Yes! I finally finished it! I finished it! Oh, wait, this is not the time to be happy! I apologize to all of my patient readers who were promised a chapter in a week and a half, but got like almost two –three weeks instead. Also I would like to warn you guys that Jenny might not be as silly as she was the chapters before this… and that I might have made the characters (especially Raven) OOC. I apologize in advance, but I think that this chapter is important in order for Jenny's and Raven's relationship to grow plus I added a little humor here and there, albeit it might not seem to flow naturally. All well, I hope you enjoy this all the same.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hakushaku to Yousei, the characters in it, or the plot about Lydia finding the sword, whatever happens next, and the conversations the dear translators for the show made, but I do own Jennie, the other parts in the story I created, and alterations in the script or… something. (Wow that's a long disclaimer)
Chapter 6: How Fast can You get Lost in a Forest?
We arrived at a cottage at a nearby forest. Yes, I didn't know how the heck did we get there. And yes, I can't tell the difference between a house and a cottage. I'll search the dictionary once we get home I guess.
"We should stay here until the morning. It's too dark to see our way in this forest anyway." Edgar said. He clutched at his side and sometimes limped as he got into the cottage/house. My sister attempted to aid Edgar, but two things got in the way.
When Lydia asks that he's all right he says yes.
Lydia has a good heart, but stubborn. So I'm sure that she's using number 1 as an excuse to not help him, albeit reluctantly anyway.
Usually I would never have seen through people's desires and thoughts like this before.
You bet I'm proud of myself.
Anyway, back to the story. I was the one who got inside first and made the comment of, "There's no roof!"
"Don't worry, I'll make a fire," Edgar said in his manliness.
I nodded. Yes, of course, why need a roof when you can have a fire that could easily be extinguished by the rain!
"Ah! …Don't move around too much, you're injured you know!" Lydia exclaimed. Her eyebrows were slightly lowered as she said this. I think she's torn between hating and worrying about him.
Edgar had a strange glint in his eyes. "Could it be that you're worried about me?" he said as he sat down, rather uncomfortably.
My sister flustered a bit. "No! You're my employer, so it will be troublesome for you to die on me!" she shouted for defense. Edgar smirked but said no more. Wow, no longer in the fighting spirit, Mr. Brother-in-law?
"I- …There's a well outside, I'll go make some tea," Lydia said a little later. She walked outside the cottage/house looking just as if there's nothing bothering her when there should be. What it is, I don't know. [Happy face]
"…I'll go help," I said and followed her.
For a while I just watched Lydia, pouring water onto a pot, then Nico pops up and says, "Lydia, don't you think you should run away now?"
"Huh? Run away? I thought Lydia was with Edgar because they're 'employee and employer'… At least right now anyway…" I said the last part in secretive way, but still loud nonetheless.
Lydia sighed tiredly, then turned to our cat friend. "Nico, where have you been?"
"I was always with you. I just made myself invisible," he replied. Somehow Lydia smiled in relief I however did otherwise.
"You're a gentleman aren't you? Shouldn't you be protecting Lydia instead of just watching her unseen?" I said.
Nico scoffed at me. "I'm the one who works behind the scenes and besides you're the most boyish in the family. I expected you to give out a war cry and then get pelted by rocks."
"Hey, I can't even throw a punch!" I pouted at him. "And I'm ladylike enough to like dresses!"
"Yea, when they get burned."
"…True."
"Oh, would you two just stop it!" Lydia shouted over our bickering.
Nico sighed. There's been a lot of sighing going around lately, maybe I should do one or I might act suspicious. "That guy's definitely the larcenist that the constables are looking for," Nico informed us after a moment.
Lydia looked down, a hidden emotion underneath her eyes. "Seems like it," she admitted. "But he protected me, and we escaped safely."
"That's only because he won't be able to find the Blue Knight Earl's…" I'm getting bored just listening to them talk. Silently, I slipped away from them and into the forest. In the distance I could here Lydia call out my name and Nico saying to forget about me and I'll return once I get hungry. Somehow I feel like he's treating me like a stray cat.
I walked randomly through the forest turning here and there when I had to. Right, left, right, left, right, right, left, left, right, left, right, left, up, down, right, left…
…WAIT WHAT? How can I even go 'up down'?
…Shit I'm lost… again.
:D
I let out a frustrated yell. What is wrong with me? Can't someone, anyone here help me? I dropped down to a nearby stump. I should have sat on the stump, but it was already growing moss, plus Lydia will have to ask me to wipe off the bits of it later. Chances are that I'll get too lazy to even try.
I looked up at the sky defeated. It's getting dark out; I hate the dark. I let out another yell.
"There he is! Fire!" I shrieked when I heard that and made myself smaller behind the stump.
Click, click, click!
"What are you doing hurry up and fire!" Hey, doesn't that sound like Wheatbrain? ...I wonder if it's safe to sneak a peak.
One of Wheat's henchmen said, "Sir, we seem to have run out of ammo-"
"Impossible!" he screamed, "We didn't even use our guns yet!" Well, I bet you can guess how the hell that could happen. I guess my little midnight mission on the boat did good, but to whom?
All of the sudden, a single flash of a wavy green line came towards them, most of wheat's henchmen ran away screaming while the others were lying there… very still. I think they're dead…
The green line stopped and Raven was there, not a scratch or dirt or drop of blood on him. Under his blank gaze I saw nothing. That can't be right there has to be something, and I'm going to prove that right now. I shot up to my feet, waved my hand towards him and shouted, "Hey, Raven! What's up?"
His eyes snapped right towards my. Eyes of slight recognition and horror I wonder what changed. I can't be the reason for the horror can I? A hand painfully grabs my wrist and I found out the reason.
Holding a knife towards my throat Wheat cried, "Ha! You slave, now that I got a valuable hostage you can't hurt me!" I sweat dropped rather then panicked. I feel so pathetic getting in Raven's way; I should have stayed behind my stump.
Raven was eyeing both of us, especially Wheat, closely probably thinking what to do. Though I do want to live, frankly I don't think I'm important enough for Raven to save. I checked Raven for any signs of injury. He didn't have any, and probably if Raven does what Wheat says he might end up having one. My thoughts ran back to the time when Raven burnt his hand to protect Edgar. Him, wrapping his arm with bandages by himself. Somehow, I don't want to remember anymore. I don't want him to get hurt… Yea, that must be why I'm feeling this way.
"Hmm… Let's see how much would you give for the life of this woman," Wheat said, contemplating on what he's going to do with the both of us. I saw Raven's grip on his knife tighten, then loosen lightly. He's not going to give in is he? I have to think of something…
I really wanted to bite Wheathead's arm and escape from him, but his hand was nowhere near my head and the blade of his knife was to close for comfort. So I did the next best thing, or best thing to be exact… I might get fatally injured here so I must prep myself… five seconds pass… okay done! I steadied my feet and… kicked him in the balls.
If you thought I was going to cast magic, you're totally wrong!
I half giggled, half cackled, and grabbed Raven and ran towards the forest. He looked so stunned, the only emotion that I've seen on his face. He looked adorable nonetheless… Wait, no! He looked… um… he looked not adorable but what people his age should! Ah! I didn't mean to say he looked horrible or anything he looks really hot, yea hot. Shit, no that's not what I meant! Wait, yes I did! Wait no –yes… I mean no! I mean… Gah! Why am I even explaining myself to my mind?
I grunted to myself, but it must have too loud since once we stopped running Raven covered my mouth with his hand. Oh, god I'm blushing, big time. He's just too close for comfort in an entirely different way. Raven saw my distress and stuck a finger in front of his lips, trying to keep me still and silent. However he's doing the opposite since my cheeks are burning red and in my mind I'm thinking 'HOW CAN HE BE CUTE, AND HOT, AND STOIC AT THE SAME TIME!'… Yea, I'm not going to explain myself this time, beat that my conscious!
Hold on, the main problem here is that I can't even keep my cool in front of him. I pouted, until a moment of silence later and he let go, painfully slowly. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Miss Jenny, I would have come to save you sooner if I knew you were about to do that. I apologize if I offend you but I don't think it was wise for you to attack Huskley while you were being held captive by him."
I laughed nervously. "Well, I didn't really want you to get hurt because of me you already have enough troubles on your own to deal with already I think."
He looked at me blankly for a moment, then shook his head. "…No… No I don't, whatever Lord Edgar's business is, is my business, whatever his troubles are, are my troubles, whenever he orders me to do something, right or wrong I will do it. Until Lord Edgar tells me otherwise, I shall remain a faithful servant to him. For, his troubles are not mine to worry about, they are ones I act upon."
I nodded absentmindedly, truthfully I don't know how am I suppose to react to this. He said it so fast and so easily what am I suppose to say? A thought ran across my mind but I didn't want to say it, nor did I want to believe it. So instead, "Mister Edgar must be someone important to you if you say something like that so easily."
"Yes, Lord Edgar is the one that accepted me and never once ordered me to kill anyone. That's why I treasure having him for a master."
"Huh? Then why do you kill anyway?" it might have been rude, but I couldn't help my blunt, curious part of my personality.
"Because the sprite in me will kill anyone, who is a danger to Lord Edgar," he replied smoothly.
"Oh… I see." I couldn't help my thoughts from roaming to the time I saw Raven slaying those men so easily.
"… Aren't you scared?" Raven said, breaking into my thoughts.
"Huh? Of what?" I asked. His words don't seem to connect with his body. He just stands there, but I think this question is more personal than saying he killed someone.
"… Of me… Shouldn't you be afraid of me?" he asked again.
"No, why?" the answer was simple, it was suppose to be simple and I don't even know the reason. I know he killed so many people and yet I'm talking to him effortlessly. He's strong enough to be called a monster, but he doesn't seem scary.
"I could end someone's life without effort, I could end yours right here, so shouldn't you be afraid of me even more."
"But you're not, idiot," Shit, I let that one slip out! "Um… um –What I meant was… Sorry I just got sort of frustrated. I don't mean you're an idiot or anything, because –like you've just… so many people that it would have taken some great strategy to come up with that right?" I looked up at his blank face, a hint of something I can't identify on there. "…Sorry…"
He shook his head. "No need to apologize, I am stupid, I should have remembered that if I ever were to kill you, Miss Lydia would be grieved and wouldn't work for Lord Edgar to find the Sword of Merrow, and that would trouble him."
I sort of shivered a little. Does that mean he considered killing me before? "You don't need to down yourself, we all make mistakes, including me… a lot…"
"Yea." He smiled a distant lonely and small smile. He agrees!
"…You know Raven, when I told you I wasn't afraid of you I didn't think about what would happen to Lydia or Edgar or anything like that. I guess that… what I'm saying is that I trust you, you know, since you saved Lydia and all. And besides, there are a lot of things to be afraid of instead of you, like the boogey man, the monsters in your closet, Santa Claus!"
Raven smirked, oh so slightly, "Santa Claus?"
I bobbed my head up and down. "Yea, he always sneaks into your house, even though he puts stuff there haven't you ever heard of the Grinch? For all you know a fake Santa Claus could break into your house on Christmas Eve and traumatize you!"
"That wouldn't happen," he said.
"Any why not?"
"Because he's not real, just a story for kids to be good."
"What you don't believe in Santa Claus?" I tried my best to look offended.
"No, you don't either Miss Jenny."
"Well, I know that I was sort of saying of I was scared of him but if I didn't believe in him then where would I get all my presents from?"
"…So he's real?"
I never laughed so hard.