Kyouya was disappointed. The dinner had been oddly quiet. Eddie threw frantic glances while Abigail chuckled between bites. Between the two, Abigail seemed the most interesting to Kyouya. Her boisterous laughter before and her strong appearance seemed to clash with her actions. Eddie seemed no more than a frightened animal. Kyouya glanced thoughtfully at his Princess and sighed. She hadn't touched the food, electing to move it around on her plate rather than eat. Everytime she picked up her fork, he prepared himself to stop her, but she never took a bite. It seemed almost like she had the same thoughts about the strange people and their food. That thought made him smile to himself. Perhaps, we are connected somehow. . . , he mused with a slight chuckle. Haruhi's eyes darted to him for a moment at the noise then slid away.
"So," Abigail cooed as she leaned forward on her hands and spoke the first words of the meal with a small smile playing on her lips. "Are you avoiding my cooking? That is an offense to your host."
Haruhi jutted out her chin, and Kyouya noted the slight change in her posture. The small twitch of her finger gave away her distress.
"I think the food is quite satisfactory," replied Kyouya as he picked up his fork and twirled it deftly between his fingers. "May I?"
Without waiting for an answer, he inserted his fork into a white substance on the Princess's plate. Carefully, with a wry smile on his face, he put it into his mouth and swallowed.
"Eat off your own plate," Haruhi growled dangerously.
Kyouya smiled a little bit more as he put a forefinger on her chin. "Would you like to eat off mine?"
Her eyes flashed like lightning at his implied intimacy. There were many things she did know, and one of them was the fact that Kyouya and her were not intimate. A laugh sounded through the room.
"How sweet," Abigail chuckled. "It seems our travelers are also young lovers." She smiled impishly, and her small perfect teeth flashed against her tanned skin.
"Excuse me," said Haruhi as she wiped her face and stood. making her chair scrape against the floor. "I would like to retire to my room." She gave a pointed glance to Kyouya. "To rest."
Kyouya frowned. He didn't believe he had gone too far. Other times he had truly been trying to woo her but not this time. He was suspicious of these people, and it was a common practice to poison those you dislike or fear, as in Eddie's case. He glanced over at Tamaki for a moment to note his dark features and sighed.
"May we be excused for a brief moment," he asked after dabbing his mouth with a napkin. "I need to speak with my fellow traveler privately."
"Of course," smiled an all too amused Abigail.
Kyouya nodded his thanks before turning to exit the small dining room and going into the hall. He leaned thoughtfully against the wall while awaiting Tamaki's arrival. He didn't wait long.
Tamaki shuffled into the hall at a barely controlled pace only to stop and glare at Kyouya. "Why do you. . . How long. . . " He took a breath and steadied himself. "Why did you do that?"
"Simple," answered Kyouya nonchalantly. "Abigail and Eddie aren't any friends of ours. Eddie fears us, and Abigail. . . She regards us with amusement, though I'm sure Eddie could change that."
Tamaki dropped his angry appearance to replace it with curiosity. His interest now lay in this extremely perceptive Elf's thoughts. "What do you mean?"
Kyouya narrowed his dark eyes. "Poison," he breathed.
Tamaki snorted in amusement. "There isn't any poison in that food! You forget that I can smell quite a bit better than you!"
Kyouya watched the werewolf strike a dramatic pose to accompany his statement. He allotted that he had overlooked the third member of their party, but the fact that some poisons were invisible to even the best of senses still remained. He sighed. Perhaps I'm just being paranoid, he conceeded silently.
"I suppose--" He stopped abruptly when Tamaki suddenly stilled. "What," he whispered.
"The cold smell. . . " Tamaki's eyes widened as he sniffed. "It's getting stronger." He turned to face Kyouya. "I'm scared."
--
Haruhi sat on the bed and fumed silently. How dare he?! She crossed her arms and allowed herself a brief moment to pout before crossing her legs with a sigh. She looked about her for a suitable distraction, and her eyes landed on her pack. She walked over to stand beside the chair her pack occupied, and a canny smile split her lips.
Abruptly, she jutted out her hand and tossed the bag in the air. It spun end over end towards the bed. With a grace, swiftness, and reflexes that a normal human could never manage, she lept into the air after the pack. Gently and surely, she landed on the bed in the same position as before and the pack on her lap. She smiled shiftily. I bet Kyouya can't do that, she thought. She was glad her father had insisted on the advanced training.
Her attention returned to the pack. She reached her hand in and grasped the cool surface of the scroll's casing. A shiver ran down her spine that was not due to the cool air. What am I thinking?! She opened her eyes with a new resolve as she drew the scroll from the bag.
It's surface flashed and seemed to curl without ever moving. She carefully slid her fingers to the lip of the cover so as to avoid any direct contact wiht the silver. Besides being a greatly enriched case, it could also be used as a weapon. Elven objects of great power were usually tipped with powerful poisons. Elves were doesed with such poisons so that they could not depart from this life if infected, though it would leave them in utterly unimaginable pain. Haruhi could not sacrifice her travel time at theis moment so she avoided the sharp tips.
At last, the end came off with a distinguishing hiss. She smiled. Steam rose fromt he container bringing with it a smell of magic and home. Unlike her escapades wiht Kyouya, she had been encouraged to visit the wizard tower often. It was there that she had met the High Wizard's apprentice, Arai Toudou. Always, the smell of magic reminded her of him. He was heralded as a very accomplished apprentice, but for the life of her, she couldn't imagine why. He was always fouling up spells, adn his hands were always unsteady when he tried to arrange her own into the magic gestures. She was sure a magician needed a steady hand. Though his nervous and shy exterior seemed immensely awkward, she knew how to dissolve that occasionally. Those were where her fondest memories came from. The ones where they had laughed at fouled spells and committed general foolery.
A paper fell out of the case with an audible crackle. She recognized Arai's handwriting and unrolled it. A short note was scribbled onto the paper and addressed to her, not as a princess buy as a person.
Haruhi,
A wizard cannot marry a princess but can keep one from harm. Remember these spells and the gestures? I hope so. I picked these out especially. Very simple, but also effective. I send my love. Good luck!
Seh smiled a bit more. It seemed to her that his gift was the highest grade of friendship and felt immediately glad of her visits. She turned the page over to show a few quick and simple spells as promised. A summoning spell for a time of need and a transformation spell were two of the most prominent. She held the paper a little reluctantly before laying it down and picking up the noticably newer and fresher parchment. The formal lettering was prominent and vastly different from Arai's easy and familiar scrawl.
Lady and Princess of the Foreste Elves, Haruhi Fujioka,
We present to you the chosen Quest by us, the Elven Council. There are hard times ahead for our Narion if the prophetess is correct. We agree that you are a very capable Princess and would continue to be a capable Queen, but the times call for a difficult Quest to prove your valid claim to the throne. We searched thru our histories back to what was saved from the Great Fire.
Haruhi's eyes widened. The Great Fire was said to have struck the forest a hundred years after the Haven was settled. Most of the histories from that time wer lost. It amazed her that she would get such an ancient Quest. A Quest of that age would be very difficult to complete. She returned her attention to the letter.
We found a prophecy recorded there, and it seems to refer to our people, though our sorcerers do not recognize the magical elements in the prophecy. Find who told this prophecy so that we may understand it. In the meantime, our wizards will try to track down the item of power used to fix the prophecy.
Haruhi's eyes narrowed. She knew that prophecies needed a casing of some sort to indicate, or fix, who or what the prophecy refers to. If she was unable to track the caster down, the item of power would certainly show another Quester to the caster. What she didn't understand was why the Council deemed this the time to unravel the prophecy.
People of Ligt and Dark combined,
Separate until a later time.
After the reign of the King of Fools,
Elves will craft a greater tool.
It will go thru blood, fire, and light,
To find the darkness in its Sight.
Gypsy bands and rogues at hand,
Will keep it company throughout the land.
When rock speaks to solid Oak,
Silver in its blood will soak.
To join the forces of Dark and Light,
Send the Quester to his plight.
Haruhi's eyes widened a bit. This prophecy could very will be about a later time, she reasoned with a troubled breath. Her father was only the sixth ruler since the Great Fire after all. It was true though that his reign was quite long compared to the previous rulers. The Elven kings' reigns were very short before the reign of the fourth, King Aerus. It was him that used his own immortality to power the spell that keeps the Haven safe and guarded. Before that, many kings died of war and disease. It was only her father and the previous king that have been allowed to step down peacefully, though her father could not use this right until she of another of his choosing completed a Quest.
As for the 'King of Fools', she could not imagine that indicating her father. She thought she had a vague idea about a 'people of Light and Dark' but didn't trust her own judgement. Perhaps Kyouya will know. . . She grimaced. It would certainly be humbling to ask him for anything. He'll probably turn it into a joke, make it seem unimportant, or,even worse, try to use it to forward his advances to the rank of King.
As this thought left her mind, a silent Kyouya slid through her door. She looked up with a grim face that held an unanswered question in its depths. Kyouya started inwardly. Her reaction to his sudden appearance was not as he had predicted. In fact, she was acting quite different from what his imagination had conjured up. He had thought her fiery side would be out and looking for some sweet revenge.
"Get your things," he near growled. "We're leaving. It's not safe here. Tamaki says a fresher version of the scent before is coming toward us right now."
"I think we are perfectly safe here," Haruhi replied with a somewhat more challenging expression. She had not felt any ill intent from the odd couple that had taken them in.
Kyouya narrowed his eyes. Instinct itself was telling him to drag her butt out the door, but he was good at supressing instinct. "Haruhi, we need to be on our way. Travel time is precious."
Haruhi smiled a small smile. It was just like Kyouya to come up with a sensible statement that she could not deny. Her 'Protector' was paranoid about this arrangement when she could see no reason to doubt it. She had to admit that Eddi and Abigail were very strange, but she didn't think they were cruel or harsh.
"I'll be down soon," she relented. His logic was, after all, undeniable, and it would do her no good to have Kyouya stalking about her door throughout the night in the name of protection.
Kyouya nodded before sliding quietly out the door to look around the front storeroom. He figured it would do no good to arouse his hosts' suspicions. After all, he was just looking for supplies. Tamaki nonchalantly walked up to him. Suddenly, Kyouya heard a boisterous voice beside him.
"Ah," Tamaki exclaimed excitedly. "What is this? And this?"
Kyouya turned to see his companion holding a small mirror in one hand and a brush in another. Tamaki's eyes were alight with a childish enthusiasm that argued against the obviously mature werewolf's actual age. Kyouya grimaced as he saw Eddie appear from the hallway. Eddie eyed the couple browsing through his store with a hopeful and tentative smile.
"Can I interest you, sirs?" he asked while clapping his hands together and involuntarily jumping at the sound.
Tamaki smiled happily and bent toward Eddie without a trace of fear. He sniffed the air as he spoke and detected that Eddie's fear scent was fading away slowly despite the constant darting of his eyes.
Kyouya wrinkled his nose in disgust. He felt no love for a man who was so controlled by fear. Even though the fear appeared to be fading, Kyouya still disliked the demeanor presented by this fearful and foolish man, but his wares were valuable, and Kyouya would tolerate this hopeless shell as long as he gained something in return.
"Kyouya," exclaimed Tamaki gleefully as he shoved a pair of scissors into Kyouya's face carelessly.
"What's wrong with you?!" exclaimed a startled Kyouya with a harshness that was that was entirely justified. It was not a pleasant experience to be startled out of your thoughts by an overly smiling man with a 'weapon'.
Tamaki looked abashed at him before casting his eyes down toward his feet. "I didn't mean to. . ." Tamaki trailed off as he fiddled with the scissors.
Kyouya sighed and reminded himself that the newest member in their group had no knowledge of certain civilized things. "Don't worry abou-"
"Ah," squeaked Tamaki as he looked curiously at his finger before a smile spread over his face. "Look! Look!" Tamaki shoved a bloodied finger into Kyouya's face. "You were afraid it would cut you!" He paused a moment. "Or worse. . . me."
Before Kyouya quite realized what was happening, a teary-eyed Tamaki grasped him around the waist and began squeezing. Kyouya's eyes bulged a bit, and his face turned a curious shade of red. It wouldn't be such a terrible action if Tamaki hadn't decided his gratitude in front of another. He gritted his teeth and resigned himself to the over enthused werewolf's hugging. He hated the embarrassment that flushed his face and the thought of God Knows What pouring out of Tamaki's nose and mouth soiling his shirt but reasoned that as long as Haruhi did not see this it would be fine.
As luck would have it, Haruhi chose this point in time to enter the store. She glanced about for a moment before resting her eyes upon the annoyed and red face of Kyouya. It made her smile a bit to behold her former Tormentor in a torture of his own. She crossed to Eddie's side and watched the two a moment before tapping Tamaki's shoulder.
"I believe you should let go now," she said with an amused smile.
Tamaki glanced up at Kyouya before releasing his hold. With a bright laugh, he began to tell Haruhi of Kyouya's chivalrous actions.
Kyouya himself began to flatten his tunic and wipe his brow. He had never enjoyed any physical contact other than a handshake from a stranger especially if this stranger happened to have a distinct scent of dog. As for the wet spot on his front, he tried to ignore it as much as possible as it had never been a dream or intention of his to touch or feel drool, and he adherred to that policy strictly. He turned toward Haruhi with a more haughty stare than usual to make up for his decrease in status. She smiled a small smile that told him that she now had something that she could use against him at last. He raised his eyebrows a bit in an expression that clearly denied her suspicions.
"I believe," he said with a haughty air, "that you had something to ask Abigail, Eddie."
Eddie started at the sound of his name. "Yes?"
"We need a definite price on the dress that she furnished Haruhi with the night before. I wish to purchase it."
Eddie's eyes widened in anticipation of the proposed sale. "Certainly! I'll go ask immediately!"
Kyouya watched the eager man scurry out of the room before turning to face the Princess and the overly excited werewolf. "I believe it's time to go."
Haruhi's only response was a slow smile that provoked a reddish tinge from Kyouya's face.
--
Tamaki sniffed the air excitedly. He had been scouting ahead of the group for awhile, but his definition included less looking and more happy running. Of course, the strange scent still filled the air like an itch he couldn't scratch, but he was good at pushing such things to the back of his mind. A light flashed suddenly up ahead and caught his attention. With a sudden burst of speed and sheer joy, he leaped through the air in order to grasp the flashing light. The sudden surge of energy released his golden tail from the confines of his trousers so that when he landed, he was upon all fours with his tail waving frantically like a flag in an extremely strong gale. Deftly, he examined the small firefly between his hands before deeming it worthy to present to the Princess.
He turned around fully expecting to see the Princess and Kyouya but was severely disappointed. "Princess," he called with wide eyes.
No answer to his call was returned. Only the chorus of crickets could be heard in the small patch of woods. Tamaki stood still as he flicked both his ears and tail in hopes of catching a clue though when none came, he began to sniff the air. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and a exhilarated smile spread across his face.
--
Haruhi shivered once more and silently cursed Kyouya. She had grown accustom to the heat exerted by this unhindered sun so that when it was gone, she felt as if ice was just waiting to freeze upon her.
"Tell me again what was so terribly suspicious about Eddie and Abigail that we just had to venture out into this cold," she demanded with a glare at the very man who had spirited her away from the warm home.
Kyouya rubbed his forehead irritably. He wished she would stop complaining. He found the air temperature quite satifying. It reminded him of the blessedly cool shade of the forest which he had begun to miss terribly. He saw no reason that Haruhi should feel differently. After all, they had both grown up in the same place.
"Well-" Kyouya stopped as soon as he saw Haruhi. She was rubbing her arms and hugging herself in an effort to stay warm. He felt a certain peculiar feeling of sympathy toward her. It wouldn't be a good thing if my Princess froze to death, he reasoned with himself.
"Here," he said as he thrust a coat toward her.
Haruhi looked at the coat as if it had sprouted apples before her, and she hadn't had a meal in weeks. Then her features hardened. "No, thank you!"
"Well, why not?" Kyouya asked incredulously. He couldn't imagine a person refusing something they truly needed.
"When will you ask me to repay you?"
It took Kyouya a mere moment to comprehend her response, but he processed it once more in disbelief. He became angry for a moment. He didn't have any strings attached to his gift, and the assumption hurt him. Though, he would be the first to admit that this gift had potential for procuring a return present, and the realization was enough to color his cheeks with guilt.
"Idiot," he said in a measured voice as he tossed the jacket at her a bit roughly. "I won't attach anything to something that keeps you from catching some terrible disease. Besides, how would I profit from your sickness?"
Haruhi held the jacket and watched as he tried to appear unperturbed, and she couldn't help but be amused as he failed. "Thanks," she smiled as ashe put on the jacket.
"No need for that. It was too heavy anyway."
Haruhi flashed a secret smile toward him befor a thought occurred to her. "Kyouy, where did you get this?"
"It was necessary to further our trip," he mumbled so as to try and slip by on his nonsatisfactory answer.
Haruhi's eyes widened as she realized what he was implying. "You filched it, didn't you?!" His silence seemed to confirm her suspicions. "How could you, Kyouya?!"
Haruhi was less concerned about the coat's value being replaced and more about their host's discomfort. For, the Elves didn't use currency or money of any kind. Their culture relied on bartering one item for another and gift giving. For this reason, any person that stole an item was shunned, and many Elves would refuse to trade with their offending brethren.
"I left something in return," Kyouya said defensively.
"Oh," said Haruhi and relaxed a bit. "What did you leave?"
"One of my rings. The saphire stone," he replied while wiggling his fingers and admiring the vast amount of rings that graced his hand as he trusted Haruhi to figure out the ring he spoke of. She had seen it before and would remember it once again as it was hard to forget. The saphire was the size of a small bird's egg and laced with twisting gold filigree.
Haruhi knew the ring, but she was also a more practical minded Elf. "You left a ring?! Couldn't you have left something a bit more useful? Such as, food or your own coat? What you took was of use, so it is only fair that what you leave be useful as well." She crossed her arms and stared ahead with a hard expression.
Kyouya rubbed his head for a moment and contemplated the only downfall to their system of trade. What one Elf finds useful another does not. With this in mind, he settled on an answer that he wasn't sure was entirely true due to the fact that Elven texts were obscure and old, because few Elves found it worth their while to leave the Haven. Of the ones that did go out, few returned making and fueling the rumour of unknown dangers outside the forest.
"Humans value jewels highly. I believe they're more than satisfied with their payment," he said with a straight face.
Haruhi looked at him for a moment before turning her face forward once more though it had a softer expression upon it now. "Well, I suppose that's okay then," she whispered almost to herself.
Kyouya looked at her for a moment before turning his attention back to his walking with a sigh. He was glad she wasn't as angry as he had expected. His Princess's temper was truly an unpredictable thing no matter how long you had known her.
They walked along in silence for awhile which gave the pair time to think upon their own thoughts. The woods were a never differing atmosphere. Tress dressed with vines with full leaves towered toward the sleeping sky and leaves by the side of the path gave off a woody smell. As they passed under the trees, Haruhi looked up and watched the stars wink in and out as leafy canopies blocked her view. She relaxed as the warmth began to build in her coat, and her shivering subsided. Walking began to seem like a neverending task that took little effort on her part. She had descended into a somewhat dreamlike state by the time Kyouya pulled up short. Since she wasn't paying attention, she passed her so-called Protector which gave him the need to protect her.
Kyouya shot out an arm to grab her around the waist. This plan suceeded, though as most people would do in this situation, Haruhi released a high pitched sound that one can only describe as a scream. Kyouya promptly clamped a hand over her mouth and leaned down towards her ear.
"Don't scream!" His voice sounded as if he were chastising a small child, and she was brutally aware of his body pressed against her own. "Now be quiet. . . "
Slowly, he removed his hand only to use it to clutch her shoulders to his chest. Haruhi was suspicious of those hands. She could imagine several places they might 'accidentally' wander.
"Kyouya," she said in a normal tone, "Tamaki will soon return! Don't think you can get away with anything!"
"Be quiet!" Kyouya hissed without taking his eyes off their surroundings. "If you weren't so blasted dreamy, you would've heard it as well!"
Kyouya was pleased to feel her stiffen a little. She now knew the real danger, but it troubled him that she had considered him a danger. What was that 'You won't get away with anything' supposed to mean anyway? Apparently, this was the wrong question to ask himself, because his brain began to give him quite plausible definitions of 'anything'. Such thoughts were not an advantage in his situation, so he forcefully, if not reluctantly pushed them to the back of his mind.
He watched the brush on the sides of the path with a careful eye, but it was Haruhi who spotted the first move.
"There," she breathed quietly. Kyouya followed her eyes and saw a slight shift int the leaves. He watched until the leaves became still once more.
"It's gone," he sighed.
"No," refused Haruhi as her eyes tracked something unseen. A breeze picked up and rustled the surrounding forest. Kyouya smiled as he heard a hastily hissed curse. "I lost him," she said in disgust.
A hand snaked around Kyouya's throat and gripped him tightly. "Lost me, eh," laughed a husky voice from behind them.
Involuntarily, Kyouya flailed and scratched at the arm around his throat. A resulting squeeze made Kyouya stop as he deemed it the wisest course of action. After all, he would be very cold and of a quite lower usefulness if he allowed a stranger to strangle him. For how else could he protect Haruhi? Though, judging by the fact that Haruhi was the one holding her dagger instead of being choked to death, it would seem that she was not the one in need of protection, but Kyouya conveniently chose to overlook that fact in favor of his personal opinion of himself and his manhood. After all, men do not boast about being rescued by a mere girl.
Haruhi appraised her opponent as a worthy one especially since he was choking the son of the King's advisor. The man had laughing eyes that disconcerted her greatly. She knew there were those that enjoyed killing and were unfit for society and found herself believing this man was a perfect example of this type. His eyes were clouded over so that she could barely make out his blue eyes underneath. Long dark hair draped about him almost like a curaian. If his arm was anything to judge by, he was fit and well armed. Leather gloves wrapped around his forearms and tapered to a point near his elbow, much like a falconer's glove. She was wary but not afraid and wondered briefly if this was a mistake.
"What a pleasant friend you have," he exclaimed with a seemingly genuine smile.
Haruhi hesitated a moment before replying. "Let him go and speak you name."
"Tsk. Tsk." He chattered while shaking a finger in a disapproving manner. "It is rude to ask that of me without giving your name in advance."
"Let him go," repeated Haruhi harshly.
The man sighed. "As you wish," he smiled as he backed away with upraised hands. "Now," he said as he bowed, "I am Lazarus. What is your name, Warrior Princess?"
Haruhi jolted as he refered to her as a 'Princess' but rationally concluded that he could not know this information but was just teasing. With a small blush of embarrassment at her hasty assumption, she replied shakily. "H- Haruhi."
Lazarus smiled slyly at her blush and slip-up entirely misinterpreting it. Kyouya had recovered from his undiginfied gasping and felt that Lazarus was eyeing Haruhi in an entirely wrong way.
"I'm her bodyguard. Kyouya," he offered as if of great importance.
Lazarus spared him a small laughing glance which gave him the unique misfortune of missing Haruhi roll her eyes. Kyouya's eyes narrowed, and he began to get the distinct feeling he was being taken for granted.
"I protect her," he clarified for Lazarus's benefit of he was not familiar with the term 'bodyguard'.
Lazarus smiled at him, and Kyouya couldn't help but see a hint of cruelty in his smile. "I'm not that uncultured. But thank you for the definition," Lazarus replied with disdainful politeness.
Haruhi could feel the tension between the two, and ir made her quite uncomfortable. "Lazarus. . . A name by choice or given?" She ventured the question hesitantly and was rewarded by Lazarus's never faltering smile turning toward her.
"Choice," he replied with a laugh. "Death is a funny thing!" He laughed his strange laugh.
Haruhi felt comfortable and happy around Lazarus for a reason she couldn't quite determine, so she smiled warmly at him adn his laugh. Kyouya didn't like the friendly atmosphere surrounding the group, but it could be determined that he disliked Lazarus's attentions toward Haruhi more than anything else. Lazarus seemed an easy and carefree individual to Kyouya which made Kyouya ever more suspicious.
"Haruhi," he said stonily, "We need to be going." Haruhi turned her attentions toward him with a disappointed expression.
"Yes," she conceded. "I know." She turned toward Lazarus. "Thank you for your kindness."
Lazarus smiled slyly. "Where are you going?"
Kyouya stepped up to Lazarus with a hard look on his face. "We can find our way out of the forest by ourselves, Sir Lazarus," he declared in a daring tone.
Lazarus laughed. "I like you," he stated happily. "You're both very interesting. So. . . I'll tell you what! How about I guide you the rest of the way? I can't really leave considering my family, but I can take you to the forest's edge."
"Thanks for the offer but no." Kyouya figured that the sooner he was rid of this odd man the better.
"Kyouya," chastened Haruhi. "Why can't he lead us? It's not like you know where you're going!"
Kyouya straightened his shoulders before replying. "I can get us out of here!"
Lazarus," she huffed, "can you at least give us directions?"
Lazarus opened his mouth, but Kyouya broke in. "I don't need his directions! I know where I am!" Kyouya venemously spat.
"What is it with men and directions," muttered Haruhi with a hand to her forehead. "Okay! Well, I'm going with Lazarus. You find your way out by yourself, and we'll meet you there."
"You know I can't do that!"
"I know," She smiled contentedly.
Kyouya couldn't help releasing a low growl. Haruhi had bested him at this game, and he didn't like it. He did not like Lazarus's easy smile, and he hated this forest. Cursed fools everyone of them, he thought savagely. His Princess was getting in over her head, and he vowed to bring her down a notch.
"Follow me, then!" Lazarus led the way up the trail a few hundred yards before turning off into the brush.
Trees scraped and tore at the travelers while their guide manuevered easily through without barely disturbing a twig. The ease with which he navigated was the only reason Haruhi held off asking the question that burned in her mind. Where are we going?
--
Tamaki loped easily down the path. For some reason, he couldn't seem to exactly find his companion's scent. Instead, the cold scent was what tickled his nostrils and masked everything else. He stopped suddenly and looked down. A single set of footprints in the soft earth. He sniffed and smelled the strange scent again. He paced around until he found two more sets of footprints. He detected the same smell coming from both sets, but one was considerably stranger than the other. It was then he knew what had gone wrong.
--
Lazarus pulled up abruptly at the mouth of a large cave nearly overgrown with brush. "Welcome," he proclaimed with his arms spread wide.
Haruhi raised her eyebrows skeptically. If this was Lazarus's definition of 'out of the woods', she would've been better off with Kyouya's forlorn sense of direction and realizing this didn't please her. Especially when she heard Kyouya mutter a smug 'I told you so' behind her back.
"Where have you brought us," she asked in a very strained polite tone.
Lazarus looked startled. "To my home, of course!"
Kyouya rolled his eyes. "What a wondrous example of hospitality."
"Yes," responded Lazarus with a small smile. "I know you'll want to join us for dinner."
Haruhi's eyes narrowed. "Why did you choose Lazarus?"
He walked toward her until he was barely a breath away. He turned her chin up to him with his forefinger. "I"m surprised a clever girl like yourself hasn't figured it out by now."
Haruhi's eyes widened. "You're so cold. . . "
He backed away and bowed. "Correct, my Warrior! I congratulate you!" He smiled happily. "I am a vampire, and that is why death is such a funny thing."