Thank you to jiaqianyinj for being the only one who reviewed. I hope I don't disappoint.

In the morning, true to Lady Kendappa's word, new clothes were there in their rooms. Sakura's was similar to Karura's but with longer sleeves and skirt and was belted in a wide pale pink band. Her pointed shoes couldn't be worn on the harsh terrain so though reed sandals were there as well. Fai's was a long white robe that tied at the top and flowed down to his knees and elbows, belted in a thin blue band and he choose to go bare foot. Kurogane was dressed in black, it was sleeveless, reached his ankles, opened at the top and showed his chest down to the brown belt; he too choose to be bare foot. Syaoran's was similar to Ryuu's but it didn't open at the top, was sleeveless and reached past his knees, belted in black and he was bare foot as well.

"You sure you're up to this?" Ryuu asked after they'd dressed. "It's gonna be a long walk and you wounds haven't healed. I mean, for crying out loud, your bones were cut!"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Syaoran answered, smiling benignly.

Ryuu gave him a disbelieving look but let the matter drop. "Not likely but if you say so… Come on, let's find the others and get outta here."

Syaoran nodded and followed him through the large hallways of the castle and eventually they found everyone in the throne room.

"You know you risk too much helping us." Yasha was saying to Lady Kendappa. "We won't endanger you any further. Thank you for your help." He bowed to her, picked up Ashura and put him on his shoulders, and turned to face the group.

"We're going." He led the way out of the castle. "Zenmi Castle lies a few days East of here. We'll make camp at sundown."

-

The group of nine (ten counting Mokona) made their way through the dense forest. Syaoran stayed close to Sakura in about the middle of the group, trying not to fall behind. Kurogane was not too far ahead, right behind Yasha who had Ashura on his shoulder. Fai was with Lady Karura, behind Ryuu who walked behind Syaoran, just in case something happened. Soma was nowhere in sight, presumably up in the trees scouting ahead. There wasn't much in the way of conversation, each too involved with his or her own thoughts on this situation. At least that's how it was until a loud grumbling sound was heard.

"I'm hungry." Ashura announced, proving what the noise had been.

"What?!" Ryuu stormed up to the front of the halted group. "How can you possibly be hungry? You ate three servings of breakfast in Lady Kendappa's castle!"

"Mokona's hungry too!" Said butterball bounced up to Ryuu's shoulder and poked him the cheek with its paw. "Will you make us something to eat, Ryuuy?"

Ryuu clenched his fist as veins stood out on his head. Thankfully, Kurogane saved him from the plushy.

"Don't even go there, pork bun!" Kurogane grabbed it with one large hand. "You do nothing but eat so don't pretend you're starving."

"Aw, is Kuro-puu hungry to?" Mokona asked maliciously.

"That's it!" He started stretching and squishing the poor being while Ashura kept pestering Ryuu about food with Yasha in between. Syaoran tried to hold in his laughter as Sakura hid behind him to giggle.

"I take it this happens often?" Fai asked Karura.

"Probably as often as yours does." She replied in a dull voice. "It's a wonder nothing's come at us, with all that noise." I could hear their arguing from a mile and a half away." Said Soma.

Fai nodded, then did a double take. "When did you get here?"

"Just now. I heard the yelling and thought I should head back." She answered with a smile.

"Somehow, I get the feeling it's going to take a while to get to the castle." Fai stated grinning good-naturedly at the scene.

An arrow flew through the air and embedded itself in a tree just above Ashura's head. Yasha immediately pulled child down off his shoulders.

"Everybody down!" Ryuu shouted as he ducked to avoid getting he neck pierced.

Fai simply leaned back to let an arrow pass him a hit the tree behind him; Kurogane whacked three that came his way with his sword. Karura grabbed Sakura and pulled her behind a large tree as she shot a ball of white at the incoming arrows, knocking them all away.

Syaoran picked up Ashura and ran behind a moss-cover boulder, using Hein to burn away the arrows.

"How did they find us?" Ashura asked, pressed flat against the rock.

"I don't know." Syaoran said, pushing Ashura's head back down. "But we need to get outta here." He jumped over the rock and sliced two arrows with Hein. He placed his hand firmly of the rock and levered himself up to kick a third out of the way, wincing as it stretched his healing wound.

Kurogane had forgone just slashing at arrows and was now darting from tree to tree, trying to get to the archers. His Dragon King Blade made quick work of the first few rows. Fai made himself a moving target, he was able to get close enough that the small rocks he had picked up could be through with enough accuracy to put out several archers.

"That's it!" Ryuu finally picked himself off the ground. "Sea Dragon Wave!" He swung the large sword and a wall of living water swept through the forest knocking out well over half the remaining attackers, along with several trees.

Yasha and Karura continued blasting away the arrows as Soma jumped in the trees to fire her Twin Moon Leaves. They acted as deadly boomerangs, heading many of the enemies.

"Oh my. It looks like they're retreating." Fai said with a smile, raising a hand to shield his eyes.

Sure enough, the few warriors left took off running.

"There will be more." Yasha said, speaking from experience. "We must be as far from this place as we can get." He picked up Ashura and placed him back on his shoulder and started walking. The others gradually followed.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Syaoran asked as he looked over Sakura for injuries.

"I'm fine, but what about You? Did you reopen your wounds?" Now it was her turn to be worried.

"I'm aright." He assured her with a smile as they walked.

"Really? You're sure? You're not lying to me are you?" She demanded inspecting him closely.

"Really Princess!" He said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender.

Kurogane snorted in derision while Fai just smiled gently from their place at the rear.

"Syaoran tries to hard not to make Sakura worry." Fai said. "But that makes her worry all the more, because she can never tell if he's trying t hide an injury from her. He's such a good kid. Don't you agree Kuro-sama?"

"Che. If the kid doesn't learn when to ask for help, I'll kill him myself."

"Aw, Kuro-daddy wants to help out his son! He's such a good father!"

"I though I told you to cute that out!"

Lady Karura smiled as she listened to the bickering behind her, and glanced towards Lord Yasha who appeared not to hear anything. Ryuu saw the look and rolled his eyes. It didn't take a genius to understand what the woman was thinking. Only question was: Why?

Reviews please. I feel compelled to ask even though I probably won't get any. Hope Spring's Eternal!