Shadows and Sailing
23rd August 2008
Series: Shadows & Sailing arc, The Seer
Summary: Shizuka investigates, ponders and considers.
Warnings: Quiet Watanuki, no Jason (for now) and Shizuka's contemplations.

The boat rocked a little more than usual, was Shizuka's first thought. He lay on his side on his futon, half buried under bedclothes, a solid mass –his master's bed wall—at his back. Then he noticed the pattering of rain on the window panes, the gentle rhythm already lulling back into sleep despite only just waking. The sky was only just beginning to lighten with dawn's approach.

He felt weighted and heavy. Blinking away the sleep fog, he sighed; it was to be expected after five days of little rest and intense magic-use. And with his master's collapse, he had been up through all last night monitoring Watanuki's condition. Taking stock, everything seemed normal; his new "normal" by his master's side and he felt right, like he belonged. The room was drenched in his master's scent, reassuring him of his place.

Watanuki.

Was his master alright? Instinctively he reached out then he knew, without looking, that Watanuki was still asleep. He turned over anyway and shifted to peek up through the bed siding, his senses automatically reaching a little deeper, searching through their bond. As all the times he looked up at his master this way, half the noble's face was visible through the railings, also on his side, facing the rails. Childlike, the noble's hands curled before his chest, the back of one hand pressed to the rail, fingers tangling a little with the wood strip of one rail.

Watanuki was safe.

Shizuka reached up, brushing the back of his fingers over Watanuki's hand –who didn't stir. This was all getting troublesome, he realised. As he learned more and more about his master and the young noble's powers, the more he realised how ill-equipped he was to deal with it.

Not unskilled; ill-equipped.

Then there was something there that needed investigating… Study. He needed to study; it was a good thing he brought his best books with him or he had no idea where he would get the information. He ought to send that wind message soon. A lot of things had changed since the time he'd brought it up, almost two weeks ago. While he'd told Watanuki then he would send the message that night, they'd been thrust into the recovery of the arms chest and delayed by Watanuki's infection, not to mention the adventure at the African palace. Now would be the best opportunity.

Unless during this day he found out more that changed things…

Shizuka sighed, retracting his hand and settling on his futon once more. Watanuki's ability to leave his body wasn't impossibly rare. Some of his brothers in the Order had been able to do it. But they had not been able to spell cast in that form, did not appear so solid nor had they expressly been so… themselves. Very few had perfected the technique anywhere near the way Watanuki had. And Watanuki had been magic-able in Spirit form.

While the Seer hadn't done anything magical while in that state, Shizuka had known just by the feel of it, the feel of Watanuki's soul, that the noble had indeed had magical ability even in that state.

In fact, he'd seemed even more powerful.

Sorata's comment about seeing Watanuki even more clearly hit Shizuka as something cause for concern. What had the priest meant by that? And why was he, too, able to see Watanuki so clearly when previously at his temple he had not seen his brothers half so well?

Too much. He would have a headache at this rate, his second since he'd met Watanuki and he really disliked it.

Resettling into his pillows, he closed his eyes and thought that maybe if he convinced Watanuki to make him some tamagoyaki he'd feel a lot better…

"Nothing?" Shizuka pressed.

"Nothing." Arashi sipped some of her tea, folding her hands together on the table top in Watanuki's front room. The ship rocked a little harder than usual in the turbulence and she suspended her tea so as not to spill it.

"They might have known about our next stop," Sorata muttered, "but they didn't do a darn thing."

"They did not even approach," Arashi stressed. "We knew they were there and we did double up security. But our captures assassins below deck didn't seem to notice their comrades." She shrugged, "Nothing happened."

"We aren't being followed either," Sorata added. The rain thundered on the wood and glass around the cabin, nearly drowning him out. "Puzzles me as to why they even spent their time near the ship while we were in the palace. If they could do nothing then why bother?"

"Observe?" Shizuka suggested. "They might have been aware Watanuki was not aboard. And we departed too quickly, too on guard for them to attempt anything." He turned to Sorata, "Is there a possibility they know our next stop?"

"Unlikely," came the reply. "But we can't know for certain."

Arashi added, "No one left the ship after dark while we were in Africa. Jason-san warned me that they would be in danger if they were caught and I passed the message along. So far, it seemed nothing untoward happened, no slipping of information." She glanced at her husband.

"Doumeki-san," Sorata murmured, "We haven't had much of a chance to discuss this, but there's something else you should know about." He sighed, "That cousin of Watanuki-sama's…"

"Yes." Finally, Shizuka thought.

"His name is Monou-sama. Monou Fuuma." Sorata watched him carefully.

"I know the name," the monk said, eyes narrowing. "He has an advisor no one in the country seems to like and yet the man has remained consistently on the rise in power. He's been constantly feared."

"Yes." Sorata rubbed his cheek a moment then said, "Fei Wong Reed." He sneered, "He's the lead advisor in fact."

Shizuka frowned darkly. "I have heard of what kind of man he is." He felt that accursed headache coming on. And that Jason…

Arashi tilted her head knowingly at the monk and murmured gently, "Jason-san does the best he can. He doesn't always explain things outright because he isn't certain what is relevant. But he means well. He has his own troubles too, you know."

Without comment, Shizuka frowned and drank up the rest of his tea. Annoyed with his worries, he tried to at least enjoy this small pleasure… but he noticed it didn't taste the same as when Watanuki made it, for some reason. Did it matter who boiled and poured the water? He refilled his cup anyway, keeping it balanced when the ship gave a particularly nasty tilt.

Once resettled, Sorata shook his head, "You know, I actually did meet Monou-san once. He's got that romantic ideal look for a young Daimyo; tall and broad shouldered, solemn but with playful eyes, quiet sort of person but very gentle. Has this sense of righteousness that's almost tortured and martyr-like." With a wave of his hand added, "The dramatic type. I told Watanuki-sama what I knew about him. My input meant that his Lordship has ignored the threat Monou-san has posed. He said there must be some kind of misunderstanding."

"Is that because you insisted that Monou isn't the type to do something like this?" the monk asked. Something tickled at the back of his mind about Reed but he couldn't pin the thought down.

Sorata hesitated a moment then admitted, "At the time I first described him, I did say that. But later, once I had thought about it, I wouldn't put it past Monou-san to do this if he believed in his righteousness. If he believed in what he was doing."

"The Affairs Council must not be doing a good job at Daimyo proxy to force this so-called gentle person's hand," Shizuka commented. "Or else something is afoot. And where Fei Wong Reed is concerned, I think it's more that something is up."

"Your guess is as good as anyone's, Doumeki-san," Arashi said quietly. "None of us have been home in close to two years. You were still in Japan long after we had left. And right now, we're clear on the other side of the world."

Nodding Sorata explained, "His Lordship has never had any sense of responsibility to that land since he visited as a young teenager." With a shrug, "The rumours about him, the ill talk about his impure birth, were enough for him to let that place go. He hasn't bothered with them enough even to cut ties by handing the Daimyo over to anyone."

Instantly, it occurred to Shizuka that his master's reasons were entirely different –that he could not quite give up his last link to his mother. Instead of mentioning that, he asked, "Have the three captives said anything since their capture?" He would probably have been told but it was worth asking. Sorata shook his head. "And communication with Monou-san?"

Arashi hesitated then shook her head, "His mages ward him from us." She paused again, "They may be Reed's men, we don't know."

Accepting that, the monk nodded and frowned, looking into his tea.

They discussed a few more ideas and theories, made some plans and agreed on a few strategies, until the tea was gone. With final reassurances that the rain could hardly do any damage to a ship as blessed as The Dancing Dragon, Sorata and his wife donned their rain cloaks.

But Shizuka waved to Sorata, "May I speak with you?"

"Of course." The priest let his wife out then came back. "Is this about Jason?"

"Yes."

Sorata sighed and sat down. Intending to get as much out of the priest as he could, Doumeki stared hard. For a long moment Sorata said nothing then his expression crumpled and he quietly spoke, "As far as you and I can sense, correct me if I'm wrong, Jason-san has no power." The monk nodded. "But he does."

Tensing, Shizuka considered that. He could accept it; it would be arrogant of any practitioner of magic to say they could sense or understand every kind of magic to exist. Their recent experience with African royalty attested to that and then there was the matter of that odd tattoo across half of Jason's back.

He nodded; he had suspected.

Sorata returned the nod, a kind of approval in his eyes, "But neither does anyone know what, exactly, that power is." He paused again, clearly hesitating more than earlier, "Has Watanuki-sama spoken to you about the Lady Yuuko?"

The monk shook his head, absently thinking it seemed like such a simple name for the tone of reverence Sorata spoke it with.

"He should, soon enough," Sorata commented. "I think they may have referred to her in the past as 'that woman' without using her name; they behave as though she'd know if they spoke her name." He shook his head in mild disbelief. "In any case, we'll be stopping to see her in Paris before we head onward to London." He sighed, "It is she who Watanuki met, by sheer coincidence no matter what my lord and Jason say, who knows about his quality of supernatural gifts." Stabbing a hand in the air, "But even she could only look at Jason… I can't explain it but it was a horrible expression. It was so blank and calculating. And given she is the most powerful person I know, Doumeki, I think I'm allowed to be nervous if even she can't accurately explain what kind of ability he has."

Shizuka narrowed his eyes. Or else, she wouldn't explain.

Noticing his expression, the priest sat back in his chair and nodded, "That she's not telling the complete truth all time is something I thought of myself. And it's an impression I got from her as well. We all did." Angling his head, "But Watanuki-sama and Jason-san seem to accept her stand on this matter though I don't know why." He shrugged, "Then again, they have spent more time in her company than I have. Maybe I'm not meant to know. There are things about the cousins and the Lady Yuuko that I don't think I'll ever understand."

"They have their reasons," the monk murmured, agreeing.

Blinking, Sorata's expression melted into a warm smile. He patted the monk companionably on the shoulder and quietly said, "I'm glad that you have such faith in Watanuki-sama. He needs you. And I think you're good for him."

After the priest had gone, Shizuka listened to the rain's rhythm and thought the cool air might do him some good but he didn't want to stray too far from Watanuki.

The bond. He blinked. Well, this would be a good time to test it.

Checking up on Watanuki one more time and fetching his rain cloak, the monk strolled out on deck and to a side rail. He tucked his hands into his sleeves, leaning on the rail, dipped his head and shut his eyes. Then he reached. It was too easy; even from here he could easily feel Watanuki's blank mind, the deep sleep. The warmth was there, to one side of the collective of sensations, of being wrapped up in a safe place like one's own bed. It made a strange contrast against his wet feet and chilled body.

Opening his eyes, Shizuka straightened and strolled carefully further along the deck to the rear of the ship, hands braced to either side with one of the railing and the other to the wall, the ship lurching and rocking beneath him, all the time maintaining his sense-hold on Watanuki. Yet even when he could go no further, his master's presence still linked to him as clearly as though he were in the same room. The bond had strengthened exponentially.

Strange.

Absently, he unfolded his hands and rubbed at his shoulder then made his way slowly back.

Watanuki was grieving.

He looked tired and ill, slept often, spoke rarely and ate little. And even those moments were Shizuka thought he might have earned himself a glare, Watanuki only stared sadly at the blankets. After seeing to his master, handing Watanuki his usual morning cup of tea, the monk passed the time by reading; book after book and possibility after possibility, sitting on the edge of Watanuki's bed, picking through his collection out of his small trunk on the floor by his feet.

The ship gave a sudden and nasty lurch, a vague echoing roar sounding in the distant --a preternatural sound that resonated within Shizuka's head. He noticed Watanuki had turned to glare distantly at the sound just as he had.

"Oh," Watanuki murmured absently. "Are we here already?"

Shizuka didn't like the sound of that given he had confirmation from Sorata there weren't any plans to stop in the middle of the sea until their next port. He nodded to his master as he left the room, automatically re-casting the protection ward on the cabin as he left.

Stepping outside into the storm, he pulled his rain cloak tighter about himself, a vague sense of dread seeping into his bones. The light drizzle and roiling sea was all that remained of the storm. Nothing was visible in the horizon toward where that unearthly sound had come from… and not in any direction, either.

A thick mist shrouded their perimeter.

Men were rushing about loosing ropes and adjusting things, shouting out what they accomplished and calling confirmations to each other. Above them on the poop-deck stood Jason, calmly yelling orders to be heard over the din, that damnable calm half-smile on his face.

"What's going on?" Shizuka demanded as he climbed up. This platform, the veritable command centre, opened out on top of what would be the main cabins' roofs, Watanuki's and Jason's, toward the rear of the ship where the wheel was.

"Best if you hear the complete story," Sorata called from below, gesturing to be followed.

Shizuka stared at Jason a moment and the Englishman waved cheerily at him, before he turned to head back down after the priest to the cabin next to Watanuki's. Inside, Arashi stood over a large desk, poring over the shipping map atop it through a layer of clear glass. She had a crystal in one hand and herbs in a bowl nearby, looking up briefly to nod an acknowledgement.

"We're heading mainly north now and a little west of the Africas as we head up to Europe," Sorata explained. He pointed everything out on the map as he spoke, "We've passed the equator as we near the West African coast." Rubbing his head ruefully, "I wanted to stay well away from that area as it's rumoured to be infested with spiritual negatives from recent supernatural activity in the Sahara desert. But as we loop around them to the Canary and Madeira islands, we might have a new problem."

Arashi looked quiet and contemplative beside him, "Things are not looking well in the North Atlantic area." She said softly. "This space of sea here," she skimmed her fingertip in a large oval over the map, sliding over the pale marking of the mid-Atlantic ridge, a large underwater wall that contained the current in the east of the north-Atlantic seas, around toward the Canary islands to the east and the Canary current. The oval encompassed a large portion of water in the middle of the north Atlantic, almost across all the way to Venezuela and Dominica, on the other side. "This area is faintly called the Sargasso Sea, rumoured for its negative energy. Honestly, it's not usually so bad, and it's not as bad as here," she drew a triangle on the western side of the Sargasso near the Caribbean, "But it will be bad for us this time."

Shizuka nodded, understanding, "Watanuki hasn't been spending much magic. Aside from the infection and some minor activity in Africa, it's been weeks since he's spent any significant spirit force." Resigned, he asked, "How high do you sense his levels to be?"

"Can't you tell?" Sorata asked, surprised.

"My connection to my master doesn't allow me to tell quite so clearly anymore," the monk replied vaguely, unhappy to realise that his link to his master threw his own internal gauges off. It was temporary, anyway, and would resolve itself once his own levels acclimatised to their bond. "A monk of my order laces his magic through his master to know where he is at all times, to be assured of his safety. You could say it clouds our judgement." Well, that had been simple enough. He hadn't had to outright lie. Not yet. But he was beginning to dislike that glint in Arashi's eyes.

"Oh," Sorata sighed, accepting. "I see. Well, he's almost full up. I suppose that by the time we skim along the edges of the Sargasso, he will be fully charged. And then we'll be in trouble."

The words made Shizuka thoughtful. He furrowed his brows as he stared down at the map, thinking.

Arashi shook a finger at him knowingly, "Don't you start considering waiting until we're there to teach Watanuki more about his powers. You're strong, we know that. But even you could not keep a whole ship from sinking if we encountered more than one or two bits of trouble."

Sorata blinked in surprise then supported that with, "Oi, this is my ship you're considering here." He grumbled, "Well, mine and Jason-san's since we share captaincy…" His voice picked up, "But that's beside the point." A knock the door drew his attention, "Enter!"

The door creaked open, "Sorata-san?"

"Aran! Come in." Sorata smiled, all trace of temper suddenly gone. "How's it going?"

The boy bowed to Arashi and nodded to Shizuka, "Good day to you, Arashi-sama, Doumeki-san." To Sorata, "All is well, sir. The cook says that meals will be served soon and pardon him for the delay, since we've been busy clearing the kitchen. Lots of things fell over during the storm." He spoke calmly and quietly, tone explaining and not the least bit like he was making excuses about the delay; just doing his job.

Shizuka nodded when the boy excused himself, noticing a bracelet around the boy's wrist and the charm upon it, wondering if he recognised it correctly –and his earlier stray thought came to the fore.

"That kid," he said when Aran was gone. "Is he related to Fei Wong Reed?" Arashi and Sorata blinked at him in surprise. He frowned at them, "He's wearing a bracelet of the Reed household. Has anyone ever bothered to tell him or the crew who it is we're at silent battle with? Surely that kid writes home. Does anyone know who he writes to and what?"

Swearing, Sorata stomped out after Aran.

With a frown Shizuka turned to Arashi, who laid a gentle hand on his arm and explained, "Syaoran-kun is a good kid, Doumeki-san. He wouldn't be a spy, I can tell you that now."

"Then why did no one explain to him. Or the crew?" Shizuka was beginning to see a pattern here.

"We did not want to concern them with specifics." With a soft sigh, the priestess began gathering the maps and her spell-casting tools, "If they knew then they would work themselves into nervous states. It is enough we warn them they need to be alert in case of danger. We did not want them concerned for their families and relaying things back. It would make things even more dangerous for us all."

Shizuka wasn't placated. But he inclined his head in acknowledgement and returned to Watanuki.

Watanuki stared blankly at the beautiful dagger Crown Prince Abasi had given them, turning it over and over in his hands yet not unsheathing it, seeming to not inspect it beyond its physical beauty.

He sat quietly in his bed, propped up by pillows, his bodyguard at his bedside. It was a good sign to Shizuka that Watanuki could handle the dagger without it harming him. If what the noble had let slip about presences being able to harm him made any sense, then such instruments of harm and death ought to not be so easy to touch. But he only looked despondent as he turned the little weapon over in his hands, in a quiet manner that didn't suit him at all.

Finally, the monk offered, "It's a lovely dagger."

"It's a charmed dagger." Watanuki spoke in a low, flat tone. "It holds enough jewels to be worth a fortune but that is not where its true value lies."

Only half trying to keep the Seer talking, Shizuka asked curiously, "What is its value, then?"

"Magical. It's a poison-breaker," came the dull-toned explanation. "Dip it into food and drink and it cleanses away any impurities. It pulls it all into itself then the jewels' clarity, be-charmed gems, slowly eradicates the foulness of it over time." He gripped it purposefully and Shizuka tensed. "It also kills spirits."

Watanuki should probably not handle the weapon in spirit form then, just to be safe. "Does it only erase evil?"

"What is evil?" the noble asked thoughtfully, pulling the blade free of its casing. "Someone wise asked me that a long time ago." His voice went quiet, "I thought I knew what they meant."

Shizuka watched his master turn the blade over and over in his hands."

"t took me a long time to accept it," Watanuki finally said, "but Good and Evil are words humankind made up to make things accord with their own sense of righteousness." Angling the blade, it caught the light and flashed. "Even death, where one would consider killing evil, another would think it good if it were for the purpose of putting a suffering soul out of his misery, or the death of one person to save many others." He sheathed the blade and set it down on his lap, staring through it, "Conditions and power. That's what it is all about: the circumstances, the one who holds the most power and how he wields it. Because those with the most power enforce their will harder, ensure its success better. Minority could be just another word for weak."

Thinking on that, Shizuka stilled. Something surely must have robbed Watanuki of his innocence; at some point, the young noble must have had to learn the lesson the hard way. That could be the only reason Watanuki could speak that way. Then when Shizuka spoke, he murmured softly, "Watanuki, I am sorry."

The noble smiled oddly, perhaps catching why the monk chose to say that, but his eyes still trained on something far beyond the knife in his lap. "What are you sorry for?"

That answer needed little consideration, "That you were hurt."

Watanuki did not ask if he was sorry for anything else; probably knew he wasn't.

"Is this sufficient enough payment?" Shizuka asked. He found it unpleasant a thought to bear that perhaps he had cost his master rather than helped him. Although, Watanuki was alive still, wasn't he?

"It is." Watanuki plucked the knife up and held it out to Shizuka, "Could you put this away in that chest over there?" He pointed, "I don't want to see it anymore."

There was something in Watanuki's tone when he issued the instructions but Shizuka accepted the lack of explanation. He quietly did as bid, flipping the slotted catch flap off the lock-loop to free the lid, feeling a small tingle over his fingertips as he did. The spells on the chest were too gentle to really mean anything and he ignored them since they felt like his master's work. He shut the chest lid once he added the dagger to the assortment inside, pushing the catch flap into place before wandering back to his master's bed side where he sat down to wait for further instruction or get bored. Perhaps he would do some more reading.

"What have your past assignments been like?" the monk asked instead. "Surely they could not have been as disastrous as this?" Actually, the mission itself had been a success. The execution and effects on Watanuki were an unfortunate addition—the actual disaster.

"I like to think they were better accomplished just for not having had people die because of me," Watanuki murmured.

"It wasn't your fault," Shizuka stated flatly. Watanuki glanced at him, quiet disbelief in his gaze. "It isn't. Crown Prince Abasi said the execution wasn't supposed to go through. You had argued enough to save them."

Reluctant hope bloomed in the noble's eyes, marred by shadows of guilt. Almost as though trying to deny it, he looked away.

"It's true," Shizuka insisted on a firm tone. "The person whose blame their deaths belong with is that wretched Amko. Had he not been trying to piss me off he would not have ordered those women killed. But if you want someone to blame for it, then I'll take it. Blame me." Just don't blame yourself. The monk could feel the way the thoughts filtered down into their bond. Had Watanuki felt it?

But the noble only looked tired, slouching despondently, hands clasping together tightly in his lap. His posture seemed so much more tired now, so lost. Why there had been no one before him, Shizuka couldn't fathom, though perhaps he shouldn't discount Sorata so quickly. But still. Watanuki should be kept and protected, cared for and tendered. Not let loose on the world and exposed to all the dangers and pains.

Shizuka, unable to bear the thoughts, stood and helped to ease his master back into lying down again, "Rest. Don't think about what you had done your best for." You should have faith in yourself. "Your best was all you could give."

"I don't need you to treat me like a child," Watanuki snapped, eyes fixed determinedly on his blankets as he rearranged them around himself, his tone without real anger though no less rude. But Shizuka knew his master could see how worried he was and this show of temper, as lacking in heat as it was, meant only that the noble didn't like being fussed over to the point one neglected oneself –as Watanuki viewed the monk to have done.

"Your well-being concerns me," Shizuka said. And this time, he felt Watnauki open to him a little more, letting him send his feelings, the resonance of thoughts through their bond, Take care of yourself, then.

"It may come as a surprise to you but I happen to be nineteen years old and, in case you didn't know, that means I've grown up." His eyes slid sidelong over to Shizuka. "I can actually make my own decisions."

And it was then Shizuka could suddenly sense Watanuki feel, I don't want you to worry over me. The sensations came through distantly and, from the expression the noble wore, unnoticed.

But they were sentiments he could not agree with completely, however.

"I don't doubt your ability," Shizuka said. "I doubt the lack of honour and ability for cruelty in the world around you." I worry that someone will mean you more harm than you mean to take care. "I think our most recent adventure proved that."

Watanuki huffed, settling into his pillows. "Well then you can't blame me if you're hurt or tired, can you?" This can't be part of the burden on my shoulders; that your life hangs in the balance of mine.

"I think I too am actually old enough to make my own decisions," Shizuka smartly returned. I'm here with you. "Besides, you did threaten to not let me on your ship and leave me behind if I ever did let anyone hurt me." With you… for you.

"Damn right I did," Watanuki grumbled. Thank you.

The gratitude flooded his head and Shizuka stamped down on the urge to shiver, the bond flowing between them now instead of just a door that only opened one way.

TBC

Author Notes:

Welcome to arc 3! I realise I am super-duper inexcusably late with this posting. And I am going to continue to be super-duper inexcusably late. It's already end of January but I haven't finished writing this arc except for the first few chapters so I am posting this now in apology but the rest of the arc (and the weekly updates) are not going to begin until I'm done writing the whole thing. So… for now, I hope this pleases.

Just in case a few of you have missed my author notes in past chapters, I HAD WARNED YOU ALL THERE WOULD BE NO NEW CHAPTERS FOR A WHILE. I post every week when an arc is on-going, but I take breaks between arcs for a some weeks or a few months. At the end of arc 2, I didn't repeat myself since I thought people got it but it looks like some people went straight to the story and didn't read the notes...! Which is fine! It just means you were probably excited.

So, to reiterate: chapter 22 (two chapters in one, actually) is to let you know that this story isn't dead. There will be no weekly updates until the rest of the arc is all written and edited, but when the schedule is back on there will be new chapters every saturday. If you have any questions, I reply to almost all reviews and you can email me at "tsubaki_koi at yahoo dot co dot uk"