Escape
Chapter 3
Waiting
Lady Tsunade found herself in a vicious mood. Her slippered feet continuously strode as loudly as their soft soles allowed over the ancient stone hallways of her home. Heavily embroidered skirts whispered against the floor, the walls, everything their thread weighted lengths could reach as she strode around without her usual care. The troublesome sands of her guardian's timepiece were moving torturously slow, and her mind could hold no peace to ease itself by. The final messenger had snuck in with the dawn's first light with information; the Hatake brat and his squad had been seen with an extra rider, had possibly succeeded, were maybe racing their way towards at that very moment. It had now been an entire day without news for the sun was fully set and the stars shone grim in her golden eyes. She once more paused in her fretful movements to glare at the slowly leaking hourglass and the darkened sky showing through the window beyond it.
Tumultuous thoughts of only the worst visions were her only companions as she continued her sweeping walk throughout the darkened castle. Her ladies in waiting had been sent to their padded beds, safe for one more night to wake fresh in the morning. Only one remained awake to observe her troubled passing through the open door of the ladies solar. She too waited for word from the missing squad, but her worries took themselves out in constant yet small movements; on the cloth being mended with careful stitches, on her low murmuring voice singing disjointed songs and her careful rocking of the small cradle where her tiny child slept in quiet peace.
"I am in awe of your composure," Lady Tsunade stopped in the doorway to say. Her lady in waiting merely looked up and smiled in utter calm. "My husband's commander is a fine child. I have faith in him, faith that he has done everything possible to see that they all come home to us safely."
"Safety I commonly see Hatake achieving, he and my lords stayed up late many nights planning this. Timely, though, timeliness is an ability that boy has not yet learned." Her confidant smiled in quiet agreement as the hushed whispers they spoke in betrayed Tsunade's fondness for the young knight.
She was off once more, swirling skirts and activity loosened blond hair through hallways and down carpeted stairs until hurried steps finally took her to the main hall bedecked in the bright colors of the castle's denizens; lords, knights and guardian protectors of the northern ranges of the Kingdom of Fire. Below the straight hanging banners were trestle tables full of quietly muttering soldiers wearing many of those same colors; strong men waiting to hear of their absent friends. At the far end of the room was the raised dais where both her husband and her guardian sat conversing quietly until they saw her standing still in her observations. The entire room hushed as the men noticed her presence and attempted to stand in respect. Her hastily waved hand and feral glare had the lounging knights sitting back down with chastised looks. She clenched and unclenched her fists gaining composure before taking quick steps toward the two most important men in her life. She closed the space between them and curtsied shortly. "Lord Sarutobi," she ground out in as polite a tone as her fears could offer to the lord of the castle ignoring the questioning eyes of her husband sitting nearby. "Has there been word, yet?"
Her husband, Jiraiya, moved aside on the bench he commonly sat on when conversing with her guardian and patted invitingly upon the cushion beside him. "You should wait with us in here, Tsunade. We are truly just expecting them now."
Lord Sarutobi nodded in agreement as he took a few puffs from his ever present pipe. "Our sharpest eyes are watching for any signs but knowing Hatake, he'll be in the hall before we hear a sound. Rest your fears and your legs, child."
Tsunade nodded absently and walked away to stare into the warmth of a nearby fireplace ignoring the offered seat beside her husband. In a flurry of skirts and sudden activity, she grabbed a large chair and began dragging it closer to the warmth without a thought to the many knights that stood to assist her. She then grabbed a cushion and a slim sheaf of papers hidden on the mantel, a few quickly done sketches of a tiny babe in blankets.
She sat there lost in her musings until a hue was raised from the wall and a small page came running in. "A squad of six has been sighted, sire," he yelled breathlessly. "On Duty says they fly no flag of recognition but wear common leathers. They ride dark mounts but for a drizzle grey surrounded by the others." He smiled wide as the hall erupted in cheers at his news.
Sarutobi nodded in recognition of the horse colors; the position of Kakashi's familiar grey animal was their flag of victory for the knight would be leading or not even returning had the mission failed. "Light no fires but a torch at the side gate. Have them seen to in the garrison away from civilian eyes." The squire panted breathlessly as he nodded and ran back out with orders to be shared. Tsunade stood amidst the tumult of joyous noise and began walking out of the hall with sudden, masking calm so different from her earlier temper.
"Daughter," Sarutobi asked with humor in his voice. "Where are you going?"
"They may need healing," she replied tartly. "I shall bring my herbs to the guard hall and care for them there." She didn't see his approving nod so anxious was she to lay protecting arms around her new baby boy.
Jiraiya sighed with love and exasperation as his eyes followed the shapely swing of his lady wife's hips. If her wishes had been realized weeks ago, she would have been among the soldiers involved in the rescue, but instead she was kept at home like any proper lady and he well knew how much she resented that fact. She had been raised by Sarutobi in an unlikely manner, being given a knightly schooling in arts and languages until she focused upon healing and doctoring techniques which she had uncommonly excelled at for as fine a lady as she was.
He loved her ability to pursue and accomplish tasks no normal female would even dare to ponder, and he adored how she so easily passed along her strength. Her ladies in waiting were carefully chosen for their own fulfilling and uncommon abilities; a shepherds daughter with a clear and beautiful voice whose strength now lay in composing grand hymns of amazing instrumental complexity or a small and thin child she had cleverly stolen from another lady while at court for no reason other than the girl had clever hands. Under his wife's careful guidance they all bloomed into great women, true helpmeets and wives to those they found worthy of their regard. Even her latest addition, a young girl of noble birth from the other side of the sea was growing well and following in his wife's wake as an apprentice to her healing treatments. Small and capable Shizune was as close as a daughter as Jiraiya felt he would ever come to.
As he sat and thought fondly of the young adopted apprentice, Jiraiya's mind turned as it ever did to his own student and the fruitful marriage the young man had experienced for such a short but blessed time. He inevitably turned to dwelling on his own lack of an heir. It was unfortunate that his and Tsunade's long marriage had never resulted in a child of their own, and he knew she easily saw the baby as a nephew now, possibly even a grandchild since she would have none of her own. With Kushina's gracious and plentiful blessings, Tsunade had already planned to lovingly dote on the small babe as his written godparent, but was now determined to raise him right and in a way that would honor his deceased parents. The boy, the child of his own student, would now have four loving parents to watch over him, two from the heavens and two here on the earth beside him.
A short prayer asking for forgiveness ran through Jiraiya's mind apologizing to Minato and Kushina for the time they waited to free their son, but he was now finally soon to be in their arms. They could do nothing now but wait for him to be presented by the victorious squad. Kakashi would see to his squad's health as any proper commander should before he would arrive within the hall. They would only be in the way if the men in the hall filled the hallways yelling for news as his heart wanted to, but he was a knight of the realm, and patience had been one of the things he had sworn to in his vows. They already knew of the mission's success so it was only the details they required now. Jiraiya settled himself comfortably on the bench beside Lord Sarutobi and resumed his own anxious but still wait.
A/N: Thanks fior being so patient for this bit. RL has got me down, but I'm up and fightign back! It's back to the long sentences and many breaths, repeated readings for udnerstanding that I sometimes adore. Teh next installment willbe longer, but I hope you, my readers enjoyed this small pause in the story.