Hearts of Glass, Steel, Fire and Ice

Travelling with three pack horses slowed things down considerably, but when it came time to find somewhere to sleep overnight, Orihime couldn't help but feel grateful that she didn't have to go foraging in the forest for something to eat or try and come up with a make-shift bed of semi-wet leaves and whatever else might come to hand. Every so often, Norainu and Orihime would engage in conversation as they went, but more often than not, they were content to leave one another to their thoughts.

If Kisuke had told Orihime before she left on her journey that she was going to meet so many friends along the way, she wouldn't have believed him. She did have many acquaintances back in Karakura and she tried her best to be friendly and kind to everyone, but besides Ichigo, the Kurosaki family and Sora, she couldn't think of anyone she truly loved back there. Now that she thought about it, after she fulfilled her quest…if she ever fulfilled her quest, Orihime was strongly considering making a new home somewhere else. Most likely with Jyuushiro and Retsu since they had all but claimed her as a daughter, but she was sure that they wouldn't mind her going to visit her other friends every so often.

Feeling loved and accepted and appreciated just because you were a part of someone's life…someone's family. It felt like forever since she had experienced that with Sora. Orihime enjoyed being generous and kind to others, but in both of the unexpected homes she had been enfolded into, she had been on the receiving end most of the time, which was something she had missed. Not gifts given out of pity, but out of affection.

All of a sudden, Orihime was snapped out of her warm recollections when she felt Norainu freeze suddenly underneath her. From experience, Orihime knew to keep still and wait for Norainu before asking what was wrong or doing anything else. While his head didn't move, Orihime saw Norainu's eyes flick from side to side and his nostrils flare as he tried to determine exactly what was going on.

The next moment, they both found out as a bush rustled in front of them and a figure stepped out onto the path. A young man with dark hair partially obscuring his left eye was training the bow and arrow in his hands directly at Orihime. Orihime's intuition told her that while this person was no murderer, it would be unwise to provoke him, so she sat frozen in her saddle.

After the young man finished taking his position, there was another rustling from the bushes and a huge, strongly built, brown-haired young man stepped onto the path behind the dark-haired bowman. In his large, dark-skinned hands, he carried a double-headed axe, which was casually slung over his shoulder. Not being able to see the young giant's eyes through a mass of dark brown curls, Orihime couldn't be sure, but she didn't sense the cold, calculating and calm aura like she was from the young bowman.

Orihime really shouldn't have been surprised when another figure stepped out onto the path, but once again when the bushes rustled and a young woman with unruly black hair that stood out all over her head appeared, Orihime gave a little startled jump in her seat. Much to Orihime's surprise, the young woman wasn't carrying any weapons besides a small knife, which Orihime assumed was used to skin any game that was caught. The young woman carried herself in a way that clearly stated to all that she was in charge and totally comfortable in that role.

This was confirmed in Orihime's mind when the young woman stepped forward and said in a demanding, no-nonsense tone, "Don't make a move or Uryu here will have to shoot your…rather interesting beast."

The statement didn't make sense to Orihime and before she could stop herself, she heard her voice asking, "What beast?"

For a moment, the young woman appeared to be dumbfounded by Orihime's question, but she quickly collected herself and pointed at Norainu saying, "The beast you're riding on, silly girl."

Looking down, Orihime's eyebrows were drawn together in one of the first frowns ever to grace her face as she said, "That's not a kind thing to say."

Lifting her eyes again to look into the young woman's startled brown ones, Orihime said more firmly, "Norainu isn't a beast. He's my friend, so please don't say unkind things about him."

The young woman seemed completely at a loss until her eyes blazed and snapped over to glare at her bowman as she demanded, "And just what is so funny, Uryu?"

Even though Uryu's expression and stance did not change, Orihime could have sworn she heard a grin in his voice as he replied, "Doesn't it seem odd to you that out of all the people we have encountered on this road, that she is the one person who is not afraid of us? Usually the moment Chad walks into view, people are blubbering and begging for mercy, but look at her…she's not afraid."

Tilting her head to the side, Orihime once again asked without thinking, "Why should I be afraid?"

The young woman snapped her incredulous gaze back to Orihime as she repeated, "Why should you be afraid?" her eyes hardened in annoyance as she pointed a finger at Uryu and said, "He has an arrow aimed straight at your beast!"

Orihime's own eyes flashed as she said, "I've already asked you not to talk about Norainu like that. It isn't very nice," reaching down to encircle her arms around Norainu's neck, Orihime said firmly, "As for the arrow, I don't think your friend is really going to shoot Norainu. And even if he tried, I don't think the arrow would actually hit Norainu since he's too fast."

"Are you kidding me?" demanded the young woman as she took a few steps forward and then all but shouted, "Don't you realize what is going on? Who we are? What we're trying to do?"

Sitting up, Orihime thought for a moment before she said vaguely, "I really don't know. All you've done so far is give me a little scare when you stepped out onto the road with your friends, insulted my friend for no good reason and have just been too busy fighting with everybody here to actually tell me what you want."

Patting Norainu's neck, Orihime went on, "Norainu and I are on a journey and we have a long way to go, so if your friend would be so kind as to put his bow and arrow down since it really isn't necessary and then go ahead and tell us exactly what it is that you want, then we can all go back to…whatever it is that we are both doing."

A silence fell over the entire group that lasted for about a minute and was eventually broken by a snort. Everyone's eyes snapped to the source of the sound and each person was rather startled to discover that it had come from the young giant, who, up until this point, hadn't made a single sound.

Trying to regain control of the situation, the young woman whipped her gaze around to glare at Orihime before she demanded, "Fine! You want me to spell things out for you, I will! We want you to give us all your valuables! And be quick about it!"

Turning to look at the three horses behind her, Orihime said in a musing tone, "Well, I'm not entirely sure that Rangiku packed anything really valuable," then she turned back to the young people on the road and said with a smile, "but I'll see what I have to give you."

Since Orihime then occupied herself with dismounting Norainu, she didn't see the expression on the young woman's face that rather made her look as though she had just been hit over the head. Noticing this, Uryu took it upon himself to put down his weapon since he obviously did not need it. Hearing the girl leading her three horses towards them, he could barely keep his unemotional expression from showing any signs of amusement as he thought about just how much this innocent young girl had upset Tatsuki.

As she unloaded different bundles from the horses and spread them out on the ground, Orihime chattered pleasantly, "Mostly I have food, clothes and other supplies for my journey, but I'm really good at finding things in the forest to eat so…hmm, here's Norainu's food…you probably don't want that…I think it's some sort of special compote Princess Momo's chef created for him using pieces of meat, grains and other things that I can't remember right now. It doesn't look very appetizing, but I think Norainu really likes it. The chef was also kind enough to send along some salt preserved bones for him to chew on at night, all though they make Norainu rather thirsty, so we have to be sure to camp next to a clean river or stream so that he can have plenty to drink. Ah, here are some pretty dresses Rangiku helped me make. Even though I told Rangiku that I needed plain, simple clothes for the journey, she insisted that these were as plain and simple as she could bear to make clothes. Aren't they pretty? Oh, this dark blue one would look so pretty with your dark hair! Here you go!"

The moment Orihime thrust the dress into Tatsuki's grasp, the leader regained her senses and her irritated tone as she fumed, "Didn't you understand what I said? We want all your valuables! All of them!"

With wide, gray eyes, Orihime said slowly, "Yes…yes, I suppose you did."

As Orihime turned back and looked thoughtfully at the horses, Tatsuki thought that the girl was finally starting to understand her situation and would act in a way that Tatsuki was used to dealing with. In the back of her mind, Tatsuki thought that even still, there was no way she would use brute force on this girl. One, after everything this girl had said and done, Tatsuki just couldn't bring herself to harm her. Two, even if she could muster up the heartlessness needed to force this girl to hand over everything she had, Tatsuki doubted that Uryu and Chad would let her. And three…this girl was enough of a scatter-brain as it was. If Tatsuki did something and managed to make her even more so…well, it didn't bear thinking about.

Once again, this girl threw her for a loop when she suddenly grasped Tatsuki's hands and closed her fingers over the horses' reigns. For about ten seconds, Tatsuki couldn't do anything but look at her hands and then she slowly raised her gaze to look dumbfounded at the smiling girl.

When she finally was able to translate her thoughts into words, Tatsuki barely managed to ask, "What are you doing?"

Giving Tatsuki a confused frown, Orihime said, "I'm giving you all my supplies. You asked me to give them to you, so I did."

"Why?" Tatsuki nearly choked on the word.

Orihime threw her arms in the air and said in a borderline exasperated tone, "Like I just said, because you asked me to."

Starting to slowly come back to her senses, Tatsuki spluttered, "But…but…you're not supposed to just give us everything you have!"

"Why not? Didn't you need it?"

"Yes! I mean no! I mean…" never had Tatsuki been so confused, so she settled for repeating, "You're not supposed to just GIVE everything to us!"

The completely bewildered gray eyes turned their attention to Uryu's piercing blue ones as Orihime implored him to help her understand what exactly she was doing wrong.

It was all Uryu could do to keep from busting out laughing, so he diverted his attention towards adjusting his glasses as he replied, "I think what Tatsuki is trying to get you to understand is that we are thieves. Usually when we tell people to give us everything they have, well…they certainly don't act like you have."

Orihime's eyes widened in surprise as she said slowly, "So you're thieves…how interesting...I've heard about thieves in stories, but I've never actually met one before…how interesting…"

Forcing herself not to stomp her feet in frustration, Tatsuki fumed, "It's not interesting! We're thieves and we're stealing everything you have! Doesn't that make you mad at us? Doesn't that make you fear us?"

Those innocent eyes once again turned their attention towards the beyond irritated young woman as Orihime replied simply, "But you're not stealing anything from me."

"Yes we are!" This time Tatsuki did stomp her foot in frustration.

Shaking her head firmly, Orihime said calmly, "No you're not. I'm giving it all to you because you asked me to."

Before Tatsuki could say anything, Chad spoke up in a slow, deep rumble asking, "Why are you just giving it to us?"

Now that she was closer to him, Orihime could see the large, brown eyes beneath the mass of matching dark brown hair and so she smiled up into those eyes as she answered, "Well, because anyone can see that you guys are good people, even though you could be a little more friendly in some ways. Second, because I don't think you would ask for my things unless you really needed them. And lastly, because there have been so many people who have been so generous to me while I've been on my journey, it would be so disrespectful for me to be selfish and keep all the things I have to myself rather than passing along their generosity to someone else in need."

Giving them all a bright smile, Orihime said politely, "Wherever you guys are going, I wish you a pleasant journey. Even though we've just met, please accept all these supplies and the horses as a gesture of friendship between us. Maybe someday, when my own journey is complete, I will come back and become better acquainted with you all," and with that she turned and all but skipped happily back towards Norainu.

"Wait!"

Orihime turned back around with a questioning look as Tatsuki said haltingly, "I…we…" before she let out a sigh and said gruffly, "It's almost dusk. Come back to our campsite to rest for the night then you can take off in the morning."

Then, with a gesture Orihime knew all too well, Tatsuki rubbed the back of her neck and mumbled, "And you can keep the supplies and horses. We…we really don't need them."

Beaming at the embarrassed young woman, Orihime said cheerfully, "I will take some things. But I insist that you keep some of the supplies and at least one of the horses."

Looking up, Tatsuki's protest died in her throat as she saw clearly that this strange girl was not going to change her mind. A tiny voice in the back of Tatsuki's mind rebelled at the thought of getting 'charity' or 'being treated with pity' by this girl, but it was quickly squelched as Tatsuki firmly knew that such was not the case. This girl was being kind because she wanted to be, not because she had to. It made Tatsuki feel a strange combination of affection and embarrassment in her heart.

The awkward silence was broken by a low, dangerous growl. Everyone's gaze became fixed on Norainu as his hackles rose and he bared his teeth at the trees off to the left of the road.

"What is it Nor-" Orihime's words caught in her throat as she saw exactly what it was that had her companion on edge.

Two figures were emerging from the shadows. One seemed to be a man with ink black hair and cat green eyes that stood out in stark contrast with his ghostly pale skin. However, Orihime's attention was completely absorbed by the large feline figure striding next to the man. A panther she had met on two other occasions and Orihime dreaded what his appearance might bring this time.

Suddenly, Orihime's view was obscured as a tall, muscular figure stepped in front of her. Looking up, she saw that Chad was shielding her, his whole calm, easy-going demeanor changed as he purposefully brandished the large axe. On her left, Orihime heard the straining sound of Uryu pulling his bow taut, either aiming for the man or panther. Feeling an arm cross over her chest and push her back slightly, Orihime turned her head to see Tatsuki completing the human wall that was protecting her from the newcomers.

In a dazed whisper, Orihime asked, "Why…" before her throat closed and refused to finish her sentence.

Even so, Tatsuki seemed to understand what Orihime had meant to ask as she responded grimly, "Because, unlike you and your…wolf friend, these guys positively reek trouble of the worst kind. Because of how you and your friend reacted you've come across them before. Because there are two of them and if your friend can't handle them both you'd be left defenseless."

Turning to give Orihime a grim half-grin, Tatsuki finished with, "And because you just called us your friends and we stand by our friends, no matter what."

Orihime was about to open her mouth and say something, when the man spoke up in a bone-chilling, monotone voice, "Ah, so here you are…Orihime Inoue."

Jumping slightly at the sound of her name, Orihime tried to keep her voice from shaking as she said, "How…how do you know my name? I don't know you, do I?"

His eyes seemed to look deeply into hers and yet through her at the same time as he replied, "You do not know me, but I have known about you for quite some time."

Even if she had been able to speak, Orihime was grateful when Tatsuki demanded, "Who are you? A stalker or something?"

Not taking his eyes from Orihime's, the man responded in an almost bored tone, "No, I have no desire to pursue Orihime Inoue in such a vulgar and perverted manner. I was simply given orders to make contact with the woman, observe the encounter afterwards and give a report as to what happened."

Before anyone could figure out what he meant, the man turned his gaze on the panther as he said, "You may begin."

The next instant, the panther crouched and sprang at the group of humans with claws extended and mouth open wide. Everyone braced for an impact that never came as Norainu collided with the panther in mid-air, and sent them both crashing onto the road. Both got up in a flash, collided again and began to scratch, pummel and bite every open spot they could find on the other.

This was not the first or second time Orihime had seen the panther attack, but it was the first time she saw the beast actually fight another who could fight back on equal terms. Her stomach gave a lurch every time the panther managed to find an opening on Norainu's body, but then her wolf friend would turn around and repay the panther in kind.

At one point, both Norainu and the panther rose on their back legs in order to try and wrestle one another. Back and forth the two would totter as they continued to bite and butt heads. Then the panther got the upper hand as he started pushing Norainu back to where Orihime and the others were still standing and watching the whole thing. Two things then happened in quick succession. First, Uryu and Chad dropped their weapons so that they could yank the young women out of harm's way. And second, the instant before Uryu grabbed her arm, her eyes connected with Norainu's for the briefest part of a moment. There was a look in his eyes that made Orihime's blood chill.

Her mind interpreted that look in his eyes as Norainu saying, 'Sorry…looks like this is it for me,' before his eyes hardened and Norainu gave an almighty shove that sent both him and the panther careening off the path and rolling away. As Orihime's brain tried to process what she had just felt Norainu tell her, she heard the sounds of Norainu's battle with the panther continuing yet getting further and further away.

When Uryu gripped Orihime's arm and pulled, her feet got tangled and caused her to fall against Uryu and send them both crashing onto the road. A moment later, Orihime could feel her new friends helping to her feet and heard them trying to ask her if she was all right, but her mind wasn't processing that information. Her brain was coming to terms with what was about to happen.

"The panther is going to take someone away from me. The panther is going to kill someone I love. The panther is once again going to kill someone who was protecting me…while I just stood by and watched."

This last thought spurred Orihime's body into action as she lurched away from the others and began racing in the direction Norainu and the panther had gone. It wasn't difficult to figure out where they had gone as there were flattened bushes, trees with claw marks and churned up dirt that clearly showed where they had fought along the way. However, Orihime's tear-filled vision and shaky limbs made running rather difficult, so she was constantly fighting to keep herself upright and running at top speed.

It wasn't long before she noticed the trees thinning out, but that information meant nothing to her until she reached the end of the tree line and saw a rushing river below her over the edge of a steep ravine. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that she discovered the ravine as a split second before she stepped out onto thin air, Orihime pulled up short. However, it was too little too late as she once again lost her balance and began to fall headfirst towards the raging river below.

Before she could even begin to force the large lump out of her throat in order to scream, Orihime felt two huge hands grab her waist and yank her out of the mouth of the ravine. She felt herself falling and so braced herself for impact with the hard ground, but was surprised and rather startled when her back came into contact with firm yet cushiony muscles while at the same time feeling and hearing the breath whooshing out of the person underneath her. Turning her head, Orihime's still slightly blurred gray eyes came into contact with Chad's dark brown ones.

Just as Orihime was about to open her mouth to say something, Tatsuki and Uryu hurtled through the trees and collapsed on their knees next to the pair on the ground.

The next moment, Orihime heard and felt Chad's low, rumbling voice ask her in a concerned tone, "Are you all right?"

She was about to reply in the affirmative and thank him profusely for saving her life, but that lump was still lodged firmly in her throat and refused to move. That, and Orihime felt the weight of what had just occurred settle firmly over her heart. Once again, she hadn't been able to save someone she loved.

Closing her eyes, Orihime answered Chad's question by shaking her head and burying her face against his chest. Understanding what she needed to do, Chad wrapped his large arms around Orihime and let her mourn for her fallen friend, while Tatsuki laid a comforting hand on Orihime head and Uryu went back to collect their things…and also to confront that green-eyed man if he was still here, however, when Uryu arrived back at the path, the man had disappeared.

Author's Note:

Don't have much time before I have to leave, so I'll make this brief for now and then add some more later.

Tatsuki's character in my story is taken from the 'Robber Girl' character from the original story. I thought the two were rather similar in ways, and I found it amusing to play around with how her and Orihime would meet for the first time in this situation. That whole scene was amusing for me to write and I hope you enjoyed it as well.

So now, Orihime is going to have to go on with her journey alone...but not before she comes face to face with a few tough situations that I hope will really help you guys see how I view Orihime as a strong character. It should prove to be quite interesting.