"This will be a little uncomfortable, alright?" Ahhh… That's really cold… Azura had put an ice pack on my arm. Turns out I broke my wrist punching that mage… The bone had been mostly fixed by Jakob and his stave, but the swelling was still here.
I'd gotten off lightly compared to Oboro at least. Her face was still somewhat swollen from the hit she took back on our ship, and then she'd broken two ribs from that axe on the Nohrian ship.
That axe that was meant for me.
At least her armour took the brunt of the damage.
But twice she threw herself into the way of a weapon for me, twice I should have done better.
"Am I really capable of doing this, Azura?"
"Stop beating yourself up. None of us died, did we? Any commander would be proud of such a result."
"Maybe if someone else took the lead, we wouldn't have such casualties." Us two weren't the only ones injured. Subaki had some bad burns from a mage he took down and Hana had a mean gash on her leg. And, well, Mozu was still nursing her hangover, amplified by taking a whack from Selena's pommel.
"If you don't stop moping about not being perfect, I'll make you spend an entire day with Subaki" said Azura, nudging me. Heh. He was off sulking about being hit by an attack. Which had certainly cheered Hana up.
"I agree with Azura. You've grown a lot since I last saw you." Oh, she was finished being treated by Jakob! Approaching us was Camilla and Selena, both with bandages wrapped around various parts of their bodies.
"Could have told your guys to go a bit easy, couldn't you? They nearly got a hit on my face!" said the mercenary, winking. "What are you doing sitting out here, anyway?"
We were sitting outside the room where Sakura had been treating Oboro and Hana. I had been, ah, kicked out for fussing too much. "C-can you leave, Sister? You're panicking too much!" she had said, in a moment of sternness.
"Oh, uh, just waiting."
"How sweet of you! Not only did you let those Hoshidan prisoners go free back in Krakenberg, you wait to see how well all of your soldiers recover from war?" asked the beaming Camilla, clasping her hands together. Great, now I feel like a jerk for not really being that worried about Hana."Is that girl who took the axe for you in there?"
"Y-yeah."
"I doubt she'd want to see us." Isn't that the half of it. "But still, I'm glad she's still with you. She's pretty devoted." I don't like that wink on her face. At least Selena doesn't look like she's clicked yet.
"Y-yeah, she's pretty great" I say, with my most resounding praise I can muster. My sister laughs hearing it, giving my hair a ruffle.
"Aww, my little Kamui's growing up… Next we'll be seeing Elise off with a man of her own…" Ah, Elise… How I missed everyone from Nohr.
"Are they all ok?"
"Everyone is fine, as far as I know. Whether we'll be able to meet with them is a different matter. Neither of us can go back, you know." A sobering thought, to say the least. "I'm sure you'll be able to find the leader of those invisible soldiers. If you could stand in front of King Garon and tell him 'No', you've got enough guts to tell even the gods to back off."
Suddenly, Selena gasped. "Wait, you've got a boyfriend?" Swing and a miss. "It's Jakob, isn't it? There's something about a man in uniform, isn't there?" Oh please stop…
"Oh, I don't think that's her kind of scene" laughed Camilla.
She's known all along, hasn't she? I probably wasn't the most subtle as a kid. Hell, I'm like a brick as it is now.
"Kaze? Ninja's do have their own intrigue…" continued the mercenary. Maybe she was just listing off all the boys she liked. The door behind us slid open, with Sakura poking her head out. Seeing the two Nohrians, she gives a short gasp.
"A-a-a…" she stammered. Camilla gave a big smile and approached her.
"I've heard of your healing prowess, Princess Sakura. A pleasure to meet you." As good as always with laying on the charm. May she have mercy on Hinata when she meets him.
"A-a-a pleasure to meet you too… Kamui… Oboro said she wanted to see you… We'll give you some privacy…" she said, leaving the room with Hana. The samurai scowled at Selena, before heading off down the corridor with Sakura giving her a hand.
"You can do it" winked Azura. Here goes nothing!
Laid out on a rudimentary bed we made in a room on the bed was Oboro. She was wearing a loose robe untied, with her sarashi out for the world to see. Her abdomen had turned a dark purple, with a strong smelling ointment over all the bruising.
"Hey, Kamui. Don't look so shocked, it doesn't hurt that much" she said, airily. Great, she's as high as a kite. "Anyway, how are you doin'?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you." I try hiding the bag of ice I had over my arm, but she scowls at me.
"Your arrrrm is hurt" she says, her voice slurring slightly. "Was that when I knocked you down?" Not a surprise she doesn't remember, she was whacked in the face.
"Nah, it was when I knocked that mage out."
"Wish I could have seen it… You're looking sad, Kamui. What's up?"
It's about you. Seeing you like this is making me feel guilty again, dammit! "I-I, I just didn't feel like I did well enough… You had to dive in to save me."
"And you broke your arm punching a mage coming after me. So we're even, right? Besides… I'd take a hit for you any day, so don't be glum."
"I just don't like seeing you hurt."
The silence deafens for a minute.
"Ssssakura told me that you didn't leave my side until she kicked you out to get your arm looked at."
"I-I was worried…" Even when she's slurring her words I can't keep it together.
"Thanks… How is the arm?"
"Sore. And cold."
"Ah. Yeah…" Silence for another minute. "So, I heard that some of the Nohrians joined us." As I expected, she doesn't look happy about it, even through the goofy smile on her face was still beaming. Just what kind of salves did she have?
"Princess Camilla and her two retainers, Selena and Beruka, joined us. They'll be great allies, I promise."
"I bet I could beat them all up! Send all those Nohrian bastards in! Not you though, you're a nice Nohrian bastard." Thanks, I think?
"I'm no bastard! I think…" Hell if I knew what the hell my actual birth circumstances were. "Besides, I'm Hoshidan by birth!"
"So you're a nice Nohrian. Jaaakob is mean, Azura's always acting like above everything and Gunter always scowls at everyone…" I think that's just his face. She's going to love Beruka, at any rate. "I guess they can't be so bad if they follow you…"
Are we having some breakdown of a personal prejudice right now? I'd say we're deepening our relationship but I didn't expect it like this.
"I promise it. I, uh, wanted to show you something whilst we were on the boat ride, but it got a bit interrupted by that skirmish." Now's the time to get this plan back on the rails. I've got my knitting bag right here.
"Wow… Didn't think you knew things like that, Kamui... Always thought of you as a hopeless tomboy like Lady Hinoka…" said the barely lucid spearfighter. Well, I didn't until a few days ago.
"I'm a girl of many talents." I get my wool and needles out. Right, let's start with something simple. A doily? I begin crocheting, but it's not going well.
This was so much easier with Jakob guiding me! Stitching with my arm this stiff probably isn't helping. I've missed a line and my hearts on it look like fists. Oh, but Oboro seems interested.
"It's a simple style…" she said. "It doesn't look like you'd be able to make anything too big with it though." Despite sounding like she was about to nod off, she was paying close attention. Maybe she'll be too high to notice it's going wrong!
After an hour of dropped stitches, fumbled hooks and Oboro giggling at me cursing, the doily is done!
"It's a bit… avant garde."
Certainly one way to describe it. Dammit Sakura, come slather her with more medicine, she's getting lucid! The project was a disaster…
"But the frog's really cute!" she said, grabbing it with a huge smile. She appreciates it? She really is an artist! I can't help but give her a hug. "H-hey you'll get all this goo on-ah!" she continued, before puhing me off and holding her stomach. Oh gods I've broken her more!
"SAKURAAAAAAAAA!" I sprint from the room, hunting for my little sister. She can't have gone far, right?! Suddenly, the pink haired maiden popped from a doorway, bumping into me.
"S-sister! What's wrong!" She's flustered and out of breath too. Must have heard my calls or something.
"Oboro began convulsing, you've got to come quick!" I can't wait here any longer! I bound round the corner, where the spearfighter is laying still, softly gasping. Sakura comes round the corner soon after me, her arms full of salve. Her eyes narrow in on the fluid down my dress.
"OUT! I CAN'T HAVE YOU IN HERE INTERFERING WITH MY PATIENTS!" she shouted. Well, for Sakura it was a shout. More like raising your voice a bit to anyone else. Either way, her faithful assistant, Hana, grabbed me by my collar and dragged me out.
"He-HEY! I'M SORRY OBOROOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I try an apologize. The door shuts in my face abruptly. I hear a muffled "dooon't worrryyyyy!" come in from there.
Dammit. It was going so damn well too.
"Kamui, you in here?" I hear Azura from outside the room I had fashioned into the War Room/bunk. My dress, doused in water in an attempt to stop the salve from staining, was hanging up next to my armour. I had shut myself up in here after I hurt Oboro. Again.
I was a state, my eyes puffy from tears. My dress hadn't gotten any better and even my camisole was kind of stained. Wasn't going to sit around without it, I don't know what ninja is watching me at this minute.
I don't really care, to be honest. Get a good look, Saizo, at the most hopeless dragon on the earth.
"Yeah." The songstress opens the door, holding a small container.
"Guess it didn't go so well." She sat down on the bedroll next to me in my bundle. Is she being sympathetic for once?
"You could say that… I hugged her after she said she liked or was humouring me or whatever… And squeezed her bruising. Then Sakura got angry and chucked me out. So I came here and tried to clean off the salve. And now it won't come off…" I sniff. She puts an arm around me and opens her little pot. Inside were some cookies.
"Sorry… I heard you crying earlier, so I stole some cookies that Kaze was cooking up." She can be lovely! I quickly grab one and bite down. Lovely as always. She giggled a little, looking at me. "That salve really smells."
"Tell me about it. I think I was getting airy from just being near it. I don't think she hates me, at least."
"What's with the crying alone in your bedroom then?"
"Because I'm an idiot? Because every single thing I do to try and get somewhere, I mess up? Because I just can't spit it out?"
"Oh no, we're not doing this again…" said Azura, standing up. "You did perfectly fine today and you yourself said she doesn't even hate you. Quit feeling sorry for yourself and cooping yourself up or I won't give your clothes back." She quickly grabbed the drying dress and armour from the pole they were on. Could you not be kind for another five minutes!?
"You wouldn't dare…"
"Wouldn't I? I want a smile, or you'll have to go have the war meeting in your underwear." Utterly ridiculous.
I am utterly ridiculous, she's right. Let's go greet Oboro with a smile and with a declaration of love!
"Not unless you're there like me!" I yell as I pounce. Like hell am I going to be the only one in my underwear!
Broken arm or not, you'd better believe I won. Shame about Gunter walking in on me celebrating my victory.
How does an 18 year old woman get grounded, anyway?