fun-filled? Cagalli stared at the basket full of clothes given to her by her mother. She glared at the clothes and hoped that they will magically get clean. No such luck. Cagalli succumbed to her fate. She wondered absentmindedly about the possibility of her mother treating her nicer if she were a boy. Cagalli slapped herself mentally. In reality, she was a girl not a boy. She has to accept that not wonder about the better life she might have if she were a boy! Girls are wonderful in their own way too! You don't see men carrying babies about do you? Cagalli asked herself as she lumbered cautiously down the slope leading to the river.
To prepare for a hard day's work in the scorching rays of the sun, Cagalli took out a ribbon and tied her hair roughly into a bun. As she moved closer to the seducing cool waters of the stream, Cagalli's sharp eyes spotted a lone figure fishing. In the midst of summer? Under the hot sun? The guy must be stupid or mad. Cagalli thought as she approached the river slowly. Silently, she labored under the unwavering gaze of the cursed sun. When it was almost towards midday, Cagalli splashed the cool waters of the stream on her face to reward herself. She dabbed her cloth into the water and relished the feel of the water running through her painful fingers. She slanted her eyes and peeked at the man sitting quietly twelve feet away from her. The man had yet to move from his position since she arrived. Is he alive? What if he died while he was fishing? Cagalli thought fearfully. She waved the thoughts away as the man stood up with a huge river trout at the end of his fishing rod.
Cagalli looked at the magnificent fish enviously. Her mind suddenly relived her first taste of the fresh steamed trout she had eaten with a friend about eight years ago. Her mouth watered slightly at the thought. Seeing the man moving away, Cagalli made a bold decision. Maybe it was time she had another friend. Running over to the tall man, she chirped happily.
"Hello! I'm Cagalli Yula Attha. What's your name sir?" Cagalli asked as she tried to keep up with the man's long strides. When the man did not reply her, Cagalli got a bit annoyed and pushed him for an answer. When she finally could not stand his arrogance, Cagalli only pushed out a clipped and threatening sentence.
"Tell me your name now! Or I will not permit you to leave." Cagalli said as she planted herself in front of him.
"Alright. I'm up for your challenge. If you win, I'll tell you." His smooth reply came as a small smile etched over his face. Cagalli charged forward to land a punch on his cheek when he slipped away from her. He only retaliated by whipping out his trout-free fishing rod at her face. Cagalli ducked as she swiped the ground to make him fall. The infuriating man only jumped and whipped his wooden rod onto the ground missing her leg by a hair's width. Cagalli tried to land a kick where it hurts the most when his hands stopped her intentions. She frowned. Twisting her foot away from his grasp, she jumped and landed a kick in his gut while he landed his wooden rod on her leg. They groaned simultaneously. She threw her basket at him in an attempt to distract him but he flicked it away with his rod. Cagalli cursed in her head. She grabbed his rod but he only wiggled the other end and made it whip her hands. Jumping away, she left herself undefended for his rod. Cagalli purposely let out a loud groan of pain as she hit the ground.
"Are you alright?" the man asked anxiously as he walked towards her. Cagalli immediately grabbed his hands and pulled him down while she left her foot dangerously near his face. A smile broke onto his face as he pushed her foot away.
"Even after so many years, you're still the cunning girl I met." Shinn laughed as he stood up and dusted himself.
"Even after so many years, you're still the same silly boy I knew." Cagalli teased as she flashed him a huge smile.
Shinn studied the woman riding his horse. Cagalli Yula Attha. That scrawny girl with some grass sticking in her hair while she fought off three bullies back then. Now, she looked more refined. Her face was drawn more carefully but her eyes still retained the bravery he had seen back then. Her dirty hair was now long and silky.
"Cagalli, you were eight when we met right? I never thought it was you. You've grown prettier over the years I see." Shinn commented as they rode past the fields.
"After all these years, you mouth became honey-coated I see." Cagalli replied raising an eyebrow. She cannot help but feel her heart bounce slightly at his comment. She studied the laughing twenty year-old. His red eyes were now in a slightly deeper shade than she remembered and his jet-black hair was now tied firmly on his head. He was definitely more muscular and had grown a head taller than she was. Cagalli scowled.
"Do you still get beaten by your mother?" Shinn asked as they neared the village. Cagalli nodded her head vigorously before she dismounted his black horse.
"Although I am still getting beaten, it is definitely lesser than last time." Cagalli remarked.
"I can still remember your face when I told you to smile when she hits you. You started hurling rocks at me." Shinn laughed as they walked towards Cagalli's house. Cagalli landed a playful punch on his arm.
"You told me to smile when I'm feeling pain. What sort of reasoning is that?" Cagalli asked hotly.
"In the battlefield, charging outwardly isn't always the way to success. Stepping back or retreating, is also a method of winning. You mother only hit you because she wants to vent her frustration. So the angrier and hurt you are, the happier she feels." Shinn explained sagely.
Cagalli never felt so happy in her life. She could hardly contain her happiness and she did nothing to stop herself from skipping back home. Shinn said he had something important to do at the nearby town so he could not see her father but he sent his regards. Cagalli smiled. Suddenly, the sun was not annoying her as it did in the morning. Her day also seemed much tolerable. Excitedly, she ran towards the main hall to tell her father of the good news. Her father had always liked Shinn.
"Father! Do you know who I met at the stream today?" Cagalli shouted. She ignored the punishment that loomed ahead her antics. Her smile immediately vanished when she saw what lay atop the table.
A/N: R&R!