I'M REALLY SORRY GUYS ABOUT THE DELAY IN POSTING!  I PROMISE THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS CHAPTER UP FOR A WHILE, BUT MY COMPUTER AND THE WEBSITE MUST NOT LIKE ME TO MUCH BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD!  PLEASE FORGIVE ME!

Title:  All For Love, Chapter Five

Author:  Tevrah

Email:  writergirl852@yahoo.com

***

Chapter Five

Hitomi's eyes snapped open and she jerked up.  Cool air chilled her skin, producing goose bumps along her arms and legs.  She looked down to find her legs bare and a small white gown with the straps falling off of her shoulders covering the upper part of her body.  She was in the same room that she had awoken in the first time.

Her eyes darted around and saw a dress hanging on the door.  She got up and went to it.  Pulling her present gown off, she slipped the dress over her head.  It was a creamy white.  Then she walked to the window and pulled the sheet that covered it back.  The sun was setting and crimson rays painted the hills that were traveling by.  Hitomi sighed.  Everything looked so peaceful.

She swallowed and cringed.  Her throat felt so dry.  She turned around, looking for something cool to drink.  She didn't see anything, but she did find her pendant lying on the wash table.  She picked it up and held it close to her, the familiar white sparkle shining from the inside.  She found a pocket in her dress, and quickly hid it there to keep it safe.  Then she went in search of something to drink. 

Opening the door, she stepped outside quietly.  She walked down the same hall that Millerna had led her down, but instead of going straight, she turned left at one of the divisions.  After wandering around for a few minutes, she stopped and leaned against the wall.  She didn't have a clue as to where she was or where she was going.

She heard footsteps coming toward her down the hall.  Not wanting anyone to find her, she opened a door that was across from her and quickly went in, closing the door behind her.  She heard the footsteps pass and breathed a sigh of relief.

Turning around she saw that she was in a stable of some kind.  There were around fifteen to twenty horses in their very own stall. A small window was near the ceiling in each, lighting them.  It was a spacious room.  She was amazed at how big some of the horses were as she walked down the aisle.  She stopped at one stall that housed the biggest and most beautiful horse she had ever seen.  It was a midnight black, except for a single strip of white between its eyes.

"Hey there," she whispered softly, walking up to it with her hand outreached.  She touched the horse's skin and it nuzzled her hand.  She laughed quietly.  "I like you, too," she said.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

Hitomi turned around quickly, her hand flying to her heart.  Her eyes widened at what she saw.  A small cat girl stood before her with her hands on her hips.  She had light orange fur with black strips and short pink hair.  A tail waved back and forth in what Hitomi could best guess as irritation and annoyance.  That cat looked like she wanted to claw something.

"Wow," was all Hitomi could muster.  She had never seen a cat-person before.

"What's the matter?" the cat-girl said. 

Hitomi backed away as the cat came closer until she was back to stall.  The horse nudged her back, wanting more attention, but all Hitomi was concerned about was the person standing in front of her with claws.

The cat-girl sniffed Hitomi, then jumped back.  She looked Hitomi over, and then declared, "You're weird!"

Hitomi recovered quickly.  "I don't to hear that from you.  I'm not the one wearing fur."

The cat-girl narrowed her eyes and stuck her nose and tail straight up in the air.  She walked past Hitomi, knocking her back, and walked into the stall of the horse Hitomi was just petting.

Hitomi didn't have to take this.  She turned and walked toward the exit, fully intending to leave.  But she stopped and turned around.  It wouldn't do to go and make an enemy on the first day here.  Hitomi walked into the stall and picked up a brush.  She began to copy the movements that the cat-girl made.

"So what's your name?" Hitomi asked.

"Why do you want to know?" was the cat's retort.

Hitomi sighed.  "Look, I just want to know your name, okay?  My name is Hitomi."

The cat-girl narrowed her eyes.  "Merle."

Hitomi smiled.  "See, that wasn't so hard, Merle, now was it?"

Merle rolled her eyes.  The two girls continued to brush the horse in silence.  The horse nuzzled Hitomi and she rewarded him with a warm pat of her hand.

"He likes you," Merle said.  "He hardly likes anyone."

"I like him, too," Hitomi said.  "What's his name?"

"Ebony," Merle answered.  "She's Lord Van's horse."

Hitomi nearly dropped the brush at the mention of Van.  "Lord Van?"

"Yes," Merle said, and Hitomi heard the fondness in the girl's voice.  "He saved me when I was very young, and I've been with him ever since."

"So he's a nice man?" Hitomi asked, trying to feign disinterest.

Merle narrowed her eyes at her again, but answered anyway.  "He's the nicest man in the whole world.  He's the best fighter and he's gentle, too."

Then you marry him, Hitomi thought to herself.

"How old is he?" she asked out loud.

"Nineteen," Merle replied.

"Does he have any family?" was Hitomi's next question.

"I'm his family," Merle defended.

"I mean any blood family," Hitomi said quickly.  Merle looked like she wanted to claw Hitomi again.

Merle shrugged and relaxed.  "He doesn't talk about them much.  All I really know is that he had a mother, father, and brother.  It causes him a lot of pain when he thinks about them."

"Do you know what happened to them?" Hitomi wanted to know.

Merle shrugged again.  "They all died, leaving Lord Van all alone.  Just like me."

Hitomi could sense that Merle was remembering the past, and quickly changed the subject.  "How old are you?" 

"Thirteen," Merle answered.  "But I'll be fourteen in two months.  Lord Van promised to get me a really big surprise, too."

"Like what?" Hitomi asked.

"Well, if she knew that, then it wouldn't be a surprise."

Hitomi turned around quickly.  Van was leaning against the stall door with his arms crossed across his chest.  A smirk was in place on his face.  Hitomi resisted the urge to run away.  As if he knew what she was thinking, his smirk widened.  Why, that arrogant—

"Lord Van!"  Merle threw herself in his arms and licked his face.

"Merle, stop that," Van said with a smile.

"But I'm just so happy to see you!" Merle said.

"You just saw me this morning," Van reminded the hyper cat-girl.  He put Merle away from him gently and looked at Hitomi.  "Don't I get a greeting from you, too?"

Hitomi bit her tongue so hard that it hurt.

Van laughed.  "Guess not, huh?"  He turned to Merle.  "I came to tell you that we've arrived in Tokishim."

"What?" Hitomi exclaimed.  "But you said that would take two days!"

"You've been asleep for two days," Van said.

Hitomi leaned against the stall wall and breathed deeply.

"She's so weird!" Merle exclaimed, watching Hitomi close her eyes.  Then she turned to Van.  "Why is she worried about going to Tokishim, Lord Van?  Are you taking her somewhere she doesn't want to go?"

"Something like that," Van said his eyes on Hitomi's form.  "I'm taking her to a church."

"A church?" Merle said.  "What for?  Is she going to join the convent?"

"No," Van smiled and looked at her.  "She's getting married."

"To who?" Merle wanted to know.

"To me," Van replied.

Merle's mouth hung open.  "You're marrying her?" she shouted.

"No," came Hitomi's firm voice, "he's not."

Van's eyes swung to hers and glinted dangerously.  "Yes, I am."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes at him and opened her mouth to say something back to him.  But before she could, a loud thump came from the stall next to them.  Hitomi looked over to it and didn't see anything.  Van walked in and pushed his hand into some of the hay.  When he pulled it back out, a sputtering…something came out with it.

"Mole!" Merle shouted.  "You were listening to us again!"  She began to advance on him with her claws out, but Van threw him to the other side of the stall.

"Don't hurt him!" Hitomi cried.  She stepped into the stall and went over to the fallen moleman.  She knelt down beside him.  "Are you okay?"

"Yes," came his stringy voice.  "'Twasn't the first time my old and frail body has been thrown about, and it won't be the last, I'm afraid."

Hitomi took pity on him.  She turned and looked at Van.  "See?  You could have hurt him.  Is this how you treat everyone?"

Van's only reply was a rise of his eyebrows.

Hitomi suddenly felt something was missing.  She reached into her pocket and felt around.  Her pendant was gone!  And she knew just who took it, too.  She glared at the moleman.  "You little thief!" she cried.

Moleman raised up his arms in defense.  "Wait!" he pleaded.  "I merely wanted to see it, and besides I heard about your upcoming marriage and I wish to give you a gift."

Hitomi looked at him suspiciously.  "What kind of gift?"

He held up her pendant and said, "Just watch."  He took a nail file out and some pieces of silver.  Hitomi watched in fascination as the mole man transformed her pendant into a beautiful silver necklace.

"You don't look like you would be good with your hands," Hitomi commented as she watched him put the finishing touches on.

"You hurt me," he said.

She ignored him.  The pendant was beautiful.  He finished and handed it to her.  "Thank you," she said and placed it around her neck.  It was a perfect fit to slip over her head.

"Now," the moleman said with a yawn, "I've exhausted myself.  I believe I will take a nap."  He burrowed down in the hay and disappeared.

Hitomi got up and turned her pendant over and over in her hand.  No matter which way she turned it, there was always a white sparkle in it.  What did it mean?  Why was it there?  Hitomi often wondered what it was.

Van's voice cut through her musings.  "It's time to go, Hitomi."

Her head snapped up and she took a step back.  She shook her head.  "You don't have to do this.  Actually I would prefer that you didn't do this.  I saved Chid because it was the right this to do, that's all.  You don't owe me anything."

Van walked over to her and she backed up until she was against the wall.  "I don't really care what you prefer," he said.  "You'll do this, and that's the end of it."

Hitomi couldn't take it anymore.  As far back as she could remember, she had been ordered about.  Told what to wear, how to wear it, when to eat, how to eat, and even how to live.  She'd had enough.  Bringing her hand up, she slapped Van so hard that his head snapped to the side.

His face was a mirror of surprise, but soon turned to anger.  He gripped her arms tightly.  Hitomi let out a small gasp of pain.  "Do not ever slap me again," he ordered.  "Do you understand me?"

His grip had tightened with every word and Hitomi felt like he was about to rip her arms out of their sockets.  She quickly nodded.

The pain in her eyes penetrated his mind, and Van lightened his grip.  "Good," he said.  He released her and turned around.  The he turned and looked at her again.  She was rubbing her arms and looking at the ground.  "Merle will get you a cloak and show you where to meet me," he said and left.

***

A few minutes later, Hitomi had a black cloak wrapped tightly around her body and stood on the ground outside.  Millerna was saying something, but Hitomi wasn't paying attention.  Her arms still stung a little.  Truth be told, Hitomi was now more afraid than ever.  At least when she was with Allen she never had to be afraid if she was going to be hit or made to be in any type of physical pain.  Now, with Van, she wasn't so sure.  After all, he had bruised her arms just by squeezing them.

…all right?"

"What did you say, Millerna?" Hitomi asked quietly.

"I asked if you were all right," Millerna said.  "You've been awfully quiet."

"I'm fine," Hitomi said.

Millerna still looked worried and placed a hand on Hitomi's forehead.  Hitomi closed her eyes.

"Mama!"

A little brown-haired, blue-eyed girl ran up to Millerna, and Millerna picked her up and held her tight.

Hitomi opened her eyes to find Millerna's blue eyes looking at her with concern.  "You scared me for a moment," Millerna said.  "It was like you spaced out and just froze."

Hitomi smiled at her.  "Something like that."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Millerna asked.  "I could ask Van to wait for a little while before you go into town."

Hitomi shook her head.  "No," she sighed.  "It's better to just get this over with."

Millerna gave her a sympathetic look.  "It'll be okay, you'll see.  Van may be a little rough around the edges, but he's an all right guy once you get to know him."

Hitomi forced a smile.  "I'm sure."  She suddenly smiled for real when she asked, "Millerna, do you and Dryden have any children other than Chid?"

Millerna seemed surprised by the question, but answered anyway.  "No.  Chid is it.  We've been trying ever since we got married to have another baby, but it just isn't working."  Then she added quietly, "I think something is wrong with me.  I can't seem to have children and Dryden and I want some so badly."

Hitomi gently took the woman's hand and squeezed it.  "You know, in all my life there's one thing I've learned.  Fate seems to have its own clock that has the oddest sense of timing."

Millerna gave her a confused look.  Hitomi took the hand that she was holding and placed in on Millerna's stomach.  "But you will be amazed what it gives you when its clock chimes," Hitomi said quietly.

Millerna looked at her hand on her stomach, then at Hitomi.  "If I'm not here when she's born," Hitomi said with a smile, "tell her I said hi."

Millerna's eyes widened and her mouth opened, but nothing came out.  Tears filled her eyes.  She wrapped her arms around Hitomi tightly.  "Thank you," she whispered.  "Thank you so much."

As much as Hitomi could remember about her mother's face and looks, she couldn't remember being hugged before and returned the embrace with gentleness, as though the moment would break.  She felt small arms wrap around her legs and look down.  Chid was smiling up at her and hugging her legs.  Hitomi bent down and picked him up.

"Will ya miss me?" he asked.

Hitomi nodded.  "Sure will."

Chid nodded and smiled.  "Good."  He turned to Millerna.  "Why are you crying, mama?"

Millerna took him in her arms and held him close.  Hitomi smiled at the scene.  She suddenly felt a presence behind her and turned around.  Van was seated atop his horse and was looking at her.  Without a word, he reached down a hand and lifted her behind him on the saddle.  He turned the horse and made a clicking sound.  The horse sped up until he was almost in a full gallop.  Not wanting to, but not having a choice, Hitomi wrapped her arms around Van's waist and held on for dear life.

Why did everything always happen to her?

If any of you are wondering why I put Van as being nineteen, it's because I couldn't resist!  I just had to make him older than her!  Sorry!

Well, what did you guys think?  Drop me a line and let me know!