Touched by Fire

by Hitori no kage

Surviving was complicated enough without a life being placed into her hands. But when she does finally embrace it, fate decided to throw in the wrench and make her world a lybrinth of the unknown and the unexpected. Now she must make the right choices or lose everything she ever held dear. Another one of my complex plots w/ some dark themes. Non-SI. Genre & rating to change. R&R!

4. Guessing Game

Chapter 4: Guessing Game… Is There a Time Limit?

I woke up violently with sweat beading my face and neck. Breath laboured and with my soaked-through night clothes clinging to my body like second skin, I curled my shivering body into a fetal position on my side, trying to steady my palpitating heart.

I pushed a few stray locks of damp hair away from my face with trembling hands. My nights terrorized by dreams of memories had subsided at first… only come back with a vengeance under different circumstances. This time, however, I couldn't remember what it was I saw within my sleep but the fact that despair laced together within my very soul.

"It's just a dream, just a dream." I mumbled desperately to myself, "just a dream…"

It felt like an hour passed before I had the strength to look out the window and estimate the time. The sun was just beginning to peak out in the horizon, soft warm light spreading lazily out to reach the layered clouds and touch them. It must be about five in the morning then.

I sighed heavily, once again giving up on going back to sleep and slowly got out of bed. I still needed to prepare breakfast and lunch for Miharu.

.

4

.

"Thank you again for your continued patience with teaching me, Michika-san." I nodded my head in thanks to her as I finished helping Miharu into his shoes. It was the end of another day working at the daycare and after being tugged around by Miharu to play with his friends, I was finally able to settle down and review the basic grammar and words that Michika-san had given me the previous week.

The chestnut-haired woman smiled and handed me a new set of papers. "It's no problem at all, Izumi-chan! You're really a fast learner so I'm having fun teaching you all kinds of new things! Ah, these are the new words for the week along with more grammar rules. They're kanji- the hiragana written on top of each word will help you know how it's pronounced." She patted me on the shoulder, gently steering me out the door. "Let me know if you have any questions!"

I smiled and nodded. "I will, Michika-san! Come on, Miharu, we have an appointment to go to."

"Yeah, let's go to 'ppoinmen! Will Ji-han be there?" The boy was a literal bouncing ball of yellow as he impatiently tugged me out the door after waving Michika-san goodbye. The ji-san he was referring to turned out to be, to my horror and amusement, Sarutobi-sama. Yamanaka-sama later told me during an appointment that Miharu had taken a liking to both Itachi-san and Sarutobi-sama during the time I was still unconscious at the hospital. A part of me was relieved that Sarutobi-sama had allowed Miharu to call him so casually, yet I was worried that Miharu would grow to assume that he could just call others however he liked. It just wouldn't do.

"Miharu-chan, you shouldn't call Sarutobi-sama that…" I chided gently, "He's a very important person to the place we live in."

Miharu could only look at me quizzically and I let it drop. I'll have to teach him etiquette next year, when he may better understand the things around him.

"Come on, we'll see if Sarutobi-sama's there when we get there."

.

4

.

"Hmm, everything looks good and the last of those stitches will be coming off today, Izumi-chan." The doctor took off her glasses with a smile, pushing her swiveling chair backwards to reach for some cabinets behind her. She gathered supplies, put on gloves with a distinct snap and within minutes, the stitches were taken out, leaving me with only a tingling sensation of what had once been there.

"Here, take a look."

The doctor held up a smaller mirror as she gestured for me to stand between her and the larger floor-lengthed one on the wall next to the bathroom. My eyes honed in on the slightly pink and puckered skin running diagonally from the top middle of my back towards my underarm along the shoulder blade. A lock of black hair fell over my shoulder and I looked up to see my own face reflected in the mirror. Unremarkable brown eyes, sharp chin, relatively small nose with a straight nose bridge, and a thin face of a person who was still recovering from a long record of malnourishment. Improvement was showing of course, as my thin black hair was growing thicker now and my cheeks were beginning to fill out more but the doctors said it would probably take me a few more months before I completely recovered the proper weight of a thirteen year-old girl.

"Thank you, sensei, for your help."

The doctor patted the top of my head reassuringly and motioned for me to put my shirt back on. "No problem, Izumi-chan! Well, just continue to come visit for your monthly check up with Yamanaka-san now and you'll be cleared as fully recovered in no time! Just be sure to eat healthy with the right amount of nutrition as the chart I gave you showed. How are you and Miharu-kun doing anyway?"

"I've been doing fine: sorting papers, helping the cook fetch a cup of water or two and organizing the children's homework isn't intense labor and the headmistress has been generously lenient on my workload. I can't thank her enough. As for Miharu, he's made quite a bit of friends." My lips twitched into a smile, images of the friends he dragged me into playing with: a dark haired boy with a quirky hairdo, a cute chubby boy with a pension for asking for several refills during snack time, a uniquely pink-haired girl and a quiet child who tended to hide behind her hair when she got nervous. "They're an odd bunch but good kids all the same."

The doctor laughed and shook her head. "Well, that's not surprising considering more than half the kids in that particular daycare center are going to be brought up as ninjas once they're old enough to attend the academy. They're bound to have some quirks. Well, anyhow, you're good to go for toda-"

A quiet succession of four knocks on the door interrupted whatever else the doctor was about to say and the door slid open before the doctor gave the customary permission for the interrupter to come in. A tall green-vested man stood at the door looking impassively into the room, only giving the briefest of nods to the only other adult present.

"Hokage-sama requests for Izumi-san's presence at his office. I am to escort her there."

"But what about Miharu? He's waiting outside with the nurse-"

The man interrupted me without a glance in my direction. "He is already being escorted to the tower by a fellow shinobi. You need not concern yourself with anything else but to obey Hokage-sama's summons."

The doctor scowled at the rudeness of the man's intrusion.

"I understand, Chunin-san, but next time, be sure to follow doctor-patient protocol and wait for my permission to enter. You know as well as I, the consequences of your negligence should I choose to report this to the higher-ups." She turned back to me, her demeanor less sharp. "Izumi-chan, I expect you to see one of us again next month! You'll visit this lonely woman, won't you? I'll be in this very office~"

I couldn't keep the giggle from escaping my mouth despite my unease towards the messenger and nodded. "I'll be sure to do so, sensei!"

The walk through the halls of the hospital was quiet save for the occasional waves I received from the passing nurses. In the last month since I was bade to go for weekly checkups at the hospital, I made acquaintances of many staff members in the children's ward. There were five floors to the hospital with the children's wing on the East side of the fourth floor. The hospital was one of the biggest buildings in the village, the third tallest besides the Hokage tower and the Military Police Headquarters that the Uchiha clan was in charge of. Yet, it was one of the most worn down buildings discounting the poorer residential districts. And the front desk, as we walked sedately towards it for the exit, was as messy and chaotic as the first time I saw it upon my release two months prior.

As it turns out, from my own exploration of the village and the mini tours Michika-san would often drag me and Miharu into on the warm, late Spring weekends, Konohagakure was larger than I had heard from the stories my former mistress would sometimes indulge me with. There were at least two main market districts located on either ends of the village where fresh produce from local family owned gardens, spices brought in by merchants, textiles of all colours and patterns, jewelry, and metals were sold. Both were equally bustling with life and the excitement and anticipation hanging in the air would seep into my skin like morning dew was absorbed into the grass and soil before the sun fully awakened.

There was also a blacksmiths district as well, quite large too, where ninja made up the majority of the customers; the minority percentage went to the civilian hunters and bounty hunters, farmers, and attendants buying this gilded sword or that decorated dagger for local nobles living not far in the outskirts outside of the village gates.

Residential districts were distinctly divided between the civilians and the ninja population. Michika-san pointed them out to me when she tutored me on the basic layout of the village as well as general history of the village. There were several important clans within the village, of which maybe only five were prominent. Yet still, only two out of the five were the most influential in both numbers and military power. Therefore, those two clans, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha held the most lands and were situated where both being close to the Hokage Tower and close to the village walls could be balanced, while the other ninja clans were placed somewhere in between those. Civilian residential districts were placed in the center and closer to the carved cliffs Michika-san called the Hokage Monument. Not surprisingly, they too, were organized by wealth and prominence.

There also consisted of a large number of training grounds for the ninja, a sports stadium, the hospital, local civilian clinics and apothecaries, civilian schools and the ninja academy. All in all, it was at least three times the size of my home village and would take me perhaps all of an entire day to walk from one end straight across to the other side. At civilian speed, of course.

"Ah, Kakashi-san!" I would notice the distinctive silvery patch of hair anywhere.

Said man turned in my direction, paused, before slowly heading towards our direction. The Chunin-san next to me gave me a hesitant yet curious look.

"You know Hatake-san?"

"Is that his family name?"

In the short two months I lived here, I also realized another fact; people had a given name and a family name. Sarutobi was Hokage-sama's, Yamanaka was Inoichi-sama's and Uchiha was the old looking boy's, Itachi-san's. One always addressed the other person by their last name unless one was family, very familiar with them or were close friends. I wondered what Miharu's or my family name would have been if I knew who our parents are… were.

The Chunin-san decided to ignore my question to his question with a disgruntled look and nodded at Kakashi-san.

"You seem to be a lot better now. How is your brother?"

I smiled and bowed. "Miharu and I are feeling a lot better now!" I stayed bowed, suddenly feeling sheepish. I may still be a little wary towards the ninja in this village but I will admit that I'd been rude to my rescuers; I was definitely not proud of my actions and I do not like to have my wrongs remain unresolved.

"I'm very sorry for lashing out at you when I first met you… and I thank you for being one of the ones to save me and my brother. I never did properly thank you did I, Kakashi-san… or should I call you Hatake-san? I deeply apologize if I was being too forward."

"Ah… no it's fine if you continued to address me as you did before. I don't mind. I'm glad to hear you're both doing well. So your brother's name is Miharu, huh… And what's your's?"

"Oh, I never told you my new name, did I?" I bowed quickly again before straightening. "I'm Izumi."

A hand grabbed my shoulder and tugged none too gently. I winced. It just had to be the shoulder with the stitches removed not even half an hour ago.

"Hokage-sama's waiting, Izumi-san. We don't have time for you to stand around making idle conversations. Are you going to disrespect the generosity Hokage-sama benevolently bestowed on you?... Or do you not know enough words to even understand what I'm saying?" I flinched at the obvious jab at my ignorance.

Kakashi-san sighed and gave the Chunin-san a pointed look. "I'll take over from here and escort her to the tower. You're dismissed."

The brown-haired Chunin stared defiantly back, surprised and offended at the sudden dismissal. "But I was told by the Hokage-sama to escort her there personally!-"

"Are you questioning the orders of a superior officer?"

The man looked as if he wanted to argue back but halted midway, face draining of colour. He backed up slowly, muttered an 'I understand', and disappeared with a quiet pop. I staggered backwards in his sudden absence, almost tripping over myself.

"Why am I getting surprised over people disappearing when ninja can already fly through trees and control the elements without even touching them?" I muttered weakly to myself after calming down. I thanked Kakashi-san for steadying me quietly before he motioned for me to continue on getting to the Hokage Tower.

"So… what were you doing at the hospital, Kakashi-san?" I felt a sudden sense of concern creep in as I searched him, "you weren't injured were you?"

He smiled with an awkward reassurance, stiff and… sad? But genuine all the same.

"No, I was… visiting someone."

I winced at my lack of manners. "I-I hope he or she will get better soon. I'm sorry for asking such an impolite question."

"It's alright." He sighed looking distant. "I too, hope for that person to make a quick recovery… I really do."

And so it was quiet for the rest of the way to the tower.

.

4

.

It was both troubling and frustrating that in the course of two weeks, my sleeping pattern didn't improve at all. Perhaps I should have mentioned this new development in my problem to the doctor during my last weekly visit to the hospital. But since that regret was late in coming, all I could do in the end was to visit the local civilian apothecary for some tea to encourage sleep.

At close to four years old, Miharu was increasing not only in height, but in energy. Now that I wasn't holding him back from running around in fear of being killed, he was exploding with it and as though through some magnetic pull, he was gathering more friends than just those from the daycare. As I soon found out, there were a few clan kids who were at the daycare from time to time when no one from their own clan was available to take care of them. Those clan kids knew kids from other clans who were also introduced to Miharu, who introduced civilian children to them in turn. Long story short, it became quite a large crowd.

"Mama…" Miharu fidgeted in that cute way of his, squirming and shifting from foot foot with his fingers trying to wrangle each other behind his back. I forced myself to suppress a laugh at the display. He looked up at me imploringly, "could I bring my friends over to play? I got to meet more new friends today and I want you to meet them too!"

"Normally, you should be using the words 'may I' but in this case, to ask whether you can or not is indeed correct…" To think I've learned my grammar fast enough to correct even my own brother who was young enough to pick up on these things faster than I can.

Miharu could only look at me confusion at the attempted grammar correction I was giving him, tilting his head in that way of his. I sighed tiredly and smiled at him, my vision… dimming a little. I shook my head a little, closing my eyes to give them a second of reprieve.

"I- I can't?"

I opened my eyes quickly, realizing the interpretation Miharu may have taken with me trying to clear my vision. "No, that's not it. But since you have so many friends, are there any particular friends you'd like to invite? Our home may not actually be big enough to have them all in here at once."

"Uh… I didn't think of that… I wanted bring all of them." He scratched his head in bewilderment. I guess he still needed to slowly process the concept of quantity and the fact that though to him, our place was big, it was actually not so.

"How about a compromise?"

"What's a comp'mise?"

I laughed and ruffled his head. I held a little pride at his willingness to ask about anything under the sky that he didn't know of, and the fact that I just happened to learn this word recently. Well.

"It means that though I cannot say yes to bringing all of your friends over, we can find a place where we can have fun and I get to meet all of your new friends instead of here. A compromise is to meet halfway between one idea with another idea that everyone can agree with."

"Oohhhh, I see!" Miharu nodded his head excitedly, "then can we go to the park? We can play there and won't make trouble!"

"You mean you won't cause trouble." I laughed at his put out expression and ruffled his hair one last time before getting up from the kitchen chair. The room spun a little and my eyes felt like they were beginning to burn, the sides of my head throbbing like my heart had switched places with my brain.

Small hands tugged at the hem of my shirt and I slowly looked down at worried eyes. "Is Mama okay? You're not feeling well?"

I put on a smile. "I'm okay, just tired." I quickly switched subjects to distract him from his worrying.

"Now when do you want to go to that park and where is it? Are there any foods you'd like me to make for you and your friends?"

The worry in the young blond's eyes slowly faded, replaced by his excitement at the mere thought of sharing food with his friends. "Oh, oh! Let's go to the park with the big big green grassy place and the water! Can- may we go 'morrow? This is gonna be fun!"

I relaxed at his excited dance, teasingly correcting his pronunciation of words here and there as I made a list of foods to buy at the market for tomorrow.

I woke the next day bright and early as usual… at four in the morning, unable to stay within the realm of my dreams. The herbal tea I procured from the apothecary was helping little as it only gave me one extra hour of reprieve. Knowing that I wouldn't get anymore sleep, I sighed and dragged my tired body out of bed to start the morning.

By the time we headed out for the park, the sun was well on it's way to it's highest point. The weather was relatively mild, cool under the shade but warm and toasty under the sun. It was definitely a good day to be spending outside.

A large canvas bag on one shoulder with a spare old blanket I bought at a secondhand discount store tucked under my arm, Miharu and I walked through the bustling streets, watching as the gates of the anticipated park draw closer to us. Finally, as we reached the edge where dirt road met a field of grass, I let Miharu's hand go and observed with amusement as he made a mad dash towards the familiar figures of a pink haired child and the dark haired boy with strangely rebellious hair: Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. The two waved eagerly at him and ran to meet Miharu halfway.

"Miharu-kun! You're here!", Sakura-chan shouted as she stopped in front of my younger brother.

The Uchiha child smirked teasingly, "You were this close to being late, dobe!"

"Hey, stop calling me that, teme! I got here just on time!" Miharu stuck his tongue defiantly but grinned immediately after, rendering his comeback for naught. He was too excited and happy to let anything change his mood.

I finally caught up to them and smiled, ruffling both boys' hair and patting the younger girl on the head. "Now, no calling someone a bad name like that, little brother. You too, Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke-chan's ears went red in embarrassment. "Sorry, Izumi nee-san! I didn't know you were here already…"

I laughed at his expression and patted him on the shoulder. "Even if I'm not here, you shouldn't do so. How is your family doing?"

"My parents are doing well, thank you!" One moment he was polite as ever and the next moment he turned back into a petulant child. "But big brother doesn't have as much time with me anymore. He always tells me 'sorry, maybe next time' almost all the time now!"

I crouched down and searched past his sulking and saw a hurt expression. I immediately pulled him into a quick one armed hug, resting my head on top his head briefly. No matter how much I resisted trusting the adults fully, these children were still innocent and therefore precious to me. It hurt me to see them pained. I just couldn't watch and do nothing, not when I could now, as compared to the time when I was helplessly watching children, my family, being sold away.

"Your brother must be working hard to protect you, your family and this village. You know, if it weren't for your brother and the others… Miharu and I would not have made it here to this village alive. They saved us when we were hurt."

I shifted away slightly when Sasuke-chan moved to look up and into my eyes. "Really?! You two weren't born here in Konoha?"

I shook my head. Well, I wasn't really sure where or when either of us were born. But since we were outside of this village, perhaps we weren't?

"We came from outside of the village. The both of us were attacked and your brother and some others somehow managed to bring us back here to be treated at the hospital.

"So I'm sure your brother is a very brave person. I'm also sure he loves you very much and is hurt because he can't spend more time with you. He must be someone who's always tired and sleepy, right?"

"Yeah!" He looked at me like I was someone who could read the future.

"Would you like to help him a little?"

Sasuke-chan's eyes sparkled like newly polished jewels. "I can?!"

"Yes!" I laughed. "Give him a good hug and ask him how his day was. Make him a cup of tea or give him sweet snacks he likes- sugar does help tired people. Tell him you love him. Simple things. He'll be happy just with those, I'm sure of it."

"Okay, I'll do them!"

"Ah, the others are here!" Miharu and Sakura-chan exclaimed.

I straightened up and held the other two children's hands as Miharu once again sped ahead to greet the arriving children. "Well then, shall we go?"

We set up the blanket up a hill under a lusciously growing tree where we could see the water fountain close to the center of the park. There were other families busy playing with their own children during a Saturday outing, making the place fairly crowded but not overwhelming. There were a total of twelve children in all including Miharu and I was glad I made extra amounts of everything I prepared: potato salad sandwiches, butter and orange marmalade toasts, cut apples and oranges, skewered pork cutlets for easy handling, cherry tomatoes, seaweed salad, tamagoyaki and several bottles of iced chrysanthemum sweet tea. All tasty, simple and inexpensive in budget.

"Let's go play by the water fountain!"

Majority of the children nearly squealed in delight as they all raced each other to get to the large fountain to play with the water after eating their full. Thankfully, I had made sure to bring towels, as well as informed Miharu to pass onto the other children to bring some spare clothes. Those who didn't run like hyperactive children were the ones from clans, as they tried to stroll as slowly as possible after the others without showing their thrumming anticipation.

I watched, my back leaning heavily against the sturdy rough bark of the tree trunk behind me as the children raced around the spewing water. It had to be at least eight feet tall, the rim of the fountain top jetting water out in all directions to spray cool water over the children. I smiled tiredly before rubbing my eyes. They were aching again, an aching burn and the thrum of a headache slowly coming to life. I needed sleep desperately.

"Ah, stop! You leave Miharu-kun alone!"

My head automatically snapped up in alarm. Several older boys pushing the children apart while one was holding a struggling Miharu by the scruff of his neck.

"You foreigners should get out! You and your pathetic sister you call Mama! What's up with that anyway!", the teenager sneered with a distorted looking grimace and spat on the ground near his feet in disgust. "We have enough of you scums already!"

"Hey! I said leave Miharu-kun alone and let him go!"

"Let go of Miharu!" Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun rushed in, slipping under the arms of a boy with dark grey hair to try and knock Miharu's assaulter over. Another teenager grabbed Sasuke-kun by the arm, yanked him backwards, and threw him to the ground earning a yelp out of the younger boy. Sakura-chan managed to knock into the one holding Miharu, causing him to let go and Miharu landed on his rump.

I staggered to my feet, racing as quickly as my tilting vision could allow me.

"What do you think you brats are doing to the children!" I gasped out angrily. My vision blurred and I stumbled. Why weren't the nearby adults doing anything?

The boy who was knocked over by Sakura-chan may have been dazed at first but he was still bigger than her. He used his larger body mass to shove Sakura-chan over and held her down by the shoulders even as she struggled viciously to free herself.

"Let them go you brats!" I half snarled half wheezed, sweat beading down my neck. "Ugh!".

I grab the teenager holding Sakura-chan down by the collar and roughly throw him off with all the strength I had left, allowing Sakura-chan the space to scramble back.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing to my son?!" A man shouted angrily, pushing away one of the children roughly to pull his son behind him.

"Your son attacked my little brother and his friends when they did nothing to him." I snarled angrily.

"My son would never do something that, you little liar!" He strode over to me threateningly, murmuring from the bystanders increasing as they gathered to watch the spectacle. They were watching a man hurting young children like it was a spectacle.

I quickly pushed Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan behind me, telling them to quickly gather the others and get going. No sooner had they made to go round the other scattered children than the man shoved me roughly backwards. I winced.

"You little bastards are not going anywhere!" He shoved past me and I started after him, fear gripping me.

"Stop!"

I smelled a whiff of alcohol coming from him.

There was a sudden onslaught of pain in the back of my head and I clutched it, staggering to a stop and nearly falling onto the ground.

"Stop! It hurts, it hurts!" I was screaming, pushing with freed hands at something or someone above me. It smelled of alcohol and stale breath. "Let go! Get off of me!"

The pain was too much for me not to cry out and my knees met the earth, the jagged pebbles, the stones, cutting into my thin vulnerable skin, hungrily welcoming the blood that escaped my veins as it was absorbed into the ground.

A door opened slowly, quietly, after I was punched across the face. There was a sudden silence as I had to stop screaming to remember to breath between the pain and disorientation, and choking on my tears. The hinges squeaked and whatever that man was doing stopped and I felt his body shift to look in the direction of the noise.

"Mama?"

Miharu. I heard Miharu shouting for me, his hands pulling at my sleeves and crying for someone to help his Mama, his- his ane-chan. He didn't care what he addressed me by. Were the other children okay? There was an encroaching black haze covering my vision and I felt myself sink the rest of the way onto the ground, panic eating at me. There was a lot of shouting and screaming… just like before….

"Don't hurt Mama!"

I felt a blazing heat filter through my senses and the heavy body above me suddenly left. That man shouted in pain and then, a crash, wood shattering. Tendrils- tendrils of living, liquid heat was gently enfolding me in it.

Then I heard shouting and screaming all over again. And the darkness came over me, even when I wanted to open my eyes despite the pain and see where my precious little brother was. Was he here? Why was he here instead of at the caravan? Who else was shouting? Had someone come to rescue us or were the bandits being attacked by another group? Don't hurt my brother. Never my brother! But yet, I prayed that if we were being attacked, at least have the courtesy to extinguish that man's life with an agonizing death.

A bubbling grey wisp of aching was building a trench in my chest. It was bitter, cold, frightening. I wished that if that man died horrifically, I would at least get my revenge for all the things he did by getting to watch it. What was becoming of me?

I felt a pair of warm hands catch me before I knew no more.

.

4

.

"... Tolui Ujin."

"Sarantsatsr Tolui Ujin."

My eyes felt heavy as I opened them to gaze bleary-eyed at the felt covering above me before turning in the direction of the one who was calling my name.

"Sarantsatsr Tolui Ujin, it's time for the morning greetings." The face of a women with dull red hair tied neatly at the nape of her neck came into view as she bowed her head towards me. "It is already the hour of the rabbit and the sun has risen past the line of the plains, Ujin, m'lady."

"Already? I'm still so tired… ", I grumbled with a pout, but get up anyway. No one dares to stay asleep and ignore the duty of the morning greetings without greatly offending one's honored parents, the elders and the ancestors.

"I'm deeply sorry, m'lady."

I sighed, all the annoyance leaving me. I hated when the servants apologize for every negative comment I make, however trivial it is. "There is no need for an apology, Batu. Will you help me with the preparations, please?"

"Of course, m'lady. You need not ask, just say so and this servant Batu will do as you command." She bowed deeply and hurried with small steps to the clothes hung carefully across the wooden stand next to the changing screen.

Again with the formality.

I held in my sigh and slide my legs over the pile of blankets and pillows to feel the relative coolness of the summer rugs meet the soles of my feet. Batu dressed me behind the screen as I admired the coolness of the light cotton clothing being wrapped around my bodice. Deep red collar winded down my front to the right side- once, then twice- and created the long, spacious skirt and false layers. My arms slid through generous sleeves before coming out of narrow cuffs. The entirety of the robe was decorated simply with circular floral patterns of pale yellow against dark blue, the piece tied off at the waist by a white sash. My long black hair was then braided into individual thin braids and tied with colourful beads before a small headdress of simple silver bangles sewn into the edges of the cap was placed on my head, its long,shoulder-length strands of patterned heavy beads framing my face. Upon my feet were thinly padded, leather boots reaching just past my ankles, decorated with similar circular patterns of flowers under a moon.

I stepped out of my yurt dwelling and felt the mildly warm summer breeze caress my braided hair and face as I headed to the largest yurt tent of our encampment, the emblem of the Chengli Gutu Chanyu, Chieftain King of all Xiongnu, stitched into the felt fabric that covered dwelling's skeletal frame. The slightly smaller yurt next to the Chanyu's was where my honored parents resided.

"Aqa, elder brothers!"

Three heads turned in my direction, halting from their walk towards the Chanyu's tent.

"Ah, there is our Doyi." Third Elder Brother, dressed in a light grey robe secured by a deep blue sash, a pair of dark grey trousers and black boots decorated by a large soaring falcon each, looked down at me with a twinkle in his eye. "You managed to wake at the hour of the rabbit without a fuss today, Doyi? You didn't trouble Batu enough to run her red hair white, did you?"

I couldn't stop myself from pouting,my arms itching to cross themselves in an unlady-like fashion in front of me.

"I woke up just fine, Third Elder Brother! I am sincerely grateful for your asking after me." Trust Third Elder Brother to poke fun at me so early in the morning. Did he want to get me in trouble with eji, our ever eagle-eyed Great Grandmother the Queen Dowager, when I give her my greetings with a hard to control scowl on my face? Mother would surely make my womanly training all the more harder to avoid having me on the receiving end of the Queen Dowager's wrath.

Eldest Brother, turned a quiet disapproving look at Third Elder Brother with a soft reprimand, "Must you antagonize our Doyi so? Let's go. We will be late for our greetings and incur the displeasure of the Queen Dowager. Doyi, school your face."

I ducked my head, properly chastised, "Yes, I'm sincerely sorry, Eldest Brother."

He nodded, his face a hint of softness, before his expression smoothed out into one the eldest koghun was expected to have as a candidate for the future Chanyu title. Eldest Brother announced our arrival to the guard and the flaps of the yurt were opened as the messenger declared our presence. With the utmost grace Mother had instilled in us, we each gave our greetings to the ancestors at the altar first, then to the Chanyu and the Queen Dowager, and finally to Mother and Father.

The Queen Dowager looked among us closely with an unreadable glint in her eyes before addressing Eldest Brother.

"Berke Temur Noyan, soon you will be fourteen Summers at the end of the herding season. It is time to procure a wife for you and continue this royal lineage as the eldest koghun. Have you any tribal woman's hand in mind, or would you have your Mother and this Queen Mother seek one out for you?"

Eldest Brother stiffened at the question, a frown barely concealed from his face. I could tell, being his little sister, that he did not like what the Queen Dowager was implying. As if Eldest Brother had much choice in selecting a lady's hand for marriage with the Queen Dowager's manipulations.

Marriage matters should always be between the esteemed Mother and Father, and Eldest Brother. However, with the Queen Dowager having made this 'benevolent offer', he could not refuse without insulting her.

I glanced discreetly at Mother from between Second and Third Elder Brother's shoulders. She had a troubled look on her face as she made discreet gestures toward Eldest Brother from her seat at Father's left.

"Have you a selection in mind, Honored Great Grandmother? I am most grateful for your advices.", he murmured, not daring to fully meet the Queen Dowager's eyes, yet he sat as tall as he could to show he would not cower.

"There is no need to burden yourself with this affair, Honored Mother." The Chanyu's face was pinched, his expression hidden from the Queen Dowager only by seating position: she sitting at the seat of honor behind the Chanyu's right hand, the Chanyu himself at the center with his back to the high altar. Father sat at his immediate left with Mother at his side. We as mere children, sat across from them, Eldest Brother at the front, Second and Third Elder Brother behind him and me closest to the tent opening- the most insignificant and vulnerable to attack should it ever happen. "If you have a fair lady in mind, let Tuya and Lord YouXiao, as Berke's parents, know and they will sort out the mess. Relax as you deserve, Honored Mother."

She sniffed daintily and lifted her cup to sip at her tea. "I shall pass on the candidate's name and Clan origin to your Mother and Father then." The was a tone of distaste when came the mention of Father. "They will let you know if they want to, as well as begin the talk of dowry with the woman's family should this candidate be decided upon."

And so a crisis was averted and Great Grandmother pretended like nothing much had occurred, asking after Second and Third Elder Brother's training in the sword and archery. We soon left for Mother and Father's yurt to share the morning meal.

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4

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The Queen Dowager refused to acknowledge my existence again, just as she had been for as long as I remembered. To her, I was no great granddaughter of hers and probably the sooner I could be married off, to a far away tribe if possible, the better. Soon to pass my tenth Autumn when the grass begins to golden and the trees crimson, I will not have much time left before I'm at the suitable age when young men will seek for my hand in marriage, given my lineage and status.

I pricked myself on the needle and I quickly move my fingers away from my project discreetly, putting pressure on it to prevent tainting the embroidery with blood.

A brow lifting on Great Grandmother's face told me I didn't quite manage to suppress the tiny hiss I emitted from the sudden pain. Mother looked towards me quickly and asked after my injury. "It won't do for your hand to have abnormal scars…", she'd say all the time. I felt my face turn a light shade of pink in embarrassment and frustration; Mother ousted my mistake without really meaning to.

"Our embroidery skills are truly unparalleled across the plains, don't you think, my dear?"

Mother dipped her head in a hesitant nod, not sure where this sudden statement was going. "Indeed, this is said by many. Honored Grandmother's skills are unequaled."

"It is, therefore, unsurprising that there are not many who can learn of these skills fully unless they have our blood within their veins." Great Grandmother sighed as if despairing over something, "And then there are just those without skill at all to be made of anything."

Mother immediately closed her mouth, jaw working slightly.

"Berke Temur Noyan has arrived!" The guard announced, opening the flap to allow Eldest Brother entrance.

"Honored Mother, Esteemed Great Grandmother." He knelt on his right knee with his fisted right arm resting on it in humble greeting; the bow of the head that followed was only reserved for the Chanyu. "The Lord Chanyu and Honored Father requires Sarantsatsr Tolui Ujin's presence for her training."

"She has not completed her embroidery tasks yet." Great Grandmother's steely voice cut through the air. She spoke as if I wasn't in the room. "Warrior she may become should she be called to it, but she will shame her husband by not having other skills to speak of. She has tainted this household and our Clan name enough with her presence."

"It is the Lord Chanyu's command."

Great Grandmother's grip on the linen she was embroidering turned ashen white before she stiffly relaxed her hands. "If the Lord Chanyu commands it, so be it."

"Come, Sarantsatsr. We must not linger." Eldest Brother stood regally, eyes piercing and demanding no delays.

"As you wish, Eldest Brother Noyan." I quickly get to my feet and with a lady's bow towards Mother and Great Grandmother, we depart.

"My archery lesson is not till the hour of the monkey, Eldest Brother. Has Lord Chanyu and Father sent for me so early?" We walked swiftly towards my yurt to grab my weapons before heading to the stables. "It's only the hour of the sheep."

"Lord Chanyu requested for his grandchildren to be present as he is debriefed before we head towards the training grounds. He had not mentioned which of his grandchildren were required to be there." He glanced down at me as we enter the stables. "It is true that the Lord Chanyu said he'd like to see our progress in our skills over the bow and arrow, however. Besides…"

He headed towards his dark grey stallion, who was snorting excitedly. "Knowing you, you wouldn't have lasted long in that atmosphere. You still have need for expression training, Doyi."

"I know I haven't been controlling my temper very well, Berke- Eldest Brother and I'm sorry for disappointing you… But I will try harder so I will not be a burden to you, I promise!"

Eldest Brother glanced at me before turning his back to begin saddling his horse. "You take to heart the Queen Dowager's words too much, Doyi. And you may address your older brothers by our names so long as it is not in public, Tolui Doyi."

I gave him a wobbly smile in gratefulness and nod my head, even if he can't see it. "Okay, Berke Aqa."

I embraced my chestnut mare in greeting, who huffed gently on my cheeks and stomped. "Hello, Erdene. It has been a while, hasn't it?"

I quickly saddled the horse and with Berke Aqa, we headed to the furthest reaches of our encampment to the East where the Chanyu and Father would be waiting within the tent of meetings.

The yurt was, unlike the others, decorated not by domesticating rugs and carpeting, but of dyed felt and leather. The interior was wider, the Chanyu's seat of importance at the center back upon an elevated seat, and Father, as the Lord YouXiao, was seated to the Chanyu's left. Lord Wei Lu, the Chanyu's chief advisor, sat at the chieftain king's right hand.

As Berke Aqa and I stepped through the flaps of the yurt with our arrival announced, I saw that the elders of our clan were already present muttering amongst themselves. Upon being seated, the Chanyu turned a stern eye towards the assembly quickly quieting them. But when he looked towards me, his eyes held an incomprehensible emotion for a brief moment before he reverted back into the strict aura of a leader.

"Let this meeting commence."

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4

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I drew the bow as taut as I could, feeling my muscles straining at the weight, eyes focused on the target about two hundred meters ahead of me. I released. The arrow whistled through the air and hit the fourth of eight rings. I winced, both at my horrible aiming and at my raw fingers.

Shame laced through me. The Chanyu and Father had been observing our archery and sword practice, and while my elder brothers were already able to shoot a target at three hundred meters on horse to strike the third ring of eight, I was still shooting while stationary.

I wanted to improve- needed to improve.

Though I felt the sweat trickling down my face and back, I trudged across the field to retrieve the arrows for one more practice. Just one more time before I had to call it a day. Getting into position, I slowly depleted my arrow supply again, each still hitting between the fourth and third ring.

The sound of leather and wood stretching, the snap of the bow string and the whistle of an arrow cutting through air. The thud of arrow hitting its target. My second to last arrow hit dead center and my breath hitched.

"I-I did it!" I quickly grabbed my last arrow and aimed- it hit the third ring. I felt my excitement stutter but the thrum of hope didn't go away. I could do this. There was a chance for me to improve yet.

With my fingers smarting however, I decided to rest and continue tomorrow. But first, to tell my elder brothers and Father!

Allowing Erdene to leisurely trot across the plains where the practice fields were located, we maneuvered through the yurts and finally to the stable where my mare could rest.

The moon was rising over the horizon by the time I made my way towards Father's yurt, a cooler breeze making me shiver slightly. Grass crunching beneath my feet, deftly avoiding the ropes holding down the neighboring yurts, I soon saw Father and Mother's living space lit with the warmth of candlelight, and my heart raced at telling them that soon, I will have the strength to be one of their warriors, the clan's protectors. Will Great Grandmother acknowledge me then?

The air suddenly shifted behind me. Before I could even react and pulled me behind a tree, its thick trunk obscuring my view of Father and Mother's tent a few feet away. My heart shot up to my throat and I struggled, arms pushing and fingers trying to scratch away the hand covering my mouth, to scream for someone to notice. The arms holding me still only constricted tighter.

"Don't move."

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4

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"Life seemed even more of a guessing game than usual."

― Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending

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A/N: This chapter took me so much longer to write than I had expected, so I'm sorry and thank you to those who have been patiently waiting so long for this chapter to be posted!

First things first- I know that a lot of you will be extremely confused at this sudden change in perspective, but of course, this has everything to do with this weird complex story plot that I plan to have going. Hahahaha So please bear with me and slowly, the story will unravel what exactly is going on. At least I hopr it will unravel the way I planned on it to. Sooner or later though, I know I'll definitely have to change the summary for this story because the summary I initially wrote out for this story is no longer relavant to how the plot line has changed shape over the course of a few months. That said, please continue to support me!

I also know that some of you may be following my other story, WFSM (When the Four Seasons Meet). Rest assured, I'm am going to complete and post up the next chapter soon so please anticipate it! My posting chapters will most likely slow significantly so bear with me and hopefully, I'll be able to post something during the semester!

Onto to the next thing, the following is a list of definitions and translations of vocabulary I used in here as well as names. Note to those who speak the language or those who are of Mongolian descent: if you find anything weird or names not making sense, please do write me and let me know! I don't speak it nor do I claim to know Mongolian culture very well. I would love to get the feedback!

Sarantsatsr Tolui- Moonlit Mirror

Berke Temur- Strong Iron

Tuya- Ray of Light

Batu- Loyal (This name is usually used for men, but for this story's purpose, the maid will have this name. hehehehe)

Erdene- Treasure, Jewel

Ujin- Lady (Anyone know the exact context of this translation? Some sources I researched suggested that this is more of an address of a married lady? While others hinted that it was more general like referring to a miss with a high status?)

Noyan- Prince

Chengli Gutu Chanyu- Title for nomadic supreme kings, rulers, of chieftains of the Xiongnu (who some referred to as the Huns, though the Xiongu are more of a confederation of Mongolian tribes joined by a pact under a leader during Ancient times, while Huns, I believe referred to one of these groups. However, these terms are somewhat obscure and a bit convoluted so, if someone has better knowledge of this, do let me know!). This title was later replaced by the term Khagan (Khan in the West) in 402AD. This title, shortened to Chanyu, was largely used by the Luandi clan during the Qing and Han Dynasty. This of course, gives you a small picture of what time period and where exactly the story has suddenly switched to. Haha.

Yurt- For some who may not know what this is, it is a type of tent house that is comprised largely of felt, fortified underneath by a wooden frame. The large tent is usually decorated inside by rugs and leather stitched by the women of the tribe. These dwellings are also referred to as Ger, though this is very rarely used… in the West.

Doyi- Little Sister

Aqa- Elder Brother

Koghun- Son

Lord YouXiao- Sarantsatsr's Father's title

Hour of the Rabbit- 5-7am (This is is the Chinese system of telling time; dividing the twenty-four hours of the day into twelve equal 'double hours', twelve animals are used in association to the hours of the day, though there are actual Chinese names referred to by 'shi chen', which may get a little complicated for readers and those not very familiar with the Chinese language, so I'm going to keep things as simple as I can….)

Hour of the Sheep- 1-3pm

Hour of the Monkey- 3-5pm

If there are any words or names I may have by accidentally left out, please feel free to write me and I can clarify it for you!

Until next time, please do review after reading!

Avec d'affection, adieu!

Hitori no kage