By the time Safiya arrived at the edge of the colony that had been set up on the Northern Tenzan Plateau, the sun had started to peek over the horizon. The little droplets of dew could be seen sparkly throughout the landscape and birds could be heard twittering somewhere in the distance; the few rays of light that were responsible adding a warmth as they splashed across her. The colony was still and mostly silent as its inhabitants slept, however, the sun rising meant she wouldn't have long to get in and out. A sensible person may have waited until night fell again, but no way was she leaving her brother in the hands of these people any longer than was necessary, for once being glad that Kou's Western Subjugation Army weren't stationed that far from Mercia.

There were a few guards stationed around the ramparts and a few on the main entrance, but Safiya managed to slip pass them all, this is child's play, she thought with a mischievous smile; nothing ever quite matched up to the thrill that could be received from sneaking around somewhere you shouldn't be. She gracefully made it over the perimeter wall and into the central part of the compound. The colony was still small, but growing, and had been built in typical Kou style, however, as the structure had gone up quickly, only the central buildings had so far been fortified with stone and hardwoods; it was there she expected to acquire any leads, or Ja'far, preferably Ja'far. Connecting the central buildings to those around them were covered passageways, currently simply constructed, but over time these too would be replaced with hardwood, elaborately carved and painted in the Kou colours.

Aesthetics were an intricate part of Kou style, so it was no surprise to see they had already started landscaping the area near the main building. Various blossoming trees had been planted in readiness for the arrival of spring, Safiya could make out Lychee, Jujube, Fig and Peach, of course Peach, she thought, I wonder if Judar had a say in this? She wondered, thinking back to the black-haired magi. There was also a scattering of Plum trees, which were already in the height of their blossoming, beautiful deep pink petals just starting to drift to the ground. The floral borders were made up of a combination of peony and hydrangea bushes, with a climbing variety of hydrangea already being encouraged to climb up one side and overhang a balcony, the perfect place to get in. To many this would just seem a beautiful and extravagant building, with equally beautiful scenery, to an assassin it was like heaven; lots of places to hide and plenty of places to climb.

Making it to the main building, Safiya was skirting round the edge with her back to the wall when she heard loud footsteps inside, accompanied by the clanking of keys; it sounded as though they were dragging something. Suddenly, there was a loud bang somewhere down to her right, it sounded as if a door had been thrown open and she could just make out a man speaking. Despite being a good way away she could clearly hear what he was saying in the stillness of the early morning:

"Just throw 'im in, he won't be goin' anywhere"

There was a loud thud as whatever, or whoever, they had been dragging was thrown into the room on the other side of the wall. The door was thrown shut, with yet another bang that seemed to reverberate through the stone and her body. 'He won't be goin' anywhere', who won't be going anywhere? She thought with a mixture of dread and anxiety. She carefully made her way down the side of the building through the cover of the bushes whilst keeping an eye out for any guards on patrol, reaching the spot that seemed to have been the source. At continuous intervals just a bit above her head height she noted small windows with bars, these must be some kind of cells, she thought to herself, which also explained the clanking of keys she'd heard.

Somewhat luckily, there was a decent sized hydrangea placed near the corner of the building, so carefully and silently she made her way down to it, checking that there were no guards making their way up that side; thankfully the coast was clear. Stealthily approaching the window that was most likely linked to the room she wanted, she held the bars and braced herself against the wall with her feet, managing to peer into the dimly lit room.

The sight that met her eyes made her blood boil with rage, there, in the middle of the room was Ja'far; she'd recognise him anywhere no matter how long it had been. He was bruised from head to toe, splashes of purple and yellow standing out vividly against his pale skin. His clothes were torn and bloodied, the white of his robes becoming redder and redder with each passing second, she noted with horror, as he lay in a gradually increasing pool of blood.

"OSE!" she spat out in a venomous whisper.

The day was warm and sunny. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the trees and across the grass of a small clearing where two silver haired siblings where enjoying each other's company.

"Pretty red one"

The little girl pointed to a spot above her brother, who quickly whipped out his blades and cut it down for her. Safiya loved spending time with her brother, he was caring and gentle and he treated her to things; one time he even managed to get an apple that they shared, though he gave her the bigger half. When the pretty red flower fell down, her brother caught it, but a sharp thorn stuck into his hand.

"Blood, hurt?" She wanted to convey more to this message, the rush of an emotion that made her want to heal it all away told her so, but she didn't know how to put it.

"Mmm, I'm ok, it's just a little scratch, it'll heal soon", the smile he gave made her think otherwise, but she let it go, preoccupied with the flower he'd just given her.

In the shade of the large oak trees that predominantly made up the forest around where they lived, she and her brother sat, enjoying the cool breeze that took away the days heat. Whist he entwined some of the little purple flowers surrounding them into her hair, she sat and twiddled her little bouquet between her fingers. After a while she felt the calming repetition of his hands in her hair cease, so she turned round and eyed him, round orbs of green, saying what needed to be conveyed.

"There's enough in your hair, too many would look silly".

Taking this as a viable excuse, Safiya simply shuffled back onto her brother's knee, where she was met with arms that enveloped her; she enjoyed sitting with him like this, feeling safe and loved in his embrace. Ja'far wouldn't let her get hurt; he didn't even let pebbles near her feet. Smiling contentedly she snuggled deeper into his shoulder, yawning slightly as a small wave of sleepiness washed over her.

"Tired?", and then looking up at the sky he added, "it is getting late, let's go home, Safiya".

"'Kay", she replied. Ja'far took her hand in his and they walked back happily to their little village where she noted a group of men talking. Spotting her father amongst them she immediately ran up to him in her, still slightly, wobbly little way, arms out for a hug.

"Otou-san!" she called out, "Oni-chan get me flowers".

"Oh, so he did, don't they look pretty", he replied as he bent down to give her a hug, "as do you, my precious little girl", he added whilst holding her close. "Why don't you go and show Okaa-san".

"'Kay", she replied, eagerly going into the house.

"Okaa-san, Oni-chan get me flowers" she stated happily, oblivious to the happenings just past her front door.

"Oh, well wasn't that nice of Onii-chan". Bending down to give her daughter a tight embrace, Safiya noted the look on her face, concern spreading through her as raised voices could now be heard from outside, but not really knowing what to say. She tried to turn to see what was happening but her mother kept her still in her arms, making sure she remained firmly facing the wall.

"Nee, Safiya", her mother spoke into her hair, not releasing her from her hold, "no matter what happens, always stay with your brother, 'kay? He loves you so remember to trust him".

"'Kay"

"And remember, Otou-san and Okaa-san love you dearly", this was the last thing she would ever here from her mother, as she flung her into a corner. The voices and scuffling outside had become increasingly louder, and just as Safiya was about to get up, her brother came flying into the room. She saw a slight glint as something was aimed at her mother and then everything seemed to become silent. Both her parents lay on the floor and her brother stood motionless in the doorway, large men and members of the village standing just behind him.

"Oni-chan?"

He didn't look up straight away, his wide-eyed gaze focused on the blade in his hands. Safiya felt something warm starting to creep up her legs and clothes; as she looked down all she could see was red; red liquid pooling around her, red seeping up her white tunic, red staining her hands. Her bouquet lay lost and forgotten out in the ever growing mass of red as tears started to well up in the corner of her eyes, though she wasn't certain she knew why, just that something seemed to ache within her. Confused and slightly frightened, she looked up to see a look of horror on her brother's face, briefly before he ran from the room.

"Onii-chan!" she tried calling out to him but he was gone, leaving her on the floor, unsure of what to do and if to move.

"Follow the boy", she heard one of the men say.

"What should I do if he tries to run?"

"Bring him back with force, but I doubt it will be necessary", he added, turning to stare at Safiya. She didn't like the look he was giving her, it sent shivers down her spine and she wanted to be back in her brother's arms where it was safe, "the girl is still here, I doubt he will abandon her". She couldn't see his mouth, it was covered by a cloth that started at the bridge of his nose, only revealing his eyes, but she could tell he was smiling and it seemed scary.

Her parents still lay on the floor, unnaturally still. Why weren't they moving? Were they asleep? She couldn't get her head round it.

"Okaa-san? Otou-san?"

"You parents are dead, little girl. You should get used to this concept; death will be surrounding you from now on".

"D-Dead?" She didn't really understand what he meant, but was now shaking uncontrollably. It felt as though the temperature had plummeted and she felt cold for some reason, and numb inside, "don't understand, scratch heal soon", was all she could get out.

"Tch, foolish thing. They're dead. Dead means that they will never come back, they are gone forever".

Safiya understood these terms, even if the factors and consequences surrounding the word 'death' didn't really sink in, she could understand enough to know her parents weren't coming back somehow. Tears started to spill down her cheeks, she didn't want this. Red smears were left on her face as she tried to wipe the tears away to no avail, shaking all the while. At the same time, the other men who had been present began to move her mother and father out of the house.

"Okaa-san, Otou-san", she called out desperately. As she tried to get up and reach out to them, she was knocked back down.

"Don't get in the way", was all that was said to her before she was left, covered in blood and shaking in a corner.

Time seemed to go by so slowly; it felt like she had been there an eternity, feeling cold and drained. Somewhere along the lines, her tears had stopped flowing and she simply felt numb. Shivers still swept across her body, the previous red that had soaked up into her tunic now starting to turn a shade of brown, but she couldn't move; something seemed to keep her rooted to the spot so she sat huddled in the corner, hugging her knees close to her. No one had come by since her parents had been removed; the floor was still stained red, the same colour as the horizon which could be seen through the door as the sun finished setting. Then a shadow passed across the floor, gaining her attention.

"Onii-chan?" Questioned Safiya, as she raised her head up slightly from her knees; looking at the presence now standing in the doorway.

"Onii-chan!"

"S-S-Safiya!" Tears started to streak down both their cheeks again, but to Safiya they seemed to be of a different kind. Relief? She wanted her brother; she wanted him to hold her and tell her everything was alright. Legs still shaking she managed to get up and threw herself at him, grabbing him in an embrace and refusing to let go; they sank down to the floor this way, not letting go of one another.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to leave you!" he sobbed out into her hair, whilst pulling her even closer to him.

"I'll never leave you again! I'm so sorry", he couldn't stop apologising, holding her tightly in his embrace as if afraid she would run away from him, but she had no intention of doing that. Blame for their parents never even crossed her mind; she just wanted to stay here, with her brother who kept her safe, forever.

"Onii-chan" she sobbed back at him, pulling him as close as possible by his clothes, "Onii-chan!"

"Onii-san... Onii-san...Ja'far! Open your eyes!" Safiya called in a shout of a whisper, distress evident in her tone.

The instinct gained from her years as an assassin was telling her to keep her emotions in check, but that tiny voice was pushed back into the recess' of her mind. Buer had already started work on healing him, but his breathing was still shallow and laboured; little puffs of air just about being felt against her skin. His pulse was still weak and thready, though at least she could clearly feel it now against her trembling fingers.

Upon first entering the room she had believed it was too late, anguish replacing the anger she'd felt initially when there seemed to be no trace of life left in him, immediately wanting to kill everyone in the vicinity. He had been so cold to the touch, only feeling slightly warmer than the stone floor on which he lay; what remained of his thin Sindrian clothes simply not enough to keep out the bitter, wintry air that had been drifting through the barred window of the cell.

Carefully turning him onto his back she could, for the first time, take in the whole, horrifying detail of his various injuries and bruises. The largest of these, what appeared to be a stab wound to the abdomen, seemed to be the main source of the blood; quickly tearing some of the still white robes, she applied as much pressure as she could to try and stem it.

"Buer, please heal him! Quickly!" There was a slight shake to her voice, she could feel tears starting to well up but she needed to keep her head clear. A small light shone and she could feel the wound beginning to close under her hands.

Angling her body round more to his side whilst keeping the pressure on, she had placed her head on his chest in sheer desperation; letting a small wave of relief wash over when she had been able to make out a faint thump of a heartbeat, slow and dangerously weak, but there; his chest beginning to rise ever so slightly with barely the trace of a breath as the healing kicked in.

Now she sat cradling him in her arms whilst his biggest injury, and many smaller ones, were healed away entirely; numerous internal bleeds still being dealt with. Even through the thick clothes she was wearing he still felt so, so cold up against her as she hugged him closer. Safiya was desperately trying to share her body heat with him but he just didn't seem to be getting any warmer, his skin white as parchment; a faint blue tinge to his lips. Pulling her kimono out from her sash, she wrapped the two sides around as much of him as she could and brought him closer to her body in a further attempt to warm him.

Her own heart hammered in her chest as she tried to calm down, a variety of emotions buzzing around inside of her, ranging from fear and frustration at how little she could really do for him, to anger. Anger aimed at herself for not leaving sooner to rescue him, to not paying enough attention when she released her extreme magic. However, she was most angry with Sinbad, whom she saw as the source of this whole debacle.

For now though, the most prominent emotion was fear. True, Buer could heal his wounds; she could even amplify his body's functions for a brief period to give him a better chance at recovery, but as much as she wanted to believe he would be safe now, she knew that just wasn't the case. Buer's metal vessel could work miracles with any injury, poison or illness; however, she was not omnipotent and couldn't replace blood that had been lost. Safiya realised he needed a real healer and quickly, but he was just too weak to be moved at the moment. So for now she just sat with her head resting against his, hoping to get him as strong as possible for quick transportation to Mercia, luck being with her as no one from Kou had yet come to check on their prisoner.

"My Queen, this is all we can do without exhausting your magoi. You must get him to a healer now".

"I-I understand" she stammered out. It hadn't occurred to her until just now how much she was shaking.

"Onii-san" she whispered gently to him, "I'm going to get you some help now, so just hold on a bit longer, please". She kissed him on the forehead and pulled him as close to her as possible whilst being mindful of his various injuries still to be healed. Quickly equipping her Djinn, Ose, they vanished from the room, appearing almost immediately in another. The inhabitants rose in shock at the sudden appearance of two people right in front of their eyes, after all it was still early.

"Safiya-sama!"`

"Please", she begged, "please save him!"

Happy Valentines Day everyone :) Although this isn't a very happy chapter for the day XD

Anyone wondering when Spartos will reappear I swear it will be soon (not necessarily 'next chapter' soon though). I remembered when I was re-reading SnB that he hasn't really appeared recently (and omg, isn't tiny Spartos so cute XD with his ickle wooden spear).

For anyone wondering where Mercia is meant to be, if you look at the official map in the guidebook you'll notice that the top of the tenzan plateau/ above Kou has bits of land that jut out - one of these is connected by a small strip and looked large enough for a separate country (when you consider how small Sindria really is).