Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime and "Lady Hawke".
"Captain Natsuki." Natsuki's eyes softened slightly with a hint of a smile upon her normally stoic face. The two soliders lower their swords as they were about to embrace.
"Masashi." Natsuki's low voice spoke volumes at seeing one of her most trusted men.
Before the two could embrace, Rad walked up behind Masashi whispering, "Captain?" Rad has pushed Mashashi's body into the tip of Natsuki's sword. Natsuki's eyes widened slightly revealing shock as she cushioned Masashi's body to the ground. One glance at the soldier told Natsuki that he was dead; she pulled her sword out of his body. Her face was a battlefield of anger and barely contained control. She looked up at Rad with a burning anger before she gently laid Mashashi's body on the floor.
Rad held a smirk upon his face before the force of Natsuki's fist slammed into his jaw. He was unguarded thus the punch knocked him out cold while one of his men caught him before he fell. The men surrounding Natsuki held uncertainty because they didn't know how to proceed without a leader, and they knew who this person was. Natsuki studied the position of all the men before coming up with a plan. She used their confusion to her advantage. She turned around acting as if she was running away. One of the soldiers gathered his bearings ran after her, Natsuki spotting a string of horseshoes hanging from a nail. She grabbed them and flung them toward the face of the unexpecting soldier knocking him out instantly. Not too far behind the first soldier another ran up with his sword raised high.
Natsuki ran toward him blocking the blade with her own and gave a swift side kick to the man's ribs hearing the satisfying sound of bones cracking. When the soldier grabbed his side his sword lowered, a mistake that Natsuki showed by grabbing the hand that held the sword and used the pommel to smash against the soldier's nose. Blood gushed from the man's face as he let out a howl of pain. To Natsuki's left, she saw a flash of chain-mail heading her way, she side stepped and grabbed the man's neck from behind and forced him to face upward. She used her right leg to shove into the back of the man's knee causing him to loose balance.
Natsuki then used her sword to slice deep into the man's neck spewing blood everywhere. Sensing two more men running toward her yelling, she heaved the corpse up with her one hand and used her foot to push the body into the two men causing them to fall down. She quickly stepped upon the corpse pinning the two soldiers down and swung her sword downward like a pendulum silencing the two men instantly. The other soldiers were too afraid to come closer to her after killing three of their commrades and two of them knocked out not including their leader within a matter of minutes. Sheathing her sword, Natsuki started to walk away when she noticed the man, who caught Rad, readying to attack. Green eyes travelled to her right to find a smoking piece of wood resting in a shallow pit of burning coals. She picked it up as the man swung his sword wildly at her. She easily dodged it.
Because the man was poorly balanced before he swung, he had his back now facing her. She grabbed the back of his armour and pushed him down on all fours. With the tip of the smoking wood, she pressed it firmly and deeply into the back of the man's neck before kicking him aside. She noticed that Rad was gaining consciousness and fury overrode everything else. She took hold of Rad by the scruff of the neck and positioned him in front of the live coal. Rad merely allowed a victorious smile light his face knowing he has caused her pain. Clenching her jaw, Natsuki wanted so much to kill him. To make him pay for everything he had done including killing one of her most loyal men because he called her captain. Tightening her grip, she violently shook him as she lifted the wooden stick to his face. Fear slithered through Rad's eyes making Natsuki pause in her actions. Killing Rad wouldn't bring Masashi back.
She slowly lowered the stick as the burning coal begun to simmer. Sensing Nastuki's intentions, Rad couldn't help allow himself another cocky expression wash over his face. Seeing it, Natsuki pushed the man backwards into the live coal throwing the stick on top of him. Rad screamed as his cape and behind were on fire. Some of his men were trying to put out the fire. Natsuki slowly turned away and begun walking to her horse. Seeing a soldier blocking her path with his sword raised in a poor attempt to stop her, she just slapped the sword away with her hand pausing to see if the solider would attack. Instead the man ran away, Natsuki took a few more steps to see Masashi's body lying in the pool of his own blood. She knelt down and said a quiet, quick prayer before rising and mounting her horse.
"NATSUKI!" Rad screamed at the top of his lungs.
Ant was trying her utmost best to mount a horse during the entire commotion, but the horses were spooked and kept moving away from her. Growing frustrated, she tried to jump upon the back of a brown mare, but the horse quickly avoided her and Ant fell down. Seeing that using the horses was usless and she was only wasting time, "You filthy strumpets!" she ran out of the village as fast as her legs could carry her. She heard the sound of thunderous hooves beating merciliously against the ground behind her. She glanced behind her seeing the woman riding hard toward her.
"No! No! I'm not one of them!" She pleaded as she tried to outrun the horse. She looked back again to see the woman rapidly gaining ground with a hawk flying around her. Seeing the woman bending to the side as if to grab something, Ant realized too late that the woman's target was herself. "NO! Don't! Ahhhh!" she screamed as she felt her lithe body lifted like nothing and roughly placed on her stomach with the horn of the saddle pressed into her stomach. She felt her body vibrating harshly as she looked ahead at the closing gate to the entrance of the village with a guard ready to stop them. Natsuki pushed her horse harder by digging her heels into the sides of the horse. "NO! WATCH OUT!" Ant screamed.
She knew she was going to die. Why oh why did she have to brag? Why couldn't she keep her big mouth shut? It was always her mouth and not her hands that got her into trouble. The horse's muscles coiled preparing for the jump. The horn digging into her soft stomach made Ant feel as if she was going to hurl. The sudden impact of landing and the loud sound of Natsuki's gloved fist pounding the head of the soldier caused Ant's mead to come up.
Two soldiers behind them tried to open the gate, but Ant watched in surprise as the hawk that was around the woman swoop down and used its talons to cut into one of the soldier's face. The hawk screeched as it flew after them.
Ant held her sore stomach with one hand while the other was wrapped around the woman's waist. They were nearing a cottage in the woods, "I see someone is home since there is smoke rising from the house. Are you sure you don't want to ride on, sir, there is still plenty of light?" she questioned.
"Stop your chatting, we will spend the night here." Natsuki slowed the horse into a walk as she located the resident of the house. A loud squeal of an overweight woman was skipping in alarm toward her husband, who looked to be the size of the hoe he was using. The woman hide behind her husband as the man stopped his work and held the hoe in both hands as a sign of warning. Natsuki stopped her horse nearby, crossing her hands over the horn of the saddle and leaned slightly forward.
"Good afternoon sir and lady, I've come in hopes of lodging for the night."
"No, be off with ya!" The man's hoarse voice spoke. He didn't want any trouble coming to him and by the looks of these travelers, they were the type of trouble he wanted nothing to do with.
"We'll pay for it. of course." Natsuki wouldn't take no for an answer. She noticed how the man paused and the woman poked her chubby face from behind his scrawny back.
Ant felt the need to put her own two cents in, "We are not above compassion to those in misery." She showed them her purse of coins. The man licked his lips in greed, his eyes never straying from the purse.
"You can sleep down there in the barn." His oily voice consented.
"Thank you." Nasuki slightly bowed her head and raised her arm. A beautiful chestnut coloured hawk with strange markings on it's back landed. Directing her horse toward the barn, Natsuki gently clicked her tongue to tell the horse to move. Ant slid down the horse as Natsuki jumped off carefully not to jostle the hawk on her enclosed fist. Warm eyes and a gentle smile appeared for a small moment as the woman caressed the breast of the bird with her index finger. Then Natsuki's eyes turned to the man and woman, who moved to their small hut, cautiously. Natsuki narrowed her eyes as she continued to pet the hawk with unusual affection.
Natsuki opened her saddle bag and pulled out her helmet. Her eyes caught upon something placed inside, she felt a lump form in the back of her throat as she gently pulled out the object. A long white cotton dress. Natsuki gazed upon it as her eyes shone with feeling. With utmost gentlness, she gathered the dress in both of her hands and brought it close to her face. Natsuki swallowed as memories flooded her and her heart clenched in sadness. She pressed the dress to her nose and she closed her eyes. The famililar texture of the cloth allowed Natsuki to pretend just for a moment. The faint smell of the one she held most dear clung to it. A memory so dear to her of her holding her beloved, who wore this dress. Before her thoughts could continue on, Ant's voice interrupted the moment.
With careful movements, Natsuki folded the dress and placed it back inside the helmet with care. She moved to the door of one of the stables she resided in. "Sir, if there is nothing else you need of me, I will take my leave." Ant was eager to leave. The aura of this woman scared her and everything else of the woman. Despite being beautiful, Ant didn't trust this woman with her life. Violence and blood seemed to go hand-in-hand wherever she went and Ant wanted nothing to do with it. She started to leave when Natsuki's rough voice stopped her.
"You can take care of my horse." Natsuki felt a smile tug at her lips, but she held enough control to keep it from showing at the expression Ant made at her request. "Also, sleep with one eye open. Never disturb me in my sleep or I will chop off your head before I know it is you, understood?"
Ant nervously nodded while she trabbed the reins, "Come on, old girl." She tugged and pulled with all her might, but the horse refused to budge. Natsuki watched in amusement with her arms crossed. Seeing Ant's pathetic attempts to get Duran to move was ludicrious. The ebony horse kept its position, whining slightly at the annoyance that is Ant. "Stubborn little lady." Ant felt sweat pouring down her face at her poor attempts.
"What's her name?" Ant stopped to rest.
"His name is Duran."
"His name?' Ant looked down at the horse's genitals, "Pretty name."
"Go with her, boy, she didnt'mean to hurt your feelings." Natsuki lightly patted Duran's rump as the horse finally relented. Relieved, Ant guided Duran to the stable to prepare the horse for bed.
Natsuki stands with her back to the door post. She presses the white dress to her cheek as her eyes seem to drift to a different place. With sadness etched in her eyes, she turned around to look out of the circular window. The sun dipped below the horizon leaving hues of red, yellow, and orange at its wake. "O...One day." She whispers and blinks as her eyes slightly water. The sun disappears completely behind the horizon and the howl of a wolf echoed into the night.
Ant angrily snatches a twig from the forest ground as complaints tumble out. "Comrades-in-arms...phfft...slave is more like it. Start a fire, feed the animals, gather the wood!" Ant continued her chore griping and groaning about the treatment the woman commanded of her. "Look at me Lord, I would have been better in the prison of Aquila where I had a roommate who was insane and a murderer. But at least he respected me!' She paused to shove a branch out of her face as she treked back to the barn, "A strange woman she is, why did she save my life?" Why would anyone save anyone's life? "She wants something of me. I can see it in her eyes."
Ant felt self righteous anger burning in her chest, "Well, I won't do it!'she said with utter convinction, "I'm still a young woman. I'VE GOT PROSPECTS!" She announced to the silent night. She changed direction while dropping the pile of wood in her arms, "Good-bye, Captain, I've got a bright future ahead of-" She immediately stopped at the sound of a twig snapping behind her. She slowly turned around as fear raced through her icy veins. More sounds coming from the dense forest causing Ant to look around her hoping to locate the direction so she could run in the opppsite direction. A low growl emmits from the thick brush as more snapping sounds seem to bounce everywhere. "Hello?" a weak attempt to sound brave as Ant backtracked to the dropped wood.
She picked them up, while trying to think of a way out of this situation. "Who do you think is out there? You had better draw your sword, Nina!" Ant hoped this idea would work. "Ah, Erstin! You've brought your crossbow.' Ant's voice changed slightly to imitate another person, "We'll all go back to the barn, all right?" Ant used different pitches of tone as she imitated different voices in agreement to the plan. The sound of footsteps grew louder. Ant felt the need to increase her speed as she continued to make different voices readying themselves for battle as she ran. She made her way into a clearing in the forest.
She looked behind her to see what might be chasing her but her foot caught on an uprooted plant and she fell down a hill. The view of the barn was nearby. She thanked God that she didn't twist her ankle and shot up to run into the saftey of the barn. She hoped Natsuki hadn't fallen asleep yet. She faced the forest as she backed up. Her eyes frantically looking at anything moving or suspicious. Her back hit something and she gasped as she turned around to find a tree. She stumbled a bit as she tried to regain her balance. She felt foolish as she turned to walk toward the barn.
A hooded figure appeared behind her with an axe raised high. Ant's eyes widen in horror as a big, black wolf charged right for her. She ducked as the wolf jumped over her and attack the hooded man. Ant couldn't believe what she was seeing. The man, who let them stay was going to attack and now this giant wolf was attacking the man. Nothing made sense, all Ant knew was to get the hell out and alert Natsuki. Ant tripped several times before making it inside of the barn all the while screaming for Captain Natsuki. The last that Ant saw was the wolf chewing on the man's face while the man was screaming in agony.
"Captain! Sir!" Ant found no sign of Natsuki. Her eyes landed on Natsuki's crossbow and made a grab for it. She tried to string it back but the taunt bow was difficult for her scrawny muscles. She somehow managed while looking around for the quiver. "Wolf...wolf..wolf" She continued her mantra as she located the quiver. In her desperate attempts to grab the quiver, the bow fell to the ground. Cursing, Ant grabbed an arrow and put it in her mouth as she grabbed the crossbow. She hid herself within the barn with a good look out for her to shoot the wolf. With shaky fingers, she positioned the arrow in the crossbow. Her heart was thundering loudly and her ears rang, she had never felt so much adrenline pumping through her body as she did now. Apparently a lot of new things were happening to her that she never experienced before she met Natsuki.
She took aim and her finger tightened on the trigger. It was then that a arm laid upon the crossbow halting her attack. For some uknown reason, Ant didn't feel fear as she looked behind her. Ant had never felt so powerless in her entire life. There stood before her was the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. In fact, Ant believed there was no way such beauty could exist in real life. A beautiful oval face was the only thing shown within the confines of a black cloak. Startling ruby eyes looked at her silently. Strays of chestnut colored hair escaped from beneath the hood. The soft hand that was on the crossbow slowly lowered it along with Ant's hand to the ground.
Ant thought that Natsuki was beautiful but compared to this magnificent creature before her, Natsuki was a different level than this woman. Natsuki was beautiful in the most human way possible, but this creature was so stunning that not even the great Lord almighty could have created something so perfect. The creature releashed her hold on the crossbow and glanced outside toward the wolf. Want was evident in her eyes, she slowly made her way outside with Ant still paraylsis. At seeing this creature moving out of the saftey of the barn, Ant suddenly felt her limbs able to move. "Don't go out there, My Lady! There's a wolf out there. The biggest wolf you've ever seen and a dead man" She warned as she grabbed a hold of the gorgeous woman's arm.
The woman seemed to not care as she looked to Ant for a moment. Ant felt her hand release her hold as the woman lifted her hand in a signal to wait. She then turned her eyes back to the outside, seeing what Ant could not see. The distant cry of a wolf was heard and the woman's steps seemed to quicken. Ant hid behind the door frame as she witness the woman walking into the thick of the forest where the wolf cries seem to resonate from. "Miss, please!" She gave off one last plead before turning her back against the post. "Maybe I'm dreaming! There is no way such things could really happen in real life!' Ant tried to convince herself and find some logical explanation, "My eyes are open. Maybe I'm dreaming I'm asleep but awake. Or, maybe I'm asleep dreaming I'm awake but asleep ." Ant was getting more and more confused and a headache forming at her temples.
Shaking her head, she stamped the thoughts out of her mind and quickly climbed the ladder heading up the barn. She crouched down looking through the loose, straw wall. Her mouth agape as she witnessed the impossible. The mystical woman stopped where she was and held out her hand to the giant wolf, who kept its head down nonagrressively. It made it's way to her and the woman knelt down. She calmly and gently touched the wolf's head almost like a caress. The wolf nuzzled her hand giving out a whine. The woman stood up and begun walking further into the forest with the wolf quietly walking beside her.
Ant turned herself away from the scene, "I have not seen what I've seen. I do not believe what I've seen!" She grasped her chest, she looked upward, "Lord, these are magical and mystical things that are happening, and I BEG you not to make me apart of it."
AN: Finally Shizuru makes an appearance. Thank you so much for reviewing my story. I seriously believed no one liked it so I didn't think I should continue. I love this story so much and believe it to be one of the most romantic love stories ever told! I've noticed that a lot of reviewers love it when they are recongnized by the author for reviewing so I will do just that.
KiyoDuran: Thanks for not spoiling the story for the readers. Also, thank you so much for reviewing my story. I agree, I believe that Natsuki makes the perfect knight to fit Navarre's character.
CallMeBia: I hope you keep diggin the story as it progresses.
Shizuru fan: Thank you for the review. I hope I don't disappoint.
DnDsKit: Such odd names I keep seeing but oh well. Thanks for the encouragement. I was watching it several months ago and decided this movie could fit the idea for Natsuki and Shizuru.
BlackSakuyamon: Thanks, I honestly believed no one liked it but now it would seem there are some people who do like it. I figured the reason why people turned away was because it lacked Natsuki and Shizuru moments. The story will have it, I just hope people will stick around for those sweet moments.
Kuma Kuma: It would seem I was not the only one thinking of writing this fic. I'm wandering if there are other who could have done a much better job than I did. Thanks for the encouragement!