Author's Note:
I had some blather here about me being late with this installment, etc. Accidentally deleted it but it's not all that important. Thanks for the reviews, alerts, favorites, and views everyone, really means a lot.
Some minor revisions were made in this chapter, as well as chapter 4; I noticed recently that I had described Treyar's uniform twice, and in different ways each time. My fault for throwing in so much descriptive detail of stuff. Hopefully the corrections make this a lot less confusing.
Chapter Five: Disclosure
Touka felt more at peace than she had for quite some time, finally being back in Tusukuru, the place that was closest to home outside of the village in Evinkuruga lands she had left long ago. She glanced down at Aruruu, who had dozed off with her head in Karura's lap as the princess turned mercenary chatted happily with Eruruu and Kamyu as they drank tea. The two had grown physically, but they seemed otherwise the same as the day she had left to Touka's eyes. Smiling at the thought, she turned her head to gaze out over the balcony they were sitting on. A short distance away, torches flickered and bobbed up and down as the sentries carrying them marched about the castle grounds. Further away, the lights of the city could be seen, the liveliness of the city's residents carrying on into the night, although at a quieter volume.
"...so after that, we ended up having to take the girl back to her parents soaking wet!" Eruruu finished the story she had been relating to Karura with a tired sigh. The older woman smiled and laughed softly, attempting to not disturb Aruruu. Kamyu looked over at Touka curiously.
"What's wrong Touka? You've been awfully quiet for a little while now."
"Oh? I'm sorry, I was just thinking it's wonderful to be home again," Touka said, pausing to take a sip of her tea. "Gone a whole year, and it's like we never left."
"That's what going home should be like, I think," a voice called from the nearby doorway. They looked in the direction of the voice to see Lynia leaning with her back against the wall near the door. "I hope I'm not disturbing you all."
"Oh, not at all," Eruruu said, politely getting up from her seat. "My name is Eruruu, I'm a physician here at the castle. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Kamyu!" The Onkami Yamukai girl leaped up with a slight flap of her wings. "I'm here with my sister Urutorii as part of the Onkami Yamukai's delegation."
"Pleased to meet you," Lynia said with a nod. "I'm Leading Sergeant Lynia Milthas, but please, just call me Lynia."
"Leading Sergeant? Are you a soldier then, Lynia?" Eruruu looked at her, intrigued. "I didn't know there were women soldiers outside of what I've heard about Noseshechika."
"Oh, you've heard about Noseshechika's Home Guard, I see. But yes, I'm a soldier of sorts. Sorry to change the subject, but the Captain sent me up here to ask Touka to accompany me," she said apologetically Eruruu.
"For me? What for?" The Evinkuruga woman stood up as she asked.
"Well, there's going to be a small military ceremony. The Captain just announced it, I didn't even know until just now. We'd be honored if you'd join us for it," Lynia said.
"Oh! Of course, I will go then," Touka said with a hint of embarrassment.
"If you like, you can come with Touka and I," Lynia said to Eruruu and Kamyu, pretending not to notice Touka's slight discomfort.
"Are you sure? We don't want to bother you, it sounds important," Eruruu said. Lynia held a hand up and waved it dismissively. "There's no bother at all, I'm sure it's not every day you get to see something like this anyways. Think of it as a learning opportunity."
"Let's go then, Eruruu!" Kamyu didn't give off the impression of hesitating in the slightest as she tugged on Eruruu's arm slightly in the direction of the doorway. Aruruu stirred slightly, waking on account of all the commotion.
"Where's everyone going?" She rubbed her eyes drowsily as she sat up from her spot on Karura's lap. "Some kind of ceremony, young lady," Karura said. "Think you can stay awake long enough to go?"
Aruruu stood up and shook her head to clear it, and nodded energetically. "Well, let's go then," Lynia said waggishly. "The Captain should have an interesting look on his face when I bring the lot of you in as an audience." She led them to one of the smaller audience halls where Jaren was standing at a rigid position of attention in front of their solemn-looking Captain. Kyr stood off to the side of Jaren with his hands clasped behind his back. Lynia motioned for the group to sit in a line and crossed over to stand by Kyr in a similar stance. Now standing much closer to the man than she had been in the main hall before, Karura studied Treyar closely. He was quite tall, almost as tall as Kyr, and overall appeared to have a very athletic build. His features were solidly built, his face composed and handsome. Treyar's sleek gray hair and pale blue eyes added to his already distinctive features. Overall, he had a very commanding presence even when standing quietly.
Looking over his uniform, she saw what Jaren mentioned earlier about having to wear a lot of extra things. The cut and color of the uniform coat and pants were the same, along with the boots, but the similarities ended there. The belt he wore was a bright white color instead of the gray and black the others sported, and the silver fittings and buttons had very detailed patterns engraved on them. His rank insignia was also of a different style, being a stylized four-pointed star of a gold color, and worn on his shoulder epaulets rather than the collar. Additionally, there was a long pair of cords running through the left epaulet on his coat that were looped and knotted underneath his left arm that terminated in a pair of silver points that hung loosely, moving slightly as his left arm moved. The hat he wore was also different, being a dark red in color instead of the sand-colored shade the others had, although the badge was the same. He also wore what looked to be a long, thin, straight sword in a sheath on the right side of his belt. Only the hilt was really visible, and it looked rather delicate, judging from the thinness of the crossguard and leather-wrapped grip.
Touka walked over quietly to stand beside Jaren, seeming to have an idea of what was going on without being told. Treyar nodded to her, which she returned politely. He titled his head a fraction to the side to get a view of the gathering that had filed in after Lynia and Touka, and a wisp of a smile creased his face before it returned to its previously serious, grave countenance.
"First Sergeant Jaren, we have called you to recognize your continued service in the interest of the sons and daughters of Anterei the Founder," Treyar intoned, pausing after mentioning the name of Anterei. He placed a clasped fist over his heart, which the others mimicked as well, although Touka bowed her head instead.
"You have shown a determined resolve that does the memory of our ancestors much honor," Treyar continued. "For that we are appreciative, and so we have decided to recognize you this evening. First Sergeant, please disarm." Jaren quickly and precisely unbuckled and removed the belt holding his dual blades, turning and presenting them to Touka. Touka folded her hands over the belt with its attached weapons and gently clasped them to her chest as Jaren turned back sharply to face Treyar. Treyar stepped forward and undid the silver tabs pinned on the collar of Jaren's coat. He handed these to Touka as well, who stepped forward and palmed them without a word before returning to where she had been standing.
Treyar stepped forward once more, and this time produced two new insignia, which he pinned to Jaren's coat collar where the old ones had been. The insignia themselves were much different than the previous silver tabs with indentations, instead being a pair of crossed golden swords. Both appeared to represent fairly long, slim swords, although they differed in shape, the one on the left resembling a cross and the one on the right being a more familiar shape of sword with a smaller guard and a slight curve to the blade. Karura noted the sword on the right looked very much like Touka's sword, and thought to ask about that later.
"I pronounce you a Warrant Officer of The Free Company's Fifth Team, part of Anterei's First Division. Congratulations, Warrant Officer Jaren." Jaren brought his hand up to the side of his head in a salute, which Treyar returned. He turned to Kyr and Lynia who saluted him in turn, and he returned theirs. They returned to their original positions, Jaren facing Treyar, and the other two facing Jaren. "Please rearm yourself, Warrant Officer," Treyar said. Touka turned to Jaren and helped him buckle the belt back on. Karura noted with interest that she whispered something to Jaren, and pressed what she guessed was the rank insignia into his hand, which he quietly accepted with a whispered comment of his own.
"That is all, dismissed," Treyar said authoritatively. Finished giving orders, he dropped the serious look on his face and smiled at Jaren.
"Well now, we're all in trouble now if you're a Warrant Officer already. Before I know it you'll be commissioned as an officer and making even more decisions around here," Treyar said jovially, clapping Jaren on the arm. "Believe me, Captain, I intend to," Jaren retorted with a smile.
"Congratulations, Jaren. Save some for the rest of us on your charge to being Marshal," Kyr said with a smile, shaking Jaren's hand.
"My, my, our Jaren's already wearing the swords," Lynia said, edging Kyr out of the way and hugging Jaren tightly. "Don't go outranking me in such a hurry now, I still need time to catch up." She let go of him to stand at arm's length and get a look at the overall effect of the minor uniform change. "You know, it really suits you, seeing as your mother is Evinkuruga but you're so tied to Anterei."
"It's appropriate then, I suppose," Jaren said with a shrug. He turned to Touka and clasped her hands. "Thank you for attending, it really means a lot to have an Evinkuruga present to watch over any of our ceremonies."
"Oh, please, you're too gracious," Touka said. Although fine at first, she seemed to gradually realize that Jaren was holding her hands, judging from the slight coloration coming to her face and the way she dropped her eyes slightly from his gaze. Further bringing it to attention, Karura produced a half-murmur, half-humming sound in the back of her throat that caused Touka to jump slightly and glare despairingly at the cheerful-looking figure who was obviously enjoying her discomfort.
Jaren noticed this as well, and winced slightly before looking around for something to change the subject. Catching sight of the small crowd behind her, he shifted his weight to one foot as he leaned to the side to get a better look, his ears flicking forward unconsciously. "Ah, you were all in the main hall earlier weren't you? I'm sorry I don't know any of your names, we left to discuss some of our own matters before we could be properly introduced. Mind introducing us Lynia?"
"Jaren, I present Eruruu, Aruruu, and Kamyu," Lynia said, indicating each one in turn with an outstretched hand and open palm. "Eruruu and Aruruu are sisters and physicians who work in the castle and the surrounding area." Eruruu and Aruruu stepped forward and dipped their heads slightly in greeting, and Jaren bowed slightly to them in return.
"Kamyu's here with her sister as representatives of the Onkami Yamukai," Lynia continued after the brief exchange of formalities. Jaren raised an eyebrow on hearing the information. "An honor, to be sure, watcher from the heavens," he said, executing a formal bow directed at her.
Kamyu's eyes went wide. "You're a Strasert! I'm sorry, I didn't realize, I just thought it was a coincidence you looked that way!" She darted forward and grasped his left shoulder and elbow in her hands. "May your ancestors keep your body strong in their defense and service, and keep your eyes clear so they may guide your strikes." Jaren placed his free hand on top of one of hers and lowered his head, closing his eyes in the process. "Ancestors and blood willing," he replied solemnly. Karura exchanged glances with Touka, her confused look mirrored in the Evinkuruga's face as well.
"I hope I recited that alright," Kamyu said as she let go of Jaren's arm and the two separated a short distance. "I just learned that recently in my studies, so I'm not sure if I left out anything." She scuffed her feet nervously and looked upwards at him apprehensively. Jaren smiled. "You did fine, it was a blessing any Strasert would be proud of."
"Really? I'm glad to hear you say that," Kamyu said with a palpable sense of relief. "You need to meet my sister Urutorii when she comes back in a couple of days, I'm sure she'll be glad to see a Strasert here!"
"That sounds wonderful, thank you," Jaren said with a grin. Kamyu smiled back before flitting over happily to rejoin Eruruu and Aruruu.
"What was that all about?" Eruruu had whispered the question to Kamyu as she came back, but didn't get anything in the way of an immediate answer, just a wink and a smile from the black-winged girl. Lynia looked to Jaren with a questioning look. He nodded, and she quietly cleared her throat before continuing with the introductions.
"Ladies, this is my team leader, Warrant Officer Jaren Strasert," she said gesturing to Jaren, who bowed again to them. "He may look a little careless, but I swear he's a fine soldier," Lynia added with a hint of mischief in her voice.
"I can vouch for that," Treyar said amiably as he walked over to Jaren and slapped him on the back lightly. Jaren rolled his eyes and spread his hands wide in a gesture of mock exasperation. Kamyu giggled and Eruruu laughed self-consciously. Aruruu stood by quietly, as was her habit.
"He can certainly fight," Karura said casually, flipping her braided hair over a shoulder with a shake of the head. "You and I must duel some time."
"All in good time. Not to be rude, but I'll need to duel Touka first. Our peoples are obligated by custom to do so whenever meeting, and as I was the first one to meet her, well, I hope you understand," Jaren said deferentially.
"Yes, yes, more rituals between your peoples again," Karura said with a sigh. "I'm amazed you two can remember all of that as well as you do. I guess I'll wait until you're available then."
"Sorry about that, we're a people that place a big emphasis on old traditions and practices, as I'm sure you all find extremely obvious at this point. I'll definitely take you up on that when I can," Jaren said. "Now then, would tomorrow at noon be enough time in advance, Touka?"
"Certainly, I look forward to it. It's been some time since I fought a proper duel with someone of your skills," Touka said. "There were a few Anterei stationed near my home, and I remember watching them duel with our warriors as a child. Having grown up hearing the stories of the Anterei who fought alongside our peoples, seeing their descendants fight in person didn't lose to what I could come up with in my imagination."
"Oh? Which village were you raised in, if you don't mind me asking?"
"The Village of River's Edge, to the south."
"Ah, I know of it. They say the fishing there is superb," Jaren said.
"Better than that," Treyar interjected. "The only place you'll find better fishing for miles on end is the ocean. Scenery's absolutely breathtaking as well."
"You've been there, Captain?" Lynia asked the question with a raised eyebrow.
"I have. I lived there, actually, for two years. The Kern elders decided it'd be a good idea for me to see what the Evinkuruga were like firsthand, and to study the military arts from my uncle Arlet. He had been living out there with the Evinkuruga ever since his wife died and he retired from his position as Commander of the southern regions."
"He lived in the Anterei settlement? Perhaps I saw him before I left on my travels," Touka said thoughtfully. "What does he look like?"
"Very imposing. Tall man, broad shoulders, very light-colored eyes to the point where it's hard to tell exactly what color they are and look like they're looking straight through you when your eyes meet," Treyar rattled off. "Most people remember him for his wild-looking hair though, it's more like a mane of light gray hair that goes halfway down his back," he said, reaching behind his head with his hands and tracing an imaginary path.
"Your uncle is Brother Grey?!" Touka's face was frozen in an expression of utter amazement.
"Oh, so you know of the man. Yes, that was what some of the Evinkuruga liked to call him."
"Know of him? He's a living legend! Every other week he would come to the village in the mid-afternoon to teach us some history or help our usual teachers explain more difficult concepts. Other than that, sometimes we would watch him practice his weapons forms by himself or with a partner from the village. If he had free time he'd sit on the huge rock in the center of the village and tell us stories about the things he had seen or done. My favorite was his story about the first day of the Battle of Black Ridge Pass."
"Mine too," Treyar said, laughing. "The man took a sling bullet to the head that sent him tumbling down most of the ridge and somehow managed to charge right back up screaming for his men to rally behind him the whole way." Aruruu yawned loudly behind them. Treyar turned to look at the young girl and chuckled.
"Aruruu! You should be more polite when others are talking!" Eruruu placed her hands on her hips and shot a disapproving look at her younger sister.
"Don't worry about it, I expect this kind of thing to be boring," Treyar said warmly. "And besides, it is rather late. Perhaps it'd be best if we all got some rest soon. I know I've had a long day planning all manner of things, and I'm sure the rest of you are tired from traveling all day." Treyar punctuated his last statement with a nod of his head towards the members of the Free Company and the two warriors that had accompanied them.
"Not a bad idea, Captain," Jaren said while carefully stretching out his right arm over his head. "I should get my arm looked at it any case, it was acting up a little while ago."
"Ah, get that sorted out as soon as you can then," Treyar said. "I can't have a team leader losing their edge in this situation."
"If you like, I could take a look at it for you," Eruruu offered, stepping forward. "I'm a physician, after all."
"I think I'll take you up on that offer. Lynia could use a break from having to help me out with that, like she usually does," Jaren said, looking over to the scarf-wearing woman. "Sound fine to you?"
"Fine with me," Lynia said with a shrug. "I'll stop by your room and leave you the things you need out of my medical bag."
"I'll show you to your rooms then," Eruruu said with a wave of the hand to the doorway. The Free Company members paused to shoulder their packs before following her. The group filed out after her as she lead them through the castle hallways. Treyar caught Karura's eye and waved her over to where he was standing, still in the room. Touka had noticed this as well, and walked over to the man.
"Sorry for pulling you aside like this, but I wanted you to at least get a brief moment to ask any questions you may have had for me. If Jaren's been as talkative as he usually is when meeting new allies, I'm guessing he absolutely drowned you in information today. Since we'll be working together for some time, I figure you should get a better idea of who we are and anything else like that. So, where shall we start?"
"Was he really raised by an Evinkuruga woman?" Touka had blurted out the question before Karura could come up with any one question she wanted to ask. "Ah! I'm sorry, that was rude of me," Touka mumbled, her embarrassment clearly etched on her features.
"Don't worry about it," Treyar said to her. "Yes, Jaren's mother Ayiri is indeed an Evinkuruga, as well as a strong warrior, a fine artist, and a wonderful woman. She also makes delicious chimaku, if you ever get a chance to meet her in person and eat her cooking."
"Oh... yes, I'll make sure to do that," Touka said haltingly, her face showing her surprise at such a direct and unusual response.
"Anything you were wondering, ma'am?" Treyar turned and grinned at Karura as he asked the question.
"Who is he, really?" For once, Karura had asked a direct question with no hint of anything else besides complete seriousness and a desire to know the truth. Treyar only blinked slightly, which Touka found amazing given the intensity of Karura's gaze.
"Jaren's a very bright man who could've easily earned himself a position on the Noseshechika Governing Council but turned it down to follow the call of his lineage and his heart," Treyar replied without hesitation. Karura's eyes lit up and her eyebrows lifted, but she said nothing. "He's the kind of man that the Founder himself would be proud to call son, and I feel especially lucky to have him in my unit."
Treyar scratched the underside of his chin lightly as he finished speaking. He looked upwards at nothing in particular, grinning before he made eye contact with the two women again. "I'd also say he would make any woman happy because he's faithful almost to a fault, but that's also the reason why he's already taken, I suppose," he said with a glint in his eyes similar to the one Lynia had in hers a short time ago. "Not that either of you would do anything to do question that, of course, just a personal observation I'm making as his commanding officer," he added in an entirely casual, offhand manner before Touka could start to splutter an indignant reply. Karura covered her mouth with one hand as she laughed and Touka turned to glare at her, an action that had occurred more times this particular day than she could recall at this point.
"For being his commanding officer, you sure seem to be rather relaxed when talking to him as well as about him," Karura observed, attempting to direct Touka's attention away from the enormous smile she was sporting.
"A fair assessment, I think," Treyar said with a shrug. "First Division's known for being more relaxed when it comes to the relation between commissioned officers and their subordinates, and my Free Company is no exception. Maybe they'll salute me every so often out of habit, and they still call me Captain, but everyone knows where I stand in the scope of things and their own place without us having to be so hung up on formality. Promotions, like the one you just saw, and other ceremonies are the exception as those are important enough that we perform them according to the old customs and standards."
"Jaren and the others mentioned the different Divisions, but I'm not so sure if I understand the differences between them all, and what their roles are," Karura said.
"All in good time," Treyar replied. "Since the two of you will be assisting us, there are many things you deserve to know, so we'll have something like a formal lesson on all that so we can bring you up to speed tomorrow."
"We appreciate it," Karura said. "I do have more questions, but I suppose I'll save them for tomorrow then if that's alright."
"Perfectly fine. Let's go and find the others then, I have something important to tell Jaren about anyways, and I'm sure you're both looking forward to getting to your own rooms as well after everything that's happened today." With that, Treyar walked out of the room and through the hallways that Eruruu had already led the other members of the Free Company and their impromptu audience down with Karura and Touka trailing closely behind. The two of them could guess that Treyar had already been in the castle for some time now, as he seemed to know where he was going without exerting much effort. They reached a hallway with several doors, which Touka recognized as being the one that her own room was located in.
Treyar came to a stop in front of one of the doors and knocked. "It's me," he said. "Come in, Captain," they heard Jaren answer. Treyar slid the door open and entered, Touka and Karura walking in shortly after. Along with Jaren, who was currently busy sorting his gear from the looks of things, Eruruu and Lynia were in the room as well. The two of them sat on the floor away from the door, discussing something related to the various herbs they had pulled from a pouch. Lynia nodded to acknowledge Treyar's entrance when she caught of sight of him, and then returned to whatever it was Eruruu and she had been talking about. Jaren had taken off his coat and hat, hanging them on a chair in the room, as well as his boots which were now propped up against the pack he had been carrying earlier. He was unbuckling his belt along with its attached weapons as they came in, and he carefully hung them off the chair along with the other items already there. Satisfied with their placement, he looked up at Treyar and the pair of warriors.
"Hello again, you two. Captain, what do you need from me?"
"Nothing in particular. I forgot to mention earlier that your cousin Sirie will be joining us shortly. The Second Fleet sent word that she arrived on land not long ago along with her weapons instructor and is on her way here," Treyar said.
"Is she? Come to think of it, it's been some time since I last saw her," Jaren said thoughtfully. "Let's see, she must be twenty-one years old by now. About time for the Belins to get her sent out on a distant posting. She's what, a Sergeant by now?"
"Leading Sergeant in First Division, actually."
"Already? Outstanding progress, that's the Belins for you," Jaren said approvingly. "Sirie's coming, Lynia." Jaren directed the comment behind him to Lynia, who had finished talking to Eruruu.
"Really? How long has it been, two and a half years now? I remember she had just got home on leave from Second Division as were about to leave for our First Division postings," Lynia said. "I remember how cute she was cute when she told me she was jealous that all of us were in First Division already."
"She's catching up though, part of First Division and a Leading Sergeant now."
"The girl moves fast," Lynia said with a smirk. "Still, even if she's gaining, we're in the Free Company already." Eruruu cleared her throat quietly from her seat on the floor behind Lynia. "Oh, sorry about that. I filled in Eruruu on the details of your treatment Jaren, so she's ready whenever you are."
"Oh, right. Thanks, Lynia, go ahead and get settled into your quarters then, that should be it for today. You and Kyr get some sleep, we've got a lot of things to take care of in the morning."
"You got it, Jaren," Lynia said as she gathered up the equipment she had brought in except for the bags of ingredients she left for Eruruu. "I should get going as well, I've got some reports to read through, along with some additional dispatches that'll be delivered in an hour or so by rider. These two still have some questions for you, it seems, so I'll leave you in charge of that," Treyar added with a wink and a grin.
Lynia waited for Treyar to lead the way out, following behind him. "Good night all of you, don't let him carry on for too long," she said to the group still present in the room, sliding the door closed behind her.
"So, more questions? Feel free to ask away, give me a moment so I can make things a bit easier for Eruruu here," Jaren said. He unbuttoned the drab green shirt he was wearing, and placed it on the chair along with his other clothes. As he did so, they got a glimpse of what he had been wearing underneath, what looked like a close-fitting, brown vest. The garment was held in place by several leather straps running across the front of it, buckled left to right and with a pair running vertically on each shoulder. Jaren noted the interested look the two were giving him as they sat down across from him.
"It's an armored vest," he said, unbuckling the vest and tossing it to Karura, who caught it easily with one hand. "It's light," Karura said, surprised. Touka leaned over to get a better look.
"Specially manufactured for us," Jaren explained as he sat down cross-legged on the floor next to where Eruruu was waiting. He nodded to her and extended his right arm out away from his body. She had ground up the ingredients left behind by Lynia, and had a small bowl of salve ready, which she began applying to Jaren's arm, starting at the shoulder.
"It's made up of an array of small plates, with some larger, slightly denser ones in the front around the chest," continued, wincing as Eruruu started to rub the salve into his shoulder. "The plates themselves are rather interesting, since each one is made up of a softer layer of iron laminated with a harder steel layer on either side. The idea behind it was explained to me as allowing for the plates themselves to be thinner, lighter, and more effective than just using any one material. I can't really say if that's the case, but it's definitely a good piece of armor to have. You can take a look at the plates themselves if you like, you just need to undo all the fasteners holding the two pieces of cloth backing together."
"It's very well made," Touka observed after Karura had unfastened part of the front backing and the plates were exposed. Karura nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come here to ask me questions about my gear. What did the two of you want to know?" Karura passed the armored vest to Touka before looking up at Jaren once more. Her eyes widened as his figure came into view, as he apparently hadn't been wearing anything under his vest aside from a small pouch hanging from his neck by a cord, and was sitting on the floor with the upper part of his body bare. Although he was more on the lean side, his muscles still looked well-defined and toned, a fighter's physique. She could pick out a myriad of scars that traced his frame, from his neck to his stomach. The ones on his right arm that Eruruu was smoothing salve over were the most severe in appearance and the amount of area they covered. They ran from around his elbow up to his shoulder, and from the look of it came from very deep wounds.
"Is that the injury you were talking about earlier?"
"It is," Jaren said, clenching his jaw and inhaling sharply. Eruruu had started treating the area between his shoulder and elbow, evidently the more painful section. "Are you alright?" Eruruu stopped applying the salve to look at Jaren.
"I'm fine," Jaren said with a grimace. "The treatment is great, it just stings like you wouldn't imagine. Better than having my arm start freezing up when I need it though, that's for certain."
"Not to worry, Eruruu is one of this country's top..." Touka's initially reassuring response trailed off as she looked up to see Jaren sitting without a shirt on. Jaren's armored vest fell to the ground with a soft clanking noise as she unintentionally loosened her grip on it, which made the already flustered Evinkuruga even more distraught. Touka lips formed an uneven line as she looked down at the floor, too embarrassed to say anything.
"She's always so cute when she's embarrassed," Karura said with a smirk. Jaren, unsure of how to respond to the situation shrugged, sharply inhaling in pain as he did so. "You shouldn't move your shoulder for a few minutes until the salve finishes working on your muscles," Eruruu said disapprovingly.
"No need to tell me twice," Jaren said ruefully as she finished up the treatment. "Thank you for all the help."
"You're very welcome," Eruruu said with a pleasant smile. "Let me know if you need me to do this for you again." She gathered up the materials Lynia had left her for the treatment and walked to the door. "Oh, you can put your shirt back on again," she said, turning around to address Jaren. "Keeping that area warm should help the salve's effects."
"Thanks for the advice, I'll do that," Jaren replied as she left the room and slid the door closed behind her. He got up from his seat on the floor, pushing against the wooden floorboards with his left arm to raise himself to his feet. Retrieving his shirt from its spot on the chair, he slipped his left arm into its sleeve, the rest of the shirt hanging loosely from the one shoulder that it was draped over. Jaren moved his right arm to do the same, but stopped with a wince.
"Well, this is quite the situation. It's a little embarrassing for me to ask, but could one of you help me get this shirt on?" Jaren scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile on his face.
"Really, men are so helpless sometimes," Karura said with mock disdain as she rose to her feet and walked over to Jaren. She easily pulled the shirt off of Jaren by the cuff of the left sleeve, draping the shirt over his shoulders before deftly pulling the right sleeve over his injured arm. Placing a hand lightly against his shoulder to hold it in place, she did the same with his left arm before tugging on the collar to straighten it. She started to button the shirt up from the bottom, reaching around his waist to do so. As Jaren was taller than her, Karura raised herself high enough on her toes to see her hands, leaning forward so her chin and hair were brushing against Jaren's shoulder.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," Jaren said, his words stopping as soon as they had started thanks to a decidedly ungentle prod to the shoulder by Karura. "Don't be stubborn, you shouldn't be moving your arm anyways if you felt that one." Jaren didn't respond, although the look on his face showed that he had.
"Karura! You know he's injured!" Touka had regained her composure, judging by the return of the now familiar tone and glare she adopted whenever Karura did something particularly inappropriate from her viewpoint.
Karura peered over her vantage point from Jaren's shoulder at her irritable friend with a smug look on her face. "I'm sure it's not a problem, after all, I doubt it's every day you get help being dressed," she said sultrily as she finished buttoning his shirt. "Right, Jaren?"
"I swear, you're absolutely impossible," Jaren said resignedly. "In any case, thank you for the help. Now, what did you want to know?" He sat back down in his spot across from the two of them, carefully placing his right hand on his right knee in an effort to avoid aggravating his arm any further. Karura returned to her place next to Touka.
"Earlier today in the woods when you picked me out as a Giriyagina, that wasn't a lucky guess or an observation, was it? You already knew I was going to be there and who I was long before you showed up on the scene." Touka glanced at her friend out of the corner of her eye. Karura was being unusually direct today, perhaps as a result of someone who knew her past suddenly showing up, she thought to herself.
Jaren looked at her, silent for a moment. "You're right," he finally said with a slow nod. "We make a point of monitoring the movements of those from important lines or who are otherwise part of influential families or countries."
"How long have they been watching for?" The question came out of Karura's mouth as soon as Jaren had finished speaking. The question wasn't asked with any ill intention, but the hard edge to her words was palpable. Jaren blinked, frowning as he looked down at the floor, seeming to be uncomfortable with where the conversation was headed.
"Since before the first rebellion toppled the Giriyagina," he said, looking up hesitantly.
"And your Clan Anterei," Karura continued, her voice a dangerous, barely audible whisper at this point. "Where were they during this?"
"Please, Karura, I think you already know what my answer is going to be," Jaren said quietly.
"I want to hear it from you! Tell me!" The usual Karura was nowhere to be seen at this point; even her typical relaxed way of sitting was gone, instead being replaced by a tense posture, her hands clenched into fists as they rested uneasily on her knees.
"Karura, I'm not sure if..." Touka offered, but stopped as Jaren looked at her and shook his head. Karura's gaze was practically boring a hole into Jaren at this point, but the hesitation he had shown earlier seemed to have vanished at this point as he stared back coolly.
"The decision was made by Clan Anterei that intervention was not a viable option. Our intelligence branch projected that the coup would take place successfully without a sufficient window of opportunity for any action on our part to prevent or alter the direction of events. Furthermore, even if there was, we would prefer both factions involve slit one another's throats in the process and in doing so mutually weaken the power of Na Tunk as a whole, which is exactly what happened. All of the killing and the damage that could've occurred in the process was considered as acceptable to the council that was convened after this information was received." Jaren stared back at Karura expectantly as he finished his statement in a voice devoid of emotion.
"Your people watched? They watched what happened and didn't do a thing? They knew what was to come and did nothing? Thousands of people died!" Karura had raised her voice when she delivered her words, but Jaren continued to gaze back at her dispassionately.
"Business as usual for a country who would treat people as a commodity," Jaren said viciously, his voice finally carrying a discernible emotion. "I've seen the scars your countrymen inflicted on those unlucky enough to be packed away on those slave ships they used to run before Na Tunk fell once and for all. Fathers and mothers separated from their children, families and villages destroyed forever and for what? So Na Tunk could continue to prop itself up on the bones of the slaves it peddled to prove that the Giriyagina were wealthy and powerful? We were willing to watch Na Tunk burn so the possibility of finally being able to destroy it once and for all would be that much closer!" Touka couldn't help but flinch at the hatred in Jaren's voice as he spoke. His emotions had an effect on Karura as well, rendering her unable to respond in any way aside from staring at him bitterly.
"Jaren, that's going too far," Touka said quietly, looking at the two staring each other down.
"Is it now," Jaren deadpanned. "Maybe you've heard this saying before: 'Never shall the suffering of slaves be condoned by the free, or the products of chained hands be welcomed so long as the nation of Noseshechika stands.' I believe an educated woman such as yourself is familiar with it."
"Zealot," Karura muttered as she turned away, and stood up. "I think I'll excuse myself from this enjoyable conversation, if you don't mind."
"Karura, wait," Touka said, the concern for her friend obvious in her voice. She looked to Jaren again, but he merely sat and gave her a blank look.
"I'll leave the two of you alone so you can share some more of your culture, or whatever it is your people do in this situation," Karura said sarcastically. Looking over her shoulder, she shot a hard glance at Jaren one final time before sliding the door open and closing it behind her as she slipped out of the room.
Jaren let out a tired sigh and put his left hand over his face briefly before looking back up to see an angry Touka glaring at him as well. "What was that all about?"
"Ideology," Jaren said. "A blessing and a curse all rolled into a nice bundle. Among all the things that have caused so much death, ideology surely is a leader. Add politics into the mix, and you've got the makings of a grand slaughter on your hands."
"You're not making any sense at all, Jaren," Touka said tersely.
"How about this, then? What have the worst battles you've witnessed all shared in common?" Jaren asked the question, carefully watching Touka's face for any hint of what she was thinking.
"The perversion of justice, and what is right," she answered almost immediately. Jaren smiled sadly in response. "The Precepts, I remember them well. Spoken like a daughter of the Evinkuruga. I've always admired that about your people, the conviction they are able to hold in their spirit."
"You have a different answer, I take it," Touka said with a furrowed brow.
"Even the pursuit of justice has bloody consequences. We received reports of what happened with Kuccha Keccha. You were there. You must have seen what happened to the villages that were unfortunate enough to be in the path of the fighting. If not during the war, then at the very least after."
"That... that was a mistake," Touka said as she looked away.
"And what a mistake that turned out to be. A needless war fought under the direction of a man blinded by his sorrow and rage," Jaren said, shaking his head in disgust. "What a perfect vision of the deepest pits of Dinebokshir from start to finish that war was. When a commander considers a surprise raid on a village that kills its inhabitants to the last man, woman, and child as an acceptable act, is it any wonder that the cause behind it was equally as warped?"
"Please, Jaren, stop," Touka whispered.
"I've been to Yamayura, Touka," Jaren said. "It looked like it was a little village of no real importance where the people there were looking to do nothing more than live out their lives. To raise their children, to grow old. It's all gone now. All I saw were what probably used to be fields, and the faint outlines of where houses used to be. Some simple stone slabs that mark the final resting places of the people who used to live there is all that's there now."
"Jaren, stop already!" Jaren's head snapped up at the sound of Touka's outburst. Even though she was looking down at the floor, he could see her eyes were slightly red and moist, and that she was shaking slightly.
"Please, Jaren, just... stop," she pleaded, still not making eye contact with Jaren.
"I'm sorry," Jaren said quietly. "I forget my place sometimes. You were right, I said too much. To both of you. I have a hard time forgetting what I've seen."
"You're not the only one," Touka said, sniffling as she spoke.
"I know, and I apologize. I seem to have a knack for saying things that upset people at times like these," he said regretfully. "Makes me wonder how I ever managed to not be totally alone sometimes."
"You kept on mentioning you were waiting for someone. Is she your promised one?" Touka had changed the subject, trying to steer the conversation away from the course it had been taking.
"She is," Jaren said with a nod. "Did you ever have conversations like this with her as well?" Touka asked the question with her head cocked to the side in curiosity.
"Fairly often, yes," Jaren said after staring at the ceiling for a few seconds. "Why?"
"I was just wondering. Perhaps I'm being rude, but do the two of you fight a lot then?" Jaren shook his head with a smirk. "If you can believe it, not since the first time we met."
"What happened?"
"Well, after a few seconds or so of circling one another, I stabbed her in the leg and she gave me the arm injury here," Jaren said nonchalantly, motioning to the large scarred area on his right arm. Touka stared, and suddenly started to laugh, trying to stifle her laughter with a hand over her mouth. Jaren stared, unsure of what to make of the woman's sudden change in mood.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. You need to introduce me to your promised one sometime," Touka said, still laughing as she wiped away the tears that had welled up in her eyes only a short time earlier.
"She's a bit slow to warm up to new people, but I think she'd get along with you," Jaren said with a grin. "Karura too, although I'm assuming I'll need to do a little work on how we're getting along at the moment. Suggestions?"
"The past is a sore spot for Karura. She doesn't like to talk about it much, and I've known her for years. I think she has some things in her past she'd rather not remember," Touka said with a serious expression on her face.
"I think we can all honestly say that, but I see your point. I'll try to keep my tongue in check," Jaren said, folding his arms across his chest as his gaze strayed upwards again. He drummed the fingers of his right hand against his left elbow for a moment before his eyes snapped back down to make eye contact with Touka again. "Do you think a gift along with an apology would be out of place?"
Touka cupped her chin with a hand as she thought the question over. "As long as it's something fitting, I can't see it being a problem."
"I think I've got a good solution in mind then," Jaren said with a satisfied nod. "It's getting late. Should I walk with you back to your room?" He stood up from his seat on the floor, and slid the door open.
"Oh, no, that's not necessary," Touka said as she rushed to stand up and held her hands out in front of her. "I live just down at the end of the hall."
"Ah, then I won't keep you any longer. Good night then, Touka," Jaren said with a bow.
"Sleep well," Touka replied as she returned the bow before leaving and sliding the door shut behind her.
Jaren walked over to the bed and sat down wearily. He turned his head to glance at the new rank insignia pinned to his coat. What a day it had been. He pulled the pouch out from under his shirt and loosened the drawstring holding it closed before shaking it out onto his free hand. Jaren smiled as the contents, a band of blue cloth and a ring, fell into the palm of his hand. Enclosing them in a fist, he pressed his knuckles to his mouth briefly before returning them to the pouch and looping it around his neck again.
"Good night, both of you," he said under his breath as he extinguished the lights in his room.